וַיִּ֤חַר לְמֹשֶׁה֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה אַל־תֵּ֖פֶן אֶל־מִנְחָתָ֑ם לֹ֠א חֲמ֨וֹר אֶחָ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ נָשָׂ֔אתִי וְלֹ֥א הֲרֵעֹ֖תִי אֶת־אַחַ֥ד מֵהֶֽם׃
Labis na nagdamdam si Moises, at sinabi niya sa Walang-Hanggan: “Huwag Mong pansinin ang kanilang handog! Ni isang asno ay wala akong kinuha sa kanila, at wala akong ginawan ng masama kahit isa man sa kanila.”
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 16,15. “I have not taken a single donkey of theirs nor I have I knowingly wronged anyone of them.” [The author considers the plain meaning of this verse as unnecessary, the mere suggestion that Moses had taken advantage of any Israelite being too obnoxious to warrant mention. Ed.]
The general rule is that that Moses constantly tried to spiritually uplift the people of Israel and to thereby bring them closer to him. He states here that this endeavour of his included every single one of the Israelites. He did not elevate a single Israelite at the expense of others whom he did not elevate. Similarly, when trying to be close to the people, he did not favour any Israelite at the expense of another Israelite about whom he supposedly cared less. According to our author, the word הרעותי in this verse is presumed to be derived from רעי, “my friend.”
The general rule is that that Moses constantly tried to spiritually uplift the people of Israel and to thereby bring them closer to him. He states here that this endeavour of his included every single one of the Israelites. He did not elevate a single Israelite at the expense of others whom he did not elevate. Similarly, when trying to be close to the people, he did not favour any Israelite at the expense of another Israelite about whom he supposedly cared less. According to our author, the word הרעותי in this verse is presumed to be derived from רעי, “my friend.”