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Torah
Stories By Hannah Parsha Bamidbar |
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This
week’s story is about the census that Moshe took in the wilderness of Sinai. He was commanded by HaShem to take a census of
the twelve tribes, listing the names, every male, head by head. Moshe and
Aharon had to record them by their groups, from the age of twenty up, all those
in Yisrael who were able to carry weapons.
The head of each tribe had to help Moshe to count his tribe. They were
named like this:
From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur.
From Shimeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
From Yehudah, Nahson son of Amminadab.
From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar.
From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon.
From
the sons of Yosef:
From Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud.
From Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni.
From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran.
From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel.
From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.
So
Moshe and Aharon took those men, who were designated by name, and on the first
day of the second month they gathered the whole community, who were registered
by the clans of their ancestral houses – the names of those aged twenty years
and over was listed head by head.
They
totalled as follows:
The
descendants of Reuben, Yisrael’s firstborn, the registration of the clans of
their ancestral house, as listed by name, head by head, all males aged twenty
years and over, all those who were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from
the tribe of Reuben: 46 500.
Of the
descendants of Shimeon, the registration of the clans of their ancestral house,
as listed by name, head by head, all males aged twenty years and over, all
those who were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of
Shimeon: 59 300.
Of
the descendants of Gad, the registration of the clans of their ancestral house,
as listed by name, all males aged twenty
years and over, all those who were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from
the tribe of Gad: 45 650.
Of
the descendants of Yehudah, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Yehudah: 74 600
.
Of
the descendants of Issachar, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Issachar: 54 400.
Of
the descendants of Zebulun, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Zebulun: 57 400.
Of
the descendants of Yosef:
Of
the descendants of Ephraim, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Ephraim: 40 500.
Of
the descendants of Manasseh, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Manasseh: 32 200.
Of
the descendants of Benjamin, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Benjamin: 35 400.
Of
the descendants of Dan, the registration of the clans of their ancestral house,
as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who were
able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Dan: 62 700.
Of
the descendants of Asher, the registration of the clans of their ancestral
house, as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who
were able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Asher: 41 500
Of
the descendants of Naphtali, the registration of the clans of their ancestral house,
as listed by name, all males aged twenty years and over, all those who were
able to carry weapons – those enrolled from the tribe of Naphtali: 53 400.
Those
are the enrolments recorded by Moshe and Aharon and by the chieftains of
Yisrael, who were twelve in number, one man to each ancestral house. All the Yisraelites, aged twenty years and
over, enrolled by ancestral houses, all those in Yisrael who were able to carry
weapons – all who were enrolled came to 603 550.
The
Levites, however, were not recorded among them by their ancestral tribe. For
HaShem had spoken to Moshe saying: Do not on any account enrol the tribe of
Levi or take a census of them with the Yisraelites. You shall put the Levites in duties of the
Ark of the Covenant, all its furnishings, and everything that pertains to it:
They shall carry the
The
Yisraelites did accordingly, just as HaShem had commanded Moshe, so they did.
They
camped around the Tent of Meeting at a distance, under the banners of their
ancestral house.
Camped on the
front, or east side: The standard of the division of Yehudah, troop by troop. Chieftain of
the Yehudites: Nahson son of Amminadab. His troop, as enrolled: 74 600. Camping next to it: The tribe of Issachar. Chieftain of the Issachites: Nethanel son of
Zuar. His troop, as enrolled: 54 400. The tribe of Zebulun. Chieftain of the Zebulunites: Eliab son of
Helon. His troop, as enrolled: 57 400. The total enrolled in the division of
Yehudah: 186 400 for all troops. These shall march first.
On the south: The standard
of the division of Reuben, troop by troop. Chieftain of the Reubenites: Elizur
son of Shedeur. His troop, as enrolled: 46 500. Camping next
to it: The tribe of Shimeon.
Chieftain of the Shimeonites: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. His troop,
as enrolled: 59 300. The tribe of Gad. Chieftain of the Gadites: Eliasaph son of
Reuel. His troop, as enrolled: 45 650. The total enrolled in the division of
Reuben: 151 450 for all troops. These shall march second.
