Commentaire sur Les Nombres 13:22

ויבא עד חברון [AND THEY WENT UP BY THE SOUTH] AND HE CAME UNTO HEBRON — Caleb alone went there and prostrated himself on the graves of the Patriarchs, offering prayer that he might be helped not to give way to the enticement of his colleagues and join them in their counsel. You may see that it was Caleb who went there, for so indeed it (Scripture) states, (Deuteronomy 1:36) “[Save Caleb the son of Jephunnch, he shall see it] and unto him will I give the land upon which he hath trodden!” and it is written, (Judges 1:20) “And they gave Hebron unto Caleb” (Sotah 34b)

AND HEBRON ‘NIVNETHAH’ (WAS BUILT) SEVEN YEARS BEFORE ZOAN IN EGYPT. “Is it possible that Ham [Noah’s son, the father of both Canaan and Mitzraim], built Hebron for Canaan, his younger son, before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his elder son? Rather, you must say that [the meaning of the word nivnethah] is m’vunah (“built up” — i.e., furnished, supplied) with all excellent qualities, seven times more than Zoan [in Egypt]. The verse thus comes to tell you of the wonderful quality of the Land of Israel.” This is Rashi’s language.
It appears to me according to the plain meaning [of Scripture] that Hebron is Kiryath-arba, the greatest man of the Anakim having the name Arba, and it was he who built it [Hebron], therefore it was called by his name; just as it is said, Now the name of Hebron beforetime was Kiryath-arba, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.⁴⁵Joshua 14:15. This man begot a son whom he named Anak, and it was after him that they [the inhabitants of Hebron] were called Anakim. Therefore Scripture states [here in our verse] that there in Hebron were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt, meaning to say that Arba built it for his son Anak seven years before the building of Zoan in Egypt, which was an ancient city. [Scripture thereby] tells of the longevity of these people, for just as they were exceptional in their height so also they lived longer than other peoples; since Hebron was built [by Arba] for their father [i.e., Anak, the father of these giants Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai] before Zoan in Egypt, and many generations had elapsed since then [the founding of Zoan] until now.
It is possible that [in saying that Hebron was built seven years before Zoan Scripture] is alluding to that which it said, whether it is fat or lean,²⁴Further, Verse 20. [implying] that Hebron was very ancient and nonetheless still produced fat and large fruits, as Scripture tells about the bunch of grapes,⁴⁶Verse 24. and how much more so the newer [parts of the] Land, which was more fertile.
It may be that Arba [and not, as explained above, a son of his, called Anak], was the father of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, and he was called Arba [literally “four”] because there were [altogether] four Anakim [“giants” — the three sons, Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, and their father. According to this we would not have to postulate, as explained above, the existence of a son of Arba whom he named Anak, and who was the ancestor of the people called Anakim]. And the verse which states even Kiryath-arba, which Arba was the father of ‘Anak’ — the same is Hebron⁴⁷Joshua 15:13. [from which you might deduce that Arba indeed had a son, called Anak, uses the singular as a generic term and] means “the father of Anakim.” Therefore Scripture speaks of [Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai as the sons of] Anak and as the children ‘ha’anak’ (of Anak),⁴⁸In Verse 33 here, Scripture speaks of [the sons of] Anak, and in Verse 22 here [also in Joshua 15:14] of the children of ‘ha’anak.’ that is, the children of the greatest [giant] of them all [Arba], just as it says, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim;⁴⁵Joshua 14:15. and therefore [since it refers to the greatest giant, called Arba, and not to an individual called Anak] Scripture mentions the name with the definite article.⁴⁹The definite article [indicated in Hebrew by prefixing the word with the letter hei] cannot be prefixed to a proper name of a person. Thus, e.g., you cannot say ‘ha’Reuben’ (the Reuben). But if it is not a proper name the hei can be used. Thus we find “ha’Reubeini” (the Reubenites) — further 26:7, etc. Here too, if “Anak” were the proper name of a person, Scripture could not have said the children of ‘ha’anak,’ but since it means here “the [greatest] giant,” it may properly be so used. They [giants] are called Anakim [literally “necklaces”] because of their beautiful stature, for they are like necklaces on the necks of the people [i.e., they were the pride of the people], just as [certain people] were called bnei ha’elohim⁵⁰Genesis 6:2. See Vol. I, pp. 102-3. in the section of Bereshith, as I have explained there.⁵⁰Genesis 6:2. See Vol. I, pp. 102-3. This is the meaning of the verse, And Hebron ‘nivnethah’ (was built) by this ‘anak’ [mentioned in the beginning of the verse], seven years before Zoan in Egypt, for since the builder of Hebron [Arba] was well-known and famous, because the name of the city was Kiryath-arba (“the city of Arba”), Scripture says “it was built,” [and does not say that Arba built it]. Or its meaning might be [to emphasize] that it was built for these [very people whom the spies now found in it], their father Arba having built it for them, and thus very many years had passed since the day it was founded even until now.⁵¹Exodus 9:18.

