Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Bilangan 26:14

[REUBEN, THE FIRSTBORN OF ISRAEL: THE SONS OF REUBEN]: HANOCH, THE FAMILY OF THE HANOCHITES. Perhaps [the reason why the individual families of each tribe are mentioned here is that] when the Land was divided among the tribes [in equal parts] according to the opinion of our Rabbis,³²Baba Bathra 122a. See Vol. I, pp. 570-572. so that Simeon, the smallest of the tribes,³³The tribe of Simeon numbered 22,200 men (further, Verse 14). took [a share] equal to that of Judah, the most populous of the tribes,³⁴The tribe of Judah numbered 76,500 (Verse 22). it was also divided up [amongst each tribe itself] according to the number of families that went down to Egypt. Thus they made out of Reuben’s inheritance four [equal] parts [because it consisted of four main families: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi], and the Hanochites received a share equal to that allotted to the Palluites, the Hezronites, and the Carmites, even though these [four families] were not all equal in the number of names … by their polls³⁵Above, 1:18. This is the reason here for counting [the people] in this manner, [namely] by counting the family according to those who went down to Egypt, and it does not mention [here] by their polls, even though it mentions the numbers [of each tribe] as a whole. And when Scripture states [here]: To the more thou shalt give the more inheritance, [and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance,³⁶Further, Verse 54. which seems to indicate that the Land was divided according to population,³⁷As is indeed Rashi’s opinion. See further, Verse 54, for a complete discussion. Ramban also touches briefly on this subject in Genesis 48:6 (Vol. I, pp. 571-572). it refers to the [division amongst the] members of each [small] family,³⁸Thus when, for example, the family-group of Hanochites received their quarter-share of Reuben’s overall inheritance, they further subdivided it amongst their members according to the number of individuals in each family. However, they themselves received a share — [one quarter] — of the total inheritance of Reuben, equal to that received by the three other main families of Reuben, despite differences in their respective populations. Likewise each of the twelve tribes, whether large in population, like Judah, or small like Simeon, received an equal share of the whole Land [that is, equal in value, although not in area] (Baba Bathra 122a). for each [of these minor families] received a share according to their numbers by their polls.³⁵Above, 1:18. It is for this reason that in the Book of Joshua [when speaking of] the division of the Land, it says according to their families, as is stated in the verse, And the lot for the tribe of the children of Judah ‘according to their families,’³⁹Joshua 15:1. and similarly in the case of all the other [tribes]. Or the meaning of [the phrase there] according to their families may be: “to ‘all’ the families of the tribe” [meaning that each minor family of each tribe was taken into account, according to the numbers of its individual members, as explained above]; or that they divided the Land according to their families, so that each family received its share in one place, so that it did not become mixed up with [that of] another family. This [latter interpretation] appears to me to be the correct one.

May Reuven live He begins with the eldest, as is customary. He does not mention Shimon, either because of the incident of Baal Peor [Numbers 25: 3], in which the worshipers were Shimonites, as evidenced by their decline in numbers [Numbers 26: 14] [cf. Numbers 1: 23], as well as by the fact that it was their chieftain who was killed [Numbers 25: 14]. or He follows Yaaqov’s example, who did not bless Shimon or Levi. Out of respect for Aaron, his tribe was excepted, borne up on the coattails of Aaron; but Shimon lacked a great man of equivalent stature. If one should object, and ask, Why, then, did Moshe bless Reuven? — the answer is that Yaaqov did bless Reuven, the blessing being “you shall not stand out” [Genesis 49: 4], i.e., that he should be as one of his brethren. After Reuven, he mentions Y e hudah, who was the standard-bearer, and the first to go into battle. Then Levi, and then Benjamin, on account of the Levites’ dwelling in Jerusalem, which lay between the territory of Y e hudah and the territory of Benjamin, as it is written [cf. Joshua 18: 28 , Judges 1: 8]. Then the tribe of Joseph, in order not to postpone them, having already given precedence to his younger brother. Then Zevulun, on account of his going into war [Judges 5: 18], and then Yissakhar. After completing the children of the major wives, he begins with Gad, who encamped under the standard of two children of the major wives, and then Dan, since he was a standard-bearer, and then Naftali, because he was greater than Asher.

The reason that this chapter containing the blessings begins with the letter א and ends with the last letter of the aleph bet, the letter ת, is to teach that all these blessings are not likely to become manifest in stages, in installments, but that when the Israelites will observe the Torah from א-ת, from the first letter of the aleph bet to the last letter, only then will all the blessings promised here become due.
The paragraph dealing with a variety of curses in the event the Israelites would fail to observe the Torah’s commandments begins with the letter א in verse 14 and concludes with he letter ה at the end of verse 46. In other words, all these curses represent only half of the letters in the tetragramaton, the last half. This is what the psalmist referred to in Psalm 91,15 when he said עמו אנכי בצרה, “I remain with him (the Jewish people) when it is in distress.”