민수기 2:2의 주석

באתת [EVERY MAN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL ENCAMP BY HIS OWN STANDARD] WITH THE SIGNS [OF THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES] — Each banner shall have a different sign — a piece of coloured cloth hanging on it, the colour of the one not being the same as the colour of another, but the colour of each tribe shall be like that of his stone that is fixed in the breastplate (of. Exodus 28:21), and by this means everybody will be able to recognise his banner . Another explanation of באתת לבית אבתם is: by the signs (i.e., following the signs) which their father Jacob gave them severally when they carried him out from Egypt, as it is said, (Genesis 50:12) “And his sons did unto him exactly as he had commanded them”. For he had commanded that Judah, Issachar and Zebulun should carry him, having their position at the east side of the bier, Reuben, Simeon and Gad at the south side, etc., — as it is related in Tanchuma on this section (Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar 12; cf. Rashi on Genesis 50:12).

EVERY MAN SHALL ENCAMP BY HIS OWN STANDARD, WITH THE SIGNS OF THEIR FATHER’S HOUSE. “Each standard was to have a colored cloth hanging on it, the color of one being unlike the color of another.¹⁰⁶There were thus twelve standards, one for each tribe (Maskil l’David in his commentary on Rashi). These twelve standards are not to be confused with the four main standards, around each of which three tribes rallied. The color of each standard corresponded to that of the stone fixed in the breastplate [of the High Priest, on which the name of that tribe was engraved], and by this method everyone would recognize his standard.” This is Rashi’s language. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “There were signs on each of the [four main] standards. Thus the ancient Sages said that on Reuben’s standard there was a figure of a man decorated with mandrakes,¹⁰⁷See Genesis 30:14. and on Judah’s standard there was the form of a lion, to which Jacob had compared him,¹⁰⁸Ibid., 49:9. and on Ephraim’s standard was the figure of an ox, based upon [the expression that Moses used in speaking of that tribe], the firstborn of his ox,¹⁰⁹Deuteronomy 33:17. and on Dan’s standard was the figure of an eagle.¹¹⁰This was because of the expression, as an eagle stirreth up his nest (ibid., 32:11), and of Dan it is written that he was the rearward of all the camps (further, 10:25), who stirred the attention of all the camps to any lurking dangers (Tziyoni). Thus [the four signs on the four main standards] were similar to the four figures that the prophet Ezekiel saw [in the Divine Charriot].”¹¹¹Ezekiel Chapter 1. As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle (ibid., Verse 10). The Tent of Meeting was in the exact center, with the camps of the Levites surrounding it in the midst of the camps [of the other tribes], as is mentioned in Sefer Yetzirah:¹¹²I have not found it in our editions of the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation). On the book itself, see Vol. I, p. 24, Note 41. “And the Holy Temple is placed exactly in the middle.”
Now the directions [in which the standards were to be set up] begin with the east, like the movement of the sun [in its daily course], and afterwards the south, and then the west and finally the north. They put the [main] standard of Judah in the east because he was the first to start journeying as he was the prince,¹¹³I Chronicles 28:4. just as G-d commanded, Judah shall go up¹¹⁴Judges 1:2. first,¹¹⁵Ibid., 20:18. and Reuben was [set next to him] in the south to honor him as the firstborn. Thus these two neighboring standards consisted of [the children of] Leah [i.e., Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben Shimon] together with the firstborn of her maidservant who was born upon her [Leah’s] knees [i.e., Gad the son of Zilpah.]. And there was one [main] standard for the children of Rachel [Ephraim, Menasheh, and Benjamin] in the west, and the standard of the [other] children of the maidservants [Dan, Asher, and Naphtali] was last, in the north.
I have furthermore seen in the Midrash [the following text]:¹¹⁶Bamidbar Rabbah 2:9. “And just as the Holy One, blessed be He, created four directions in the universe, so He surrounded His Throne with four ‘living creatures,’¹¹¹Ezekiel Chapter 1. As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle (ibid., Verse 10). and high above them all is the Throne of Glory. The Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to arrange the standards in a manner corresponding to these directions. Thus He said to him: In the east, whence comes light to the world, shall Judah the sovereign pitch his camp, and next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, who studies the Torah,¹¹⁷“For it is said, And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times (I Chronicles 12:32), and Torah is called ‘light,’ For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light (Proverbs 6:23)” (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:9) — Thus, just as the royal House of David is referred to by Scripture in terms of light — as it is said, that David My servant may have ‘a lamp’ always before Me in Jerusalem (I Kings 11:36) — so also is Issachar, student of the Torah which is called light. The position of these two tribes is therefore rightfully in the east whence comes light to the world. And as for Zebulun (see further in text). and next to him the tribe of Zebulun, who is wealthy, just as it is written, Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea,¹¹⁸Genesis 49:13. and it is also said [of Zebulun], for they shall suck the abundance of the sea.