ויבא עד חברון. The well known aggadic comment is widely perceived as the plain meaning of this verse, i.e. that the verse (in the singular, “he came”) refers to Calev of whom the Torah reports “to him I will give the land which he crossed on foot.” (Deuteronomy 1,36)

וחברון שבע שנים נבנתה לפני צוען מצרים, “and Chevron had been founded seven years earlier that Tzoan in Egypt.” Nachmanides writes that following the plain meaning of the text Chevron is identical with the town קרית ארבע that is familiar to us from the time of Avraham. That town had been named after the tallest of a race of giants whose name had been ארבע, and he had built that town. This is why it was named after him. Not only that, but the giants were also named after him. When we are told that in Chevron there used to live Achiman, Sheyshay and Talmay descendents of Anak, the Torah means that Arba had built that town already seven years earlier than Tzoan, a famous ancient town in Egypt had been founded. The point of all this is to inform us of the extraordinary long lifespan of this race of giants. They were not only of extraordinary physical proportions, but they also lived extraordinarily long lives. Their life spans made them parts of a number of generations, all of whom were born and buried while these people continued alive. It is possible that the word השמנה היא used by Moses as something worth investigating, was intended to show that Chevron, in spite of its being ancient, still produced such outstandingly good grapes. How much better must be the fruit in the parts of the country that had been under cultivation for far less time so that its soil had not yet become weakened.

At the grave of the Patriarchs. For if not so, why would he have gone to pray there instead of praying in another place. Rather one must say that it was because of the graves of the patriarchs.

V. 22. ויעלו וגו׳ ויבא וגו׳. Der Singular ויבא ist auffallend. Nach Sota 34 b bezieht man es auf Kaleb, der allein dorthin gegangen wäre, um auf dem Grabe der Väter sich Widerstandskraft gegen das Vorhaben seiner Gefährten zu erflehen, und findet eine Bestätigung darin, dass von ihm Dewarim 1, 36 gesagt ist: ולו אתן את הארץ אשר דרך בה, und in der Tat ihm Chebron zuteil geworden. Richter 1, 20: ויתנו לכלב את חברון כאשר דבר משה. Allein V. 28 berichten die zurückgekehrten Botschafter: וגם ילידי הענק ראינו שם. Demnach wäre Kaleb nicht allein in die Heimat der Anakiden gekommen. Es sind ja ganz eigentlich seine Gefährten, die dort, und so auch noch ausführlicher V. 33, von den Anakiden und dem Eindruck berichten, den ihr Anblick auf sie gemacht. Ja, Dewarim 1, 28 ist es ganz eigentlich der Bericht über diese Söhne Anaks, der die Verzagtheit des Volkes bis zur vollendeten Mutlosigkeit gesteigert. Ohnehin bietet das unserm Verse Vorangehende keinen Anhaltspunkt, das Subjekt von ויבא in Kaleb, oder überhaupt in einem einzelnen zu finden, und ist auch nach den Akzenten ויבא so eng mit ויעלו verbunden, dass beide nur von einem und demselben Subjekte ausgesagt erscheinen. Wir möchten daher in der Tat glauben, ויבא beziehe sich ebenso wie ויעלו auf alle Botschafter zusammen. Es ist aber ויבא im Singular ausgedrückt, um die Einmütigkeit und das Einheitliche der Gesinnung und Absicht anzudeuten, in welcher die Kundschafter bis Chebron zusammengewandert. "Sie gingen im Süden hinauf und kamen einheitlich bis Chebron". Dort aber sehen sie die Nachkommen des Riesengeschlechtes, und mit dem Eindruck, den deren Anblick, und wahrscheinlich auch, wie wir sehen werden, das ganze Fremdartige, in riesigen Dimensionen Erscheinende der Bauart der Stadt auf sie machte, begann die wankelmütige Sinnesänderung. Es ist nicht unmöglich, diese Auffassung mit der aus Sota zitierten zu vereinigen. Bis Chebron machte sich der hervorragende Einfluss Kalebs auf seine Gefährten geltend und hielt sie in einmütiger Gesinnung zusammen. In Chebron begann der Gegensatz und veranlasste Kaleb, sich auf dem Grabe der Väter Mut zum ausharrenden Widerstand zu erflehen. Und eben, weil dort sich Kalebs Treue im Gegensatz zu dem Abfall seiner Gefährten entschied, ward ihm später bei Verteilung des Landes Chebron zuteil, und eben Kaleb besiegte die Anakiden, deren bloßer Anblick seinen Gefährten den Mut gebrochen hatte (Josua 15, 14).

