Parshat Bamidbar
by Rabbi Avi Billet
The book of Bamidbar begins with a lot of pomp. Leaders of tribes are designated. The instruction for census is sent out. The people assemble in the manner in which they will travel.
Ibn Ezra (1:19) notes the 4 camps – of 3 tribes each – that were to travel around the Mishkan, and how Reuven’s camp was in the south and Dan’s was in the North. For whatever reason, (he actually says לא אוכל לפרש) Reuven’s camp is considered the “Rosh” – the head, and Dan’s is considered the “Zanav” – the tail.
This is likely partially why some identify Dan as being the lowest of the tribes. I recall being told in elementary school that Dan was the least of the tribes, because their job was to pick up the garbage. [I don’t know the source for this. Nor is it clear that Bnei Yisrael even produced garbage!]
But nonetheless let’s ask the question: does picking up the garbage indicate being the least of people?
A few years ago Rabbi Yakov Horowitz was in Israel for Yom Yerushalayim and he posted a picture on Facebook (from behind) of a man with a beard and very large black kippah – identification marks of being in the Charedi camp – who was sweeping the street somewhere in Yerushalayim.
He wrote: “I have nothing but respect for this fine charedi young man who is doing an honest day's work to support his family, following the advice of our sages who preferred this to taking charity…”
Some time ago, I was at a rabbinic conference, and one of the mentors at the conference asked all the rabbis there – in the context of some topic raised in a session – “How many of you take out the garbage in your home?” Granted, taking out the garbage in one’s home is certainly not the same as being a street cleaner, or being those who (might) pick up wilderness trash. And yet, the point he was making to the rabbis was “don’t think any task is beneath you.” Every one there raised his hand (Baruch Hashem!).
I also recently came across a story shared by Rabbi Chaim Navon (who was in the Kollel in Gush when I studied there) about the founding Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion.
“Rav Amital would remind his students: Do you know why it's important for you to get married? Because one day you'll be rabbis. And people will honor you. And they'll start calling you things like ‘HaRav HaGaon.’ And you will begin to believe them! And then when you're going out to teach a class, your dear wife will say ‘Chaim'l! Don't forget to take out the garbage!’ And then you'll remember who you truly are." [Just a human being who has responsibilities. And you won't let your accomplishments and the way people honor you get to your head.]
Both Ibn Ezra and Rabbenu Bachaye make the same point that the people who led the trek to the Promised Land – the group in the East – was the tribe of Yehuda. And the group that pulled up the rear – ironically given a tremendous amount of credit – was that “zanav” (tail) tribe – the tribe of Dan.
When we eat the fish head on Rosh Hashana, we say a prayer that we should be לראש ולא לזנב (a 'head' and not a 'tail'). And yet, those two commentaries have the insight that our perspective of Dan is wrong. They’re not bringing up the rear. They’re DEFENDING THE REAR!
There are two tribes described in the Torah as גור אריה (A lion) – Yehuda (by Yaakov in Vaychi) and Dan (by Moshe in V’Zos Habracha). And that expression is an indicator of which tribes are the most mighty, the most fierce, the strongest defenders of Israel.
Perhaps the sentiment expressed with eating the fish-head is that we have to aspire to be a Rosh, and not a זנב-that-acts-like-a-זנב. But we can be a זנב that acts like a Rosh. That leads from the rear! That defends the back flank from ambush and from unseen attack! Who walks backwards because we are so fierce! The last one into the helicopter!
That is the tribe of Dan.
Rabbi Chaim Paltiel asks an interesting question. Noting the names of the leaders of the tribes of Dan and Naftali (sons of Bilhah), Dan’s Nasi is אחי עזר בן עמי שדי. Naftali’s prince was named אחירע בן עינן. What kind of name is אחירע? My brother is bad? Who names their child אחירע?
He answers – and this is in line with a thought process we find a lot of in Tanakh – that these are not their real names. These names are a reflection of a certain reality, based on a certain perception. There is a notion that the tribe of Dan did not travel along with the cloud of glory, a reason attached to פסל מיכה - an extremely unfortunate story of idolatry that takes place in the end of the book of Shoftim, heavily involving the tribe of Dan. Targum Yonatan says in Beshalach that the tribe of Dan had an Avodah Zara problem since the time of the attack with Amalek, and this is why they were not protected by the cloud. Dan’s leader is referred to as Achi Ezer, referencing Naftali, “the brother who helps me,” who stayed close to Dan and did their best to keep Dan close, even though Naftali nonetheless looked at Dan as the black sheep tribe; hence "Achi Ra."
