The offerings each tribe brought to the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, give us some fascinating clues.
Take the tribe of Gad, for instance. Remember Simeon, sword in hand, battling to defend his sister Dinah? Well, in a similar spirit, the tribe of Gad went to battle, too, fighting to win the land beyond the Jordan River for their brothers. And that's why, according to the traditions, their prince, Shelumiel, followed the prince of Simeon when bringing his offerings.
But why these particular offerings? What was Gad trying to tell us?
Well, this tribe, so active in gaining the promised land, seemed to symbolize in their gifts the Exodus from Egypt itself – because, of course, without the Exodus, there would be no march into Palestine! So, let's look closer at what they brought.
The offering included a charger weighing one hundred and thirty shekels. Now, according to some interpretations, this alluded to Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who, at the ripe old age of one hundred and thirty, gave birth to the man who would lead them out of slavery!
And speaking of Moses, the bowl that was also part of the offering, weighing seventy shekels, is also connected to him! How? Because Moses extended his prophetic spirit over the seventy elders of Israel. And just as the bowl was filled with fine flour, the prophetic spirit of Moses didn't diminish at all, even when shared with those seventy elders.
The three burnt offerings, or olot, are especially interesting. They recalled the three virtues that Israel possessed in Egypt that were instrumental in their deliverance. What were these virtues? First, they didn't change their Hebrew names. Second, they didn't abandon their Hebrew language, Lashon Hakodesh. And third, they maintained lives of chastity. These are powerful reminders of the importance of maintaining identity even under immense pressure.
Then there were the sin offerings, or chatat, which served to atone for the idolatry that some Israelites were drawn to while in Egypt. Midrash Rabbah tells us that God wouldn't allow their deliverance until they had renounced that idolatry. This highlights the constant struggle between faith and temptation, a theme that runs throughout Jewish history.
Finally, the two oxen of the peace offering, or shelamim, corresponded to Jacob and Joseph. According to the tradition, it was for their sake that God delivered Israel from Egypt. And they also brought fifteen heads of small cattle as a sacrifice, a reminder that God was mindful of His vow to the three Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – and the twelve fathers of the tribes, which led to Him releasing Israel from bondage.
So, what can we take away from all of this? The gifts of the tribe of Gad weren’t just random items. They were a carefully chosen set of symbols, a reminder of the Exodus, the virtues that sustained the Israelites, and the importance of remaining true to their heritage. It’s a beautiful, multi-layered message, reminding us that even the smallest details can hold profound meaning if we take the time to look.