פרשת בלק תשכ"ח - המשל הרביעי

The Biur:

[After citing Rashi's words above,] but one must wonder about him (about Rashi, who explained that the "star" is King David). For we do not find that David fought with the other idolaters, only with the Land of Israel's neighbors - and they are Ammon, Moab, Edom, Amalek, the Philistines and Aram. And since even Ramban also explained like this, it is likely according to his opinion that the intention is about the King Messiah. However, in my opinion - even if his intention was about the King Messiah - where do we find that he will destroy the buildings of countries needlessly and without benefit to us? As we only hope to inherit for ourselves the Land of Israel which is known to us from our forefathers. And it is the land of the seven nations which is known by its borders and its boundaries; in addition also to the land of the nations that God promised to Abraham - which are the Kenites, the Kenizites and the Kadmonites, that according to the tradition of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, are only the lands of Edom, Ammon and Moab that are adjacent to the Land of Israel. Even if the Messiah will need to fight with the inhabitants of this land, he will not desire to inherit palaces that are not his, to go to distant lands to destroy their towers and raze their fortresses. And even if Ezekiel prophesied about the great enormous war which he will have against the army of Gog who will gather many great nations to himself, behold this war will only be in the Land of Israel. As he will gather upon Jerusalem, as is explained in Ezekiel, and there will they fall. So why should he need to go to their lands to raze their walls, as indicated by the expression, "and break down all the Children of Seth," - which is a matter of destroying walls and fortifications? And just the opposite, we find in the prophecy of Isaiah the great peace that will be even between the [other] nations in the days of [the Messiah]... And if the idolaters will not start wars with one another but rather come to him to ask him about righteous judgement, "desiring closeness to God" - all the more so will he not start wars with them for no reason... Therefore it appears to me [correct] to explain the word shet, like the expression in (Psalms 11:3), "When the shatot are destroyed," the understanding of which is foundations and fortifications. And the word, bnei (generally translated as Children of), in my opinion is an expression of building (binyan). So the understanding of [the phrase] is that he shall destroy the strong edifices to their foundations - and it is referring to Moab, which is mentioned before - such that he will fight against him. [This is the case] whether it is understood about David, who we find fought with Moab, or whether it is about the King Messiah who will fight against it. For its land is considered Israel, according to the tradition of the Sages, may their memory blessed, about the Kenites, the Kenizites and the Kadmonites. And do not wonder about [this] understanding of the word, bnei, [as] buildings (binyanei) - as so did Onkelos translate (Gensis 49:11), "bnei atono" (generally translated as the offspring of his jennet), as "he will build his chamber" - which is an expression of building. For the structure of nouns alternates greatly and does not preserve its form like the structure of verbs - and especially in prophetic expressions.

Hamistadel (R. S. D. Luzzato):

S.v. All the children of shet: Shet is from the root, she'et, as in (Lamentations 3:47), "death (she'et) and destruction." And we find it without a [letter] alef [in] (Job 41:17), "From his dread (seto) do the powers fear." So behold, the meaning of "the children of shet" is the children of death (bnei shaon), as Jeremiah wrote (Jeremiah 48:45), "and it shall consume the corner of Moab and the pate (kadkod) of the children of death (bnei shaon)." And there was already someone who thought that Jeremiah read [our section] in the Torah as "vekadkod," with a [letter,] dalet, and not vekarkar with a [letter,] reish. And once we have come to that, it would have been more [becoming] for us to say that a scribal error made its way into Jeremiah, and that we should read it as, vekarkar bnei shaon. As other mistakes found their way into Jeremiah; and there is no doubt that the scribes were more careful in their copying the book of the Torah than in their copying the book of Jeremiah. But we do not need this; as the way of Jeremiah is known - that he would take expressions of the prophets that came before him, and would mix their words a little here and there.

Botser Olalot (Notes and Additions to the Biur Netivot HaShalom, by Yosef and Shimon Sagta):

S.v. Vekarkar: Some say that it is an expression [connoting] a wall (kir), and its function [here] is as in (Numbers 4:13), "And they shall clear the ashes (dashnu) of the altar"; and as in (Exodus 13:13), "you shall break its neck (arafto)" [wherein the noun takes the form of a verb]. However what is correct is that its main usage is [to mean] digging and removing by its roots. S.v. Shet: Some say that is a variant of she'et, meaning, the children of death, as it is stated in Jeremiah 48:45. And its explanation is the valiant troops that yell out with a loud voice and hurl...

R. S. R. Hirsch:

Karkar is an expression [connoting] a wall - the destruction of walls. "The Children of Seth: All that come into the world after the flood - as they are all descendants of Noah, who was the last of Seth's progeny. And its explanation would be that the star that will step forth from Jacob/Israel, which will rule with the scepter - the rod of the ruler - will break down the gates of Moab and overthrow the walls of all the nations. [This] means to say that in view of the power of Israel's Torah which teaches the nations the only way to redemption, the isolation granted Moab by its fortifications will be null and void. The pride of separation will be negated and people will relinquish their "walls." They will no longer place their faith in the increase of physical might, nor will they praise it any longer as a shelter and shield.