Chumashחומש

פנו לכם צפנה. סֹבּוּ לָכֶם לְרוּחַ מִזְרָחִית, מִן הַדָּרוֹם לַצָּפוֹן, פְּנֵיכֶם לַצָּפוֹן, נִמְצְאוּ הוֹלְכִים אֶת רוּחַ הַמִּזְרָחִית וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים י"א) "וַיָבוֹאוּ (וַיָּבֹא) מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב":

פנו לכם צפנה TURN YOU NORTHWARD — Turn you along the eastern side of Moab, from the south to the north, your faces directed to the north. Consequently they were travelling along the east side of Moab, and this is what is meant by (Judges 11:18) “And they came by the east side of the land of Moab”.

ונשמרתם מאד. וּמַהוּ הַשְּׁמִירָה? אל תתגרו בם:

ונשמרתם מאד TAKE YE GOOD HEED TO YOURSELVES — And what is this "taking heed”? What follows: אל תתגרו בם CONTEND NOT WITH THEM.

עד מדרך כף רגל. אֲפִלּוּ מִדְרַךְ כַּף רֶגֶל, כְּלוֹמַר אֲפִלּוּ דְּרִיסַת הָרֶגֶל אֵינִי מַרְשֶׁה לָכֶם לַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצָם שֶׁלֹּא בִרְשׁוּת. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא יוֹם דְּרִיסַת כַּף רֶגֶל עַל הַר הַזֵּיתִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה י"ד) "וְעָמְדוּ רַגְלָיו וְגוֹ'":

עד מדרך כף רגל — This means, Even מדרך כף רגל, as much as to say: even only treading with the feet (a single step). The text means, I do not permit you to pass into their land without their permission. — A Midrashic explanation is: I shall not give you of their land until there come the day of the treading of the sole of foot upon the Mount of Olives (the Messianic period), as it is said, (Zechariah 14:4) "And his feet shall stand [in that day upon the Mount of Olives etc.]”.

ירשה לעשו. מֵאַבְרָהָם, עֲשָׂרָה עֲמָמִים נָתַתִּי לוֹ, שִׁבְעָה לָכֶם וְקֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי וְקַדְמוֹנִי הֵן עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב וְשֵׂעִיר, אֶחָד מֵהֶם לְעֵשָׂו וְהַשְּׁנַיִם לִבְנֵי לוֹט, בִּשְׂכַר שֶׁהָלַךְ אִתּוֹ לְמִצְרַיִם וְשָׁתַק עַל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲחוֹתִי הִיא, עֲשָׂאוֹ כִּבְנוֹ (בראשית רבה נ"א):

ירשה לעשו [I HAVE GIVEN MOUNT SEIR] TO ESAU AS AN INHERITANCE from Abraham. The territory of ten clans I gave (promised) him (Abraham); seven of them will be yours (the seven clans of Canaan), and the Kenites, the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites, — who are Ammon, Moab and Seir — one of them already belongs to Esau, and the other two to the children of Lot (cf. Genesis Rabbah 44:23; and Rashi on Genesis 15:19); as a reward because he (Lot) went with him (Abraham) To Egypt, and kept silent about what he said regarding his wife, “She is my sister”, he treated him as his son (and therefore he, through his children Amon and Moab, inherited part of the land promised to him) (cf. Rashi on Genesis 19:29 and Genesis Rabbah 51:6).

תכרו. לְשׁוֹן מֶקַח, וְכֵן "אֲשֶׁר כָּרִיתִי לִי" (בראשית נ'), שֶׁכֵּן בִּכְרַכֵּי הַיָּם קוֹרִין לִמְכִירָה כִּירָה (ראש השנה כ"ו):

תכרו — This is an expression denoting purchase. Similar is (Genesis 50:5; see Rashi thereon), “which I have bought (כריתי) for myself”, for thus in the coast cities do they use for "trading” the term כירה (Rosh Hashanah 26a).

