Bamidbar
"in the wilderness"
Numbers 1:1-4:20
Hosea 2:1-2:23
Psalm 122
Mark 4:35-41
This Torah portion is always timed to fall around the moed of Shavuot. The opening verse of the text associates it with Sinai in the wilderness, the place where the Torah was given.
With the Mishkan built, now the tribes are counted for organizing into their boundaries and for war. Their tribal blessings or attributes influence their arrangement. According to the Midrash, the arrangement was rectangular. The kohanim, families of Moses* and Aaron, camped close to the entrance of the Mishkan on the east side. The other clans of Levites camped north, west, and south a farther distance from the Mishkan. Outside the Levites were the twelve tribes, and each of the four “corners” were given to livestock. The clouds of glory surrounded the Camp on all four sides, then outside were the erev rav or those ejected from the Camp by the Cloud. Miriam’s Well was said to delineate the boundaries between the tribes with its streams when they camped (with the exception of Ephraim and Menashe).
“...as they encamp, so shall they journey, everyone at his place according to their divisions.”
וְנָסַע אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵד מַחֲנֵה הַלְוִיִּם בְּתוֹךְ הַֽמַּחֲנֹת
כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחֲנוּ כֵּן יִסָּעו אִישׁ עַל־יָדוֹ לְדִגְלֵיהֶֽם
“Al yado l’digleihem” is literally “at his hand” according to their assigned degel, or banner. The hand is the area at one's side, the immediate surroundings. Each tribe had a banner, then the groupings of three tribes moved under the degel of the assigned tribe within their division.
Rashi further explains the movement: “The traveling is like their camping, each traveling on the ‘side’ assigned to it [“...kol degel mehalekh l’ruach ha-kvuah.”]” In other words, as the camp moved with the Ruach HaKodesh when the cloud and ark moved, so the tribes and four divisions moved according to a distinct ruach/spirit designated by the degel/banner, starting with Judah. The four sides with their banners are explained in the context of the Divine Chariot with its four faces of the Divine Chariot: lion, man, bull, eagle.
-
...ON THEIR FOUR SIDES. For each of the world's four winds, for they have faces and wings [in the direction of] each wind. – Rashi to Ezekiel 1:8
Each of the four divisions of Israelites corresponded to a "face" or Spirit of the Most High and the Chariot which could move in any direction immediately. The organization in Bamidbar made sure their was no bewilderness when the Cloud and Ark moved. The Israelites could immediately respond to the Spirit. Because each division of tribes was associated with one of the four winds, their obedience to the Word, their service to the Holy One, and their cooperative effort was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in this world. Their harmony in camping and movement had an effect of blessing on the world, which often suffered from the four winds:
- East-hot, damaging winds, associated with plagues
- North-hail, snow, and damaging rains
- South-dews and showers
- West-darkness
These summaries of the four winds are from the standpoint of Jerusalem.
The four degelim of the four tribal encampments represented spirits. Each degel represented one of the four living creatures of the Divine Chariot, the Spirits of Adonai (Ezek 1:10). They were not merely banners or flags. They represented spirit. Tradition associates each division with a certain angel as well.
Blue degel – Judah – lion - Gavriel
Red degel – Reuven – man - Michael
Black degel – Ephraim – bull - Refael
Sapphire degel – Dan – eagle - Uriel
Each tribe was thought to be place to offset or set a boundary of any negative effects of a tribe in its division. This makes sense prophetically, for the Holy One is the One who can discipline the uniquely different winds to accomplish the same purpose while blowing at the same time, offsetting any negative effect that each one could bring if unleashed alone. Winds “take turns” in the natural realm; when one is blowing, the other is not or at least not as strongly. There is a "prevailing wind," or spirit. When winds come at the wrong season, mix together, or blow without disciple, there is chaos and destruction. Israel's job was to serve the Holy One, who would then command the four angels of the four winds to blow properly across the earth to bring blessing.
When we function within our spiritual calling, there should be no bewilderment in the wilderness. Only the Holy One manages how each of these “winds” blow so that there is harmony instead of destruction.
An ancient Jewish sage made a curious comment about the North wind:
-
The North wind - from there the stores of snow, and the stores of hail, and cold, and heat, and rains go out to the world. Another opinion: the North wind - He created but didn't complete it. He said that anyone who would say that he is God should come and complete this wind which I left alone, and all will know that he is God. (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 3)
Each of the four winds do a different job. North and south are not only polar opposites, but their waters are different. The heavy rains and hail of the North is not like the dew and showers of the South. In the tradition, King Messiah is "hidden" in the North, and it is those winds that are identified as having a connection to God Himself. The one who could tame the North wind or bring opposing winds into harmony would be Messiah.
-
I will not carry out My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; indeed He will roar, and His sons will come trembling from the west. (Hoshea 11:9-10)
-
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!' And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth...
-
“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Mt 24:31)
When King Messiah, who has been hidden in the North, or in the rabbinic expression "dormant," arouses, he will roar like a lion. The lion was the degel of Judah, the tribe that always moved first. When Ephraim hears the lion, he knows to move! Messiah will command the four winds to return the tribes of Israel to their organized camps. He will do something that only the Creator can do, command the angels of the four winds to harmonize their winds to bring blessings or chaos. For the un-bewildered, obedient tribes, there will be a protective wall of the Clouds of Glory. For those among the earth who disobey?
-
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.' (Re 7:1-3)
There may be a period of eerie calm while the bond-servants are sealed, for the angels will be holding back the four winds. Once the tribes are gathered, I can only imagine the chaos that will ensue until Messiah has prevailed. What follows in Revelation is a description of the sealing of the first fruits of the twelve tribes, just as our Torah portion describes.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SEA OF GALILEE? WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW THAT YESHUA SLEPT ON A PILLOW? For a more in-depth study on the prophetic four winds and how they confirmed by Yeshua's boat-nap, join us on the YouTube live stream tomorrow at 4:00 pm.
