Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Torah

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, EVEN THE WHOLE CONGREGATION, CAME INTO THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN. “The congregation — an upright congregation, for those who were [punished] with death in the wilderness [on account of sinning in the matter of the spies] had already died, and these were designated to live” [i.e., they were the new generation which was to enter the Land]. This is Rashi’s language, and such is also the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. But if so, why was it necessary to mention this [same expression: even the whole congregation] when they came afterwards unto Mount Hor?. Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote [there] that Scripture mentioned it because Edom had come out to fight them,, Verse 20. therefore it mentions that none of them was missing when they came back from the city of Edom. But this is not correct, since Israel turned away from him [Edom], Verse 21. and did not wage battle with them at all. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that it is the Scriptural style to mention [“the whole congregation”] when speaking of complaints, [just as in the following verses]: And all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai;, Verses 2-3, that they murmured for food. And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their stages … and encamped in Rephidim, 17:1. There too it is related in Verses 2-3 that they quarrelled with Moses, saying, “Give us water.” — and Scripture thereby informs us that they all [participated] in the complaint. Similarly, And all the congregation lifted up their voice; And on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured. 17:6. There they complained about the death of Korach and his followers. Scripture uses that expression when they came to Mount Hor in order to tell us that they all took part in the mourning for Aaron, the holy one of the Eternal, just as it is said, and they wept for Aaron … all the house of Israel, and it states [furthermore]: in the sight of all the congregation., Verse 27. In Bamidbar Sinai Rabbah I have seen mentioned the text [quoted above by Rashi] — “an upright congregation etc.” — only in connection with the second verse [speaking] about Mount Hor [i.e., Verses 22 and 27 quoted above, which say that ‘the whole congregation came’ to Mount Hor, and that Moses and Aaron went up into Mount Hor ‘in the sight of all the congregation’], for in the case of the first verse [i.e., the present verse, the expression all the congregation] is used because [Scripture wants to indicate that they all joined in] the murmuring, as I have explained.
VAYEISHEV HA’AM’ (AND THE PEOPLE ABODE) IN KADESH. The intention thereof is to tell us that when they had entered the wilderness of Zin as far as Kadesh, Miriam died. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra erred [here] when he commented: “[Scripture states vayeishev ha’am, meaning ‘the people dwelt,’ and does not say vayachanu — ‘and they pitched’] because they stayed there for a long time, for so it is written.” there. Rashi there explains that the many days were in fact nineteen years. See the note that follows. [This is in error] because the place called Kadesh of which it is written, So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there there. Rashi there explains that the many days were in fact nineteen years. See the note that follows. is Kadesh-barnea,, Verse 19: and we came to Kadesh-barnea. From there the spies were sent to see the Land (further, 32:8). As a result of their sin, it was decreed that the people would remain in the wilderness for the following thirty-eight years, and die therein. The first half of this period they spent in Kadesh, namely Kadesh-barnea. It is this Kadesh-barnea which Ibn Ezra equated with Kadesh [mentioned here], and that is an error, as explained. which is in the wilderness of Paran [and not in the wilderness of Zin, mentioned here]. It was from there that the spies were sent out [to see the Land] in the second year [after the exodus], and thence that they returned. But the Kadesh [mentioned] here is in the wilderness of Zin, and they [only] arrived there in the fortieth year [after the exodus], and there Miriam died. The verses are explicit [on this matter].

