אָבִינוּ֮ מֵ֣ת בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ וְה֨וּא לֹא־הָיָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֗ה הַנּוֹעָדִ֛ים עַל־יְהוָ֖ה בַּעֲדַת־קֹ֑רַח כִּֽי־בְחֶטְא֣וֹ מֵ֔ת וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָ֥יוּ לֽוֹ׃
“Ayah kami telah mati di padang gurun. Ia tidak termasuk dalam kumpulan orang yang berkumpul melawan Yang Mahakekal, yaitu kumpulan Korah; tetapi ia mati karena dosanya sendiri, dan ia tidak mempunyai anak laki-laki.
Rabbeinu Bahya
שמור את כל המצוה, “Observe the whole command ment, etc.” The Torah refers to the impending command to erect stones on Mount Eyval (verse 4) after they have been inscribed, stones taken from the river Jordan at the time the people would cross that river. These stones are intended to commemorate the miracles which occurred enabling the Israelites to cross the river without becoming wet at a time of year when it was swollen with melting snow from Mount Hermon. There were a total of 12 such stones as we know from Joshua 4,2 that one stone per tribe was to be erected. Joshua commanded the twelve men to whom he had assigned the task of taking these stones from the river after the people had completed crossing. These stones were carried on the shoulders of the twelve men, each of whom represented his tribe (Joshua 4,1-8). These stones were deposited next to the place at Gilgal where the Israeites spent the first night in the Holy Land, close to the river. The stones which were erected on Mount Eyval had the entire text of the Torah inscribed on them. Another twelve stones (Joshua 4,9) were erected in the river bed of the Jordan at the site of the miracle where the priests with the Holy Ark had crossed and G’d had arrested the flow of the river so as not to swamp the Holy Ark (Joshua 4,7). The reason the stones are described as having to be “large,” is to enable the engravers to inscribe the whole text of the Torah on their surface. The latter stones are reported as still being in existence at the time the Book of Joshua had been written. [What is written in Joshua 4,3-4 is an elaboration of what was mentioned in summary in the preceding verse 2.] (compare Daat Mikra). There were a total of 36 stones, three groups of 12. Twelve were erected in the river bed of the Jordan, before the Jordan had resumed flowing south. 12 were erected at Gilgal. The final twelve were taken all the way to Mount Eyval. These latter stones were made into the altar on Mount Eyval as mentioned by Rashi in his commentary on verse two of our chapter. [According to a view also mentioned by Rashi in conjunction with the Baraitha in Sotah 35, the stones which were made into a (temporary) altar on Mount Eyval were brought back to Gilgal and erected there.]
Our author feels that the plain meaning of our verses allows for only a total of 24 stones, 12 of which were erected in the river bed, whereas the other 12 were taken from the river. The stones erected in the river bed remain to this day and their purpose had been to enable the feet of the priests carrying the Holy Ark not to get wet in the slime while crossing the river. [The actual flow of the water had been arrested in deference to the presence of the Holy Ark. Ed.]
We find the expression באר used in Deut. 1,5 when Moses is reported as “explaining” the Torah. We find it used again in verse 5 of our chapter here. This gives rise to the exegesis by means of a גזרה שוה that just as Moses explained the Torah in 70 languages, the inscribing of the stones with the Torah also was in 70 languages.
The words והקמות לך אבנים גדולות (verse 3) may be understood as a כלל, a general summary of the subject under discussion, whereas the words (verse 4) והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה may be viewed as the details elaborating on the summary mentioned before. It is as if the Torah wanted to say that the twelve stones mentioned earlier were to be treated in a certain manner. Verse four refers to the aforementioned stones and instructs for them to be erected on Mount Eival. They are to be covered with plaster and then inscribed after the altar on Mount Eival has been erected. [the building of the altar is to precede the erecting of these stones, not as the wording appears at first glance (Rabbi Chavell) Ed.] Following all this, the stones are to be inscribed with the text of the entire Torah, well clarified (verse 8). If we do not explain the verse in this fashion i.e. on the basis of A) summary (כלל) followed by B) detailed instructions (פרט), the entire passage will sound confusing. What would be the point of writing in verse 8 that the entire Torah, well clarified, is to be inscribed on these stones, seeing that G’d had already instructed the Torah to be inscribed on the stones in verse 3? Furthermore, how could the Torah first write: “you are to write upon them” (verse 3), and subsequently “you shall build an altar there?” (verse 5). The Talmud in Sotah 32 also appears to understand our paragraph as an example of the exegetical principle of כלל ופרט.
