Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Bilang 33:37

ובני ישראל נסעו מבארות בני יעקן, “The Children of Israel journeyed from Be-eroth-bney Yaakon.” Rashi, feeling the need to explain how this apparently unrelated verse fits in here, and posing the rhetorical question if these wells came to the place called Mosserah, explains the verse by following aggadic interpretations, saying that seeing this is where Aaron was mourned in style, it appeared to the people as if this was where he had died. Ibn Ezra, forever attempting to find a straightforward interpretation clearly suggested by the text, [author’s words, not mine. Ed.] is hard pressed saying the words בארות בני יעקן (of the descendants of Se-ir, Edom) were not places by the same name mentioned in Numbers [The name of this individual appears in the Bible three more times, in Chronicles I 1,42, in Numbers 33,31, and 32. Ed.] He claims that the place is the one we know as Kadesh. Similarly, according to Ibn Ezra, מוסרה mentioned here is not identical with the מוסרות mentioned in Numbers Only the “Kadesh” mentioned in Numbers 33,37 is identical with בארות בני יעקן. The name of the desert surrounding הר ההר is מוסרה. From that location the Israelites moved on to Gudgoda. Gudgoda is not the name of a mountain. It is a term for a region comprising Tzalmona, Punon, and Ovot. (Numbers 33, 31-42) Yotvata, is the place referred to as באר, as we know from Numbers This is also why it is described as ארץ נחלי מים, a land with brooks and rivulets providing water. The region responded favourably to water diviners. The verse (7) משם נסעו הגוגודה belongs with ויכהן אלעזר תחתחו “and Eleazar, his son, performed the priestly duties in his stead.” (6) I have already explained that after departing from Mount Sinai the (individual) Israelites no longer offered offerings on the Altar. [Ibn Ezra on Exodus ] It is possible that when arriving at Tzalmona they began to offer these sacrifices again and that is when Eleazar began his duties in practice. Perhaps on New Year’s Day, as well as on the Day of Atonement, these rites were performed. [In his commentary on Exodus 29,42 Ibn Ezra justifies the non-performance on most days with the non-availability of the requisite amounts of wine and olive oil, etc. Ed.] The justification for referring to Eleazar as performing his duties as his father’s successor at this point is that as a result of the golden calf episode the firstborn who up until that time had performed the priestly duties were exchanged for the Levites who had remained loyal, and among their various duties was the one to carry the Holy Ark on their shoulders during the journeys of the Israelites. Already in Numbers 6,23 Eleazar had blessed the people together with his father, i.e. had performed some priestly functions. Nachmanides refuses to accept any part of Ibn Ezra’s commentary on this subject (locations) declaring that the sudden emergence of locations that had not been mentioned in Parshat Massey is totally inadmissible. Furthermore, he sees nothing strange in locations appearing as having slightly different names on different occasions. He quotes numerous examples of this being the case. The Torah does so not only when referring to place names, but also when referring to the same people by different names. In this case where there is hardly any different between מוסרה and מוסרות, there is even less reason to “make a federal case” out of such nuances. He also sees nothing special about the variation from חור הגדגוד in Numbers 33,32, and הגדגודה in our verse here to justify looking for Ibn Ezra’s far-fetched stretching of the meaning of the text on these two occasions. He feels that the various locations mentioned here are so close to one another that they did not warrant separate mention in Numbers chapter 33. By allowing for the fact that the camp of the Israelites was about 12-15 kilometers in length, the front section had reached another location before the rearguard had even left it. He assumes that the people hardly moved more than 3 or 4 kilometers in an average day’s journey. When the Israelites journeyed sometimes for only a single day, they could easily have straddled both locations while encamped. He also argues that quite possibly, seeing mountains are named, the top of the mountain was named by a different name from the base of the same mountain, although both names fitted the same location. In a location known as חשמונה (Numbers 33,29) there were numerous wells in the field, collectively known as the wells of the sons of Yaakon, בארות בני יעקן, in order to water their flocks. The Israelites passed that region in their journeys and moved on to a place known as מוסרה. They encamped around the wells known as בארות בני יעקן, and remained there for some time. Moses singled out two places, Gudgoda and Yotvata as areas that were also well watered, skipping others which did not have much to commend them, seeing they had all been mentioned already in Parshat Massey. It is also possible that when Aaron ascended the mountain הר ההר to die there, a mountain that was facing the place known as מוסרה, that the people then moved back to Mosserah to mourn and eulogise Aaron in a manner befitting such a beloved leader. This is what is reported here when Moses writes that they journeyed from בארות יעקן to מוסרה, and that the notables of the people used these 30 days to each pay their respects to Aaron at his grave, ascending the mountain where he had died in order to do so. The Torah had not actually written that the people made camp in בארות בני יעקן. Once the thirty days of mourning were over, they moved on at greater speed all the way to Gudgodah. From there they moved to Yatvata The location was known as Yatvata on account of the abundant supply of drinking water in that region. This was by way of contrast with the desert of Tzin, which qualified for the description ציה וצמאון, completely devoid of water, a region in which one could only perish from thirst. The reason why Moses inserted reference to the death of Aaron at this juncture, may have been that he had already mentioned praying on behalf of Aaron who might have died many years earlier if not for Moses’ prayer. He wanted the people to know and to remember that if Aaron did not die until the fortieth year this was proof that that he had not been guilty of sin but died of old age. He did not die until his son Eleazar was sufficiently mature to become his successor. As to the formulation (verse 6) ובני ישראל נסעו, “the Children of Israel journeyed” (in the third person), as opposed to Moses speaking in these portions in direct speech i.e. “you have done,” “I have done, etc.,” Moses spoke to them in direct speech when he admonished them. Here he was merely relating some historical facts, without implying criticism of the people.

