Speak to the children of Israel and take from them a staff for each father's house from all the chieftains according to their fathers' houses; [a total of] twelve staffs, and inscribe each man's name on his staff.
דַּבֵּר | אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְקַח מֵאִתָּם מַטֶּה מַטֶּה לְבֵית אָב מֵאֵת כָּל נְשִׂיאֵהֶם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מַטּוֹת אִישׁ אֶת שְׁמוֹ תִּכְתֹּב עַל מַטֵּהוּBamidbar 17:17
Asks the Noam Elimelech, why do they have to bring 12 staffs, for in the end the miracle that reaffirmed Moshe's authority occurred only to the staff of Aharon? And if you were to say that the other tribes would suspect that perhaps there staff could have been endowed with the same miraculous qualities as Aharon's staff, then they could have independently brought their staff to the ohel moed, and not brought them all together. Why bring 12 staffs and all at one time?
