(א) והאמין בה’ לֹא שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹת עַל זֹאת; אֲבָל עַל יְרוּשַׁת הָאָרֶץ שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹת וְאָמַר לוֹ בַּמֶּה אֵדַע (ב) ויחשבה’ לוֹ צדקה הַקָּבָּ”ה חֲשָׁבָהּ לאַבְרָם לִזְכוּת וְלִצְדָקָה עַל הָאֲמָנָה שֶהֶאֱמִין בּוֹ דָּבָר אַחֵר בַּמֶּה אֵדַע, לֹא שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹת, אֶלָּא אָמַר לְפָנָיו, הוֹדִיעֵנִי בְּאֵיזֶה זְכוּת יִתְקַיְּמוּ בָּה, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ”ה, בִּזְכוּת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת:
(1) 'והאמין בה AND HE BELIEVED IN THE LORD — He did not ask Him for a sign regarding this; but in respect to the promise that he would possess the land he asked for a sign, inquiring of God, במה אדע “By what sign shall I know [that I shall possess it?]” (Genesis 15:8). (2) ויחשבה לו צדקה AND HE ACCOUNTED IT UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS — The Holy One, blessed be He, accounted it unto Abraham as a merit, because of the faith with which he had trusted in Him. Another explanation of במה אדע is: he did not, by these words, ask for a sign regarding this promise that he would possess the land, but he said to Him, “Tell me by what merit they (my descendants) will remain in it (the land).” God answered him, through the merit of the sacrifices (Taanit 27b).
(א) וידבר. במדבר סיני באחד לחדש. מתוך חיבתן לפניו מונה אותם כל שעה כשיצאו ממצרים מנאן וכשנפלו בעגל מנאן לידע מנין הנותרים כשבא להשרות שכינתו עליהן מנאן. באחד בניסן הוקם המשכן ובאחד באייר מנאם:
(1) וידבר… במדבר סיני … באחד לחדש וגו׳ AND [THE LORD] SPOKE [UNTO MOSES] IN THE DESERT OF SINAI … ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE [SECOND] MONTH … [TAKE YE THE SUM OF ALL THE CONGREGATION] etc. — Because they were dear to him, He counts them every now and then: when they went forth from Egypt He counted them (Exodus 12:37), when many of them fell in consequence of their having worshipped the golden calf He counted them to ascertain the number of those left (cf. Rashi Exodus 30:16); when he was about to make His Shechinah dwell amongst them (i. e. when He commanded them to make a Tabernacle), He again took their census; for on the first day of Nisan the Tabernacle was erected (Exodus 40:2) and shortly afterwards, on the first day of Iyar, He counted them.
(א) באתת. כל דגל יהיה לו אות מפה צבועה תלויה בו צבעו של זה לא כצבעו של זה צבע כל אחד כגוון אבנו הקבועה בחשן ומתוך כך יכיר כל אחד את דגלו (תנחומא במדבר יב). דבר אחר באותות לבית אבותם באות שמסר להם יעקב אביהם כשנשאוהו ממצרים שנאמר (בראשית נ, יב) ויעשו בניו לו כן כאשר צום יהודה ויששכר וזבולן ישאוהו מן המזרח וראובן ושמעון וגד מן הדרום וכו' כדאיתא בתנחומא בפרשה זו:
(1) באתת [EVERY MAN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL ENCAMP BY HIS OWN STANDARD] WITH THE SIGNS [OF THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES] — Each banner shall have a different sign — a piece of coloured cloth hanging on it, the colour of the one not being the same as the colour of another, but the colour of each tribe shall be like that of his stone that is fixed in the breastplate (of. Exodus 28:21), and by this means everybody will be able to recognise his banner . Another explanation of באתת לבית אבתם is: by the signs (i.e., following the signs) which their father Jacob gave them severally when they carried him out from Egypt, as it is said, (Genesis 50:12) “And his sons did unto him exactly as he had commanded them”. For he had commanded that Judah, Issachar and Zebulun should carry him, having their position at the east side of the bier, Reuben, Simeon and Gad at the south side, etc., — as it is related in Tanchuma on this section (Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar 12; cf. Rashi on Genesis 50:12).