It wasn't just a chaotic mass of people wandering aimlessly, that's for sure. According to the traditions, there was a real method to the madness, a divinely inspired order.
The story goes that when God revealed himself on Mount Sinai, it was quite a spectacle. Can you imagine? Twenty-two thousand angels, all in formation, each group with its own banner, its own degel, or standard. The Israelites, witnessing this incredible display, were deeply impressed. They, too, desired to be organized, to have their own divisions and standards, like the angelic hosts.
And God, in his infinite grace, granted their wish. As we read in Legends of the Jews, Moses was instructed to fulfill their desire. "Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house," God commanded, "far off about the Tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch." (Num. 2:2).
Now, you might think this would be a straightforward task. Assign each tribe its place, and be done with it. But Moses, ever the insightful leader, foresaw potential problems. He worried about tribal rivalries, about each tribe wanting the best position, the most prestigious direction. "Now will there be much strife among the tribes," he thought, fearing discord and arguments. As Ginzberg retells it in Legends of the Jews, Moses was concerned about the inevitable squabbles over placement.
But God reassured Moses. "Do not concern thyself with the position of the standards of the tribes," He said, "for they have no need of thy direction." What did God mean? Well, it turns out that the Israelites already had a pre-existing system, a plan laid out long before. "Their father Jacob before his death ordered them to group themselves about the Tabernacle just as his sons were to be grouped about his bier at the funeral procession."
Think about that for a moment. Jacob, on his deathbed, already envisioned this arrangement. He knew the importance of order, of unity, even in mourning. He instructed his sons, the founders of the tribes, how to arrange themselves around his body. And this same arrangement, this same sense of familial order, was to be mirrored in the desert, around the Mishkan, or Tabernacle.
So, when Moses told the people to divide themselves in groups around the Tabernacle, they already knew what to do. They followed Jacob's instructions, organizing themselves according to his ancient directive. No strife, no arguments, just a seamless transition into a structured community. The families knew their places.
What's the takeaway here? Perhaps it's about the importance of tradition, of heeding the wisdom of our ancestors. Or maybe it’s a reminder that even in the face of the unknown, a sense of order and structure can provide comfort and stability. It's a powerful image: the Israelites, guided by both divine command and ancestral wisdom, transforming the wilderness into a sanctuary. A testament to the enduring power of family, tradition, and faith.