| א. השוואת פסוקים |
| A. Comparison of Verses |
Compare the following sections:
| במדבר כ"ז י"ג-י"ד פסוק י"ב: "וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה וּרְאֵה אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל |
דברים ל"ב מ"ח-נ"ב פסוק מ"ח: "וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר פסוק מ"ט: עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר נְבוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וּרְאֵה אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲחֻזָּה" |
| פסוק י"ג: וְרָאִיתָה אֹתָהּ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל עַמֶּיךָ גַּם אָתָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר נֶאֱסַף אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ פסוק י"ד: כַּאֲשֶׁר מְרִיתֶם פִּי בְּמִדְבַּר צִן בִּמְרִיבַת הָעֵדָה לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי בַמַּיִם לְעֵינֵיהֶם הֵם מֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ מִדְבַּר צִן" |
פסוק נ': וּמֻת בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹלֶה שָׁמָּה וְהֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ בְּהֹר הָהָר וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו פסוק נ"א: עַל אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ מִדְבַּר צִן עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל |
| פסוק נ"ב: כִּי מִנֶּגֶד תִּרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁמָּה לֹא תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" |
(12) The LORD said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people. | Deuteronomy 32:48-52 |
(13) When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your kin, just as your brother Aaron was. (14) For, in the wilderness of Zin, when the community was contentious, you disobeyed My command to uphold My sanctity in their sight by means of the water.” Those are the Waters of Meribath-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin. | (50) You shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend, and shall be gathered to your kin, as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his kin; (51) for you both broke faith with Me among the Israelite people, at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, by failing to uphold My sanctity among the Israelite people. |
| (52) You may view the land from a distance, but you shall not enter it—the land that I am giving to the Israelite people. |
... And, it was not a mitzvah that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded him (Moses) to do now, because if so, he would have been required to go up there immediately. But rather, the reason for "go up Mount Eivarim and see the Land..." was because He (God) commanded him, "To these the Land is to be allotted..." (Numbers 26:53). Let it be known that you will not apportion the Land with your own hand, but rather you will go up to the top of Mount Eivarim before the people Israel travels from the land of Moab, and you will die upon it and nothing of the Land will reach you but the sight [of it].
Explain - also with the help of Ramban's words - some of the variations of the wording of the two sections.
| ב. שאלות ודיוקים ברש"י |
| B. Questions and Inferences in Rashi |
(א) עלה אל הר העברים. לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה לְכָאן? כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם, אָמַר אוֹתִי צִוָּה הַמָּקוֹם לְהַנְחִיל, שֶׁמָּא הֻתְּרָה הַגְּזֵרָה וְאֶכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ? אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה גְּזֵרָתִי בִּמְקוֹמָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת.
דָּ"אַ — כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּכְנַס מֹשֶׁה לְנַחֲלַת בְּנֵי גָד וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן שָׂמַח וְאָמַר, כִּמְדֻמֶּה שֶׁהֻתַּר לִי נִדְרִי; מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁגָּזַר עַל בְּנוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס לְפֶתַח פָּלָטִין שֶׁלּוֹ, נִכְנַס לַשַּׁעַר וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, לֶחָצֵר וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, לַטְּרַקְלִין וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא לִכָּנֵס לַקִּיטוֹן, אָמַר לוֹ בְּנִי מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ אַתָּה אָסוּר לִכָּנֵס (ספרי):
(1) עלה אל הר העברים GO UP INTO [THIS] MOUNT ABARIM — Why does this follow immediately here? Because when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, (v. 7) “Thou shalt surely give them an inheritance in the land” he (Moses) said, “It is me that the Omnipresent has commanded to apportion the inheritance. Perhaps then the decree that I must die in the wilderness is annulled and I shall enter the Promised Land!” Whereupon God said to him, “My decree remains exactly as it was” (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 9).
Another explanation: As soon as Moses entered into the territory of the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben (the eastern side of the Jordan, which, having been assigned to these tribes, might be regarded as part of the Promised Land), he rejoiced, saying, “It seems to me that my vow has been annulled in my favour”. God, therefore, said to him, My decree remains exactly as it was. A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king who decreed against his son that he should not enter the door of his palace. He (the king) entered within the gate, and he (the son) went after him (without the father raising any objection); to the courtyard, and he after him; to the audience chamber, and he after him. But as soon as he was about to enter his sleeping-chamber (his private room) he said to him, “My son, from here and further on you may not go” (Sifrei Bamidbar 134:4).
a. Explain the understanding of his difficulty, "Why was it made adjacent to here?" Maybe it was made adjacent because these words were said to [Moses] after the story of the daughters of Zelophehad? And if so, what is the question, "Why was it made adjacent?"
b. According to Rashi's first explanation, Moses erred in understanding the words, "you shall surely give them" - what was his mistake; and how can these words be understood correctly?
c. Why didn't Rashi just cite the words of the other explanation (from the Sifrei); and why did he have them preceded by his first [explanation] (from the Midrash Rabbah)?
d. What is the understanding here of "my vow"; and how can we explain the possessive pronoun being in first person ("my vow")?
