Chumashחומש

הוא והושע בן נון. שַׁבָּת שֶׁל דְּיוֹזְגִי הָיְתָה, נִטְּלָה רְשׁוּת מִזֶּה וְנִתְּנָה לָזֶה, הֶעֱמִיד לוֹ מֹשֶׁה מְתֻרְגְּמָן לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁיְּהֵא דוֹרֵשׁ בְּחַיָּיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחַיֵּי רַבְּךָ לֹא הָיָה לְךָ לְהָרִים רֹאשׁ; וְלָמָּה קוֹרְאֵהוּ כָּאן הוֹשֵׁעַ? לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא זָחָה דַעְתּוֹ עָלָיו שֶׁאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לוֹ גְּדֻלָּה הִשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר מִתְּחִלָּתוֹ (עי' ספרי):

הוא והושע בן נון HE AND HOSHEA THE SON OF NUN — It was the Sabbath of transmission of office (lit., “of two pairs” of judges): authority was taken from one and given to the other (Sotah 13b). Moses appointed a Meturgeman for Joshua that he (Joshua) should hold in public an Halachic discourse during his (Moses') lifetime in order that the Israelites should not say to him, “During your teacher’s lifetime you did not dare to raise your head!” — And why does it (Scripture) here call him Hosea (since his name had long since been changed to that of Joshua — cf. Numbers 13:16)? In order to indicate that he did not become haughty, for although this dignity had been conferred upon him, he assumed a humble bearing as at the commencement of his career (cf. Sifrei Devarim 334:3).

שימו לבבכם. צָרִיךְ אָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֵינָיו וְלִבּוֹ וְאָזְנָיו מְכֻוָּנִים לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "בֶּן אָדָם רְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ וּבְאָזְנֶיךָ שְׁמַע וְשִׂים לִבְּךָ" (יחזקאל מ'); וַהֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר וּמַה תַּבְנִית הַבַּיִת שֶׁהוּא נִרְאֶה לָעֵינַיִם וְנִמְדָד בְּקָנֶה צָרִיךְ אָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֵינָיו וְאָזְנָיו וְלִבּוֹ מְכֻוָּנִין, לְהָבִין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁהֵן כַּהֲרָרִין תְּלוּיִין בִּשְׂעָרָה עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה (ספרי):

שימו לבבכם SET YOUR HEARTS [UNTO ALL THE WORDS WHICH I TESTIFY AGAINST YOU THIS DAY] — Indeed, it is necessary for a man that his eyes, his heart and his ears, should all be attentively directed to the words of the Torah, for so it states, (Ezekiel 40:4) “Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart [upon all that I shall show thee]” (viz., the plan of the Temple). If in the case of the model of the Temple, which was being made visible to the eyes and was being measured by a rod, it was necessary for a man, according to Scripture, that his eyes, his ears and his heart be attentive, then in order to understand the words of the Torah which are like mountains suspended on a hair (i.e., numerous laws are derived from a single word of the Torah), how much the more is this necessary!

כי לא דבר רק הוא מכם. לֹא לְחִנָּם אַתֶּם יְגֵעִים בָּהּ, כִּי הַרְבֵּה שָׂכָר תָּלוּי בָּהּ, כי הוא חייכם; דָּ"אַ — אֵין לְךָ דָבָר רֵיקָן בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאִם תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַתַּן שָׂכָר, תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁכֵּן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים "וַאֲחוֹת לוֹטָן תִּמְנָע" (בראשית ל"ו) "וְתִמְנַע הָיְתָה פִילֶגֶשׁ וְגוֹ'", לְפִי שֶׁאָמְרָה אֵינִי כְדַאי לִהְיוֹת לוֹ אִשָּׁה הַלְוַאי וְאֶהְיֶה פִילַגְשׁוֹ, וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁלְטוֹנִים וּמְלָכִים מִתְאַוִּים לִדַּבֵּק בְּזַרְעוֹ (ספרי):

