Comentario sobre Números 21:23

לא נתן סיחון וגו׳ AND SIHON WOULD NOT SUFFER [ISRAEL TO PASS THROUGH HIS BOUNDARY] — For all the Canaanite kings paid him tribute, because he protected them that no hostile forces should pass through his land against them. As soon as Israel said to him, “Let me pass through they land”, he answered them: “The whole purpose of my dwelling here is to protect them against you, and yet you speak thus!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 23).

Delivered tribute to him. For if not so, surely they only requested to pass through their land. [Thus it is understandable that] Sichon did not allow them to pass, but why did he go out to fight against them? (Nachalas Yaakov, Gur Aryeh and Kitzur Mizrochi) Rashi needed this answer to explain [a difficulty:] It was understandable that the king of Edom would dispute the inheritance of the Land of Israel, being certain [of his strength] due to the assurance of his ancestor, and also because they sent an appeasing message, “Let us please pass” in terms of a request. However regarding Sichon there is the difficulty as to why he was so confident? Surely it would have been better for him not to wage war with Yisroel. Therefore Rashi answers that “all the Canaanite kings delivered tribute to him.”

לקראת ישראל המדברה “in the direction of the Israelites, toward the desert.” We had been told that they had encamped in the desert at that time in verse 13 of our chapter.

ויצא לקראת ישראל AND HE WENT OUT AGAINST ISRAEL — Even if Heshbon had been full of people as puny as gnats, no human being could have captured it, and if Sihon had been (resided) in a weak village no human being could have overcome him. How much the more was he invincible whilst he dwelt in Heshbon. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Why should I trouble My children to all this extent, to besiege each city? He therefore put it into the hearts of all the men of war to go forth from the cities, and they assembled all of them in one spot, and there they fell in battle; from there Israel proceeded to the cities and there were none to resist them, for there were only women and children there (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 23).

Why should I inconvenience… Rashi is answering the question: Why did Sichon go out against them to wage war? Surely he had no reason to fear given that even “if the city of Cheshbon had been filled with gnats…” and similarly “if Sichon had been alone in a village…” Furthermore the verse continues, “And he gathered all of his people.” This implies [that he gathered] all of the people in the land, but this was not proper practice. On the contrary he should have brought all his troops into the cities in order to protect them. Thus Rashi explains “The Holy One Blessed Is He said…”