כל הפקודים למחנה דן מאת אלף ושבעה וחמישים אלף ושש מאות לאחרונה יסעו לדגליהם2:31
“All those counted for the camp of Dan are one hundred and fifty-seven thousand, six hundred – they shall be the last to journey, according to their banners.”
The word “לדגליהם” at the end of the posuk seems to be superfluous, as we do not see by any of the other shevatim that the Torah added at the end anything regarding their banners. Why does the Torah stress that this is “אחרונה,” the last of them?
When there is something that has a set number of things by which it is completed, the last thing that completes the needed number is the dearest, as that is what completes the process. This is also true regarding the construction of an object or anything else if there is a set number of items that must be completed and only when all are done can the finished product be utilized. That is what makes the very last part the most precious one since it is the one that made the object complete and usable. The first part without the last part has no value; thus, the last part is the most important one. However, with something that does not have a set amount of components, the first one is the most important one, not the last one. Chazal tell us that with matters of kedusha, it is important to be שלם, complete, and to be one together, while in mundane matters and tumah, this is not so.
If when Klal Yisroel was being counted, there was no number that was needed to complete them, but there was just a counting of each shevet, then the first banner would have had more importance than all that was after it. This would have created קנאה and שנאה, jealousy and hatred, amongst Klal Yisroel. However, in truth, there was a number that was needed to complete Klal Yisroel, as Klal Yisroel is to be a shaleim, a whole, one unit. In that case, the last component is the most important one because it demonstrates that they are a whole, and thus they are really all part of one unit and are all the same. The last is most precious to the maker for then what is created is one complete unit. In one complete unit, there is no jealousy nor hatred between the parts. (חכמת התורה)
There is an important lesson to be learned from the fact that Dan was last. They weren’t last in a random counting; rather, they were last in a counting that was meant to be complete. Meaning that Klal Yisroel had to be counted to six hundred thousand – the complete Klal Yisroel. When there is something to complete, the last component makes the entire unit complete. The entire unit is now one, and thus, they are all equal. There is no reason for hatred nor jealousy, for they are all one. It would be like a person’s arm being jealous of the person’s leg. This is impossible, for the person is one unit. In order to be mekabel the Torah Hakdoshah, Klal Yisroel needed to be 600,000 adult men. Each and every Yid was needed – complete achdus. May we be zoche this Shavuos to have a complete Kabbolas HaTorah through complete achdus.
