Derasha 2 on Behaalosecha 11:16

Parashas Behaalosecha · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 16

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֶסְפָה־לִּ֞י שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִישׁ֮ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָדַ֔עְתָּ כִּי־הֵ֛ם זִקְנֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם וְשֹׁטְרָ֑יו וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אֹתָם֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ שָׁ֖ם עִמָּֽךְ׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah citing Sanhedrin / Koheles (pointer only — not TT’s gloss). “אסופות” in Koheles is read as Sanhedrin — “gather for Me seventy men.”

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֶסְפָה־לִּ֞י שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִישׁ֮ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒

English: “Asufos” means only a Sanhedrin, as you say “Gather for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel.”

Type of Learning

Scriptural name for the court — the gathering of elders is the model for every Sanhedrin.

What Is Learned

Wisdom is stronger when it emerges from an assembly, not from a single voice.