Commentaire de citation sur Les Nombres 20:17

AND EVERY SHRUB OF THE FIELD. In the opinion of our Rabbis in Bereshith Rabbah,²⁸¹See Bereshith Rabbah 12:4 for a similar text. See also Rashi here. [every herb of the field created] on the third day [did not come forth above the ground but] they remained just below the surface of the earth, and on the sixth day they grew after He caused rain to fall on them.
In my opinion, in accordance with the plain meaning of Scripture, on the third day the earth did bring forth the grass and the fruit trees in their full-grown stature and quality as He commanded concerning them. And now Scripture tells that there was no one to plant and sow them for future purposes, and the earth would not produce until a mist would come up from it and water it, and man was formed who would work it — to seed, to plant, and to guard. This is the meaning of the shrub of the field… had not yet grown. It does not say “the shrub of the ground” for only a place which is cultivated is called “field,” as in Which thou hast sown in the field²⁸²Exodus 23:16. and We will not pass through field or through vineyard.²⁸³Numbers 20:17. This is the course of the world that was to be following the six days of creation and forever after, that due to the mist the heavens will bring down rain, and due to the rains the earth will make the seeds that are sown in it to spring up.

BECAUSE THEY MET YOU NOT WITH BREAD AND WITH WATER. We find it stated [in Moses’ message to Sihon], Thou shalt sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink etc. as the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar did unto me.²²⁶Above 2:28-29. [This clearly states that the Moabites did not deprive them of bread and water, and in the verse before us it is mentioned that the Moabites did not meet them with bread and water!] Now, many scholars²²⁷Mentioned so in Ibn Ezra (above, 2:29). say that the Moabites did not meet them with bread and water, but that the Israelites bought it from them. But this is baseless, for it is adequate for a camp that they be sold [food] when they want to buy. Moreover, Israel came not within the border of Moab,²²⁸Judges 11:18. and the Moabites brought them forth bread and water for money, and Scripture tells that the Moabites acted as did the children of Esau — why, then, were the Moabites forever banned [from the congregation of Israel] on account of this [for not having met them with bread and water], and of the Edomites it declared that we are not to abhor them?²²⁹Verse 8. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra stated²²⁷Mentioned so in Ibn Ezra (above, 2:29). that “the expression as the children of Esau … and the Moabites did unto me²³⁰Above, 2:29. refers to the verse, Let me pass through thy land; I will go along by the highway,²³¹Ibid., Verse 27. but neither [the Edomites nor the Moabites] sold them bread and water. For the Israelites passed through Mount Seir [in Edom] and Ar [in Moab]; it was only to pass through his city where he dwelled that the king of Edom did not permit them — this being the sense of the expression, Thou shalt not pass ‘through me’²³²Numbers 20:18. [but he did allow them entry through other parts of Edom].” This interpretation [of Ibn Ezra] is also baseless, for the Israelites said to the king of Edom, “Let me pass through thy land,”²³³Ibid., Verse 17. The language there is: Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land. and Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border.²³⁴Ibid., Verse 21. Thus they did not enter the border of Edom at all! And so it is written, And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom²³⁵Ibid., 21:4. because they had to retreat by way of the Red Sea from Mount Hor which is on the border of the land of Edom, but they did not come into the land of Edom itself at all. Jephthah said it clearly: But when they came up from Egypt, and Israel walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh; then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying: Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not; and Israel abode in Kadesh. Then he walked through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they pitched on the other side of Arnon, but they came not within the border of Moab.²³⁶Judges 11:16-18. Thus it is clearly explained that they did not come into the land of Edom or the land of Moab at all. Had they come there, the Edomites and Moabites would have sold them bread and water, for it is not customary for one who allows an army to pass through a land not to sell them bread and water.
It appears to me that Scripture banned these two brothers [Ammon and Moab, sons of Lot — from the congregation of Israel] because they were the beneficiaries of the lovingkindness of Abraham who saved their father and mother from the sword and captivity²³⁷See Genesis 14:16. and, by virtue of Abraham’s merit, G-d sent them out of the midst of the overthrow [of Sodom]²³⁸Ibid., 19:29. — hence they were obligated to do good to Israel and instead they did them evil. One of them [the Moabites] hired Balaam the son of Beor against Israel, and one [the Ammonites] did not meet them with bread and water as they approached their territory, as it is written, Thou art this day to pass over the border of Moab, even Ar; and thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon.²³⁹Above, 2:18-19. Now Scripture warned the Israelites [concerning the children of Ammon] harass them not, nor contend with them.²⁴⁰Ibid., Verse 19. And yet the Ammonites did not meet them at all [with bread and water], for otherwise Scripture would have stated, “As the children of Esau, and the Moabites, ‘and the Ammonites’ did unto me,” but the verse²³⁰Above, 2:29. does not mention Ammon because they did not meet them. Thus Ammon acted more wickedly than all of them, for the children of Esau and the Moabites, when they knew that the Israelites were warned against contending with them in battle, brought bread and water out of their border, but Ammon did not wish to do so. This is the meaning of the phrase, because they met you not, that they did not come forth toward them with bread and water as the others did. Therefore Scripture mentioned an Ammonite first [An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Eternal],²⁴¹Verse 4. and it cited his sin first, because they met you not with bread and water, and then it mentioned a Moabite and his sin [and because they hired against thee Balaam].
Now our Rabbis interpreted:²⁴²Yebamoth 76b. “An Ammonite, but not an Ammonitess [if she is converted to Judaism she may be married to an Israelite]. A Moabite, but not a Moabitess, because it is customary for a man to meet [a passing camp with bread and water] but it is not customary for a woman to meet,” to bring forth food outside of the border of the land. And so the Rabbis also mentioned in the Yerushalmi²⁴³Yerushalmi Yebamoth VIII, 3. and in the Scroll of Ruth Rabbathi:²⁴⁴Ruth Rabbathi 4:8. “It is customary for a man to hire but it is not customary for a woman to hire.”²⁴⁵Hence the Ammorite and Moabite women were not considered as having partaken in the sins of the men and, therefore, the women were excluded from the prohibition. When Ruth the Moabitess adopted the faith of Israel, therefore, Boaz was permitted to marry her.

