민수기 1:1의 주석

וידבר… במדבר סיני … באחד לחדש וגו׳ AND [THE LORD] SPOKE [UNTO MOSES] IN THE DESERT OF SINAI … ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE [SECOND] MONTH … [TAKE YE THE SUM OF ALL THE CONGREGATION] etc. — Because they were dear to him, He counts them every now and then: when they went forth from Egypt He counted them (Exodus 12:37), when many of them fell in consequence of their having worshipped the golden calf He counted them to ascertain the number of those left (cf. Rashi Exodus 30:16); when he was about to make His Shechinah dwell amongst them (i. e. when He commanded them to make a Tabernacle), He again took their census; for on the first day of Nisan the Tabernacle was erected (Exodus 40:2) and shortly afterwards, on the first day of Iyar, He counted them.

AND THE ETERNAL SPOKE UNTO MOSES IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI, IN THE TENT OF MEETING. Because He had interrupted with the commandments about the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee, of which He said that they were spoken in Mount Sinai¹²Leviticus 25:1. [in contrast to all the other commandments in the Book of Leviticus, which, as mentioned at the beginning of that book, G-d told Moses from the Tent of Meeting], He stated here again that this communication was given from the Tent of Meeting, as were all the communications which He had mentioned since the beginning of the Book of Leviticus. And all of them from now onwards [were said to Moses] from the Tent of Meeting, for since the time that the Tabernacle was set up and G-d called him [Moses] from the Tent of Meeting,¹³Ibid., 1:1. He only communicated with him from there.
Scripture mentions here in the wilderness of Sinai in order to tell us that they did not travel away from there until they were counted [the first time, as described here], for the second census¹⁴Further, 26:1-51. was taken in the plains of Moab,¹⁵Ibid., Verse 3. but the [actual] communication was in the Tent of Meeting.

"In the Sinai Desert..." Our Rabbis expounded precious understandings through this text in Bamidbar Rabbah 1. It is only left to ask why HaShem did not use consistent measures in this verse. When it describes where they were, the general location (the Sinai Desert) is mentioned first and only afterwards does it specific 'in the Tent of Meeting;' but when it mentions the time the specific is mentioned first, 'on the first day of the second month,' and afterwards the general - 'in the second year.'
It appears, actually, that in a very intelligent fashion the verse did use consistent measures. This can be understood in the same way they explain "...see there is a place near Me..." (Shemot 33:21) in Bereshit Rabbah 68, saying 'that the place of the Holy One is secondary to Him.' From this perspective, every place is secondary in relation to the place where Gd encamps. Therefore, in our verse, the Tent of Meeting is actually the encompassing measure and the desert is secondary to it. In order that we read the verse from this perspective, the second half was joined to it 'on the first of the month...in the second year.' The phrase 'Tent of Meeting' is actually the encompassing measure, and therefore was placed second just as the words 'second year' were placed afterthe phrase 'on the first day of the month.' You can know how immeasurably awesome is the place where the Lord is from the fact that six hundred thousand men of Israel stood in the two cubits between the poles of the ark (Bereshit Rabbah 5). Though it appears little to the eye, it is great from the perspective of the One who dwells there, Blessed be He.

במדבר סיני באהל מועד באחד לחודש השני, all the communications, instructions, we heard about in the first year of the Israelites’ wanderings, before the Tabernacle had been erected, were characterised by the words בהר סיני, at Mount Sinai. Once the Tabernacle had been erected on the first day of the first month of the second year, the words בהר סיני as the source of the legislation do not appear again, but are replaced by the words במדבר סיני באהל מועד. The point is proved in Numbers 3,1 where the Torah, when referring to a date preceding the erection of the Tabernacle, speaking of Aaron and his sons, naming 4 sons, (3,2) adds the words “at Mount Sinai.” This must have taken place before the erection of the Tabernacle since two of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, died at the hand of G’d immediately the Tabernacle became functional on the first day of Nissan of the second year. In verse 4 of that same chapter where reference is made to the death of Nadav and Avihu, the Torah, in explaining where this took place, adds the words “in the desert of Sinai,” although it could have written “at Mount Sinai,” as at that time the Israelites were still encamped at Mount Sinai.

וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני באהל מועד, ”Hashem spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting.” Nachmanides writes that now that the laws pertaining to sacrificial offerings had been concluded, the Torah moves on to discuss laws governing the Tent of Meeting. G’d had already warned concerning the sin of entering the Tent of Meeting in a state of ritual uncleanness as well as against offering sacrifices which were in a state of ritual unfitness. Now the Torah wishes to restrict the presence of non priests in the Tabernacle and its immediate surroundings in the desert, similar to the restrictions imposed on the Temple and its immediate surroundings on Mount Moriah in the future. Non priests who violate these rules are subject to the death penalty by stoning. The Torah also forbids looking at sacred furnishings normally inside the Tabernacle, but exposed to potential view seeing that the Israelites were so often on the move, and the whole Tabernacle had to be dismantled each time, and the holy objects had to be carefully wrapped before being transported on the shoulders of the Kehatites. All of these precautions were designed to prevent the people from entering sacred grounds en masse and falling victim to the warnings issued. The Torah issues detailed instructions about the wrapping of these furnishings, by whom and where the parts of the Tabernacle were to be guarded. Seeing that the Torah in the Book of Leviticus had interrupted some of these subjects by writing about the sh’mittah and Jubilee years, of which we had been told that these instructions had been issued to Moses while he was on Mount Sinai, the Torah now mentions that the instructions reported here were communicated to him in the Tent of Meeting. There had been no direct communication from G’d to Moses since the time the Tabernacle had been assembled and inaugurated in the first month of the second year. The desert of Sinai is mentioned here again, as the people had not moved from there, since arriving at Mount Sinai on the first day of Sivan in the first year of the Exodus until the 2oth of Iyar of the second year. [Almost an entire lunar year. Ed.]

Because they are precious. Rashi wishes to explain why the Torah writes all of these details. He answers that “Because they are precious … [Hashem counts them all the time].” He means to say that even without these details one would have to explain why the Torah writes “Take a head count of the entire congregation” (v. 2), given that He had already counted them in Parshas Ki Siso. Therefore one must say that these details are mentioned “Because they are precious.”

Kap. 1. V. 1. Nachdem am Schlusse des zweiten Buches die Errichtung des Gesetzesheiligtums berichtet ward, war das ganze dritte Buch den Anforderungen gewidmet, die dieses Heiligtum im symbolischen Opferausdruck und in konkreter Heiligung des ganzen Lebens an Israel stellt. Es war damit das Ideal gezeichnet, das im Leben jedes einzelnen und der nationalen Gesamtheit seine Verwirklichung finden soll, und es hatte das Schlusskapitel in den נדרי הקדש dem eventuellen Verlangen gesetzlichen Raum gegeben, dass einer das Bedürfnis fühlen möchte, seiner besonderen Beziehung zu diesem Heiligtum durch symbolische Weiheschätzung der Person oder Weihegelobung von Gütern besonderen Ausdruck zu gewähren.

In the Sinai Desert: ... Since only those that go out in the army were counted - meaning those fitting to be counted in the force of the King for war with the Canaanites. And the earlier count was 605,550 and the [requirement for] the dwelling of the Divine Presence was fixed at that amount, and it was known that it was necessary for there to be this amount in the desert. And from then on, even if there were many that turned twenty, they did not enter the army to fill this amount with [these] others who turned twenty. And since they stood in one place [since that count], the Holy One, blessed be He, did not concern Himself to command that they fill the army [for those that had died in between], until the twentieth day of the second month approached. As they were then prepared to leave on the journey with God at their head, like a king at the head of his armies. Hence the command came to count again and to fill this amount... [just like] every king knows how many are going out in the army in his force and how many units, and the amount in each unit...

