פרק יד

אכל העדה. סַנְהֶדְרָאוֹת (תנחומא יב):

1כל העדה ALL THE CONGREGATION — This refers to the Sanhedrin (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 12; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 4:13 and Note thereon).

אלו מתנו. הַלְוַאי וָמַתְנוּ:

1לו מתנו means WOULD THAT WE HAD DIED.

אנתנה ראש. כְּתַרְגוּמוֹ "נְמַנֵּי רֵישָׁא" — נָשִׂים עָלֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ; וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵרְשׁוּ, לְשׁוֹן עֲ"זָ (סנהדרין ק"ז):

1נתנה ראש LET US MAKE A CAPTAIN — Understand this as the Targum does: Let us appoint a chief — i.e. let us set a king over us. But our Rabbis explain the word ראש to denote idol-worship (i.e. that they intended to turn to idolatry) (cf. Sanhedrin 107a).

אאל תמרדו. וְשׁוּב ואתם אל תראו:

1אל תמרדו [ONLY] REBEL NOT YE [AGAINST THE LORD], and consequently ואתם אל תיראו YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FEAR [THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND].

בכי לחמנו הם. נֹאכְלֵם כַּלֶּחֶם:

2כי לחמנו הם FOR THEY ARE BREAD FOR US — i.e. we shall consume them as bread.

גסר צלם. מְגִנָּם וְחָזְקָם, כְּשֵׁרִים שֶׁבָּהֶם מֵתוּ — אִיּוֹב שֶׁהָיָה מֵגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם (סוטה ל"ה); (דָּ"אַ, צִלּוֹ שֶׁל הַמָּקוֹם סָר עֲלֵיהֶם):

3סר צלם THEIR DEFENSE (lit., shade) IS DEPARTED [FROM THEM] — i.e. their shield and their strength is departed from them: the virtuous among them are dead; one of them was Job, who had protected them by his righteousness (Sotah 35a; cf. Bava Batra 15a). [Another explanation is: the shade (protection) of the Omnipresent is departed from them]. (Cf. Psalms 121:5).

אלרגום אתם. אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכָלֵב:

1לרגום אתם [BUT ALL THE CONGREGATION BADE] TO OVERWHELM THEM WITH STONES — them viz., Joshua and Caleb.

בוכבוד ה'. הֶעָנָן יָרַד שָׁם:

2וכבוד ה׳ AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD [APPEARED IN THE APPOINTED TENT] — i.e. the cloud descended there (Sotah 35a).

אעד אנה. עַד הֵיכָן:

1עד אנה means HOW LONG (while אנה is used of place — “where”, עד אנה denotes time - "until when").

בינאצני. יַרְגִּיזוּנִי:

2ינאצני means [HOW LONG] WILL THEY PROVOKE ME TO ANGER.

גבכל האתות. בִּשְׁבִיל כָּל הַנִּסִּים שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי לָהֶם, הָיָה לָהֶם לְהַאֲמִין שֶׁהַיְכֹלֶת בְּיָדִי לְקַיֵּם הַבְטָחָתִי:

3בכל האתות FOR ALL THE SIGNS — This means: On account of all the signs which I have done for them they ought to have believed that I possess the ability to fulfill My promise.

אואורישנו. לְשׁוֹן תֵּרוּכִין, וְאִ"תֹּ מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לִשְׁבוּעַת אָבוֹת?

1ואורישנו is an expression for “driving out” (here, driving out from the world, destroying). — And if you ask what I will do regarding the oath I have sworn to the Patriarchs (viz., to give the Land to their children; cf. Exodus 6:3—4), then I reply:

בואעשה אתך לגוי גדול. שֶׁאַתָּה מִזַּרְעָם:

2ואעשה אתך לגוי גדול I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION — [whereby My oath will be fulfilled] since you are one of their descendants (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 13).

אושמעו מצרים. וְשָׁמְעוּ אֶת אֲשֶׁר תַּהַרְגֵם:

1ושמעו מצרים WHEN THE EGYPTIANS SHALL HEAR IT — i.e. when they hear how you are killing them, [as stated in the previous verse].

