Parshas Bamidbar (5776)

When is the "Wilderness of Sinai"?

The Torah writes (Numbers 1:1):

AND THE LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the were come out of the land of Egypt, saying

Rashi (ibid):

... 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.

Rashbam (ibid):

all the communications, instructions, we heard about in the first year of the Israelites’ wanderings, before the Tabernacle had been erected, were characterised by the words בהר סיני, at Mount Sinai. Once the Tabernacle had been erected on the first day of the first month of the second year, the words בהר סיני as the source of the legislation do not appear again, but are replaced by the words במדבר סיני באהל מועד.

Who are the Princes?

The Torah writes (Numbers 1:4-15):

And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur. Of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. Of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar. Of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni. Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. Of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran. Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.’

Elizur was one of the 250 men with Korach (Bamidbar Rabbah 11:26).

There are opinions that all the princes ended up among the 250 men with Korach (Shnei Luchos haBris, Korach, Torah Ohr 29 in the name of Rabbeinu Bachya; see also Sefer Taamei deKrah)

Shelumiel was Zimri (Talmud Sanhedrin 82b) 

Nachshon died during the same (second) year (Seder Olam).

Nachshon was also the father of Elimelech, Salmon, Ploni Almoni and Naomi's father in Megilas Ruth (Talmud Baba Bathra 91a)

Nethanel was the person who advised the princes to bring their offerings (Rashi Number 7:18 in the name of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshan) 

Eliasaph, son of Deuel is called "son of Reuel" in Numbers 2, and Deuel here, and in Numbers 7 and 10 (see Josh Waxman's parshablog)

(see also Sefer Shaarei Aharon for alternative explanations for all of the names of princes, which are nicknames, and not real names)

Related posts:

• Parshas Vayelech 5775 - What is the Tent of Meeting?
• Parshas Pekudei 5776 - How many Tents were there?
• Parshas Pinchas 5776 - Shelumiel son Zurishadai is Zimri
• Parshas Shlach 5775 - Order among Spies

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com / Comments welcome to parsha-people@publishyoursefer.com]