מֵאַ֤יִן לִי֙ בָּשָׂ֔ר לָתֵ֖ת לְכָל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּֽי־יִבְכּ֤וּ עָלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנָה־לָּ֥נוּ בָשָׂ֖ר וְנֹאכֵֽלָה׃
פֿון װאַנען האָב איך פֿלײש, צו געבן דעם דאָזיקן גאַנצן פֿאָלק, װאָס זײ װײנען אױף מיר, אַזױ צו זאָגן: גיב אונדז פֿלײש, מיר זאָלן עסן?
Ramban
WE REMEMBER THE FISH WHICH WE WERE WONT TO EAT IN EGYPT FOR NOUGHT. According to the plain meaning of Scripture [the explanation of the verse is that] the Egyptian fishermen used to put them to work to bring in the fish that they caught in their trawls and nets, and they would give them some fish [to eat], as is the custom of those that spread nets [upon the waters].160Isaiah 19:8. And cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic159Verse 5. are very abundant in Egypt, for it is as a garden of herbs,161Deuteronomy 11:10. and when they dug for the Egyptians in gardens and in all manner of service in the field162Exodus 1:14. they would eat the vegetables. Or perhaps the Israelites who were the king’s slaves doing his work would be supported by him with sparing bread and scant water,163Isaiah 30:20. and they would be dispersed throughout the city and would enter the gardens and fields, and eat of the vegetables without leaving anything over, as the king’s servants do. And [in addition it is possible that] they would give them at the edge of the river [Nile] small fish from the king’s portion which have no market-price in Egypt, as I have explained in Seder V’eileh Shemoth.164Exodus 1:1. The verse referred to is ibid., 11. This was the complaint of the children of Israel,155Verse 4. not the complaint of the mixed multitude155Verse 4. [who were originally not of the stock of Israel and were not enslaved in Egypt, therefore they could not say, We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for nought; but after the mixed multitude fell a lusting155Verse 4. they all] complained to Moses and demanded of him, Give us flesh, that we may eat,165Further, Verse 13. as Scripture mentions further on.
Ramban
YE SHALL NOT EAT ONE DAY. The meaning thereof is: “you shall not eat for only one day, nor only two days [but even a whole month].226Verse 20. Similarly, the phrase not once nor twice227II Kings 6:10. means “not only once nor twice.” And in my opinion it cannot be said of a person who eats or does something for many consecutive days that he ate or did [that action] for one day.228Hence the statement ye shall not eat one day is to be understood literally, for since they will eat for a consecutive period of thirty days, it cannot be said of them that they ate for one day. Likewise the phrase nor twenty days is to be understood in its plain sense: “you will not eat of it twenty days, but thirty days.” Similarly it cannot be said of one who eats [something] for thirty consecutive days that he ate it for twenty days.228Hence the statement ye shall not eat one day is to be understood literally, for since they will eat for a consecutive period of thirty days, it cannot be said of them that they ate for one day. Likewise the phrase nor twenty days is to be understood in its plain sense: “you will not eat of it twenty days, but thirty days.” Or it may be that the word “one” [Ye shall not eat ‘one’ day] is connected [with the following phrases]: “Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor ten or twenty single [non-consecutive] days, but a full month.” Thus He gave them the meat which they craved for, but not the fish or the vegetables, for their main demand for which they wept was give us flesh.229Verse 13. And the meaning of the expression, But even a whole month, until it come out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you226Verse 20. is that He will give them a lot of meat, and they will eat it for a whole month to such a great extent that they will become sick of it, and they will consider it detestable and like a strange inedible food.
According to the plain meaning of Scripture the following is what happened: On the first day [of their eating the meat] they were smitten with a very great plague230Further, Verse 33. and the people that were the first to lust died,231Ibid., Verse 34. these being the mixed multitude that was among them,232Above, Verse 4. also the children of Israel mentioned at the beginning who said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?232Above, Verse 4. But the rest of the people who wept afterwards family by family, every man at the door of his tent233Ibid., Verse 10. ate of it for a whole month until it became loathsome to them226Verse 20. and they threw away any heaps they had left of it. And so does the psalm state: He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust;234Psalms 78:27. So they did eat, and were well-filled, and He gave them that which they craved. They were not estranged from their craving, their food was still in their mouths, when the anger of G-d went up against them etc.235Ibid., Verses 29-31. For some of them ate and were well-filled, but those who lusted did not satisfy their lust at all, for while their food was still in their mouths … the anger of G-d went up against them.235Ibid., Verses 29-31.
