Parshat B'ha-alotecha: Gathering In

(25) Then, as the rear guard of all the divisions, the standard of the division of Dan would set out, troop by troop, [and]In command of its troop was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

(4) The riffraff in their midst felt a gluttonous craving; and then the Israelites wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat!

Then Adonai said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy of Israel’s elders of whom you have experience as elders and officers of the people, and bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them take their place there with you.

(21) But Moses said, “The people who are with me number six hundred thousand men; yet You say, ‘I will give them enough meat to eat for a whole month.’ (22) Could enough flocks and herds be slaughtered to suffice them? Or could all the fish of the sea be gathered for them to suffice them?” (23) And Adonai answered Moses, “Is there a limit to Adonai’s power? You shall soon see whether what I have said happens to you or not!”

Moses went out and reported the words of Adonai to the people. He gathered seventy of the people’s elders and stationed them around the Tent.

Moses then reentered the camp together with the elders of Israel.

(32) The people set to gathering quail all that day and night and all the next day—even he who gathered least had ten cḥomers—and they spread them out all around the camp. (33) The meat was still between their teeth, nor yet chewed, when the anger of Adonai blazed forth against the people and Adonai struck the people with a very severe plague.

But Adonai said to Moses, “If her father spat in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of camp for seven days, and then let her be readmitted.” (15) So Miriam was shut out of camp seven days; and the people did not march on until Miriam was readmitted.

מְאַסֵּ֥ף - "Rear guard" - Because the tribe of Dan consisted of numerous troops, it marched in the rear so that if anyone of the other tribes lost anything, he (Dan) restored it to him.

מְאַסֵּף - "Rear guard" - If any member of any of the other army groups due to fatigue fell behind, they would all be included in the group headed by the tribe of Dan, so that they would not become lone stragglers.

וְהָֽאסַפְסֻף֙ "and the riffraff" — This was the mixed multitude that had gathered themselves unto them when they left Egypt.