Kommentar zu Dewarim 2:16

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 12:5; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 towards end).

ויהי כאשר תמו כל אנשי המלחמה למות ...וידבר ה' אלי לאמור, “It was after all the arms-bearing men had finished dying, the Lord spoke to me, etc.” According to the plain meaning of text Moses is telling the people that as soon as the Israelites had become aware that all the men who had been 20 years old at the Exodus had died, G’d communicated once more with Moses and commanded the people to march past the territory of Moav.
According to our sages in Taanit 30 G’d had not spoken (individually) with Moses since the time the spies had died and the generation of the adults who had been redeemed from Egypt had been condemned to die in the desert. This proved that Moses’ elevated position was entirely due to the people he represented. When these people were in disgrace, Moses was made to feel this. This condition remained static for 38 years until the 15th of Av of the fortieth year. This day became a day of great rejoicing as the fact that G’d commenced His dialogue with Moses indicated that the people were once again in a state of grace. It was also a special day for Moses personally as it signaled the return of his prophetic powers. The reason that the prophetic powers did not already return to Moses on the 10th of Av, i.e. precisely after the anniversary of the debacle with the spies, was because at that time, in the second year when the decree against the people had been promulgated, Moses observed 7 days of mourning for the decree, a period when he would not have been the recipient of prophetic insights, seeing that a state of joy is required for a person to possess such powers. Now, on the 15th of the month of Av, both Moses and the people could rejoice simultaneously.
If you will peruse the text of the Torah starting with the debacle of the spies’ mission, you will not find that G’d addressed Moses, i.e. the words וידבר ה' אל משה. You will only find ויאמר ה' אל משה, i.e. a level of communication reserved for prophets of lesser stature, people who receive an “indistinct message,” the kind G’d referred to when He rebuked Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12,6 (compare Baba Batra 121). This will also help you understand Jeremiah 1,6 who had said to G’d: “here I am only a lad, and I do not know how to speak, דבר.” He did not mean that he had a speech impediment, but that due to his low level of prophetic insight he could not communicate his message with the appropriate degree of clarity. He alluded to this by adding the word אהה before saying א-ד-נ-י אלוקים, The fact that G’d communicated with Jeremiah on the lower level of prophecy is confirmed by verse 7 in that chapter, i.e. ויאמר ה' אלי. [Incidentally, seeing that in Korach, etc. we do find the formula of וידבר ה' אל משה, this may be proof that the uprising of Korach had occurred prior to the debacle with the spies. This editor has always felt that Korach’s bid for power made little sense seeing that all the people who joined him were bound to perish in the desert, ignominiously, so why risk your life for such positions? Ed.].

The word וידבר (He spoke) was not mentioned, only ויאמר (He said). I.e., the term “He spoke” was not used affectionately, for “He spoke to me” is not mentioned, as it is here. Instead it only said, “He spoke,” which lacks affection (Maharitz). You might ask that, in Parshas Beha’aloscha (Bamidbar 12:1) regarding the verse, “Miriam spoke,” Rashi explains: “Spoke” implies harsh speech — not affection, whereas “said” implies affection. The answer is: Anywhere it is written, “Adonoy spoke,” with the Tetragrammaton, it implies affection. Though it is harsh, it implies affection towards Moshe. But not, “Adonoy said,” for this can mean, “Adonoy said through a messenger.” As in (Bereishis 25:23), “Adonoy said to her,” which was through a messenger. And also as in (Shemos 18:6), “And he said to Moshe, ‘I am your father-in-law Yisro, etc.’” And also as in (Bereishis 48:1), “He said to Yoseif, ‘Behold your father is ill’.” In contrast, “he spoke,” implies affection, for it means, “(to be speaking) face-to-face,” as it says (Bamidbar 12:8), “Face-to-face I speak to him.” Although to any other prophet it would imply harsh speech, regarding Moshe it implies affection, as Hashem said, (ibid. v. 7), “Not so is My servant Moshe, etc.” See Maseches Ta’anis (30b).

VV. 16 u. 17. ויהי וגו׳ וידבר וגו׳. Baba Batra 121 b wird in diesen Sätzen die Andeutung gefunden, dass während der ganzen achtunddreißig Jahre das Gotteswort nicht in der ganzen direkten Unmittelbarkeit wie vor der Botschafterversündigung an Mosche gerichtet worden, und wird daraus im Eingang der Mechilta und des Sifra bemerkt, dass nicht aus Rücksicht für die Persönlichkeit, des Propheten, sondern nur בזכות ישראל, um der nationalen Gesamtheit willen, Gott selbst an Mosche sein Wort gelangen ließ, und daher auch so lange die Nation den Folgen des göttlichen Unwillens unterlag, die Modalität der Gottesreden an Mosche eine getrübte war. Diese Andeutung findet רשב׳׳ם zu Baba Bathra daselbst und so auch Raschi im Kommentar z. St, darin, dass in Mosche Anreden bisher das Gotteswort an ihn immer nur mit אמירה bezeichnet war: ויאמר ד׳ אלי (Kap. 1, 42 und 2, 2 u. 9) und erst hier, nachdem תמו כל אנשי וגו׳: וידבר ד׳ אלי tritt die Gottesrede wieder als — דבור אל ein. Treffend bemerkt hierzu ja überhaupt nur die "Mitteilung" bezeichnet, die אמירה , (daselbst), dass ת׳׳כ zu ק׳׳א Art der Mitteilung aber völlig unbestimmt lässt, ja möglicher Weise nur den Inhalt, den Gedanken, nicht aber den Wortlaut zum Objekt haben kann und auch eine vermittelte Mitteilung bezeichnet. דבור aber bezeichnet speziell den artikulierten Ausspruch des Mundes, das gesprochene Wort, somit das Medium der Mitteilung, וידבר ד׳ אלי, also das direkt zu Mosche von Gott gesprochene Wort: ודבר ד׳ אל משה פנים אל פנים כאשר ידבר איש אל רעהו. Dass die Art der Gelangung des Gotteswortes an den Menschen verschiedene Abstufungen kennt, ist aus Bamidbar 12, 6 — 8 evident.

ויהי כאשר תמו, “it was when they completed;” the reason why they did not cross into the land of Canaan at once was out of respect for Moses for whom it had been decreed that he could not enter the Holy Land, and it would have been painful for him to see his people crossing while he had to remain behind.

אנשי המלחמה THE MEN OF WAR — men from twenty years old and upwards, who went to war (cf. Numbers 14:29 and Rashi thereon).

כל אנשי המלחמה, “all the fighting men;” this refers to the ones who had begun to fight against Moses’ wish after the debacle of the spies. (Numbers 14,44)