Комментарий к Бамидбар 35:8

FROM THE MANY YE SHALL TAKE MANY, AND FROM THE FEW YE SHALL TAKE FEW. Here too,⁶⁶See 26:54 where Ramban presents a similar explanation about the allocation of the whole Land amongst the twelve tribes; he now applies the same principles to the manner in which the tribes contributed to the number of cities given to the Levites. in the opinion of our Rabbis [the meaning is that] from the paternal families which received a large amount as their inheritance, they should take many [cities], as He mentioned according to your families,⁶⁷Above, 33:54. while each tribe received exactly the same amount of land [and therefore had to provide an equal number of cities for the Levites]. And although you will find in the Book of Joshua that the number of cities which they gave to the Levites was not equal,⁶⁸In Joshua Chapter 21, where a list of all these cities is given, it is stated that while most of the tribes each gave four cities to the Levites, the tribe of Judah gave eight, Shimon one, the half tribe of Menasheh in Canaan two, and Naphtali three [thus totalling thirty-eight cities in the land of Canaan and ten on the eastern side of the Jordan]. Ramban’s statement that “the number of cities which they gave to the Levites was not equal” is thus clear, as is proven in the cases of Judah, Shimon, and Naphtali. according to the number of tribes, that was because of the [different] value of the particular cities, since some were more important than the others, for the Land was divided according to its value.⁶⁹Baba Bathra 122a. Thus, land nearer to Jerusalem was appraised more valuable than land further away, both because it was nearer to the Sanctuary and also it was further away from the border of the nations (Rashbam, ibid.). A proof to this is the fact that from [the tribes of] Judah, Shimon and Benjamin they gave thirteen cities [to the Levites],⁷⁰Thus: Judah gave eight, Shimon one, Benjamin four, totalling thirteen cities. Similarly: Issachar and Asher each gave four, Naphtali three, the half-tribe of Menasheh two, totalling thirteen cities. and from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Menasheh, [also] thirteen [cities were given],⁷⁰Thus: Judah gave eight, Shimon one, Benjamin four, totalling thirteen cities. Similarly: Issachar and Asher each gave four, Naphtali three, the half-tribe of Menasheh two, totalling thirteen cities. and yet these [latter tribes] were larger than the former ones in their population.⁷¹The figures used here are those of the census, above Chapter 26. Judah (Verse 22 ibid.), Shimon (Verse 14), and Benjamin (Verse 41) totalled 144,300. Issachar (Verse 25), Asher (Verse 47), and Naphtali (Verse 50) totalled 163,100. The complete tribe of Menasheh (Verse 34) totalled 52,700. Assuming that the half-tribe of Menasheh mentioned in Joshua was exact half [i.e., 26,350] we have a total for the latter group mentioned of 189,450, which is far more than the 144,300 of the first group. And from the tribe of Ephraim they gave four cities [to the Levites],⁷²Joshua 21:20-22. and from the tribe of Dan four cities,⁷³Ibid., Verses 23-24. and yet the children of Dan were double [the population] of the children of Ephraim.⁷⁴The children of Ephraim totalled 32,500 (above, 26:37), while Dan totalled 64,400 (ibid., Verse 43)! Thus we must say that the cities were not given in proportion to the population of the tribes, but according to the appraised value of the city.

מאת הרב תרבו, seeing that the value of the land had been determined not in terms of quantity but in terms of quality, when the tribe with large tracts of land contributed more square cubits for the cities of the Levites this did not represent an unfair burden.

מאת הרב תרבו ומאת המעט תמעיטו, “from the many (numerous) you shall increase, and from the few (in number) you shall decrease;” Nachmanides, quoting our sages who claim that all the tribes received territorially equal amounts of land, writes that we need to explain what is written here in terms of the number of families per tribe. A family who had received a large allocation of land (within its tribe) would have to cede relatively many cities of refuge from its territory, whereas a family that had received a relatively small parcel of land would not have to cede proportionately as much for the purpose of providing cities of refuge (including the cities of the Levites). This was so in spite of the fact that when these cities are listed by name and the tribal territory they were in, you will find that the tribes did not all contribute equal numbers. (Joshua chapter 21. [According to verse 3 in that chapter the distribution or allocation of these cities may have proceeded upon divine command after consultation with the urim vetumim. Ed.]