כי ה' אלהיך ברכך. לְפִיכָךְ לֹא תִכְפּוּ אֶת טוֹבָתוֹ לְהַרְאוֹת כְּאִלּוּ אַתֶּם עֲנִיִּים, אֶלָּא הַרְאוּ עַצְמְכֶם עֲשִׁירִים:

כי ה' אלהיך ברכך FOR THE LORD THY GOD HATH BLESSED THEE — therefore you should not show yourselves ungrateful to Him by behaving as though you were poor, but act as rich people.

ונפן ונעבר. לְצַד צָפוֹן הָפַכְנוּ פָנִים לַהֲלֹךְ רוּחַ מִזְרָחִית:

ונפן ונעבר AND WE TURNED AND PASSED, towards the north; we turned our faces to proceed along the eastern side (see Rashi on v. 3).

ואל תתגר בם וגו'. לֹא אָסַר לָהֶם עַל מוֹאָב אֶלָּא מִלְחָמָה, אֲבָל מְיָרְאִים הָיוּ אוֹתָם, וְנִרְאִים לָהֶם כְּשֵׁהֶם מְזֻיָּנִים, לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב (במדבר כ"ב) "וַיָּגָר מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי הָעָם", שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹלְלִים וּבוֹזְזִים אוֹתָם; אֲבָל בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן נֶאֱמַר (פסוק י"ט) "וְאַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם" – שׁוּם גֵּרוּי, בִּשְׂכַר צְנִיעוּת אִמָּם, שֶׁלֹּא פִרְסְמָה עַל אָבִיהָ כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשְׂתָה הַבְּכִירָה שֶׁקָּרְאָה שֵׁם בְּנָהּ מוֹאָב (בבא קמא ל"ח):

ואל תתגר בם וגו׳ AND DO NOT CONTEND WITH THEM [IN WAR] — As regards Moab He forbade them (the Israelites) only war against them, but they may frighten them, appearing before them when equipped for war; therefore it is written, (Numbers 22:3) "And Moab was afraid because of the people", because they took plunder and loot from them. But about the children of Ammon it is said, (v. 19) “Do not contend with them" — no provocation of any kind, — as a reward for the modesty shown by their ancestress, Lot's younger daughter, who did not publicly divulge regarding her father's conduct, as his elder daughter did, who called her son's name “Moab" (i.e. born of the father) (Bava Kamma 38b; see Rashi on Genesis 19:37).

ער. שֵׁם הַמְּדִינָה:

ער is the name of the district.

האמים לפנים וגו'. אַתָּה סָבוּר שֶׁזּוֹ אֶרֶץ רְפָאִים שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם, לְפִי שֶׁהָאֵמִים שֶׁהֵם רְפָאִים יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ לְפָנִים, אֲבָל לֹא זוֹ הִיא, כִּי אוֹתָן רְפָאִים הוֹרַשְׁתִּי מִפְּנֵי בְנֵי לוֹט וְהוֹשַׁבְתִּים תַּחְתָּם:

האמים לפנים וגו׳ THE EMIM [ABODE THERE] FORMERLY — You might think that this is the land of the Rephaim which I gave (promised) to Abraham (Genesis 15:20), because the Emim who are Rephaim, dwelt there formerly (and they are one of the seven clans whose land you were to possess), but this is not that land, because those Rephaim I drove out from before the children of Lot and settled these in their stead (cf. Rashi on 3:13).

רפאים יחשבו וגו'. רְפָאִים הָיוּ נֶחֱשָׁבִין אוֹתָם אֵמִים, כָּעֲנָקִים הַנִּקְרָאִים רְפָאִים, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁכָּל הָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם יָדָיו מִתְרַפּוֹת (בראשית רבה כ"ו):

רפאים יחשבו וגו׳ THEY [ALSO] ARE ACCOUNTED REPHAIM, [AS THE ANAKIM] — As Rephaim are those Emim accounted, even as the Anakim — who are also termed Rephaim because the hands of everyone who beheld them became weak (רפה) (cf. Genesis Rabbah 26:7).

