Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

160
Bamidbar
Lessons from Camp
Michael Bernstein
I n the beginning of this week’s parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to count all the men
ages twenty and up according to their tribe (1:2-3). The only group that Hashem told
Moshe not to count was the Levi’im (1:49). Rashi comments that Hashem did not
want to count them because all the men ages twenty and up would end up dying in
the midbar. The Levi’im were spared because they did not take part in the golden calf.
With the counting complete, Hashem commands Moshe to set up the camp with
three tribes per section (2:2). In the front, on the eastern side, were Yehuda, Issachar,
and Zevulun. To the south were Reuven, Shimon, and Gad. Ephraim, Menashe, and
Binyamin were to the west and Dan, Naftali and Asher were to the north.
The Kli Yakar (2:3) explains that every camp had its own attribute. Yehuda’s camp was
known for their success in Torah. The leaders of the Sanhedrin would come from the
tribe of Yehuda. Also Issachar would go and learn Torah while Zevulan would work to
support him. The camp of Reuven had the characteristic of humility. Humility means
that you are able to admit your flaws or anything wrong that you might have done.
The Gemara in Sota (daf 7b) says that Reuven admitted to his sin of switching Bilha’s
bed. He did this because he didn’t want his brothers to be blamed for the sin that he
did. The main characteristic of the camp of Ephraim was gevura and for the camp of
Dan was wealth.
If you would ask a general what the basic key to arranging his soldiers he would tell