Kommentar zu Bamidbar 33:60

אלה מסעי THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS (STAGES) [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — Why are these stations recorded here? In order to make known the loving acts of the Omnipresent: that although He had decreed against them to make them move about and wander in the wilderness, you should not think that they wandered and moved about without cessation from one station to another station all the forty years, and that they had no rest, for you see that there are here only forty-two stages. Deduct from them fourteen, all of which were their stopping places in the first year after they left Egypt, before the decree was made, viz., from the time when they journeyed from Rameses until when they came to Rithmah whence the spies were sent out — as it is said. (Numbers 12:16): “And afterwards the people journeyed from Hazeroth, [and encamped in the wilderness of Paran], whereupon the Lord said unto Moses, (Numbers 13:2) "Send thee men [who may search out the land]”; and here (v. 18) it states, “and they journeyed from Hazeroth and they encamped in Rithmah”, so you learn that it (Rithmah) is in the wilderness of Paran. — Further deduct from them the eight stages which were after Aaron’s death viz., those from Mount Hor to the plains of Moab in the fourtieth year (v. 38). It follows that during the whole of the thirty eight years they made only twenty journeys. This is excerpted from the work of R. Moses the Preacher. — R. Tanchuma gave another explanation of it (of the question why these stages are here recorded). A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king whose son was ill and whom he took to a distant place to cure him. When they returned home the father began to enumerate all the stages, saying to him, “Here we slept, here we caught cold, here you had the head-ache, etc.” (Midrash Tanchuma 4:10:3.

THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS. After the vengeance [executed] upon Midian, concerning which the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses, afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people,¹Above, 31:2. and after Moses had apportioned the land of Sihon and Og [to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Menasheh] and they had built the [previously] mentioned cities,²Ibid., 32:34-38. he set his mind to write down [the various stages of] the journeyings [in the desert]. His intention in so doing was to inform [future generations] of the loving kindnesses of the Holy One, blessed be He, towards them, for even though He had decreed upon them that they had to move about and wander around in the wilderness, you should not think that they were continually wandering and moving around from place to place without any rest; for throughout all this long [period of] time they only went on forty-two journeys as the Rabbi — Rashi — wrote, [citing] the words of Rabbi Moshe the Preacher.³See above in Seder Naso, Note 146.
And the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] added in the Moreh Nebuchim⁴Guide of the Perplexed III, 50. Ramban is using Al Charizi’s Hebrew translation from the Arabic [rather than Ibn Tibbon’s]. another [explanation as to the] benefit [that we derive] from knowledge [of these stages], saying: “There was a very great necessity in mentioning the [stages of the] journeyings. For [although] the miracles and wonders that were done were [recognized as] true ones by all who saw them, in later times these events would be matters of hearsay, and those who hear about them [then] might deny them altogether. Now among the greatest miracles and wonders [related] in the Torah is Israel’s survival in the wilderness for forty years, and finding the manna every day, although these places [where they stayed] are very far from cultivated settlements, and are not natural habitat for human beings, not being a place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates,⁵Above, 20:5. and the Torah states, Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink.⁶Deuteronomy 29:5. All these [matters] are signs of events of a miraculous nature which were seen by [the human] eye. But the Creator blessed be He, knew that these wonders will be subject to the process which occurs to [all] historical events — that those who hear them will not believe them; and they will think [about these events] that the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness was [in a place] near the cultivated settlement, where people can live there, such as the deserts in which the Arabs live today, or [that they stayed in] places where there was plowing and harvesting, or where there were grasses and plants suitable for human consumption, and that there were wells of water in those places. Therefore in order to remove from people’s hearts all such thoughts, and to firmly establish [the truth of] all these miracles, [He recorded] as a [permanent] memorial the [stages of their] journeyings [in the wilderness], so that the future generations would see them and acknowledge the great wonders [entailed] in keeping people alive in such places for forty years.” All these are his words [i.e., the words of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon].
Thus the writing down [the stages of] the journeyings was a commandment of G-d, either for the reasons mentioned above or for some other reasons, [for] a purpose the secret of which has not been revealed to us. For [the expression] by the commandment of the Eternal⁷Verse 2. is connected with [the beginning of that verse], And Moses wrote,⁷Verse 2. unlike the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra who wrote that it is connected with according to their journeys,⁸Verse 2 reads: And Moses wrote their goings forth according to their journeys by the commandment of the Eternal. Ibn Ezra explains that the phrase by the commandment of the Eternal is connected with according to their journeys, meaning that all their journeys were by the commandment of G-d. Ramban objects to this explanation because this fact has already been expressed elsewhere in Scripture, and therefore he explains that the phrase refers to the beginning of the verse, And Moses wrote, and the intention is to say that Moses wrote down the various stages of the journeys by G-d’s command, and not of his own accord. for Scripture has already informed us of this [fact, saying]: according to the commandment of the Eternal they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the Eternal they journeyed.⁹Above, 9:20.

אלה מסעי, G’d wanted all the journeys to be recorded in order to compliment the Jewish people who had followed him blindly through the desert where nothing grew, so that as a reward for their faith they would deserve to enter and inherit the land of Israel.

אלה מסעי בני ישראל, These are the journeys of the children of Israel, etc. We have been told in Bereshit Rabbah 12,3 that the expression אלה is used to separate what follows from something negative which had preceded it, [such as the Tohu Vavohu prior to the story of creation, and Genesis 2,4. Ed.] whereas the expression ואלה establishes a link with what preceded it. It is difficult to see in which way the journeys the Torah tells us about here are supposed to separate from a negative experience which has been described previously. Perhaps the Torah meant to draw a line of distinction between all journeys which occurred in human history, even those which have not been recorded on the one hand, and those of the Jewish people in their Exodus from Egypt on their way to the Holy Land on the other hand. This would be an acceptable reason for writing אלה if these journeys had all been a record of positive achievements. Alas, they were not, far from it! After all, most of these journeys were caused by the sins of the spies! Even a number of the journeys which occurred before the sin of the spies were due to negative rather than positive considerations such as G'd leading the Israelites on detours skirting the land of the Philistines in order to prevent a premature confrontation with the Philistines and possible tragic results (compare Exodus 13,17). G'd had been afraid that the Israelites might appoint an alternate leader and head back to Egypt rather than face the hostile Philistines. Clearly then "journeys" had been related to potentially negative experiences long before the incident with the spies. We also have the following comment in Yalkut Shimoni Yitro item 273: "Proverbs 3,17 describing Torah as כל נתיבותיה שלום, 'all her paths are peace,' is a reference to the time of the Exodus when G'd wanted to give the Torah to the Jewish people immediately." This proved impossible as the people were constantly divided, a section wanting to return to Egypt. The Midrash lists the various places where the Israelites rested on their way to the desert of Sinai as constant sources of strife and discontent. All of this is proof that the journeys of the Jewish people were nothing to be proud of and why would the Torah review them here by introducing them with the word אלה?

אלה מסעי, the Torah reviews all the journeys in order to list all the locations were they camped.

אלה מסעי, “these are the journeys, etc.” Rashi comments that the reason the Torah details all the various journeys of the Israelites here is to illustrate the innumerable acts of kindness performed by Hashem for the people. It is a testimony to the fact that in spite of having decreed death in the desert for the generation that had participated in the Exodus, they were not wandering aimlessly for 40 years but were constantly under His benevolent supervision. Nachmanides adds a further element and writes that the detailed report here is designed to negate the claim of people who feel that the story of the Israelites surviving for 40 years in a desert devoid of the barest essentials for survival is beyond belief, and these people diminish the experience by claiming that surely the Israelites were only at the edge of the desert all that time and had easy access to regions that were inhabited and civilised. By tracing the movements of the people, such assumptions by latter-day historians, real or so-called, are laid to rest by the Torah. Anyone tracing the route of the Israelites will not find even a hint at ruins of previous human habitation. The miraculous nature of the entire experience every step of the way is preserved in the minds of our people when we read these lines.

You learn that it was in the desert of Paran. Paran was a large plain which included a place called Rismah, thus we see that the decree of the spies was at Rismah.

Kap. 33. VV. 1 u. 2. Mannigfache Zwecke dürften dieser Zusammenstellung der Züge und Rastorte der Wanderung durch die Wüste innewohnen. Eine ganze Reihe von Ereignissen und Erlebnissen dürften sich an diese Wanderzüge und Rastorte in der Wüste geknüpft haben, die für die Familien- und Stammesangehörigen und Nachkommen derer, die sie betrafen, des Gedächtnisses wert gewesen sein mögen, die aber keine Stelle in diesen Büchern der nationalen Gesamtheit fanden, und deren mündlicher Überlieferung durch dieses Verzeichnis Merkstäbe für das Gedächtnis geboten wurden. Welche Spuren mögen ferner diese Orte noch für die nächste und fernere Folgezeit von dem Aufenthalt und den Wanderungen unserer Väter in der Wüste bewahrt haben, und wie sehr mochte damit den Söhnen und Enkeln Gelegenheit geboten gewesen sein, diese Stätten der Gott offenbarenden Wunderwaltung in der Wüste aufzusuchen und an Ort und Stelle sich die aus der Geschichte der Väter redende Tatsächlichkeit der Gottesgegenwart auf Erden an dem Schauplatz der Offenbarung selber lebendig zu vergegenwärtigen. Schon der Anblick der nahrungs- und wasserlosen Öde dieser Örtlichkeiten, die so groß ist, dass selbst eine Karawane vorsichtig die Tage zählen muss, um mit ihrem Vorrat auszureichen, und in welcher ein Volk, in welcher mindestens an dritthalb. Millionen Seelen vierzig Jahre lang gelebt, wie sehr — nach einer Bemerkung des רמב׳׳ם im Moreh, — muss schon der bloße Anblick dieser Örtlichkeiten in der Wüste die ganze Göttlichkeit der jüdischen Gründungsgeschichte dokumentieren! Raschi teilt von ר׳׳משה הדרשן die Bemerkung mit, von den zweiundvierzig Zügen dieses Verzeichnisses fallen vierzehn, von Raamses bis Ritma, vor die Aussendung der Kundschafter, acht, von dem Berge Hor bis zu den Öden Moabs, nach Aharons Tode im vierzigsten Jahre, so dass auf die achtunddreißig Jahre des Wanderungsverhängnisses in der Wüste nur zwanzig Züge kommen. Die göttliche Milde hat somit die Ausführung des Verhängnisses keineswegs zu einem unstäten ruhelosen Herumwandern werden lassen, da der Durchschnitt fast zwei Jahre für jede Rast ergibt.

