Devarim 5730
Alef.
- 1.
- 1. The problem that the commentators are trying to resolve is the apparent disconnect between the account in BaMidbar of the experience of the Jews dealing with the kingdoms of Edom and Moav and Moshe’s representation of that experience when discussing Sichon’s response to his request to pass through his land, Cheshbon. Moshe states that Sichon did not respond favorably in contrast to Edom and Moav, but that does not appear to the be the case in the BaMidbar version.
- 2. The “Yesh Meforshim” cited by Ibn Ezra state that while these peoples were not particularly hospitable, at least they sold food and drink to the Jews. However, in Devarim, when justification is given why Moabite men should not be allowed to marry into the Jewish people even if they convert (they would be permitted to marry only other converts), it is because no food or drink was offered to the Jews.
- 3. Since with respect to the King of Edom, two requests were made, a) to remain on the roads, and b) to purchase, rather than simply appropriate food, and we see that the Edomite King refused to allow them to pass through his country, thereby eliminating a), the only possibility left is b), i.e., that he might have allowed his people to sell food to the Jews, even while not allowing them to actually enter his land.
- 4. BaMidbar 20:18 effectively eliminates the possibility that a positive answer was received re request a).
- 5. Ibn Ezra suggests that even if the King of Edom did not allow the Jews to travel through his land, he also did not prevent them from circumventing his land along the pre-established roads. This is in contrast to Sichon, who came out to fight the Jews, even when they were ready to comply not to enter his land.
- 6. Although in BaMidbar 20:14, Moshe sends messengers to the Edomite King, the response described in v. 18, 20 and 21 emanates from “Edom”, suggesting that the entire nation was turning down the request of the Jews. Ibn Ezra interprets that the King was representing the nation and therefore the term “Melech” was not repeated in the verses after v. 14.
- 7. The Edomite King could only regulate who enters into the territory that is officially defined as his kingdom. The boundaries of a kingdom are usually artificial, i.e., there is no inherent reason why a particular country starts in one place and stops at another. Nevertheless, once it is established where the boundaries are, the people of the state in question will see fit to protect its sovereignty and resist what they perceive as improper trespassing into their territory.
- 8. The “Rabbim” are going in a different direction. They are focusing not upon whether the Jews were allowed to pass by, even if they did not enter Edom, but rather the issue of food. While the Moabites are castigated for not offering food and drink in terms of hospitality, this does not mean, according to the “Rabbim”, that they did not sell food and drink to the Jews. In that case, Moshe was asking Sichon to do no more than what the Edomites and Moabites did, i.e., at least sell food and drink to the Jews, a request that Sichon duly refused.
- 9. It is a bit strange that when Moshe describes the wording of the message that he sent to Sichon in Devarim 2, in many of the verses, i.e., 27-9, he mentions the first person, as if it was he alone, rather than the entire people, who was requesting permission to pass through Cheshbon. And if you were to say that the first person singular really represented the entire people, then why in v. 30, does Moshe suddenly use the plural, “Ha’avreinu”? One would have to say that Moshe made the request very personal in terms of himself, perhaps in that way hoping to ease Sichon’s justification of giving permission. However, in the end it made no difference, perhaps because HaShem Manipulated Sichon’s decision-making, leading him to declare was and thereby lose his land to the Jews.Would Reuven, Gad and ½ Menashe have been better off had they not been tempted by Sichon’s lands to remain on the other side of the Jordan?
- 10. Although the “Vav” at the beginning of v. 30 suggests that this verse is a continuation of that which has come before, the message that Moshe sent to Sichon concludes at the end of v. 29, and therefore v. 30 is the beginning of a new thought, i.e., the result of Sichon’s receiving Moshe’s message. Consequently, RaLBaG thinks that the “Vav” is unnecessary.
- Beit.
- 1. Within the same topic the Tora allows for Edomi converts to be accepted for marriage with Jews, but not Moavi converts. Yet even if we say that the Edomites sold food and drink to the Jews, they still did not offer food and drink as signs of hospitality, the very thing for which the Moabites are being criticized! If the only difference is that Balak hired Bila’am to curse the Jews, why isn’t that the only reason given for why the Moabites are to be excluded?
