Specifically, we're looking at the offerings of Elyasaf son of Deuel, the prince of the tribe of Gad.
"On the sixth day, prince of the children of Gad, Elyasaf son of Deuel" (Numbers 7:42). The text repeats. Why? The Rabbis of the Midrash don't think it's a mistake. Instead, they dig deeper, seeking layers of meaning. The Midrash connects Elyasaf’s offering to the actions of the tribe of Simeon, who "took his sword and went and waged war with the people of Shekhem on behalf of his sister." It also connects it to the Gadites crossing the Jordan to help their brethren, fulfilling the prophecy, "He performed the righteousness of the Lord, and His ordinances with Israel" (Deuteronomy 33:21). Because of these acts, Elyasaf was "privileged to present his offering after Simeon."
But there's more. "His offering was one silver dish..." (Numbers 7:43). Rabbi Berekhya offers a powerful interpretation: the prince of Gad’s offering corresponds to the exodus from Egypt! But why? Because Jacob blessed Gad with "regiments," saying, "Gad will recruit a regiment and it will return intact" (Genesis 49:19). Jacob foresaw them crossing the Jordan as a vanguard. The Midrash cleverly connects this to the exodus, noting that the Israelites ascended from Egypt "armed [hamushim]" (Exodus 13:18), which it equates with halutzim – the vanguard. Since Gad helped conquer and distribute the land to those who came from Egypt, their prince’s offering honors that monumental event.
Rabbi Berekhya doesn’t stop there. He goes even deeper, suggesting the offering represents the entire period from Jacob's descent into Egypt to the Exodus! It’s like peeling back the layers of an onion, isn’t it?
"His offering was one silver dish," corresponding to Yokheved, Moses’s mother. Remember how Exodus 2:1 says, "A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi"? The Midrash sees hidden depths! It suggests Amram divorced Yokheved and remarried her. The word for "dish" (ke’arat) is playfully reinterpreted as keraat, meaning "severed," because she was "severed" from him. "One silver [kesef]" represents Amram's longing to remarry her because of Miriam's influence. Kesef, silver, is connected to nikhsefa, longing, just as the Psalmist says, "My soul longs [nikhsefa], and also yearns, [for the courtyards of the Lord]" (Psalms 84:3).
"One [aḥat]" is read as aḥot, sister, referring to Miriam, Aaron's sister, who prophesied that her father should remarry his wife so she could bear the redeemer of Israel. Was she Aaron's sister or Moses's? The Midrash points out that Moses hadn't been born yet! Her vigil by the Nile, watching over the infant Moses, embodies that "one silver."
"Its weight one hundred and thirty" signifies Yokheved's age when Moses was born. She was born "between the walls" of Egypt upon entry. By calculating the years from Jacob's descent to Moses's birth (210 years total in Egypt, minus Moses's 80 years at the Exodus), we arrive at 130. It's a beautiful, intricate tapestry of connections.
"One silver basin [mizrak]" represents Moses, who was "cast" (nizrak) into the Nile. "Seventy shekel, in the sacred shekel," symbolizes the seventy elders Moses appointed, drawing on Exodus 3:18 and Numbers 11:16. "Both of them full of high quality flour mixed with oil as a meal offering" indicates that Moses and the elders were filled with the Divine Spirit. The Midrash uses the analogy of lighting a candle – one flame ignites another without diminishing the original.
"One gold ladle, ten shekels, full of incense" (Numbers 7:44). Ah, the ladle! It represents Moses’s hand, which brought the ten plagues upon Egypt. Why silver and gold vessels? The gold corresponds to the plunder at the sea, which was greater than the plunder in Egypt. The Song of Songs 1:11, "We will craft you golden earrings with studs of silver," illustrates this: gold for the sea plunder, silver for the Egyptian plunder.
The Midrash continues, linking the offerings to the three leaders (Moses, Aaron, Miriam) and the three virtues that sustained Israel in Egypt: they didn't change their names, language, or customs. The goat for the sin offering symbolizes their rejection of idolatry.
Finally, "This was the offering of Elyasaf." When God saw that Elyasaf’s offering corresponded to the redemption from Egypt, He lauded it! The Midrash concludes by emphasizing the deliberate nature of Elyasaf's offering and God's recognition of its significance.
So, what does all this tell us? It shows us that the Rabbis saw the biblical text as a rich source of hidden meanings and connections. It reminds us that even seemingly simple acts of offering can be laden with history, symbolism, and profound spiritual significance. Next time you read about an offering in the Bible, remember Elyasaf and the layers of meaning he represents! It’s an invitation to delve deeper, to ask “why?”, and to discover the beautiful, interconnected web of Jewish tradition.