Nachshon Ben Aminadav

Biblical Figures

Nachshon ben Aminadav was a biblical figure, who served as a leader of the tribe of Judah. He was the brother of Elisheva, the wife of Aaron the Priest. He is known primarily for an act described in rabbinic literature, in which he was the first to jump into the Red Sea as the people of Israel escaped their enslavement in Egypt, prompting God to split the sea. In the wake of that story, Nachshon is often used as a symbol of initiative and courage.

Notable Sources

All Sources

The Chieftains' Gifts

TANAKH

The Book of Numbers describes the dedication of the Tabernacle, including the gifts brought by the chieftains of each of the tribes for the anointing of the altar. Nachshon ben Aminadav represented the tribe of Judah in that ceremony.

יהוה said to Moses: Let them present their offerings for the dedication of the altar, one chieftain each day. The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering; one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense; one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; one goat for a sin offering;…

Numbers 7:11-17

The Bravery of Nachshon

TALMUD

In one midrashic version of the events of the splitting of the sea, Nachshon displays bravery in entering the sea first. The Talmudic tractate Sotah discusses different accounts of how the sea split, and the consequences in ensuing generations.

Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Meir: That is not how the incident took place. Rather, this tribe said: I am not going into the sea first, and that tribe said: I am not going into the sea first. Then, in jumped the prince of Judah, Nahshon ben Amminadab, and descended into the sea first, accompanied by his entire tribe, as it is stated: “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is yet wayward toward God [rad im El]” (Hosea 12:1)…

Sotah 37a:3

Nachshon of Judah

COMMENTARY

The description in Bemidbar of the tribal gifts at the dedication of the altar is highly repetitive, but one notable difference for Nachshon stands out: he is not identified as a prince. Chaim ibn Attar, a prominent Moroccan commentator of the 18th century who is known for presenting multiple layers of interpretation, explains the particularities of Nachshon's inclusion in description of the ceremony.

למטה יהודה, of the tribe of Yehudah. The Torah omitted the word נשיא prince, although this title is used in connection with all the other princes when they are introduced as offering their respective gifts. The reason for this is that Nachshon was on a spiritually sufficiently high level to have qualified as the first one to bring this offering even if he had not been the prince of his tribe. The status of most of the other princes was due only to their having been elected as princes of their respective tribes…

Or HaChaim on Numbers 7:12:2

A Leap of Faith into the Sea

CHASIDUT

Nachshon ben Aminadav's fearless act of entering the sea before it split exemplifies profound faith and confidence in divine deliverance. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, a renowned Chasidic rabbi, uses Nachshon's story to illustrate the collective faith of the Jewish people in anticipating divine miracles.

We assume that the reader is familiar with how the ‎sages explained psalms 114,2 ‎היתה יהודה לקדשו ישראל ‏ממשלותיו‎, “Yehudah became His holy one, Israel His ‎dominion.” I mentioned earlier that the leader of the ‎tribe of Yehudah, Nachshon ben Aminadav, earned this ‎merit when he fearlessly entered the sea of reeds up to ‎his neck before it split. At that time he appealed for ‎help from G’d saying that the level of the water was ‎about to cause him to drown therein.‎
Yehudah’s entering the sea may have been ‎prompted by one of two considerations…

Kedushat Levi, Exodus, Beshalach 28

Tribal Particularities

MIDRASH

With the overall repetitiveness of the listings of the contributions of each tribe in the dedication of the Tabernacle, subtle differences raise questions. The 11th or 12th century midrashic collection Bamidbar Rabbah discusses several of them and what they imply about the tribes and particular figures, including Nachshon ben Aminadav.

“On the third day, prince of the children of Zebulun, Eliav son of Ḥelon” (Numbers 7:24).
“On the third day, prince of the children of Zebulun, Eliav son of Ḥelon” – why, regarding all the princes, does it mention their tribe and then mentions their name, but regarding Judah and Issachar, it mentions the name of their princes first and then mentions their name? It is because Naḥshon was king, and Netanel was the king of Torah, just as it says: “Through me kings reign” (Proverbs 8:15), and in every circumstance, the king precedes his people…

Bamidbar Rabbah 13:17

The Lineage to King David

TANAKH

Nachshon Ben Aminadav plays a pivotal role in the genealogical lineage leading to King David, marking his significance in the ancestral line from Judah to David. The Book of Ruth concludes with a genealogy that traces the lineage from Perez to David, highlighting Nachshon's place in this important ancestral line.

and the women neighbors gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, father of David. This is the line of Perez: Perez begot Hezron, Hezron begot Ram, Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, Nahshon begot Salmon, Salmon begot Boaz, Boaz begot Obed, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

Ruth 4:17-22

Nachshon's Style of Leadership

COMMENTARY

Though not recorded in the Torah, tradition holds that Nachshon led the way into the Red Sea before it split. In her book on leadership lessons from the Torah, Erica Brown cites the Nachshon of that midrash as an example of a particular style of leadership without authority.

Conversely, one can lead without authority. Here the classic example is Nahshon son of Aminadav who, according to tradition, was the first to wade into the Red Sea, after which the waters parted so that the Israelites could cross over on dry land. The fact that tradition has preserved this detail despite the fact that it is not mentioned in the Torah tells us how deeply the sages knew that we cannot leave everything to divine intervention. God needs us to act so that He can act through us. Hence the profound wisdom of the Jewish tradition, that faith does not mean leaving everything to God…

Lessons in Leadership; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Introduction; Daring Greatly 16