בהעלתך

In the sedra בהעלתך after חמישי, the Torah tells us that in the second year after the Bnei Yisroel went out of Egypt on 22nd day of the second month, the pillar of cloud commenced moving and, therefore, the Bnei Yisroel followed it from the מדבר סיני, the wilderness of Sinai, going to the מדבר פארן, the wilderness of Paran. The Torah goes into detail of the four encampments, דגלים, each consisting of three tribes and how they journeyed, one following the other.

On very infrequent occasions in Torah, we find a special ניגון, tune, intoned by the בעל קורא, the person who reads in the Sefer Torah, the prime example being the Shira when the Bnei Yisroel had crossed the Yam Suf.

Here, in this sedra, chapter 10, verse 15 which commences ועל צבא מטה בני יששכר, the custom among Ashkenazim is to sing it with a special intonation. Also the next verse which starts off ועל צבא מטא בני זבולן. This is not so, in respect of the verse immediately prior to that which talks about the leading tribe of that flag bearing encampment, דגל, namely יהודה where the words ועל צבאו נחשון בן עמינדב is pronounced in the normal manner.

This pattern is repeated three more times at verses 19 and 20, 23 and 24 and then again 26 and 27. It is always the last two of the three tribes which made up each encampment where this special intonation and tune is used, whereas the first one is read in the normal manner.

The customs that we have regarding reading in our Holy Sefer Torah are based on either halachah or midrash etc.

In this particular instance, I could not find any מקור, source, for this custom and having asked around, nobody could give me a satisfactory explanation.

It occurs to me that possibly the reason why we sing these particular verses in this special way is based on a של''ה הקדוש, a famous commentary on numerous aspects of Torah by Rabbi Yeshya Horowitz who lived approximately 400 years ago. He states that this was the first journey after the Bnei Yisroel had received the Torah and they were supposed to immediately journey to Eretz Yisroel. This, in turn, was a land that they had been given in place of the Gan Eden.

Based on that, I think one could suggest that one had to sing a special tune to commemorate the fact that the Bnei Yisroel were about to be taken out of their exile, גלות and going to Eretz Yisroel, our Holy Land.

This would also serve as an explanation why in the sedra מסעי, where the 42 journeys and resting places from the departure from Egypt until the Bnei Yisroel actually crossed over the Jordan are enumerated, are also sung with a similar intonation and tune.

However, why, in that case, in respect of the leader of each of the encampments, דגלים, namely, יהודה, ראובן, אפרים and דן, do we not use a special ניגון?

I would suggest that based on comments made by the Meforshim that the four דגלים, flag bearing encampments, referred to four letters of the Shem יהו'. One could explain this as follows.

The יוד refers to יהודה, the leader of all the tribes. The הא following that refers to ראובן, who was the first among the brothers who repented, (did תשובה). The Gemora in Menochas 29 tells us that the letter הא hints at a Baal Teshuva. The third דגל, was in respect of the children of יוסף whose midda was the “sixth” one, and, therefore ואו was appropriate to him. Finally דן was the one that brought up the rear of all the encampments and therefore, looked after those who were sent outside the encampment, for instance a Metzora etc. who had to, once again, repent. This is comparable with the last הא of the name of Hashem.

Because one has to have extra awe for the name of יהו', therefore one does not sing the words, יהודה ועל צבא מטה בני in verse 14 and likewise the other ones which are found in verses 18, 22 and 25 respectively.