פּירוש אויף במדבר 11:2

ויצעק העם אל משה AND THE PEOPLE CRIED UNTO MOSES — A parable! This may be compared to the case of an earthly king who was angry with his son, and the son went to a friend of his father and said to him, “Go and ask forgiveness for me from father!” (Sifrei Bamidbar 86).

And the people cried out to Moses. And not to God, because they thought that since Moses had not yet perceived their sin, they would think that it was a coincidence happening to them, and he would pray for them. And that is what Moses did, thinking that the place had caused this to them, for there are places in the earth where a great hidden wind causes the ground to quake, and there are places where there is hidden fire. Therefore, Moses called the name of the place Tav’erah because he thought that the place had caused this to them, and not their sin.

ותשקע האש. This was something supernatural, not compatible with the normal behaviour of fire. Fire rises, does not sink into the earth.

ותשקע האש THEN THE FIRE SANK — it sank on the very spot; because if it had turned along one of the sides of the camp it would gradually have rolled along the whole of that side (Sifrei Bamidbar 86).