Midrash su I Cronache 12:32

Raba said: "You will not find a young scholar who decides questions in Law, yet is not of the tribe of Levi or Isaachar." Levi, concerning whom it is written (Ib.) They {the tribe of Levi) shall teach thy ordinances unto Jacob; and Issachar, concerning whom it is written (I Chr. 12, 32) And of the children of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times. But why not the tribe of Juda also, concerning whom it is written (Ps. 60, 9) Juda is my lawgiver? We refer to a scholar whose final decision should agree with the adopted practice [this belongs only to the descendants of Levi and Issachar].

How were they encamped? The Levites camped around the Tabernacle of Witness, with Moses, Aaron, and his children on the east.⁷⁶Tanh., 1:12, cont.; see Numb. R. 2:10. It is so stated (in Numb. 3:38): THOSE WHO CAMPED BEFORE THE TABERNACLE, IN FRONT BEFORE THE TENT OF MEETING TO THE EAST, WERE MOSES, AARON, AND HIS CHILDREN. And adjacent to them were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Hence they said: Blessed is the righteous person and blessed are his neighbors.⁷⁷Suk. 56b. See below, Numb. 5:8. This refers to the three tribes (rt.: ShBT) which were adjacent to Moses and Aaron.⁷⁸Gen. R. 3:13; Numb. R. 3:12. They became great in the Torah, as stated (in Gen. 49:10): THE SCEPTER (ShBT) SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH […. In the case of Issachar it is written] (in I Chron. 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES,⁷⁹The midrash regards UNDERSTANDING as synonymous with Torah. TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO; THEIR HEADS NUMBERED TWO HUNDRED. These were two hundred heads of <tribal> sanhedria⁸⁰Gk.: synedria. that would come out of Issachar. [(Ibid., cont.:) AND ALL THEIR KINDRED UNDER THEIR COMMAND ('al pihem), <i.e., because they harmonize law (halakhah) at their command ('al pihem). Of Zebulun it is written] (in Jud. 5:14): AND FROM ZEBULUN THOSE WHO WIELD THE SCRIBAL PEN. Because they were neighbors of Torah, they all became children of Torah (i.e., Torah scholars). Now on the south were the children of Kohath (ben Levi), and adjacent to them were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. Hence they say: Woe to the wicked person; and woe to his neighbor.⁸¹Suk. 56b; Numb. R. 18:5; ARN, A, 9:1; see Avot 1:7. These are the three tribes which were neighbors of Korah (the grandson of Kohath) and his community in the South. These were destroyed with him in his dissension (as stated in Numb. 16:32): AND THE EARTH OPENED ITS MOUTH AND SWALLOWED THEM, THEIR HOUSEHOLDS, <EVERY PERSON THAT BELONGED TO KORAH, AND THEIR PROPERTY>…. On the west were the children of Gershom (i.e., Gershon ben Levi), with Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin being adjacent to them; and on the North also were the children of Merari (ben Levi), with Dan, Naphtali, and Asher being adjacent to them. [Seven] clouds of glory were surrounding them, and this was their <method> of travel. There was a sign⁸²Gk.: semeion. for Moses in the cloud when it departed. When it departed, he would say (in Numb. 10:35): RISE UP, O LORD, AND MAY YOUR ENEMIES BE SCATTERED. Then the cloud would depart. When the cloud departed, they all prepared to travel and put away their implements. Whoever had a domestic beast <put them on it>⁸³The bracketed words are from the parallel in Tanh., Numb. 1:12.; and if <a person> had none, the cloud took the remainder. When they were settled, they blew the trumpets. Then Judah and its standard moved out, first its prince and his tribe after him.⁸⁴CF. Numb. R. 2:7. And as signs for each and every prince there was a flag.⁸⁵Lat. (from the Punic): mappa. [And from them the empire learned to make a flag.] <There was> also a color for each and every flag, like the color of the precious stones which were on the heart of Aaron. Each and every tribe had its flag dyed like the color of its stone. Then over them were the clouds. {Until they were settled, they blew the trumpets. They traveled, and likewise <the clouds> traveled over them.} Moreover, something like a kind of beam came out of the cloud, so that they would know in which direction they would be traveling. So was the journey of each and every standard. <When> they finished going to where it wanted them to camp, <since> that cloud which appeared like a kind of beam had, as it were, been traveling independently, they knew that they would camp in that place. <When> clouds of glory stood still for them, they began putting <things> away in their tents where they were to rest. Then the cloud which was over the Tabernacle, moved over the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. First it stood still. When it stood still, the children of Kohath and the children of Levi set up the Tabernacle in the presence of all the camps before they came, as stated (in Numb. 10:21): AND THEY WOULD SET UP THE TABERNACLE BEFORE THEY CAME. When they had set up the Tabernacle, each and every one set up <camp> in his <proper> place. Then the clouds of glory stood over them. This was grandeur in the hands of Moses, for the cloud of the glorious Divine Presence did not come down to the Tabernacle, until Moses had said (in Numb. 10:36): RETURN, O LORD, TO THE MYRIAD THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL. Then the clouds of glory encompassed them. Moreover, the Holy Spirit says through Solomon (in Cant. 6:4): YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL, MY DARLING, AS TIRZAH. What is the meaning of AS TIRZAH (KTRTsH, rt.: RTsH)? That I am pleasing (MTRTsH, rt.: RTsH) to you.⁸⁶Numb. R. 2:5.

