Comentários de Citação sobre Números 11:34

את הקשואים ואת האבטיחים, “the cucumbers and the melons, etc.” The people spoke in a desultory way of the superior food the Lord had provided, the manna. In order to belittle the manna they compared it unfavorably to such food as is universally considered as inferior such as cucumbers and melons. We know that the land of Egypt produced excellent food, seeing the Torah had described the land of Egypt as “a garden of the Lord” in Genesis 13,10 when describing the fertility of the Jordan valley. In order to emphasize their disdain for the manna the people did not compare it unfavorably with Egypt’s best produce but they compared it to Egypt’s most inferior produce. Moreover, the fact that they mentioned fish was an outright insult against the manna seeing the only kind of fish the Israelites had been given in Egypt were the fish which had already begun to decompose and to stink. They were given only fish which had been caught at least 4 or 5 days previously. This is the reason they spoke about remembering הדגה instead of דגים or הדג, “the fish.” The word הדגה means that these fish were recognizable only as a species not individually. We know that this is an appropriate distinction from Jonah 2,1 where the prophet describes G’d as commanding דג גדול, “a large fish” to swallow Jonah. However, when the Torah refers to the fish in the river Nile at the time the river was turned into blood, the dead fish are described as דגה. The river is described as “stinking with these dead fish.” (Exodus 7,17). When Jonah prayed inside the belly of the fish, that fish is described as דגה, because Jonah describes himself as praying from “Sheol,” i.e. from the grave (Jonah 2,3). If someone sits inside a dead belly he is equivalent to sitting in a grave. If, later on, we read that G’d commanded Jonah to be spewed out and to be swallowed by a second (smaller) fish, this was only because it was not dignified for Jonah to sit inside a dead fish. The second fish was then ordered to spew out Jonah on dry land (Jonah 2,11).
To get back to our main subject: The Israelites expressed their disgust at what was a most valuable gift from G’d. The people were not so much wanting something as expressing their dissatisfaction with what they had. Significantly, throughout this episode the Torah speaks of the people as העם, “the people,” a term describing the lowest common denominator. They are not referred to as either עדה or בני ישראל, which would have pointed at people on a spiritually higher level. Eventually (verse 5) the בני ישראל, the elite of the people, also became infected with this discontent.
The place referred to in verse 34 as קברות התאוה is none other than תבערה which was mentioned in verse 3. The meaning both times is that at the very site where their unjustified desires surfaced they were punished. The “fire” is none other than their “burning desire.” The reason these two paragraphs dealing with תאוה desire, is written adjacent to the story of Miriam making uncalled for comments about Moses and his family life or lack thereof, is because Miriam too made inadmissible comments, just as had the people who had denigrated the manna or who had wanted to stuff themselves on a meat diet. The paragraph reporting Miriam’s inadmissible comments is followed by the one with the spies who also made inadmissible comments about Eretz Yisrael being a country which devours its inhabitants, etc.

במדבר פראן IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN — The place “Kibroth-hattavah” (Numbers 12:34) was in the wilderness of Paran and there they encamped after this journey (cf. Numbers 33:16—17 with our verse and with Numbers 11:34—35).

