עקב, רביעי

בעת ההוא. לְסוֹף אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם נִתְרַצָּה לִי וְאָמַר לִי פסל לך, וְאַחַר כָּךְ ועשית לך ארון, וַאֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי אָרוֹן תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁכְּשֶׁאָבֹא וְהַלּוּחוֹת בְּיָדִי הֵיכָן אֶתְּנֵם? וְלֹא זֶה הוּא הָאָרוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה בְצַלְאֵל, שֶׁהֲרֵי מִשְׁכָּן לֹא נִתְעַסְּקוּ בוֹ עַד לְאַחַר יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כִּי בְּרִדְתּוֹ מִן הָהָר צִוָּה לָהֶם עַל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וּבְצַלְאֵל עָשָׂה מִשְׁכָּן תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָרוֹן וְכֵלִים, נִמְצָא זֶה אָרוֹן אַחֵר הָיָה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהָיָה יוֹצֵא עִמָּהֶם לַמִּלְחָמָה, וְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה בְצַלְאֵל לֹא יָצָא לַמִּלְחָמָה, אֶלָּא בִּימֵי עֵלִי, וְנֶעֶנְשׁוּ עָלָיו וְנִשְׁבָּה (תלמוד ירושלמי שקלים ו):

At that time. At the end of forty days, He granted me favor, and said, “Carve for yourself,” and, afterward, “Make for yourself an ark.” However, I made the ark first, for, when I arrive with the tablets in hand, where shall I place them? Now this is not the ark which Betzalel made, for they were not engaged with the Tabernacle until after Yom Kippur, since, it was only when he descended from the mountain that he instructed them concerning the construction of the Tabernacle. And Betzalel made the Tabernacle first, and afterward the ark and the vessels. Hence, this was a different ark; this one went with them when they waged war, while the one Betzalel made did not go to war, except in Eli’s time, when they were punished over it, and it was captured.

ובני ישראל נסעו מבארת בני יעקן מוסרה. מָה עִנְיָן זֶה לְכָאן? וְעוֹד, וְכִי מִבְּאֵרוֹת בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן נָסְעוּ לְמוֹסֵרָה, וַהֲלֹא מִמּוֹסֵרָה בָּאוּ לִבְנֵי יַעֲקָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּסְעוּ מִמֹּסֵרוֹת וְגוֹ'" (במדבר ל"ג), וְעוֹד, שָׁם מֵת אַהֲרֹן, וַהֲלֹא בְּהֹר הָהָר מֵת, צֵא וַחֲשֹׁב וְתִמְצָא שְׁמוֹנָה מַסָּעוֹת מִמּוֹסֵרוֹת לְהֹר הָהָר? אֶלָּא אַף זוֹ מִן הַתּוֹכֵחָה, וְעוֹד זֹאת עֲשִׂיתֶם, כְּשֶׁמֵּת אַהֲרֹן בְּהֹר הָהָר לְסוֹף אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְנִסְתַּלְּקוּ עַנְנֵי כָבוֹד, יְרֵאתֶם לָכֶם מִמִּלְחֶמֶת מֶלֶךְ עֲרָד, וּנְתַתֶּם רֹאשׁ לַחֲזֹר לְמִצְרַיִם וַחֲזַרְתֶּם לַאֲחוֹרֵיכֶם שְׁמוֹנָה מַסָּעוֹת עַד בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן, וּמִשָּׁם לְמוֹסֵרָה, שָׁם נִלְחֲמוּ בָּכֶם בְּנֵי לֵוִי וְהָרְגוּ מִכֶּם וְאַתֶּם מֵהֶם, עַד שֶׁהֶחֱזִירוּ אֶתְכֶם בְּדֶרֶךְ חֲזָרַתְכֶם, וּמִשָּׁם חֲזַרְתֶּם הַגֻּדְגֹּדָה הוּא חֹר הַגִּדְגָּד.

Bnei Yisroel travelled from Be’eiros Bnei Ya’akon to Moseiroh. Why is this relevant here? Furthermore, was it from Be’eiros Bnei Ya’akon that they travelled to Moseiroh? Was it not, rather, from Moseiroh that they came to Bnei Ya’akon, as it is said, “They travelled from Moseiros, etc.”? Also, “There Aharon died”? Was it not at Mount Hor that he died? Make a reckoning, and you will discover that there were eight journeys from Moseiros to Mount Hor. But, rather, this, too, is part of the reprimand. ‘In addition, you perpetrated this; When Aharon died at Mount Hor at the end of forty years, and the clouds of glory departed, you were afraid of war with the king of Arad, so you decided to return to Egypt. You turned back eight journeys, until Bnei Ya’akon, and from there to Moseiroh. There, the Levites fought with you. They killed some of you, and you some of them, until they brought you back along the route of your retreat. From there you returned to Goodgode, which is Chor Hagidgad.