מה כונת השלשה מקומות במשל שהותר לו להכנס בהם (שער, חצר, טרקלין)?
e. The author of Maskil LeDavid raises this difficulty:
What is the intent of the three places in the parable into which he was allowed to enter (gate, courtyard, audience chamber)?
(Pay attention: In the wording of the Sifrei, there are only two - the gate and the audience chamber - and the third is the sleeping chamber into which he was not allowed to enter.)
Answer his question!
(א) הם מי מריבת קדש. הֵם לְבַדָּם — אֵין בָּהֶם עָוֹן אַחֵר;
דָּ"אַ — הֵם שֶׁהִמְרוּ בְמָרָה, הֵם הָיוּ שֶׁהִמְרוּ בְיַם סוּף, הֵם עַצְמָם שֶׁהִמְרוּ בְמִדְבַּר צִן:
(1) המה מי מריבת קדש THEY, THE WATERS OF MERIBA IN KADESH — they alone were the cause of their death: there was no other sin in them.
Another explanation is: it was they (the waters) which were the cause of their rebellion at Marah (Exodus 16:23-24), it was they which made them rebel at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11—12) and yet it was they which made them rebel here in the wilderness of Zin.
א. בעל דברי דוד:
והך "בים סוף" טעות סופר הוא וצריך לומר: ברפידים. כן מצאתי.
a. Divrei David:
This "at the Red Sea" is a scribal error, and it should read, "at Refidim." So did I find.
Explain the logic of this emendation!
b. Upon whom does the word, "they" refer to according to each one of Rashi's two explanations?
c. Compare his words here to his words in 20:13, s.v. these are the waters of Meribah. To whom does the word, "they," refer to according to his explanation there? Why did he change his explanation here?
d. Why did Rashi not see fit to suffice with one of his two understandings; why did he cite both of them?
וידבר משה אל ה' וגו'. לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, כְּשֶׁנִּפְטָרִים מִן הָעוֹלָם מַנִּיחִים צָרְכָּן, וְעוֹסְקִין בְּצָרְכֵי צִבּוּר (ספרי):
יפקד ה'. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם תֵּן נַחֲלַת צְלָפְחָד לִבְנוֹתָיו, אָמַר הִגִּיעַ שָׁעָה שֶׁאֶתְבַּע צָרְכִּי — שֶׁיִּירְשׁוּ בָּנַי אֶת גְּדֻלָּתִי, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה לֹא כָךְ עָלְתָה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה לְפָנַי, כְּדַאי הוּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִטֹּל שְׂכַר שִׁמּוּשׁוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מָשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל (שמות ל״ג:י״א), וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי כ"ז) "נוֹצֵר תְּאֵנָה יֹאכַל פִּרְיָהּ" (תנחומא):
'וידבר משה אל ה וגו׳ AND AND MOSES SPAKE TO THE LORD, [LET THE LORD … SET A MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION] — This statement serves to show the praise of the righteous: when they are about to depart from the world, they abandon all thought of their own affairs and occupy themselves with the affairs of the community (Sifrei Bamidbar 138).
יפקד ה׳ LET THE LORD … APPOINT [A MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION] — When Moses heard that the Omnipresent said to him, “Give the inheritance of Zelophehad to his daughters”, he said to himself, “The time has come that I should ask something that I want — that my sons should inherit my high position”. God replied to him, “Not thus has entered My mind; Joshua deserves to receive the reward of his ministrations, because “he has never departed from out the tent” (Exodus XXXIII 11). — This is what Solomon said, (Proverbs 27:18) ‘‘Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof, [and he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured]” (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 11).
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א. אלמושנינו, מקשה על דברי רש"י לד"ה יפקוד: והלא כבר אמר רש"י למעלה שהודיע שבחן... שמניחין צרכיהן?! יישב קושייתו! |
a. Almoshnino raises this difficulty on Rashi's words in s.v. Let the Lord appoint:
Didn't Rashi already say above, "It is to show the praise of the righteous, that they abandon their own needs?!"
