Rashi on TanakhNumbers 10

(Make for yourself. So that they they may sound the trumpet before you like a king, as it is said, “There was a king among the righteous.”

Make for yourself. From your own resources.

Make for yourself. You shall make them and use them, but no one else.)

To summon the congregation. When you want to speak with the Sanhedrin or the rest of the people, and you summon them to gather before you, summon them with the trumpets.

And to initiate the departure of the camps. At the time of the camps’ departure, sound them as a signal. Consequently, you say that they departed on the basis of three [initiatives]. By the word of the Holy One, Blessed is He; by the word of Moshe; and by the trumpets.

Beaten. From a [single] ingot you should make it, by beating [it] with a hammer.

When they will blow them. Both of them. This is the signal for summoning the community, as it is said, “The entire community shall present itself to you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

But if they blow one of them. This is the signal for summoning the leaders, as it is said, “The leaders shall present themselves to you.” They, too, meet at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. This is derived by Scriptural comparison in Sifri.

When you blow a teruah. The signal for the camps to depart; tekiah, teruah tekiah. This is how it is extrapolated by Sifri from the redundant passages.

But when gathering the congregation, etc. Since it says, “they shall be used by you, to summon the congregation and to initiate departure of the camps” — [we derive that] just as, when summoning the community, the trumpeting is by two kohanim with both [trumpets], as it is said, “they shall trumpet with them, etc . . .” so, when initiating the camps’ departure, with both. Perhaps, just as, when initiating the camps’ departure, they sound the tekiah, teruah, and tekiah, so, too, when summoning the community, they sound the tekiah, teruah, and tekiah, thus leaving no differentiation between summoning the community and initiating the camps’ departure? The Torah therefore teaches, “But when gathering the congregation, etc. . .” to say that there is no teruah for gathering the community. The same rule applies for the leaders. Here is a synopsis for all three: summoning the community with two, that of the leaders with one. Each of these has no teruah. Initiating the camps’ departure with two, through the teruah and tekiah.

The sons of Aharon . . . shall sound. For those summonings and departures.

For your burnt — offerings. Scripture speaks of the communal offerings.

I am Adonoy your God. From here we learn [that we combine Adonoy’s] Majesty, remembrance, and the shofar, as it is said, ”You shall blow” — hence the shofar, “as a remembrance” — this is remembrance, “I am Adonoy your God” — this is Majesty, etc.

In the second month. Thus you say that they spent twelve months minus ten days at Chorev, since on the first of the month of Sivan they encamped there and did not depart until the twentieth of Iyar the following year.

On their journeys. According to the rules specified for the journeying of their banners — who was first, and who last.

In the desert of Paran. Kivros Hata’avoh was in the desert of Paran. That is where they camped after this journey.

The Mishkon was dismantled. When the banner of Yehudah was departing, Aharon and his sons entered, dismantled the paroches, and covered the Ark with it, as it says, “Aharon and his sons shall enter when the camp is about to travel.” The sons of Gershon and the sons of Merori dismantled the Mishkon and loaded it onto the wagons [and traveled]. The Ark and the sacred vessels carried by the sons of Kehos remain covered, placed on poles, until the banner of the camp of Reuven departed. Afterward, “The Kehos family traveled.”

Carriers of the sacred. Carriers of the sacred objects.

They erected the Mishkon. The sons of Gershon and the sons of Merori, who were preceded by the departure of two banners, would erect the Mishkon when the Cloud rested. The signal for making camp was observed by the banner of the camp of Yehudah. They camped while the sons of Kehos still traveled behind with the two final banners. The sons of Gershon and the sons of Merori would erect the Sanctuary, so that when the sons of Kehos arrived, they found it set in place, and brought in the Ark, Table, Menorah, and Altars. This is the sense of the passage: “They — the Mishkon’s erectors — erected it before the arrival of the sons of Kehos.”

