במדבר י״א:ט״ז-כ״ב

אספה לי. הֲרֵי תְשׁוּבָה לִתְלוּנָתְךָ שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לֹא אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי; וְהַזְּקֵנִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הֵיכָן הָיוּ? וַהֲלֹא אַף בְּמִצְרַיִם יָשְׁבוּ עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ג') "לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל"? אֶלָּא בְּאֵשׁ תַּבְעֵרָה מֵתוּ; וּרְאוּיִים הָיוּ לְכָךְ מִסִּינַי, דִּכְתִיב "וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים" (שם כ"ד) — שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ כְּנוֹשֵׁךְ פִּתּוֹ וּמְדַבֵּר בִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְזֶהוּ "וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ", וְלֹא רָצָה הַקָּבָּ"ה לִתֵּן אֲבֵלוּת בְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה וּפָרַע לָהֶם כָּאן (תנחומא):

Gather for Me. Here is the reply to your complaint when you said, “I am unable, alone . . .” But where were the original elders? Had they not sat with them even in Egypt, as it says: “Go, gather the elders of Israel”? Evidently, they died at the fire of “Tav’erah.” They deserved this at Sinai, as it is written, “they gazed at God.” Because they acted frivolously, like someone munching his loaf while speaking before the king. And this is [the meaning of] “They ate and drank.” But the Holy One, Blessed is He, did not want to cause grief during the giving of the Torah, so he punished them here.

אשר ידעת כי הם וגו'. אוֹתָן שֶׁאַתָּה מַכִּיר שֶׁנִּתְמַנּוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שׁוֹטְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם בַּעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ וְהָיוּ מְרַחֲמִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמֻכִּים עַל יָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיֻּכּוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (שמות ה'), עַתָּה יִתְמַנּוּ בִגְדֻלָּתָן כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנִּצְטַעֲרוּ בְּצָרָתָן (עי' ספרי):

Whom you know to be, etc. Those whom you recognize, as they were appointed officers over them in Egypt for the body breaking labor. They took pity on them, and were beaten for their sake, as it says, “The Israelite officers were beaten.” Let them be appointed now, in their greatness, just as they suffered when they were oppressed.

ולקחת אתם. קָחֵם בִּדְבָרִים, "אַשְׁרֵיכֶם שֶׁנִּתְמַנִּיתֶם פַּרְנָסִים עַל בָּנָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם":

You shall take them. Take them verbally. “How fortunate you are to have been appointed as leaders over the Omnipresent’s children.”

והתיצבו שם עמך. כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִנְהֲגוּ בָהֶם גְּדֻלָּה וְכָבוֹד, וְיֹאמְרוּ חֲבִיבִין אֵלּוּ שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ עִם מֹשֶׁה לִשְׁמֹעַ דִּבּוּר מִפִּי הַקָּבָּ"ה (שם):

And they shall stand there with you. So that the Israelites will see, and treat them as great men, reverently, saying: ‘How precious are those who entered with Moshe to hear the word from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed is He.’

וירדתי. זוֹ אַחַת מֵעֶשֶׂר יְרִידוֹת הַכְּתוּבוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה (שם):

I will descend. This is one of the ten descents inscribed in the Torah.

ודברתי עמך. וְלֹא עִמָּהֶם (שם):

And I will speak with you. But not with them.

ואצלתי. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וַאֲרַבֵּי", כְּמוֹ "וְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל" (שמות כ"ד):

I will make greater. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, וַאֲרַבֵּי, ”I will make greater,” like, “But to the great men of Bnei Yisroel.”

ושמתי עליהם. לְמָה מֹשֶׁה דוֹמֶה בְאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה? לְנֵר שֶׁמּוּנַח עַל גַּבֵּי מְנוֹרָה וְהַכֹּל מַדְלִיקִין הֵימֶנּוּ וְאֵין אוֹרוֹ חָסֵר כְּלוּם (ספרי):

And place it on them. To what was Moshe compared at that time? To a lamp set in a candelabra. Everyone lights from it, but none of its own brightness is diminished.

ונשאו אתך. הַתְנֵה עִמָּהֶם עַל מְנָת שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם טֹרַח בָּנַי, שֶׁהֵם טַרְחָנִים וְסַרְבָנִים (שם):

They will bear, along with you. Stipulate with them, on condition that they accept upon themselves the toil of my children, as they are troublesome and recalcitrant.

ולא תשא אתה לבדך. הֲרֵי תְשׁוּבָה לְמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתָּ לֹא אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי:

So that you need not bear it alone. Here is the reply to your statement, “I am unable, alone . . .”

התקדשו. הַזְמִינוּ עַצְמְכֶם לְפֻרְעָנוּת, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיהו י"ב) "וְהַקְדִּשֵׁם לְיוֹם הֲרֵגָה" (ספרי):

Prepare yourselves. Prepare yourselves for punishment. Similarly, it says, “Prepare them for the day of killing.”

עד חדש ימים. זוֹ בַכְּשֵׁרִים, שֶׁמִּתְמַצִּין עַל מִטּוֹתֵיהֶן וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִשְׁמָתָן יוֹצְאָה, וּבָרְשָׁעִים הוּא אוֹמֵר "הַבָּשָׂר עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם" (פסוק ל"ג), כָּךְ הִיא שְׁנוּיָה בְסִפְרֵי, אֲבָל בִּמְכִילְתָּא שְׁנוּיָה חִלּוּף, הָרְשָׁעִים אוֹכְלִים וּמִצְטַעֲרִין שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, וְהַכְּשֵׁרִים הַבָּשָׂר עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם (עי' יומא ע"ה):

For a month of days. This was with the [comparatively] virtuous ones, who fell ill in their beds and afterwards expired. But with the wicked ones it says, “the meat was still between their teeth.” This is how it is taught by Sifri. Mechilta, however, teaches the reverse. The wicked ones ate and suffered for thirty days, but with the decent ones — the meat was still between their teeth.

