במדבר כ״א:י״ז-כ׳

עלי באר. מִתּוֹךְ הַנַּחַל וְהַעֲלִי מַה שֶּׁאַתְּ מַעֲלָה; וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהַבְּאֵר הוֹדִיעָה לָהֶם? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּמִשָּׁם בְּאֵרָה", וְכִי מִשָּׁם הָיְתָה, וַהֲלֹא מִתְּחִלַּת אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה הָיְתָה עִמָּהֶם? אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּרְדָה לְפַרְסֵם אֶת הַנִּסִּים (תנחומא); וְכֵן אָז יָשִׁיר … הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת נֶאֶמְרָה בְּסוֹף אַרְבָּעִים וְהַבְּאֵר נִתְּנָה לָהֶם מִתְּחִלַּת אַרְבָּעִים, מָה רָאָה לִכָּתֵב כָּאן? אֶלָּא הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה נִדְרָשׁ לְמַעְלָה הֵימָנוּ:

Arise, O well. From within the valley, and lift what you are to bring up. How do we know that the well informed them? As it is said, “from there to the well.” Was it from there? Was it not with them at the beginning of the forty years? But, it descended to make the miracles known. Similarly, “then, Yisroel sang this song” was said at the end of forty years, but the well was given to them at the beginning of the forty years. Why was it seen fit to have been written here? Only because this subject is expounded in relation to the above text.

באר חפרוה. זֹאת הִיא הַבְּאֵר אֲשֶׁר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים — מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן:

The well dug [by princes]. This is the well dug by the princes, Moshe and Aharon.

במשענתם. בַּמַּטֶּה:

With their staffs. With the rod.

וממדבר. נִתְּנָה לָהֶם:

From the wilderness. It was given to them.

במחקק. עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה שֶׁנִּקְרָא מְחוֹקֵק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן" (דברים ל"ג); וְלָמָּה לֹא נִזְכַּר מֹשֶׁה בְּשִׁירָה זוֹ? לְפִי שֶׁלָּקָה עַל יְדֵי הַבְּאֵר, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁלֹּא נִזְכַּר שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה לֹא נִזְכַּר שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיוּ מְזַמְּנִין אוֹתוֹ לִסְעוּדָה, אָמַר אִם אוֹהֲבִי שָׁם אֲנִי שָׁם, וְאִם לָאו אֵינִי הוֹלֵךְ (תנחומא):

Through the lawgiver. Through Moshe, who was called the lawgiver, as it is said, “for there, the portion of the lawgiver is reserved.” Why is Moshe not mentioned in this song? Because he was afflicted through the well. And since Moshe’s name is not mentioned, the Name of the God, is not mentioned. This is compared to a king who was invited to a banquet. he said, ‘If my intimate friend is there, I will be there, but if not, I will not go.’

וממתנה נחליאל. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:

After it was given, it became a legacy. As rendered by Targum [Onkelos].

ומבמות הגיא אשר בשדה מואב. כִּי שָׁם מֵת מֹשֶׁה וְשָׁם בָּטְלָה הַבְּאֵר; דָּ"אַ, כָּרוּהָ נְדִיבֵי הָעָם — כָּל נָשִׂיא וְנָשִׂיא כְּשֶׁהָיוּ חוֹנִים נוֹטֵל מַקְלוֹ וּמוֹשֵׁךְ אֵצֶל דִּגְלוֹ וּמַחֲנֵהוּ, וּמֵי הַבְּאֵר נִמְשָׁכִין דֶּרֶךְ אוֹתוֹ סִימָן וּבָאִין לִפְנֵי חֲנִיַּת כָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט (תנחומא):

From the heights to the valley in the field of Moav. As there Moshe died, and there the well was discontinued. Another interpretation of “The nobles of the nation excavated”: Each tribal leader, when they encamped, took his staff and drew it to his banner and camp. The well water followed the path made by that mark, and reached each the camp of each tribe.

ראש הפסגה. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "רֵישׁ רָמָתָא":

At the top of the peak. As Targum [Onkelos] translates, “the top of the height.”

פסגה. לְשׁוֹן גֹּבַהּ, וְכֵן "פַּסְּגוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ" (תהילים מ"ח) — הַגְבִּיהוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ:

The peak. This denotes a high point. Similarly, פַּסְּגוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ —”raise its castles.”

ונשקפה. אוֹתָהּ הַפִּסְגָּה עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ יְשִׁימוֹן, וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן מִדְבָּר שֶׁהוּא שָׁמֵם; דָּבָר אַחֵר וְנִשְׁקָפָה הַבְּאֵר עַל פְּנֵי הַיְשִׁימוֹן, שֶׁנִּגְנְזָה בְּיַמָּהּ שֶׁל טְבֶרְיָא, וְהָעוֹמֵד עַל הַיְשִׁימוֹן מַבִּיט וְרוֹאֶה כְּמִין כְּבָרָה בַּיָּם, וְהִיא הַבְּאֵר, כָּךְ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא:

That overlooks. That peak, facing the place called Yeshimon. The word [Yeshimon] denotes a wilderness, a desolate place. Another interpretation: The well may be seen on the face of the desolate place. It (the well) was hidden in the sea of Teveriah, and someone standing on the desolate place may look intently and observe a type of sieve in the sea— this is the well. This was expounded by R’ Tanchuma.