And the encampment of Dan was four miles. It follows _that_ the
four corners of the tabernacle were four encampments for service on every
side, as is said, ‘Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set
forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp; as they
encamp so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their
standards.’(703) So soon as Israel set forward, the pillar of cloud which
was standing still rolled up and spread out over the children of Judah
like a kind of beam. The (trumpet) sounded, and blew an alarm, and
sounded, and the standard of Judah moved forward first, as is said, ‘In
the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah
according to their armies.’(704) At once Aaron and his sons entered (the
Tabernacle) and took down the vail, and with it they covered the ark, as
is said, ‘And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come and his
sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of
testimony with it.’(705) The (trumpet) sounded, and blew an alarm, and
sounded, and the standard of the encampment of Reuben set forward. At once
the sons of Gershon, and the sons of Merari entered, and took down the
tabernacle, and loaded it on the wagon. And they set up the tabernacle
before the sons of Kohath came, as is said, ‘And the Kohathites set
forward, bearing the sanctuary; and the other did set up the tabernacle
against they came.’(706) And the trumpet sounded, and blew an alarm, and
sounded, and the standard of Ephraim moved forward; the children of Kohath
entered and took down the holy vessels, and loaded them on their
shoulders, as is said, ‘And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of
covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp
is to set forward; after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear
it.’(707) The (trumpet) sounded, and blew an alarm, and sounded. And the
standard of Dan moved forward, as is said, ‘And the standard of the camp
of the children of Dan set forward.’(708) It follows that two standards
were in front, and two standards were in the rear, and the encampment of
the Levites, and the encampment of the SHECHINAH was in the middle, as is
said, ‘Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the
camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp.’(709) And as they encamped,
so they set forward, as is said, ‘As they encamp, so shall they set
forward.’ Israel set forward by three commands, by command of the HOLY
BLESSED ONE, by command of Moses, and by command of the trumpets.” “Whence
know we the command of the HOLY BLESSED ONE?” “As is said, ‘At the
commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel journeyed, and at the
commandment of the Lord they pitched,’ ”(710) etc. “By the commandment of
the Lord by the hand of Moses.”(711) “By commandment of Moses—how?” “Moses
said in the evening, ‘early in the morning you must go forward.’ ” At once
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