On the other hand, Panim Yafot says in Parshat Balak that the only part of Israel Bilaam saw was Dan, who was unprotected by the cloud, and he was inspired to bless Israel on account of what he saw. Dan, who was compared to a snake in Yaakov’s blessing, is the one who brings up the rear, and is the one that most accurately shows Bilaam what the Bnei Yisrael are supposed to be – the idea expressed in Bilaam’s iconic statement of מה טובו אהליך יעקב.
Rabbi Paltiel points out that each group – North, South, East, and West – included one tribe that was particularly adept at warfare. Yehuda in the East, Gad in the South (in Reuven’s camp), Binyamin in Ephraim’s camp in the west (based on Yaakov’s depiction of Binyamin as a wolf), and in the North, the tribe of Dan. So even with Rabbi Paltiel’s critique comes a positive aspect of Dan. Yes they had an Avodah Zarah problem. But they were definitely an integral part of the Jewish people, never rejected from the family of Israel.
So as we watch Bnei Yisrael begin their journey from Sinai, amidst all the pomp, I think it’s worth asking ourselves, what preparations would we make as we, in our own way, make our trek from Sinai? [This question is not being posed due to our proximity to Shavuos.] In the parsha the people are leaving Sinai in Iyar – the question is about when we step out of our comfort zone (where they had been living for close to a year), what are we prepared to do to get to the Promised Land?
I think we can learn a lot from the reputation assigned to the tribe of Dan in these commentaries. Which can be summarized in a few points.
Dan brings up the rear; Dan is a Zanav; Dan is a Gur Aryeh; Dan is a tribe of warriors; Dan is a tribe that has a weakness for Avodah Zarah; possibly, Dan picks up the garbage.
All the time we are faced with the question of what is my role in life?
Sure, we would like to be a Rosh and not a Zanav. But sometimes the Zanav can be a Rosh too. I’ll never forget that at our “9th Grade Retreat,” while some of us were sitting around playing a game, hanging out, Rabbi Cohen was walking around the dining room picking up a napkin here, a paper towel there, a banana peel (!). My friends and I were sitting around, guiltily wondering “Why is the REBBE doing that?” And as we got up to help him (he didn’t ask us – we figured that out fast), we realized he was modeling for us what WE SHOULD HAVE INTUITIVELY KNOWN TO DO, which is to have respect for the space in which you are sitting, and to clean it up even if YOU didn’t make the mess.
There are many people who “get it” and who volunteer to do what needs to get done. Some people help to set up the Kiddush, to sweep afterwards, to throw away their own plates, or the plates of others, move tables and chairs around, take out the garbage. They make no deal about it. They don’t ask for credit. We can look at it like it’s Zanav work. But this is leadership – quietly doing your thing so that the shul can operate smoothly. [It boggles my mind that people do not throw away their own used items, especially when there are waste receptacles all around a room…]
Like the man Rabbi Horowitz observed sweeping the street – what he called “an honest day’s work” – these are the roles a society needs to function. It’s the silent people going about the roles they take upon themselves who are the tribe of Dan type. Bringing up the rear, and holding it all together.
Are there people who, like the tribe of Dan who had a genetic flaw and tendency for Avodah Zarah, might have questionable practices, might not be as observant as others, might have an attitude we find difficulty relating to? Sure! But we must always remember that we who only see one or two sides, don’t know the whole picture.
How many people who are not great Torah scholars support Torah scholars – whether their own children or grandchildren or others? How many people have trouble reading Hebrew, yet come to davening consistently, or to classes consistently, and do their best to follow, participate, to learn, to grow? How many people stay up at night praying for their children or grandchildren – maybe who are in the IDF, who are suffering infertility, who are struggling through a difficult time in marriage and possibly considering divorce, who are dealing with mental illness, who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, who don’t know where the money will come from, who have suffered terribly devastating losses of younger members of their family, who are doing their best to hold it all together?
If we only knew the whole picture, we’d embrace people even more. It’s a credit to the tribe of Dan that Dan’s prince is known as Achiezer. Look how Dan embraced the tribe that looked critically at Dan, referring to Naftali as the helpful brother, even as Naftali’s prince’s attitude was critical of Dan.
We don’t know of others’ experiences until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes. And even then, we still don’t really know.
The tribe of Dan reminds us that there is no task beneath us, if our overall attitude is “I am doing what is necessary to help my family or my community” (assuming it is legal and not harmful to others). Everyone is a flawed and imperfect human being. But everyone also has great strengths, talents, abilities, and – sometimes with a little coaching to fix what is correctible, such as throwing out our own cups and plates – is worthy of being part of Am Yisrael!
May our life journey together, in the shared space of community, be blessed by the best we collectively bring to the table, while we shelve judgment of others as we never know or see the whole picture of their own collective experience.
חזקוני י
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