אלה מסעי, “these were the journeys, etc.;” whenever a paragraph commences with the word: אלה the reason is to tell the reader that what follows is not connected to what was written previously. What this means here in practical terms is that only the journeys listed from here on in, but not עטרות and דבון, of which the Torah wrote in Numbers 32,3 and the locations mentioned there, are included in what follows.

That throughout the thirty-eight years… For the decree was only for thirty-eight years, as Rashi explains in Parshas Devarim (1:46). You might ask: From Rismah until Mount Hor there were only nineteen journeys, thus there should have been just forty-one journeys, however Rashi above explained that there were forty-two. See Parshas Chukas (21:4) where Rashi explains that there were seven journeys from Moseirah until Mount Hor (and the comment of Sifsei Chachamim there).

Perhaps we have to divide these various journeys into two groups. 1) The journeys during the first year plus, prior to the decree that the people over twenty would die in the desert as a result of their supporting the majority report of the spies, and 2) the journeys undertaken as a result of that decree. G'd had never meant for the people to undertake these latter journeys at all had they not proven so quarrelsome during the journeys of the first year plus. These earlier journeys were far worse than the ones who served a positive purpose after the decree due to the debacle with the spies. The word אלה in our verse is meant to draw a dividing line between the negative aspects of the unnecessary journeys and the positive aspects of the necessary journeys. The journeys the Torah is about to list are all those that were of a necessary kind, i.e. that had positive elements to them as distinct from others which were mere tedium devoid of redeeming qualities.

ויכתב משה את מוצאיהם למסעיהם על פי ד׳ ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם gewiss kein bedeutungsloser Wechsel in der Begriffs- und Wortstellung. Nach der göttlichen Auffassung waren es מוצאיהם למסעיהם, ihnen waren es מסעיהם למיצאיהם. Zug und Rast geschahen ja stets unter Gottes Geheiß (Kap. 9, 17 f.). Wenn Gott sie aufbrechen ließ, so lag das Motiv in dem jedesmal zu erreichenden Ziele, für welches die göttliche Erziehungswaltung den neuen Rastort als den geeigneten ersehen hatte. Jede מסע war ein Fortschritt, war der Zweck des מוצא, des Aufbruchs, und alle ihre Aufbrüche waren מוצאיהם למסעיהם. Dem Volke war es aber umgekehrt. Sie wurden an jedem Orte unzufrieden. Wenn es zum Aufbruch ging, war ihnen der Aufbruch Ziel, es war ihnen in dem Augenblick gleichgültig, wohin es ging, sie zogen weiter, um nur von dem bisherigen Rastorte fortzukommen, es waren ihnen מסעיהם למוצאיהם.

Expounds the matter differently. Meaning: This is why the journeys were enumerated…

We also need to explore why the Torah chose to emphasise the "journeys," i.e. the Israelites breaking camp, rather than to emphasise that they made camp. i.e. that they arrived at a destination. This question is especially relevant in view of Tanchuma on our verse which describes the situation in terms of a parable. "A king had a son who was sick, so he took him to one health spa after another. When the son had finally been cured and the father took him back home, the father would reminisce with him about all the various places they had been together prior to the last one where the son had been cured." If the Midrash correctly summarizes the reason why the Torah lists all these journeys, it surely would have been more appropriate to list the places where stey stopped over, i.e. the "arrivals." We also have yet another Tanchuma which claims that the reason the Torah lists all these journeys is so that the desert which hosted the Jewish people during this period would receive its appropriate reward in the future as alluded to by Isaiah 35,1 : "the arid desert shall be glad, the wilderness shall rejoice etc." This Midrash too would make much better sense if the Torah had concentrated on describing the times spent by the Jewish people camping in the desert rather than the occasions when they broke camp.

Here we slept. Meaning: Here you slept. Likewise, Hashem enumerated all the journeys as if to say that on this journey you did this, and on that journey such-and-such happened to you.

Our verse may be understood when we consider what the Zohar volume 2 page 157 has to say about the purpose of the Israelites' trek through the desert. It was meant to enable the Israelites to seek out isolated sparks of sanctity and to release them from captivity. These "sparks" had been taken captive by the spiritually negative forces who have their home in the desert. G'd made the Israelites travel through such places in order that their sanctity would act as a magnet and attract such "lost" sparks of sanctity. The only way this could be accomplished was by means of total sanctity, i.e. a combination of the sanctity of Israel, the Presence of G'd, שכינה and the holy Torah. It required the presence of 600,000 souls which originated in holy domains. Moses matched these 600,000 individually holy souls, as he is perceived of as the tree from which all these souls are branches (compare Isaiah 63,11). In a combined effort these forces of sanctity were able to overcome the forces of impurity which kept many of these lost sparks of sanctity captive. According to the Zohar then these "sparks" could be captured while the Israelites were actively journeying not while they were passsively encamped, and it is this the Torah has in mind when writing "these are the journeys." The word אלה is indeed in sharp contrast to any other journeys ever described anywhere as never before had there been a journey which was accompanied by so many elements of sanctity.

We were chilled. In the sense of being chilled, for it is common for those who are sick to be comforted when one cools them.

While it is true that the patriarchs have also been described as journeying, and they too had rescued lost sparks of sanctity during their journeys, there is no comparison between what these individuals accomplished and what the Jewish nation as a whole accomplished in this regard. The Torah itself describes the superior nature of these journeys by stressing that they occurred as an aftermath of the Exodus from Egypt, i.e. after the Israelites had been refined in the iron crucible called Egypt. This enabled them to isolate sparks of sanctity wherever they would encounter them. Not only that, but the Torah describes these journeys as having taken place לצבאותם, when they were a complete unit, the Presence of G'd resting on these 600,000 holy souls. We have described repeatedly that the definition of שלמות, wholeness, completeness, is not applicable to fewer than 600,000 such souls.

You find that the reason G'd did not give the Torah to the patriarchs was due to their being too few in number. They lacked this "completeness" which is predicated on the presence of 600,000 souls which originated in a holy domain (compare Mechilta Yitro) so that they could be described as צבאות, "G'd's armies." Only once the Israelites were in the desert did they comprise all the necessary pre-conditions for fulfilling the task set for them by their journeys. The Torah also added: ביד משה ואהרון, "under the guidance of Moses and Aaron," who were the שושבינים, "go-betweens" between the Presence of G'd and all the other elements of sanctity needed to fuse the nation into a single whole of sanctity.

אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים לצבאותם, who had departed from Egypt according to their hosts; according to what we explained thus far that the word אלה separates these special journeys as being spiritually superior to any previous journeys, the reason that the Torah wrote the words "who came forth out of Egypt according to their hosts," is that the Torah wished to describe the journeys prior to the affair of the spies as being spiritually superior to those which occurred only as a result of the decree after the affair of the spies. Prior to the affair of the spies, the Israelites deserved to be described as journeying לצבאותם as due to their being the hosts of G'd. Journeys which took place after the decree occasioned by the fiasco of the spies lacked the element described here as לצבאותם. The major reason that it lacked this element was that part of the men who had participated both in the Exodus and in the refining process of the iron crucible called Egypt had begun to die off, so that there were no longer the requisite number of holy souls to make up the magic number of 600,000 who combined all the qualities we described. When the Torah describes the journeys as ביד משה ואהרון, this means that prior to the fiasco with the spies the journeys had been described in Numbers 9,23 as על פי ה׳ ביד משה, "at the command of G'd as conveyed by Moses," that Moses and Aaron (the latter by means of the trumpets) gave the signal to initiate a journey.

Numbers 33:1: What it feels like this in these psukim are explained in the commentaries. It appears to me, based on what I explained earlier, on the verse "Moshe Rabbeinu returns the words of people to G-d." This is the virtue of the tzaddikim of the generations that they elevate all the prayers and the all good deeds of the simple people to go up to heaven. That's the meaning of the words "Moshe Rabbeinu returns the words of people to G-d", meaning he returns them and their deeds to Hashem. This is what is written here as well: their journey was from level to level within kedusha because while they were in Egypt, they were immersed in the 49 gates of impurity. When they left from the great darkness to the great light, they were traveling in kedusha, going higher and higher. That's the meaning of the verse "these are the journeys": these people ascended higher and higher as the result of them leaving Egypt to become the army of Hashem, all of this was achieved by the tzaddikim, Moshe and Aaron, who lifted them up before Hashem. And this is the meaning of the verse "Moshe wrote down their departures to their journeys" that he achieved all of this; all of their depart and their journey, he achieved that all of this should be for the sake of Hashem to journey by Hashem's instruction to go higher and higher. Another verse "these are their journey according to their departure": these 42 journey allude to Hashem's 42 letter name, because His Kindness is Everlasting, all of this achieved through Moshe and Aaron.

