After enumerating the Israelites in a census according to their tribes, the Torah then enumerates them again. The tribes are grouped into four groups of three tribes each, surrounding the Tabernacle which is in the middle. These groups are named after their leading tribe, Reuben, Judah, Ephraim and Dan. It is instructive to examine this arrangement more closely. The tribes are not randomly grouped together or arranged according to numbers or age. Rather each group of tribes has an internal rationale for being together, and it is this that we can learn from. If we look at the four groups in turn we can see that the first, comprising Judah, Issachar and Zebulon, contains tribes traditionally associated with leadership roles, especially in the realm of Torah learning. These are the spiritual leaders of the nation, the scholars who interpret the Torah. The next group: Reuben, Gad and Shimon, are the opposite. These tribes are generally associated with being on the periphery of Jewish life. Reuben and Gad lived in Transjordan and gradually lost their Jewish identity, while Shimon was involved in sin and rebellion, and was absorbed into the territory of Judah, also losing his distinct identity. The next group, the group of Joseph: Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin, are identified with economic ability and material success, while the last group: Dan, Asher and Naphtali, lived on the borders and guarded the nation from attack. All these four different groups were part of the encampment surrounding the Tabernacle and the Ark. This teaches us an important lesson. The Jewish people needs many different types of people in order to carry out its mission. It certainly needs scholars to teach and interpret the Torah. It also needs people who can be financially successful. As our Sages pointed out, if there is no money it is hard to support Torah learning and observance. We need our defenders, those who will stand up to our enemies who arise anew in every generation. And we need those on the periphery. These rebellious, apathetic or alienated children serve to protect the rest of the people from the full force of the outside assimilation. They also require us to examine our own beliefs more closely, leading to a better, more intellectually rigorous and more spiritual Judaism. We thus see that the Torah needs all these groups surrounding it. All these differing types of Jews have a place and a portion in the Torah. Shavuot is thus not just a festival for the ‘religious’ or the learned but for all the Jewish people in their diversity.
ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS
Rishon |
The command to number the Children of Israel |
Sheni |
The census. |
|
Shelishi |
The division of the people into four standards. |
|
Revi’i |
The Levites and their duties. |
|
Chamishi |
The census of the Levites |
|
Shishi |
The exchanging of the Firstborn for the Levites. |
|
Shevi’i |
The duties of the Kohathites. |
|
Haftorah |
I Samuel 20;18–42: Jonathan saves David |
Sidra Statistics
Parshat Bamidbar
· has 119 verses;
· is the 1st in Numbers, 34th in the Torah
· 5th longest in Numbers, 19th longest in the Torah
· has no mitzvot.