כי לא דבר רק הוא מכם FOR IT IS NOT A VAIN THING FOR YOU — it is not for nothing that you are to occupy yourselves laboriously with it. because much reward depends on it, כי הוא חייכם FOR IT IS YOUR LIFE (life is the reward). Another explanation: There is not one empty (ריק i.e., apparently superfluous) word in the Torah that, if you properly expound it, has not a grant of reward attached to it for doing so. You can know this, for so did our Rabbis say: It states (Genesis 36:22) “And Lotan’s sister was Timna”; (Genesis 36:32) “and Timna was concubine [to Eliphaz, Esau’s son]”. Why is this stated? Because she (Timna) said, “If I am unworthy to become his (Elphaz's) wife, would that I would become his concubine!”. And why all this (why does Scripture enter into all these details of her birth and marriage; of what interest is it to us)? To tell you in what distinction Abraham was held — that rulers and kings (Lotan was one of the chieftains of Seir, cf. Genesis 36:20—21) were eager to connect themselves by marriage to his descendants (Sifrei Devarim 336:1; cf. Rashi on Genesis 36:12).

וידבר ה' אל משה בעצם היום הזה. בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת נֶאֱמַר בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, נֶאֱמַר בְּנֹחַ "בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּא נֹחַ וְגוֹ'" (בראשית ז') — בְּמַרְאִית אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ בְנֵי דוֹרוֹ אוֹמְרִים בְּכָךְ וְכָךְ אִם אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁין בּוֹ, אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ לִכָּנֵס בַּתֵּבָה, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא אָנוּ נוֹטְלִין כַּשִּׁילִין וְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת וּמְבַקְּעִין אֶת הַתֵּבָה, אָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה הֲרֵינִי מַכְנִיסוֹ בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ כֹחַ לִמְחוֹת יָבֹא וְיִמְחֶה; בְּמִצְרַיִם נֶאֱמַר "בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה הוֹצִיא ה'" (שמות י"ב), לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ מִצְרִיִּים אוֹמְרִים בְּכָךְ וְכָךְ אִם אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁין בָּהֶם, אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִין אוֹתָם לָצֵאת, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא אָנוּ נוֹטְלִין סְיָפוֹת וּכְלֵי זַיִן וְהוֹרְגִין בָּהֶם, אָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה הֲרֵינִי מוֹצִיאָן בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ כֹחַ לִמְחוֹת יָבֹא וְיִמְחֶה; אַף כָּאן בְּמִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה נֶאֱמַר "בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה", לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים בְּכָךְ וְכָךְ אִם אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁין בּוֹ — אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ, אָדָם שֶׁהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְקָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְהוֹרִיד לָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן וְהֵגִיז לָנוּ אֶת הַשְּׂלָו וְהֶעֱלָה לָנוּ אֶת הַבְּאֵר וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ, אָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה הֲרֵינִי מַכְנִיסוֹ בַחֲצִי הַיּוֹם וְכוּ' (ספרי):

וידבר ה' אל משה בעצם היום הזה AND THE LORD SPAKE TO MOSES THAT SELF SAME DAY — In three places in Scripture the expression בעצם היום הזה is used. It states in the narrative of Noah (Genesis 7:12) בעצם היום הזה entered Noah … [into the ark]” — which means in the glare of full daylight. Because his contemporaries said: By this and by that we swear; (cf. Note 2 on Deuteronomy 1:1): If we notice him about to do so we will not let him enter the ark, and not only that, but we will take axes and hatchets and we will split the ark in pieces. Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “See, I will let him enter at midday and anyone who has power to prevent it, let him come and prevent it!” Of Egypt, too, it states, (Exodus All. 11) “The selfsame day the Lord did bring [the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt]”: because the Egyptians said: By this and by that! If we notice them about to do so, we will not let them leave, and not only that, but we will take swords and other weapons and will kill them. Thereupon said the Holy One, blessed be He, “See, I will bring them forth in the middle of the day, and anyone who has power to prevent it, let him come and prevent it!” Here, too, regarding Moses’ death, it states בעצם היום הזה, because the children of Israel said, By this and by that! If we notice him about to ascend the mountain, we will not let him do so, — the man who brought us out of Egypt, and divided the Red Sea for us, and brought the Manna down for us, and brought a flight of quails for us, and made the “well” rise, and gave us the Torah: we will not permit him to go!” Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Behold, I will bring him unto his resting place in the middle of the day, etc.” (Sifrei Devarim 337; cf. Rashi on Genesis 17:23).