ויכתוב משה, he wrote down the name of the places towards which they were setting out, as well as the name of the places from which they had started that particular journey. [this unusual sequence would justify the Torah mentioning first מסעיהם before מוצאיהם at the end of our verse. Ed.]

ויכתב משה את מוצאיהם, Moses recorded their departures, etc. What precisely did the Torah want to teach us with this verse? We did not need to be told that it was Moses who recorded this as Moses recorded the entire Torah and the journeys are part of the Torah. Besides, the Torah ought to have written that Moses recorded את מסעיהם, "their journeys." What was the point in recording their "departures?" Furthermore, what is the meaning of the words ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם "and these are their journeys according to their departures?" Why did the Torah change the order in which it mentioned departures from מוצאיהם למסעיהם, to מסעיהם למוצאיהם?

Their departures for their journeys. Afterwards, Scripture reversed the order and wrote, these were the journeys for their departure. This is because some of their journeys were forward, towards Eretz Yisrael, and some of them were in reverse. Most of their journeys were forward and were not backtracking, and therefore it says, according to Adonoy’s command when it says their departures for their journeys, because these were the majority, in the forward direction. When they traveled in reverse, due to their sins, it was not according to Hashem’s command, and it was called journeys for their departure, since they turned back and journeyed towards the place from which they had departed.

'את מוצאיהם למסעיהם על פי ה,, “their departures and their journeys to the next locations at the direct command from the Lord;” This has already been spelled out in Numbers 9,20. (B’chor shor) [At that point it had been an instruction, but had not yet been carried out. Ed.]

The departures. We learn from this that the names of these places that are mentioned here are not the actual names that they had before. They are in fact the names that were given them as a result of the events that took place when Yisroel camped there. That, in my opinion, is what was meant when Scripture says: “Moshe recorded their departures for their journeys.” He recorded all of the events that befell them on all of their journeys. That is in of itself why he mentioned afterwards the names of their encampments, because the names themselves describe the events that took place.

The reason why we find sometimes the objective mentioned first and other times the place of departure, is due to the fact that sometimes the people were glad to get away from a certain place where unpleasantness had occurred, whereas other times they were merely glad to arrive at a new destination hoping for a pleasant stay in their new encampment. One of the most vexing aspects of all these journeys was that the new objective had never been announced beforehand, so that the people were always in the dark about what the next day would bring. In spite of all these uncertainties they never refused to follow the cloud and break camp at a moment’s notice when required. The reason that both the breaking of camp and the making of camp are mentioned separately is because both entailed a considerable amount of discomfort.

It appears that the Torah wanted to inform us that Moses did not record all these journeys on a single day, but that he recorded them as and when they occurred. He commenced recording when he had received instructions to make the Israelites depart from Egypt. He wrote in his booklet the date on which the Israelites departed from Raamses up until the word שפטים at the end of verse 4. Once the Israelites made camp at Sukkot, Moses wrote verse 5. When the Israelites made camp at Eytan, Moses wrote what had transpired as verse 6. In this manner Moses recorded each and every journey as it occurred until the people arrived at ערבות מואב. At that point G'd told Moses to include these private notes he had made in the Torah in the order in which he had previously recorded it. This is what was meant by: "Moses recorded their departures, i.e. starting from the day the Israelites departed from Egypt. This referred to the two lines from "they journeyed from Raamses until the word שפטים." When the Torah speaks of למסעיהם it refers to Moses listing all the Israelites' journeys from the day they left Egypt until the end of all their journeys. It adds the words על פי השם, "at G'd's command," to inform us that the very first recording already was at the command of G'd, i.e. that G'd had told Moses to record and to keep recording. When the Torah repeats ואלה מטעיהם, "and these are their journeys," this means that these are the journeys which G'd commanded Moses to record למוצאיהם, as and when they occurred, i.e. every time the Israelites broke camp. What the Torah describes in our chapter is a copy of all the notations made by Moses throughout all these years.

Additionally, another reason is based on the question: Why does it say (v. 3): They journeyed from Ra’meses and then, on the day after the Pesach, Bnei Yisroel left triumphantly? The first phrase refers to the “mixed multitude,” who fled from Egypt at night, and about them it says (Shemos 14:5): “The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled.” Bnei Yisroel, in contrast, left triumphantly, in broad daylight. When it says, They journeyed from Ra’meses in the first month, it speaks of the mixed multitude, and afterwards it says (v. 5): Bnei Yisroel journeyed from Ra’meses, because the mixed multitude went first, since they fled, and were followed by Bnei Yisroel.

That is why it says, Moshe recorded their departures for their journeys according to Adonoy’s command — referring to the journey of Bnei Yisroel, the People whose foundation was the Holy Land, and therefore they always turned away from “their departure” — Egypt, from where they departed. Their goal was the journey to their destination, to enter the Land promised to their forefathers. However, regarding the mixed multitude, whose source was in Egypt, and who did not leave by command of Hashem, it says, these were the journeys for their departure because they always wanted to return to Egypt, their roots.

Numbers 33:1: This verse can be understood by another verse: "Man cannot live on bread alone but by the word of G-d." The main energy of a person is that G-d should say Torah in the person's name. It says in Talmud: "When Moshe Rabbeinu went to Gad Eden, he saw G-d sitting and saying that 'my son Eliezer is saying that cow refers to a 2-year old cow, that's how it's written in heaven'." This is the meaning of Mishna where it says "the language of sages and the names of the sages are studied in their mouth" that's how we explained earlier in Behalotcha "according to the mouth of G-d, when they were told to camp, they camped and when told to travel, they traveled." Tzaddikim do no rest, neither this world or the next, because the more they understand, the higher their understanding ascends until G-d will say a Torah in their name and, at that point, they "encamp." This, in turn, brings a new Torah insight like a wellspring. [In the times of Tanna,] this empowered the strength of Torah for the Talmud for the next generation [,the Amorim]. At the end of the generation [the Amorim], called the conclusion of the Talmud, this stopped except for unique individuals. That's the meaning of the verse "Man cannot live on bread alone but by the word of G-d" that the main life/energy of a person is that G-d says in Torah in his name. By the Jewish people, it says that "these are their journeys for their coming out of Egypt," "coming out" means saying words of Torah, according to G-d's word--like how when they were told to travel, they travelled-- they reached higher and higher until G-d said Torah in their mouth. This is the meaning of the posuk "they're coming out of their journey": they're revealing a new flow of Torah as it says "G-d renews the world every day."

ויסעו מרעמסס, They journeyed from Raamses, etc. The Torah had to mention twice that this journey occurred during the first month although it could have written "on the fifteenth," and I would have understood that the day mentioned was the first month. The Torah could also have written: "they travelled on the fifteenth of the first month after the Passover;" Perhaps the Torah alluded to what we have been told in Shemot Rabbah 15,11 that the month of Nissan is the month in which the zodiac sign of Israel is at its zenith and that the most auspicious day during that month is the fifteenth of that month. The Torah writes ויסעו בחודש הראשון, to describe the month during which Israel's fortunes ride high and it adds that this occurred on the fifteenth of that month, i.e. when the moon is full. The Torah added once more that it was in the first month, as the significance of the full moon is meaningless for Israel unless it occurs during the first month. The combination of these two factors was meaningful, was a good omen.

ממחרת הפסח, "on the day following the Passover-offering" The reference is not to the festival but to the day on which the lamb was slaughtered in anticipation of the Exodus. This occurred on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan; the Israelites left Egypt on the morning of the 15th.

VV. 3 u. 4. ממחרת הפסה, nicht in der Nacht. In der Nacht wurde die Erlösung durch das Sterben der Erstgeborenen vollbracht (Schmot 12, 29). Aber der Auszug geschah am hellen Tage ביד רמה לעיני כל מצרים (Berachot 9 a). — ומצרים מקברים. Dieser Gegensatz gehört wesentlich mit zu dem Gedanken, den das Gedächtnis der Erlösung aus Mizrajim für alle Zeiten grundlegend festhalten soll. Der Strahl der Morgensonne zeigte das zur Freiheit erhobene Sklavenvolk und das in seinen edelsten Geschlechtern und Gütern darniedergeworfene Herrenvolk, zeigte die eine Gotteshand des einen Einzigen richtend und rettend in einem Momente. Beides zusammen: die Furcht und das Vertrauen der Menschenbrust, dem einen Einzigen zugewandt, bildet für immer den Grundzug des jüdischen Gottesbewusstseins, wie dies noch potenziert am Strande des Schilfmeeres zum Ausdruck kam: וירא ישראל וגו׳ ויראו העם את ד׳ ויאמינו כד׳ וגו׳. Darum steht auch in dem Zug- und Stationsverzeichnis der jüdischen Wanderung dieser Auszugsmoment in seiner vollen Charakteristik, wie er ja auch das grundlegende Kardinalfaktum im קדש der תפלין bildet, von dem aus jeder jüdische Mann die Heiligung seines "Denkens, Wollens und Handelns" täglich aufs neue zu vollziehen hat.

'ויסעו מרעמסס בחודש הראשון בחמשה עשר יום וגו, “they began their journeys from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, etc.;” the people had not been forbidden to observe the rules of festivals regarding travel beyond the boundaries of their town except as regards the first night, when they had been forbidden to leave their houses on pain of death.

