It wasn't a random free-for-all. The Book of Numbers gives us a fascinating glimpse into a highly structured encampment around the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. And Bamidbar Rabbah, a classic Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, unpacks the deeper meaning behind that arrangement.
We read in (Numbers 3:38), "These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting eastward: Moses, and Aaron, and his sons... and the commoner who approaches shall be put to death.” Bamidbar Rabbah sees so much more in this verse than just logistics. It suggests that the very placement of each tribe and Levitical family held cosmic significance.
The Midrash points out that the family of Kehat from the tribe of Levi, whose job it was to carry the Ark, had a special honor: their descendants surrounded the Tabernacle on two sides! And the entire tribe of Levi, in fact, was divided into four groups to guard the Tabernacle on all four sides, mirroring the four banners of the Israelite tribes. The placement wasn't arbitrary; it was, according to Bamidbar Rabbah, directly related to their roles and even their character.
Let's journey west first. The west, we’re told, is associated with storehouses of snow, hail, cold, and heat. Talk about extreme weather! And who encamped there? The banner of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, known for their might. They were strategically placed to withstand these harsh forces. Similarly, Gershon and his family, whose sacred service involved the "Tent, its covering, and the screen," were also situated in the west (Numbers 3:25). What better protection against those elements than a tent and covering? The Midrash even connects the name Gershon to the Hebrew words "gar" (reside) and "shen" (ivory), suggesting strength, as ivory is seen as a symbol of resilience, referencing the verse "His belly is like a tablet of ivory" (Song of Songs 5:14).
Now, let’s turn to the south. Ah, the south – a place of blessing, where dews and rains emerge. Here encamped the banner of Reuben, a tribe associated with repentance. Why repentance? Because rain, the life-giving force, is said to fall through the merit of repentance. And who else resided in the south? The sons of Kehat, bearers of the Ark containing the Torah. The Midrash makes a direct link: rain is dependent on Torah observance. As (Leviticus 26:3-4) states, "If you follow My statutes… I will provide your rains…” Conversely, disobedience leads to drought: "I will render your heavens like iron" (Leviticus 26:19). The name Kehat itself is linked to the Hebrew word "keha," meaning blunt, as in "If the iron is blunt [keha]" (Ecclesiastes 10:10), implying that a lack of Torah study can blunt the heavens' ability to bring rain.
Moving to the north, a place from which darkness emerges, we find the tribe of Dan. The Midrash connects Dan to the darkness of the idol crafted by Yerovam. And there too encamped the children of Merari, whose labor involved the "boards of the Tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars" (Numbers 3:36). The Midrash draws a parallel to (Jeremiah 10:8), which speaks of idols as being nothing more than wood. The name Merari, we're told, is associated with "merur," meaning bitterness, a consequence of idol worship.
Finally, the east, from which light emanates. Here resided Judah, masters of royalty, Torah, and mitzvot (commandments). Moses, Aaron, and his sons also encamped in the east, embodying Torah and good deeds. The Midrash quotes the saying, "Happy is the righteous and happy is his neighbor," highlighting the positive influence of those close to Torah. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, all known for their Torah scholarship, were adjacent to Moses and Aaron, reinforcing this idea.
However, the Midrash also warns of the opposite effect. Just as good company elevates, bad company corrupts. It contrasts the blessed tribes in the east with those in the south who were near the rebellious Korah. The Midrash states, "Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor." Because Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were close to Korah, they too became entangled in divisiveness.
So, what does it all mean? The Midrash on Numbers isn't just giving us a history lesson. It's teaching us about the interconnectedness of everything. Our actions, our words, our proximity to goodness or, God forbid, negativity—all these things have consequences that ripple outwards. The arrangement around the Tabernacle wasn't just about physical space; it was about spiritual alignment. It was a reflection of the values, the challenges, and the potential of each tribe. And perhaps, it's a mirror reflecting back at us, asking: what kind of space are we creating around ourselves, and what kind of influence are we allowing to shape our lives?