בכי העלית. כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר, וְהֵם רָאוּ אֶת אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלִיתָ בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדוֹל אוֹתָם מִקִּרְבָּם, וּכְשֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ שֶׁאַתָּה הוֹרְגָם לֹא יֹאמְרוּ שֶׁחָטְאוּ לְךָ, אֶלָּא יֹאמְרוּ שֶׁכְּנֶגְדָּם יָכֹלְתָּ לְהִלָּחֵם אֲבָל כְּנֶגֶד יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ לֹא יָכֹלְתָּ לְהִלָּחֵם, וְזוֹ הִיא:

2כי העלית — The word כי here is used in the sense of אשר, “that”, and the meaning is: they have seen that Thou broughtest them forth in Thy great strength from their midst, and when they hear that Thou art killing them they will not say that it is because they have sinned against Thee, but they will say that against them Thou wast able to fight, but against the in habitants of the Land of Canaan, however, Thou wast unable to fight; and this is the meaning of —

אואמרו אל יושב הארץ הזאת. כְּמוֹ עַל יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת — וּמַה יֹּאמְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם? מַה שֶּׁאָמוּר בְּסוֹף הָעִנְיָן:

1ואמרו אל יושב הארץ which is the same as על יושב הארץ THEY WILL SAY CONCERNING THE INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND — What will they say concerning them? That which is stated at the end of the paragraph, (v. 16):

במבלתי יכלת ה'. בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ כִּי אַתָּה ה' שׁוֹכֵן בְּקִרְבָּם וְעַיִן בְּעַיִן אַתָּה נִרְאֶה לָהֶם, וְהַכֹּל בְּדֶרֶךְ חִבָּה וְלֹא הִכִּירוּ בְךָ שֶׁנִּתְּקָה אַהֲבָתְךָ מֵהֶם עַד הֵנָּה:

2'מבלתי יכולת ה “Because the Lord was unable etc. … [he hath slaughtered them in the wilderness]”. — The connection between that verse and what preceeds is as follows: Because they have heard that Thou, O Lord, dwellest in their midst and that Thou appearest to them face to face and all this is in an affectionate manner (i.e. all this is evidence of the affection in which Thou holdest them), and until now they had not realized that Your love for them had been withdrawn.

אהמתה את העם הזה כאיש אחד. פִּתְאֹם, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ וְגוֹ':

1והמתה את העם הזה כאיש אחד IF THOU PUTTEST TO DEATH ALL THIS PEOPLE AS ONE MAN — i.e. suddenly; then, because of this the nations who have heard the fame of Thee [will say as follows]:

אמבלתי יכלת וגו'. לְפִי שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ חֲזָקִים וְגִבּוֹרִים, וְאֵינוֹ דוֹמֶה פַרְעֹה לִשְׁלֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד מְלָכִים, זֹאת יֹאמְרוּ עַל יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת — מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁלֹא הָיָה יְכֹלֶת בְּיָדוֹ לַהֲבִיאָם — שְׁחָטָם:

1מבלתי יכלת וגו׳ BECAUSE THE LORD IS UNABLE etc., — “He is unable to bring them into the land on Canaan because the inhabitants of the land are strong and mighty; and besides, one king, Pharaoh, is not like thirty-one kings, who inhabit Canaan”. — This is what they will say concerning the inhabitants of this land (these kings): מבלתי יכלת because He had no power to bring them into the Land He hath slaughtered them (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 13).

ביכלת. שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא:

2יכלת is a noun form.

א(יגדל נא כח ה'. לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּבּוּרְךָ:)

1('יגדל נא כח ה — LET THE STRENGTH OF MY LORD BE GREAT — by fulfilling Your statement.)

בכאשר דברת לאמר. וּמַהוּ הַדִּבּוּר?

2כאשר דברת לאמר ACCORDING AS THOU HAST SPOKEN, SAYING — And what is the utterance which Thou hast spoken?

אה' ארך אפים. לַצַּדִּיקִים וְלָרְשָׁעִים; כְּשֶׁעָלָה מֹשֶׁה לַמָּרוֹם מְצָאוֹ לְהַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְכוֹתֵב ה' אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, אָמַר לוֹ, לַצַּדִּיקִים? אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה אַף לָרְשָׁעִים, אָמַר לוֹ רְשָׁעִים יֹאבֵדוּ, אָמַר לוֹ חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁתִּצְטָרֵךְ לַדָּבָר; כְּשֶׁחָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵגֶל וּבַמְּרַגְּלִים הִתְפַּלֵּל מֹשֶׁה לְפָנָיו בְּאֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה וַהֲלֹא אָמַרְתָּ לִי לַצַּדִּיקִים? אָמַר לוֹ וַהֲלֹא אָמַרְתָּ לִי אַף לָרְשָׁעִים, יגדל נא כח ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּבּוּרְךָ (סנהדרין קי"א):