ובאלהיהם עשה ד׳ שפטים wie dies ganze Ereignis die Nichtigkeit der vermeintlichen Götter der Wahrhaftigkeit und Wirklichkeit des einen Einzigen gegenüber erwies, so lagen auch sie und ihre Embleme neben dem in seinem teuersten Leben getroffenen Ägyptervolke tot und in Trümmern.

ממחרת הפסח, “on the morning following the offering (and consuming) of the Passover sacrifice.” Both Passover eve and the first night are called פסח, because these are the periods the people are preoccupied with the Passover offering. If we needed proof for this, we only have to look at Leviticus 23,8 and Numbers 28,16. The remainder of that festival is always referred to as חג המצות, “the festival of unleavened breads.”

ומצרים מקברים AND THIS EGYPTIANS WERE BURYING [ALL THEIR FIRSTBORN] — they were busily occupied in their mourning.

ובאלוהיהם עשה ה' שפטים, “and the Lord had inflicted punishments on their deities.” G’d had kept His promise made in Exodus 12,12 “and on all the gods of Egypt I will inflict judgments.” How did these judgments or punishments become manifest? If the images were made of silver or gold they would simply melt; if they were made of wood, the wood would rot; if they were made of stone, the stone would crack in many places. The word שפטים also includes that these idols would be found by their worshippers in embarrassing positions as described in Samuel I 5,4: “Dagon was again lying prone on the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord. The head and both hands were cut off.” (The Philistines had taken the Holy Ark captive from the Israelites).

They were preoccupied with their grief. Meaning: This is an explanation of what is written previously, “Yisroel left triumphantly.” For why would the Egyptians have allowed them to do so? Scripture explains that “Egypt was burying…” and thus they were preoccupied with their grief. If it had referred to the burial itself, this would not have been visible to all of Egypt. Now, given that the Torah writes, “Triumphantly, before the eyes of all Egyptians” this apparently repetitive language must certainly be to inform that all of them actually saw [the departure]. However, if they were burying, like the plain understanding, not everyone would have seen, for they would have to bury in the burial grounds. Therefore, Rashi explains that “they were preoccupied…” and “burying” means that they were also preoccupied with burial. R. Yaakov Triosh.

ובאלוהיהם עשה ה' שפטים, “and the Lord executed judgments on their gods.” Read שופטיהם, “their judges,” instead of their gods; “judgments” cannot be executed on inert idols. The Torah here uses a play on words, seeing that the word אלוהים is also used in the Torah for judges. (Compare Exodus 22,7)

Egypt was burying. The Egyptians did not know that Bnei Yisroel did not intend to return, since it was on this very condition that they lent them their items. This is the reason they pursued after them when it became known that Pharaoh had driven them out for good. If so, how was it that, Bnei Yisrael went out high handedly [in triumph]? This is why Scripture writes “And Egypt were burying…” They were busy with a painful matter.

And on their idols Adonoy had inflicted punishments. They were astonished and bewildered, and did not even turn to look at what was transpiring before their eyes.

They came to Eilim: Scripture does not say that they camped in Eilim because it was only a short journey from Moroh to Eilim and they did not intend to pitch camp there. However, there were twelve springs of water that corresponded to the twelve tribes, that from these sources Yisroel could water the entire congregation, and seventy palm trees that correspond to the seventy elders. Therefore, they interpreted this as a good sign they should make camp there. Also, the name of the place teaches about this: Eilim has the numerical value (gematria) of 82 together with the word, which is the sum of 12 and 70.

ויסעו…מרעמסס ויחנו בסוכות. They journeyed from Raamses and they made camp at Sukkot. Why did the Torah repeat the information that the Israelites journeyed from Raamses? We have been told this in verse three! All the Torah had to write here was that the Israelites made camp at Sukkot! It appears that the Torah wanted to inform us that there was no other journey between Raamses and Sukkot. Had the Torah only written about the encampment at Sukkot, the impression might have prevailed that there had been some way stations between Raamses and Sukkot. [Mechilta on Exodus 12,37 describes the distance between these two locations as 120 מיל, i.e. 150 kilometers. Ed.] The same reasoning applies to all the journeys, i.e. the words: "they encamped" mean that there had been no other unmentioned way-stations.

ויסעו...מרעמסס ויחנו בסוכות. Our author refers the reader to his commentary on Exodus 12,37.

ויסעו מסוכות ....ויעברו בתוך הים המדברה, “they journeyed from Sukkot ....and they crossed through the sea till they came to the desert.” The spirit of escaping from slavery in Egypt prevailed until they had run out of water three days after emerging from the sea of reeds.

This is alluded to in Exodus 15,22 where they began a march toward an uncertain future in the desert of Shur, one of the deserts described elsewhere as ”this great and terrifying desert.” (Deuteronomy 8,15)

וישב על פי החירות. The word וישב in the singular is the same here as וישובו, “they turned back.” Alternatively, the word may refer to the cloud traveling above the people. This would account for the singular וישב.

V. 7. וישב וגו׳. Dieser Übergang zum Singular, während alles vor- und nachher im Plural erzählt ist, bedarf der Aufklärung. Ob damit die vertrauensvolle Einmütigkeit bezeichnet werden soll, mit der sie diesen ihnen gewiss auffallend gewesenen Rückzug unternahmen?

ויעברו בתוך הים המדברה, “they passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness;” the same spirit (wind) that had helped them to enter the sea when coming from the desert on the other side, also helped them face the desert when emerging from the sea. (Tossaphot Erchin 15) This was the North wind that G-d had only activated in order to encourage the Egyptians to pursue the Israelites.

V. 9. ובאילם שתים עשרה וגו׳, einen solchen Lagerplatz fanden sie auf dem ganzen Zuge durch die Wüste nicht wieder.

the places called Marah and Eylim have been explained in Exodus 15,23 and 27.

ויחנו על ים סוף, ”they encamped near the sea of reeds between Eylim and the desert of Tzin which stretched from the sea of reeds towards the desert that they had come from. This encampment as well as the ones at Dofkah and Elosh, have not been mentioned in the portion of Beshalach but were lumped together in Exodus 16,1 where the Torah wrote: “the whole community of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin.”

ויחנו ברפידים, the reader is referred to Exodus 17,1 for the author’s commentary.

ויסעו מים סוף ויחנו במדבר סין, “They journeyed from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the desert of Sin.” The desert mentioned here was not the desert of Sinai seeing the Torah goes on to write in verse 15 that when the people journeyed away from Refidim they encamped in the desert of Sinai.” The desert known as “Sin” is situated between Eylim and Sinai, just as reported in Exodus 16,1

PITCHED IN REPHIDIM, AND THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE PEOPLE TO DRINK. Scripture [here] does not mention the miracle [that occurred] with the water in Marah,¹⁰Exodus 15:23-25. nor the [daily] wonder of manna [which took place] in the wilderness of Sin.¹¹Ibid., Chapter 16. But [it mentioned the giving of water at Rephidim] because this episode at Rephidim was an important event, since they tried G-d [there], and that place was therefore called Massah (Trying) and Meribah (Strife),¹²Ibid., 17:7. wherein He was sanctified in their presence by bringing forth water for them out of the rock,¹³Ibid., Verse 6. and it was there that they were attacked by the Amalekites.¹⁴Ibid., Verse 8. Therefore He [only] described it here in brief, [saying], and there was no water for the people to drink, since it was the place which was recognized and known by this [fact].

ויחנו ברפדים ולא היה מים לעם לשתות, “They encamped at Refidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.” Nachmanides points out that Moses has not mentioned the miracle of Marah, nor the miracle of the manna that became manifest in the desert of Sin in this review. However, seeing that what happened at Refidim was exceptionally remarkable, the people having literally put G’d to the test, the fact that a miracle involving the provision of drinking water occurred there is at least hinted at. After all, the name of that location was changed to Massah and Merivah, seeing that G’d had been sanctified in the presence of the whole people when water was produced miraculously from a barren rock. The location became famous additionally because near there Amalek attacked the people out of the blue, and they survived that treacherous attack intact, the first time that they had to fight for their lives.

V. 14. ולא היה שם מים וגו׳. Von da begann der eigentliche Schrecken der wasserlosen Wüste, und ward ihnen vom Horeb her der nie versiegende Wasserborn, der sie fortan durch die Wüste geleitete.

ויחנו במדבר סיני, “they encamped in the desert of Sinai. This is the desert Sin. Our author commented on the names in the portion of Yitro, that the letter,10) י), was added to the name of this desert to commemorate that the Ten Commandments had been given there.

ויחנו בקברות התאוה, “they camped at Kivrot Hata'avah” — a place otherwise known as Kadesh Barnea. [The name mentioned here was in commemoration of the people who died because they overindulged their craving for meat.]

'ויסעו ממדבר סיני וגו, “they journeyed from the desert of Sinai, etc.” These journeys up until verse 20 have been explained by our author in Numbers chapters 11 and 12, up until the point from which the spies were sent out, from the desert of Paran.

ויחנו ברתמה AND THEY ENCAMPED IN RITHMAH — It was so called with reference to the slanderous speech of the spies, uttered there, as it is said, (Psalms 120:3-4): “What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, thou deceitful tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty with coals of juniper (רְתָמִים).

So named after [the spies’] slander. Rashi wishes to answer the question: Why here was it called Rismoh, while elsewhere it was called Paran? (Devek Tov) The reason why Rashi commented on this journey more than the others was that here it is written, “They journeyed from Chatzeiros and camped in Rismoh” while in Parshas Beha'aloscha (14:16) it is written “afterwards the people travelled from Chatzeiros and they camped in the desert of Paran.” Therefore, he explains that it was “so named after the slander…” meaning that both refer to the same place.