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED FROM BEEROTH-BENE-YAAKAN TO MOSERAH. “Why does this matter belong here? Furthermore, did they indeed journey from Beeroth-bene-yaakan to Moserah; did they not come from Moserah to Bene-yaakan, as it is said, And they journeyed from Moseroth, and pitched in Bene-yaakan?¹⁸⁸Numbers 33:31. And further, here it is said, there [in Moserah] Aaron died; but did he not die in Mount Hor?¹⁸⁹Ibid., Verse 39. Go and count and you will find that there are eight journeys from Moseroth to Mount Hor!¹⁹⁰Ibid., Verses 31-37: Moseroth, Bene-yaakan, Hor-hagidgad, Jotbah, Abronah, Etzion-geber, Kadesh, Mount Hor. But really this is also part of the reproof [spoken by Moses, saying in effect]: ‘This also you did; When Aaron died in Mount Hor at the end of forty years [after the exodus] and the clouds of Divine Glory departed, you feared war with the king of Arad¹⁹¹Ibid., 21:1. and you appointed a leader to return to Egypt and you turned backwards eight journeys until Bene-yaakan and from there [you continued] to Moserah [as stated here]. There the children of Levi fought you and slew some of you, and you [slew] some of them, until they forced you back the road [along which you had retreated]. From there [Moserah] you returned to Gudgod¹⁹²Verse 7 here: From thence [Moserah] they journeyed unto Gudgod, and from Gudgod etc. which is identical with Hor-hagidgad,¹⁹³Numbers 33:33: And they journeyed from Hor-hagidgad, and pitched in Jotbah. Hence Gudgod is identical with Hor-hagidgad. and from Gudgod to Moserah.¹⁹⁴“To Moserah.” This is not found in our texts of Rashi. Instead our text reads, “And from Gudgod ‘etc’” (Verse 7). Ramban’s text of Rashi is to be understood as follows: “And from Gudgod you ultimately came back to Moserah” since the exact order in the process of their return was from Gudgod to Bene-yaakan, and thence to Moserah. See above, Note 190. And at Moserah you made a great lamentation on account of the death of Aaron which brought this [retreat and subsequent battle with the Levites] upon you, and it [the sadness] was as if Aaron had died there [thus accounting for the verse which states: there — at Moserah — Aaron died]!’ Now Moses placed this reproof next to the [narrative about the] breaking of the Tablets in order to intimate that the death of the righteous is as grievous before the Holy One, blessed be He, as was the day on which the Tablets were broken, and to inform you that it was displeasing to Him what they said Let us make a captain [and return to Egypt]¹⁹⁵Numbers 14:4. in order to break away from Him, as was the day when they made the calf. At that time the Eternal separated the tribe of Levi¹⁹⁶Verse 8 here. — this refers back to the first subject [of this chapter]. At that time, in the first year of your departure from Egypt when you sinned by worshipping the calf, but the sons of Levi did not sin, G-d separated them from you. This event is placed next to the retreat to Bene-yaakan [where, as explained earlier, the Levites showed faith and heroism] in order to intimate that in this matter, also, the sons of Levi did not sin but stood steadfast in their faith.” All this is the language of our Rabbi Shlomo [Rashi] from the words of Agadah.¹⁹⁷Tanchuma, Chukath 18.
