민수기 20:22 해설: Rashi, Rabbeinu Bahya, Siftei Chakhamim & Rav Hirsch

כל העדה THE WHOLE CONGREGATION — all of them perfect, and destined to enter the promised land, for among them there was not even one of those upon whom it had been decreed that they should not enter the land, because those who were to die in the wilderness had already ceased to exist, and these belonged to those about whom it is written, (Deuteronomy 4:4) ‘[But ye who did cleave to the Lord your God] are all of you alive this day” (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 14)

כל העדה, the entire congregation.” Seeing that we had been told that the King of Edom confronted the Israelites with all his military might, the Torah wanted to tell us that the people’s arrival at Hor Hahar found all of them intact. They had not suffered a single casualty.

According to Tanchuma Chukat 14 the meaning of the word הר ההר is: “a small mountain atop a bigger mountain.” Aaron was buried in the part referred to by our text as הר. We derive this from the words: “Aaron died there at the top of the mountain.” Even though the cloud which traveled in front of the Israelites was in the habit of leveling all mountains and valleys, three mountains remained in the desert which the Israelites traversed. They are: Mount Sinai (in order to give the Torah to the people), Mount Hor Hahar as the burial place of Aaron, and Mount Nevo as burial site for Moses.

הר ההר MOUNT HOR (more lit., the mount of the mount) — This was a mount on top of a mount, like a small apple on top of a large apple. — Although the cloud went before them and levelled the mountains (cf. Rashi on 10:34), yet three of them remained: Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah, Mount Hor for Aaron’s burial place, and Mount Nebo for Moses’ burial place (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 14).