וּתְקַעְתֶּ֤ם תְּרוּעָה֙ שֵׁנִ֔ית וְנָֽסְעוּ֙ הַֽמַּחֲנ֔וֹת הַחֹנִ֖ים תֵּימָ֑נָה תְּרוּעָ֥ה יִתְקְע֖וּ לְמַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃
Apabila kamu meniup tanda semboyan untuk kedua kalinya, perkemahan-perkemahan yang berkemah di sebelah selatan harus berangkat. Tanda semboyan harus ditiup untuk keberangkatan mereka.
Rabbeinu Bahya
עשה לך שתי חצוצרות כסף, “make for yourself two silver trumpets, etc.” According to the plain meaning of the text these two trumpets were made of silver, a single casting each as directed in our verse by the words מקשה תעשה אותם,”make them hammered out.” These trumpets had two functions 1) they served to call the people or the princes to an assembly. 2) They provided the signal for the people to break camp and commence their journeys. This is the meaning of the words: “they shall be yours for summoning the congregation and to cause the camps to journey.”
When both trumpets would be sounded simultaneously this would be the signal to assemble the people; if only one of the trumpets was blown this was the signal that only the princes need assemble. This is the meaning of the words in verse 4: “when they will blow in one (trumpet), the princes will assemble to you, the leaders of the thousands of Israel.” Seeing that these people were special, unique amongst their peers, only a single trumpet was blown to call them to an assembly. The kind of blast blown was that known as tekiah, a smooth unbroken tone. The smoothness of the sound was a reminder of the attribute of Mercy, reminding people that G’d’s right hand is outstretched waiting to welcome penitent sinners.
In order to make the camps start journeying the kind of sound blown was the teruah, shorter broken sounds, staccato-like. We know this from verse 6: “a teruah they are to blow for their journeys.” The reason, as we explained already, is that journeys called מסעות mean marching into war, i.e. involving the attribute of Justice. Basically, the journeys of the people of Israel were directed at dislodging the seven Canaanite nations from their homeland. It is the attribute of Justice which grants one victory in battle, and the Jewish people therefore alerted the attribute of Justice whenever they set out on their journeys. This is why in that connection you will always find the words 'על פי ה', “at the command of the Lord.”
When the people got ready to journey the trumpets would be blown in each direction of the four camps seeing that the four camps faced the four directions (winds) of the earth. This is why we have separate verses describing the different camps breaking up at different times (verses 5-6).
When both trumpets would be sounded simultaneously this would be the signal to assemble the people; if only one of the trumpets was blown this was the signal that only the princes need assemble. This is the meaning of the words in verse 4: “when they will blow in one (trumpet), the princes will assemble to you, the leaders of the thousands of Israel.” Seeing that these people were special, unique amongst their peers, only a single trumpet was blown to call them to an assembly. The kind of blast blown was that known as tekiah, a smooth unbroken tone. The smoothness of the sound was a reminder of the attribute of Mercy, reminding people that G’d’s right hand is outstretched waiting to welcome penitent sinners.
In order to make the camps start journeying the kind of sound blown was the teruah, shorter broken sounds, staccato-like. We know this from verse 6: “a teruah they are to blow for their journeys.” The reason, as we explained already, is that journeys called מסעות mean marching into war, i.e. involving the attribute of Justice. Basically, the journeys of the people of Israel were directed at dislodging the seven Canaanite nations from their homeland. It is the attribute of Justice which grants one victory in battle, and the Jewish people therefore alerted the attribute of Justice whenever they set out on their journeys. This is why in that connection you will always find the words 'על פי ה', “at the command of the Lord.”
When the people got ready to journey the trumpets would be blown in each direction of the four camps seeing that the four camps faced the four directions (winds) of the earth. This is why we have separate verses describing the different camps breaking up at different times (verses 5-6).
Rabbeinu Bahya
עד היום הזה, “until this day.” Eleazar was pronouncing the blessing in lieu of his father Aaron who had died already at the time when Moses addressed the people. Eleazar had taken over all of his father Aaron’s functions as High Priest as is clear from verse 6 in our chapter.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וידבר משה אל אהרן ואל אלעזר ואל איתמר בניו הנותרים, “Moses spoke to Aaron, to Eleazar and Itamar his surviving sons;” Seeing that we already had a similar line in verse 6 of our chapter, why did the Torah not report what Moses said on this occasion immediately following verse 6? The reason that the Torah interposed the legislation about not entering the Sanctuary while in a state of intoxication was to teach that it is good form to offer one’s condolences to the bereaved. Aaron was a mourner; the Torah therefore displays its manner of comforting him in his bereavement, by speaking to him exclusively about rites to be observed by mourners. He was not to drink wine while in mourning. This is why in verse 29 only Aaron is addressed. The idea that G’d personally observes such good form has already been demonstrated in Genesis 18, where G’d appeared to Avraham in order to fulfill the custom of visiting the sick, seeing Avraham was recuperating from his circumcision at the time.
Our sages, who have taught us to emulate characteristics observed in the way G’d acts (Sifri end of Eykev), derive the law that one is to visit the sick and comfort the bereaved from these verses. If G’d Himself went to the trouble to observe these customs, we must emulate Him and not consider it below our dignity. The same applies to the commandment to bury the dead. G’d had buried Moses, (Deut. 34,6). If G’d Himself takes the trouble to bury a mortal, how much more must mortals bury their peers!
Our sages, who have taught us to emulate characteristics observed in the way G’d acts (Sifri end of Eykev), derive the law that one is to visit the sick and comfort the bereaved from these verses. If G’d Himself went to the trouble to observe these customs, we must emulate Him and not consider it below our dignity. The same applies to the commandment to bury the dead. G’d had buried Moses, (Deut. 34,6). If G’d Himself takes the trouble to bury a mortal, how much more must mortals bury their peers!