ויסעו מרתמה, “they journeyed from Ritmah;” this is the place of which the Torah wrote in Numbers 14,25: “tomorrow you will turn around and start traveling towards the sea of reeds.” This is what the Torah referred to when it wrote in Deut. 2,1: ונפן ונסע דרך ים סוף, “we turned around and journeyed in the direction of the sea of reeds.” From that point on they were detouring Mount Seir during all the way stations mentioned up until verse 36 of this chapter, where they were reported to have entered the desert of Tzin at Kadesh. Compare Numbers 20,1: “the entire congregation of the Children of Israel arrived at the desert of Tzin.”

ויחנו בחר הגדגד, “they encamped in Char Hagidgad.” The word חר is not to be confused with הר.

the Jerusalem Targum renders this place as meaning: בכרך תרנגולא, “at a place where one could hear the roosters.”

ויסעו מקדש, “They journeyed from Kadesh.” This was the name of a town.

הר ההר, this has been explained in Numbers 20,22.

'על פי ה [AND AARON THE PRIEST WENT UP TO MOUNT HOR] BY THE WORD (lit., BY THE MOUTH) OF THE LORD— This phrase tells us that he died by the Divine Kiss (Bava Batra 17a; cf. Rashi on Numbers 20:26).

בחדש החמישי באחד לחודש, “in the fifth month on the first of the month.” This was the New Moon on which Aaron died. On the ninth of that month (many hundreds of years later) the Temple was burned and the Torah with it. On the 7th of the month of Adar following Moses died, as is reported in Joshua that the Children of Israel crossed the river Jordan on the tenth of the first month (Nissan). You may deduct the three days that the people prepared food for the crossing and 30 days during which the people mourned their leader and you will find that Moses must have died on the 7th of Adar (compare Joshua 4,19 and 1,11).

This teaches that he died by the Divine kiss. Meaning: That על פי ה' [lit. "by the mouth of Hashem" is expounded both forward and backward. [One reads backward, teaching] “Aharon ascended by the word of Hashem” and one also reads [forward,] that “By the mouth of Hashem he died there.”

וישמע הכנעני AND THE CANAANITE HEARD This is stated here to tell you that Aaron’s death was indeed the news he heard — that the clouds of glory that until now had protected Israel had departed, and he therefore believed that liberty was now given to wage war against Israel. It is on this account that this is again recorded here (see Rashi on Numbers 21:1) (Rosh Hashanah 3a).

וישמע הכנעני, this too was a credit for them in that this time they did not say: “let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt.” (Compare Numbers 14,4 when they did) This time they were not afraid of facing war and battle.

וישמע הכנעני מלך ערד, “the Canaanite, i.e. the King of Arad heard.” This verse follows mention of Aaron’s death to teach that when the Canaanite noticed that Aaron had died and that the protective cloud-cover over the camp of the Israelites had disappeared, they assumed that it was now permissible to attack this nation.

This teaches… Meaning: Above in Parshas Chukas (21:1) following the death of Aharon it is also written, “The Canaanite [King] heard…” However, there it was not clear that he heard about the death of Aharon, for one could have said that he heard what was said subsequently, “That Yisroel had come by the route of the spies.” But here the Torah does not make any comment afterward; therefore here it is clear that “the death of Aharon [was the news…]” It is here that Rashi comments, “This teaches you that the death of Aharon was the news he heard” because it is written “Aharon was one hundred and twenty-three years old at his death… and the Canaanite heard.” However in Parshas Chukas we did not know what he heard, whether it was about the death of Aharon or about their weeping, since both of are written there (20:29).

V. 40. וישמע וגו׳ Es war dies die erste feindliche Begegnung mit einer Völkerschaft des in Besitz zu nehmenden Landes.

AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM MOUNT HOR, AND PITCHED IN ZALMONAH. These places — Zalmonah and Punon¹⁵Verse 42 here. — were by the way of the Red Sea circling the land of Edom, and the soul of the people became impatient because of the way,¹⁶Above, 21:10. and they [therefore] spoke against G-d, and Moses¹⁷Ibid., Verse 5. on the way, and G-d sent against them the fiery serpents whilst they were travelling and when they rested in camp. Then Moses made the serpent of brass, which they carried upon a pole¹⁸Ibid., Verse 9. all the way, and [kept it] when they encamped in Zalmonah and Punon, and it was not removed from them until they pitched in Oboth.¹⁹Verse 43 here. Therefore Scripture there, in narrating this episode [of the fiery serpents, above in Chapter 21], did not mention the name of the place [from which they set forth again, i.e., Zalmonah and Punon] and [merely] stated, And the children of Israel journeyed, and pitched in Oboth,²⁰Above, 21:10. without saying “and they journeyed from such-and-such a place and pitched in Oboth,” as it does with all the [other stages of their] journeyings. This is because the matter [of the brass serpent] continued throughout this way — from the time that they journeyed from Mount Hor until they pitched in Oboth, and they journeyed from Oboth and pitched in Ije-abarim.²¹Ibid., Verse 11. — Verse 44 here. From there they journeyed and they pitched in Divon-gad, and then in Almon-diblathaim, and [finally] in the mountains of Abarim,²²Verses 45-47 here. [all these] being places in the valley of Zered.²³Above, 21:12.

ויסעו מהר ההר ויחנו בצלמות ויסעו מצלמות ויחנו בפונן ויסעו מפונן ויחנו באובות., “They journeyed from Hor Hahar and encamped at Tzalmavet. They journeyed from Tzalmavet and encamped at Punan. They journeyed from Punan and encamped at Ovot. In Parshat Chukat (Numbers 21,10) we did not hear about these places at all, but were only told that when journeying from Ovot that the people became very frustrated at the long detour they had to take. It is not even stated there from which place they set out before arriving at Ovot. Nachmanides writes that the reason for the failure to mention Tzalmavet and Punan in Parshat Chukat is that they were located along the detour around the territory of Edom, and the people passed there while full of discontent at this lengthy detour. They spoke out against G’d on that occasion so that He dispatched the snakes, etc., against them. Eventually, Moses constructed the copper snake, and the people carried that snake on a pole all the way until they came to Ovot. That snake was removed only at that time. Seeing that the phenomenon of the copper snake continued during these journeys, the stops in between were not considered as relevant, as nothing in the condition of the people had changed due to their having made camp.

ויחנו בצלמונה, “they encamped at Tzalmonah.” Both this way station as well as ויחנו בפונון, have not been mentioned by these names in the portion of Chukat in chapter 21,10, but as Ovot, as this was a turning point in their south easterly route, from which they turned northward.

בעיי העברים IN IJE-ABARIM — The word denotes waste places and heaps of rubbish, the same as, (Micah 1:6): “[will make Samaria] into a heap (עי) in the field”; (Psalms 79:1): “They have made Jerusalem into heaps (עיים)” (cf. Rashi on Numbers 21:11).

ויסעו מעיים ויחנו בדיבון גד, in Parshat Chukat this location is referred to as 21,12) .נחל זרד)

ויסעו מדיבון גד ויחנו בעלמון דבלתימה, this location has been referred to in Parshat Chukat, Numbers 21,13 “from Ever Arnon which is in the desert.”

ויסעו מעלמון דבלתימה ויחנו בהר העברים, “they journeyed on from Almon Divlataymah and encamped around the Mountains of Avarim. In Numbers 31,19 this journey had been described as commencing from the desert called Matanah.

ויסעו מהרי העברים ויחנו בערבות מואב, “they journeyed from the mountains of Avarim and encamped in the plains of Moav. This journey had been referred to in Parshat Chukat as: “from Matanah to Nachliel.” (verse 19). Once the people had come to this location, they gradually spread out in different directions on that plain.

מבית הישמת עד אבל השטים [AND THEY ENCAMPED] … FROM BETH-JESIMOTH EVEN UNTO ADEL-SHITTIM — Here it tells you that the extent of Israel’s camp was twelve miles, for Rabba bar bar Chana said: “I myself have seen that place etc., and it is three Parsangs (12 miles) square” (Eruvin 55b).

ויחנו על הירדן...בערבות מואב. There, וידבר ה' אל משה בערבות מואב על ירדן יריחו

ויחנו על הירדן מבית הישימות עד אבל השטים בערבות מואב, “they made camp by the river Jordan, from Bet Yeshimot until the plains of Shittim in the wilderness of Moav. The Torah describes the length of the camp, i.e. 12 “mils” (13,5 km.) We have the personal testimony of Rabbi Bar bar Chanah who was shown this site (Eiruvin 55). This is when G’d gave the direct order to disinherit (exterminate) the people residing in the land of Canaan at that time, as the people had now come very close to carry out this directive by crossing the river.

The measure of the Israelite camp. For the three parsa'os from Beis Yeshimos until Aveil Hasheetim were equivalent to twelve mils.

V. 49. מבית הישימת עד אבל השטים, nach Joma 75 a eine Strecke von 3 מיל 12 = פרסאות, daher das תחום-Mass von 12 מיל, nach der Ansicht, dass תחומין דאורי (siehe zu Schmot 16, 29).

Once the people had come to this location, they gradually spread out in different directions on that plain.

אבל השטים — The plain of Shittim had the name אבל (cf. Rashi on Genesis 14:6).

