Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 31:31/רמב"ן על במדבר ל״א:ל״א
אוְטַעַם וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר הַנְּשִׂיאִים, כִּי בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁעָשׂוּ מִצְוַת מֹשֶׁה שֶׁהוּא הַשַּׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהֶם. אֲבָל בְּעִנְיַן הַפְּקוּדִים אָמַר: "אֵלֶּה הַפְּקוּדִים אֲשֶׁר פָּקַד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּנְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (במדבר א׳:מ״ד). וְאוּלַי הַטַּעַם בְּכָאן כִּי הַשֵּׁם צִוָּה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שָׁם אֲבוֹת הָעֵדָה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהוּא דָבָר שֶׁבְּמָמוֹן, וְלֹא יַחְשְׁדוּ אֶת אֶלְעָזָר שֶׁיִּקַּח יוֹתֵר מִן הַמְצֻוֶּה לוֹ, וְהַמִּצְוָה רְשׁוּת בָּהֶם, וְהֵם אָמְרוּ חָלִילָה לָנוּ כִּי מַלְאַךְ ה' הוּא וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ לִהְיוֹתֵנוּ שָׁם:
1AND MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST DID AS THE ETERNAL COMMANDED MOSES. The reason why it does not mention the princes [i.e., the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation, although in Verse 26 it said that they were to be present at the counting and division of the spoils] is because it is self-understood that they did as Moses commanded them, since he was their ruler, although in the matter of counting the people it does say, These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, ‘and the princes of Israel.”110 Perhaps the reason [for not using such an expression] here is that G-d commanded that [the heads of] the fathers’ houses of the congregation111 should be present [at the counting and distributing of the spoils] because it involved monetary matters, so that the people would not suspect Eleazar of taking for himself more than he was entitled to; therefore this commandment [to include the heads of the congregation] was an optional matter [for their benefit], and they said: “Far be it from us! For he [Eleazar] is the messenger of the Eternal,112 and there is no need for us to be there.”