And they went up into the South: It is a recounting of a detail about that which happened with the people that went into the South. As they actually did not all go together, but rather divided the land, two by two - hence they [were able to] finish their touring in forty days. And so the verse is speaking about the two that went up into the South; and they are Caleb and one other [scout]. 

ויבא עד חברון, “he came as far as Chevron;” we have a sudden switch from the plural mode to the singular mode, which raises the question of who it was that the Torah speaks of in this verse. Our sages understand this to be a reference to Caleb whom they credit with the urge to pay his respects to the graves of the patriarchs and his desire to get moral support against the negative attitude of most of his companions. This is Rashi’s interpretation. He felt the need to do this as Moses had not prayed for him especially, as he had done for his colleague Joshua. An alternate interpretation of the line: “he came to Chevron:” it is customary for the Torah to apply the singular mode even when speaking about a number of spies or members of an ambush, as we know from Joshua 8,19 where we read: והאורב קם ממקומו, “and the ambush (the men comprising it) arose from where it had been hiding.”

שבע שנים נבנתה [NOW HEBRON] WAS BUILT SEVEN YEARS [BEFORE ZOAN IN EGYPT] — Is it possible that Ham (who was the father of both Canaan and Mizraim; cf. Genesis 10:6) would have built Hebron for Canaan, his younger son, before he built Zoan for Mizraim, his elder son? But the meaning is that it was furnished (lit., built up) with all excellencies seven times better than Zoan. It (Scripture), by mentioning this, means to tell you the excellency of the Land of Israel. For you have no rockier ground in the Land of Israel than Hebron, — for this reason, indeed, they set it apart for a place of burial — and there is, on the other hand, no soil in any country as good as that of Egypt, for it states, (Genesis 13:10) “like the garden of the Lord, viz., like the Land of Egypt”. Now Zoan must have been the best part in the land Egypt since the residence of the kings was there, as it is said, (Jes. 30:4) “For in Zoan were its princes”, and yet Hebron was seven times better than it (Sotah 34b; Ketuvot 112a).

(2) BEFORE TZO'AN OF EGYPT. According to the plain sense, it was built before Tzo'an, and also, the older city is more important than the new city. For Israel were familiar with the importance of Tzo'an; it was necessary to say that the cities of Israel were more important. And also, because of its age, there giants there who were from the early generations.

Built up. Rashi uses the word מובנה (lit. built up) which has the connotation of proliferation as in “and I will also be built (bear children) through her” (Bereishis 16:2).שנים (years) has the connotation of times, meaning that Chevron was seven times better than Tzo’an in Egypt.

