Chronology of Bemidbar 1 – 10/2

Chronology of Bemidbar 1 – 10

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

As in most cases of apparent achronology, commentators debate whether the events are, in fact, recorded out of order, and what the motivations for this might be.  Abarbanel attempts to maintain chronological order, suggesting that events in the book which appear to have happened earlier really occurred later.  He, thus, claims that despite the referencing of the first month of the second year by the headings of each of Chapters 7 and 9, the main focus of each chapter is really events of the second month.  A second position takes the opposite tack, suggesting that Chapter 1 actually serves to summarize a months long process which began in the first year, despite its heading speaking of only the second month.

Other commentators read the dated verses more simply, leading to the conclusion that the chapters are indeed not in chronological order.  Ramban suggests that certain later events are recorded earlier because they are not part of the book's main core and instead serve as an epilogue to the Books of Shemot and Vayikra.  Rashi and Seforno, however, suggest that it is the earlier events which were pushed off and recorded only later so as to present the nation in a more favorable light.  These various approaches have implications for understanding the character of Sefer Bemidbar and how it relates to the earlier books of Shemot and Vayikra.

In Chronological Order

Despite first impressions, Bemidbar 1–10 maintains a basic chronological order.  This approach subdivides regarding which chapters are not as they seem:

Chapters 7–9 Occurred Later

Though Bemidbar 7 and 9 make passing references to the first month, their main focus is on events which took place in the second month.  Thus, the entire unit of Bemidbar 1–10 recounts events of the second month, and there is no achronology.

Sources:AbarbanelBemidbar 7:1Bemidbar 9:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

When did Chapters 1–4 happen? According to Abarbanel, the censuses and appointment of the Levites described in Bemidbar 1–4 all occurred in the second month, as the simple reading of the verses would imply.

Bemidbar 7:1 – "וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ" – According to Abarbanel, the time marker, "וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן", applies only to the anointment of the vessels, not to the gifts of the princes described thereafter. He asserts that Moshe began anointing the vessels after erecting the Mishkan in the first month, but this was an extended process that lasted several weeks.

Dedication of the altar – As the princes brought their sacrifices only after the vessels were anointed, the dedication of the altar could first take place only in the second month. As such, with the exception of the first verse, all the events of Chapter 7 really occurred in the second month, after the censuses of Chapters 1–4.

Relationship between מילואים in Vayikra 8 and חנוכת המזבח in Bemidbar 7 – According to Abarbanel, the two events did not overlap at all, as one took place in the first month and the other in the second month.¹  The princes' sacrifices are known as "the dedication of the altar", not because the altar had not been used earlier, but rather because the princes were the first to bring sacrifices upon it as individual Israelites.

"הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים" – Abarbanel points to the description of the princes as "those who officiated in the counting" to support his position.  In his opinion, the verse can describe the princes in this manner only because the dedication of the altar took place after the census.

Wagons for the Levites – The fact that the princes give the Levites wagons to aid them in their duties further suggests that the events of Chapter 7 occurred only after the Levites were appointed and assigned specific roles.

"וַיַּקְרִיבוּ הַנְּשִׂאִים... בְּיוֹם הִמָּשַׁח אֹתוֹ" – This verse is difficult for Abarbanel as it suggests that the anointment took only one day and that the princes brought their sacrifices on that very day.  Abarbanel thus asserts that the word "day" can refer also to an extended period of time.²

Purification of the Levites in Bemidbar 8 – According to this position, this chapter is in its proper place and took place in the second month, after the dedication of the altar.  Abarbanel distinguishes between the Levites' appointment to replace the firstborns in Chapter 3 and their actual preparation for service in Chapter 8.  The two events were distinct, but both happened in the second month within a few days of each other.

Pesach in Bemidbar 9 – Abarbanel asserts that Chapter 9 opens with Pesach in the first month only as a prelude to the main topic of the chapter which is Pesach Sheni, celebrated in the second month.³  Thus, this chapter, too, focuses on events of the second month, continuing where the previous ones left off.

Relationship Between Shemot, Vayikra, and Bemidbar – According to Abarbanel, the books are arranged in chronological order, with minimal or no chronological overlap between them:

• First year – Sefer Shemot recounts the events of the first year in the wilderness, concluding with the first day of the second year.
• First month of the second year – Sefer Vayikra picks up where Shemot left off, describing the events of the first month of the second year which focused primarily on the consecration of the priests and their responsibilities.
• Second month of the second year – Finally Sefer Bemidbar continues with the second month of the second year, as the focus shifts to the rest of the nation.

