Comentário sobre Números 21:11

בעיי העברים IN IJE-ABARIM (in the עיים of Abarim) — I do not know why the name (that of these places) was called עיים, for the term עי signifies ruins; it is a thing (spot) that has been swept as it were with a broom. Only the single letter ע in it belongs to the root; it is connected in meaning with יעים (Exodus 27:3) and (Isaiah 28:17) “And the hail shall sweep away (יעה).

בעיי העברים, a description of a very parched land as in Jeremiah 26,18 וירושלים עיים תהיה, Jerusalem will become totally dried out. The word occurs in a similar sense also in Michah 1,6.

I do not know. Meaning, I do not know why this place was called “the wasteland passes.” However I do know the meaning of עיי as Rashi explains.

V. 11. עי .בעיי העברים, wie אי von איה einen entlegenen, ringsum isolierten Ort bedeutet und daher אַיֵה, die Frage nach einem dem Fragenden entrückten, d.i, unbekannten Ort ausdrückt, so ist עי, von עיה, eine entlegene unbewohnte Örtlichkeit, eine Einöde.

ויסעו מאובות, “They journeyed on from Ovot;” from this point onwards they turned in a northerly direction. The text proves that this took place here, as the next encampment is described as being at lyyey haavarim which is located facing the territory of Moav which was to the east.

העברים (from עבר to pass) — the road forming a pass for those who at that spot pass by Mount Nebo on their way to the land of Canaan, which mount separates the land of Moab from the land of the Amorites. ...

With a broom. Meaning swept with a broom. This is in the sense of יעים ["scoops"] (Bamidbar 4:14) with which one sweeps out ashes.

ויחנו בעיי העברים, “they made camp at a location known as iyyey haavarim. According to Rashi, this was a place from which it was easy to cross to the land of Canaan, and it was near Mount Nebo, the mountain containing Moses’ unknown grave. Moses viewed the land of Israel from the summit of that Mountain. The author speculates that what is reported here took place before the conquest by the Israelites of the lands of Sichon and Og to the west of this location, reported later in this chapter. It appears as if Mount Nebo is not mentioned until after 3 further encampments as explained in the portion Massey, and as far as Rashi explaining further that Mount Nebo intervened between Moav and the Emorites, perhaps prior to the war between Sichon and the first king of Moav this may have been so. But during that war, Sichon appropriated his whole land from him commencing from Mount Nebo as far as the river Arnon. (compare verse 26) The letter ע in בעיי, may have substituted for the letter א here.

על פני מואב ממזרח השמש [IN THE WILDERNESS WHICH IS] BEFORE MOAB TOWARDS THE SUN-RISING (the East) — i.e., to the East of the land of Moab (not in the East of the world).

For those crossing Mount Nevo. Rashi is answering the question: The term “passes” implies a point they are crossing over to another area, but to where were they crossing over? He answers that “This was the passage route for those crossing Mount Nevo…” because in Parshas Haazinu (Devarim 32:49) it is also written, “This [mountain] pass, Mount Nevo.”