רש"י דברים פרק ב
(כט) כאשר עשו לי בני עשו - לא לענין לעבור את ארצם אלא לענין מכר אוכל ומים:
דברים פרק כג
(ד) לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל יְקֹוָק גַּם דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי לֹא יָבֹא לָהֶם בִּקְהַל יְקֹוָק עַד עוֹלָם:
(ה) עַל דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדְּמוּ אֶתְכֶם בַּלֶּחֶם וּבַמַּיִם בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם וַאֲשֶׁר שָׂכַר עָלֶיךָ אֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר מִפְּתוֹר אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם לְקַלְלֶךָּ:
(ו) וְלֹא אָבָה יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לְּךָ אֶת הַקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה כִּי אֲהֵבְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ:
(ז) לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם וְטֹבָתָם כָּל יָמֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם: ס
(ח) לֹא תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי כִּי אָחִיךָ הוּא לֹא תְתַעֵב מִצְרִי כִּי גֵר הָיִיתָ בְאַרְצוֹ:
(ט) בָּנִים אֲשֶׁר יִוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם דּוֹר שְׁלִישִׁי יָבֹא לָהֶם בִּקְהַל יְקֹוָק: ס
- 2. Ibn Ezra claims that the praiseworthy aspect of Edom and Moav’s reactions to Moshe’s request for free passage, is that they permitted the Jews to take paths and roads that circumvented their countries, without coming out to do battle as Sichon apparently chose to do. However, one can wonder how praiseworthy such conduct is. It’s one thing to allow another people to pass through your territory. But if they are in “international” territory so to speak, what gives anyone the right to take umbrage, threaten war, and when no war is forthcoming, to insist that this should be considered a great kindness? (This is reminiscent of Avimelech’s comment to Yitzchak, after asking him to leave Gerar and his servants destroying Yitzchak’s water sources:
בראשית פרק כו
(כט) אִם תַּעֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ רָעָה כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא נְגַעֲנוּךָ וְכַאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂינוּ עִמְּךָ רַק טוֹב וַנְּשַׁלֵּחֲךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם אַתָּה עַתָּה בְּרוּךְ יְקֹוָק:
ר' חיים פלטיאל
(כט) וכאשר עשינו עמך רק טוב. זה משל הארי שיש לו עצם בגרונו ולא היה יכול להוציאו שנבלע לו עם הבשר והיה נוהם בקול גדול מצרת העצם עד שפגע בו העגור שיש לו צואר ארוך וא"ל הכניסי צוארך בתוך גרוני ותוציא העצם ואני אתן לך שכר גדול מיד הכניסה צוארה בגרון הארי והוציא את העצם ואז אמר העגור אל הארי תן לי שכרי כי הוצאתי את העצם מגרוניך וכעס הארי ואמר הרי כבר נתתי לך ואתה שואלה ממני ואמ' לו היכן הוא ואמר הרי נתתי לך שכר גדול שהכנסת צוארך בתוך גרוני ולא אכלתי אותך כי כן דרכי ומדתי לאכול ולטרוף הבהמות והחיות והעופות. וזהו כיוצא בו שאמר אבימלך ליצחק ונשלחך בשלום, כלומר אתה היית עם אנשים כמותינו ולא עשינו עמך רק טוב ולא עוד אלא ששלחנוך בשלום, אתה עתה ברוך ה' כמו כן כרות ברית עמנו ושלחנו מאתך בשלום כמו שעשינו לך שאתה ברוך, דוגמת בא ברוך השם ואנכי פיניתי הבית שאמר לבן לאליעזר. וכן עשה יצחק כדכתיב וישלחם יצחק וילכו מאתו בשלום.)
- 3. HaKetav VeHaKabbala understands Moshe’s presentation regarding his overtures to Sichon following his interactions with Edom and Moav to reflect the fact that even though the Jews did not attack Edom and Moav once they were denied permission to enter these lands, that did not mean that the same would occur should Sichon turn the Jews down as well. Sichon understood that the Jews were afraid and therefore ripe for defeat, and this was why he came out to attack them. In fact, Moshe was just being courteous when he proposed a peaceable resolution to passing through Sichon’s land. An additional variable is that the land on which Sichon resided was designated as land that Jews would eventually live on—Reuven, Gad and ½ Menashe (this presumes that this was all part of the Divine Plan rather than merely a test for these 2 ½ tribes to see the extent to which they were interested in living in Canaan proper) and therefore one way or the other Sichon would be defeated, as opposed to the lands of Edom and Moav which never were intended for Jewish settlement.
- 4.
ויקרא פרק ד
(כב) אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא וְעָשָׂה אַחַת מִכָּל מִצְוֹת יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהָיו אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵעָשֶׂינָה בִּשְׁגָגָה וְאָשֵׁם:
אבן עזרא
(כב) אשר נשיא יחטא הפוך, וכן הוא: אשר יחטא הנשיא, והוא דבק אשר למעלה ואם כל עדת ישראל (יג), כאילו אמר: ואם אשר יחטא הוא נשיא שבט, או נשיא בית אב:
דברים פרק יח
(כב) אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר הַנָּבִיא בְּשֵׁם יְקֹוָק וְלֹא יִהְיֶה הַדָּבָר וְלֹא יָבֹא הוּא הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא דִבְּרוֹ יְקֹוָק בְּזָדוֹן דִּבְּרוֹ הַנָּבִיא לֹא תָגוּר מִמֶּנּוּ: ס
רש"י דברים פרשת שפטים פרק יח פסוק כב
(כב) אשר ידבר הנביא - ויאמר דבר זה עתיד לבוא עליכם, ותראו שלא יבא, הוא הדבר אשר לא דברו ה' והרוג אותו. ואם תאמר זו במתנבא על העתידות, הרי שבא ואמר עשו כך וכך ומפי הקדוש ברוך הוא אני אומר, כבר נצטוו שאם בא להדיחך מאחת מכל המצות לא תשמע לו, אלא אם כן מומחה הוא לך שהוא צדיק גמור, כגון אליהו בהר הכרמל שהקריב בבמה בשעת איסור הבמות כדי לגדור את ישראל. הכל לפי צורך השעה וסייג הפרצה, לכך נאמר אליו תשמעון:
5.