The sin of Moses and Aaron in the [matter of the] waters of Meribah is not clearly expressed in Scripture. Rashi explains that [their sin consisted of hitting the rock], because He had commanded them, and speak ye unto the rock, and did not say “and ye shall strike it.” For had they spoken [to the rock and it had brought forth water] the Holy One, blessed be He, would have been sanctified before the whole congregation, since the people would have said: “If [even] this rock, which does not hear and does not speak, nonetheless obeys the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, how much more so should we [obey His commands]!” These words are [in the nature of] a homiletic interpretation, but they do not clarify [the matter]. For since G-d had commanded Moses: Take the rod, it implied that he should smite [the rock] with it, for had He only wanted that he should speak to it, what was [the point of] this rod in his hand? Similarly, in the [case of the] plagues of Egypt where He said, and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand it was in order to smite with it;, Verse 17: I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river. and sometimes He said, Stretch forth thy hand [with thy rod],, 8:1. when the meaning is: “to smite with the rod,” since Scripture writes briefly when the subject-matter is self-understood. Moreover, the miracle [involved in the rock giving forth water] is no greater if [accomplished] by speech than by smiting, for as far as the rock is concerned both are equal. Furthermore [if the sin consisted of smiting the rock], why did He say about this: ye [Moses and Aaron] trespassed against Me? [It cannot be because they failed to speak to the rock], for the [fulfillment of the] command to [Moses to] speak to the rock is indeed [also] mentioned at the occurrence [of the event]! Thus He commanded [Moses and Aaron] to say whilst the rock “listens” that G-d will bring forth water out of this rock, similar to [that which Joshua said about a stone which he put up as a witness to the covenant which he made with the people], for ‘it hath heard’ all the words of the Eternal. And they [Moses and Aaron] indeed did so, as Scripture states, And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them etc. Thus the rock did “hear” when he [Moses] spoke these words to all the people! Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already refuted many claims of the commentators in [their explanations of the nature of] this sin. But the secret to which he alluded is also incorrect. For if Moses lost his concentration of mind because of the strife of the people, and [therefore] did not speak to the rock, so that the water did not come forth [when he smote the rock] the first time, and only when he hit the rock again, a second time, with concentration of cleaving unto [the Creator of] all, did the water come forth [as Ibn Ezra explains] — then they [indeed] sinned the first time, but it was not such [a sin] about which He would say: ye believed not in Me, to sanctify Me, since there was no lack of “faith” here at all! Now Rabbeinu Rabbi Moshe [ben Maimon] advanced the following reasoning, (The Eight Chapters), Chapter 4. These chapters are Maimonides’ introduction to the Tractate Aboth, which contains the roots of ethical and moral teachings of the Rabbis of the Mishnah. and explained “that the sin of Moses our teacher, of blessed memory, consisted of tending towards anger, when he said, Hear now ye rebels, and G-d, blessed be He, treated this as a failing, that a man like him should show anger in front of the congregation of Israel, in a situation in which anger was not warranted. All similar actions of such a man are treated as a profanation of G-d’s Name, because the people take an example from all his [Moses’] movements and words, hoping thereby to achieve successes in this world and the World to Come. How could he [permit himself to] appear angry, since it [anger] is an evil trait, and is derived only from a bad characteristic of the features of the soul! But when He said of this sin: ye trespassed against Me, [the meaning thereof] is as I shall explain. Moses was not speaking to simpletons, nor to those of insignificant status, for the least important of their women was [equal in prophetic vision] to [the prophet] Ezekiel the son of Buzi, as the Sages have mentioned. Thus whatever Moses said or did the people would examine, so that when they saw him becoming angry, they said that he — may his memory be blessed — did not lack moral perfection, and therefore ‘unless he knew that G-d was angry with us for demanding water, and that we have aroused His anger, blessed be He, Moses also would not have been angry with us.’ But we do not find that G-d, praised be He, was angry [with the people] when He spoke to Moses on this matter. But [instead] He said: Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink. [This statement does not indicate that G-d was angry with the people for having demanded water, and hence Moses’ anger was unjustified.] Thus we have solved one of the most difficult problems in the Torah, concerning which many things have been said, and which has been asked many times, namely: ‘what was the sin which Moses committed?’ Consider what has been said [by others] about it, and what we ourselves have explained, and let the truth prevail.” These are the words of Rabbi Moshe [ben Maimon] of blessed memory. He has added vanity upon vanities! For Scripture says ye trespassed against Me, meaning that they transgressed His command, and He [further] stated, ye believed not in Me, meaning that they lacked faith in Him, [and if so] the punishment [of Moses] was not because he showed anger! [Were this to be his sin], Moses would have deserved punishment [not so much here as] when he was wroth with the officers of the host for no reason. Moreover, Scripture [here] does not mention anything about him being angry, for the expression Hear now, ye rebels is [merely a form of] rebuke, similar to that which he [Moses] said: Ye have been rebellious against the Eternal. Furthermore, Aaron never in his life became angry, for he always walked in peace and uprightness. Besides, it is impossible [to suggest, as Rambam does], that G-d was not very angry with them [the people] for their strife with Moses! For throughout all their [previous] trials in the wilderness, their greatest sin was when they said, wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt? and they preferred to be slaves to their enemies doing rigorous work, rather than to be G-d’s [people], like a son who serves his father. Thus Scripture says: because that ye have rejected the Eternal Who is among you, and have troubled Him with weeping, saying: ‘Why, now, came we forth out of Egypt?’ On the first occasion they said even less than this, [namely], Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? and yet there was great [Divine] wrath against them, and [it was considered] a great sin, just as it is said, And the name of the place was called Massah [Trying] and Meribah [Strife], because of the striving of the children of Israel etc. And here it says expressly, These are the waters of Meribah [Strife], where the children of Israel strove with the Eternal!, and this is not so according to Maimonides’ explanation, as Ramban continues. What greater transgression can there be than this! Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! And Moses said, Also the Eternal was angry with me for your sakes, saying: ‘Thou also shalt not go in thither.’ If so, it was they [the people] who sinned and brought about all this misfortune! But according to the explanation of the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon], they did not commit any transgression and sin at all in this whole affair! And as for that which Rabbi Moshe said: “We do not find that G-d, praised be He, was angry [with the people when He spoke to Moses on this matter], but instead He said: Take the rod etc.” — know that whenever the people needed something for their sustenance, even though they murmured and transgressed [in asking] for it, He, being full of compassion, forgiveth iniquity … and does not stir up all His wrath, nor does He hold [their sin against them], but He gives them their request., 106:15. Similarly in the [case of the] first [request for] water He said in a peaceful manner, Pass on before the people etc., even though there was trial and strife there, such that He warned them [not to try G-d] in future generations [using it as an example].. (See also “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 63-64). So also in connection with the manna [He said], Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you, in a phrase indicating love and affection. Only at the end, in the second communication, He said, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel,, Verse 12. merely in order to tell them that they had sinned. But [it is only] when they complained for no [good] reason, that He poured upon them the fury of His anger. And here there is an additional allusion to great wrath, and [the people] being liable to a plague, as it is said, and the glory of the Eternal appeared unto them. [The expression unto them] refers to the assembly mentioned [in the first part of the verse], which indicates “the hand of the Eternal” that is present in plagues, as you may note in [incidents of] the spies, the day of Korach’s punishment,, 16:19: and the glory of the Eternal appeared … The destruction of Korach and his company followed, as related ibid., (Verses 31-33). and the following day., 17:7: and the glory of the Eternal appeared … This was followed by a plague, as related there in Verses 11-14. And one must [moreover] wonder at the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon, who wrote that the people committed no sin in this affair] since the verse explicitly states, They angered Him also at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses because of them! And the verse [there] counts this sin amongst the great trials with which they [the people] tested G-d in the wilderness! The most likely explanation amongst all those that have been said about this matter, and the one best suited to answer a questioner, is that of Rabbeinu Chananel,, Note 48. who wrote [in his commentary] that the sin consisted of their saying, are ‘we’ to bring you forth water out of this rock? They should [not have said “are we”, but] “shall the Eternal bring you forth water?” just as they had said when ‘the Eternal shall give’ you in the evening flesh to eat etc., and similarly in [the case of all the] miracles they [Moses and Aaron] informed them that the Eternal would do wonders for them. And [since they did not say so here], perhaps the people thought that Moses and Aaron brought forth the water for them out of the rock through their own wisdom [and that it was not a Divine miracle]. This is [what G-d referred to in saying], ye sanctified Me not. Now in the case of the first episode with the rock, He said, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and the seventy elders saw the pillar of the cloud, 13:21. hovering over the rock, and thus it was made apparent to all that the miracle was the deed of the Great G-d. But here, since the people saw nothing, they misunderstood the words of Moses and Aaron [as explained above]. It is possible that He said ‘m’altem bi’ (ye ‘trespassed’ against Me), because if one derives benefit from a sacred object, it is called me’ilah.? In a way, then, Moses and Aaron thereby “derived benefit” from a sanctified matter. Similarly, He said ‘m’rithem pi’ (ye rebelled against My commandment) because He had commanded them to speak unto the rock before their eyes, in order that I should become sanctified in their eyes. Or [it may be that m’rithem pi means] “you have ‘changed’ My commandment,” related to the expression ‘vatemer’ (and she changed) My ordinances, since I did not command you to speak in this manner [are ‘we’ to bring you forth water out of this rock?]