דברים, חמישי

פנו לכם צפנה. סֹבּוּ לָכֶם לְרוּחַ מִזְרָחִית, מִן הַדָּרוֹם לַצָּפוֹן, פְּנֵיכֶם לַצָּפוֹן, נִמְצְאוּ הוֹלְכִים אֶת רוּחַ הַמִּזְרָחִית וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים י"א) "וַיָבוֹאוּ (וַיָּבֹא) מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב":

Turn yourselves northward. Turn yourselves towards the eastern side [of Moav,] from south to north, your faces to the north. Thus they were travelling along the eastern side [of Moav]. This is what is said: “And they came from the east to the land of Moav.”

ונשמרתם מאד. וּמַהוּ הַשְּׁמִירָה? אל תתגרו בם:

You must be extremely cautious. And what is this caution — “Do not incite them.”

עד מדרך כף רגל. אֲפִלּוּ מִדְרַךְ כַּף רֶגֶל, כְּלוֹמַר אֲפִלּוּ דְּרִיסַת הָרֶגֶל אֵינִי מַרְשֶׁה לָכֶם לַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצָם שֶׁלֹּא בִרְשׁוּת. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא יוֹם דְּרִיסַת כַּף רֶגֶל עַל הַר הַזֵּיתִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה י"ד) "וְעָמְדוּ רַגְלָיו וְגוֹ'":

As much as [lit. until] a footstep. Even as much as a footstep, in other words, I do not permit you even as much as a footstep to pass through their land, unless they grant you permission. A Midrashic explanation: Until the day comes when there will be footsteps upon the Mount of Olives, as it is said, ‘And his feet shall stand etc.’

ירשה לעשו. מֵאַבְרָהָם, עֲשָׂרָה עֲמָמִים נָתַתִּי לוֹ, שִׁבְעָה לָכֶם וְקֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי וְקַדְמוֹנִי הֵן עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב וְשֵׂעִיר, אֶחָד מֵהֶם לְעֵשָׂו וְהַשְּׁנַיִם לִבְנֵי לוֹט, בִּשְׂכַר שֶׁהָלַךְ אִתּוֹ לְמִצְרַיִם וְשָׁתַק עַל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲחוֹתִי הִיא, עֲשָׂאוֹ כִּבְנוֹ (בראשית רבה נ"א):

Eisov’s inheritance. from Avrohom. I gave (promised) the land of ten nations to him; seven of which will be yours. The lands of the Kainites, Kenizzites and Kadmonites, which are actually Amon, Moav and Seir — One of them belongs to Eisov, And [the other] two to the children of Lot, as a reward for his going along with him [Avrohom] to Egypt and for remaining silent when they said regarding his wife [Soroh] that she was his sister. He [God] therefore treated him [Lot] like his son.

תכרו. לְשׁוֹן מֶקַח, וְכֵן "אֲשֶׁר כָּרִיתִי לִי" (בראשית נ'), שֶׁכֵּן בִּכְרַכֵּי הַיָּם קוֹרִין לִמְכִירָה כִּירָה (ראש השנה כ"ו):

You are to purchase. תִּכְרוּ is an expression indicating purchase. Similarly, ‘I have acquired for myself’; for in the cities on the sea-shore they refer to selling as כִּירָה .

כי ה' אלהיך ברכך. לְפִיכָךְ לֹא תִכְפּוּ אֶת טוֹבָתוֹ לְהַרְאוֹת כְּאִלּוּ אַתֶּם עֲנִיִּים, אֶלָּא הַרְאוּ עַצְמְכֶם עֲשִׁירִים:

For Adonoy your God has blessed you. Therefore do not show ingratitude by showing yourselves to be poor, but show yourselves to be rich.

ונפן ונעבר. לְצַד צָפוֹן הָפַכְנוּ פָנִים לַהֲלֹךְ רוּחַ מִזְרָחִית:

We turned and passed over. Northward. We turned our faces to travel along the eastern side.

