Комментарий к Бамидбар 34:4

ונסב לכם הגבול מנגב למעלה עקרבים — AND YOUR BORDER SHALL TURN ABOUT SOUTHWARD OF THE ASCENT OF AKRABBIM - In every passage in this chapter where it says ונסב or ויצא, it tells us that the boundary line was not straight (i.e., did not continue in the same straight line) but in proceeding it projected outside this straight line. Here, the word means that the boundary line left the straight line and bent towards the north of the world (in a northerly direction) diagonally towards the west, and the boundary line passed by the south of the Ascent of Akrabbim. Consequently the Ascent of Akrabbim was within the boundary (cf. Rashi on Joshua 15:3).

ונסב לכם, at this point the boundary projects somewhat.

Bending towards the north. Meaning: It bends in the direction of the land of Israel, and the border broadens, resulting in the land of Israel narrowing, for as much as the border broadens into the land of Israel, the land of Israel becomes narrower.

V. 4. ונסב וגו׳ ועבר וגו׳ ויצא וגו׳ eine Übersetzung dieser geographischen Grenzbestimmungen des heiligen Landes muss auf Genauigkeit verzichten, da die bezeichnenden Ausdrücke nicht an der topographischen Wirklichkeit präzisiert werden können, weil eine gegenwärtige Bestimmung der Örtlichkeiten, welche die Stützpunkte dieser Grenzlinien bilden, nur auf wenig sicheren Vermutungen beruht.

מנגב לקדש נרנע, “from the south, (southern border) as far as Kadesh Barnea. Rav B’chor Shor raises the question that in this verse Kadesh Barnea is described as being part of the land of Canaan, i.e. the west bank of the Jordan, whereas when Moses dispatched the spies in Joshua 14,7 Calev described Moses as having dispatched them from that place, and Moses had never set foot across the Jordan. I believe that there must have been two locations each bearing the name Kadesh Barnea, and this is supported by the Talmud in the third chapter of tractate Makkot where Rabbi Yossi is quoted as having said so. This place is also listed as a place on the east Bank of the Jordan in Joshua 15,3. Rashi also explains that there where two locations both named Hor Hahar, seeing that Aaron died there and he too had never crossed the river Jordan. (Numbers 20,28) On the other hand, in verse 7 of our chapter, Hor Hahar is described as part of the Land of Canaan on the west bank of that river.

'ועבר צנה והיה תוצאותיו וגו, “and once having passed Tzinah, it will extend southward, etc.”

ועבר צנה IT SHALL PASS ALONG TO ZIN — צנה is the same as אל צין “to Zin”, like מצרימה "to Egypt".

Expressions such as ויצא and ועבר, when used in connection with the boundaries, mean that the boundary proceeded in a straight line.

Within the border. For it is written, “South of Maaleh Akrabim.” This implies that the border, the outer reach [of the land], was to the south of Maaleh Akrabim. However, where it is written “passing” it implies that the border passes through the city.

מנגב לקדש ברנע, from the south to Kadesh Barnea. There were two places called “Kadesh.” One was located in the land of Canaan, and was mentioned in the Book of Joshua 15,3 as one of the towns in that land. The second one is the one first mentioned in the portion of Mattot, 32,8: בשלחי אתכם מקדש ברנע, “when I sent them, (your fathers) on a mission from Kadesh Barnea,” Moses speaking about the ill fated trip of the spies throughout the land of Canaan some 38 years earlier. It is quite impossible to suppose that Moses dispatched the spies from a town inside the land of Canaan. If he had done so, he would have first have to cross into that land, something that not only G-d had forbidden him, but something that he greatly regretted not having been able to do as we know from his own mouth. The “Kadesh” without an adjective, was situated near the border of the land of Edom

והיו תוצאתיו AND THE GOINGS OUT THEREOF SHALL BE — i.e., its ends shall be at the south of Kadesh-Barnea.

To Tzin. Because a [letter] hei at the end of the word is in place of a [letter] lamed at the beginning.

ויצא חצר אדר, “and it shall go forth to Chatzar adar”; here the impression is given that it was a single district; on the other hand, in Joshua 15,3, “chatzar and passed adera,” it seems that these were two separate districts.

ויצא חצר אדר AND IT SHALL GO FORTH TO HAZZAR-ADDAR — the boundary spreads and widens towards the north of the world and extends further obliquely to the west, till it comes to Hazzar-Addar, thence to Azmon and thence to the Brook of Egypt. — The expression ונסב, "and it turned about” which is used here (v. 5) (“and the boundary shall turn about”) is employed because it wrote, “and it shall go forth to Hazzar-Addar”, i.e., that it began to widen out when it had passed Kadesh-Bamea. The widening of that strip which projected northwards was only from Kadesh-Barnea to Azmon (i.e. that strip widened only between those two places), but from Azmon and further on, the boundary became narrower and turned towards the south and came to the Brook of Egypt, and thence westwards to the Great Sea which is the western boundary of the entire land of Israel. It follows, therefore, that the Brook of Egypt is at the south-west corner.

Angling. Meaning: The border of the land of Israel broadens at the south, and consequently the border broadens northward.

The term “turns” is used here. Meaning: When it is written (v. 5), “The border turns from Atzmon toward the Egyptian Estuary” this does not have the same meaning as ונסב ["turns"] above, for above it means that the border bent towards the land of Israel, resulting in the land of Israel narrowing while the border broadened. However, ונסב written here (v. 5) means that it turned towards the Egyptian Estuary which is southward, resulting in the border narrowing and the land of Israel broadening.

From there onward. Meaning that it did not broaden any more once it reached Chatzar Adar, rather it remained in its original breadth. However from Atzmon it began to become narrower until it reached the Estuary of Egypt.