במדבר ל״ב

עטרות ודיבן וגו'. מֵאֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג הָיוּ:

Ataros, Divon, etc. They were part of the land of Sichon and Og.

האחיכם. לְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָה הוּא:

Should your brothers. This denotes a question.

ולמה תניאון. תָּסִירוּ וְתַמְנִיעוּ לִבָּם מֵעֲבֹר, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ סְבוּרִים שֶׁאַתֶּם יְרֵאִים לַעֲבֹר מִפְּנֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְחֹזֶק הֶעָרִים וְהָעָם:

Why do you dishearten. Turn aside and restrain their hearts from crossing, for they will think that you are afraid to cross because of the war, and the strength of the cities and the people.

מקדש ברנע. כָּךְ שְׁמָהּ, וּשְׁתֵּי קָדֵשׁ הָיוּ:

From Kadeish Barnei’a. This was its name. There were two places named Kadeish.

הקנזי. חוֹרְגוֹ שֶׁל קְנַז הָיָה וְיָלְדָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ שֶׁל כָּלֵב אֶת עָתְנִיאֵל (סוטה י"א):

The Kenizite. He was Kaleiv’s stepfather, to whom Kaleiv’s mother bore Osniel.

וינעם. וַיְטַלְטְלֵם, מִן "נָע וָנָד" (בראשית ד):

He made them wander. He moved them about, as in “a wanderer and vagrant”

לספות. כְּמוֹ "סְפוּ שָׁנָה עַל שָׁנָה" (ישעיהו כ"ט), "עֹלוֹתֵיכֶם סְפוּ" וְגוֹ' (ירמיהו ז'), לְשׁוֹן תּוֹסֶפֶת:

To add. As in “add a year to a year,” “add your burnt-offerings, etc.” The word denotes addition.

נבנה למקננו פה. חָסִים הָיוּ עַל מָמוֹנָם יוֹתֵר מִבְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם, שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ מִקְנֵיהֶם לְטַפָּם. אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה "לֹא כֵן, עֲשׂוּ הָעִקָּר עִקָּר וְהַטָּפֵל טָפֵל, בְּנוּ לָכֶם תְּחִלָּה עָרִים לְטַפְּכֶם וְאַחַר כֵּן גְּדֵרוֹת לְצֹאנְכֶם" (תנחומא):

We will build [enclosures] for our flocks here. They were more concerned over their property than [over] their sons and daughters, for they gave precedence to their flocks over their children. Moshe said to them, ‘not so! Treat what is of major importance as such, and what is secondary as such. First build yourselves cities for your children, and afterward pens for your flocks.’

ואנחנו נחלץ חשים. נִזְדַּיֵּן מְהִירִים, כְּמוֹ "מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז" (ישעיהו ח'), "יְמַהֵר יָחִישָׁה" (שם ה'):

We will then arm ourselves rapidly. We will arm ourselves quickly, as in “quicken the spoil, hasten the plunder,” “let him hurry, hasten [his actions].”

לפני בני ישראל. בְּרָאשֵׁי גְּיָסוֹת, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁגִּבּוֹרִים הָיוּ, שֶׁכֵּן נֶאֱמַר בְּגָד (דברים ל"ג) "וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף קָדְקֹד"; וְאַף מֹשֶׁה חָזַר וּפֵרֵשׁ לָהֶם בְּאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים (דברים ג') "וָאֲצַו אֶתְכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִוא וְגוֹ' חֲלוּצִים תַּעַבְרוּ לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל בְּנֵי חָיִל", וּבִירִיחוֹ כְּתִיב (יהושע ו') "וְהֶחָלוּץ עוֹבֵר (הֹלֵךְ) לִפְנֵיהֶם" — זֶה רְאוּבֵן וְגָד שֶׁקִּיְּמוּ תְנָאָם:

Before Bnei Yisroel. At the head of the armies, since they were great warriors, as it is said concerning Gad, “he shall tear arms, skulls as well.” Moshe, too, reiterated specifically to them, in “These are the words”: “I commanded you at that time, etc., go forth armed before your brothers, Bnei Yisroel, all [you] great warriors.” And at Yericho it is written, “the armed force went before them” — they were [the sons of] Reuven and Gad, who fulfilled their condition.

וישב טפנו. בְּעוֹדֵנוּ אֵצֶל אַחֵינוּ:

Our children will dwell. When we are with our brothers.

בערי המבצר. שֶׁנִּבְנֶה עַכְשָׁו:

In fortified cities. Which we shall build now.

מעבר לירדן והלאה. בָּעֵבֶר הַמַּעֲרָבִי:

Across the Yardein and beyond. On the western bank.

כי באה נחלתנו. כְּבָר קִבַּלְנוּהָ בָּעֵבֶר הַמִּזְרָחִי:

For, our inheritance came to us. We have already received it, on the eastern bank.

לצנאכם. תֵּבָה זוֹ מִגִּזְרַת "צֹנֶה וַאֲלָפִים כֻּלָּם" (תהלים ח') שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ אָלֶ"ף מַפְסִיק בֵּין נוּ"ן לַצָּדִ"י, וְאָלֶ"ף שֶׁבָּא כָאן אַחַר הַנּוּ"ן בִּמְקוֹם הֵ"א שֶׁל צֹנֶה הוּא; מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַ' מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לָמַדְתִּי כֵן:

For your sheep. This word is conjugated from 'צֹנֶה', “all the sheep and cattle.” It does not have the “ אָלֶ"ף “ intervening between the “ נוּ"ן “ and “ צָדִ"י “ and the “ אָלֶ"ף “ which appears here after the “ נּוּ"ן “ is instead of the “ הֵ"א “ of צֹנֶה . I learned this from R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s commentary.