Then,
midway, between the divisions, the Tent of Meeting, the division of the
Levites, shall move. As they camp. So they shall march, each in position, by
their standards.
On the West: The standard
of the division of Ephraim, troop by troop. Chieftain of the Ephramites:
Elishama son of Ammihud. His troop, as enrolled: 40 500. Next to it: The tribe
of Manasseh. Chieftain of the
Manassites: Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. His troop, as enrolled: 32 200. And the tribe of Benjamin.
Chieftain of the Benjaminites: Abidan son of Gideoni. His troop, as
enrolled: 35 400. The total enrolled in the division of Ephraim: 108 100 for
all troops. These shall march third.
On the north: The standard
of the division of Dan, troop by troop. Chieftain of the Danites: Ahiezer son
of Ammishaddai. His troop, as enrolled: 62 700. Camping next
to it: The tribe of Asher.
Chieftain of the Asherites: Pagiel son of Ochran. His troop, as
enrolled: 41 500. The tribe of Naphtali. Chieftain of the Naphtalites: Ahira son of
Enan. His troop, as enrolled: 53 400. The total enrolled in the division of
Dan: 157 600 for all troops. These shall march last, by their banners.
Those are the enrolments
of the Yisraelites by ancestral houses. The total enrolled in the divisions,
for all troops: 603 550. The Levites, however, were not recorded among the
Yisraelites, as HaShem had commanded Moshe.
The Yisraelites did
accordingly, just as HaShem had commanded Moshe, so they camped by their
banners, and so they marched, each with his clan according to his ancestral
house.
Now
this is the line of Aharon and Moshe at the time that HaShem spoke with Moshe
on
Moshe was then
commanded to advance the tribe of Levi, and place them in attendance on Aharon
the priest, to serve him. They had to perform duties for him and for the whole
community before the Tent of Meeting, doing the work of the Tabernacle. They
shall take duties of all the furniture of the Tent of Meeting – a duty on
behalf of the Yisraelites – doing the work of the Tabernacle. Moshe had to assign
the Levites unto Aharon and to his sons; they are formally assigned to him from
among the Yisraelites. He was to make Aharon and his sons responsible for
observing their priestly duties and any outsider that approaches had to be put
to death.
The
Levites were then taken by HaShem from among the Yisraelites in the place of
every first-born, the first issue from the womb among the children of Yisrael;
“and the Levites shall be Mine, for every first-born is Mine: on the day that I
smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I consecrated unto Me all the
first-born in Israel, man and beast, to be Mine.”
Moshe
was then commanded to record the children of Levi by their ancestral house and
by clan; every male among them from a month old up. So Moshe recorded them at the command of
HaShem, as he was bidden. These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath,
and Merari. These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni
and Shimei. The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar,
To
Gershon belonged the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites; those
were the families of the Gershonites. The recorded entries of all their males
from the age of one month up, as recorded came to 7 500. The families of the
Gershonites were to camp behind the Tabernacle to the west. The chieftain of
the ancestral house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. The duties
of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting comprised the Tabernacle, and the
Tent, its covering, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; the
hangings of the enclosure, the screen for the entrance of the enclosure which
surrounds the Tabernacle, the cords thereof, and by the altar – all the service
connected with these.
To
Kohath belonged the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites,
and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were
the families of the Kohathites: All the listed males, from the age of one month
old up came to 8 600, attending to the duties of the sanctuary. The families of
the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle. The
chieftain of the ancestral house of the families of the Kohathites was
Elizaphan the son of Uzziel, and their duties the ark, and the table, and the
candlestick, and the altars, and the sacred utensils that were used with them
and the screen - all the service connected with these. The head chieftain of
the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aharon the priest in charge of those
attending to the duties of the sanctuary.