1ה' אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם “The Lord is long suffering” towards both the righteous and the wicked. When Moses ascended to Heaven to receive the Law he found the Holy One, blessed be He, engaged in writing: “The Lord is long-suffering”. He asked, “Surely only to the righteous?” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “To the wicked also!” Whereupon Moses said: “The wicked — let them perish!” He (the Lord) replied to him: “I swear by your life that you shall eventually need this thing (the extension of My mercy also to the wicked)”. When the Israelites sinned at the incident of the Golden Calf and at that of the spies, Moses offered prayer before Him, with mention of God’s attribute of ארך אפים (of His being long suffering). The Holy One, blessed be He, then said to him: Did you not say, “Surely only to the righteous!?” Whereupon Moses replied, “But did You not tell me, ‘To the wicked also’?” Let then — Moses added — the strength of My Lord be great [even as Thou didst say] — by fulfilling Thy statement and not mine! (Sanhedrin 111a).

בונקה. לַשָּׁבִים:

2ונקה AND HE CLEARS those who repent,

גלא ינקה. לְשֶׁאֵינָן שָׁבִים (יומא פ"ו):

3לא ינקה BUT DOES NOT CLEAR those who do not repent (Yoma 86a; cf. Onkelos and Rashi on Exodus 34:7).

אכדברך. בִּשְׁבִיל מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתָּ "פֶּן יֹאמְרוּ מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת ה'":

1כדברך [I HAVE FORGIVEN] ACCORDING TO THY WORD — i.e. because of what you have said, “Lest they say: ‘Because the Lord was unable, etc.’”.

אואולם. כְּמוֹ אֲבָל זֹאת אֶעֱשֶׂה לָהֶם:

1ואולם BUT, means , (I will not slay them), but this will I do unto them (what is mentioned in v. 22 ff.).

בחי אני. לְשׁוֹן שְׁבוּעָה, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי חַי וּכְבוֹדִי יִמָּלֵא אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ, כָּךְ אֲקַיֵּם לָהֶם כִּי כָל הָאֲנָשִׁים הָרֹאִים וְגוֹ', (אם יראו את הארץ. הֲרֵי זֶה מִקְרָא מְסֹרָס — חַי אָנִי כִּי כָל הָאֲנָשִׁים אִם יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וּכְבוֹדִי יִמָּלֵא אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַלֵּל שְׁמִי בַמַּגֵפָה הַזֹּאת לֵאמֹר מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת ה' לַהֲבִיאָם, שֶׁלֹּא אֲמִיתֵם פִּתְאֹם כְּאִיש אֶ' אֶלָּא בְּאִחוּר מ' שָׁנָה מְעַט מְעַט):

2חי אני AS TRULY AS I LIVE — This is the formula of an oath: Just as it is true that I live and that all the earth is filled with My glory, so, indeed, will I fulfil regarding them My threat “that all the men who have seen etc.”. [אם יראו את הארץ — This verse is out of order: Its connection with what precedes it is as follows: As truly as I live, I swear that all the men who have seen My glory etc. shall not see the Land, “and yet My Glory shall fill the earth”, since My Name will not become profaned through this plague which I proposed to bring upon them by people stating: “Because the Lord is unable to bring them into the Land etc.” since I shall not then be killing them suddenly, as one man (v. 15), but during a prolonged period of forty years — little by little].

אוינסו. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:

1וינסו— Take the passage as what it literally implies: AND THEY HAVE TESTED [ME].

בזה עשר פעמים. שְׁנַיִם בַּיָּם וּשְׁנַיִם בַּמָּן וּשְׁנַיִם בַּשְּׂלָו וכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְמַסֶּכֶת עֲרָכִין (דף ט"ו):

2זה עשר פעמים TEN TIMES — twice at the Red Sea, twice in the case of the “Manna”, twice in the case of the “quails” etc., as is to be found in the Treatise Arakhin 15a.

אאם יראו. לֹא יִרְאוּ:

1אם יראו means THAT THEY SHALL NOT SEE.

בלא יראהו. לֹא יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ:

2לא יראוה THEY SHALL NOT SEE IT — i. e. they shall not see the land.