Chapters 1–4 Conclude an Earlier Process

Though the census in Bemidbar 1 mentions the second month, the initial chapters of Bemidbar are actually the summary of a more extended process which began already in the first year and stretched until the second month of the second year.

Sources:An approach based on U. CassutoShemot 38:25About Prof. Umberto Cassuto⁴

Census of Bemidbar 1 – Cassuto proposes that the censuses of Shemot 30 and Bemidbar 1 were both part of a single extended process.⁵  At the time of the construction of the Tabernacle, the people gave their half-shekels, personal names, and other information, but it was only in the second month of the following year that the data was analyzed and all of the necessary calculations were made.⁶  Since this part of the census provides important background for Sefer Bemidbar, it is recorded here.

Appointment of the Levites in Bemidbar 3 – According to this approach, the appointment of the Levites and their census also began during the first year.

Descendants of Aharon – This position is able to explain why Bemidbar 3:1 recounts the lineage of Aharon "on the day that Hashem spoke to Moshe at Mt. Sinai", first mentioning all four sons, and only then qualifying this statement with the fact that Nadav and Avihu died in the Sinai Wilderness.  When the census began they had been alive, but after their deaths, the text needed to update the list to match the reality of the second year.

Dedication of the Altar in Bemidbar 7 – According to this approach, the dedication of the Altar took place in the first month of the second year, immediately after the Tabernacle was erected, as per the simple reading of Bemidbar 7:1.  It is not clear how it related to the seven days of the consecration of the Mishkan and whether the two ceremonies overlapped or one followed the other.

"הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים" – This view could maintain that the princes might have already played a role in the first part of the census which occurred prior to the dedication, and as such, can be described here as "הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים".  While Bemidbar 1:4-5 implies that the leaders were first chosen only during the second stage of the census, it is possible that this was just a reaffirmation of a status conferred already in the first year.  Cf. the NetzivBemidbar 1:4Bemidbar 7:1About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin who suggests that the Bemidbar 1 is merely a Divine reaffirmation of the earlier selection of the princes by the nation which took place already in the first year.⁷

Wagons for the Levites – If the Levites were appointed already in the first year, it is understandable that the princes' wagons were immediately designated for the tasks of the Levites.

Purification of the Levites in Bemidbar 8 – According to this approach, though the Levites are appointed in the first year, their purification ceremony needed to wait until after the Tabernacle was completed, and first took place in the first month of the second year.

Pesach in Bemidbar 9 – This position would explain that Chapter 9, which speaks of observing Pesach in the second half of the first month, chronologically follows the events of Chapters 7–8, which occurred in the first half of the first month.

Relationship Between Shemot, Vayikra, and Bemidbar – There is chronological overlap between the events described in all three books, with the difference being in their focus.  Shemot focuses on the construction of the Mishkan, Vayikra on the role of the kohanim, and Bemidbar on the rest of the nation.

Not in Chronological Order

The events of Bemidbar 1–10 are not recorded in the order in which they occurred.  This approach subdivides regarding which chapters were the ones shifted out of their chronological position and why.

Later Events Needed to be Recorded Earlier

The opening chapters of Sefer Bemidbar form a distinct unit which is not part of the grand chronological scheme of the rest of the book, but rather includes events which occurred only later than the main core of the book.  This approach subdivides regarding the borders and character of this distinct section:

Appendix

Chapters 1–8 of Bemidbar constitute an appendix to the Books of Shemot and Vayikra. They are therefore recorded at the beginning of Sefer Bemidbar, even though some of the events of these chapters occurred only later.

Sources:R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBemidbar 1:1Bemidbar 9:1About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambanBemidbar IntroductionBemidbar 3:1Bemidbar 3:14Bemidbar 5:2:6Bemidbar 7:1Bemidbar 8:5Bemidbar 9:1About R. Moshe b. Nachman

What unites Chapters 1–8? As opposed to the rest of the book, all of the topics discussed in Bemidbar 1–8 relate to the Mishkan, and as such come merely to complete the subject matter (השלמת העניין) begun in Shemot and Vayikra.

• Chapters 1–2 speak of the arrangement of the camp around the Mishkan.⁸
• Chapters 3–4 focus on the status of the Levites and their tasks as porters for the Tabernacle.
• The laws of Chapters 5–6 open with a discussion of the impure who must leave the holy camp, and then speak of the ritual procedures of the Sotah and Nazir which take place in the Mishkan.⁹
• Chapter 7 deals with the tribal princes' gifts to the Levites and their dedication of the altar.
• Finally, Chapter 8 describes the Levites' consecration.

