Chronology of Bemidbar 1 – 10/1

Chronology of Bemidbar 1 – 10

Introduction

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Mixed Up Dates

While much of Torah is not dated at all, the introductory chapters of Sefer Bemidbar provide the reader with several explicit dates and time markers.  These dates, however, do not proceed chronologically, making the reader question the organization of the chapters. The book opens on the first of the second month of the second year, with a command to count the nation:

EN/HEע/E

(א) וַיְדַבֵּר י"י אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר. (ב) שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כׇּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כׇּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם.

(1) And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
(2) 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls;

This is followed by several undated chapters which speak of the set up of the camp (Chapter 2), the appointment and census of the Levites (Chapter 3-4), and several legal passages (Chapters 5-6). Chapter 7 then reverts back to the first month, discussing the dedication of the altar by the tribal princes:

EN/HEע/E

(א) וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם. (ב) וַיַּקְרִיבוּ נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאשֵׁי בֵּית אֲבֹתָם הֵם נְשִׂיאֵי הַמַּטֹּת הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים.

(1) And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture thereof, and the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them;
(2) that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, offered — these were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were over them that were num

According to verse 1, the events of the chapter took place when Moshe finished erecting the Tabernacle, which according to Shemot 40:17, was in the first month, before the events of Chapter 1.  Chapter 8 is again undated, and speaks of the consecration of the Levites. Finally Chapter 9

Mixed Up Dates

Much of Torah is not dated at all, at times leading commentators to dispute the chronological order of events. The introductory chapters of Sefer Bemidbar are exceptional in that they not only provide the reader with dates, but also explicitly suggest achronology. The book opens on the first of the second month of the second year, with a command to count the nation:

EN/HEע/E

(א) וַיְדַבֵּר י"י אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר. (ב) שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כׇּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כׇּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם.

(1) And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
(2) 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls;

The next few chapters, discussing the set up of the camp (Chapter 2), the appointment and census of the Levites (Chapter 3-4), and several legal passages (Chapters 5-6), are undated, but as they all relate to the census discussed in Chapter 1,¹ it is likely that they too occurred in the second month.  The next dated passage, Chapter 9, however, reverts back to the first month, as Hashem commands the nation to observe Pesach:

EN/HEע/E

(א) וַיְדַבֵּר י"י אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְמִדְבַּר סִינַי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לֵאמֹר. (ב) וְיַעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַפָּסַח בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ.

(1) And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
(2) 'Let the children of Israel keep the passover in its appointed season.

 

How are we to understand the organization of the chapters?  Why are the events of Chapter 9 not recorded prior to those of Chapter 1?

In between the two events dated above, is a description of the dedication of the altar by the tribal princes.  Though the narrative is not dated, it does open with a time marker:

EN/HEע/E

(א) וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם. (ב) וַיַּקְרִיבוּ נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאשֵׁי בֵּית אֲבֹתָם הֵם נְשִׂיאֵי הַמַּטֹּת הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים.

(1) And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture thereof, and the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them;
(2) that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, offered — these were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were over them that were num

A simple reading of verse 1 suggests that the events of the chapter took place when Moshe finished erecting the Tabernacle which, according to Shemot 40:17, was in the first month. Two aspects of the  following narrative, however, raises questions regarding this dating.  First, the princes are described as "those who officiated in the counting", yet the census first took place a month after the dedication.  Moreover, the princes give the Levites gifts to aid them in their tasks as holy porters, yet there is still a full month until they are appointed! 

 

 

The Undated Chapters

In between Chapters 1 and 9 are several undated chapters which speak of the set up of the camp (Chapter 2), the appointment and census of the Levites (Chapter 3-4), and several legal passages (Chapters 5-6).  As all of these relate to the census discussed in Chapter 1,² they would seem to fall under its heading and be dated to the second month.  Chapter 8, which discusses the purification of the Levites, is less clear.  On one hand, its content connects it to the appointment of teh Levites in Chapters 3-4, and thus, perhaps to the second month.  On the other hand, it is sandwiched between two chapters which appear to be dated to the first month, suggesting that it too might have occurred then.

¹ Chapter 2 explicitly integrates information from the census of Chapter 1in discussing the camp's organization. Chapters 3-4 contain a second census, likely happening at the same time as the first. counting In addition Bemidbar 3:14 recounts that Hashem spoke to Moshe in Midbar Sinai, usually an indicator of something having been said in the Tent of Meeting, which would mean the command is given only after the Tabernacle's construction.

² Chapter 2 explicitly integrates information from the census of Chapter 1in discussing the camp's organization. Chapters 3-4 contain a second census, likely happening at the same time as the first. counting In addition Bemidbar 3:14 recounts that Hashem spoke to Moshe in Midbar Sinai, uually an indicator of something having been said in the Tent of Meeting, which would mean the command is given only after the Tabernacle's construction.