. And [according to Rabbeinu Chananel’s explanation, the criticism that] lo he’emantem bi (ye believed not in Me) refers [not to Moses and Aaron themselves lacking in belief, but] to the children of Israel [i.e., it does not mean, as it is generally translated, “ye believed not in Me,” but “‘ye did not cause the children of Israel to believe in Me’ because you did not attribute to Me the bringing forth of the water from the rock”]. Or [the word he’emantem] may mean “strengthening,” as if to say: “you did not strengthen yourselves to sanctify Me in their eyes,” related to these expressions: ‘va’amanah’ (and a ‘sure’ ordinance) concerning the singers; the peg that was fastened ‘bimkom ne’eman’ (in a ‘sure’ place). The Truth [Cabalistic explanation] is that this subject [i.e., the nature of Moses’ sin in the incident of the waters of Meribah] is one of the great secrets amongst the mysteries of the Torah. For on the first [occasion with the rock] He said to Moses, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, meaning to say: “My Great Name will be upon the rock in Horeb,” which is the Glory of the Eternal, the devouring fire on the top of the mount.. Therefore he only hit it there once, and a great amount of water came forth. But here He did not tell him so, and so both of them [Moses and Aaron] agreed that they would smite the rock twice — and that was their sin. Therefore He said, lo he’emantem bi, “you did not put faith in My Name [when you should have known] that by faith [alone] the miracle will be done.” It states, ‘m’rithem pi’ (ye rebelled against My commandment), because they rebelled against His holy spirit, which is always called pi Hashem (the commandment of the Eternal). Therefore He said, ‘m’altem’ bi, and the term me’ilah always denotes “untruth.” Thus the sin [of Moses and Aaron] is clearly expressed in Scripture. And so did the Psalmist say, [Tremble thou earth …] at the presence of the G-d of Jacob; Who turneth the rock into a pool of water. And you can understand this from Moses’ prayer, when he said, O G-d Eternal, Thou hast begun, pleading before the Glorious Name, 28:58. to forgive him. And in the opinion of our Rabbis 157. who mention Moses’ anger [as a factor in his sin], it is possible that he hit the rock but [only] a few drops came forth as a result of the diminution in his concentration because of his anger, and they both [Moses and Aaron] were astonished at this, and decided to hit the rock a second time, as I have mentioned, and that was the sin of both of them. In my opinion, the meaning of the phrase, and speak ye ‘el’ (unto) the rock is like ‘al’ (concerning) the rock. Similarly, Thus saith the Eternal of hosts ‘el’ the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases … they shall be carried unto Babylon. Thus He commanded them [Moses and Aaron] to say in the presence of the congregation, when they are all gathered together, that G-d will bring them forth water out of the rock, as He indeed did. Now do not find a difficulty means “to” the rock, and the rock will listen, then the following word l’eineihem (before their eyes) fits in perfectly. The speaking by Moses and Aaron with the rock listening, is to be done before “the eyes” of the people. But if as we now explain speak ye ‘el’ the rock as meaning ‘al’ the rock [“concerning” the rock] while the people are to listen, how is the word l’eineihem in accord with the thought, since people do not listen with “their eyes?” Hence Ramban proceeds to remove this difficulty by pointing out that the word l’eineihem is Scripturally not always used in a literal sense and here it means “in their presence.” in the verse, and ‘speak’ ye unto the rock ‘before their eyes,’ for the meaning thereof is like “in their presence”, so that they should all hear it. Similarly [we find]: And Hananiah ‘spoke before the eyes of’ [which means: “in the presence of”] all the people, saying: ‘Thus saith the Eternal: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon etc.’ There are many cases like this. Or the meaning of the word l’eineihem (before their eyes) here may be that [Moses’] speaking [to the rock] should be when the people are all gathered there, and the rock is before their eyes, as it says when the event [actually took place], And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together ‘before the rock’. For when they had gathered together there and saw the rock face to face, they [Moses and Aaron] said, are we to bring you forth water out of this rock? — as the Sages have mentioned 6. — so that they should not say that there were springs [hidden at that place]. It is possible that the verse is to be [interpreted] as if it were transposed, meaning: “assemble the congregation unto the rock, and speak ye before their eyes, that it give forth water.”
