Komentarz do Wyjścia 17:1

AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED FROM THE WILDERNESS OF SIN, BY THEIR STAGES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE ETERNAL, AND THEY ENCAMPED IN REPHIDIM. Scripture is stating that they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, where they were encamped after they had set out from Elim,⁴⁰⁴Above, 16:1. and covered various stages of their journey in accord with G-d’s command. Afterwards, they encamped in Rephidim. Scripture thus relates briefly here that when they first journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, they pitched in Dophkah, and afterwards in Alush, and from Alush they came to Rephidim.⁴⁰⁵Numbers 33:12-14. This is the meaning of the expression here, by their stages, since there were many stages by which they came from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim, and they did not reach it on the first journey. Scripture, however, [omits all these various stages here] because its only concern is to explain their murmuring. At the beginning of their arrival in that wilderness [of Sin], they complained for bread, and now they quarreled [with Moses] over water, [as it is said], and there was no water for the people to drink. When they came to that place and did not find fountains of water, they at once quarreled with Moses. This is the meaning of the expression, Wherefore the people did quarrel with Moses,⁴⁰⁶Verse 2. for the murmurings mentioned in places where Scripture says, and they murmured,⁴⁰⁷Such as above, 16:2. mean complaints, i.e., that they were declaring their grievances about their condition, saying, “What shall we do? What shall we eat, and what shall we drink?” But vayarev (and he quarreled) means that they did actually make quarrel with Moses, coming to him and saying, “Give us water, you and Aaron your brother, for you are responsible, our blood is upon you.” And Moses said to them, “Why quarrel ye with me? Wherefore do ye try the Eternal?⁴⁰⁶Verse 2. This quarrel is to test G-d, that is whether He can give you water.⁴⁰⁸See Psalms 78:30. If you will hold your peace and let me alone and instead pray to Him, perhaps He will answer you.” And indeed, it was their intent to try [G-d], as Scripture says, And the name of the place was called Massah (Trying) and Meribah (Quarrel), because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because they tried the Eternal, saying: Is the Eternal among us, or not?⁴⁰⁹Further, Verse 7. Then their anger against him relented,⁴¹⁰See Judges 8:3. and for a day or two, they were supplied by the waters in their vessels. But afterwards, the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses,⁴¹¹Verse 3. something like the complaints they made whenever they wanted something, saying, Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt?⁴¹¹Verse 3. When Moses saw that they thirsted for water, he prayed to G-d and recounted before Him his distress when they first quarreled with him.⁴¹²Verse 4.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that there were two groups: one that quarreled [with Moses because they had no water to drink], and one [that had water which they brought from Alush, the place where they were encamped before coming to Rephidim,⁴¹³Numbers 33:14. but] who tested G-d [to see if He would give them water]. The correct interpretation is as I have explained.

לשתות העם, that the people could drink. The unusual construction is similar to Genesis 16,3 לשבת אברהם.

ויחנו ברפידים ואין מים, they camped at Refidim and there was no water, etc. According to Bechorot 5 the name "Refidim" is an allusion to רפיון ידים מן התורה, a slackening of adherence to Torah which itself is compared to water. Inasmuch as the Israelites neglected the study of Torah, G'd neglected to provide them with water.

ויסעו כל עדת בני ישראל...למסעיהם, “The entire community of the Children of Israel journeyed …on their respective journeys.” The Torah sums up in a few words that Israel made many separate journeys in the desert of Sin culminating in their arrival at Refidim, and this is why the text refers to the word למסעיהם, “according to their journeys.” En route, the people had encamped successively at Dofkah and Alush before reaching Refidim. The purpose of these verses is primarily to serve as background of what happened at Refidim. The journeys through this desert were earmarked by quarrels about lack of bread and subsequently, about lack of water.

(Exodus 17:1) "And the entire congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the desert of Sin … and they encamped in Refidim": (homiletically,) "rafu yadam" ("their hands weakened") in words of Torah. And because Israel grew lax in Torah, Amalek attacked them (viz. 17:8), for the foe comes only as the result of sin and transgression.

Kap. 17. V. 1. Es heißt nicht: ואין מים לשתות, sondern: ואין מים לשתות העם, es fehlte ihnen noch nicht Wasser, sie sahen sich aber die Gegend an und fanden, dass dort für eine solche Menschenmenge nicht hinreichend Wasser sei und es ihnen daher an Wasser fehlen werde.

ממדבר סין למסעיהם, from the desert of Sin on their journeys; the Torah used an abbreviation here. The truth, as described in Numbers 33,1214, is that the way stations after the desert of Sin were: Dofkah, Alush, and Refidim, at which point they found themselves short of water. The reason why two waystations are omitted here is because of the disgrace of Israel who had wished to return to Egypt by the shortest possible route.