ְוָנַסֹאעֶהֹמולֵעַמדֲחֶנַההְלִוִּיְּבםֹתוְךַהַּמֲחֹנוַּכתֲאֶׁשַירֲחּנוֵּכִיןָּסּעו...
[ז"י: 'ב,במדבר]
The Ohel Mo’ed [and] the Camp of the Levi’im travelled in the midst of the camps [of the Tribes]—as they encamped, so they travelled ...[Bemidbor, 2 : 17]
The first of the camps to travel was the camp comprising the Tribes of Yehuda, Yissochor and Zevulun, travelling under the flag of the leading Tribe, Yehuda. After them, the boards and the hangings and the curtains and the screens, etc., that all together formed the actual structure of the Mishkan, travelled. The great boards (which were the walls—there were 48 such boards) and the five pillars of the Mishkan (on which was hung the screen which formed the entrance of the Mishkan) and the columns of the Court around the Mishkan (there were 56 such columns) and the copper pegs and the ropes for the linen hangings which were hung from the columns and together formed the Court of the Mishkan, with the sockets for those boards, pillars and columns (there were some 160 sockets altogether—there were 96 silver sockets, each weighing one talent (approximately 68 kg) under the 48 boards of the Mishkan, two sockets for each board, and the other sockets, one for each pillar or column, were of copper) and the bolts for the walls of the Mishkan, etc., were transported by the Merorites of the Tribe of Levi. The coverings and the curtains and the entrance screen of the Mishkan and the entrance screen to the Court of the Mishkan, with their pegs and cords, etc., were transported by the Gershonites of the Tribe of Levi. The Gershonites and Merorites went ahead of the Kehosites and they would set up the Mishkan in the new location and so the Kehosites would find the Mishkan ready for the sacred furniture which they, the Kehostes, carried. After the Merorites and the Gershonites, the next camp to travel was the camp comprised of the Tribes of Reuven, Shimon and Gad, travelling under the flag of Reuven. After this second camp had moved off, the Kehosites travelled, as just said, carrying the Holy Ark and the other sacred furniture. This included the Table, the Menorah, the Golden Altar for the offerings of the incense, the Great Copper Altar, the Copper Wash Basin and its Copper Stand and also the Porochess, that is, the screen which separated between the Holy and the Holy of Holies. All this was not loaded on to any wagons but was carried on the shoulders of the Kehosites of the Tribe of Levi. The third camp to travel comprised the Tribes of Efrayyim, Menashe and Binyomin, travelling under the flag of Efrayyim, and they travelled immediately after the Kehosites. Finally, the camp of the Tribe of Dan, together with the Tribes of Osher and Naftoli, travelling under the flag of the Tribe of Dan, took up the rear. (Within this camp, therefore, there was a place for the claim and return of lost property.) Thus, figuratively as well as in fact, theַמֲחֶנְׁשהִכָינהand theַמֲחֶנְלהִוָיהtravelled within the camps of the Tribes of Israel — “as they encamped, so they travelled.”
