Les Nombres 35:5 Midrash : Bamidbar Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Midrash Tanchuma

“At a distance, around the Tent of Meeting, they shall encamp” (Numbers 2:2). We learned there: One who begins Shabbat on the road creates for himself circles up to four cubits,¹¹A person may not leave his "place" on Shabbat and go more than two thousand cubits. If he is on the road, and not in a town or city, his "place" is defined by the four cubits around him. He can walk two thousand cubits in any direction, and begins measuring from the edge of the circle. this is the statement of Rabbi Ḥanina. He may carry within four cubits and say: ‘My residence is in my place,’ and his place acquires for him two thousand cubits in each and every direction¹²He can carry within four cubits, and he can walk (without carrying) a distance of two thousand cubits. (Mishna Eiruvin 4:7–8). How much is four cubits? Rabbi Yehuda says: So that one may take an object from his feet and place it at his head (Yerushalmi Eiruvin 4:1). When one begins Shabbat in a province, even if it is as large as Antioch, he may walk it in its entirety, and outside of it two thousand cubits in any direction that he wishes. When one begins Shabbat in a cave, even if it is like Zedekiah’s cave that was eighteen mil, he walks it in its entirety and outside it two thousand cubits in any direction that he wishes (Tosefta Eiruvin 3:13). From where did they find a basis for Shabbat boundaries? From the Torah, as it is stated: “You shall measure outside the city: The eastern side two thousand cubits, and the southern side two thousand cubits, and the western side two thousand cubits, and the northern side two thousand cubits…” (Numbers 35:5).¹³See Mishnah Sota 5:3.
Likewise you find regarding Joshua, when he went to destroy Jericho, Joshua said to them: ‘You are destined to observe Shabbat there, do not distance the Ark more than two thousand cubits in any direction. Why? It is so it will be permitted for you to pray before the Ark on Shabbat.’ Likewise it says: “However, there shall be a distance of a measure of two thousand cubits between you and it” (Joshua 3:4).
Likewise you find that when the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses that Israel would be arranged by banners, He said to him: ‘Arrange them in each direction at a distance of two thousand cubits,’ as it is stated: “At a distance [mineged], around the Tent of Meeting, they shall encamp.” What is mineged? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: At a distance of a mil, which is two thousand cubits. From where is it derived that this mineged is at a distance of a mil? We derive a verbal analogy, mineged mineged.¹⁴Namely, the word mineged, which appears in the following two verses, create a verbal analogy. Here it is written: “At a distance [mineged], around the Tent of Meeting, they shall encamp.” And there it is written: “She went and sat herself down at a distance [mineged], at a distance [harḥek] of about a bowshot, for she said: I will not see the death of the child. She sat at a distance, raised her voice, and wept” (Genesis 21:16). Just as there it is a mil, so too here, it is a mil. From where is it derived that mineged that was said regarding Hagar is a mil? Here harḥek is written, and there raḥok is written; “however, there shall be a distance [raḥok] of a measure of two thousand cubits between you and it” (Joshua 3:4). Just as there it is a mil, here too, it is a mil.

