Komentaryo sa Mga Bilang 11:15: Rashi, Kli Yakar, Ramban & Sforno

ואם ככה את עשה לי AND IF THOU DO THUS WITH ME [KILL ME, I PRAY THEE …] — The Hebrew word for “Thou” appears in the feminine form את instead of the masculine אתה to intimate that Moses’ strength grew weak as that of a woman when the Holy one, blessed be He, showed him the punishment which He was to bring in future upon them for this (for their sin). He, (Moses) therefore, said before Him, “If so, kill me first” (Sifrei Bamidbar 91).

And if this is what You do to me. Rashi explained that Moses’ strength was weakened [tashash] like a female, and many who saw this were puzzled by this interpretation — for why would Moses use the feminine pronoun At [You — feminine form] toward the Almighty just because his strength was weakened like a female? But I say there is no difficulty at all, because our Sages of blessed memory said (Yalkut Shimoni Ha’azinu 945) that the righteous add strength to the Power above, as it is said And now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great (Numbers 14:17), while the wicked weaken His strength, as it is said You neglected [teshi, here understand as weakened] the Rock who begot you (Deuteronomy 32:18). The explanation of this matter is that due to the cessation of divine influence because of the actions of the wicked, it appears as if there is weakness in strength, so to speak. And here, because the hands of the lover [Moses] became weak and his strength diminished like a female, he did not have the strength to add power to the Might above. Therefore, he used the feminine pronoun At toward the Almighty to indicate that one thing depends on the other, and this is a precious interpretation.

AND IF ‘AT’ (THOU) DO THUS WITH ME. “[The Hebrew word for Thou appears here in the feminine form at, instead of atah in the masculine, because] Moses’ strength grew weak, like that of a woman, because the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the punishment He was to bring upon them for this [sin of theirs]. Moses then said to Him, ‘If so, kill me, I pray Thee.’” This is Rashi’s language. But I do not understand this. For the pronoun at refers here to Him on high, [for since it is Moses who is speaking in the verse, his use of the second-person pronoun must be referring to G-d; so how can Rashi explain that the feminine form is used to indicate that Moses’ strength weakened like that of a woman]! But according to the plain meaning of Scripture, the custom of the [Hebrew] language is [to use the form at] even when referring to a man, such as, ‘at’ (thou) the far-covering cherub.¹⁸²Ezekiel 28:14. Here the word at refers to k’ruv (cherub), which is a masculine noun. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], And if ‘at’ do thus with me refers to the attribute of justice [“attribute” in Hebrew being feminine, and the meaning of the verse is: “if it be decreed that the attribute of justice encounter me, then kill me, I pray Thee], just as it is said, and the anger of the Eternal was kindled greatly.¹⁸³Above, Verse 10. Similarly, ‘v’at’ shalt speak unto us¹⁸⁴Deuteronomy 5:24. is a reference to the great fire,¹⁸⁵Ibid., Verse 22. “Fire” can be feminine or masculine in Hebrew. from which you shall speak the words of G-d unto us, and we will hear it¹⁸⁴Deuteronomy 5:24. from your mouth, and do it.¹⁸⁴Deuteronomy 5:24. Similarly, ‘at’ the far-covering cherub¹⁸²Ezekiel 28:14. Here the word at refers to k’ruv (cherub), which is a masculine noun. alludes to the second cherub.¹⁸⁶Reference is to the Glory of G-d (Abusaula). The student versed [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.