ומן הגדגדה וגו'. וּבְמוֹסֵרָה עֲשִׂיתֶם אֵבֶל כָּבֵד עַל מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן שֶׁגָּרְמָה לָכֶם זֹאת, וְנִדְמָה לָכֶם כְּאִלּוּ מֵת שָׁם (תלמוד ירושלמי סוטה א'; מכילתא שמות ט"ו; תנחומא חקת); וְסָמַךְ מֹשֶׁה תּוֹכֵחָה זוֹ לְשִׁבּוּר הַלּוּחוֹת לוֹמַר שֶׁקָּשָׁה מִיתָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לִפְנֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה כַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּבְּרוּ בוֹ הַלּוּחוֹת, וּלְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שֶׁהֻקְשָׁה לוֹ מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ "נִתְּנָה רֹאשׁ" (במדבר י"ד) לִפְרֹשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ – כַּיּוֹם שֶׁעָשׂוּ בוֹ אֶת הָעֵגֶל (ויקרא רבה כ'):

And from Goodgode, etc. At Moseiroh, you expressed deep grief over the death of Aharon, which brought this upon you, so that it seemed to you as if he had died there. Moshe juxtaposed this reprimand with the shattering of the tablets to teach that the death of the righteous is as disagreeable before God, as the day when the tablets were shattered. Also, to inform you that He was as disturbed when they exclaimed, “Let us choose a leader” in order to turn away from Him as on the day that they made the [golden] calf.

בעת ההוא הבדיל ה' וגו'. מוּסָב לָעִנְיָן הָרִאשׁוֹן:

At that time, Adonoy separated, etc. This refers to the original subject.

בעת ההוא, בַּשָּׁנָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לְצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם, וּטְעִיתֶם בָּעֵגֶל וּבְנֵי לֵוִי לֹא טָעוּ, הִבְדִּילָם הַמָּקוֹם מִכֶּם; וְסָמַךְ מִקְרָא זֶה לַחֲזָרַת בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן לוֹמַר שֶׁאַף בְּזוֹ לֹא טָעוּ בָהּ בְּנֵי לֵוִי אֶלָּא עָמְדוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָתָם:

At that time. During the first year of your departure from Egypt, when you transgressed with the calf, and the Levites did not transgress, the Omnipresent separated them from you. This passage is juxtaposed with the retreat to Bnei Ya’akon to teach that, here as well, the Levites did not transgress, but remained steadfast in their faith.

לשאת את ארון. הַלְוִיִם:

To carry the ark. The Levites.

לעמד לפני ה' לשרתו ולברך בשמו. הַכֹּהֲנִים, וְהוּא נְשִׂיאַת כַּפַּיִם (ערכין י"א):

To stand before Adonoy to serve Him, and to bless in his Name. The kohanim. This refers to the lifting of the hands.

על כן לא היה ללוי חלק. לְפִי שֶׁהֻבְדְּלוּ לַעֲבוֹדַת מִזְבֵּחַ וְאֵינָן פְּנוּיִין לַחֲרֹשׁ וְלִזְרֹעַ:

This is why Levi had no share. Because they were separated for service at the altar, and do not have the opportunity for plowing and planting.

ה' הוא נחלתו. נוֹטֵל פְּרָס מְזֻמָּן מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ:

Adonoy is his heritage. He receives his allotted portion provided readily from the palace of the King.

ואנכי עמדתי בהר. לְקַבֵּל הַלּוּחוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת, וּלְפִי שֶׁלֹּא פֵּרֵשׁ לְמַעְלָה כַּמָּה עָמַד בָּהָר בַּעֲלִיָּה אַחֲרוֹנָה זוֹ, חָזַר וְהִתְחִיל בָּהּ:

And I remained on the mountain. To receive the last tablets. Because he did not specify above how long he remained on the mountain during this final ascent, he returns now and begins anew.

כימים הראשנים. שֶׁל לוּחוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, מַה הֵם בְּרָצוֹן אַף אֵלּוּ בְּרָצוֹן, אֲבָל הָאֶמְצָעִיִּים שֶׁעָמַדְתִּי שָׁם לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיכֶם הָיוּ בְכַעַס:

Like the first time. With the first tablets. Just as they were with favor, so were these with favor. However, the intermediate ones, when I remained there to pray for you, were with anger.

ויאמר ה' אלי וגו'. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁסַּרְתֶּם מֵאַחֲרָיו וּטְעִיתֶם בָּעֵגֶל, אָמַר לִי לֵךְ נְחֵה אֶת הָעָם (שמות ל"ב):

And Adonoy said to me. Although you turned away from Him and sinned with the calf, He said to me, “Go, lead the people.”