YE SHALL NOT EAT ONE DAY. The meaning thereof is: “you shall not eat for only one day, nor only two days [but even a whole month].²²⁶Verse 20. Similarly, the phrase not once nor twice²²⁷II Kings 6:10. means “not only once nor twice.” And in my opinion it cannot be said of a person who eats or does something for many consecutive days that he ate or did [that action] for one day.²²⁸Hence the statement ye shall not eat one day is to be understood literally, for since they will eat for a consecutive period of thirty days, it cannot be said of them that they ate for one day. Likewise the phrase nor twenty days is to be understood in its plain sense: “you will not eat of it twenty days, but thirty days.” Similarly it cannot be said of one who eats [something] for thirty consecutive days that he ate it for twenty days.²²⁸Hence the statement ye shall not eat one day is to be understood literally, for since they will eat for a consecutive period of thirty days, it cannot be said of them that they ate for one day. Likewise the phrase nor twenty days is to be understood in its plain sense: “you will not eat of it twenty days, but thirty days.” Or it may be that the word “one” [Ye shall not eat ‘one’ day] is connected [with the following phrases]: “Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor ten or twenty single [non-consecutive] days, but a full month.” Thus He gave them the meat which they craved for, but not the fish or the vegetables, for their main demand for which they wept was give us flesh.²²⁹Verse 13. And the meaning of the expression, But even a whole month, until it come out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you²²⁶Verse 20. is that He will give them a lot of meat, and they will eat it for a whole month to such a great extent that they will become sick of it, and they will consider it detestable and like a strange inedible food.
According to the plain meaning of Scripture the following is what happened: On the first day [of their eating the meat] they were smitten with a very great plague²³⁰Further, Verse 33. and the people that were the first to lust died,²³¹Ibid., Verse 34. these being the mixed multitude that was among them,²³²Above, Verse 4. also the children of Israel mentioned at the beginning who said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?²³²Above, Verse 4. But the rest of the people who wept afterwards family by family, every man at the door of his tent²³³Ibid., Verse 10. ate of it for a whole month until it became loathsome to them²²⁶Verse 20. and they threw away any heaps they had left of it. And so does the psalm state: He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust;²³⁴Psalms 78:27. So they did eat, and were well-filled, and He gave them that which they craved. They were not estranged from their craving, their food was still in their mouths, when the anger of G-d went up against them etc.²³⁵Ibid., Verses 29-31. For some of them ate and were well-filled, but those who lusted did not satisfy their lust at all, for while their food was still in their mouths … the anger of G-d went up against them.²³⁵Ibid., Verses 29-31.
Now the [Midrashic] interpretations of Rabbi Shimon²³⁶The Verses 21-22 state: 21. And Moses said: “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and yet Thou hast said: I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month! 22. If flocks and herds be slain for them, will they suffice them? or if all the fish be gathered together for them ‘umatza lahem’ (will they suffice them)?” Since it is inconceivable that Moses actually doubted G-d’s powers, Rashi [in Verse 22] quotes the interpretation of Rabbi Shimon in the Sifre, that Moses’ intent was as follows: “The people are so many, and Thou hast said ‘I will give them flesh, for a whole month’ — and then you will kill them! Shall the flock and herds be slaughtered for them so that they [the people] will be killed immediately, and this eating should be their last, satisfying them forever!” Then G-d said to Moses: Now shalt thou see etc. (see note that follows). and of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi²³⁷In our Rashi: “Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi.” This Sage explains that Moses said: “Since they are merely seeking a pretext, Thou wilt never be able to satisfy them, for they will always beg for something else.” — Then G-d said to Moses: “Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not (Verse 23) — for they will not listen unto thee.” Moses then went to appease them and told them what G-d said to him: Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short? (ibid.) But the people answered that He indeed has no power to grant their request. This is what the following verse [24] means: And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Eternal. Since, however, they refused to listen to him, the verse continues, and he gathered seventy men etc. do not fit in properly with the language of Scripture, because He said, Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.²³⁸Ramban’s intent is as follows: Had Verse 23 stated: “And the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short?’ And Moses said: ‘I will go to appease them.’ And G-d said to him: ‘They will not listen unto thee. Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee [that they will not listen unto thee] or not …’” the interpretations of Rabbi Shimon and of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi would have fitted in with the text of Scripture. But all which is written after the phrase, Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short? is: Now shalt thou see etc. which implies that Moses, as it were, doubted that G-d would satisfy them. Hence we must offer another interpretation, as set forth in the text that follows. And the interpretation of Rabbi Akiba who says that the words [of Moses] are to be taken literally, namely “Will it be enough for them?” is the true sense of Scripture, and this is the opinion of Onkelos [who translated umatza lahem²³⁹See Note 236, quoting Verse 23. — “will it suffice them?”]. But the event itself is amazing, as Rabbi Shimon said [commenting on Rabbi Akiba’s interpretation]: “The person of whom Scripture writes, he is trusted in all My house,²⁴⁰Further, 12:7. would he say that G-d cannot supply enough for them!” Moreover, all of them had already seen far greater wonders than this! And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra answered this [by saying] that Moses thought that G-d would not create a new wonder except to vindicate His prophet [as happened in the affair of Korach, further, Chapter 16; and since the truth of his prophecy was not now in question, Moses thought that no miracle would happen merely to satisfy the people’s requests]. But this too, does not appear correct to me, for He had already done for them [a miracle] of this sort with the first quail,²⁴¹Exodus 16:13. and also with the water²⁴²Ibid., 17:6. and the manna,²⁴³Ibid., Chapter 16. for all of these things were given to them to satisfy their complaints.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that when G-d does signs and wonders for Israel, they are deeds of kindness from Him, and they are all for their good, for The Eternal is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works,²⁴⁴Psalms 145:9. except when there is wrath gone out²⁴⁵Further, 17:11. against those who transgress His Will, when He acts towards them with anger and the attribute of judgment to their complete punishment. Thus miracles can only be [manifestations of] complete and perfect goodness in mercy, or retribution by the attribute of judgment. But now when G-d told Moses that He would fulfill their request and they would eat meat until it cometh out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you,²⁴⁶Verse 19. Moses our teacher knew that there would not be a wonder from G-d to supply them with flesh as He gave them the corn of heaven,²⁴⁷Psalms 78:24. similar to which the Sages say:²⁴⁸Bereshith Rabbah 51:5. “No evil thing comes down from heaven.” Moreover, all miracles He told Moses about beforehand: Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you;²⁴⁹Exodus 16:4. Behold, I will stand before thee there on the rock in Horeb; [and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it].²⁵⁰Ibid., 17:6. But here since He told him, And say unto the people: Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow,²⁵¹Verse 18. and He did not inform him [that he would then give them meat, as He informed about the other miracles], Moses understood that there would be no miracle from Him, blessed be He. Therefore he asked in astonishment: “What can He do [to satisfy] them by natural means? If all the flocks and herds around them be slaughtered for them they will still not be satisfied, and if all the fish of the sea in the place nearest to them be gathered in for them it would still not be sufficient for them.” Therefore G-d answered that His hand is not too short to fulfill their request even by ordinary events, this being the meaning of the expression ‘ha’yikrecha’ [of the root mikreh — “chance”] My word or not, [i.e., Now shalt thou see whether My word ‘shall suffice for thee even by chance’]. And He said, Is the Eternal’s ‘yad’ (hand) waxed short, similar to the expression, and royal wine in abundance, according to the ‘yad’ (bounty) of the king,²⁵²Esther 1:7. but He did not say, Is there anything too hard for me?²⁵³Jeremiah 32:27. since this was not done by a wonder. And so indeed it came to pass, that there went forth a wind from the Eternal²⁵⁴Verse 31. This wind was not an exceptionally powerful wind of a miraculous nature, as e.g., in Exodus 14:21 [at the splitting of the Red Sea]. in accordance with natural events, neither a very strong west wind nor a strong east wind, as Scripture mentions in speaking of the miracles, but a normal wind as is usual, and it brought across quails from the sea,²⁵⁴Verse 31. This wind was not an exceptionally powerful wind of a miraculous nature, as e.g., in Exodus 14:21 [at the splitting of the Red Sea]. not that they were now created for their sake, and so there was nothing different in this from the natural events of the world. Besides, this had already happened to them before,²⁴¹Exodus 16:13. and the only new element in it now was that the quails were in great abundance.