Comentários de Citação sobre Êxodo 17:7

והאלוקים נסה, “and G’d tested.” Nachmanides describes the function of such “tests” as a device to ensure that the action undertaken by man under such conditions be perceived by him as absolutely free from external pressure, whereas from G’d’s perspective, of course, it is a commandment. (it is difficult to assume that G’d did not know beforehand how man would react to such a commandment.) G’d only wants to translate something He knew potentially into the domain of reality, a demonstration that what He knew man is capable of, man would actually carry out. Man cannot expect to be rewarded for potential acts of goodness, obedience, etc. In order to qualify for reward man must demonstrate that his goodness is more than just “potential.” Seeing that G’d’s objective is to reward man, there is no point in His subjecting the wicked to similar tests, as they will not only not garner the reward but incriminate themselves further by failing to carry out the command which constitutes the “test.” G’d subjects only the righteous to such tests, as He knows they will pass them with flying colours. Rash’bam explains the word נסה, as introducing a painful experience for the subject of such a test. An example of the use of the root נסה in such a context would be Exodus 17,7 where the Israelites had been tested in a painful manner in having gone without water before G’d provided same, miraculously. Other examples can be found in Job 4,2 or Psalms The reason Avraham was subjected to such a painful test was that although G’d had given him a son at the age of 100 years, he had seen fit to make a covenant with Avimelech covering hundreds of years in the future, when he did not even know yet if this son would not die before ever having sired any offspring himself. Avraham did not realize that G’d did not actually want him to slaughter Yitzchok, but only wanted him to “offer” him on the altar, as the words העלהו לעולה indicate. Some commentators understand the word נסה to mean “elevate to a higher stature” in a spiritual sense, such as Kings II The meaning would be parallel to נשאו with the letter ש instead of ס.

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.

IN THE THIRD MONTH. Scripture should have said, “And they journeyed from Rephidim and they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, in the third month after their going forth from the land of Egypt,” just as it said above concerning the wilderness of Sin.¹³¹Above, 17:1: And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim. But [Scripture’s manner of expression here is] due to the fact that their coming into the wilderness of Sinai was an occasion for joy and a festival to them, and that since they left Egypt they had been yearning for it. They knew that they would receive the Torah there, for Moses had told them what was said to him, Ye shall serve G-d upon the mountain.¹³²Above, 3:12. And to Pharaoh also he said, Let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey, into the wilderness and sacrifice unto the Eternal our G-d.¹³³Ibid., 5:3. For this reason, Scripture begins the section with the statement that in the third month… the same day that the month began,¹³⁴Mechilta on the verse here, and mentioned in Rashi. they came there [as they had eagerly anticipated]. Following this opening, Scripture reverts [to the usual style] as in the other journeys: And they journeyed from Rephidim.¹³⁵Verse 2.
Now here too Scripture should have said “and they journeyed from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.” Instead it writes, and they came to the wilderness of Sinai. This is because Scripture’s intent is to state that as soon as they came to the wilderness of Sinai and saw the mountain in front of them, they encamped in the wilderness and did not wait until they would enter a spot better for encampment. Instead, they camped in the wilderness or in Horeb,¹³⁶Deuteronomy 4:10. which was a waste land before the mountain. This is the purport of the verse; and they encamped in the wilderness, and there Israel encamped before the mount.¹³⁵Verse 2.
It is possible that they separated from their midst all the mixed multitude that was among them,¹³⁷Numbers 11:4. See also above, 12:38. and the children of Israel alone camped before the mountain while the mixed multitude was behind them. For the Torah was given to Israel, as He said, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel,¹³⁸Verse 3. and this is the meaning of the expression, and there Israel encamped.¹³⁵Verse 2. It may be that [the name “Israel”] is mentioned as a mark of honor at the time of their acceptance of the Torah.
Now Rashi wrote: “And they journeyed from Rephidim. What need was there for Scripture to state again expressly from where they set forth on the journey? Is it not already stated that they were encamped in Rephidim¹³¹Above, 17:1: And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim. and it is thus evident that they journeyed from there? It [i.e., the intent of the verse] is to declare that their departure from Rephidim was like their encampment¹³⁹“Encampment.” In our Rashi: “coming.” in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as their encampment¹³⁹“Encampment.” In our Rashi: “coming.” [in the wilderness of Sinai] was with repentance,¹⁴⁰The repentance is indicated by the word vayichan, which is in the singular, thus indicating that Israel encamped before the mountain as one man and with one mind, “while all other encampments were with murmerings and with dissension” (Rashi, quoting Mechilta). so also was their departure [from Rephidim] with repentance.”¹⁴¹See above, 17:7, for their sin in Rephidim. The present analogy between their coming into the wilderness of Sinai, which was surely in a spirit of repentance, as explained above, and their departure from Rephidim, thus teaches us that their departure was also with repentance. Thus Rashi’s language. But I have not understood this. It says in connection with all journeys: and they pitched [camp] in Elim;¹⁴²See Numbers 33:9. And they took their journey from Elim… and they came unto the wilderness of Sin;¹⁴³Above, 16:1. And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim;¹⁴⁴Ibid., 17:1. and so the entire section of Mas’ei¹⁴⁵Numbers 33:1-49. is written [with the name of the place whence they set forth on the journey repeated after it had already been mentioned that they had encamped there]. The intent of the repetition by Scripture is that there were no other encampments between them.
In the Mechilta, we find the following text¹⁴⁶Mechilta on the verse here. [on the same theme that Rashi mentioned, but presented in such a form that the above difficulties are eliminated]: “And they departed from Rephidim and came to the desert of Sinai.¹³⁵Verse 2. Has it not already been stated in the section of the Torah dealing with all stages of the journey [from Egypt to the Jordan]: And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai?¹⁴⁷Numbers 33:15. And what need is there for Scripture to state here, and they came to the desert of Sinai? It [i.e., the intent of the verse] is to declare that their departure from Rephidim [was like their encampment in the wilderness of Sinai], etc.” The purport of this text of the Mechilta is to explain why, on account of certain new details mentioned there,¹⁴⁸Ibid., Verses 9 and 14. Scripture repeated in the section of Eileh Mas’ei¹⁴⁵Numbers 33:1-49. all stages of the journey from Elim and Rephidim mentioned here, although this journey [from Rephidim to the wilderness of Sinai] is mentioned in identical language both here and there. It was for this reason that [the Mechilta] was compelled to interpret that [the Scriptural restatement] was on account of the above analogy: [Just as their encampment at Sinai was with repentance, so also etc.].

ויבא עמלק THEN CAME AMALEK — Scripture places this section immediately after this preceding verse (they said, “Is the Lord among us or not?”) to imply, “I am ever among you and ready at hand for every thing you may need, and yet you say, “Is the Lord among us or not?” By your lives, I swear that the hound (Amalek) shall come and bite you, and you will cry for Me and then you will know where I am!” A parable: it may be compared to a man who carried his son upon his shoulder, and went out on a journey. The son saw an article and said, “Father, pick up that thing and give it to me”. He gave it to him, and so a second time and so also a third time. They met a certain man to whom the son said, “Have you seen my father anywhere?” Whereupon his father said to him, “Don’t you know where I am?” — He, therefore, cast him off from himself and a hound came and bit him (Midrash Tanchuma, Yitro 3).