פירוש על במדבר 17:28

כל הקרב הקרב וגו׳ WHOSOEVER APPROACHETH [UNTO THE DWELLING OF THE LORD SHALL DIE] — The meaning is: “We cannot be cautious enough in this matter: we are all of us allowed to enter into the court of the appointed tent, but one who betakes himself nearer than his fellow and goes into the appointed tent itself will die!

כל הקרב הקרב..ימות, "Anyone that comes near..that comes near will die." Only now did the message penetrate the average Israelite's head although they had been informed about this previously. This is remindful of a proverb cited in Shir Hashirim Rabbah on the verse (Song of Songs, 1,2: "May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." The proverb says that if one slaughters an animal one will suffer terrible pain."

The courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. Meaning: The first הקרב ("anyone approaching") refers to the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting and the second הקרב refers to the inside of the Tent. And it is as if the verse had said, “Anyone who approaches the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting will die when he approaches the inside of the Tent of Meeting.” The verse did not say simply “anyone approaching the Mishkon of Hashem will die” because it would not be likely for one who is outside the courtyard to enter the Tent of Meeting. Thus there is no reason for them to be concerned about this and say “have we been consigned to die.” However those standing in the courtyard were close to entering the Tent of Meeting and they have reason to be concerned. Re’m.

האם תמנו לגוע means are we perhaps constantly to be freely exposed to the danger of death?

[Perhaps] we have been abandoned to die. Not that they had already been consigned to death, because the hei prefix of האם (have…?) which denotes a question would not be appropriate. Furthermore, they did not actually die. Rather “perhaps…”