The Plain of Sheetim was entitled “Aveil.” However, the meaning of “Aveil” is not “plain.” In Parshas Lech Lecha (Bereishis 14:6) Rashi comments on this matter at length. [Though] the Targum renders Aveil as מישור ["plain"], this explanation is according to the context and the term.

כי אתם עברים את הירדן וגו׳ והורשתם וגו׳ WHEN YOU ARE PASSED OVER THE JORDAN … YOU SHALL DRIVE OUT [ALL THE INHABITANTS] — But had they not already been admonished about this several times? But it is repeated here in this form “when you are passing over the Jordan”, and not as usual “when you come into the land” because Moses spoke thus to them: While you are passing through the Jordan on dry land, you shall pass over having this in view (that you will drive out the inhabitants), and if you do not, the waters will come and overwhelm you. And so indeed we find (Jos. 4:10) that Joshua spoke to them while they were still standing in the Jordan (Sotah 34a).

V. 51. דבר וגו׳. Schon Schmot 34, 12 f. nach der Wiedererrichtung des durch die Egelsünde gestörten Gottesbundes, war im Anblick der den im Volke vorhandenen fremden Elementen leider nur zu gut gelungenen Verführung die Warnung ausgesprochen, bei der einstigen Niederlassung im Lande die polytheistischen Bewohner samt ihren polytheistischen Denkmälern nicht unter und neben sich zu dulden (siehe daselbst). Hier an der Grenze, im Anblick des Landes und vor der nach seinen Grenzen genauen Präzisierung des der Verwirklichung des Gesetzes geweihten und für diese Verwirklichung zu erlangenden Bodens, wird diese Warnung als erste Grundbedingung wiederholt. Ja, wenn es Josua 4, 10 heißt: והכהנים נשאי הארון עמדים בתוך הירדן עד תם כל הדבר אשר צוה ד׳ את יהושע לדבר אל העם בכל אשר צוה משה את יהושע, dass die Priester mit der Bundeslade im Jarden verharrten, bis Josua alles das zum Volke gesprochen hatte, was Gott ihm durch Mosche zur Anrede an das Volk aufgetragen hatte, so wird dies Sota 34a eben von dieser hier an das Überschreiten des Jordans geknüpften Warnung verstanden. Im Jordan, in dem kritischen Augenblick zwischen dem Untergang in der Jordansflut und dem glücklichen Durchgange zum Lande hin, ward die Warnung wiederholt, von deren Beachtung der ganze Bestand des Landesbesitzes bedingt war.

When you cross. As long as they had not yet crossed the Yardein into Eretz Yisroel, they were not ordered to destroy the idol worship on the other side of the Yardein. This commandment depended on the holiness of the Land of Israel; the other side of the Yardein did not become sanctified until Eretz Yisroel was sanctified. This is similar to the concept of the Cities of Refuge that did not take in accidental murderers until those in Eretz Yisroel would also be sanctified, because the activation of the Cities of Refuge depends on the holiness of Eretz Yisroel which in turn is only when the Jubilee year is being observed.

והורשתם means, AND YE SHALL DRIVE OUT.

You shall oust. For if it was in the sense of inheritance, it should have said וירשתם ["you shall inherit"]. Alternatively if it meant inheritance, the Torah should not have said, “Before you” because the word “before you” is not appropriate for inheritance.

והורשתם את כל יושבי הארץ, "You are to drive out all the inhabitants of the land, etc." Even though the Torah says in Deut. 20, 16 that: "you must not allow a single soul (of these seven nations) to survive," in this instance the Torah does not speak of the seven Canaanite nations but about others who lived amongst them. This is the reason the Torah chose its words carefully, i.e. "all the ones who dwell in the land," that the Israelites were to drive out even those people who lived there who were not members of the seven nations.

V. 52. ”ירש“ .והורשתם — lautverwandt mit ”גרש“, vertreiben, wovon noch תירוש, der aus seiner Hülle getriebene Saft — heißt im קל: an jemandes Stelle Besitz nehmen, und hat zum Objekt sowohl den bisherigen Besitzer als dessen bisherigen Besitz, ein Gut erben und einen Besitzer beerben. So: Bereschit 15, 8 u. 3 במה אדע כי אירשנה בן ביתי יורש אותי. Im הפעיל heißt es einen solchen Besitzwechsel gewaltsam veranstalten, und zwar auch sowohl mit dem Besitzer, als dem Besitz als Objekt: והורשתם את יושבי הארץ und Vers 53: והורשתם את הארץ, die Bewohner aus dem Lande treiben und das Land aus dem Besitze der bisherigen Bewohner herausbringen, es von seinen Bewohnern säubern.

ואבדתם את כל צלמי משכיתם, “you are to destroy all their molten images.” According to Tanchuma 8 on this verse this is what is meant in Job 35,11 מלפנו מבהמות ארץ, “who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth.” G–d told the Israelites to learn a lesson from Elijah at Mount Carmel who had asked the priests of the Baal to prepare one bullock as their sacrifice to the Baal and to wait if the Baal would respond in any manner at all. When almost the whole day had passed and no response from the Baal had been forthcoming, Elijah proceeded to dig a trench around an ancient altar that had been destroyed when the Temple in Jerusalem was built, and he filled the trench with water. He poured water over the bullock after it had been cut up three times and prayed to the Lord of Israel; fire descended from heaven and consumed the bullock and licked up all the water in the trench. (Kings I 18,32). I have heard that the size and shape of that trench was copied from what the Israelites constructed in front of the Tabernacle. The amount of water poured into that trench and over the bullock also was the same as had been used with the altar in front of the Tabernacle. How was he allowed to use jugs which had been used by the idolatrous priests of the Baal? In Kings II 3,11 Elisha, Elijah’s successor, is quoted as having been the one who poured the water on Mount Carmel for his mentor Elijah so that there is no problem of idolatrous vessels having been used. There is puzzling verse in Job 35,11: where one of Job’s friends tells him that “the Lord gives us more wisdom than the birds in the sky.” This was a reference to the ravens which had supplied Elijah with food and water when he was hiding out from King Achav. These birds did not want to enter the palace of the idolatrous king. Our author feels that this interpretation cannot be reconciled with the Talmud on that subject. (Chulin folio 5.) It is stated there that the ravens took that food from the kitchen of the King, which being under the supervision of Adoniah, (a prophet) was strictly kasher.

משכיתם — Understand this as the Targum does: THEIR SPOTS FOR WORSHIP; it is called משכית (connected with the root סכך = סכה “to cover”), because they used to cover the ground with marble stone to prostrate themselves upon it with hands and feet stretched forth, as it is said, (Leviticus 26:1): “And no stone of משכית, covering (no mosaic) shall ye put on your ground to prostrate yourself upon it” (because this is a heathen form of worship).

On which to prostrate themselves. Rashi wishes to prove that משכית is in the sense of a floor, since it is written in the verse ואבן משכית ["overlaid stones"]. He also wishes to prove his comment, “To prostrate themselves with arms and legs extended.” [He derives this from the fact that] it is written, “On which to prostrate yourselves,” and regarding Yosef it is written (Bereishis 37:10), “To prostrate to you upon the ground” which refers to extending the arms and legs.

Alternatively, the Torah refers again to a nation which the Israelites do not possess the strength to kill. At least they should ensure that they would leave the land and not remain in it.

משכיתם, dieser Plural weist ganz entschieden darauf hin, dass die Wurzel ”סכה“ ist und nicht ”סכת“, wie wir Wajikra 26, 1 als möglich ausgesprochen haben. Es heißt hier nicht אבני משכיתם, sondern משכיתם und umfasst dies wohl alle bestimmte Gedankenerregungen bezweckenden sinnlichen Darstellungen; wir haben es daher Symbole übersetzt, als das zunächst entsprechende. So auch משכיות לבב (Ps.73, 7). Die lautverwandten Wurzeln ”שׁגע“ ,”שׁגח“ ,”שׁגה“ ,”שׁכה“ bezeichnen alle eine intensive Gedankenrichtung auf etwas (siehe Bereschit 8, 1).

Destroy all their carved stones. This refers to their stone floors, and yet there were floors made from virgin stones that were originally attached to the ground that are not prohibited. In any case, Scripture commands that they should be damaged until they are no longer recognizable. Once they have been uprooted it is permitted to benefit from them, as stated in Avodah Zara (46): Stones from a (worshipped) mountain that rolled down from there and the hand of man has not altered them, are not forbidden.

מסכיתם — Understand this as the Targum does: their molten gods.

ואת כל צלמי מסכתם (siehe Wajikra 19, 4). משכיות sind wohl die öffentlichen Lehrmittel der polytheistischen Weltanschauungen, צלמי מסכתם die plastischen Darstellungen ihrer Götter, במות die Opferstätten des Naturkults.

Demolish all their cast metal idols. Scripture repeats the commandment of demolishing, because this destruction is not the same as the first. In the first case they only need to be removed from their place, and it is permitted to benefit from them. This is not the case with the cast metal idols, which are completely forbidden, and with which nullifying also has no effect — the same as Moshe’s commandment to burn the Asheirah tree when they entered the land. There is no solution for them except to be destroyed completely.

All their altars — that are not forbidden because of idol worship, since no worship was performed on them, nevertheless, they were an assembly point for those worshipping idols — tear down so that there will be no trace of idol worship in Eretz Yisroel.

והורשתם את הארץ (lit., ye shall drive out the land) — this means: and you shall dispossess it of its inhabitants, and then, וישבתם בה YOU WILL DWELL IN IT — i.e., you will be able to remain in it, but if not, you will not be able to remain in it.