Answer his difficulty!
And I have not known what forced the Sages, may their memory be blessed, that they should say that this section is connected with the distant section of inheritances (27:7); and not to "Go up to the mountain..." (27:12-15), which is adjacent to it - meaning to say that once Moses heard that the decree upon him was in force, and he gave up asking for himself, he requested to appoint someone else in his place?
Try to resolve his questions!
a. Compare this with Rashi on Deuteronomy 31:1, s.v. to go out and to come in: with words of Torah... From where did Rashi know that the explanation of our verse is not like this as well; and why did he see fit to vary its understanding in the one place from the other?
b. What proof does Rashi bring from Numbers 21:34 that Moses went at the head of his troops; does it not appear specifically from there that he was afraid?
c. Why did Rashi see fit with the first two verses that he cited to say, "as it is stated"; whereas with the third verse, he said, "And likewise with David, it states?"
| ג. "והעמדת אותו" - תפישת השררה |
| C. "And set him" - Approach to Authority |
העמדה זו היא לשררות עליהם. ומכ״מ אינו אלא עבדות שמוכרח לעבדם במה שמשתרר עליהם. מש״ה כתיב בלשון והעמדת אותו לפני. באותו לשון דכתיב להלן כ״א שמראה על טפילות. היינו משום שבאמת השררה ג״כ הוא טפילות:
This setting is [to give him] authority over them. And nevertheless it is [actually] only service; as he is obligated to serve them, by way of that which he has authority over them. Therefore, it is written with the expression, "And you shall set him in front of " - with the same expression as later on [in verse] 21, which demonstrates subservience. This is because authority is truly also subservience.
1. What is the approach to "authority" expressed in his words?
2. Why does he base himself upon verse 21 to clarify our verse; in what way is that verse clearer than our verse?
| ד. עדת ה' |
| D. The Congregation of the Lord |
"that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd."
Several commentators wonder why it is stated, "the congregation of the Lord," here and not, "Your congregation."
And some explain that this is 'like the way of the Holy Tongue in several places."
1. Bring an example of "the way of the Holy Tongue" from another place.
2. Explain why Scripture chose "the way of the Holy Tongue" here and did not write it, according to the more common and more accepted fashion, in second person.
| ה. הוראת השורש "צוה" |
| 5. Usage of the Root, "Command" |
"and command him in their sight."
אין הכונה כלל שיצוהו שום צווי וילמדהו שום דבר, אבל כל מינוי על שררה נקרא "צווי" כמו (שמואל א', י"ג י"ד) "ויצוהו ה' לנגיד על עמו"; (שם מ"ה ל') "וצוך לנגיד על ישראל"; (שמואל ב', ו' כ"א) "לצוות אותו נגיד"; (שמואל ב', ז' י"א) "צויתי שופטים על עמי".
Shadal (Hamishtadel):
The intention is not at all that he should command him any command, but rather any appointment of authority is called, a "command" - such as [in] I Samuel 13:14, "and the Lord will command him as a ruler over his people"; "and has commanded you as ruler over Israel" (I Samuel 25:30); "to command me as ruler" (II Samuel 6:21); "I commanded Judges over My people" (II Samuel 7:11).
תמנה אותו לנגיד, וביום משוח איש לראש ושר היו מזכירים לפניו משפטו. וכן מצאנו... במלכים ב' י"א י"ז: "ויכרת יהוידע את הברית בין ה' ובין המלך ובין העם להיות לעם לה' ובין המלך ובין העם" – מה שמוטל לעשות בין על העם, בין על המלך. וכן השתמשו בשורש "צוה" להוראת "מנה" כמו (שמואל א' י"ג י"ד) "ויצוהו ה' לנגיד" וזולתם.
R. Moshe Ashkenazi, Hoyil Moshe
Appoint him to be the leader. And on the day that a man was anointed as a head and overlord, they would review his statute in front of him. And so do we find... in II Kings 11:17, "And Jehoiada fashioned the covenant between the Lord, on the one hand, and the king and the people, on the other—as well as between the king and the people—that they should be the people of the Lord" - that which was incumbent to do, both regarding the people and regarding the king. And they likewise used, "command," to mean "appoint," as [in] I Samuel 13:14, "and the Lord will command him as a ruler," and other [places].
1. What is the difficulty for all three of them?
2. What is the main difference between Rashi's answer and between Shadal's, in resolving the above difficulty?
3. Ramban disagrees with Rashi's words ("and it is not correct in my eyes"). What can one argue against this explanation of Rashi?
4. What is the difference between the two answers given in the words of Hoyil Moshe?