Tafsiran Bilangan 1:17: Rashi & Siftei Chakhamim

האנשים האלה [AND MOSES AND AARON] TOOK THESE MEN — these twelve princes.

Those twelve leaders. Rashi wished to explain: The Torah should have stated “Moshe and Aharon took them,” and since it previously listed the leaders of the congregation we would automatically know that they were the leaders already mentioned. However, it is clear that because it is written “these men” I might now say that it refers to others, not the leaders of the tribes. Therefore, Rashi explains that it does indeed refer to the twelve leaders. Furthermore, if one were to say that they were others, Rashi explains that [this cannot be because] they were “designated to him here by their names,” and it was the leaders who were designated here by name. The phrase “to him” was added because without it, it would not be known to whom they were designated. One might ask: From where does Rashi know to explain so, perhaps they were indeed others? The answer is: It is written האנשים האלה (those [specific] men) with a hei (implying the definite article) rather than אנשים אלה. If one asks: Then why does it not simply say they “took them,” as the Minchas Yehudah asks? The answer appears to be: The Torah initially said “the head of the fathers’ house” (v.4) while now it says “the leaders of their fathers’ tribes” (v.16). Thus, one might think that the heads of the fathers’ houses were not the leaders of the tribes, only of their families. And when here the Torah writes “the ones called from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes” it refers to the leaders themselves — but those listed above were indeed others. Consequently the Torah here would have said “the ones called from the congregation” only to inform us that they are the ones called “to any matter of importance.” For this reason the Torah states “these [specific] men” to teach that they were the very same leaders listed above. Maharshal writes that Rashi is answering the question: Why did the Torah write “who were designated by name,” when it would be sufficient to write “these men”? Therefore he explains that they were designated to him here by name, as a matter of importance, that they were worthy of their greatness and leadership. This is in contrast to the spies who were referred to by name in disgrace, due to what would befall them in the end, as is taught in Midrash Rabbah.

אשר נקבו WHO WERE MENTIONED to him (Moses) here בשמות BY NAME.