Why leave these for Sefer Bemidbar? Neither R"Y Bekhor Shor nor Ramban adequately address why this epilogue is found in the beginning of Sefer Bemidbar rather than at the end of Sefer Vayikra.

When did Chapter 1 happen? R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ramban maintain that Chapter 1 takes place in the second month, as per the simple reading of Bemidbar 1:1.

Dating of Chapters 2–4 – Even though Chapters 2–4 are undated, since the events of these chapters are not only thematically related to Chapter 1 but also referenced by it,¹⁰ it is reasonable to assume that they also occurred in the second month.

When were the laws of Bemidbar 5–6 given? It is not known whether these laws were given in the first or second month. Thus, it is unclear if these chapters follow chronologically from Chapters 1–4, or if they are juxtaposed merely for thematic reasons.

Dedication of the Altar in Bemidbar 7 – The dedication of the altar occurred in the first month, "on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Tabernacle".

Consecration of Levites in Bemidbar 8 – Ramban claims that the purification took place in the second month, soon after (or together with) the Levites' official census and appointments.

Achronology within the appendix – As seen from the points above, according to Ramban, there is no internal chronology within the eight chapters of the appendix.  The chapters move from the second month (Chapters 1–4) to the first month (Chapter 7), and then back to the second month (Chapter 8).  Ramban implies that this is not problematic since the appendix is ordered thematically.¹¹

Wagons for the Levites – This position must explain how the Levites were given wagons in the first month if they had not yet been assigned their tasks.¹²  It could suggest that though the princes' gifts and sacrifices were brought to the Mishkan in the first month, the wagons and oxen were given to the Levites only after their appointment in the second month.¹³  The only reason that the verses regarding the wagons (7:5-7) are recorded as part of the account in Chapter 7 is in order to complete the story of the princes' offerings.

"הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים" – According to this position, this description is a parenthetical statement of the narrator, meant for the reader who already knows that the princes officiated in the counting, even though they had not yet done so at the time of the story.

Chronology in Torah – Ramban normally posits that the Torah is written according to chronological order.  In the cases such as this one where he claims otherwise, he provides a literary explanation for the exception.

Relationship Between Shemot, Vayikra, and Bemidbar – According to this position, while the second half of Sefer Shemot and much of Sefer Vayikra revolve around the Tabernacle and its laws, Sefer Bemidbar's main focus is on the nation and their wilderness travails.

Introduction

The opening chapters of Sefer Bemidbar form an introduction to the rest of the book and are thus placed at the beginning of the book despite happening only later.

Which chapters comprise the introduction? There are two possibilities:

• Only Chapters 1–6 – As these chapters mainly focus on the censuses, setup of the camp, and related laws¹⁴ they serve as a natural prelude to a book which deals with the nation's travels.  According to this approach, the core of the book first opens with Chapter 7 and continues chronologically from there.
• All of Chapters 1–8 – Alternatively, one could suggest that Chapters 7–8 are also part of the introduction. They finish the discussion of the roles played by both sets of leaders mentioned previously: the tribal princes and the Levites.

Dating of each of the chapters – As in the above position, this approach assumes that the time markers in the verses should be understood simply and thus concludes the following:

• Chapters 1–4 – The censuses occurred as dated, in the second month.
• Chapters 5–6 – It is unclear when the laws of these chapters were given.
• Chapter 7 and 9 – These chapters (speaking of the altar's dedication and the Pesach) both took place in the first month, as their headings imply.
• Chapter 8 – The two variations of this position would disagree regarding the dating of this chapter.  See below.

Dating the consecration of the Levites in Chapter 8

• First month – According to the position that the core of Sefer Bemidbar begins in Chapter 7 and proceeds chronologically from there, the purification of the Levites must have also taken place in the first month.¹⁵  This, however, is difficult considering that Chapter 3 suggests that the Levites were first appointed in the second month!  As such, this approach must suggest that Hashem had previously appointed the Levites but that their official assignments and census only took place afterwards, close to the nation's travels.¹⁶
• Second month – The position that includes Chapters 7–8 in the introduction could more simply suggest that the consecration occurred after the Levites' appointment in the second month.  This, however, creates internal achronology within the introduction.¹⁷ 

Wagons to the Levites – To explain how the princes knew to give the Levites wagons if they had not yet been assigned their tasks this position could say, as above, that the Levites were chosen by Hashem beforehand.

"הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים" – This position would explain that this is meant for the reader who already knows the role played by the princes in the census.¹⁸

Relationship Between Shemot, Vayikra, and Bemidbar – According to this position, while the second half of Sefer Shemot and much of Sefer Vayikra revolve around the Tabernacle and its laws, all of Sefer Bemidbar's focuses on the camp and the nation's wilderness travails.

Earlier Events Needed to be Recorded Later

The recounting of the events of Chapters 7–9 is delayed in order to present the nation in the best possible light.

Sources:RashiBemidbar 7:1Bemidbar 7:2Bemidbar 9:1About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, SefornoBemidbar 9:1About R. Ovadyah Seforno

When did Chapters 1–4 happen? This position assumes that the events of these chapters occurred in the second month, as the simple reading of the verses would imply.

When were the laws of Bemidbar 5–6 given? Seforno suggests that the laws of these chapters deal with keeping the camp holy.  They were thus given in the second month together with the instructions regarding the setup of the camp.¹⁹

Dating of Chapters 7 and 9 – These chapters discussing the dedication of the altar and the Pesach are achronological and occurred, as dated, in the first month.

Purpose of achronology

• To avoid denigrating the nation – Rashi addresses the achronological placement of only Chapter 9. He suggests that Hashem did not want to open the book with the story of the nation's observance of the Pesach in the first month since it was shameful that this was the only Pesach they observed throughout their forty years in the wilderness.  This, however, is difficult since the book could have begun with Chapter 7 (the description of the princes' sacrifices in the first month) which would have both maintained chronological order and also opened the book with a meritorious action.²⁰
• To praise the nation – Seforno suggests that though the description of the nation's travels in Chapter 10 really flows straight from Chapters 1–6,²¹ Chapters 7–9 are inserted in between as an introduction to Chapter 10 in order to explain why the nation was supposed to merit entering the land immediately without needing to battle the Canaanites.²² The events described in these chapters (the dedication of the altar, purification of the Levites, Paschal sacrifice, and willingness to follow Hashem in the Wilderness) were all praiseworthy deeds which made them deserving of a miraculous conquest.²³

Purification of the Levites in Bemidbar 8 – This approach can date the events of this chapter in one of two ways:

• First month – Seforno claims that this occurred in the first month.  This preserves the internal chronology within the larger unit of Chapters 7–9, but must posit that the Levites were both chosen and purified before they were officially counted to replace the firstborns.²⁴
• Second month – Alternatively, this approach could suggest that the purification occurred in the second month, only after the census and the Levites' official appointment.²⁵

"הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים" – This position could say, as above, that this is a clarifying comment intended only for the reader who already knows the roles played by the princes in the census.

Wagons for the Levites – As above, this position could suggest that either the Levites were really chosen earlier and thus immediately received the princes' gifts, or that the gifts were really given to the Levites only in the second month and are mentioned earlier merely to complete the story of the princes' offerings.

Chronology in Torah – Seforno explains that sometimes the Torah will veer from the true order of events, in order to achieve a different important purpose ("לְזֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּכַוֵּן תַּכְלִית מַה זוּלָתִי הַזְּמַן בַּסֵּדֶר הַמְסֻפָּר") such as a moral or homiletical message.²⁶

¹ Other commentators who maintain that the dedication of the altar by the princes also took place in the first month need to grapple with the question of whether they overlapped with the seven days of the מילואים.  The dominant opinion in Chazal (Sifra, Sifre, Seder Olam) is that the milluim days began on the 23rd of Adar and thus concluded before the days of the altar dedication.  In contrast, others contend that the seven days of the milluim started on the 1st of Nisan and that the altar dedication days began only on the 8th (Ibn Ezra Shemot 40:2, Vayikra 9:1) or 9th (Josephus, Antiquities 3:8:4-10) of Nisan.  According to a small minority of exegetes, the two processes overlapped and both began either on the 1st of Nisan (Yefet b. Eli the Karaite) or the 23rd of Adar (Midrash from the Genizah).  For more, see Chronology of the Consecration of the Mishkan.

² As support he points to the usage of the word in Yechezkel 20:5 and  Yechezkel 38:18 where it seems to mean a time period rather than a literal day.

³ For the reader to understand what prompted the new law, it was necessary to first explain that there were people who were impure during the original festival.