ואל תתגר בם וגו'. לֹא אָסַר לָהֶם עַל מוֹאָב אֶלָּא מִלְחָמָה, אֲבָל מְיָרְאִים הָיוּ אוֹתָם, וְנִרְאִים לָהֶם כְּשֵׁהֶם מְזֻיָּנִים, לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב (במדבר כ"ב) "וַיָּגָר מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי הָעָם", שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹלְלִים וּבוֹזְזִים אוֹתָם; אֲבָל בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן נֶאֱמַר (פסוק י"ט) "וְאַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם" – שׁוּם גֵּרוּי, בִּשְׂכַר צְנִיעוּת אִמָּם, שֶׁלֹּא פִרְסְמָה עַל אָבִיהָ כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשְׂתָה הַבְּכִירָה שֶׁקָּרְאָה שֵׁם בְּנָהּ מוֹאָב (בבא קמא ל"ח):

Do not intimidate them [with war]. The only thing He forbid them regarding Moav was to engage them in war, but they were permitted to terrify them by appearing before them armed for war. That is why it is written: “And Moav was afraid of the people” because they [Yisroel] plundered and ransacked them. However regarding the people of Ammon, it is said, ”Do not intimidate them” in any way. They [Ammon] were rewarded for the modesty shown by their ancestress [Lot’s younger daughter] who did not publicize her father’s act as did his older daughter who named her son, Moav [from my father].

ער. שֵׁם הַמְּדִינָה:

Or. The name of the country.

האמים לפנים וגו'. אַתָּה סָבוּר שֶׁזּוֹ אֶרֶץ רְפָאִים שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם, לְפִי שֶׁהָאֵמִים שֶׁהֵם רְפָאִים יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ לְפָנִים, אֲבָל לֹא זוֹ הִיא, כִּי אוֹתָן רְפָאִים הוֹרַשְׁתִּי מִפְּנֵי בְנֵי לוֹט וְהוֹשַׁבְתִּים תַּחְתָּם:

The Eimim originally [lived there]. You might think this is the land of Rephaim that I gave to Avrohom because the Eimim who are [actually] Rephaim lived there originally, but this is not that [land] because those Rephaim I drove out in favor of Lot’s descendants, and settled them in their place.

רפאים יחשבו וגו'. רְפָאִים הָיוּ נֶחֱשָׁבִין אוֹתָם אֵמִים, כָּעֲנָקִים הַנִּקְרָאִים רְפָאִים, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁכָּל הָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם יָדָיו מִתְרַפּוֹת (בראשית רבה כ"ו):

They, too, were considered Rephaim. Those Eimin were considered Rephaim like the Anokim who were called Rephaim. They were called [Rephaim] because everyone who saw them — their hands became weak (רָפָה) [from fright].

אמים. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁאֵימָתָם מֻטֶּלֶת עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת (שם), וְכֵן בְּשֵׂעִיר יָשְׁבוּ הַחֹרִים וּנְתַתִּים לִבְנֵי עֵשָׂו:

Eimim. They were so called because the fear of them (אֵימָה) was inflicted upon the people. So too: “And in Seir lived the Chorim,” and I gave them into [the hands] of Eisov’s descendants.

יירשום. לָשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה, כְּלוֹמַר נָתַתִּי בָהֶם כֹּחַ שֶׁהָיוּ מוֹרִישִׁים אוֹתָם וְהוֹלְכִים:

Drove them out. This denotes constancy as if to say: I gave them the power to enable them to drive them out continuously.

היתה בם. לְמַהֵר וּלְהֻמָּם בְּתוֹךְ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִגְרְמוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם עוֹד לְהִתְעַכֵּב בַּמִּדְבָּר:

Attacked them. In order to rout them quickly within forty years time so as not to cause their children to be further delayed in the wilderness.

ויהי כאשר תמו וגו' וידבר ה' אלי וגו'. אֲבָל מִשִּׁלּוּחַ הַמְרַגְּלִים עַד כָּאן לֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶלָּא וַיֹּאמֶר, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל ל"ח שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נְזוּפִים, לֹא נִתְיַחֵד עִמּוֹ הַדִּבּוּר בִּלְשׁוֹן חִבָּה, פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים וְיִשּׁוּב הַדַּעַת – לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֵין הַשְּׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה עַל הַנְּבִיאִים אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל (מכילתא שמות י"ב):

When they had finished. Adonoy addressed me. However, from the time the spies were sent until now, the word וַיְדַבֵּר was not mentioned, only וַיֹּאמֶר, this was to teach that during the entire thirty-eight years that the Israelites were condemned, the דִּבּוּר [Divine] word was not uniquely with him as an expression of affection — face to face and with philosophic composure. This teaches that the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, rests on the prophets only for the sake of Yisroel.

אנשי המלחמה. מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה הַיּוֹצְאִים בַּצָּבָא:

The men of war. Those over twenty years old who were eligible to go to the Army.

אתה עבר היום את גבול מואב, וקרבת מול בני עמון. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֶרֶץ עַמּוֹן לְצַד צָפוֹן:

You are today crossing the border of Moav. When you approach [the area] facing the descendants of Ammon. From this we learn that the land of Ammon was north of Moav.