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SAID UNTO HIM: ‘WE WILL GO UP BY THE HIGHWAY.’ At first they had said²⁰²As stated in Verse 17: Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land; we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king’s highway … that they would come into the cities, but would take care not to enter fields and vineyards as armies [consisting of] many people are wont to do, in order to plunder the threshing-floors and to invade the vineyards. Instead, they [promised] to go along the king’s highway,²⁰²As stated in Verse 17: Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land; we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king’s highway … which is a public thoroughfare,²⁰³See “The Land of Israel in Biblical Times” by Yohanan Aharoni, pp. 42-45, where the term derech hamelech (the king’s highway) is explained as a definite official highway which followed the eastern bank of the Jordan. Ramban’s interpretation is thus unlike Ibn Ezra’s who explains it to mean the way which the king of Edom will specify for their passage. not a private road. Furthermore they said [at first] that they would not drink any of the water which they [the Edomites] have in their wells for their own needs. Afterwards the Israelites sent them a message [saying] that they would not [even] approach the cities at all, but they would go by the highway which leads up to the land of Canaan, which is a paved road traversed by all people, and if they or their animals drink [even] of the waters of the rivers on the way, whilst passing through the rivers, they would pay them for the benefit they derived from them. Therefore Moses said [here in Verse 19] there is no hurt, meaning that in [passing through their land] there would be no damage of any sort. Other scholars²⁰⁴This explanation is found in Ibn Ezra. explain [that they meant to say] we shall not drink of the water of the wells²⁰²As stated in Verse 17: Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land; we will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go along the king’s highway … unless we pay for it. But this is not correct, for [if so] why would he [Moses] propose to them again that which he [the king of Edom] had already refused at the beginning? [as explained in Verses 17-18]. The Midrashic interpretation²⁰⁵Tanchuma, Chukath 12. According to this explanation Moses was offering to buy from the Edomites their water, although the Israelites could have drunk freely from Miriam’s Well. is: “We shall not drink of the waters of [our own] well,²⁰⁶See above, Note 154. but instead we will buy from you,” as Rashi wrote.
Israel said to Edom, until we have passed thy border²⁰⁷Verse 17. and they did not say to him [“and we will reach] the Land which the Eternal our G-d giveth us” [as they told Sihon king of Heshbon],²⁰⁸Deuteronomy 2:29. in order that Edom should not be jealous of them [taking possession] of the Land, and [should not] claim that it would be theirs [the Edomites’], had not [Jacob] taken [Esau’s] birthright and blessing from him with guile.²⁰⁹Genesis 27:35. But to Sihon they did mention, until I shall pass over the Jordan into the Land which the Eternal our G-d giveth us,²⁰⁸Deuteronomy 2:29. as Moses stated in the Book of Deuteronomy.