⁴ The approach presented here is a possible extension of Cassuto's understanding (in his commentary on Sefer Shemot) of the duration of the census.  Cassuto did not write a commentary to Bemidbar and thus did not explicitly relate to the chronology issue of Sefer Bemidbar.

⁵ He uses this to explain how the final tallies (See Shemot 38:26 and Bemidbar 1:46) were identical.  See Censuses in the Wilderness for elaboration.

⁶ Cassuto points to documentation of other censuses in the Ancient Near East and to David's census described in Shemuel II 24:8 as evidence that these were long drawn out processes which lasted many months.

⁷ He points to Shemot 35:27 which already speaks of the princes and the gifts they brought to the Mishkan.

⁸ See Ramban's introduction to Sefer Bemidbar.  This is in contrast to Rashbam who relates the setup of the camp to the future conquest, and views it as a military formation.  Cf. R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ramban Bemidbar 1:1 who speak also of the military need for the census and arrangement of the camp, apparently understanding that there was a dual purpose to the setup.

⁹ The two sets of laws conclude with the phrases "זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַקְּנָאֹת" and "זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַנָּזִיר", similar to the formulation by the ritual procedures relating to sacrifices in Vayikra 6–7 ("זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה" et al.).

¹⁰ See Bemidbar 1:48-53, and see how Chapter 2 explicitly integrates information from the census of Chapter 1 in discussing the organization of the nation's camp.

¹¹ It is not clear, however, why the appendix could not have maintained both thematic and chronological order.  The book could have opened with the princes' dedication of the altar and then moved to discuss their role in the census.  It could then have continued with the counting and appointment of the Levites and their purification ceremony and concluded with the legal section dealing with the banishing of the ritually impure from the camp.

¹² R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ramban posit that the dedication of the altar (Chapter 7) took place in the first month while the Levites' appointment (Chapter 3) took place only in the second month.

¹³ This seems to be Ramban's opinion; see his comments to Bemidbar 8:5.

¹⁴ The legal passages of Chapters 5–6 are attached because they open with the need to guard the camp from ritual impurity.

¹⁵ It is sandwiched between Chapters 7 and 9 which both take place in the first month, so if this section of the book is chronological, it too must have occurred then.

¹⁶ It is possible that the assignment of tasks took place immediately before they were needed.  Thus, only with the nation's travels did the Levites begin to act as porters for the Tabernacle.

¹⁷ As such, the two variations of this approach each solve one problem while creating another: one is able to maintain internal chronology, but must deal with the consecration of the Levites occurring before their appointment, while the other has no issue with the Levites, but must posit internal achronology.

¹⁸ This is especially true for the second variation of this approach which views Chapter 7 as coming here only due to the previous discussion of the roles played by the tribal princes.

¹⁹ The laws include the sending away of the impure and purifying the camp from the potentially illegitimate child of a sotah.  See above for Ramban's similar explanation of the placement of these laws.

²⁰ There are several additional difficulties with Rashi's approach:
(a)  Nowhere does the Torah explicitly state that the Children of Israel did not offer the Paschal sacrifice in subsequent years (and it is certainly possible that the Torah simply did not record every single sacrifice offered in the wilderness, unless it entailed something new).
(b)  Even if the Children of Israel did not sacrifice the Pesach in the remaining years in the wilderness, it is unclear whether this was a violation or an adherence to the Divine command.
(c)  Given that the Torah records many much more heinous sins of the nation in subsequent chapters, it is hard to imagine that recounting the offering of the Pesach of the second year in the first or ninth chapter would have such a significant impact on the portrait of the nation.

²¹ The book opens in the first of the second month, while Chapter 10 continues with the twentieth of the month.

²² Seforno points out that were it not for the spies the nation was supposed to enter the land immediately and inherit it without need of military conquest.  This is consistent with his general approach that actions of the people, such as the Sin of the Spies or Golden Calf, cause deviations from Hashem's original plan.  For elaboration, see About Seforno.

²³ It is somewhat difficult to see why this is so important to emphasize, given that due to the nation's subsequent severe sins, the reward was not actualized.

²⁴ See discussion in the position above.

²⁵ This would assume that the internal order within the interloping unit of Chapters 7–9 is not based on chronology but the relative importance of each of the events discussed.

²⁶ This is also how Rashi explains in other occasions where he posits achronology.  This stands in sharp contrast with Ramban above who is willing to entertain the notion of achronology only when there is a literary reason such as preserving thematic order.