AND YE SHALL DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, AND DWELL THEREIN; FOR UNTO YOU HAVE I GIVEN THE LAND TO POSSESS IT. In my opinion this is a positive commandment,²⁴Among the great scholars who enumerate the individual 613 Commandments, Ramban was the first to mention this commandment [to conquer and settle in the Land of Israel etc.] as binding for all times. In his notes to Maimonides’ Sefer Hamitzvoth (Book of the Commandments), in the section on “additional” positive commandments, No. 4, Ramban discusses this opinion at length. Here in his commentary on the Torah, he mentions it briefly, relying presumably on his explanation in the work quoted above. in which He is commanding them to dwell in the Land and inherit it, because He has given it to them and they should not reject the inheritance of the Eternal.²⁵I Samuel 26:19. Thus if the thought occurs to them to go and conquer the land of Shinar or the land of Assyria or any other country and to settle therein, they are [thereby] transgressing the commandment of G-d. And that which our Rabbis have emphasized, the significance of the commandment of settling in the Land of Israel, and that it is forbidden to leave it [except for certain specified reasons], and [the fact] that they consider a woman who does not want to emigrate with her husband to live in the Land of Israel as a “rebellious [wife],”²⁶Kethuboth 110b: “If he wants to emigrate [to the Land of Israel] and she refuses, she may be forced to go there, and if she still refuses, she may be divorced without her kethubah (marriage contract — see Vol. II, pp. 385-386). and likewise the man²⁷“If she wants to emigrate [to the Land of Israel] and he refuses, he may be forced to go there, and if he still refuses, he must divorce her and give her the kethubah (ibid.). — the source of all these statements is here [in this verse] where we have been given this commandment, for this verse constitutes a positive commandment.²⁸“For all generations, every person being obliged in the performance thereof, even during the exile” (Ramban in his notes to Maimonides’ Sefer Hamitzvoth “additional” positive commandments, No. 4). This commandment He repeats in many places, such as Go in and possess the Land.²⁹Deuteronomy 1:8. “And when they refused to go up, it is written: but ye rebelled against the commandment of the Eternal your G-d (ibid., Verse 26 — Ramban on Sefer Hamitzvoth, ibid.). Rashi, however, explained: “And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the Land — [if] you dispossess it of its inhabitants, then ye will be able to dwell therein, and to remain there, but if not, you will not be able to remain in it.” But our interpretation [of the verse] is the principal one.

והורשתם את הארץ, when you will wipe out the present inhabitants of that land your children will thereby acquire the right to treat it as their ancestral heritage. If you fail to drive out or wipe out the local population, the land will not become your heritage even though you have conquered it.

והורשתם את הארץ וישבתם בה, "and you will take possession of the land and dwell in it, etc." Rashi explains that the commandment is to drive out the people, whereas the words: "you will dwell in it" are a promise; Nachmanides explains that the commandment is to dwell in the land and that this verse is the halachic basis for Ketuvot 110 that הכל מעלין לארץ ישראל, "that one may force all the members of one's household to migrate to the land of Israel."

והורשתם את הארץ וישבתם בה, “you will take possession of the land and dwell thereon.” According to the opinion of Nachmanides this verse is one of the positive commandments in the Torah. This means that if, for some reason, the people would decide to conquer a different land and to settle there, they would be in violation of this positive commandment to settle in the Holy Land. The commandment to take possession of the Holy Land and to settle thereon is deemed so important that the Torah repeats it on several occasions. This is the reason why our sages stated that anyone leaving the Holy Land to take up residence elsewhere is equivalent to having chosen for himself an alien deity. (Ketuvot 110) Our sages deal at length with the subject of a wife who refuses to accompany her husband to the Holy Land, etc. The same debate is conducted if the wife wants to settle in the land of Israel and her husband refuses. Rashi does not interpret the words והורשתם את הארץ in the same manner, but sees the whole verse as describing the circumstances that make our settling in the land of Israel possible, i.e. taking possession of it, being undisputed owners. According to Rashi, unless we are in physical possession of that land, our living there will always be of a temporary nature.

והורשתם את הארץ, “you shall drive out the land.” The meaning is to drive out the inhabitants of the land. Once you have done this, you will be able to settle in it. If you fail to drive out the present inhabitants you will not be able to stay in the land for long.

Of its inhabitants. Because הורשה is an expression of expulsion, therefore when it is written את הארץ [lit. "[drive out] the land"] it means the inhabitants of the land.

V. 53. והורשתם את הארץ (siehe zu V. 52). Ihr müsst das Land erst durch Entfernung aller polytheistischen Spuren zu eurer ירושה fähig machen, dann erst könnt ihr euch darin niederlassen. So lange polytheistische Bewohner und polytheistische Denkmäler darin sind, ist eure ישיבה keine ישיבה (siehe zu Schmot 32, 12 f.). כי לכם נתתי וגו׳: nicht kraft eigner Machtvollkommenheit habt ihr das Land, es ist Gottes Wille und Gottes Macht, denen ihr das Land verdanket, und auch bei der Verteilung des Landes (V. 54) habt ihr nicht willkürliche Normen, sondern Gottes Weisung und Gottes Entscheidung zu folgen. Daher könnt ihr euch nicht der ersten Vorbedingung entschlagen, unter welcher Gott euch das Land überweist

You shall be able to endure there… For if not so, surely it is already written, “drive out” thus it should have continued, “You shall give [the land] as an inheritance…” Rather, this was said conditionally [i.e.] that if you drive them out you will be able to endure.

It would appear that Rashi referred to the plain meaning of the verse considering the conclusion of the verse which says: "for I have given it to you to dispossesss it (of its inhabitants)." If the commandment had been the dwelling in the land, the Torah should have indicated this by writing "for I have given it to you to dwell in it."

אל אשר יצא לו שמה — This is an elliptical verse, the meaning being, the place where the lot falleth to anyone, that shall be his.

Taking into account those who came out of Egypt. Here Rashi does not explain as he did in Parshas Pinchas (26:53), for there his explanation implied that they divided [the land] according to those who entered the land and had reached twenty years of age. There is a dispute in Bava Basra 117a, and one opinion is that [the words] “The land shall be apportioned among these…” (26:53) refers to those who entered the land, and there he explained in accordance with that opinion. However, here Rashi explains in accordance with the opinion that [the words] “The land shall be apportioned among these” refers to those who came out of Egypt. [Alternatively] it is possible to give a forced answer that this is in accordance with the explanation above (26:55) that “This inheritance is different [from all others…]”

V. 54. והתנחלתם וגו׳ (siehe zu Kap. 26, 52-56). בגורל, in einer durch אורים ותומים bestätigten Weise (siehe daselbst). Jedem aber, dem durch ein von Gott bestätigtes Los ein Landesteil angewiesen worden, dem war eben damit die Aufgabe erteilt, es zuvor durch Vertreibung der Bewohner und der polytheistischen Denkmäler für seine Besitznahme bereit zu stellen.

למטות אבותיכם ACCORDING TO THE TRIBES OF YOUR FATHERS [YE SHALL DIVIDE INHERITANCE] — i.e., according to the number of those who came out of Egypt (Bava Batra 117a; cf. Rashi on Numbers 26:55). Another explanation: ye shall divide it into twelve districts, as is the number of the tribes.

With twelve border demarcations. Meaning: The entire border demarcation was referred to by its tribe [e.g.] this being the border demarcation of Reuven and that being the border demarcation of Shimon. Now we can understand Rashi’s comment in Parshas Vayechi (Bereishis 48:6) that [even though the land was apportioned by population], “Nonetheless only these were termed tribes…” as meaning that the inheritance of Ephraim and Menashe would also be referred to by their name, as the border of Ephraim or the border of Menashe. Re’m writes: This is puzzling, because this is not like either opinion (Bava Basra 117a). For Rabbi Yoshiya says the land was apportioned to those who left Egypt, as it says, “According to the names of their fathers’ tribes should they inherit it” (26:55), while Rabbi Yochanan says that the land of Israel was apportioned to those who came into the land, as it says, “The land shall be apportioned among these…” (26:53). Therefore, how am I to understand [Rashi’s comment (26:55)] “according to the names of their tribes — this inheritance is different…”? He leaves the question unresolved. The answer is that Rashi is answering a question: According to both explanations there is a difficulty as to what is meant by “According to [the names] of their fathers’ tribes.” For it should have merely said, “According to the names of their fathers should they inherit it.” Why was the word “tribes” necessary? Rather, one must say that it was also to expound, “With twelve border demarcations…” This forced Rashi to bring the other interpretation. However, according to the second interpretation there is also the difficulty as to why it said, “fathers” for it should have merely said, “According to the names of the tribes”. Therefore the first reason is also necessary.

והיה אשר תותירו מהם THEN IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT THOSE WHOM YE LEAVE OF THEM shall be a misfortune for you.

