במדבר ל״ג:א׳-ל״ט

אלה מסעי. לָמָּה נִכְתְּבוּ הַמַּסָּעוֹת הַלָּלוּ? לְהוֹדִיעַ חֲסָדָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם, שֶׁאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁגָּזַר עֲלֵיהֶם לְטַלְטְלַם וְלַהֲנִיעָם בַּמִּדְבָּר, לֹא תֹאמַר שֶׁהָיוּ נָעִים וּמְטֻלְטָלִים מִמַּסָּע לְמַסָּע כָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא הָיְתָה לָהֶם מְנוּחָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין כָּאן אֶלָּא אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם מַסָּעוֹת, צֵא מֵהֶם י"ד שֶׁכֻּלָּם הָיוּ בְּשָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה קֹדֶם גְּזֵרָה, מִשֶּׁנָּסְעוּ מֵרַעְמְסֵס עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ לְרִתְמָה שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִשְׁתַּלְּחוּ מְרַגְּלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאַחַר נָסְעוּ הָעָם מֵחֲצֵרוֹת" וְגוֹ' (במדבר י"ב), "שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים" וְגוֹ' (שם י"ג), וְכָאן (פסוק י"ח) הוּא אוֹמֵר "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵחֲצֵרֹת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּרִתְמָה", לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁהִיא בְמִדְבַּר פָּארָן; וְעוֹד הוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם ח' מַסָּעוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ לְאַחַר מִיתַת אַהֲרֹן — מֵהֹר הָהָר עַד עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב — בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים, נִמְצָא שֶׁכָּל שְׁמוֹנֶה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה לֹא נָסְעוּ אֶלָּא עֶשְׂרִים מַסָּעוֹת, זֶה מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה. וְרַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא דָרַשׁ בּוֹ דְּרָשָׁה אַחֶרֶת: מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה בְנוֹ חוֹלֶה וְהוֹלִיכוֹ לְמָקוֹם רָחוֹק לְרַפֹּאתוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹזְרִין הִתְחִיל אָבִיו מוֹנֶה כָל הַמַּסָּעוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ, כָּאן יָשַׁנְנוּ, כָּאן הוֹקַרְנוּ, כָּאן חָשַׁשְׁתָּ אֶת רֹאשְׁךָ וְכוּ':

These are the journeys. Why were these journeys recorded? To make the Omnipresent’s benevolence known. For, although He decreed to move them about and cause them to wander in the wilderness, do not say that they wandered and were moved about from journey to journey all forty years, and had no rest — for there are only forty two journeys here. Subtract fourteen, all of which took place during the first year, before the decree, from their journey from Ra’meses until they reached Rismah, from where the spies were dispatched, as it is said, “after, the people journeyed from Chatzeros, etc. Send, for yourself, men, etc.,” and here it says, “they journeyed from Chatzeros and camped at Rismah,” you learn that it was in the desert of Paran. Exclude, further, from there, eight journeys which took place after Aharon’s death, from Mount Hor to the plains of Moav, during the fortieth year, it is found that throughout the thirty eight years, they took only twenty journeys. This is from R’ Moshe [Hadarshan]’s commentary. R’ Tanchuma expounds the matter differently: This is compared to a king whose son was ill, and he brought him to a distant place for treatment. When they returned, the father began enumerating all the journeys. He said to him, ”Here, we slept; here, we were chilled; here, your head ached, etc.’

ומצרים מקברים. טְרוּדִים בְּאֶבְלָם:

Egypt was burying. They were preoccupied with their grief.

ויחנו ברתמה. עַל שֵׁם לָשׁוֹן הָרָע שֶׁל מְרַגְּלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "מַה יִּתֵּן לְךָ וּמַה יֹּסִיף לָךְ לָשׁוֹן רְמִיָּה חִצֵּי גִבּוֹר שְׁנוּנִים עִם גַּחֲלֵי רְתָמִים" (תהלים ק"כ):

And camped in Rismoh. So named after the spies’ slander, as it is said, “what will He (God) give you, and what more will He add for you, O deceitful tongue? Sharpened warrior’s arrows, with smoldering coals.”

על פי ה'. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמֵּת בִּנְשִׁיקָה:

By the word [lit. mouth] of Adonoy. This teaches that he died by the Divine kiss.