THAT IT GIVE FORTH ITS WATER. The meaning thereof is that a large amount of water should immediately spring forth, just as it is said, and water came forth abundantly, for the term “giving” denotes abundance, as in [the verses]: and the Land shall ‘give’ her produce, and the trees of the field shall ‘give’ their fruit; For as the seed of peace, the vine shall ‘give’ her fruit, and the Land shall ‘give’ her increase, and the heavens shall ‘give’ their dew. In all these [verses] He was promising them abundance. And so, it is written, [Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out], and streams overflowed. Now the meaning of ‘its’ water [that it give forth ‘its’ water] is not like [the Land] shall give ‘her’ produce, and [the trees] shall give ‘their’ fruit, since it is not in the nature of a rock to have water in it. But its meaning is [that it will give forth] the water which will come out of it, for when G-d turns the flint into a fountain of waters,, 114:8. so that they are [contained] in it and come forth out of it, the waters may [indeed] be called ‘its’ water. Similarly, and He will bless ‘thy’ bread, and ‘thy’ water; ‘his’ bread shall be given, ‘his’ waters shall be sure. He stated it in this way [that it give forth ‘its’ water] in order to inform us that the waters will come forth from the very rock itself, not from the ground beneath it, as occurs naturally in the case of many fountains; but [these waters] will come forth from the middle of the rock. And so it is written, Who turneth the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters., 114:8. He repeated a second time [in this verse], and thou shalt bring forth to them water, meaning that “while you [Moses] are still there, you should bring them forth water from the rock, so that they should all see it gushing forth.” SO THOU SHALT GIVE THE CONGREGATION AND THEIR CATTLE DRINK. [This means] that “you should command them to drink from it in your presence.” All this was for the purpose of publicizing the miracle. In the actual event, [however], it is not mentioned that “he gave the congregation and their cattle to drink;” instead, it says, and the congregation drank, and their cattle, because owing to their great thirst, as soon as they saw water gushing out in abundance, they fell upon the river and drank. Now according to the opinion of our Rabbis about Miriam’s Well, this rock [in Kadesh] is the same flint which was in Horeb; therefore they explain [that the expression] ‘its’ water [in that it give forth ‘its’ water] refers to the water which it used to give, for now as a result of Miriam’s death the fountain ceased [and was only restored in the merit of Moses and Aaron]. For when our Rabbis speak of Miriam’s Well, they mean that there was always a miraculous well, a fountain of living waters, flowing wherever it was His Will. Thus He caused it to come up for Ishmael in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. It was this rock which became cleft in Horeb, and throughout their travels [water] flowed from the rock wherever they encamped. But when the righteous one [Miriam] died, the fountain stopped, and now it continued through [the merit of] Moses to be a fountain opened for him from that very same rock [which had been in Horeb], this being the meaning of the phrase, and speak ye unto ‘haselah’ (‘the’ rock) — the known rock. According to the plain meaning of Scripture, [however], there was a rock near the camp, and He commanded “and speak ye unto the rock which is before you” [hence the phrase ‘the’ rock]. One can also explain it as “and speak ye unto the rock which is before their eyes,” meaning to say “the first rock that they will see.”