במדבר סיני, “in the desert of Sinai;” at what location did G-d speak to Moses? From the Tabernacle; before the Tabernacle had been erected, G-d had communicated from the top of Mount Sinai. From the day the Ten Commandments had been given, G-d’s presence had not moved away from Mount Sinai until the day after the Tabernacle had been erected on the first day of Nissan of the second year, as we have been told in the Talmud, tractate Beytzah, folio 5.

To know the number of those who remained. It is written [regarding the golden calf] “From the people approximately three thousand men fell” (Shemos 32:28), so by counting the fallen, [Hashem] knew the [number of the] remainder. Thus Rashi explains: When they fell because of the calf He counted the dead to know how many remained alive.

I believe that if we look at the text closely we will see that the Torah follows a thoroughly logical pattern. We have to remember the comment of Shemot Rabbah 45,6 on Exodus 33,21: "there is a place here beside Me," where the meaning of the word "beside" is interpreted as emphasising that the place is secondary to G'd. Were this not so, the Torah would have quoted G'd as saying: "here I am in this place." In other words, the whole concept of space, i.e. מקום, is something secondary as far as G'd is concerned. Once we appreciate this fact, we know that any time the Torah mentions G'd's appearance in a certain place the place mentioned is of minor significance. When the Torah mentions the desert this is really only a detail relative to G'd communicating with Moses out of the אהל מועד, which is the essential message in the verse. The Torah draws our attention to this by first mentioning the day and the month when this occurred before telling us in which year it took place. Further evidence of the miraculous change a place undergoes when G'd honours it with His presence is provided by Bereshit Rabbah 4,4 as well as 5,6 where the Midrash describes the fact that G'd who was able to call into existence the whole universe and fill it with His presence would most certainly be able to speak to the Israelite people from between the staves of the Holy Ark. 600.000 Israelites were able to "squeeze" into the space of 2 cubits between the staves by which the Holy Ark was carried. We normally perceive of small quantities fitting into containers designed to accomodate larger quantities. Such laws of nature may be reversed at G'd's will and this was a condition He made with nature at the time of creation.

Dieses vierte Buch tritt wieder in die nationale Wirklichkeit ein und zeigt uns nun das konkrete Israel, die wirkliche Nation in ihrem Verhalten zu dem im dritten Buche gezeichneten Ideale ihrer Bestimmung. Es beginnt damit, die Nation als עדה, als eben durch die Gemeinsamkeit dieser Bestimmung und für dieselbe geeinigte Gemeinde, in allen ihren selbständigen Gliedern einzeln gezählt werden zu lassen. Durch eine solche Zählung wird der Gesamtheitsrepräsentanz das Bewusstsein, dass die Gesamtheit nicht als Idee, sondern nur in der wirklichen Allheit ihrer Glieder bestehe, und es wird jedem einzelnen das Bewusstsein, dass er ein bedeutungsvoll mitzählendes Glied dieser Gesamtheit bilde, und die von allen zu lösende Aufgabe auf die Pflichttreue und bewusstvolle Hingebung jedes einzelnen an,die gemeinsame Bestimmung rechne.

בשנת השנית לצאתם, (on the first of the second month) in the second year of the Exodus. Regarding all other matters, the first of Tishrey was considered as the first day of the New Year.

And on the first of Iyar He counted them. Re’m writes: This count occurred once the Divine Presence had rested among them. Do not ask why [Hashem] did not count them in Nissan when the Divine Presence first rested. He answers that that on the first of Nissan the Divine Presence rested and so when He counted them on the first of Iyar, it was as if He counted them in Nissan. It appears to me that Rashi’s intent here so that you should not ask how he knows that Hashem counted them three times. Perhaps [you may think that] He only counted them twice! This would seem to be the case because the total mentioned here and the one mentioned in Parshas Ki Siso are one and the same. Accordingly, Rashi explains that on the first of Nissan the Mishkon was set up, and on the first of Iyar [Hashem] counted them. Because if this count was the one mentioned previously, why is it written there (Shemos 38:27) that they made sockets for the Mishkon from the silver that they brought as an atonement for the count of their souls, while here it is written that “on the first of Iyar He counted them.” Surely the Mishkon had already been erected on the first of Nissan. Rather, this must have been a different count. You might ask: Why did the Torah not count them immediately after the setting up of the Mishkon, since immediately afterwards the Divine Presence came to rest. The answer is, as we say concerning oaths, (Bava Basra 8a): If one prohibits oneself from benefiting from the residents of a town, he is permitted to benefit from people who have not lived there for thirty days because they are not considered established there. Similarly, Hashem did not count them until the Divine Presence had been established for thirty days.