¹¹⁹Deuteronomy 33:19. And riches are also referred to as “light” (Midrash Rabbah ibid.). Thus the three tribes that pitched on the east — Judah (sovereignty), Isaachar (knowledge), and Zebulun (wealth) — all represented aspects of “light” which originates in the east. They were to be the first to journey, just as it is said, And their king is passed on before them, and the Eternal at the head of them.¹²⁰Micah 2:13. From the south come the dews and the rains [which bring] blessing for the world, therefore shall Reuben pitch on that side, for he is the master of repentance,¹²¹See Sotah 7b and Rashi ibid., that Judah’s repentance in admitting his guilt in the case of Tamar (Genesis 38:26) was motivated by Reuben’s prior repentance in the case of Bilhah (ibid., 35:22). Reuben was also first of the brothers who tried to save Joseph in order to return him to his father (ibid., 37:22). According to a Midrash, G-d then said: “‘You [Reuben] were first in making an effort to bring back a beloved son to his father. By your life! A descendant of yours will be the first [of the prophets] to bring back Israel to their Father in heaven.’ And who was that? Hosea the son of Beeri, as it is written, When the Eternal spoke at first with Hosea (Hosea 1:2) [and it was that prophet who proclaimed: Return, O Israel, unto the Eternal thy G-d, for thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity” (ibid. 14: 2)] (Yalkut Shimoni, at the beginning of the Book of Hosea). That Hosea was of the tribe of Reuben is indicated in I Chronicles 5:6, where his father Beerah is counted among the descendants of Reuben. Beeri and Beerah, according to the Rabbis, refer to the same person. which is a good quality, and the mercies of the Holy One, blessed be He, come to the world when people repent [of their evil ways]. Next to Reuben is Gad, who has the quality of heroism.¹²²Genesis 49:19. In our Bamidbar Rabbah: “master of the troop,” as stated in Genesis ibid: Thus there were [in the south] Reuben with repentance, Gad with heroism, and in between them Shimon in order to atone [for his having caused anguish to his father Jacob].¹²³Ibid., Verses 5-7, and in Chapter 34:30. And they shall set forth second,¹²⁴Verse 16 here. because repentance is second to Torah [for by studying Torah one is coming to repent of evil ways]. In the west are the storehouses of snow, and the storehouses of hail, cold, and heat, and corresponding to them were [the tribes of] Ephraim, Menasheh and Benjamin, and the Divine Presence is always in the west within the border of Benjamin, as it is said, Of Benjamin he [Moses] said: The beloved of the Eternal shall dwell in safety by Him.¹²⁵Deuteronomy 33:12. This is an allusion to the fact that the Sanctuary proper, in which the Divine Presence resided, was in Benjamin’s territory. The eastern part of the Temple was in the territory of Judah. These three tribes of Ephraim, Menasheh and Benjamin, to whom G-d grants might (see Psalms 80: 3) are thus the most able to resist the destructive aspects of the natural elements (Eitz Yoseph on Bamidbar Rabbah). And they shall set forth third,¹²⁶Verse 24 here. for heroism is fitting to Torah and repentance, in order that a person may grow strong in Torah and overcome his [bad] inclinations. From the north comes darkness to the world, and corresponding to it was the tribe of Dan. For what reason? It is because the tribe of Dan darkened the world through the idols which Jeroboam made, as it is said, and the one idol he put in Dan.¹²⁷I Kings 12:29. Next to him was the tribe of Asher, to illuminate the darkness, as it is said [of Asher], and he shall dip his foot in oil,¹²⁸Deuteronomy 33:24. and next to him was the tribe of Naphtali who is full of blessings.¹²⁹As it is said of that tribe, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Eternal (ibid., Verse 23). They shall set forth hindmost,¹³⁰Verse 31 here. for whoever worships idols goes backward and not forward. ”¹³¹Jeremiah 7:24.
There [in Bamidbar Rabbah]¹¹⁶Bamidbar Rabbah 2:9. the Rabbis also interpret [the division of the tribes of Israel according to four standards as] corresponding to the four groups of angels [surrounding the celestial Throne]. The Midrash also explains there that [the division of the tribes was not arbitrary but] it was all in wisdom, [showing] honor and greatness to Israel, and that therefore Scripture mentions everything in detail.

באתות, there was a symbol on every flag, as for instance, the picture of a lion on the flag of the tribe of Yehudah, or that of an ox on the flag of the tribe of Joseph.