ארוח אחרת. שְׁתֵּי רוּחוֹת, אַ' בַּפֶה וְאַ' בְּלֵב, לַמְּרַגְּלִים אָמַר אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בָּעֵצָה, וּבְלִבּוֹ הָיָה לוֹמַר הָאֱמֶת, וְעַל יְדֵי כֵן הָיָה בוֹ כֹּחַ לְהַשְׁתִּיקָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י"ג), "וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב", שֶׁהָיוּ סְבוּרִים שֶׁיֹּאמַר כְּמוֹתָם, זֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּסֵ' יְהוֹשֻׁעַ "וָאָשֵׁב אֹתוֹ דָּבָר כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבִי" (יהושע י"ד) — וְלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם פִּי (תנחומא):

1רוח אחרת [BUT MY SERVANT CALEB, BECAUSE HE HAD] ANOTHER SPIRIT [WITH HIM] — The word “another’ suggests that he was filled with a twofold spirit — the one to which he gave utterance (lit., one in his mouth), and another which he concealed in his heart. To the spies he said, “I am with you in your counsel”, whilst in his heart he had the intention to tell the truth, and it was only on this account that he possessed the power to silence them (the people), as it is said, (Numbers 13:30) “And Caleb silenced [the people concerning Moses]” (cf. Rashi on that verse), for they thought that he would say the same as themselves (as the spies). It is this that is alluded to in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 14:7) where it states that Caleb said “And I brought him (Moses) word again as it was in my heart” — but not as it was in my mouth (i.e. not what I had said to the spies) (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 10).

בוימלא אחרי. וַיְמַלֵּא אֶת לִבּוֹ אַחֲרַי, וְזֶה מִקְרָא קָצָר:

2וימלא אחרי AND HE HATH FOLLOWED ME FULLY (lit., he hath filled to go after Me) — i.e. he hath filled his heart with the intention to follow Me; — this is an elliptical sentence (the word “his heart” is omitted).

גאשר בא שמה. חֶבְרוֹן תִּנָּתֵן לוֹ:

3אשר בא שמה [HIM WILL I BRING UNTO THE LAND] WHEREUNTO HE WENT — Hebron shall be given to him (cf. Rashi on v. 22).

דיורשנה. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "יְתַרְכֻנַּהּ", יוֹרִישׁוּ אֶת הָעֲנָקִים וְאֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ, וְאֵין לְתַרְגְּמוֹ "יַרְתִּינַהּ" אֶלָּא בִּמְקוֹם יִירָשֶׁנָּה:

4יורשנה — Understand this as the Targum does: “and his seed shall drive it (the population of the land) out” i. e. shall drive out the Anakim and the other people that are in it. — One should not give the rendering ירתינה, “they will possess it”, in the Targum except in place of the Hebrew יִירָשֶׁנָּה (in the Kal, whilst the Hiphil, as here, denotes to drive out).

אוהעמלקי וגו'. אִם תֵּלְכוּ שָׁם יַהַרְגוּ אֶתְכֶם, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינִי עִמָּכֶם:

1והעמלקי וגו׳ AND THE AMALEKITES [AND THE CANAANITES DWELL IN THE VALLEY] — This is not a mere statement that they dwell there; it is a warning: If you go there they will kill you, since I shall not be with you.

במחר פנו. לַאֲחוֹרֵיכֶם, וסעו לכם וגו':

2מחר פנו TOMORROW TURN YOU — i.e. turn backwards, וסעו לכם AND JOURNEY [INTO THE DESERT etc.].

אלעדה הרעה וגו'. אֵלּוּ הַמְרַגְּלִים, מִכָּאן לָעֵדָה שֶׁהִיא עֲשָׂרָה (מגילה כ"ג):

1לעדה הרעה וגו׳ [HOW LONG SHALL I BEAR] WITH THIS EVIL CONGREGATION — This refers to the spies (not to the whole congregation); from here we learn that an עדה, “a congregation” is technically a gathering of at least ten persons (Megillah 23b).

באשר המה מלינים. אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלַי:

2אשר המה מלינים [THIS EVIL CONGREGATION] WHICH MAKE the Israelites MURMUR עלי AGAINST ME.

גאת תלנות בני ישראל אשר המה. הַמְרַגְּלִים מלינים אוֹתָם עלי, שמעתי:

3את תלנות בני ישראל אשר המה THE MURMURINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHICH THEY, the spies, מלינים MAKE them MURMUR עלי, AGAINST ME, שמעתי I HAVE HEARD.

