Seeing as the tribes are listed in order of the Degalim (the four camps), why does the Torah begin with Reuven and not with Yehudah?
Oznayim la'Torah: In honor of the Bechorah - since Reuven was the firstborn of Ya'akov.
Why does the Torah insert the word "Mishpachas" by each name?
Ramban: To teach us that, just as the land was divided up into twelve equal portions (value-wise), 1 so too, did each family of each tribe receive an equal portion, 2 and the main objective of the current census was to teach us that Eretz Yisrael was divided up according to those who left Egypt. 3 And when the Torah states later (in Pasuk 54, "la'Rav Tarbeh Nachalaso ... ", it is referring to the division of the larger family into smaller families. 4
Ramban: As the Gemara explains in Bava Basra, 122a ? in which case, Shimon, the smallest tribe, received the same amount of land as Yehudah, the largest tribe.
Ramban: In which case, the families of Chanoch, Palu, Chetzron and Karmi all received equal portions. And that explains why the Torah does not insert the word "le'Gulgelosam here, as it did in the census in Perek 1.
Ramban: Which is what the Pesukim in Yehoshua are referring to. It says repeatedly there "le'Mishpechosam". Alternatively, they refer to all the families in the tribe, or teach that they divided up the land according to families and that each family received its portion in its own individual area, and that they were not lumped together.
Why does the Torah add a 'Hey' at the beginning of each name and a 'Yud' at the end?
Rashi: The nations claimed that if the Egyptians ruled over Yisrael's bodies, they certainly ruled over their wives 1 (and their Yichus is therefore questionable). Therefore Hashem placed His name on them - a 'Yud' at the end of each name and a 'Hey' at the beginning 2 - to testify that they truly descended from their Avos 3
Oznayim la'Torah: An accusation that was well-founded, following the episode of Ba'al Pe'or.
Rashi: With the exception of 'Yimnah', whose name already contains- a 'Yud' (at the beginning) and a 'Hey' (at the end).
Rashi: And this is what David was referring to when he wrote in Tehilim, 122:4 "Shivtei Kah Eidus le'Yisrael". See also Oznayim la'Torah who explains why specifically the Name 'Kah'.
