민수기 11:5의 주석

אשר נאכל במצרים חנם [WE REMEMBER THE FISH] WHICH WE DID EAT IN EGYPT FOR NOTHING — If you say that they meant that the Egyptians gave them fish for nothing (without payment), then I ask, “But does it not state, (Exodus 5:18): [Go, therefore, now, and work], for there shall no straw be given you”? Now, if they did not give them straw for nothing, would they have given them fish for nothing! — What then is the force of the word חנם? It means: free from (i.e. without us having been burdened with) heavenly commands (Sifrei Bamidbar 87).

WE REMEMBER THE FISH WHICH WE WERE WONT TO EAT IN EGYPT FOR NOUGHT. According to the plain meaning of Scripture [the explanation of the verse is that] the Egyptian fishermen used to put them to work to bring in the fish that they caught in their trawls and nets, and they would give them some fish [to eat], as is the custom of those that spread nets [upon the waters].¹⁶⁰Isaiah 19:8. And cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic¹⁵⁹Verse 5. are very abundant in Egypt, for it is as a garden of herbs,¹⁶¹Deuteronomy 11:10. and when they dug for the Egyptians in gardens and in all manner of service in the field¹⁶²Exodus 1:14. they would eat the vegetables. Or perhaps the Israelites who were the king’s slaves doing his work would be supported by him with sparing bread and scant water,¹⁶³Isaiah 30:20. and they would be dispersed throughout the city and would enter the gardens and fields, and eat of the vegetables without leaving anything over, as the king’s servants do. And [in addition it is possible that] they would give them at the edge of the river [Nile] small fish from the king’s portion which have no market-price in Egypt, as I have explained in Seder V’eileh Shemoth.¹⁶⁴Exodus 1:1. The verse referred to is ibid., 11. This was the complaint of the children of Israel,¹⁵⁵Verse 4. not the complaint of the mixed multitude¹⁵⁵Verse 4. [who were originally not of the stock of Israel and were not enslaved in Egypt, therefore they could not say, We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for nought; but after the mixed multitude fell a lusting¹⁵⁵Verse 4. they all] complained to Moses and demanded of him, Give us flesh, that we may eat,¹⁶⁵Further, Verse 13. as Scripture mentions further on.

זכרנו את הדגה אשר נאכל, “we remember the fish we used to eat, etc.” Nachmanides understands these words literally, pointing out that the Egyptian fishermen would employ the Jews and would let them eat the fish they did not think they could sell at the local fish market. The various vegetables mentioned in our verse were so plentiful in Egypt that even Hebrew slaves could afford them, or that they dug them out of the ground and no one would protest this. We have the Torah on record as comparing the whole of the land of Egypt to a garden full of greens. (Genesis 13,10) [The author paints one or two additional scenarios that would explain the words in our text. They are of speculative character. Ed.] Some commentators do not understand the word דגה as fish at all, but view it as a simile describing abundance, as in Genesis 48,16 וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ, “may they proliferate abundantly.” Accordingly, the people would have been complaining about the abundant sources of food they had enjoyed in Egypt and the variety, compared to what they condescendingly described as the monotonous diet of manna.

Gave them fish. It is commonly asked: What proof is this, perhaps the reason that they did not give them straw was because they said “they are lax…” [Perhaps] they would have given them fish to eat. It appears to me that this is Rashi’s proof: How would Pharaoh’s decree to not give them any straw help to increase the burden of their work — perhaps they would buy straw from the Egyptians? Rather it is certain that Pharaoh knew that the Egyptians hated Yisroel and would not even sell them straw for money. Therefore, they certainly would not have given them [fish] for free. We need not ask: Does it not say in Maseches Sotah that when the women of Yisroel would go to draw water from the river Hashem would arrange for fish to be in their buckets? The answer is that were only complaining about large fish, in reference to this Rashi comments “perhaps you will say that the Egyptians gave them…” referring to large fish.

זכרנו את הדגה, “we remember the fish, etc.” the word דגה for fish, we have found already in Yaakov’s blessing for Joseph and his children in Genesis 48,13: וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ, “may they multiply as fish on the face of the earth.” The Torah then lists details of the food the Israelites claimed to have had in abundance in Egypt, all for free.

זכרנו את הדגה, “we remember now the fish, etc.” when the Nile overflows its banks and irrigates the fields of the Egyptians who had dug narrow canals to absorb these waters, and the water eventually retreats again, it leaves behind little fish in the indentations in the soil, and the wives of the Israelites would scoop these up and use as food. This could be done without effort, and the women who had come equipped with bowls or flasks could keep these fish alive for quite some time. Our sages have explained this to us. (No source quoted)

את הקשאים THE CUCUMBERS — R. Simeon said, “Why did the manna change its flavor into that of anything one wished (as the Midrash states) except into these vegetables here mentioned, the taste of which it appears not to have assumed since the people lusted for them? Because they are injurious to nursing mothers. So indeed people say to a woman: Do not eat garlic and onions on account of the baby. A parable! This may be compared to a king, etc. as it is related in the Sifrei Bamidbar 87.

Free of mitzvos. Meaning that then our sustenance was not dependant upon [our] fulfillment of the mitzvos as it is now that our sustenance is the reward for our deeds. If we perform the mitzvos then the Land will bring forth its produce but if not then it will not bring forth its produce. However in Egypt our sustenance was provided for without any need for the fulfillment of the mitzvos.

אשר נאכל במצרים חנם, “which we used to eat in Egypt without having to pay for it.” (Ibn Ezra)

הקשאים These are concombres in O. F., (English = cucumbers).

את הקשואים ואת האבטיחים, “the cucumbers and the melons;” these would be eaten as dessert.

אבטיחים are boudekes in O. F. (English = melons).

ואת החציר ואת הבצלים, “as well as the leeks and the onions;” these would be used in the cooking pots to provide seasoning for the food to be boiled.

החציר are leeks, porels in O. F. [The Targum renders the names of the vegetables by בוציניא etc.].

ואת השומים, “and the garlic,” for making the food tasty.