והיצא מפיכם תעשו. לְגָבוֹהַּ, שֶׁקִּבַּלְתֶּם עֲלֵיכֶם לַעֲבֹר לַמִּלְחָמָה עַד כִּבּוּשׁ וְחִלּוּק, שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה לֹא בִּקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם אֶלָּא "וְנִכְבְּשָׁה … וְאַחַר תָּשׁוּבוּ" וְהֵם קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם "עַד הִתְנַחֵל", הֲרֵי הוֹסִיפוּ לְהִתְעַכֵּב שֶׁבַע שֶׁחָלְקוּ, וְכֵן עָשׂוּ:

But what you have expressed verbally, you must fulfill. For the sake of Heaven, as you pledged to cross and do battle until the conquest and apportionment [of the land]. Moshe had only requested of them, “the land will be conquered, etc. and after you may return” but they pledged “until [Bnei Yisroel] have inherited” — so they added that they would remain for the seven years of apportionment, and they did so.

ויאמר בני גד. כֻּלָּם כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד:

The tribe of Gad said. All of them as one man.

ויצו להם. כְּמוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם, וְעַל תְּנָאָם מִנָּה אֶלְעָזָר וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, כְּמוֹ "ה' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם" (שמות י"ד):

[Moshe] commanded, to them. Like עֲלֵיהֶם, concerning them and their stipulation, he appointed Elozor and Yehoshua, as in “God will fight for you.”

ואתנו אחזת נחלתנו. כְּלוֹמַר בְּיָדֵינוּ וּבִרְשׁוּתֵנוּ תְהִי אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָתֵנוּ מֵעֵבֶר הַזֶּה:

And we shall [then] have our permanent inheritance. As if to say, ‘in our hands, in our possession, will be our hereditary territory on this side.’

ערי מבצר וגדרת צאן. זֶה סוֹף פָּסוּק מוּסָב עַל תְּחִלַּת הָעִנְיָן — וַיִּבְנוּ בְנֵי גָד אֶת הֶעָרִים הַלָּלוּ לִהְיוֹת עָרֵי מִבְצָר וְגִדְרֹת צֹאן:

Fortified cities and sheep pens. The end of this passage is related to the begning ofhe subject — “the sons of Gad built” these cities, to serve as fortified cities and sheep pens.

ואת נבו ואת בעל מעון מוסבת שם. נְבוֹ וּבַעַל מְעוֹן שְׁמוֹת עֲ"זָ הֵם, וְהָיוּ הָאֱמוֹרִיִּים קוֹרִים עָרֵיהֶם עַל שֵׁם עֲ"זָ שֶׁלָּהֶם, וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן הֵסֵבּוּ אֶת שְׁמָם לְשֵׁמוֹת אֲחֵרִים, וְזֶהוּ מוסבת שם — נְבוֹ וּבַעַל מְעוֹן מוּסַבּוֹת לְשֵׁם אַחֵר:

Nevo, Ba’al Me’on, their names having been changed. Nevo and Ba’al Meon were names of idols. The Emorites would name their cities after their idols, so the sons of Reuven changed their names in favor of other names. This is the meaning of “their names having been changed” — Nevo and Ba’al Me’on were turned aside in favor of a different name.

ואת שבמה. בָּנוּ שִׂבְמָה, וְהִיא שְׂבָם הָאֲמוּרָה לְמַעְלָה:

And Sivmah. They built Sivmah. This is Sevam mentioned above.

ויורש. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וְתָרִיךְ", שֶׁתֵּבַת ריש מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת שְׁתֵּי מַחֲלָקוֹת, לְשׁוֹן יְרֻשָּׁה וּלְשׁוֹן הוֹרָשָׁה שֶׁהוּא טֵרוּד וְתֵרוּךְ:

And drove out. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, וְתָרִיךְ, “and ousted,” for the word יָרֹשׁ may be used in two ways, to denote inheritance, or to denote ousting, meaning driving out, expelling.

חותיהם. כַּפְרָנֵיהוֹן:

Villages. כַּפְרְנֵיהוֹן, their villages.

ויקרא אתהן חות יאיר. לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ לוֹ בָנִים קְרָאַתָם בִּשְׁמוֹ לְזִכָּרוֹן:

And [he] called them Chavos Yair. Because he had no children, he called them by his name, as a memorial.

ויקרא לה נבח. "לָה" אֵינוֹ מַפִּיק הֵ"א, וְרָאִיתִי בִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַ' מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַיֵּם לָהּ שֵׁם זֶה לְפִיכָךְ הוּא רָפֶה, שֶׁמַּשְׁמָעוּת מִדְרָשׁוֹ כְּמוֹ לֹא; וּתְמֵהַנִי מַה יִּדְרֹשׁ בִּשְׁתֵּי תֵבוֹת הַדּוֹמוֹת לָהּ "וַיֹּאמֶר לָה בֹעַז" (רות ב'), "לִבְנוֹת לָה בַיִת" (זכריה ה'):

And [he] called it Novach. לָה does not have a dot in its ה . I saw in R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s commentary: Because this name did not endure, it is therefore silent, implying that it is to be expounded as לָא, “not” [Novach]. But I wonder how he (R’ Moshe) would expound two similar words, וַיֹאמֶר 'לָה' בֹעַז, “Boaz said to her,” לִבְנוֹת לָה בַיִת, “to build her a house.”