ARE WE TO BRING YOU FORTH WATER OUT OF THIS ROCK? Far be it and [G-d] forbid that [we should explain this] as a question indicating impossibility! For Moses our teacher, who was trusted in all G-d’s house, [knew] that nothing is too hard for Him; and he together with all Israel had seen greater and more wondrous miracles than this, and especially since this [miracle of providing water from a rock] had already been done once before through him at the rock in Horeb! Now the commentators have said that there are certain questions which [by apparently doubting that which cannot be denied], have the force of an [impassioned or indignant] affirmation. Thus we find: Did I reveal Myself to the house of thy father?; The sense is: “Did I not reveal Myself, although your sons, by their actions appear to belie it!” The king said also unto Zadok the priest: ‘Seest thou?’; Wilt thou judge?; Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote [that the meaning of the verse is]: “Do we indeed have power to bring you forth water out of the rock?” He means thereby to explain that Moses said to them: “Hear now, ye rebels against G-d, who say, ‘and why have ye brought the assembly of the Eternal unto this evil place?’, Verse 5. Do we have the power by natural means to bring you forth water out of this flint? You should therefore recognize that this is all from G-d, for it is He Who took you out of Egypt, and brought you to this place, and it is He Who will feed you here.” This is similar to what he [Moses] told the people in the case of the manna, and ye shall know that the Eternal hath brought you out from the land of Egypt. In my opinion this letter hei [in the word hamin — “out of”] indicates a [real] query, [and the meaning thereof is as follows]: “Are we to bring you forth water out of this rock or not?” For sometimes Scripture explains a question in its positive and negative aspects, such as: whether there are trees therein or not? whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or not? — and at other times it mentions only the positive aspect, [such as in the following verses]: Is this your youngest brother?; Know ye Laban the son of Nachor?;, 29:5. Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself? But this question here that Moses asked of them was a probing question [to test their true intention]. He said to them: “Hear now, ye rebels. — What do ye devise against the Eternal? — Are we to bring you forth water out of this strong rock? Will this event happen or not?” [i.e., “Do you believe that it is within His power to do it, or not?”] He thus stressed that their [behaviour was a serious] rebellion, telling them they were wanting in faith, and that the reason for their quarrelling with him was because they thought that G-d would not act wondrously for them, in a similar manner to that which it says, And they tried G-d in their heart … ‘Can G-d prepare a table in the wilderness … Can He give bread also?’ Similarly the Rabbis have said: “Ten times our ancestors in the wilderness tried the Holy One, blessed be He.” [Moses’ question was thus] like a query as to the belief of the person addressed, [of which we find examples] in many places in Scripture: Must I then bring thy son back? which means: “Is that your wish?” Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? which means, “If that is your advice.” Here too, [the meaning of Moses’ question is]: “Do you think that we shall bring you forth water out of this rock?” The same is also my opinion with regard to [the following verses]: Did I reveal Myself?; The sense is: “Did I not reveal Myself, although your sons, by their actions appear to belie it!” Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?; Wilt thou judge? For all these are questions, but their purpose is to ask about [the truth of] something well-known, so that the person who is asked is compelled to admit [the truth of the fact] against his will. Thus [Did I reveal Myself? The sense is: “Did I not reveal Myself, although your sons, by their actions appear to belie it!” means]: “Have I revealed Myself to your father’s house and chosen you? Since you know this, then Wherefore kick ye at My sacrifice and at Mine offering?” Do ye thus requite the Eternal with such a requital! Similarly, “Hast thou eaten of the tree, about which I commanded you [not to eat], and you are ashamed [and therefore you hid yourself], or [if you did not eat of the tree], why then did you hide?” And in the same way the other [verses are to be explained]. However, the expression Seest thou? is a genuine inquiry about a matter [as to which the questioner is] in doubt, [David saying to Zadok the priest]: “If you ‘advise’ it, then return to the city,” [and the usage of the term ‘seest’ thou? means “do you see fit?”] as in the expression: “I see the words of Admon” [which means: “I find the opinion of Admon correct”]. I have already explained this in Seder Bereshith.