אמים. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁאֵימָתָם מֻטֶּלֶת עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת (שם), וְכֵן בְּשֵׂעִיר יָשְׁבוּ הַחֹרִים וּנְתַתִּים לִבְנֵי עֵשָׂו:

אמים — so called because the dread (אימה) of them lay upon the people. — So, too, (v. 12) the Horim dwelt formerly in Seir and I gave them over unto the children of Esau. (Genesis Rabbah 26:7)

יירשום. לָשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה, כְּלוֹמַר נָתַתִּי בָהֶם כֹּחַ שֶׁהָיוּ מוֹרִישִׁים אוֹתָם וְהוֹלְכִים:

יירשום — This is a present tense form of the verb; it is as much as to say, I gave them power that they might go on driving them out continuously.

היתה בם. לְמַהֵר וּלְהֻמָּם בְּתוֹךְ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִגְרְמוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם עוֹד לְהִתְעַכֵּב בַּמִּדְבָּר:

היתה בם [FOR INDEED THE HAND OF THE LORD] WAS AGAINST THEM [TO DESTROY THEM] speedily within a period of forty years, so that they should no longer be the cause for their children to tarry in the wilderness.

ויהי כאשר תמו וגו' וידבר ה' אלי וגו'. אֲבָל מִשִּׁלּוּחַ הַמְרַגְּלִים עַד כָּאן לֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶלָּא וַיֹּאמֶר, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל ל"ח שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נְזוּפִים, לֹא נִתְיַחֵד עִמּוֹ הַדִּבּוּר בִּלְשׁוֹן חִבָּה, פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים וְיִשּׁוּב הַדַּעַת – לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֵין הַשְּׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה עַל הַנְּבִיאִים אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל (מכילתא שמות י"ב):

ויהי כאשר תמו וגו׳ וידבר ה' אלי וגו׳ SO IT CAME TO PASS WHEN [ALL THE MEN OF WAR] HAD COME TO AN END … THAT THE LORD SPOKE TO ME etc. — But from when the spies were sent forth until now, the word וידבר is not mentioned in this section, but ויאמר, to teach you that during these entire thirty eight years during which the Israelites were lying under God’s censure, the Divine speech was not directed towards him in an expression of affection, face to face, and with tranquility of mind — to teach you that the Shechinah rests upon the prophets only for Israel’s sake (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 13; Mekhilta; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 towards end).

אנשי המלחמה. מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה הַיּוֹצְאִים בַּצָּבָא:

אנשי המלחמה THE MEN OF WAR — men from twenty years old and upwards, who went to war (cf. Numbers 14:29 and Rashi thereon).

אתה עבר היום את גבול מואב, וקרבת מול בני עמון. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֶרֶץ עַמּוֹן לְצַד צָפוֹן:

אתה עבר היום את גבול מואב … וקרבת מול בני עמון THOU ART TO PASS THIS DAY THE BOUNDARY OF MOAB … AND THOU WILT APPROACH OPPOSITE THE CHILDREN OF AMMON — from here we see that the land of Ammon was on the north [of Moab].

ארץ רפאים תחשב. אֶרֶץ רְפָאִים נֶחְשֶׁבֶת אַף הִיא, לְפִי שֶׁהָרְפָאִים יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ לְפָנִים, אֲבָל לֹא זוֹ הִיא שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם:

ארץ רפאים תחשב IT (AMMON) ALSO WAS ACCOUNTED A LAND OF REPHAIM. — It also is accounted a land of Rephaim because the Rephaim formerly dwelt in it, but yet it is not that land which I gave to Abraham.

והעוים הישבים בחצרים וגו'. עַוִּים מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים הֵם, שֶׁעִמָּהֶם הֵם נֶחֱשָׁבִים בְּסֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ג) "חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָעַזָּתִי וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי הַגִּתִּי וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִי וְהָעַוִּים", וּמִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע אַבְרָהָם לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא יָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹצִיא אַרְצָם מִיָּדָם, וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיהֶם כַּפְתּוֹרִים וְהִשְׁמִידוּם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם, וְעַכְשָׁיו אַתֶּם מֻתָּרִים לְקַחְתָּהּ מִיָּדָם (חולין ס'):

והעוים הישבים בחצרים וגו׳ BUT THE AVIM WHO DWELL IN HAZERIM etc. —The Avim are part of the Philistine people, for they are enumerated together with them in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 13:3), as it is said, “The five lords of the Philistines, the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, and the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avim”. But because of the oath which Abraham had sworn to Abimelech, king of the Philistines (Genesis 21:24), Israel would have been unable to take their land out of their possession; but, says God, I brought the Caphtorites against them and they destroyed them and dwelt in their stead, and now you are permitted to take it (that land) from their (the Caphtorites) possession (Chullin 60b).