[(Numb. 7:1), “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” This text is related (to (Numb. 24:5), “How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your Tabernacles O Israel.” If your tents [is meant], why your Tabernacles? But if your Tabernacles [is meant], why your tents? It is simply this: “How beautiful are your tents,” these are the tents; and “your Tabernacles (mishkenotekha),” do not read this (i.e., mishkenotekha), but "your sureties" (mashkonotekha).⁸²Numb. R. 12:14. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Tell Israel to make a Tabernacle, so that if they sin, it will be seized [instead of] them.” You yourself know that this is so. When they sinned, what is written (in Ps. 78:59-60)? “God heard and was enraged […]. So He abandoned the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent where He dwelt among mortals (which can be read as, surety for mortals).” This is the Tabernacle, which was only made so that if they sinned, it might be seized [instead] of them. (Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished setting up the Tabernacle, and he anointed it.” When he had anointed it, he returned and anointed each and every one of [its] vessels. Then the princes of Israel offered sacrifices. They said, “Now is the hour when we shall joyfully offer sacrifices, since the Divine Presence is dwelling among us.”⁸³Numb. R. 12:16. Then when they saw that the Tabernacle had been made and that there was nothing at all [lacking] for them in it, they said, “What is there for us to bring? They went and brought wagons on which they would carry the Tabernacle. But who gave them this suggestion? The tribe of Issachar, since they were wise and mighty in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron 12:33), “And from the Children of Issachar, those who had an understanding of the times, [to know what Israel should do].”⁸⁴Cant. R. 6:4:2. For that reason they had the right to offer sacrifice (hqyb) on the second day (only after Judah), as stated (in Numb. 7:18), “On the second day Nethanel ben Zuar, prince of Issachar, presented (hqryb, rt.: qrb) [his] offering.” In [the order of] all the princes, why is it stated, “his offering,” whereas here [with Issachar], it is stated (in vs. 19), “He presented (hqrb; rt.: qrb) his offering.” [It is so mentioned] because he offered (hqryb; rt.: qrb) it in accordance with the [divine] command. When the rest of the tribes, who were older than [Issachar], wanted to sacrifice (rt.: qrb) [first], they decided [the matter] from heaven. So the tribe of Issachar was commanded to approach (rt.: qrb) with a sacrifice (rt.: qrb) for the altar and offer (rt.: qrb) its sacrifice (rt.: qrb). You yourself know that it is so written (in vs. 19) where presented (hqrb) lacks [a y (i.e., a yod) and as such is really an imperative, meaning "come near."] When [that tribe] was far away, it was brought near, to come (i.e., to offer sacrifice).⁸⁵The verb, NTHQRB (rt.: QRB), used here means “brought near,” but the root also denotes the offering of a sacrifice. Thus the tribe of Issachar was moved up in order for offering sacrifice. And why all this? Because they were knowledgeable in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron. 12:33), “And from the Children of Issachar, those who had an understanding of the times, [to know what Israel should do]; their heads were two hundred.” These were heads of courts (sanhedraot). (I Chron. 12:33, cont.:) “And all their kinfolk were at their command ('al-pihem).” [This verse] is teaching you that they all affirmed the oral law (halakhah) [that was] on their lips ('al-pihem).

Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE, HAD ANOINTED THEM (sic), <AND SANCTIFIED IT>…. When he had anointed it, he returned and anointed its vessels. Then the princes of Israel offered sacrifices. They said: Now is the hour when we shall joyfully offer sacrifices, since the Divine Presence is dwelling among us.⁹⁸Numb. R. 12:16. Then when they saw that the Tabernacle had been made and that there was nothing at all [lacking] for them in it, they said: What is there for us to bring? They went and brought wagons on which they would carry the Tabernacle. But who gave them this suggestion? The tribe of Issachar, since they were wise and mighty in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, <TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO>.⁹⁹Cant. R. 6:4:2. For that reason they had the right to offer sacrifice (HQYB) on the second day, as stated (in Numb. 7:18): ON THE SECOND DAY NETHANEL BEN ZUAR, PRINCE OF ISSACHAR, PRESENTED (HQRYB, rt.: QRB) <HIS> OFFERING. In <the order of> all the princes, why is his sacrifice mentioned <on second day, immediately after Judah>?¹⁰⁰Cf. Numb. R. 13:15-16. It is also mentioned here (in vs. 19): HE PRESENTED (HQRB; rt.: QRB) HIS OFFERING. <It is so mentioned> because he offered (HQRYB; rt.: QRB) it in accordance with the <Divine> command. When the rest of the tribes, who were greater than <Issachar>, wanted to sacrifice (rt.: QRB) [first], they decided <the matter> from heaven. So the tribe of Issachar was commanded to approach (rt.: QRB) with a sacrifice (rt.: QRB) for the altar and offer (rt.: QRB) its sacrifice (rt.: QRB). You yourself know that it is so written (in vs. 19) where PRESENTED (HQRB) lacks a Y (i.e., a yod) <and as such is really an imperative meaning "bring near."> When <that tribe> was far away, it was brought near to come (i.e., to offer sacrifice).¹⁰¹The verb, NTHQRB (rt.: QRB), used here means “brought near,” but the root also denotes the offering of a sacrifice. Thus the tribe of Issachar was moved up in order for offering sacrifice. And why all this? Because they were knowledgeable in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron. 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, <TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO>; [ … ] AND ALL THEIR KINFOLK WERE AT THEIR COMMAND ('al-pihem). <This verse> is for teaching you that they all affirmed the oral law (halakhah) ON THEIR LIPS ('al-pihem).