ארץ רפאים תחשב. אֶרֶץ רְפָאִים נֶחְשֶׁבֶת אַף הִיא, לְפִי שֶׁהָרְפָאִים יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ לְפָנִים, אֲבָל לֹא זוֹ הִיא שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם:

[It, too, is] considered a land of giants. It is also considered a land of giants because the giants lived there originally, but is still not the land that I gave to Avrohom.

והעוים הישבים בחצרים וגו'. עַוִּים מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים הֵם, שֶׁעִמָּהֶם הֵם נֶחֱשָׁבִים בְּסֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ג) "חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָעַזָּתִי וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי הַגִּתִּי וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִי וְהָעַוִּים", וּמִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע אַבְרָהָם לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא יָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹצִיא אַרְצָם מִיָּדָם, וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיהֶם כַּפְתּוֹרִים וְהִשְׁמִידוּם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם, וְעַכְשָׁיו אַתֶּם מֻתָּרִים לְקַחְתָּהּ מִיָּדָם (חולין ס'):

And the Avim who had been living in Chatzeirim. The Avim were of the Philistines, for they are included with them in the Book of Yehoshua, as it is said, “The five chiefs of the Philistines: the Azosi, the Ashdodi, the Ashkeloni the Giti, the Akroni, and the Avim.” However, because of the oath that Avrohom swore to Avimelech, the Bnei Yisroel could not take the land from their possession therefore I brought the Caftorim against them, and they destroyed them and settled there in their stead; and now you are permitted to take it [the land] from their possession.

תחת כל השמים. לִמֵּד שֶׁעָמְדָה חַמָּה לְמֹשֶׁה בְּיוֹם מִלְחֶמֶת עוֹג וְנוֹדַע הַדָּבָר תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם (עבודה זרה כ"ה):

Under the whole heaven. This teaches that the sun stood still for Moshe on the day of the war against Og, and [the victory] became known under the whole heaven.

ממדבר קדמות. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא צִוַּנִי הַמָּקוֹם לִקְרֹא לְסִיחוֹן לְשָׁלוֹם, לָמַדְתִּי מִמִּדְבַּר סִינַי – מִן הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁקָּדְמָה לָעוֹלָם – כְּשֶׁבָּא הַקָּבָּ"ה לִתְּנָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל חָזַר אוֹתָהּ עַל עֵשָׂו וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְגָלוּי לְפָנָיו שֶׁלֹּא יְקַבְּלוּהָ וְאַעַ"פִּ כֵן פָּתַח לָהֶם בְּשָׁלוֹם, אַף אֲנִי קִדַּמְתִּי אֶת סִיחוֹן בְּדִבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם; דָּ"אַ, ממדבר קדמות – מִמְּךָ לָמַדְתִּי, שֶׁקָּדַמְתָּ לָעוֹלָם, יָכוֹל הָיִיתָ לִשְׁלֹחַ בָּרָק אֶחָד וְלִשְֹרֹף אֶת הַמִּצְרִים, אֶלָּא שְׁלַחְתַּנִי מִן הַמִּדְבָּר אֶל פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר (שמות ה') "שַׁלַּח אֶת עַמִּי", בְּמִתּוּן (תנחומא):

From the wilderness of Kedeimos. Even though the Almighty did not command me to declare peace to Sichon, I learned to do so from [what happened] in the wilderness of Sinai, from [the giving of] the Torah which preceded קָּדְמָה [the creation of] the world. When the Holy One Blessed is He, came to give [the Torah to] Bnei Yisroel, He solicited Eisov and Yishmael about it [first]. It was certainly known to Him that they would not accept it but nevertheless He greeted them in peace. Similarly, I too approached Sichon with words of peace. Another explanation of “From the wilderness of Kedeimos”: From You I learned — [from You] Who existed before the creation of the world. You could have sent one bolt of lightning to burn up the Egyptians, but You sent me from the wilderness to go to Pharaoh to say to him gently, “Send My people.”

כאשר עשו לי בני עשו. לֹא לְעִנְיַן לַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצָם, אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן מֶכֶר אֹכֶל וּמַיִם:

As the descendants of Eisov did for me. This does not refer to [our] passing through their land but only regarding their selling food and water.

עד אשר אעבר את הירדן. מוּסָב עַל אֶעְבְּרָה בְאַרְצֶךָ:

Until I will have crossed the Yardein. This refers to the statement, “Let me pass through [your land].