עד אשר יצא מאפכם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "דִי תְקוֹצוּן בֵּיהּ", יְהֵא דוֹמֶה לָכֶם כְּאִלּוּ אֲכַלְתֶּם מִמֶּנּוּ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי עַד שֶׁיּוֹצֵא וְנִגְעָל לַחוּץ דֶּרֶךְ הָאָף:

Until it comes out of your nostrils. As Targum [Onkelos] translates, ”you are disgusted by it.” It will seem to you as if you gorged on it until it is expelled through the nose.

והיה לכם לזרא. שֶׁתִּהְיוּ מְרַחֲקִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁקֵּרַבְתֶּם, וּבְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן רָאִיתִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָשׁוֹן שֶׁקּוֹרִין לַחֶרֶב זָרָא:

It will be repulsive to you. You will cast it away more readily than you welcomed. In R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s commentary I saw that, in a certain language, the sword is called “zara.”

את ה' אשר בקרבכם. אִם לֹא שֶׁנָּטַעְתִּי שְׁכִינָתִי בֵינֵיכֶם, לֹא גָבַהּ לְבַבְכֶם לִכָּנֵס לְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ (ספרי):

Adonoy Who is among you. If I had not planted My Presence among you, you would not have had the arrogance to enter into all these affairs.

שש מאות אלף רגלי. לֹא חָשׁ לִמְנוֹת אֶת הַפְּרָט שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים הַיְתֵרִים; וְרַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן פֵּרֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא בָכוּ אֶלָּא אוֹתָן שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם:

Six hundred thousand on foot. He was not concerned with counting in detail the remaining three thousand. R’ Moshe Hadarshan explains that only those who went out of Egypt, wept.

הצאן ובקר ישחט. זֶה אֶחָד מֵאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא דּוֹרֵשׁ וְאֵין רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דּוֹרֵשׁ כְּמוֹתוֹ, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר שש מאות אלף רגלי ואתה אמרת בשר אתן להם ואכלו חדש ימים הצאן ובקר, הַכֹּל כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, מִי מַסְפִּיק לָהֶם? כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כ"ה) "וּמָצָא כְּדֵי גְאֻלָּתוֹ". וְאֵיזוֹ קָשָׁה, זוֹ אוֹ שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים? אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר בָּרַבִּים, חִסֵּךְ לוֹ הַכָּתוּב וְלֹא נִפְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ, וְזוֹ שֶׁל מְרִיבָה הָיְתָה בְּגָלוּי, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא חִסֵּךְ לוֹ הַכָּתוּב; רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לֹא עָלְתָה עַל דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ צַדִיק כָּךְ, מִי שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ "בְּכָל בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא" (במדבר י"ב) יֹאמַר אֵין הַמָּקוֹם מַסְפִּיק לָנוּ? אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר, שש מאות אלף רגלי וגו' ואתה אמרת בשר אתן לְחֹדֶשׁ יָמִים, וְאַחַר כָּךְ תַּהֲרֹג אֻמָּה גְדוֹלָה כָּזוֹ, הצאן ובקר ישחט להם כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּהָרְגוּ וּתְהִי אֲכִילָה זוֹ מַסְפַּקְתָּן עַד עוֹלָם? וְכִי שִׁבְחֲךָ הוּא זֶה? אוֹמְרִים לוֹ לַחֲמוֹר טֹל כֹּר שְׂעוֹרִים וְנַחְתֹּךְ רֹאשְׁךָ? הֱשִׁיבוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה, וְאִם לֹא אֶתֵּן יֹאמְרוּ שֶׁקָּצְרָה יָדִי, הֲטוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֶׁיַּד ה' תִּקְצַר בְּעֵינֵיהֶם? יֹאבְדוּ הֵם וּמֵאָה כַּיּוֹצֵא בָהֶם וְאַל תְּהִי יָדִי קְצָרָה לִפְנֵיהֶם אֲפִלּוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת:

Will sheep and cattle be slaughtered. This is one of four instances expounded upon by R’ Akiva, which R’ Shimon did not expound as he did. R’ Akiva said, “Six hundred thousand on foot, etc. and You say ‘I will give them meat to eat for a month of days’? Will sheep and cattle . . . ?” Everything according to the straightforward interpretation, who will satisfy them? This is similar to what is said, “And he has sufficient means for its redemption.” Now which is worse, this, or, “listen, here, rebels!”? Yet, since he did not say it publicly, Scripture spared him and did not punish him; but the one during the dispute was public — Scripture, therefore, did not spare him. R’ Shimon said, Heaven forbid! Such a thought never occurred to that righteous man. Someone of whom it is written, “In all My houshold he is [most] faithful” would say, ‘The Omnipresent cannot satisfy us’? Rather, this is what he said: Six hundred thousand on foot, etc., and You said, ‘I will give them meat for a month,’ and then you will kill a nation as great as this? Will sheep and cattle be slaughered for them so that they should be killed, and this meal will [thus] satisfy them forever? Does this bring you praise, telling a donkey, ‘Eat a ton of barley and then we will chop your head off’? The Holy One, Blessed is He, answered him: But if I do not give it to them, they will say My power [lit. hand] is limited. Is it favorable, in your eyes, that God’s power be limited in their eyes? Let them, and a hundred like them, perish, but My power cannot seem limited to them even for a moment.