Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 3:23/רמב"ן על במדבר ג׳:כ״ג
אלֹא הֵחֵל הַכָּתוּב בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹת הַלְוִיִּם מִן הַמִּזְרָח כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בַּדְּגָלִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין שָׁם מִשְׁמֶרֶת לַלְוִיִּם, רַק לְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים וּלְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁהוּא כֹּהֵן הַכֹּהֲנִים. וְהֵחֵל מִן הַמַּעֲרָב שֶׁהוּא מָעֳמָד כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּזְרָח, אֲבָל שָׂם בַּדָּרוֹם שֶׁהוּא נִכְבָּד מִמֶּנּוּ בְּנֵי קְהָת שֶׁהֵם הַנִּכְבָּדִים בַּלְוִיִּם, וְנָתַן לָהֶם הָאָרוֹן וְהַקֹּדֶשׁ. וּבַמַּעֲרָב שָׂם בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא הַבְּכוֹר, וְנָתַן לָהֶם הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהָאֹהֶל, וְשָׂם בַּצָּפוֹן שֶׁהוּא הָרוּחַ הָאַחֲרוֹן בְּנֵי מְרָרִי, וְנָתַן לָהֶם תַּשְׁמִישֵׁי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ:
1THE FAMILIES OF THE GERSHONITES WERE TO PITCH BEHIND THE TABERNACLE WESTWARD. Scripture did not begin from the east in [explaining] the charge of the [various families of the] Levites as it did in the case of the standards [of the other tribes],173 because the Levites had no charge there, except for Aaron and his sons the priests and Moses174 the priest of the priests.175 Therefore it began from the west, which was the position opposite the east. But He put the sons of Kohath who were the most honored of the Levites in the south [of the Tabernacle], which is the most distinguished direction [after the east],176 and He gave them [the charge of carrying] the ark and [all] holy vessels;177 and in the west [of the Tabernacle] He placed the sons of Gershon, since he was the firstborn [of Levi],178 and gave them [the charge of carrying] the Tabernacle and the Tent,179 and in the north, which is the last of the [four] directions, He put the sons of Merari, and gave them [the charge of] the implements of the sacred things.180