To
Merari belonged the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites;
these are the families of Merari. The recorded entries of all the males from
the age of one month up were 6 200. The chieftain of the ancestral house of the
families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail; they were to camp on the
north side of the Tabernacle. The
assigned duties of the sons of Merari was the boards of the Tabernacle, and its
bars, posts and sockets, and all its furnishings - all the service connected
with these; also the posts around the enclosure and their sockets, pegs and cords.
Those
who were to camp before the Tabernacle in front - before the Tent of Meeting
toward the east were Moshe and Aharon and his sons, attending to the duties of
the sanctuary as a duty on behalf of the Yisraelites; and any outsider that
approached the Tabernacle was to be put to death. All the Levites who were
recorded, who at HaShem’s command Moshe and Aharon recorded by their families,
all the males from a month old up, came to 22 000.
Moshe
was then commanded to record all the first-born males of the children of
Yisrael from a month old up, and make a list of their names. And take the
Levites for HaShem, instead of all the first-born among the children of
Yisrael; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the
cattle of the children of
And
Moshe recorded, as HaShem commanded him, all the first-born among the children
of
Moshe was then
commanded to take the Levites in place of all the first-born among the children
of Yisrael, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the
Levites shall belong to HaShem. And as the redemption price of the 273
Yisraelite first-born that are over and above the number of the Levites, take
five shekels per head – by the sanctuary weight, twenty gerahs to the shekel -
and give the money to Aharon and his sons as redemption price for those who are
in excess. So Moshe took the redemption
money from those over and above the ones redeemed by the Levites; From the first-born of the Yisraelites, 1 365 sanctuary
shekels. And Moshe gave the redemption money to Aharon and to his sons, at
HaShem’s bidding as He had commanded Moshe.
And
Moshe and Aharon were further commanded to take a separate census of the
Kohathites among the Levites, by the families of their ancestral house from the
age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who are subject to service, to
perform tasks for the Tent of Meeting. This is the responsibility of the Kohathites
in the Tent of Meeting; the most sacred objects.
At
the breaking of the camp, Aharon and his sons shall go in, and take down the
screening curtain, and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it. They shall lay a covering of dolphin skin
over it and spread over it a cloth of pure blue on top and they shall put its
poles in place.
Over
the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth and place upon it the
bowls, the ladles, the jars, and the libation jugs; and the regular bread shall
rest on it. They shall spread over these a crimson cloth which they shall cover
with a covering of dolphin skin, and they shall put the poles in place.
Then
they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand for lighting, with its
lamps, its tongs, and its fire pans, as well as the oil vessels that are used
in its service. They shall put it and all its furnishings into a covering of
dolphin skin, which they shall then put on a carrying frame.
Next they shall spread a blue cloth over the
altar of gold and cover it with a covering of dolphin skin; and they shall put
its poles in place. They shall take all the service vessels with which the
service in the sanctuary is performed, put them into a blue cloth and cover
them with a covering of dolphin skin, which they shall then place on a carrying
frame. They shall remove the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth
over it. Upon it they shall place all
the vessels that are used in its service, the fire-pans, the flesh-hooks, and
the scrapers, and the basins - all the vessels of the altar - and over it they
shall spread a covering of dolphin skin, and they shall put its poles in place.
When
Aharon and his sons have finished covering the sacred objects, and all the
furnishings of the sacred objects at the breaking of camp, only then shall the
Kohathites come and lift them so that they do not come in contact with the
sacred objects and die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in
the Tent of Meeting.
Responsibility
shall rest with Eleazar son of Aharon the priest for the lighting oil, for the
aromatic incense, the regular meal-offering, and the anointing oil –
responsibility for the whole Tabernacle, and for everything consecrated that is
in it or its vessels.
Moshe and Aharon were commanded by HaShem not
to let the group of Kohathite families be cut off from the Levites. Do this
with them, that they may live, and not die when they approach unto the most
sacred objects: let Aharon and his sons go in, and assign each of them to his
duties. But do not let the Kohathites go inside and witness the dismantling of
the sanctuary lest they die.