Das dritte Buch hatte mit weihender Zählung der Herden in Herdegruppen durch den Eigener der Herden geendet. Das vierte Buch beginnt damit, die Nation als die "Gottesherde" für ihren "Hirten" nach ihren gotteigenen Familien- und Stammesgruppen zählen zu lassen, und es tritt auch hier der einzelne unter den Stab seines Hirten hin und läßt sich zählen als selbständiges Glied seiner Herde.

במדבר סיני. Die Wüste, als Örtlichkeit dieser Zählung, bürgt dafür, dass dieser "Volkszählung" keinerlei nationalökonomische, politische Zwecke, für welche in der "Wüste" alle und jede Veranlassung fehlte, zu Grunde lag; vielmehr sagt sofort der Beisatz סיני und אהל מועד, dass diese Zählung im Dienste des Gesetzes stehe, das auf dem Sinai gegeben worden und im אהל מועד seine Huldigungsstätte gefunden hatte. Nachdem auf dem Sinai das Gesetz empfangen worden und mit dem ersten Nissan das wiedergeschenkte Gesetzeszeugnis als Unterpfand der Wiederaufnahme der Nation aus der Egelverirrung in den Gottesbund seine ideale Stätte gefunden, sollten mit dem ersten Ijar alle Stämme, Familien und Männer der Nation sich für dieses Gesetz zählen und um dieses Gesetz als dessen Wahrer und Vollbringer sich scharen.

On the first of the second month. The Sages compared the Jewish people’s connection to Hashem to the marriage of a bride and groom in regard to two events: The first one is the Giving of the Torah, based on the verse (Shemos 31:18): “And He gave to Moshe when He finished (ככלתו).” The word ככלתו is written without the vav suggesting that just as the Torah was given to him as a bride (כלה), who is adorned with twenty-four adornments, so, too, a Torah scholar must be knowledgeable in the twenty-four books. The second event was the inauguration of the Mishkon, as it says (7:1): “It came to pass, on the day Moshe finished erecting the Mishkon.” Rashi explains that on the day the Mishkon was erected, the Israelites were like a bride entering the wedding canopy. This teaches us that the Giving of the Torah was like betrothal (erusin), and the day the Mishkon was erected was like marriage (nisuin). In between there was about ten months, which is comparable to the ten months given to a bride from the time of betrothal to marriage to be adorned in the twenty-four types of adornments mentioned in Yeshayahu (3:18-22).

באחד לחודש השני, “on the first of the second month.” The subject matter of G’d’s conversation with Moses at that time was the details of the encampment, the positioning of the flags, in which order the people should break camp and in which order they should make camp. (this needs elaboration as a) our portion does not contain any of the 613 commandments, b) the Jewish people did not start journeying until the twenty-second of that month). The reason why this portion follows the chapter dealing with the laws about exchanging the objects of vows made (Leviticus 27), is to remind us that G’d is One, is Unique, and there are no substitutes for Him. Just as there are no substitutes for G’d, so there is no substitute for the unique Jewish people and He will never exchange us for any other nation. We have this on the authority of Song of Songs 2,16 דודי לי ואני לו, “My beloved belongs to me and I to Him.” We also have a verse spelling out the other half of this relationship when we read in Samuel I 2,3 (Chanah speaking) אין קדוש כה' ואין בלתך, “there is none as holy as G’d and there is none beside You.” Furthermore, we find that the Jewish people are referred to as G’d’s “flock” in Ezekiel 34,31. Just as we learned in the last chapter of Leviticus that no member of the flock once it has been sanctified must be exchanged, so we may rest assured that G’d will never exchange His flock, i.e. the Jewish people.