Dvar for Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89)
On the day that the Mishkan (tabernacle) is inaugurated, the tribal leaders bring individual gifts; six wagons were used to transport twelve oxen, one ox per tribe (7:3). Why does the Torah specify how the oxen were transported with their respective configuration, and why are we told about the wagons before we’re told about the oxen themselves?
The Oznaim Latorah suggests that the tribes’ sharing the wagons in order to bring their offerings was more significant in the eyes of G-d than even the offerings themselves. Furthermore, the tribes got along with each other enough to not only share resources but also to agree to each bring the same offering, avoiding the potential for competition or disagreement. The leaders’ identical gifts and their shared transport demonstrate that we are at our best, as a people when our resolve and actions are united.