The gatherer for all the camps. Talmud Yerushalmi [teaches]: Because the tribe of Don was heavily populated, they traveled last. If anyone lost property, it would return it to them. There is an opinion that they traveled in the shape of a box, derived from, “Just as they camped, so they traveled.” Another opinion is that they traveled in the shape of a beam, derived from “The gatherer for all the camps.”

These are the journeys. This is the order of their journeys.

They journeyed. On that day, they journeyed.

Chovav. This was Yisro, as it is said, “Of the children of Chovav, the father-in-law of Moshe.” Then why does the Torah say, “They came to their father, Reuel”? This teaches that children call their grandfather “father.” He had many names. “Yisro” [lit. “additional”] because he added a chapter to the Torah; “Chovav” [lit. “one who cherishes”] because he cherished the Torah, etc . . .

We are journeying to the place. Immediately. Within three days, we enter the [holy] land. Because at this first journey, they traveled with the intention of entering Eretz Yisroel, but they sinned with the complainers. But why did Moshe include himself with them? Because the decree was not yet issued against him, and he thought he would enter.

To my land and to my birthplace. Whether for the sake of my properties, or for the sake of my family.

Please do not forsake. נָא is a term indicating nothing but request, so that they will not say Yisro did not convert out of devotion. He thought that proselytes receive a portion of the land [but] now that he saw that they do not receive a portion, he left them and went on his way.

For, because you know of our encampment in the desert. For it is appropriate for you to do this, because you know of our encampment in the desert, and you saw the miracles and mightiness done for us.

For, because you know. Like עַל אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ, “because” you know, as in כִּי עַל כֵּן, for, “because” I did not give her to my son Shelah, כִּי עַל כֵּן, for, “because” you passed by, כִּי עַל כֵּן, for, “because” they came, כִּי עַל כֵּן, for, “because” I saw your face.

You will be our eyes. Past tense, as Targum [Onkelos] renders. Another interpretation: Future tense. [Should] anything [be] concealed from our eyes, you shall enlighten our eyes. Another interpretation: You shall be as precious to us as the pupils of our eyes, as it is said, “You shall love the proselyte.”

It shall be that the very good (lit. that good). What good did they bestow upon him? They said: “When the Israelites divided the land there was a fertile area of Yericho, five hundred amos by five hundred amos, which they left undivided.” They said: “The one in whose portion the Temple would be built would take it.” In the interim, they gave it to the children of Yisro, to Yonadav, the son of Rechav, as it is said, “The sons of Keini, Moshe’s father-in-law, went up from the city of the dates, etc . . .”

A journey of three days. Three days’ traveling distance, they traveled in one day, because the Holy One, Blessed is He, wanted to bring them into the land immediately.

The Ark of the Covenant of Adonoy traveled in front of them a journey of three days. This was the Ark which went with them to war, in which the broken Tablets were placed. It preceded them by three days’ travel to prepare a camping place for them.

The Cloud of Adonoy was above them. Seven Clouds are recorded during their journeys; Four on four sides, one above, one below, and one preceding them, to lower the highlands, raise the lowlands, and to kill snakes and scorpions.

From the camp. From their camping place.

Whenever the Ark departed. Scripture placed symbols before and after this [chapter] to teach that this is not its place. Why, then, was it written here? In order to intervene between one punishment and the next . . . etc., as stated in “all the sacred scriptures.”

Rise, Adonoy. Because He (Adonoy) preceded them by three days’ travel, Moshe would say, ‘Rise and wait for us, do not go further away.’ Midrash Tanchuma, Vayakhel.

May Your enemies disperse. Those gathered together.

Those who hate You flee. These are the pursuers.

Those who hate You. These are the haters of Yisroel, since all those who hate Yisroel hate the One who spoke, and the world came into being, as it is said, “those who hate You have raised [their] heads” — who are they? — “Against Your people they counsel cunningly.”

Come to rest, Adonoy. Menachem interprets this as a term meaning rest. Similarly, “with rest and calm you will be saved.”

[Among] the myriads and thousands of Israel. This informs us that the Divine Presence does not rest among the Israelites when there are fewer than twenty-two thousand.