Now the [Midrashic] interpretations of Rabbi Shimon236The Verses 21-22 state: 21. And Moses said: “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and yet Thou hast said: I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month! 22. If flocks and herds be slain for them, will they suffice them? or if all the fish be gathered together for them ‘umatza lahem’ (will they suffice them)?” Since it is inconceivable that Moses actually doubted G-d’s powers, Rashi [in Verse 22] quotes the interpretation of Rabbi Shimon in the Sifre, that Moses’ intent was as follows: “The people are so many, and Thou hast said ‘I will give them flesh, for a whole month’ — and then you will kill them! Shall the flock and herds be slaughtered for them so that they [the people] will be killed immediately, and this eating should be their last, satisfying them forever!” Then G-d said to Moses: Now shalt thou see etc. (see note that follows). and of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi237In our Rashi: “Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi.” This Sage explains that Moses said: “Since they are merely seeking a pretext, Thou wilt never be able to satisfy them, for they will always beg for something else.” — Then G-d said to Moses: “Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not (Verse 23) — for they will not listen unto thee.” Moses then went to appease them and told them what G-d said to him: Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short? (ibid.) But the people answered that He indeed has no power to grant their request. This is what the following verse [24] means: And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Eternal. Since, however, they refused to listen to him, the verse continues, and he gathered seventy men etc. do not fit in properly with the language of Scripture, because He said, Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.238Ramban’s intent is as follows: Had Verse 23 stated: “And the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short?’ And Moses said: ‘I will go to appease them.’ And G-d said to him: ‘They will not listen unto thee. Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee [that they will not listen unto thee] or not …’” the interpretations of Rabbi Shimon and of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi would have fitted in with the text of Scripture. But all which is written after the phrase, Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short? is: Now shalt thou see etc. which implies that Moses, as it were, doubted that G-d would satisfy them. Hence we must offer another interpretation, as set forth in the text that follows. And the interpretation of Rabbi Akiba who says that the words [of Moses] are to be taken literally, namely “Will it be enough for them?” is the true sense of Scripture, and this is the opinion of Onkelos [who translated umatza lahem239See Note 236, quoting Verse 23. — “will it suffice them?”]. But the event itself is amazing, as Rabbi Shimon said [commenting on Rabbi Akiba’s interpretation]: “The person of whom Scripture writes, he is trusted in all My house,240Further, 12:7. would he say that G-d cannot supply enough for them!” Moreover, all of them had already seen far greater wonders than this! And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra answered this [by saying] that Moses thought that G-d would not create a new wonder except to vindicate His prophet [as happened in the affair of Korach, further, Chapter 16; and since the truth of his prophecy was not now in question, Moses thought that no miracle would happen merely to satisfy the people’s requests]. But this too, does not appear correct to me, for He had already done for them [a miracle] of this sort with the first quail,241Exodus 16:13. and also with the water242Ibid., 17:6. and the manna,243Ibid., Chapter 16. for all of these things were given to them to satisfy their complaints.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that when G-d does signs and wonders for Israel, they are deeds of kindness from Him, and they are all for their good, for The Eternal is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works,244Psalms 145:9. except when there is wrath gone out245Further, 17:11. against those who transgress His Will, when He acts towards them with anger and the attribute of judgment to their complete punishment. Thus miracles can only be [manifestations of] complete and perfect goodness in mercy, or retribution by the attribute of judgment. But now when G-d told Moses that He would fulfill their request and they would eat meat until it cometh out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you,246Verse 19. Moses our teacher knew that there would not be a wonder from G-d to supply them with flesh as He gave them the corn of heaven,247Psalms 78:24. similar to which the Sages say:248Bereshith Rabbah 51:5. “No evil thing comes down from heaven.” Moreover, all miracles He told Moses about beforehand: Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you;249Exodus 16:4. Behold, I will stand before thee there on the rock in Horeb; [and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it].250Ibid., 17:6. But here since He told him, And