| And G-d said to Moses, in the Sinai desert, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month of the second year after they left the land of Egypt, saying: | Vayedabeir Hashem el Moshe bemidbar1 Sinai beohel moeid be-akhad lakhodesh hasheini bashana hasheinit letzeitam me-eretz Mitzraim leimor: | וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר׃ |
Torah Thoughts
In parashat Bamidbar, the Children of Israel organize themselves for the travel into the desert. Each tribe (descendants, by the patrilineal line, of one of the sons of Jacob/ Ya’acov/ Israel’s) is assigned a location around the Ark of the Covenant and the portions of the Mishkan, which are in the care of the Levi tribe. Each tribe also has its own flag, which, according to Midrash Raba, was based on Jacob/ Ya’acov/ Israel’s blessings to his children before his death, as he saw their characters, in Bereishit / Genesis, beginning at 49:2.
This week, we can either show how the location of each tribe, create one (or more) flags, or some combination of both.
Organization of Tribes with their Flags, around the Ark of the Covenant
For a SHABBOS STASH version (conceptualized but not yet made or photographed), you can make flags with fruit leather. Use pretzel sticks as poles!
CAUTION: If making on Shabbat, it is my understanding that one should not use a non-food item to attach two food items.
A SHABBAT-FRIENDLY VERSION (not yet made or photographed, but for you to try if you wish) would be to take mini pepper and cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise (each half making a flag), and arrange on your plate to reflect the placement of the tribes. A chart with the placement of the tribes, along with the colors of their flags, can be found HERE.
- As far as I know, this is the only instance in which the form of the ephonymous word in the parsha is changed when used as the name of the parsha. Bemidbar means “in the desert of.” Bamidbar simply means “in the desert.” ↩︎