Now, Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, [in order not to deviate from the literal meaning of the text by saying that they retreated backwards eight stages] found it necessary to say by way of the plain meaning of Scripture that “Beeroth-bene-yaakan [mentioned in the verse before us: and the children of Israel journeyed from Beeroth-bene-yaakan to Moserah] is not identical with Bene-yaakan [mentioned in Numbers 33:31] and Moserah [mentioned here] is not Moseroth [mentioned in Numbers 33:30], but Kadesh¹⁹⁸And they journeyed from Kadesh, and pitched in Mount Hor (Numbers 33:37). is called Beeroth-bene-yaakan,¹⁹⁹For, since it states here that from Beeroth-bene-yaakan they journeyed to Moserah and that there in Moserah Aaron died, it follows that Kadesh [mentioned in Numbers 33:37] is Beeroth-bene-yaakan, seeing that there in Verse 39 it is stated that Aaron died in Mount Hor. and the name of the wilderness where Aaron died is Mount Hor-moserah [so that there is no need to say that they retreated back toward Egypt]. From thence they journeyed unto Gudgod²⁰⁰Verse 7 here. is not identical with Hor-hagidgad¹⁹³Numbers 33:33: And they journeyed from Hor-hagidgad, and pitched in Jotbah. Hence Gudgod is identical with Hor-hagidgad. but instead is a general name for Zalmonah, Punon, and Oboth,²⁰¹Numbers 33:41-43. while Jotbah²⁰⁰Verse 7 here. is the place called B’eir,²⁰²Ibid., 21:16. this being the purport of the expression [here in Verse 7 describing Jotbah as] a land of brooks of water [and in B’eir was the well, whereof the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Gather the people together, and I will give them water’].²⁰²Ibid., 21:16. And the expression, and from Gudgod to Jotbah²⁰⁰Verse 7 here. is connected with the phrase [in Verse 6 before us], and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his [Aaron’s] stead, for it was there in Jotbah that Eleazar began ministering as the High Priest and performed the offerings.” [Thus far is Ibn Ezra’s language.]
But all these are windy words²⁰³Job 16:3. [i.e., words devoid of substance]. For how is it possible for all these many places to be new locations that have not been referred to in the section [enumerating all] of the journeys [of Israel from Egypt to the promised Land].²⁰⁴Numbers 33:1-49. Moreover, it is the custom of Scripture everywhere to make slight changes when mentioning names a second time, whether it is the name of a place or the name of a person [so that even slightly different names would refer to the same place or person] and surely here, when the names are alike, for between Moserah and Moseroth there is no [significant] change or difference; similarly, Hor-hagidgad and Gudgod are one name, and Jotbah [mentioned here and in Numbers 33:34] are surely alike. Furthermore, it was in Mount Hor that Eleazar ministered upon the death of his father [Aaron] when Moses clothed him in the garments [of the High Priest],²⁰⁵Ibid., 20:28. for he was immediately distinguished [as a High Priest simply] by virtue of [being clothed in] the larger number of official garments [of the High Priest], this being the law of the High Priests even during succeeding generations! [Hence there is no justification for Ibn Ezra to say that Eleazar ministered as a High Priest in Jotbah for the first time.]
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Mount Hor is the largest of the mountains and is many parasangs long.²⁰⁶An ancient Persian measure of length, equal to about three and two-fifths English miles. Its name [Hor Hahar — literally: “the mount of the mount”] so indicates, for it is called “mount” and people called it “the mountain” because of its height and length. And so our Rabbis said that this was a mount on top of a mount.²⁰⁷Tanchuma, Chukath 14, and mentioned by Rashi (Numbers 20:22): “Like a small apple on top of a large apple.” The end of the mountain extended as far as the border of the land of Edom²⁰⁸Ibid., Verse 23. and the beginning of it was near Hashmonah²⁰⁹Ibid., 33:30. [eight stages away from Mount Hor proper].²¹⁰Ibid., Verses 30-37. Now in the plain before Mount Hor there were cities or places called Moseroth, Bene-yaakan, Hor-hagidgad, Jotbah, Abronah, Ezion-geber, and Kadesh.²¹⁰Ibid., Verses 30-37. There was no great distance between these places, for that large camp [of the Israelites] walked in one day about a parasang²⁰⁶An ancient Persian measure of length, equal to about three and two-fifths English miles. or less. From Kadesh they journeyed, and pitched in Mount Hor,²¹¹Ibid., Verse 37. entering a low place at the foot of the mount. Then G-d commanded Moses, Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor,²¹²Ibid., 20:25. meaning that he is to climb upward to the top of it [the lower part of the mountain] which is the beginning of the [upper part of the] mountain. Thus they ascended to the top of the mountain, arriving [at the part] opposite Moseroth, and Aaron died there, this being the intent of the verse, and Aaron died there ‘in the top of the mount,’²¹³Ibid., Verse 28. and thus his death [is also described in the verse before us as having] occurred in Moserah. It is possible that all these places as named were considered as if they were [also] on the mountain itself, so that the summit of the mountain and its opposite site in the plain were called “Moseroth” [in the plural] and the name of each place separately was “Moserah” [in the singular] so that people spoke of “Moserah in the mount” and “Moserah in the plain.” And in the place called Hashmonah there were wells in the field, which people referred to as Beeroth (“The wells of) bene-yaakan” because the inhabitants of Bene-yaakan came there to water their flocks and they made these wells, for there they found running water. And from there [from Beeroth-bene-yaakan] they journeyed to Moserah [as is mentioned in Verse 6 before us], and from there they journeyed to Moseroth,²⁰⁹Ibid., 33:30. and they journeyed from Moseroth, and pitched in Bene-yaakan,²¹⁴Ibid., 33:31. for that [i.e., Bene-yaakan] was the name of that place.²¹⁵Bene-yaakan is thus not to be confused with Beeroth (“The Wells of”) bene-yaakan which, as explained above, was a spot in Hashmonah, where the people of Bene-yaakan dug wells to water their flocks. And Scripture continues to tell [here in Verse 7], From thence they journeyed unto Gudgod; and from Gudgod to Jotbah, a land of brooks of water in order to inform us that they stayed there [many] days on account of the brooks. It abbreviates [in listing] the journeys because it has already explained them [in the section on the journeys],²⁰⁴Numbers 33:1-49. but it states that from thence — from Moserah — they journeyed unto Gudgod and unto Jotbah which was all a land of brooks of water, for from Gudgod to Jotbah was well watered everywhere.²¹⁶Genesis 13:10.
