פרשת דברים תש"ג - מסעות ישראל במדבר

For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; He hath known thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.’

that the LORD spoke unto me saying:

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 d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:1; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 towards end).

And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying:

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).

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).

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).

as the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar, did unto me; until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.’ .

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

היושבים בשעיר, these were not the same Edomites who had come out with drawn swords when the Israelites had wanted to traverse their territory (Numbers 20). The Edomites mentioned in verse 29 of our chapter had at least sold food and drink to the Israelites.

as the children of Es̀av did for me Some commentators relate this phrase to “you will sell me food for money” [: 28], but if this be so, how can they reconcile it with the inhabitants of Ar, who are Moabites, and of whom Scripture says “because they did not approach you …” [23: 5]? They feel constrained to give this interpretation, though, because the king of Edom said, “you shall not pass through me” [Numbers 20: 18]. In my opinion, the phrase refers back to the request that we go along the main highway, as the children of Es̀av did for me — i.e., they let them go around Mount S̀eir along the main highway. Scripture accordingly related, “You are to pass along the border of your kinsmen, the Children of Es̀av, who dwell in S̀eir” [: 4]. However, the king of Edom did not let them pass through by way of his territory (from which point they would have been close to the land of Canaan), so they went on to Ar — as it is written [: 18]. Many others have proposed that, although “they did not approach you” [23: 5], nevertheless Israel did purchase from the Moabites.