Comentario sobre Números 14:33

ארבעים 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).

ונשאו את זנותיכם, suffering for your faithlessness against me when you had said: “let us appoint a leader to take us back to Egypt ” (verse 4).

רועים במדבר, they will derive their livelihood in a manner similar to sheep who wander all over to find grass to graze on. Similarly, the Israelites will move about somewhat aimlessly in the desert during these years.

יהיו רועים במדבר, “will roam in the wilderness, etc.” Just as a shepherd does not remain stationary in the same location but guides his flock to different pastures, you will be searching out places to make camp.

Before the age of sixty. The decree was only made upon those who were twenty years old and they were in the desert for forty years, thus it emerges that they were sixty years old [when they died]. Because even though they were to be punished by death, they were not liable for koreis [premature death before the age of sixty].

V. 33. ובניכם יהיו רעים, indem diese, die Kinder mit betreffende lange Wanderung in der Wüste doch mit dem Begriff רעה, weiden, bezeichnet wird, so ist damit doch zugleich gesagt, dass diese Wanderung ihnen Erhaltung und Gedeihen bringen solle, ונשאו את זנותיכם wir haben hier einen lebendigen Kommentar zu dem פוקד עון אבות על בנים. In unvermeidlich naturgemäßer Folge werden die Kinder mit von dem durch die Eltern verschuldeten Verhängnis ergriffen, und gleichzeitig wird diese Mitleidenschaft der Kinder diesen zu unendlichem Heile. War doch eben diese vierzigjährige Wanderung die Hoheschule des jüdischen Volkes für die Durchdringung mit dem Geiste des Gesetzes und eines unwandelbaren Vertrauens in Gott, dessen wahrhafte Reife noch erst nach Jahrhunderten aufgehen sollte — und soll. — זנותיכם: für die Mitleidenschaft der Kinder wird die Verirrung in ihrer Beziehung zu Gott begriffen als Abfall, da eben die veränderte Beziehung Gottes zu ihnen das Verhängnis gestaltet, unter welchem die Kinder zu leiden haben sollen. Hinsichtlich der Eltern selbst, der eigentlich Schuldigen, heißt die Verirrung (V. 34) objektiv עון, Abweichen vom geraden Pfad. Beidemal steht aber der Plural: עונתיכם ,זנותיכם. Das jetzt sich vollziehende Verhängnis ist eine Frucht der ganzen Reihe von Abirrungen und Verirrungen, deren sie sich bereits schuldig gemacht.

יהיו רועים, “they will be wanderers;” this is meant literally, i.e. like sheep that are wanderers, [not like shepherds, Ed.] Sheep do not wander in one direction but often cross areas that they had fed on earlier in the season. Your children will also be nomads like those sheep.

ונשאו 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).

The first year was included. Meaning that the first year of the count [of forty] was included…

Part of the year as the whole. Meaning that some of the people who were counted after the incident with the golden calf, which was after the first count [in the desert], had turned twenty years old. However, if initially they had been nineteen years old, and only at the sending of the spies did they turn twenty, they would enter the land. This is what Rashi means when he says “so that when they entered their sixtieth year, those who had been twenty years old died.” In the name of Maharitz.