ד"א ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן וימשחם וגו'. כשמשחו חזר ומשח את כליו, ויקריבו נשיאי ישראל. אמרו הרי השעה שנקריב קרבנות בשמחה ששרתה השכינה ביניהו, וכיון שראו שנעשה המשכן ולא היה [חסר] להם בו כלום, אמרו מה יש לנו להביא, הלכו והביאו עגלות, שיהו נושאים עליהם את המשכן, ומי נתן להם את העצה הזאת, שבטו של יששכר, שהיו חכמים וגבורים בתורה, שנאמר ומבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים (דה"א יב לב), לפיכך זכו להקריב ביום השני, שנאמר ביום השני הקריב נתנאל בן צוער נשיא יששכר (במדבר ז יח), למה בכל הנשיאים נאמר קרבנו, וכאן נאמר הקריב את קרבנו (שם שם יט), שעל פי הדבור הקריב, שביקשו שאר השבטים שיהו גדולים ממנו להקריב [תחלה], והכריעו אותו מן השמים, ונצטוה שבט יששכר להתקרב קרבן המזבח, ולהקריב קרבנו, תדע לך שכן כתיב הקרב חסר יו"ד, שהיה רחוק ונתקרב לבא, וכל כך למה, על שהיו יודעים בתורה, שנאמר ומבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים [וגו'], וכל אחיהם על פיהם (דה"א יב לב), ללמדך שכולם מסכימים הלכה על פיהם.
Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE, HAD ANOINTED THEM (sic), <AND SANCTIFIED IT>…. When he had anointed it, he returned and anointed its vessels. Then the princes of Israel offered sacrifices. They said: Now is the hour when we shall joyfully offer sacrifices, since the Divine Presence is dwelling among us.98Numb. R. 12:16. Then when they saw that the Tabernacle had been made and that there was nothing at all [lacking] for them in it, they said: What is there for us to bring? They went and brought wagons on which they would carry the Tabernacle. But who gave them this suggestion? The tribe of Issachar, since they were wise and mighty in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, <TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO>.99Cant. R. 6:4:2. For that reason they had the right to offer sacrifice (HQYB) on the second day, as stated (in Numb. 7:18): ON THE SECOND DAY NETHANEL BEN ZUAR, PRINCE OF ISSACHAR, PRESENTED (HQRYB, rt.: QRB) <HIS> OFFERING. In <the order of> all the princes, why is his sacrifice mentioned <on second day, immediately after Judah>?100Cf. Numb. R. 13:15-16. It is also mentioned here (in vs. 19): HE PRESENTED (HQRB; rt.: QRB) HIS OFFERING. <It is so mentioned> because he offered (HQRYB; rt.: QRB) it in accordance with the <Divine> command. When the rest of the tribes, who were greater than <Issachar>, wanted to sacrifice (rt.: QRB) [first], they decided <the matter> from heaven. So the tribe of Issachar was commanded to approach (rt.: QRB) with a sacrifice (rt.: QRB) for the altar and offer (rt.: QRB) its sacrifice (rt.: QRB). You yourself know that it is so written (in vs. 19) where PRESENTED (HQRB) lacks a Y (i.e., a yod) <and as such is really an imperative meaning "bring near."> When <that tribe> was far away, it was brought near to come (i.e., to offer sacrifice).101The verb, NTHQRB (rt.: QRB), used here means “brought near,” but the root also denotes the offering of a sacrifice. Thus the tribe of Issachar was moved up in order for offering sacrifice. And why all this? Because they were knowledgeable in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron. 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, <TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO>; [ … ] AND ALL THEIR KINFOLK WERE AT THEIR COMMAND ('al-pihem). <This verse> is for teaching you that they all affirmed the oral law (halakhah) ON THEIR LIPS ('al-pihem).
ד"א ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן וימשחם וגו'. כשמשחו חזר ומשח את כליו, ויקריבו נשיאי ישראל. אמרו הרי השעה שנקריב קרבנות בשמחה ששרתה השכינה ביניהו, וכיון שראו שנעשה המשכן ולא היה [חסר] להם בו כלום, אמרו מה יש לנו להביא, הלכו והביאו עגלות, שיהו נושאים עליהם את המשכן, ומי נתן להם את העצה הזאת, שבטו של יששכר, שהיו חכמים וגבורים בתורה, שנאמר ומבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים (דה"א יב לב), לפיכך זכו להקריב ביום השני, שנאמר ביום השני הקריב נתנאל בן צוער נשיא יששכר (במדבר ז יח), למה בכל הנשיאים נאמר קרבנו, וכאן נאמר הקריב את קרבנו (שם שם יט), שעל פי הדבור הקריב, שביקשו שאר השבטים שיהו גדולים ממנו להקריב [תחלה], והכריעו אותו מן השמים, ונצטוה שבט יששכר להתקרב קרבן המזבח, ולהקריב קרבנו, תדע לך שכן כתיב הקרב חסר יו"ד, שהיה רחוק ונתקרב לבא, וכל כך למה, על שהיו יודעים בתורה, שנאמר ומבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים [וגו'], וכל אחיהם על פיהם (דה"א יב לב), ללמדך שכולם מסכימים הלכה על פיהם.
Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE, HAD ANOINTED THEM (sic), <AND SANCTIFIED IT>…. When he had anointed it, he returned and anointed its vessels. Then the princes of Israel offered sacrifices. They said: Now is the hour when we shall joyfully offer sacrifices, since the Divine Presence is dwelling among us.98Numb. R. 12:16. Then when they saw that the Tabernacle had been made and that there was nothing at all [lacking] for them in it, they said: What is there for us to bring? They went and brought wagons on which they would carry the Tabernacle. But who gave them this suggestion? The tribe of Issachar, since they were wise and mighty in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, <TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO>.99Cant. R. 6:4:2. For that reason they had the right to offer sacrifice (HQYB) on the second day, as stated (in Numb. 7:18): ON THE SECOND DAY NETHANEL BEN ZUAR, PRINCE OF ISSACHAR, PRESENTED (HQRYB, rt.: QRB) <HIS> OFFERING. In <the order of> all the princes, why is his sacrifice mentioned <on second day, immediately after Judah>?100Cf. Numb. R. 13:15-16. It is also mentioned here (in vs. 19): HE PRESENTED (HQRB; rt.: QRB) HIS OFFERING. <It is so mentioned> because he offered (HQRYB; rt.: QRB) it in accordance with the <Divine> command. When the rest of the tribes, who were greater than <Issachar>, wanted to sacrifice (rt.: QRB) [first], they decided <the matter> from heaven. So the tribe of Issachar was commanded to approach (rt.: QRB) with a sacrifice (rt.: QRB) for the altar and offer (rt.: QRB) its sacrifice (rt.: QRB). You yourself know that it is so written (in vs. 19) where PRESENTED (HQRB) lacks a Y (i.e., a yod) <and as such is really an imperative meaning "bring near."> When <that tribe> was far away, it was brought near to come (i.e., to offer sacrifice).101The verb, NTHQRB (rt.: QRB), used here means “brought near,” but the root also denotes the offering of a sacrifice. Thus the tribe of Issachar was moved up in order for offering sacrifice. And why all this? Because they were knowledgeable in the Torah, as stated (in I Chron. 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, <TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO>; [ … ] AND ALL THEIR KINFOLK WERE AT THEIR COMMAND ('al-pihem). <This verse> is for teaching you that they all affirmed the oral law (halakhah) ON THEIR LIPS ('al-pihem).