| במדבר פרק כא (כא) וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל מַלְאָכִים אֶל סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי לֵאמֹר: (כב) אֶעְבְּרָה בְאַרְצֶךָ לֹא נִטֶּה בְּשָׂדֶה וּבְכֶרֶם לֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מֵי בְאֵר בְּדֶרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ נֵלֵךְ עַד אֲשֶׁר נַעֲבֹר גְּבֻלֶךָ: (כג) וְלֹא נָתַן סִיחֹן אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבֹר בִּגְבֻלוֹ וַיֶּאֱסֹף סִיחֹן אֶת כָּל עַמּוֹ וַיֵּצֵא לִקְרַאת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּדְבָּרָה וַיָּבֹא יָהְצָה וַיִּלָּחֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל: (כד) וַיַּכֵּהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפִי חָרֶב וַיִּירַשׁ אֶת אַרְצוֹ מֵאַרְנֹן עַד יַבֹּק עַד בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן כִּי עַז גְּבוּל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן: (כה) וַיִּקַּח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל עָרֵי הָאֱמֹרִי בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן וּבְכָל בְּנֹתֶיהָ: (כו) כִּי חֶשְׁבּוֹן עִיר סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי הִוא וְהוּא נִלְחַם בְּמֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב הָרִאשׁוֹן וַיִּקַּח אֶת כָּל אַרְצוֹ מִיָּדוֹ עַד אַרְנֹן: דברים ב (ל) וְלֹא אָבָה סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַעֲבִרֵנוּ בּוֹ כִּי הִקְשָׁה יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ אֶת רוּחוֹ וְאִמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבוֹ לְמַעַן תִּתּוֹ בְיָדְךָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: ס | במדבר פרק כ
אֱדוֹם כֹּה אָמַר אָחִיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת כָּל הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָתְנוּ: (טו) וַיֵּרְדוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ מִצְרַיְמָה וַנֵּשֶׁב בְּמִצְרַיִם יָמִים רַבִּים וַיָּרֵעוּ לָנוּ מִצְרַיִם וְלַאֲבֹתֵינוּ: (טז) וַנִּצְעַק אֶל יְקֹוָק וַיִּשְׁמַע קֹלֵנוּ וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָךְ וַיֹּצִאֵנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ בְקָדֵשׁ עִיר קְצֵה גְבוּלֶךָ: (יז) נַעְבְּרָה נָּא בְאַרְצֶךָ לֹא נַעֲבֹר בְּשָׂדֶה וּבְכֶרֶם וְלֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מֵי בְאֵר דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ נֵלֵךְ לֹא נִטֶּה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול עַד אֲשֶׁר נַעֲבֹר גְּבֻלֶךָ: (יח) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱדוֹם לֹא תַעֲבֹר בִּי פֶּן בַּחֶרֶב אֵצֵא לִקְרָאתֶךָ: (יט) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמְסִלָּה נַעֲלֶה וְאִם מֵימֶיךָ נִשְׁתֶּה אֲנִי וּמִקְנַי וְנָתַתִּי מִכְרָם רַק אֵין דָּבָר בְּרַגְלַי אֶעֱבֹרָה: (כ) וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תַעֲבֹר וַיֵּצֵא אֱדוֹם לִקְרָאתוֹ בְּעַם כָּבֵד וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה: (כא) וַיְמָאֵן אֱדוֹם נְתֹן אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבֹר בִּגְבֻלוֹ וַיֵּט יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלָיו: פ |
- In Devarim 2:22 there wasn’t the same phraseology that appeared in BaMidbar 20:19, the latter serving as an emphatic guarantee that the Jews would enter by force. Therefore Moshe never promised that the Jews would not enter Cheshbon by force if Sichon refused to give them safe passage. If in Devarim 2:30 it is stated that HaShem always Intended for Sichon to fight and lose, why did Moshe make a peace overture? According to HaKetav VeHaKabbala, the peace overture was not as far-reaching and absolute as the one offered to Edom and therefore Moshe, when offering peace, was not coming into conflict with God’s Plan to have Sichon fight and be defeated.
- 6. See above.
- 7. From what Balak, King of Moav states when planning to invite Bila’am to curse the Jews,
במדבר פרק כב
(ד) וַיֹּאמֶר מוֹאָב אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ הַקָּהָל אֶת כָּל סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ כִּלְחֹךְ הַשּׁוֹר אֵת יֶרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה וּבָלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִוא:
- it would appear that the Moabites were not going to permit the Jews to enter their land any time soon.
- Gimel.
- R. D.Z. Hoffmann appears to disconnect Devarim 2:29 from v. 27 and 28, i.e., the only relevant piece of information for Sichon is that Edom and Moav allowed the Jews to pass by freely on external roads and that’s all that Moshe is requesting for Sichon to agree to. The issue of food and drink as well as sticking to the roads within the countries might have been proposed by Moshe, but once these conditions were rejected, they no longer played a role in the negotiations with Sichon and were not on the table.
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