Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 31:36/רמב"ן על במדבר ל״א:ל״ו
אוַתְּהִי הַמֶּחֱצָה חֵלֶק הַיֹּצְאִים בַּצָּבָא – הֻצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לַפְּרָט הַזֶּה שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר כַּמָּה הַמֶּחֱצָה וְכַמָּה הַמֶּכֶס, לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי מִן הַיּוֹם שֶׁלָּקְחוּ הַמַּלְקוֹחַ הַזֶּה עַד שֶׁמָּנוּ אוֹתוֹ וְחָצוּ אוֹתוֹ וְהִפְרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַמֶּכֶס וּנְתָנוּהוּ לְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, מִכָּל הַמִּקְנֶה הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה לֹא מֵת אֶחָד, וְזֶה נֵס. וְכֵן בְּמֶחֱצַת הָעֵדָה לַלְוִיִּם:
1AND THE HALF, WHICH WAS THE PORTION OF THEM THAT WENT OUT TO WAR, WAS IN NUMBER etc. Scripture had to enumerate [the spoil] in such detail, mentioning how much was the half [of these who went to war] and how much was the tribute [given to the priests and Levites, although both these figures can be worked out from the total figures mentioned], in order to inform us that from the day that they took this booty until they counted and halved it, set aside the tribute and gave it to Eleazar the priest, not one of all this great herd died. This was a miracle. This is also [the reason why Scripture mentions] the half [given] to the congregation [of Israel who did not fight, and the amount that they gave] to the Levites.113