Commentaire sur Les Nombres 20:15

וירעו לנו AND [THE EGYPTIANS] DID EVIL TO US — we have borne many adversities.

ולאבותנו, “and to our forefathers,” this was a reference to the Israelites who, though enslaved in Egypt, had not lived long enough to experience the redemption. According to our sages in Tanchuma Chukat 12, the word is a direct reference to the patriarchs, all of whom are described as participating in the pain of the enslavement their offspring had endured in Egypt even in their graves.

We endured much suffering. (Gur Aryeh) Though the term וירעו ["they mistreated"] merely implies that they did one evil act to them, but elsewhere (Devarim 26:6) it is written, “They mistreated us and afflicted us…” Therefore Rashi explains that וירעו includes much suffering, and thus all afflictions are included.

V. 15. ולאבותינו: nicht erst jetzt dem jüngsten, aus Mizrajim ziehenden Geschlechte, von dem ihr meinen könntet, es habe die Misshandlung irgendwie verschuldet, sondern sie hatte bereits bei unseren Vorfahren begonnen, deren ehrbarer Charakter euch wohl noch aus der Überlieferung bekannt sein wird, und war somit ein über unseren ganzen Volksstamm als solchen zur Vererbung von Vorfahren auf Nachkommen dekretiertes gewalttätiges Unrecht.

ולאבתינו [THEY DID EVIL TO US] AND TO OUR FATHERS — From here we may learn that the patriarchs grieve in their graves when punishment comes upon Israel (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 12).

That the forefathers suffer. Because if it is referring to the forefathers who were in the land of Egypt, Scripture should have placed “forefathers” before “us” and said, “They mistreated our forefathers and us.” However, since Scripture wrote “forefathers” at the end, it implies that it refers to a something else (Mahari). (Nachalas Yaakov) For one cannot explain that it refers to the forefathers who were enslaved in Egypt, given that this is so obvious that one would not have to mention it. Rather, it certainly refers to the forefathers who are mentioned at the beginning of the verse that states, “Our forefathers went down to Egypt.” This raises the following difficulty: During the period that any one of the sons of Yaakov was alive there was no enslavement, if so what is meant by “they mistreated […our forefathers]”? Perforce it is to say that “the forefathers suffer…” and accordingly one is able to explain that Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov also suffer.