Commentaire sur Les Nombres 9:19

AND WHEN THE CLOUD TARRIED. This means that if the cloud tarried upon the Tabernacle many days, and the place [where they happened to be camped] was not good in their eyes, so that they very much desired and wanted to journey away from there, they were nonetheless not to transgress the will of G-d; this being the meaning of the verse, and the children of Israel kept the charge of the Eternal, and journeyed not,⁹⁵Verse 19. namely that [it was only] because of their fear of G-d and because they kept the charge of His command that they did not journey. Similarly, if the cloud was there only a few days,⁹⁶Verse 20. for instance two or three days, and the people were very tired because their strength had weakened in the way,⁹⁷See Psalms 102:24. they would nonetheless fulfill the will of G-d and walk after the cloud. And Scripture further relates that sometimes they tarried for only one night and journeyed in the [next] morning, although it was a great strain for them. And at times the cloud tarried a day and a night,⁹⁸Verse 21. when they had journeyed throughout the night and arrived at that place in the morning, and the cloud stayed there all that day and all the night, and was taken up on the second morning and they journeyed.⁹⁸Verse 21. This was an even greater trouble for them than the previously-mentioned one, because the people would think that they were to stay there [for a long time], and would unload the wagons and lay down their burdens, as is the custom of those who come from a journey, and when the cloud was taken up⁹⁸Verse 21. they began reloading, and could not make any preparations for the journey. Whether it were two days,⁹⁸Verse 21. and they journeyed at night.
It is possible that it happened during their journeys that they had to do as is narrated here, and not in another way, namely that the cloud first tarried from evening until morning,⁹⁸Verse 21. then a day and night,⁹⁸Verse 21. then two days,⁹⁹Verse 22. then a month and finally a year.⁹⁹Verse 22. This is why Scripture mentioned these periods in detail. It [the cloud] would also tarry for many years, as Scripture mentioned at the beginning [of this section],¹⁰⁰Verse 19: And when the cloud tarried upon the Tabernacle many ‘days’, which means “many years.” such as in Kadesh of which Scripture states, And ye abode in Kadesh many days, according to the days that ye abode there.¹⁰¹Deuteronomy 1:46. They stayed in Kadesh for 19 years (Rashi ibid.).

. ושמרו בני ישראל את משמרת ה', the reason why the Torah repeats this fact a second time is to emphasise that even when the location selected by the cloud was not only inhospitable, but the cloud remained there for a long period, the Israelites did not grumble or protest this fact. They did not start journeying on their own, looking for a more suitable place to encamp.

ובהאריך הענן, “and when the cloud remained stationary for a longer period, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the meaning is that the people were not always content that the cloud remained in the same place for a long period as it delayed their progress toward the Holy Land. Nonetheless, the people observed G’d’s expressed will, and the Torah compliments them for this. This is why the Torah added the otherwise superfluous words that the people honoured G’d’s wish by not breaking camp until told to do so. Similarly, when the motion of the cloud signaled that they were to continue their journey although they had only pitched their tents on the day before, they did not complain but obeyed G’d’s wish without protest. On occasion this meant that after a whole night’s journey, and making camp in morning, they had to break camp and move on within literally, a number of hours. Although such uncertainties about their movements must have taken a toll on their nerves, it is recorded to their credit that they did not express discontent about this, ever.

ובהאריך הענן , “and when the cloud remained stationary for a long period,” the Torah describes these matters at length to compliment the Israelites who were guided in their journeys or lack of movement by the behaviour of the cloud. The desert was not uniform; some places where the Israelites camped were more pleasant than others, and it would have been understandable for the people to be restless to get away from the less pleasant sites. Proof that there were distinct differences in the natural habitat are such descriptions as “the bitter waters at Marah” contrasted with the pleasant oasis Eylim which was liberally supplied with date palms (Exodus 15, 23 and 27 respectively). The Torah testifies that as soon as the cloud would move, even if the camp was a very pleasant site, the Israelites would get ready to move. To sum up: the Israelites instead of arranging their journeys in accordance with their own preferences submitted willingly to the decision made on their behalf by G’d as expressed by the movement of the cloud. The Torah here also describes another act of kindness by G’d in that all occasions when the people broke camp were in the morning. We derive this from the words או יומם ולילה, “or a day and a night,” instead of או לילה או יום, “or a night and a day” (verse 21). According to the report of the creation (Genesis 1,5 as interpreted by Chulin 83), day followed night, i.e. ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר. However, had the Torah followed that script, we would have concluded that at least on some occasions the Israelites were required to break camp in the evening.