(Numb. 2:1-2:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON, SAYING: <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL CAMP,> EACH WITH HIS STANDARD, UNDER THE BANNERS FOR THEIR FATHERS' HOUSES…. Let our master instruct us: Within how many cubits is it permitted for one to walk on the Sabbath? Thus have our masters taught: One who observes the Sabbath on the road makes a circle with a radius of four cubits for himself.⁵³Tanh., Numb. 1:9; Numb. R. 2:9; cf.‘Eruv. 4:5-8. <These are> the words of R. Haninya ben Antigonus. Then he moves <objects> on the Sabbath <to> within within four cubits and says: My Sabbath rest is in this place where I am. So his place gives him the right <to go> two thousand cubits in any direction. But how much are four cubits? R. Judah says: Enough for him to take a cask from his feet and put it by his headrest. And one who keeps the Sabbath in a city, even though it is as large as Antioch, may walk all of it, its outskirts, and two thousand cubits beyond its outskirts.⁵⁴‘Eruv. 60a. What is the meaning of "outskirts"? The shops and the inns⁵⁵Gk.: pandokeia. which are on the road outside the city. And the one who keeps the Sabbath in a cave, even though it is as large as the cave where king Zedekiah of Judah fled,⁵⁶Zedekiah’s flight to a cave (me‘arah) may have been suggested by Jer. 52:7, according to which he fled for the Arabah. which was twelve miles⁵⁷Lat.: mille. long,⁵⁸Cf. Numb. R. 2:9, according to which the cave was eighteen miles long. may walk all of it and outside of it for two thousand cubits in any direction he wishes. And from where did the sages find support? From the words of Torah, [where it is stated] (in Numb. 35:5): AND YOU SHALL MEASURE OFF TWO THOUSAND CUBITS OUTSIDE THE TOWN ON THE EAST SIDE…. And likewise you find in the case of Joshua, when he went to destroy Jericho, Joshua said to them (i.e., to Israel): You are going to keep the Sabbath there. Do not go further than two thousand cubits from the ark in any direction. Why? So that you may be entitled to come to pray before the ark on the Sabbath. And so it says (in Joshua 3:4): YET THERE SHALL BE A DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND IT (the Ark of the Covenant) OF ABOUT TWO THOUSAND CUBITS BY MEASURE. And likewise you find, when God told Moses that he should have Israel encamp under standards, he said to him: Have them encamp under their standards in every direction. Where is it shown? From what is they read on the matter (in Numb. 2:2): <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL> SHALL CAMP, EACH WITH HIS STANDARD, UNDER THE BANNERS FOR THEIR FATHERS' HOUSE; <THEY SHALL CAMP AROUND THE TENT OF MEETING AT A DISTANCES>.⁵⁹Numb. R. 2:9 explains further that Gen. 21:16 defines AT A DISTANCE as a bowshot, which is equivalent to a Roman mile (i.e., a thousand paces), which equals two thousand cubits.

(Numb. 2:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘[The Children of Israel shall camp,] each with his standard, under the banners….’” Let our master instruct us: Within how many cubits is it permitted for one to walk on the Sabbath? Thus have our masters taught: One who observes the Sabbath on the road makes a circle with a radius of four cubits for himself.³⁸Numb. R. 2:9; cf.‘Eruv. 4:5-8. [These are] the words of R. Haninya ben Antigonus. Then he moves [objects] on the Sabbath within four cubits and says, “My Sabbath rest is in this place where I am.” So his place gives him the right [to go] two thousand cubits in any direction. But how much are four cubits? R. Judah says, “Enough for him to take a cask from his feet and put it by his headrest.” And one who keeps the Sabbath in a city, even though it is as large as Antioch, may walk all of it, its outskirts, and two thousand cubits beyond its outskirts.³⁹‘Eruv. 60a. What is the meaning of "outskirts"? The shops and the inns⁴⁰Gk.: pandokeia. which are on the road outside the city. And the one who keeps the Sabbath in a cave, even though it is as large as the cave where king Zedekiah of Judah fled,⁴¹Zedekiah’s flight to a cave (me‘arah) may have been suggested by Jer. 52:7, according to which he fled for the Arabah. which was twelve mil⁴²Lat.: mille. long,⁴³Cf. Numb. R. 2:9, according to which the cave was eighteen miles long. may walk all of it and outside of it for two thousand cubits in any direction he wishes. And from where did the sages find support? From the words of the Torah, [where it is stated] (in Numb. 35:5), “And you shall measure off two thousand cubits outside the town on the east side….” And likewise you find in the case of Joshua, when he went to destroy Jericho, Joshua said to them (i.e., to Israel), “You are going to keep the Sabbath there. Do not go further than two thousand cubits from the ark in any direction. Why? So that you may be entitled to come to pray before the ark on the Sabbath.” And so it says (in Joshua 3:4), “Yet there shall be a distance between you and it (the ark of the covenant) of about two thousand cubits by measure, never coming any closer to it; so that you may know by what route to march, since it is a road you have not traveled before.” And likewise you find, when God told Moses that he should have Israel encamp under standards, He said to him, “Have them encamp under their standards in every direction. Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 2:2), “each with his standard” (meaning that they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance).⁴⁴Numb. R. 2:9 explains further that Gen. 21:16 defines at a distance as a bowshot, which is equivalent to a Roman mile (i.e., a thousand paces), which equals two thousand cubits.