It is further possible that we say that when Aaron went up to the top of the mountain and died there opposite Moseroth or in Moserah itself [as explained above that the top of the mountain was also called Moserah] and he was buried there, the Israelites went back to Moseroth [i.e., to “Moserah” at the foot of the mountain, mentioned here in Verse 6 before us] to weep and to mourn at the grave of the man of G-d,²¹⁷II Kings 23:17. and, for the entire thirty days [of mourning]²¹⁸Numbers 20:29. their prominent men would go up to the top of the mountain and mourn for the holy one of the Eternal,²¹⁹Psalms 106:16: And of Aaron the holy one of the Eternal. and then they would return to the camp which was pitched in Moserah. After the thirty days [of mourning] they journeyed from Moserah to Hor-hagidgad, and from Gudgod to Jotbah [as stated here in Verse 7], for now, as they returned from Moserah, they travelled quickly [and did not stop in Bene-yaakan which was between Moseroth and Hor-hagidgad;²²⁰Numbers 33:31-32. hence it is not mentioned here]. This is a very proper interpretation of explaining the verses in a manner that fits the text. Scripture mentions that the name of the place was Yotbathah [“Jotbah,” from the root tovah — good] because it was a “good” place for there were brooks of water, while the rest of the wilderness was a land of drought,²²¹Jeremiah 2:6. thirsty ground where there was no water.²²²Above, 8:15. The reason for Moses’ mentioning the death of Aaron now while discussing these subjects is because he had said, and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time²²³Ibid., 9:20. [and so he indicated here] that the punishment of “destruction”²²⁴Ibid.: Moreover the Eternal was angry with Aaron to have ‘destroyed’ him, and I prayed for Aaron … did not touch him [Aaron] neither himself personally nor his seed — for Aaron did not die until the fortieth year [after the exodus], being old and full of days, and his son ministered in his stead. He said, And the children of Israel journeyed, and not “and you journeyed,” for in the sections of reproof he speaks directly to the people to chastise them, but in this [verse] he narrates the journeys of the children of Israel.

The children of Israel traveled from Bәכerot-Bәné-Yaɐqan to Moserah. This verse is inserted here, because Moshe had said “I also prayed for the sake of Aaron at that time” [9: 20]; Scripture accordingly informs us that Aaron did not die, until the fortieth year. The evidence for the correctness of this explanation is that, while they were at Mount Sinai, “at that time, God set apart the tribe of Levi” [: 8] (as I have explained in my commentary on the parasha of Bәmidbar [comment on Numbers 3: 1]). Our ancestors asserted [Palestinian Talmud Yoma 1: 1 (38b)] that they backtracked to a previous encampment — but what then is to be done with the word “there” in there Aaron died, and there he was buried ? The Spaniard Rabbi Isaac ben Y ә hudah ibn Ghiyyat, of blessed memory, translated the word “there” into “then” (similarly, “from then on [literally: from there] he became a shepherd” [Genesis 49: 24]). But in my opinion none of this is needed. Rather, Beerot-Bәné-Yaaqan is not the same as “Bené-Yaaqan” [Numbers 33: 31]; and also, Moserah is not the same as “Moserot” [Numbers 33: 30]. Bәכerot-Bәné-Yaɐqan is another name for Qadesh, and Moserah is the name of the desert region surrounding Mount Hor. There are many similar instances (e.g., note that Scripture calls a place “the Shur Wilderness” [Exodus 15: 22], but in another verse says “the כ Eytam Wilderness” [Numbers 33: 8]).