Structure – Sefer Bemidbar/0

Structural Analysis – Sefer Bemidbar
"From the Generation of the Wilderness to the Generation Which Entered Israel"

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Boundaries of the Book

• Names – The book is commonly called "ספר בְּמִדְבַּר"‎¹ after its opening words.² Rabbinic sources,³ though, refer to it as "חומש הפקודים", referring to the two censuses that frame the book: the census of the second year, discussed in Chapters 1-4 and that in the fortieth year, discussed in Chapter 26. The two names capture much of the essence of the book, the preparation for entry into the land at both ends of the book and the thirty-eight years in the wilderness described in the middle.
• Setting – While the events of each of Sefer Vayikra and Sefer Devarim all transpire in but one place (Mount Sinai and the plains of Moav respectively), the events of Sefer Bemidbar occur in multiple sites throughout the wilderness.
• Timing – Sefer Bemidbar describes a 38 year time-span. The surrounding books, in contrast, take place over a very short period. Though undated, Vayikra appears to take place over less than a month⁴ and the vast majority of Sefer Devarim⁵ spans no more than five weeks.⁶
• Characters – The main characters of Sefer Bemidbar, like those of the books of Shemot, Vayikra, and Devarim, are Moshe and the nation. Shemot and Vayikra speak of the generation that left Egypt (דור יוצאי מצרים), while Devarim turns to the next generation, דור באי הארץ. Sefer Bemidbar segues between the two, with the first half of the book focusing on the first generation and the second half of the book devoted to the second generation.
• Genre – While both Sefer Vayikra and Devarim are mainly prescriptive in nature, the majority of Sefer Bemidbar consists of narrative rather than legal material.
• Themes – Commentators have picked on various aspects of the book which set it apart from surrounding ones:
• AbarbanelBemidbar IntroductionAbout R. Yitzchak Abarbanel suggests that, in contrast to Sefer Vayikra which focuses on laws of holiness and purity, the main theme of Sefer Bemidbar is leadership.
• NetzivBemidbar IntroductionBemidbar 20:5About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin asserts that the book is about the transition from miraculous providence to natural order, as the nation moves from the supernatural existence of the wilderness towards life in Israel. The book thus segues between earlier ones, which focused on the miraculous, to Devarim in which Moshe prepares the people for self-government.
• One might also suggest that while much of Torah speaks of the development of the nation's relationship with Hashem, Sefer Bemidbar stands out in that much of the book discusses the people's challenging of that relationship.
• The above notwithstanding, the themes and laws of the opening chapters of the book clearly relate back to those of Sefer Vayikra, dealing with the Mishkan and priestly responsibilities, and it is not clear why they were not included there.⁷
• A Parenthetical Book

Division into Units

I. The Generation of the Wilderness (1:1 – 20:29)
II. The Generation Which Entered Israel (21:1 – 36:13)

• Characters – The two main sections of the book focus on different groups of people. Chapters 1-20 speak of the events which befell the generation which left Egypt and was punished to die in the wilderness, while the rest of the book turns to the next generation and its preparations for conquest and entry into the land.
• Timing – Most of the events of the first part of the book takes place in the second year of the nation's travels,⁸ while those in the second section take place in the fortieth year.⁹
• Plot – AbarbanelBemidbar IntroductionAbout R. Yitzchak Abarbanel points out that the first section of the book¹⁰ deal with the nation's travails in the wilderness, while the rest of the book speaks of  the nation's battles upon arriving in settled lands.  NetzivBemidbar IntroductionAbout R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin adds that the first part of the book is replete with miracles, as the nation was guided supernaturally in the wilderness.  The second half of the book transitions to natural order, as evidenced by the natural way in which its wars are fought and won.
• Setting – The events of the first part of the book take place in varied sites in the wilderness, while the second section occurs mainly in the civilized lands of Arvot Moav.¹¹
• Chapter 20 – Chapter 20 serves as the turning point in the book.  The deaths of Miryam and Aharon and punishment of Moshe highlight that the generation which left Egypt is not to enter the land, and from this point on the book switches focus to those who will.
• Literary markers

Subdivision of Unit I –  Generation of the Wilderness

A. Preparing for Conquest (1:1 – 10:36)
B. Conquest Delayed (11:1 – 20:29)

¹ Sometimes the fuller "ספר בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי" is used as well.

