Comentários de Citação sobre Números 17:12

A Midrashic approach: (Pessikta Zutrata) there are three things each of which can serve as instrument of disaster or as instrument of bliss. They are: the staff of Moses, the incense, and the Holy Ark. We have evidence that incense was instrumental in halting disaster from Numbers 17,12: “Aaron put on the incense in the midst of the congregation and made expiation for the people....until the plague was checked.” On the other hand, the same incense (even inside the Sanctuary) brought death upon Nadav and Avihu, the two older sons of Aaron (Leviticus 10,1). The Holy Ark became the cause of death of Uzza and the people of Beit Shemesh as we read in Samuel I 6,19, and it could be a source of blessing (Samuel II 6,11) to Oved Edom Hagitti as we read there: “and the Ark remained in the house of Oved-Edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Oved-Edom and his whole household.” The staff of Moses which consisted of a material known as sanpiryon, smote the river Nile, brought plagues on the Egyptians. But it also produced water from the rock at Refidim, renamed Massa u-merivah. Thus far the Midrash.

ויזרוק על העם, “he sprinkled on the people.” Some commentators understand the word על here to mean בעד, “on behalf of.” We have a parallel to this in Numbers 17,12 ויכפר על העם “Aaron atoned on behalf of the people.”