AND HE WAS SANCTIFIED IN THEM — “in that Moses and Aaron died on account of them [i.e., the waters of Meribah]. When the Holy One, blessed be He, executes judgment upon those who are holy [i.e., near] to Him, He becomes revered and sanctified in people’s eyes, as it is said, In them that are nigh unto Me I will be sanctified, and similarly it is stated, Revered is G-d ‘mimikdashecha’ (out of Thy holy places).” (‘out of Thy holy places’) but mim’kudashecha [‘out of Thy sanctified ones’ — out of those who are holy to His Name, upon whom He executes judgment]” (Rashi, Leviticus 10:3). This is Rashi’s language, and it is also Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra’s interpretation. But it does not appear to me to be correct, for Moses and Aaron had not yet died and it was not commonly known amongst people that they were to die on account of this sin, so that G-d would become revered as a result of it, as happened with Nadab and Abihu, and at Perez-uzzah. Besides, Scripture states, These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the Eternal, and He was sanctified ‘by them,’ meaning to say that He was sanctified by those who did the striving [and not through the punishment of Moses and Aaron, as Rashi and Ibn Ezra said], this being related to the expression ‘In them’ that are nigh unto Me I will be sanctified. And according to their explanation [i.e., that of Rashi and Ibn Ezra], it should have said, [These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the Eternal] “and He became honored in front of them” [the children of Israel]. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the incident with the first rock took place in the sight of the elders of Israel alone, as it is expressly stated there. But here [in Verse 10] it is said, And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together etc. Therefore Scripture states that these waters of Meribah [Strife] which brought about the Divine decree against Moses and Aaron [that they would not enter the Land], were the same waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the Eternal and He was sanctified in them in the presence of all of them, similar to that which is written, and I shall gather them out of their enemies’ lands, and will be sanctified in them in the sight of many nations. Know that at the first [incident with the rock] the people quarrelled with Moses — as it is said, And the people strove with Moses, and so also did Moses say, They are almost ready to stone me, Verse 4. — and they [also] tried G-d, saying, Is the Eternal among us, or not?, Verse 7. But here they strove with Him Who is on high, but they did riot test Him. Therefore [Scripture] says that these waters of Meribah [Strife] which were the cause of this decree [against Moses and Aaron] are the same waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the Eternal, and He was sanctified in them in their presence, and they were not the first [waters of the rock in Horeb], where they tried the Eternal, and He was sanctified only in the sight of the elders of Israel. And since there were two incidents with a rock, Scripture had to explain for which one [of these two events] these righteous men [Moses and Aaron] were punished.

AND MOSES SENT MESSENGERS FROM KADESH UNTO THE KING OF EDOM. Scripture did not mention the king’s name, because there was no necessity to do so. It did, however, mention Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, by name, because they were famous for their strength, and they had a name among the nations; [therefore it stresses] that we should give thanks to Him, blessed be He, for having dealt wondrously with us, as it is said, To Him that smote great kings; for His mercy endureth for ever … Sihon king of the Amorites; for His mercy endureth for ever. And Og king of Bashan; for His mercy endureth for ever. And it is customary for Scripture to mention the names of the great kings whose lands we inherited, just as it mentioned in [the Book of] Joshua the five kings of the Amorites: Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem, and Hoham king of Hebron, and Piram king of Jarmuth, and Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon., Verse 3. [It mentioned also] Jabin king of Hazor,, 11:1. but the rest of the kings it mentioned only by number,, 12:9-24. not by name [because they were not famous for their strength]. Scripture states [here], And ‘Edom’ said unto him [and it does not say: “and ‘the king’ of Edom said”], because the whole people agreed with their ruler in his refusal [to allow the Israelites to pass through their land].