² At times, too, it is referred to as "ספר וַיְדַבֵּר", after the very first word of the book.  See, for example, R. SaadiaCommentary Bereshit 6:3About R. Saadia Gaon, RashiShemot 38:26About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, and Ibn EzraVayikra 27:1Bemidbar IntroductionAbout R. Avraham ibn Ezra, who all refer to it in this manner. The name "ספר במדבר" is more popular than "ספר וידבר" perhaps because, despite the technical reason for the choice,  it manages to capture some of the content of the book as well. Practical issues might have also played a role. The word "וידבר" is not unique to the opening of this book and is found also in the opening verse of Sefer Vayikra, which leaves room for potential confusion. [See, for example, Ibn EzraVayikra 27:1Bemidbar IntroductionBemidbar 20:1About R. Avraham ibn Ezra on Vayikra 27:1 who refers also to Sefer Vayikra as "ספר וידבר".]

³ See, for some example, Mishna SotahSotah 7:7About the Mishna, Mishna MenachotMenachot 4:3About the Mishna, Sifre Devarim16:1About Sifre Devarim and elsewhere. See also EusebiusEusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 6:25:1-2 who cites Origen as writing that this was the name used by the Jews. [It is interesting to note that Origen reports that the other four books of Torah are referred to by the Jews using the opening words of each book and not by a name which imparts content (Bereshit rather than Genesis, Shemot rather than Exodus etc.).  Our book is the only one regarding which he does not record the technical name (Bemidbar).]

⁴ The verses in Shemot 40:2,17 speak of the first day of the first month in the second year in the wilderness, and Chapters 7 and 9 in Bemidbar also describe events which took place in this same month, suggesting that the intervening book of Vayikra all took place in this same month.  As Sefer Vayikra is primarily book of law and contains very little narrative, it is logical that it need not have transpired over a lengthy period of time.

⁵ Moshe's various addresses encompass the entire book with the exception of the last chapter in which he dies and we are told that the nation mourned him for thirty days. The rest of the book takes place in no more than 5 weeks.

⁶ The book opens on the first of Shevat, and ends with Moshe's death, which is not dated. Since we are told that the nation mourned him for a month, and that they crossed the Jordan on the 10th of Nissan after a 3 day period of preparation, many work backwards and assume that Moshe died on 7 Adar. However, as it is possible that there was time in between the mourning and the preparation for crossing, and the verses discussing the three day preparation period allow for multiple interpretations, others suggest that Moshe died up to a full month earlier. If so, all of his addresses might have taken place in just a week.

⁷ See RambanBemidbar IntroductionAbout R. Moshe b. Nachman who writes that the book includes: " קצת מצוות בעניני הקרבנות שהתחיל בהן בספר הכהנים, ולא נשלם שם, והשלימן בספר הזה."

⁸ The rebellion of Korach and the story of Moshe's sin at Mei Merivah are undated and could have taken place at any point before the fortieth year.  According to Ibn Ezra the rebellion took place in the second year, while Moshe sinned in the fortieth year, leading him to conclude, "הנה אין בתורה כלל שום מעשה או נבואה רק בשנה הראשונה ובשנת הארבעים". As such, he would likely divide the book before, rather than after, Chapter 20. It is also possible, though, that Korach rebelled much later, or that Moshe sinned much earlier. [For different approaches regarding the dating of the story of Korach and how this impacts one's understanding of the rebellion, see Korach's Rebellion.]

⁹ The first event dated to the fortieth year is the death of Aharon (see Bemidbar 33:38).  This takes place in the second half of Chapter 20, implying that all the events which follow similarly took place then.

¹⁰ He splits the book in half by parashah rather than chapter, dividing it at Parashat Chukat rather than at Chapter 21, but in essence the two divisions are very similar.

¹¹ Chapter 21 is exceptional, taking place in civilization, but not in Arvot Moav.