Our author feels that the plain meaning of our verses allows for only a total of 24 stones, 12 of which were erected in the river bed, whereas the other 12 were taken from the river. The stones erected in the river bed remain to this day and their purpose had been to enable the feet of the priests carrying the Holy Ark not to get wet in the slime while crossing the river. [The actual flow of the water had been arrested in deference to the presence of the Holy Ark. Ed.]
We find the expression באר used in Deut. 1,5 when Moses is reported as “explaining” the Torah. We find it used again in verse 5 of our chapter here. This gives rise to the exegesis by means of a גזרה שוה that just as Moses explained the Torah in 70 languages, the inscribing of the stones with the Torah also was in 70 languages.
The words והקמות לך אבנים גדולות (verse 3) may be understood as a כלל, a general summary of the subject under discussion, whereas the words (verse 4) והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה may be viewed as the details elaborating on the summary mentioned before. It is as if the Torah wanted to say that the twelve stones mentioned earlier were to be treated in a certain manner. Verse four refers to the aforementioned stones and instructs for them to be erected on Mount Eival. They are to be covered with plaster and then inscribed after the altar on Mount Eival has been erected. [the building of the altar is to precede the erecting of these stones, not as the wording appears at first glance (Rabbi Chavell) Ed.] Following all this, the stones are to be inscribed with the text of the entire Torah, well clarified (verse 8). If we do not explain the verse in this fashion i.e. on the basis of A) summary (כלל) followed by B) detailed instructions (פרט), the entire passage will sound confusing. What would be the point of writing in verse 8 that the entire Torah, well clarified, is to be inscribed on these stones, seeing that G’d had already instructed the Torah to be inscribed on the stones in verse 3? Furthermore, how could the Torah first write: “you are to write upon them” (verse 3), and subsequently “you shall build an altar there?” (verse 5). The Talmud in Sotah 32 also appears to understand our paragraph as an example of the exegetical principle of כלל ופרט.
Or HaChaim
We may also understand the word המדבר as related to דבור, speech; in Numbers 27,3 אבינו מת במדבר the Zohar volume 3 page 205 understands the word in that sense. If we follow this path Bileam referred to the fact that on each of the ten occasions on which the Israelites had angered G'd in the desert their sin consisted of what they said, i.e. דבור. Bileam was confident that amongst all the Israelites he was looking at there must have been a number who had been guilty of one or several of the rebellious comments which had angered G'd so often.
Kli Yakar
However, according to what is concluded in the Midrash, Korach — who made a bald spot [korcha] in the world, etc., it appears that the author of this Midrash intends to say that Korach disputed the existence of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is written, who had assembled against the Lord when they opposed the Lord (Numbers 26:9). But where do we find that Korach assembled against the Lord? Even though our Sages of blessed memory said (Sanhedrin 110a) that one who disputes his teacher is like one who disputes the Divine Presence, nevertheless, this itself is difficult — why should it be considered like disputing the Divine Presence?
Rather, it is because Korach claimed that the world is eternal, co-eternal with the Holy One, Blessed be He, and that it exists necessarily. He needed this heretical belief to strengthen his argument, as he claimed and said, For all the congregation are holy, and the Lord is among them; why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? His intention was to say that no created being has superiority or authority over another, just as there is no primacy [God forbid] of the Blessed One over His creations. This is why he said, and the Lord is among them. It would have been appropriate to say that the Lord is at their head, not among them in the middle, but this indicated and acknowledged, as it were, that He has no primacy. How much more so, a fortiori, why do you exalt yourselves?
Moses replied to him, In the morning — the Holy One, Blessed be He, set boundaries in His world — “Can you transform morning into evening? So too, you cannot nullify this,” as it says, And there was evening and there was morning… and He divided (Genesis 1:4-5). And it is written, I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine (Leviticus 20:26). And just as He distinguished Israel from the nations, so did He distinguish Aaron, etc. [Rashi, quoting the Midrash].
Rather, it is because Korach claimed that the world is eternal, co-eternal with the Holy One, Blessed be He, and that it exists necessarily. He needed this heretical belief to strengthen his argument, as he claimed and said, For all the congregation are holy, and the Lord is among them; why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? His intention was to say that no created being has superiority or authority over another, just as there is no primacy [God forbid] of the Blessed One over His creations. This is why he said, and the Lord is among them. It would have been appropriate to say that the Lord is at their head, not among them in the middle, but this indicated and acknowledged, as it were, that He has no primacy. How much more so, a fortiori, why do you exalt yourselves?
Moses replied to him, In the morning — the Holy One, Blessed be He, set boundaries in His world — “Can you transform morning into evening? So too, you cannot nullify this,” as it says, And there was evening and there was morning… and He divided (Genesis 1:4-5). And it is written, I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine (Leviticus 20:26). And just as He distinguished Israel from the nations, so did He distinguish Aaron, etc. [Rashi, quoting the Midrash].