אחי אני. לְשׁוֹן שְׁבוּעָה, אִם לֹא כֵן אֶעֱשֶׂה — כִּבְיָכוֹל אֵינִי חַי:

1חי אני AS TRULY AS I LIVE — This is a formula of taking an oath: If I do not do so, then — if this were at all possible to say of God — I do not live.

בכאשר דברתם. שֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתֶּם מִמֶּנִּי "אוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה לוּ מָתְנוּ" (פסוק ב'):

2כאשר דברתם AS YE HAVE SPOKEN … [YOUR CARCASSES WILL FALL IN THE WILDERNESS] — because you made the request of Me: “Would that we had died in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:2).

אוכל פקדיכם לכל מספרכם. כָּל הַנִּמְנֶה לְכָל מִסְפָּר שֶׁאַתֶּם נִמְנִים בּוֹ, כְּגוֹן לָצֵאת וְלָבֹא לַצָּבָא וְלָתֵת שְׁקָלִים, כָּל הַמְּנוּיִים לְכָל אוֹתָן מִסְפָּרוֹת יָמוּתוּ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן מבן עשרים שנה וגו'; לְהוֹצִיא שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל לֵוִי שֶׁאֵין פְּקוּדֵיהֶם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים:

1וכל פקדיכם לכל מספרכם AND ALL OF YOU THAT WERE NUMBERED IN ANY COUNTING OF YOU — i.e. all that are numbered of you in any census (מספר) in which you are numbered, as, for instance, on going to or coming back from war, or when giving the shekels: all who are numbered in all these censuses shall die, and these are, everyone מבן עשרים שנה וגו׳ FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARDS — The age is expressly mentioned to exclude the tribe of Levi because those who were numbered of them were not from twenty years old and upwards (but they were either numbered from one month old — cf. Numbers 3:40, or from thirty years old; Numbers 4:3) (Bava Batra 121b).

אופגריכם אתם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁדִּבֵּר עַל הַבָּנִים לְהַכְנִיסָם לָאָרֶץ וּבִקֵּשׁ לוֹמַר וְאַתֶּם תָּמוּתוּ, נוֹפֵל לָשׁוֹן זֶה כָּאן לוֹמַר "אתם":

1ופגריכם אתם — Understand this as the Targum does: (“But your carcasses — those of you — they shall fall in this desert”). Because in the previous verse He said of the children that He would bring them into the Land, and it wishes to state now: “but you will die”, this idiom is appropriate here — to say the word אתם (in addition to the personal suffix in פגריכם, in order to stress the contrast).

אארבעים שנה. לֹא מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶם פָּחוּת מִבֶּן שִׁשִּׁים, לְכָךְ נִגְזַר אַרְבָּעִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ אוֹתָם שֶׁל בְּנֵי עֶשְׂרִים מַגִּיעִין לִכְלַל שִׁשִּׁים; שָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה הָיְתָה בִכְלָל, וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁקָּדְמָה לְשִׁלּוּחַ הַמְרַגְּלִים, לְפִי שֶׁמִּשֶּׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֶגֶל עָלְתָה גְזֵרָה זוֹ בְמַחֲשָׁבָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁהִמְתִּין לָהֶם עַד שֶׁתִּתְמַלֵּא סְאָתָם, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּבְיוֹם פָּקְדִי" — בַּמְרַגְּלִים — "וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם חַטָּאתָם" (שמות ל"ב); וְאַף כָּאן נֶאֱמַר "תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת עֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם" — שְׁתֵּי עֲוֹנוֹת, שֶׁל עֵגֶל וְשֶׁל תְּלוּנָה, וְחָשַׁב לָהֶם בְּמִנְיַן חַיֵּיהֶם מִקְצָת שָׁנָה כְּכֻלָּהּ, וּכְשֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לִשְׁנַת שִׁשִּׁים מֵתוּ אוֹתָם שֶׁל בְּנֵי עֶשְׂרִים:

1ארבעים שנה [AND YOUR CHILDREN SHALL WANDER IN THE DESERT] FORTY YEARS — None of them was to die younger than 60 years old (Bava Batra 121b). For this reason a period of forty years was decreed for their wanderings in order that those who were at that time 20 years old (and only those from twenty years old and upwards came under this decree; cf. v. 29) should reach the age of sixty (the average age of man; cf. Moed Katan 28a and Tosefta Yoma 4:10. s. v. ומיתה). The first year that they were in the wilderness was included in the forty although it preceded the sending forth of the spies (which took place in the second year), because from the moment they made the Golden Calf this decree entered the mind of God, but He waited for them (postponed their punishment) until their measure of sin should be full. This is the meaning of what is stated, (Exodus 32:34) “And in the day when I shall visit — viz., at the incident of the spies — I shall visit their sin (that of the Golden Calf) upon them”. And, here, indeed, it states, (v. 34) “ye shall bear your iniquities” (in the plural) suggesting two sins; that of the Calf and that of the murmuring. — In the calculation it (Scripture) regards in the years of their lives a part of the year (of the sixtieth year) as the whole of it, and as soon as they entered their sixtieth year those who were now twenty years old died (Tanchuma 4:4:13).

בונשאו את זנותיכם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וִיקַבְּלוּן יָת חוֹבֵיכוֹן":

2ונשאו את זנותיכם AND SHALL BEAR YOUR WHOREDOMS — Understand this as the Targum does: and they shall bear your guilt (cf. Targum on ונשא את עונה, Numbers 30:16, and Rashi on that verse).

אאת תנואתי. שֶׁהֲנִיאוֹתֶם אֶת לְבַבְכֶם מֵאַחֲרַי, תנואה לְשׁוֹן הֲסָרָה, כְּמוֹ "כִּי הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ" (במדבר ל):

1את תנואתי [AND YE SHALL KNOW] את תנואתי — You shall know (realise) that you have removed your heart from following after Me. תנואה is an expression for “removing”, similar to (Numbers 30:6) “for her father hath removed her (הניא) from her vow” (cf. Rashi on that verse, where he quotes this phrase).

אוישבו וילינו עליו. וּכְשֶׁשָּׁבוּ מִתּוּר הָאָרֶץ הִרְעִימוּ עָלָיו אֶת כָּל הָעֵדָה בְּהוֹצָאַת דִּבָּה, אוֹתָם אֲנָשִׁים וימתו; כָּל הוֹצָאַת דִּבָּה לְשׁוֹן חִנּוּךְ דְּבָרִים, שֶׁמַּלְקִיחִים לְשׁוֹנָם לְאָדָם לְדַבֵּר בּוֹ, כְּמוֹ "דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים" (שיר השירים ז'), וְיֶשְׁנָהּ לְטוֹבָה וְיֶשְׁנָהּ לְרָעָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר כָּאן מוצאי דבת הארץ רעה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ דִּבָּה שֶׁהִיא טוֹבָה:

1וישבו וילינו עליו [AND THE MEN WHOM MOSES SENT TO SEARCH THE LAND] RETURNED AND MADE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION MURMUR AGAINST HIM — This meant: “the men whom Moses sent and who, when they returned (וישבו) from searching the Land, made the whole congregation murmur against him by making them utter an evil report, — those men died. Wherever the phrase הוציא דבה occurs it denotes instructing to speak — that people teach their way of speaking to a person that he may speak it (cf. Rashi on 23:31). Similar is, (Song 7:10) “causing the lips of those who are asleep to speak." (דובב) There may be one (a דבה, “an utterance”) for good, or there may be one for evil: and it is for this reason that it states here, “[even those men] that made the people utter evil speech about the Land”, because, as I have stated, there is a דבה which may be termed good.

בדבה. פרליר"ש בְּלַעַז:

2דבה is parlerie in O. F.; (Engl = utterance).

אבמגפה לפני ה'. בְּאוֹתָהּ מִיתָה הַהֲגוּנָה לָהֶם, מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה, הֵם חָטְאוּ בַּלָּשׁוֹן, וְנִשְׁתַּרְבֵּב לְשׁוֹנָם עַד טַבּוּרָם וְתוֹלָעִים יוֹצְאִים מִלְּשׁוֹנָם וּבָאִין לְתוֹךְ טַבּוּרָם, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "בַּמַּגֵּפָה" וְלֹא "בְמַגֵּפָה", וְזֶהוּ לפני ה' — בְּאוֹתָהּ הָרְאוּיָה לָהֶם עַ"פִּ מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה (סוטה ל"ה):

1במגפה לפני ה׳ [EVEN THOSE MEN DIED …] BY THE PLAGUE BEFORE THE LORD — by that death which was fitting for them — measure for measure. They had sinned with their tongue, therefore their tongue grew long extending right down to their navels, and worms came from their tongue and entered their navels. This is the reason why it states, they died by “the” plague, and not בְּמַגֵּפָה by “a” plague; this, too, is the meaning of the words “before the Lord” (they died by the plague which was before the Lord) — by that plague which was fitting for them according to the methods of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who metes out “measure for measure” (Sotah 35a).

