Comentários de Citação sobre Números 32:24

אל ראשי המטות, “to the leaders of the tribes;” It would be their task to enforce this law. An alternate interpretation by Ibn Ezra: this paragraph was revealed to the people after the punitive expedition against Midian, seeing that these verses are continuous until the end of verse three. Rashi claims that the manner in which Moses ensured that the respective legislation reached the people was the same as in this instance, and he proves it from Exodus 34,3132 where the Torah wrote: 'וישובו אליו אהרן וגו, “and all of them returned to Moses, i.e. Aaron, the princes, etc.”This particular verse was spoken by Moses when he had just descended from Mount Sinai on the Day of Atonement equipped with all the commandments. Rashi adds here that the reason this formula has been used here by the Torah especially, is in order to teach that annulling vows can only be done by a judge authorised to do so, or in the absence of such by three laymen. This law has a unique feature in that a single judge, if an expert in that legislation is empowered to do so. The reference to the leaders of the tribes shows that such individuals possess special powers, whereas the words: “and to the Children of Israel,” mean that three laymen can accomplish the same as an expert without a colleague. This is stated in the Talmud tractate Nedarim folio 78, where Rav Acha says that the words: “Aaron, his sons, and the Children of Israel,” teach that an ad hoc court of three laymen can perform this task. If so, why does the Torah stress that this legislation be revealed foremost to the heads of the tribes, suggesting that these are people of superior knowledge? This suggests the opposite, i.e. that laymen are excluded!? Rabbi Chisda states that this is to teach that when an individual is indeed an expert in the legalese required, he can act independently.

The heads of the tribes: According to my opinion that this section is after the war with Midian, it is for this reason that [the section about that war] is after it; just as "And Miriam and Aaron spoke about Moses (Numbers 12:1) is after "and they were in Chatserot" (Numbers 11:35) [even though it happened earlier], as I explained.1 And Scripture states that the Children of Gad came to Moses and Elazar and the princes of the congregation and they spoke their words. And afterwards, it is written (Numbers 32:28), "Then Moses gave instructions concerning them to Elazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes" - which are the princes of the congregation [just] mentioned. And since Moses said to the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben (Numbers 32:24), "you shall do what comes out of your mouth"; it is therefore written (Numbers 30:2), "And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes," and then (verse 3), "he shall do like everything that comes out of his mouth."

I have found in Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer chapter 45 that Aaron found amongst the golden jewelry contributed by the people a headband on which the tetragrammaton had been inscribed. It also had engraved on it the likeness of a calf. According to Rabbi Eliezer this was the only piece of gold Aaron threw into the crucible. He based himself on the fact that the Torah did not quote Aaron as saying ואשליכם באש, “and I threw them (the contributions of golden jewelry) into the fire, but he said: ואשליכהו באש, I threw it into the fire (verse 24). When the Israelites witnessed a golden calf emerging, this was perceived as a miracle especially since the calf was heard to low, to moo, and this is why they mistakenly ascribed prophetic or divine powers to this golden calf.
Rabbi Yehudah said that Samael entered the calf and lowed, making the Israelites think that the calf itself was capable of mooing and therefore was alive. He bases himself on the verse in Isaiah 1,3 that “every ox knows its owner,” i.e. that every creature acknowledges its Creator by its mouth. Thus far Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer.

Flocks and cattle Heb. צנה ואלפים [equivalent to] צאן ובקר, like (Deut. 7:13), “the young of your cattle (אלפך).” צנה is an expression of industry, as (in Num. 32:24), “and enclosures for your flocks (לצנאכם)”; oveyledic in Old French, enclosures to pen the small livestock. There are many Aggadic midrashim, but they do not fit the verses.