L’SIKIM’ IN YOUR EYES — “‘like pins’ which prick out your eyes. The [Aramaic] Targum [Onkelos] of the Hebrew word yetheidoth³⁰Exodus 27:19. (pins) is sikim. ‘V’LITZNINIM.’ Translators have interpreted this [word] in the sense of [the phrase] mesuchath (hedged by) thorns³¹Proverbs 15:19. encircling you so that they enclose and imprison you and you cannot go out or come in.” This is Rashi’s language.
Now it is [indeed] clear that sikim means “sharp thorns,” and is related to [the expression]: I will take away ‘mesukatho’ (the hedge thereof);³²Isaiah 5:5. I will ‘sach’ (hedge up) thy way with thorns;³³Hosea 2:8. Hast Thou not ‘sachta’ (made a hedge) about him?;³⁴Job 1:10. and put ‘sakin’ to thy throat³⁵Proverbs 23:2. — [all these phrases referring to] something sharp, made from a thorn or from iron. V’litzninim is likewise [a term for] a piercing thorn³⁶Ezekiel 28:24. related to the expression: and taketh it even ‘mitzinim’ out of the thorns);³⁷Job 5:5. ‘tzinim’ (thorns) and snares are in the way of the crooked,³⁸Proverbs 22:5. and [the word tzinim in these two verses] lacks the double letter [‘nun,’ since the full word is tzninim, as in the verse before us]. But the intention of [the expression here] ‘l’sikim’ in your eyes is: “to mislead you so that you will not see nor understand,” just as in [the expression], for the bribe ‘blindeth’ the open-eyed,³⁹Exodus 23:8. A bribe does not “blind” physically but misleads the recipient to render an unjust decision. and as, nor put a stumbling-block before ‘the blind,’⁴⁰Leviticus 19:14. In the opinion of the Rabbis this establishes the prohibition against giving misleading advice to a person who is “blind” (unsuspecting) in a certain matter. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 277-278. according to the opinion of our Rabbis. Thus the verse is saying that they [the inhabitants of the Land] will “prick out” your eyes by misleading you, because you will not perceive nor understand [the danger], and they will teach you [to do] all their abominations⁴¹Deuteronomy 20:18. and to worship their gods, just as He said, They shall not dwell in thy Land, lest they make thee sin against Me, for thou wilt serve their gods.⁴²Exodus 23:33. After being thorns in your eyes and misleading you to turn away from Me, they will be pricks in your sides, causing you suffering and pain, by plundering and despoiling you. And after that they shall harass you,⁴³Verse 55 here. meaning that they will fight against you and bring you under siege, and I will then send you into exile, a whole captivity,⁴⁴Amos 1:6. in their place. For as I thought to do unto them⁴⁵Verse 56. because of you, that is, to send all of them into exile from the Land, so that you should leave none of them any more there,⁴⁶Ezekiel 39:28. but you have not hearkened to My voice, therefore so will I do unto you⁴⁵Verse 56. and I will leave not a single one of you in the Land.
In a similar way Joshua said: And they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and scourge in your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good Land.⁴⁷Joshua 23:13. Joshua said a snare and a trap referring to the errors into which they will lead you, as in [the expression], for thou wilt serve their gods — for they will be ‘a snare’ unto thee;⁴²Exodus 23:33. and a scourge in your sides which means that they will chastise you with shotim (whips)⁴⁸The Hebrew word ul’shoteit [in Joshua 23:13, which is usually translated: as a scourge], is understood here by Ramban as coming from the noun shot (a whip). so that they may plunder, despoil and cause you great suffering; and pricks in your eyes, this refers to blinding of the perception of the heart, so as to further mislead you after their gods; until ye perish from off this good Land, similar to that which it is said, lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return and be healed.⁴⁹Isaiah 6:10.

ואם לא תורישו את יושבי הארץ, "And if you will fail to drive out the inhabitants of the land, etc." According to Megillah 10 which says that wherever the word והיה occurs it alludes to something joyful, the meaning of the word here would be that although the reason the Israelites would decide to allow some of these inhabitants to remain would be in order that they perform menial duties for them, etc., i.e. in order to enjoy their services, G'd would see to it that instead these remaining inhabitants would prove to be thorns in their eyes and pricks in their sides and that these foreigners would harass the new owners.

לשכים בעיניכם, an expression describing thorns and thistles. These pierce one’s eyes as described in Hoseah 2,8 הנני סך את דרכך בסירים, “here I am going to hedge up her roads with thorns.” We have further support for this in the Book of Joshua 23,13 והיו לכם לפח ולמוקש ולשוטט בצדיכם ולצנינים בעיניכם, “they shall become a snare and a trap for you, a scourge to your sides and thorns in your eyes.” We have a similar threat uttered by Rechavam Solomon’s son who told the people: “my father disciplined you with whips, whereas I intend to flog you with scorpions” (Kings I 12,11).

לשכים בעיניכם ולצנינים בצדיכם, “as pins in your eyes and as thorns in your sides.” They will be as thorns in your eyes that prick you and make you blind, as a result of which you will constantly be misled so that you will not be able to learn from your past mistakes and will learn to copy the evil ways of these pagans, as a result of which they will harass you in your own country. Because of your being disloyal to Me, I will expel you from the Holy Land. Ultimately, the land will become “Judenrein,” devoid of any Jews.

Shall be evil for you. Rashi wishes to answer the question: The verse implies that they would be left over intentionally, for this reason, so that they would be as spikes. Furthermore, it is not appropriate to say about people that they would be שכים which means spikes, as Rashi explains (s.v. "as spikes"). He answers that they shall be evil to you, meaning that if you leave them over they will be evil to you. This means that they will not literally be spikes against you, rather they will be evil, to do evil to you.

V. 55. ”שוך“ .לשכים בעיניכם und ”שכך“, offenbar verwandt mit סכך und סוג, bedeutet eine Dornabwehr, eine Dorneinhegung. So: הנני שך את דרכך בסירים (Hosea 2. 8), הסר משוכתו והיה לבער (Jesaia 5, 8), משכת חדק (Prov. 15, 19). Der Sinn ist daher wohl: die polytheistischen Bewohner, die ihr im Lande lassen werdet, werden zu einem Gehege um ihr polytheistisches Unwesen werden, so dass sich dieses Unwesen eurer Einsicht und Aufsicht und eurem verwerfenden Urteil entzieht. Mit der Toleranz gegen die polytheistischen Bewohner werdet ihr auch tolerant gegen den Polytheismus (vergl. Schmot 34, 15 u. 16). Mit dieser dem Polytheismus im Gotteslande Berechtigung einräumenden Duldung büßt ihr aber selber die Integrität eurer Gotthörigkeit, die Berechtigung und den Schutz eures Daseins im Lande ein, und wie Gott seinen Schutz euch wegzieht, werden die Geduldeten eure Dränger und Feinde in eurem eigenen Lande. Das ganze Buch der Richter ist nichts als Geschichte der Verwirklichung dieser nicht beachteten Warnung.

.לשכים בעיניכם, “as thorns in your eyes.” This expression also appears in this sense in Proverbs 15,19: כמשוכת חדק, “like thorns in a hedge.”

לשכים AS שכים IN YOUR EYES — as pins which prick out your eyes: the Targum translation of יתדות pins or pegs, is שיכיא (cf. e. g., Exodus 27:19).

ולצנינים, anothet kind of thorns that are harmful to human beings. Menachem ben Srok understands Job 5,5 speaking of מצנים יקחהו ואל as referring to picking some harvest between the thorns and thistles, whereas I believe that the correct meaning of the word is connected to snow, i.e. צנת שלג as in Proverbs 25,13 coldness of snow. Accordingly, the meaning of the line in Job would be that “when one is forced to harvest among thorns and to slake one’s thirst by swallowing one’s own wealth, the robbers who are hungry and the naked who are thirsty will devour one’s money. [Job is expressing his frustration with the day he was born,] Our author understands the word צינים there as referring to the naked.

Denoting a barrier. [מסוכת, "barrier"] is similar to מסך פתח ["a screen at the entrance"] (Shemos 39:38) with the connotation of a barrier which encloses.

וצררו אתכם על הארץ, "and they shall harass you in the land, etc." The Torah means that not only will they harass you in the part of the land that you did not drive them out of, but they will harass you even in the parts of the country which you have conquered and driven them out of and which you have settled. They will challenge you to leave what they consider to be their country. The meaning of the word על in this context is similar to Numbers 20,24: על אשר מריתם את פי, "because you have rebelled against My word." We have a similar meaning of the word על in Deut. 32,51.

ולצנינים, “and as pricks;” Compare Proverbs 22,5, צניםפחים.

ולצנינים — The lexicographers explain it in the sense of a hedge of thorns (צנינים is another form of צנים) so that the meaning here is: they will become as something which hedges you in, enclosing and imprisoning you in order that none can go forth nor come in (cf. Rashi on Joshua 23:13) (The meaning is they will hedge you in on all sides בצדיכם.

וצררו אתכם — Understand this as the Targum does: (“and they will distress you”).

והיה כאשר דמיתי לעשות להם אעשה לכם, for you will surely follow their religious cult, which will result in your expulsion or death.

כאשר דמיתי לעשות להם, "as I meant to do unto them, etc." My commandment was meant for your benefit. Seeing you have not fulfilled it, My commandment remains unfulfilled; I therefore have no choice but to fulfil it in respect of these people you have left in the land.

כאשר דמיתי, as I had imagined to myself.

V. 56. והיה וגו׳. Endlich werdet ihr so des Gotteslandes unwürdig werden, dass Gott euch so aus dem Lande vertreiben wird, wie es seine Absicht war, die Völker durch euch vertreiben zu lassen. ”דמה“ .דמיתי (siehe Bereschit 1, 26). :דמה sowohl in etwas die Ähnlichkeit von etwas Vorhandenem erkennen und aussprechen, als auch, wie hier, sich die Vorstellung von etwas machen, das erst werden soll, etwas beabsichtigen, vorhaben.

לעשות להם, I had commanded you not to allow a soul to survive, (Deuteronomy 20,16) whereas you have allowed them not only to survive but have kept them alive. אעשה לכם, I will do unto you, not to keep you alive. [the punishment would match the crime. Ed.]