(טז) וַנִּצְעַ֤ק אֶל־יְהוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָ֔ךְ וַיֹּצִאֵ֖נוּ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וְהִנֵּה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בְקָדֵ֔שׁ עִ֖יר קְצֵ֥ה גְבוּלֶֽךָ׃ (יז) נַעְבְּרָה־נָּ֣א בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ לֹ֤א נַעֲבֹר֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה וּבְכֶ֔רֶם וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה מֵ֣י בְאֵ֑ר דֶּ֧רֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ נֵלֵ֗ךְ לֹ֤א נִטֶּה֙ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֔אול עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲבֹ֖ר גְּבוּלֶֽךָ׃ (יח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱד֔וֹם לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר בִּ֑י פֶּן־בַּחֶ֖רֶב אֵצֵ֥א לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ׃ (יט) וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֥יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה נַעֲלֶה֒ וְאִם־מֵימֶ֤יךָ נִשְׁתֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י וּמִקְנַ֔י וְנָתַתִּ֖י מִכְרָ֑ם רַ֥ק אֵין־דָּבָ֖ר בְּרַגְלַ֥י אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֑ר וַיֵּצֵ֤א אֱדוֹם֙ לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּעַ֥ם כָּבֵ֖ד וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃ (כא) וַיְמָאֵ֣ן ׀ אֱד֗וֹם נְתֹן֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עֲבֹ֖ר בִּגְבֻל֑וֹ וַיֵּ֥ט יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָלָֽיו׃ (פ)
(16) We cried to the ETERNAL and God heard our plea, and God sent a messenger who freed us from Egypt. Now we are in Kadesh, the town on the border of your territory. (17) Allow us, then, to cross your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from wells. We will follow the king’s highway, turning off neither to the right nor to the left until we have crossed your territory.” (18) But Edom answered him, “You shall not pass through us, else we will go out against you with the sword.” (19) “We will keep to the beaten track,” the Israelites said to them, “and if we or our cattle drink your water, we will pay for it. We ask only for passage on foot—it is but a small matter.” (20) But they replied, “You shall not pass through!” And Edom went out against them in heavy force, strongly armed. (21) So Edom would not let Israel cross their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
18. You shall not pass through us. When the Edomites said this, the Israelites suspected that the Edomites presumed they were lying and not drinking from the wells (Bekhor Shor).
(א) פן בחרב אצא לקראתך כי המון עם אדום אנשי דמים ובסבה מועטת ממריבה או זולתה שתפול בין אנשי הארץ והעם העובר יתעוררו אנשי הארץ בחרב נגד העוברים:
Bamidbar Rabba 19:15
Let us pass...and we will not drink water of the well...Numbers 20:17)
Water of the well? It should have said, "water of wells" should it not?
The Torah teaches you a rule of good conduct. If a man goes to a country that is not his, though he possesses all his requirements, he should not eat of what he has, but should leave over his own and buy from the shopkeeper, so as to do her a good turn.
In the same manner, Moses said to Edom: We have a well with us and we eat manna, yet do not suppose that we shall give you only trouble. You will make a profit for yourself!
The Holy One, blessed be God, also spoke to Moses in the same way: You shall purchase food from them for money (Deuteronomy 11:6).
Moses told Israel: Loosen your purse-strings that they shall not say, "They were slaves! They are poor! Show them your wealth, and let them know that you have lost nothing by the bondage!
It says, and afterward they shall come out with great substance (Genesis 15:14)! Nor is it your own that you are giving, as it says, For Adonai your God has blessed you...these forty years Adonai your God has been with you and you have lacked for nothing.(Deuteronomy 11:7)
Rabbi David Stern from the airport in McAllen TX, June 21, 2018
In this week's parshah, the rule of Edom earns a reputation for callousness and injustice by uttering two simple words to Moses and the Israelites seeking to pass through his territory: lo ta'avor [you shall not pass]. Those words have become an emblem in our tradition for blind and simplistic enmity. When our nation speaks an unconditional lo ta'avor to refugees seeking safety from violence and pursuing a life of dignity and freedom, when our president uses the word "infest" to describe their presence in a land of freedom, the echoes are more than troubling.