ילידי הענק. V. 33 werden בני ענק als הנפילים und als מן הנפילים erklärt, also selber als נפילים (siehe zu Bereschit 6, 4), oder von נפילים stammend, somit ein gigantisches Riesengeschlecht, Reste des uralten, oder von ihm stammend. ענק bezeichnet den Schmuck, den Stolz des Halses (siehe Bereschit S. 212), in diesem Ausdruck: den hochgestreckten, stolz emporragenden Hals. Wir wissen nun aus Josua 11, 21, dass "Anaker" in mehreren Städten und Gegenden des Landes wohnten, und muss dieses Geschlecht von riesigem Wuchs einen so bedeutenden Bestandteil der Bevölkerung gebildet haben, dass Mosche Dewarim 9, 2 von dieser Bevölkerung überhaupt sagen konnte: עם גדול ורם בני ענקים אשר אתה ידעת ואתה שמעת מי יתיצב לפני בני ענק! Es begreift sich daraus auch die Schilderung der Städte als ערים גדלת ובצרת בשמים (daselbst), da naturgemäss Häuser und Städte den riesigen Dimensionen der Staturen entsprechen mussten. Wenn daher hier drei dieser Giganten namentlich als besondere Eigentümlichkeit Chebrons und als ילידי הענק genannt werden, und also auch die Kundschafter V. 28 es besonders hervorheben: וגם ילידי הענק ראינו שם, so müssen diese drei die Riesen unter den Riesen gewesen sein, es muss dies auch im Ausdruck ילידי הענק liegen, und dies nicht identisch mit dem allgemeinen בני הענק sein. בני הענק sind, wie בני ישראל, die Nachkommen Anaks. Es können ganze Generationen zwischen ihnen und dem alten Riesengeschlechte liegen. Ihr riesiger Wuchs mochte noch ihre Abstammung erkennen lassen und gleichwohl bedeutend unter den ihres Ahns gesunken sein. ילידי הענק, wie ילידי בית (Bereschit 17, 12 und Wajikra 22, 11) sind aber die Erzeugten der ersten Anaks, Reste der zweiten Generation, die somit durch ihre, den Riesenwuchs der ihrigen noch überragende gigantische Gestalt und ihr hohes in die graue Vorzeit hineinragendes Alter einen geradezu überwältigenden Eindruck machten. So heißen auch in Josua die übrigen einfach הענקים (11, 21), die drei zu Chebron wohnenden ששי אחימן und תלמי aber: ילידי הענק und wird dies eben zur Unterscheidung (15, 14) noch speziell hinzugefügt, nachdem sie bereits בני הענק genannt worden. Ebendaselbst 15, 13 wird ihr Vater: ארבע genannt, ארבע אבי הענק, woher Chebrons ursprünglicher Name קרית ארבע, und daselbst 14, 15 wird dieser Arba האדם הגדול בענקים, der Riese unter den Riesen genannt. Dessen unmittelbare Nachkommen wohnten daher noch in Chebron.

And he came to Chevron: One of them - and that was Caleb - came into the city and the fortress, whereas the other one was afraid to enter the city out of fear from the Anakites - and also [because] it is hard to escape from the fortress, should it be required. But the one (Caleb) came without fear, saw the Anakites and did not tremble from any [of this]. 

ושם אחימן, the Torah mentions this giant by name as the spies later on in their report refer to descendants of a race of giants whom they had encountered, i.e. in verse 28, where we read: “we also saw a race of giants there.” The Torah wanted us to know where precisely the spies had come face to face with such people. (B’chor shor)[All this is part of the peculiar fact that although the spies reported faithfully what they had seen and where, they drew the wrong conclusions from their observations. Ed.]

This informs you. A question is widely asked: Even according to the simple understanding of the verse there is a question as to what the verse is coming to teach you. The answer is that Rashi’s words here mean “Now [that I have explained this] the verse is easily understood…” Because according to the simple understanding there is a difficulty as to the significance of it being built seven years before, but according to the Midrashic explanation it is understandable that seven “informs you…”

צען מצרים .וחברון שבע וגו׳ muss als eine uralte Stadt bekannt gewesen sein, und heißt es nun hier, dass Chebron noch älter gewesen. Es ist nicht unmöglich, dass שבע שנים נבנתה nicht heiße, es sei sieben Jahre früher als Zoan gebaut worden, sondern: es sei sieben Jahre an seinem Bau gearbeitet worden, wie ויבנהו שבע שנים (Kön. I. 6, 38) und zwar lange vor Zoan, das doch auch als eine uralte Stadt bekannt war. Der Name קרית ארבע, den es früher trug, weist darauf hin, dass es von ארבע, dem riesigen Ahn des Riesengeschlechtes gebaut war und bezeichnet קריה eine stark befestigte Stadt. Vergl. Dewarim 2, 36 לא היתה קריה אשר שגבה ממנו. Chebron bot daher den Anblick einer aus uralter Zeit herüberragenden, mit großem Fleiße von Riesenhänden aufgebauten gewaltigen Burg, und erhöhte somit den überwältigenden Eindruck, den seine riesigen Bewohner auf den Ankömmling machten.

וחברון שבע שנים נבנתה לפני צוען מצרים, “and the town Chevron had been built seven years earlier than the capital of Egypt, Tzoan.” The race of giants had not yet died out, as they had survived from earlier generations. The reason why this is of importance is to tell us that the conclusion drawn by the spies that the land of Canaan “consumes its inhabitants,” (verse 32) was contradicted by what they themselves reported as having seen.

Barren. Boulders. Indicating a barren land which produces no fruit, as does a fertile land.

לפני צוען מצרים, “prior to Tzoan in Egypt.” The Torah reminds you of the importance of the land of Canaan, compared to the land of Egypt before they had emigrated from it. The spies had been aware of these historical facts, [and they should have concluded from this that the land of Canaan certainly does not “consume its inhabitants.” Ed.].