This week’s Torah portion, Beha’alothekha (Number 8:1-12:6) is named for its first command, to “mount the lamps” or “go up and light” — or as my attempt at using an on-line dictionary meant for modern Hebrew-English translation would have it: “In your upload”
In the portion, there are a number of interesting uses of words with the root letters aleph- samech – pei [אסף].
In verse 10:25, we read a description of what is special about the tribe of Dan:
וְנָסַע, דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה בְנֵי-דָן–מְאַסֵּף לְכָל-הַמַּחֲנֹת
“Then, as the rear guard of all the divisions, the standard of the division of Dan would set out” (JPS 2006)
“Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, the gatherer of all the camps” (English translation of Onkelos, Drazin/Wagner 2007)
Comment from Onkelos Translation:
Although Onkelos translates Scripture’s me’aseif — from the root a-s-f, “gather” — literally, Saadiah clarifies that it is a metaphor for “the last” of all the camps. Rashi (based on the Jerusalem Talmud, Eruvin 5:1) takes the word literally: the three-tribe division of Dan gathered all the lost articles dropped by the Israelites during their trek in the wilderness. Bechor Schor and Chazkunee offer another, similar interpretation: the division of Dan gathered those who were unable for any reason to travel with their own division.
— comment to 10:25 in the above cited Onkelos
to be continued…
"A Song Every Day" 