תחת כל השמים. לִמֵּד שֶׁעָמְדָה חַמָּה לְמֹשֶׁה בְּיוֹם מִלְחֶמֶת עוֹג וְנוֹדַע הַדָּבָר תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם (עבודה זרה כ"ה):

תחת כל השמים [THIS DAY I BEGIN TO PUT THE DREAD OF THEE … UPON THE NATIONS THAT ARE] UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN — This (the statement that the nations under the entire heaven will dread the Israelites) teaches that the sun stood still for Moses on the day of the battle with Og, and the matter was consequently known under the whole heaven (Avodah Zarah 25a).

ממדבר קדמות. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא צִוַּנִי הַמָּקוֹם לִקְרֹא לְסִיחוֹן לְשָׁלוֹם, לָמַדְתִּי מִמִּדְבַּר סִינַי – מִן הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁקָּדְמָה לָעוֹלָם – כְּשֶׁבָּא הַקָּבָּ"ה לִתְּנָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל חָזַר אוֹתָהּ עַל עֵשָׂו וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְגָלוּי לְפָנָיו שֶׁלֹּא יְקַבְּלוּהָ וְאַעַ"פִּ כֵן פָּתַח לָהֶם בְּשָׁלוֹם, אַף אֲנִי קִדַּמְתִּי אֶת סִיחוֹן בְּדִבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם; דָּ"אַ, ממדבר קדמות – מִמְּךָ לָמַדְתִּי, שֶׁקָּדַמְתָּ לָעוֹלָם, יָכוֹל הָיִיתָ לִשְׁלֹחַ בָּרָק אֶחָד וְלִשְֹרֹף אֶת הַמִּצְרִים, אֶלָּא שְׁלַחְתַּנִי מִן הַמִּדְבָּר אֶל פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר (שמות ה') "שַׁלַּח אֶת עַמִּי", בְּמִתּוּן (תנחומא):

ממדבר קדמות [AND I SENT MESSENGERS] FROM THE WILDERNESS OF KEDEMOTH — Although the Omnipresent had not commanded me to proclaim peace unto Sihon I learnt to do so from what happened in the wilderness of Sinai, i.e. from an incident that relates to the Torah which pre-existed (קדמה) the world. For when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give it (the Torah) to Israel, he took it round to Esau and Ishmael. It was manifest before Him that they would not accept it, but yet He opened unto them with peace. Similarly I first approached Sihon with words of peace. — Another explanation of ממדבר קדמות: Moses said to God, "I learnt this from what Thou didst say in the wilderness — from Thee Who wast in existence before (קדמת) the world. Thou couldst have sent one flash of lightning to bum up the Egyptians, but Thou didst send me from the wilderness to Pharaoh, to say gently, (Exodus 5:1) "Let my people go” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 764:27).

כאשר עשו לי בני עשו. לֹא לְעִנְיַן לַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצָם, אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן מֶכֶר אֹכֶל וּמַיִם:

כאשר עשו לי בגי עשו AS THE CHILDREN OF ESAU DID TO ME — This does not refer to passing through their land (רק אעברה ברגלי) for Edom refused this, (cf. Numbers 20:18) but to the matter of selling food and water (also mentioned in the preceding verse).

עד אשר אעבר את הירדן. מוּסָב עַל אֶעְבְּרָה בְאַרְצֶךָ:

עד אשר אעבר את הירדן UNTIL I SHALL PASS OVER THE JORDAN — This is to be connected with "Let me pass through thy land” (v. 27).