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SAID UNTO HIM: ‘WE WILL GO UP BY THE HIGHWAY.’ At first they had said that they would come into the cities, but would take care not to enter fields and vineyards as armies [consisting of] many people are wont to do, in order to plunder the threshing-floors and to invade the vineyards. Instead, they [promised] to go along the king’s highway, which is a public thoroughfare, (the king’s highway) is explained as a definite official highway which followed the eastern bank of the Jordan. Ramban’s interpretation is thus unlike Ibn Ezra’s who explains it to mean the way which the king of Edom will specify for their passage. not a private road. Furthermore they said [at first] that they would not drink any of the water which they [the Edomites] have in their wells for their own needs. Afterwards the Israelites sent them a message [saying] that they would not [even] approach the cities at all, but they would go by the highway which leads up to the land of Canaan, which is a paved road traversed by all people, and if they or their animals drink [even] of the waters of the rivers on the way, whilst passing through the rivers, they would pay them for the benefit they derived from them. Therefore Moses said [here in Verse 19] there is no hurt, meaning that in [passing through their land] there would be no damage of any sort. Other scholars explain [that they meant to say] we shall not drink of the water of the wells unless we pay for it. But this is not correct, for [if so] why would he [Moses] propose to them again that which he [the king of Edom] had already refused at the beginning? [as explained in Verses 17-18]. The Midrashic interpretation 12. According to this explanation Moses was offering to buy from the Edomites their water, although the Israelites could have drunk freely from Miriam’s Well. is: “We shall not drink of the waters of [our own] well, but instead we will buy from you,” as Rashi wrote. Israel said to Edom, until we have passed thy border and they did not say to him [“and we will reach] the Land which the Eternal our G-d giveth us” [as they told Sihon king of Heshbon], in order that Edom should not be jealous of them [taking possession] of the Land, and [should not] claim that it would be theirs [the Edomites’], had not [Jacob] taken [Esau’s] birthright and blessing from him with guile. But to Sihon they did mention, until I shall pass over the Jordan into the Land which the Eternal our G-d giveth us, as Moses stated in the Book of Deuteronomy.

AND ISRAEL TURNED AWAY FROM HIM. Scripture here shortened [the account, omitting to say] that it was by word of the Almighty that they were commanded, Take ye good heed unto yourselves; contend not with them, as Moses explained to them. Thus they turned away from Edom by Divine command, since they could not do anything else because Edom did not let them pass through [his border].

AND STRIP AARON OF HIS GARMENTS. These are the garments [reserved only] for the High Priest, with which Eleazar his son was now appointed [High Priest in his stead]. It is likely that when Aaron came down from offering the Daily Whole-offering, and burnt the incense and kindled the lamps, Moses took him up to Mount Hor whilst he was still dressed in the garments of the [High] Priest, and [then] he stripped him of them. And according to the plain meaning of Scripture [the verse is to be interpreted: And strip Aaron of his garments in order to] put on him the shrouds of a dead man which he had prepared for him, and then he stripped Eleazar of his ordinary clothes and put the sacred garments upon him, as he did to him on the day of initiation. And according to the Midrashic interpretation of our Rabbis, 1:6. various miracles occurred in connection with these garments. Thus they said: “How could Moses strip Aaron of his garments in their proper order? Are not the upper ones always on top, and the lower ones always underneath? But G-d did miraculous deeds for Aaron at the time of his death, even more so than during his lifetime. Thus Moses put Aaron upon the rock and stripped him of the priestly garments, and [alternative] celestial garments clothed themselves [upon him] underneath them. robe, he was covered with a corresponding celestial garment underneath his tunic [which was the lower garment directly on his body]. Moses could then proceed to remove the tunic [which was now above the celestial “upper” robe, thereby fulfilling the Divine command of stripping Aaron of his garments “in their proper order.” As he removed the tunic, a corresponding celestial tunic likewise clothed itself underneath the celestial robe. This interpretation of the Torath Kohanim is based upon Malbim’s commentary. And he put them upon Eleazar his son. But how could Moses put the garments upon Eleazar in their proper order? [We must say that this was not natural], but that G-d bestowed a great honor upon Aaron at the time of his death, even more so than during his lifetime, in that celestial garments first [miraculously] clothed themselves underneath [the other garments], and then Moses stripped Aaron of the priestly garments in their proper order, and [also] put them on Eleazar in their proper order.” So it is taught in the Torath Kohanim. 1:6.