אויהושע וכלב … חיו וגו'. מַה תַּ"ל חיו מן האנשים ההם? אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנָּטְלוּ חֶלְקָם שֶׁל מְרַגְּלִים בָּאָרֶץ וְקָמוּ תַחְתֵּיהֶם לַחַיִּים (בבא בתרא קי"ח):

1ויהושע וכלב ... חיו וגו׳ AND JOSHUA AND CALEB LIVED [FROM THOSE MEN] etc. — What is the force of חיו מן האנשים ההם (does it not state later on, Numbers 26:65, ‘‘And there was not left a man of them save Caleb the son of Yephuneh and Joshua the son of Nun)"? But the phrase teaches that they received the portion of the spies in the Land and thus remained alive, so to speak, in their stead (i.e. the text does not intend to state that they alone of all those men remained alive, but that they lived “from” the other men, i.e. from their portion in the Land) (Bava Batra 118b).

אאל ראש ההר. הוּא הַדֶּרֶךְ הָעוֹלֶה לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

1אל ראש ההר [AND THEY … WENT UP] INTO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN — that is the route that leads up to the Land of Israel.

בהננו ועלינו אל המקום. לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

2הננו ועלינו אל המקום LO, WE ARE HERE, AND WILL GO UP INTO THE PLACE, viz., to the Land of Israel,

גאשר אמר ה'. לְתִתָּהּ לָנוּ, שָׁם נַעֲלֶה:

3אשר אמר ה׳ WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED to give us; thither will we go up, (and we will not return to Egypt).

דכי חטאנו. עַל אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ הֲלוֹא טוֹב לָנוּ שׁוּב מִצְרָיְמָה:

4כי חטאנו FOR WE HAVE SINNED in that we said, (v. 3) “were it not better for us to return to Egypt?”

אוהוא לא תצלח. זוֹ שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים לֹא תִצְלָח:

1והיא לא תצלח AND IT SHALL NOT PROSPER — What you are about to do will not be successful.

אכי על כן שבתם. כְּלוֹמַר, כִּי זֹאת תָּבֹא לָכֶם עַל אֲשֶׁר שַׁבְתֶּם וְגוֹ':

1כי על כן שבתם — means: for (כי) this will come upon you, because (על כן) ye have turned away etc. (cf. Rashi on Genesis 18:5 and Numbers 10:31).

אויעפלו. לְשׁוֹן חֹזֶק, וְכֵן "הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה" (חבקוק ב'), אינג"ריש בְּלַעַז, לְשׁוֹן עַזּוּת, וְכֵן "עֹפֶל בַּת צִיּוֹן" (מיכה ד'), "עֹפֶל וָבַחַן" (ישעיהו ל"ב), וּמִדְרַשׁ תַּנְחוּמָא מְפָרְשׁוֹ לְשׁוֹן אֹפֶל — הָלְכוּ חֲשֵׁכִים, שֶׁלֹא בִרְשׁוּת:

1ויעפלו is an expression for “strength” (doing a thing by insolent force). Similar is, (Habakkuk 2:4) “Behold it is insolent (עפלה)”, engres in O. F., an expression for insolent force. Similar also is, (Micah 4:8), “stronghold (עפל) of the daughter of Zion”; (Jes. 32:14) “the forts (עפל) and towers”. The Midrash Tanchuma 4:4:19, however, explains it (ויעפלו) to be of the same meaning as אופל, darkness, i.e. they went in darkness — without permission.

אויכתום. כְּמוֹ "וָאֶכֹּת אֹתוֹ טָחוֹן" (דברים ט') — מַכָּה אַחַר מַכָּה:

1ויכתום AND COMPLETELY DISCOMFITED THEM — This word is the same in meaning as (Deuteronomy 9:21) “and I pounded it (ואכות) and ground it very thin”. The text implies: blow upon blow.

בעד החרמה. שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם נִקְרָא עַל שֵׁם הַמְּאֹרָע:

2ער החרמה EVEN UNTO HORMAH — The place was so called (חרמה doom, destruction) on account of what happened there.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann -- corrected vocalization · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org