כאשר מת אהרן אחיך. בְּאוֹתָהּ מִיתָה שֶׁרָאִיתָ וְחָמַדְתָּ אוֹתָהּ, שֶׁהִפְשִׁיט מֹשֶׁה אֶת אַהֲרֹן בֶּגֶד רִאשׁוֹן וְהִלְבִּישׁוֹ לְאֶלְעָזָר וְכֵן שֵׁנִי וְכֵן שְׁלִישִׁי וְרָאָה בְּנוֹ בִּכְבוֹדוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, אַהֲרֹן אָחִי עֲלֵה לַמִּטָּה וְעָלָה, פְּשֹׁט יָדְךָ וּפָשַׁט, פְּשֹׁט רַגְלְךָ וּפָשַׁט, עֲצֹם עֵינֶיךָ וְעָצַם, קְמֹץ פִּיךָ וְקָמַץ, וְהָלַךְ לוֹ. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה — אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁמֵּת בְּמִיתָה זוֹ (ספרי):

כאשר מת אהרן אחיך [AND DIE] … AS AARON THY BROTHER DIED — i.e., and die by that death which you witnessed and for which you longed. For Moses stripped Aaron (before the latter’s death) of his first (i.e., the upper) garment, similarly the second, and similarly the third, and attired Elazar with them, and thus he (Aaron) beheld his son in his new dignity. Moses then said to him, “Aaron, my brother, ascend the bier”, and he ascended; — “Stretch out your hand”, and he stretched it out; — “Stretch out your leg”, and he stretched it out; “Close your eyes”, and he closed them; — “Close your mouth”, and he closed it, and thus did he pass away! Thereupon Moses said, “Happy is he who will die a death like this!” (Sifrei Devarim 339:3; cf. Rashi on Numbers 20:26).

על אשר מעלתם בי. גְּרַמְתֶּם לִמְעֹל בִּי:

על אשר מעלתם בי BECAUSE YE TRESPASSED AGAINST ME — i.e., because you made the people to trespass against Me.

על אשר לא קדשתם אותי. גְּרַמְתֶּם לִי שֶׁלֹּא אֶתְקַדֵּשׁ, אָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם "וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע" (במדבר כ') וְהֵם הִכּוּהוּ וְהֻצְרְכוּ לְהַכּוֹתוֹ פַעֲמַיִם, וְאִלּוּ דִּבְּרוּ עִמּוֹ וְנָתַן מֵימָיו בְּלֹא הַכָּאָה, הָיָה מִתְקַדֵּשׁ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים וּמַה הַסֶּלַע שֶׁאֵינוֹ לְשָׂכָר וְלֹא לְפֻרְעָנוּת, אִם זָכָה אֵין לוֹ מַתַּן שָׂכָר וְאִם חָטָא אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה, כָּךְ מְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת בּוֹרְאוֹ, אָנוּ לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן:

על אשר לא קדשתם אותי BECAUSE YE SANCTIFIED ME NOT — i.e. because you brought it about that I was not sanctified; I said to you, ‘Speak to the rock!” They, however, smote it and had therefore to smite it twice. Had they, however, spoken to it, and it had given forth its water without being smitten, the Name of the Heaven would have been sanctified; for the Israelites would have said, “How is it with the rock which is subject neither to reward nor to punishment, for when it acts meritoriously it receives no reward and when it sins it is not punished? It fulfils so obediently the command of its Creator! — how much the more should we do so!”

כי מנגד. מֵרָחוֹק:

כי מנגד means, BECAUSE FROM THE DISTANCE.

תראה וגו'. אִם לֹא תִרְאֶנָּה עַכְשָׁו, לֹא תִרְאֶנָּה עוֹד בְּחַיֶּיךָ, עַל כֵּן אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לְךָ עֲלֵה וּרְאֵה:

תראה וגו׳ YOU SHALL SEE [THE LAND] etc. — If you do not see it now, you will not see it at any time during your lifetime,

ושמה לא תבוא. וְיָדַעְתִּי כִּי חֲבִיבָה הִיא לְךָ, עַל כֵּן אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לְךָ עֲלֵה וּרְאֵה:

ושמה לא תבוא SINCE YOU SHALL NOT COME THERE — for I know that it is dear unto you, therefore I tell you (v. 49) “Ascend and see it!”.