“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting eastward: Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel; and the commoner who approaches shall be put to death” (Numbers 3:38). “These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east” – Kehat merited that his descendants surrounded the Tabernacle in two directions. The tribe of Levi became four divisions to surround the four directions of the Tabernacle, corresponding to the four banners. In accordance with their actions, the Levites encamped in the four directions just as the banners were arranged. How so? West, from there were the storehouses of snow, the storehouses of hail, cold, and heat.28The west is associated with these weather phenomena. Corresponding to them encamped the banner of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, who were mighty, in order to withstand them all. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled Gershon to the west, as his sacred service was “the Tent, its covering, and the screen” (Numbers 3:25). What can withstand snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is a tent, a covering, and a screen. That is why he was called Gershon. Who will reside in the face of snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is one who is as strong as ivory.29Gershon is a portmanteau of gar – reside, and shen – ivory. Ivory is nothing other than an expression of strength, as it is written: “His belly is like a tablet of ivory” (Song of Songs 5:14). The south, from which dews of blessing and rains of blessing emerge into the world, there, the banner of Reuben, who is a penitent, encamps. It is by virtue of penitence that rain falls. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled in that same southern direction the sons of Kehat, who would bear the Ark in which the Torah was, as the rains are dependent only upon the Torah, as it is stated: “If you follow My statutes.… I will provide your rains…” (Leviticus 26:3–4), and “But if you reject My statutes” (Leviticus 26:15), “I will render your heavens like iron” (Leviticus 26:19). That is why he was called Kehat, just as it says: “If the iron is blunt [keha]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10) – if you see that the heavens have been blunted from causing rain to fall and have become iron, just as it says: “I will render your heavens like iron,” know that it is due to a punishment for Torah that they did not fulfill, as it is written: “And one did not whet [kilkal] the edge [panim]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10). It is because they did not fulfill the Torah that was given to them face-to-face, just as it says: “Face-to-face [panim befanim] the Lord spoke with you…” (Deuteronomy 5:4), and they corrupted [kilkelu] their actions. That is kilkal. The north, from which darkness emerges into the world, there encamps the tribe of Dan, who embodied the darkness of the idol crafted by Yerovam and situated in Dan. That is why the children of Merari encamped there, as their labor was with wood: “The boards of the Tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars” (Numbers 3:36), just as it says: “[Their] doctrine is but delusion; it is a piece of wood” (Jeremiah 10:8). That is why his name was called Merari, because of bitterness [merur].30Bitterness is caused by idol worship. The east, from which light emerges into the world, there, the encampment of Judah, who were masters of royalty, masters of Torah, and masters of mitzvot, encamps. That is why Moses, Aaron and his sons encamped there, as they were masters of Torah and masters of mitzvot, and they atoned for Israel with their prayers and their offerings. In their regard it is stated: Happy is the righteous and happy is his neighbor;31Mishna Sukka 56:2. these are the tribes that were adjacent to Moses and Aaron: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. They were all great in Torah: “The scepter shall not depart [from Judah, nor a scholar from among his descendants]” (Genesis 49:10); “from the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding” (I Chronicles 12:33); “from Zebulun, those who ply the scribe’s quill” (Judges 5:14). Because they were neighbors of the Torah, they all became Torah scholars. Three in the south, who were adjacent to masters of divisiveness, were eradicated with them. In their regard it was stated: Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor. Who were the masters of divisiveness? It was “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar son of Kehat” (Numbers 16:1).32Referring to Koraḥ and his assembly. Because Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were adjacent to them, they were all masters of divisiveness, as it says: “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar [son of Kehat] took […sons of Reuben]” (Numbers 16:1). Likewise, the sons of Gad and the sons of Simeon were also masters of divisiveness.33The tribes of Reuben and Gad remained east of the Jordan, and Zimri (see Numbers 25:6–14) was the prince of the tribe of Simeon. “Keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel” – they would guard so that Israel would not enter there. Why to that extent? Since were they to enter there, they would be punishable by death. That is what is written: “And the commoner who approaches shall be put to death.”