say unto the people: Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow,251Verse 18. and He did not inform him [that he would then give them meat, as He informed about the other miracles], Moses understood that there would be no miracle from Him, blessed be He. Therefore he asked in astonishment: “What can He do [to satisfy] them by natural means? If all the flocks and herds around them be slaughtered for them they will still not be satisfied, and if all the fish of the sea in the place nearest to them be gathered in for them it would still not be sufficient for them.” Therefore G-d answered that His hand is not too short to fulfill their request even by ordinary events, this being the meaning of the expression ‘ha’yikrecha’ [of the root mikreh — “chance”] My word or not, [i.e., Now shalt thou see whether My word ‘shall suffice for thee even by chance’]. And He said, Is the Eternal’s ‘yad’ (hand) waxed short, similar to the expression, and royal wine in abundance, according to the ‘yad’ (bounty) of the king,252Esther 1:7. but He did not say, Is there anything too hard for me?253Jeremiah 32:27. since this was not done by a wonder. And so indeed it came to pass, that there went forth a wind from the Eternal254Verse 31. This wind was not an exceptionally powerful wind of a miraculous nature, as e.g., in Exodus 14:21 [at the splitting of the Red Sea]. in accordance with natural events, neither a very strong west wind nor a strong east wind, as Scripture mentions in speaking of the miracles, but a normal wind as is usual, and it brought across quails from the sea,254Verse 31. This wind was not an exceptionally powerful wind of a miraculous nature, as e.g., in Exodus 14:21 [at the splitting of the Red Sea]. not that they were now created for their sake, and so there was nothing different in this from the natural events of the world. Besides, this had already happened to them before,241Exodus 16:13. and the only new element in it now was that the quails were in great abundance.
According to the plain meaning of Scripture the following is what happened: On the first day [of their eating the meat] they were smitten with a very great plague230Further, Verse 33. and the people that were the first to lust died,231Ibid., Verse 34. these being the mixed multitude that was among them,232Above, Verse 4. also the children of Israel mentioned at the beginning who said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?232Above, Verse 4. But the rest of the people who wept afterwards family by family, every man at the door of his tent233Ibid., Verse 10. ate of it for a whole month until it became loathsome to them226Verse 20. and they threw away any heaps they had left of it. And so does the psalm state: He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust;234Psalms 78:27. So they did eat, and were well-filled, and He gave them that which they craved. They were not estranged from their craving, their food was still in their mouths, when the anger of G-d went up against them etc.235Ibid., Verses 29-31. For some of them ate and were well-filled, but those who lusted did not satisfy their lust at all, for while their food was still in their mouths … the anger of G-d went up against them.235Ibid., Verses 29-31.
Now the [Midrashic] interpretations of Rabbi Shimon236The Verses 21-22 state: 21. And Moses said: “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and yet Thou hast said: I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month! 22. If flocks and herds be slain for them, will they suffice them? or if all the fish be gathered together for them ‘umatza lahem’ (will they suffice them)?” Since it is inconceivable that Moses actually doubted G-d’s powers, Rashi [in Verse 22] quotes the interpretation of Rabbi Shimon in the Sifre, that Moses’ intent was as follows: “The people are so many, and Thou hast said ‘I will give them flesh, for a whole month’ — and then you will kill them! Shall the flock and herds be slaughtered for them so that they [the people] will be killed immediately, and this eating should be their last, satisfying them forever!” Then G-d said to Moses: Now shalt thou see etc. (see note that follows). and of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi237In our Rashi: “Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi.” This Sage explains that Moses said: “Since they are merely seeking a pretext, Thou wilt never be able to satisfy them, for they will always beg for something else.” — Then G-d said to Moses: “Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not (Verse 23) — for they will not listen unto thee.” Moses then went to appease them and told them what G-d said to him: Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short? (ibid.) But the people answered that He indeed has no power to grant their request. This is what the following verse [24] means: And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Eternal. Since, however, they refused to listen to him, the verse continues, and he gathered seventy men etc. do not fit in properly with the language of Scripture, because He said, Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.238Ramban’s intent is as follows: Had Verse 23 stated: “And the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short?’ And Moses said: ‘I will go to appease them.’ And G-d said to him: ‘They will not listen unto thee. Now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee [that they will not listen unto thee] or not …’” the interpretations of Rabbi Shimon and of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi would have fitted in with the text of Scripture. But all which is written after the phrase, Is the hand of the Eternal waxed short? is: Now shalt thou see etc. which implies that Moses, as it were, doubted that G-d would satisfy them. Hence we must offer another interpretation, as set forth in the text that follows. And the interpretation of Rabbi Akiba who says that the words [of Moses] are to be taken literally, namely “Will it be enough for them?” is the true sense of Scripture, and this is the opinion of Onkelos [who translated umatza lahem239See Note 236, quoting Verse 23. — “will it suffice them?”]. But the event itself is amazing, as Rabbi Shimon said [commenting on Rabbi Akiba’s interpretation]: “The person of whom Scripture writes, he is trusted in all My house,240Further, 12:7. would he say that G-d cannot supply enough for them!” Moreover, all of them had already seen far greater wonders than this! And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra answered this [by saying] that Moses thought that G-d would not create a new wonder except to vindicate His prophet [as happened in the affair of Korach, further, Chapter 16; and since the truth of his prophecy was not now in question, Moses thought that no miracle would happen merely to satisfy the people’s requests]. But this too, does not appear correct to me, for He had already done for them [a miracle] of this sort with the first quail,241Exodus 16:13. and also with the water242Ibid., 17:6. and the manna,243Ibid., Chapter 16. for all of these things were given to them to satisfy their complaints.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that when G-d does signs and wonders for Israel, they are deeds of kindness from Him, and they are all for their good, for The Eternal is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works,244Psalms 145:9. except when there is wrath gone out245Further, 17:11. against those who transgress His Will, when He acts towards them with anger and the attribute of judgment to their complete punishment. Thus miracles can only be [manifestations of] complete and perfect goodness in mercy, or retribution by the attribute of judgment. But now when G-d told Moses that He would fulfill their request and they would eat meat until it cometh out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you,246Verse 19. Moses our teacher knew that there would not be a wonder from G-d to supply them with flesh as He gave them the corn of heaven,247Psalms 78:24. similar to which the Sages say:248Bereshith Rabbah 51:5. “No evil thing comes down from heaven.” Moreover, all miracles He told Moses about beforehand: Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you;249Exodus 16:4. Behold, I will stand before thee there on the rock in Horeb; [and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it].250Ibid., 17:6. But here since He told him, And say unto the people: Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow,251Verse 18. and He did not inform him [that he would then give them meat, as He informed about the other miracles], Moses understood that there would be no miracle from Him, blessed be He. Therefore he asked in astonishment: “What can He do [to satisfy] them by natural means? If all the flocks and herds around them be slaughtered for them they will still not be satisfied, and if all the fish of the sea in the place nearest to them be gathered in for them it would still not be sufficient for them.” Therefore G-d answered that His hand is not too short to fulfill their request even by ordinary events, this being the meaning of the expression ‘ha’yikrecha’ [of the root mikreh — “chance”] My word or not, [i.e., Now shalt thou see whether My word ‘shall suffice for thee even by chance’]. And He said, Is the Eternal’s ‘yad’ (hand) waxed short, similar to the expression, and royal wine in abundance, according to the ‘yad’ (bounty) of the king,252Esther 1:7. but He did not say, Is there anything too hard for me?253Jeremiah 32:27. since this was not done by a wonder. And so indeed it came to pass, that there went forth a wind from the Eternal254Verse 31. This wind was not an exceptionally powerful wind of a miraculous nature, as e.g., in Exodus 14:21 [at the splitting of the Red Sea]. in accordance with natural events, neither a very strong west wind nor a strong east wind, as Scripture mentions in speaking of the miracles, but a normal wind as is usual, and it brought across quails from the sea,254Verse 31. This wind was not an exceptionally powerful wind of a miraculous nature, as e.g., in Exodus 14:21 [at the splitting of the Red Sea]. not that they were now created for their sake, and so there was nothing different in this from the natural events of the world. Besides, this had already happened to them before,241Exodus 16:13. and the only new element in it now was that the quails were in great abundance.