These are the stages of the children of Israel, by which they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
verse value 3324 — אֵ֜לֶּה = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֜לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֜לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·Israel" (בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל, 8 letters). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of·Israel" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "in·charge·of·Moses" (root משה, 217x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'troop·by·troop', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֵ֜לֶּה [these] (36) + מַסְעֵ֣י [marches·of] (180) + בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל [sons·of·Israel] (603) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + יָצְא֛וּ [they·started·out] (107) + מֵאֶ֥רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + מִצְרַ֖יִם [Egypt] (380) + לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם [troop·by·troop] (563) + בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה [in·charge·of·Moses] (361) + וְאַהֲרֹֽן [and·Aaron] (262) = 3324.
Onkelos
These are the journeys of the children of Israel who went out from the land of Egypt, by their hosts, under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Rashi
אלה מסעי THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS (STAGES) [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — Why are these stations recorded here? In order to make known the loving acts of the Omnipresent: that although He had decreed against them to make them move about and wander in the wilderness, you should not think that they wandered and moved about without cessation from one station to another station all the forty years, and that they had no rest, for you see that there are here only forty-two stages. Deduct from them fourteen, all of which were their stopping places in the first year after they left Egypt, before the decree was made, viz., from the time when they journeyed from Rameses until when they came to Rithmah whence the spies were sent out — as it is said. (Numbers 12:16): “And afterwards the people journeyed from Hazeroth, [and encamped in the wilderness of Paran], whereupon the Lord said unto Moses, (Numbers 13:2) "Send thee men [who may search out the land]”; and here (v. 18) it states, “and they journeyed from Hazeroth and they encamped in Rithmah”, so you learn that it (Rithmah) is in the wilderness of Paran. — Further deduct from them the eight stages which were after Aaron’s death viz., those from Mount Hor to the plains of Moab in the fourtieth year (v. 38). It follows that during the whole of the thirty eight years they made only twenty journeys. This is excerpted from the work of R. Moses the Preacher. — R. Tanchuma gave another explanation of it (of the question why these stages are here recorded). A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king whose son was ill and whom he took to a distant place to cure him. When they returned home the father began to enumerate all the stages, saying to him, “Here we slept, here we caught cold, here you had the head-ache, etc.” (Midrash Tanchuma 4:10:3.
Ramban
THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS. After the vengeance [executed] upon Midian, concerning which the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses, afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people, and after Moses had apportioned the land of Sihon and Og [to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Menasheh] and they had built the [previously] mentioned cities, he set his mind to write down [the various stages of] the journeyings [in the desert]. His intention in so doing was to inform [future generations] of the loving kindnesses of the Holy One, blessed be He, towards them, for even though He had decreed upon them that they had to move about and wander around in the wilderness, you should not think that they were continually wandering and moving around from place to place without any rest; for throughout all this long [period of] time they only went on forty-two journeys as the Rabbi — Rashi — wrote, [citing] the words of Rabbi Moshe the Preacher. And the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] added in the Moreh Nebuchim another [explanation as to the] benefit [that we derive] from knowledge [of these stages], saying: “There was a very great necessity in mentioning the [stages of the] journeyings. For [although] the miracles and wonders that were done were [recognized as] true ones by all who saw them, in later times these events would be matters of hearsay, and those who hear about them [then] might deny them altogether. Now among the greatest miracles and wonders [related] in the Torah is Israel’s survival in the wilderness for forty years, and finding the manna every day, although these places [where they stayed] are very far from cultivated settlements, and are not natural habitat for human beings, not being a place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates, and the Torah states, Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink. All these [matters] are signs of events of a miraculous nature which were seen by [the human] eye. But the Creator blessed be He, knew that these wonders will be subject to the process which occurs to [all] historical events — that those who hear them will not believe them; and they will think [about these events] that the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness was [in a place] near the cultivated settlement, where people can live there, such as the deserts in which the Arabs live today, or [that they stayed in] places where there was plowing and harvesting, or where there were grasses and plants suitable for human consumption, and that there were wells of water in those places. Therefore in order to remove from people’s hearts all such thoughts, and to firmly establish [the truth of] all these miracles, [He recorded] as a [permanent] memorial the [stages of their] journeyings [in the wilderness], so that the future generations would see them and acknowledge the great wonders [entailed] in keeping people alive in such places for forty years.” All these are his words [i.e., the words of Rabbi Moshe ben ...
Ibn Ezra
"These are the journeys." Since the Israelites encamped in the plains of Moab and remained there for months, until they built the towns mentioned, and did not depart from there except after Aaron's death — Moses wrote down all the stages.
Sforno
אלה מסעי, G’d wanted all the journeys to be recorded in order to compliment the Jewish people who had followed him blindly through the desert where nothing grew, so that as a reward for their faith they would deserve to enter and inherit the land of Israel.
Or HaChaim
אלה מסעי בני ישראל, These are the journeys of the children of Israel, etc. We have been told in Bereshit Rabbah 12,3 that the expression אלה is used to separate what follows from something negative which had preceded it, [such as the Tohu Vavohu prior to the story of creation, and Genesis 2,4. Ed.] whereas the expression ואלה establishes a link with what preceded it. It is difficult to see in which way the journeys the Torah tells us about here are supposed to separate from a negative experience which has been described previously. Perhaps the Torah meant to draw a line of distinction between all journeys which occurred in human history, even those which have not been recorded on the one hand, and those of the Jewish people in their Exodus from Egypt on their way to the Holy Land on the other hand. This would be an acceptable reason for writing אלה if these journeys had all been a record of positive achievements. Alas, they were not, far from it! After all, most of these journeys were caused by the sins of the spies! Even a number of the journeys which occurred before the sin of the spies were due to negative rather than positive considerations such as G'd leading the Israelites on detours skirting the land of the Philistines in order to prevent a premature confrontation with the Philistines and possible tragic results (compare Exodus 13,17). G'd had been afraid that the Israelites might appoint an alternate leader and head back to Egypt rather than face the hostile Philistines. Clearly then "journeys" had been related to potentially negative experiences long before the incident with the spies. We also have the following comment in Yalkut Shimoni Yitro item 273: "Proverbs 3,17 describing Torah as כל נתיבותיה שלום, 'all her paths are peace,' is a reference to the time of the Exodus when G'd wanted to give the Torah to the Jewish people immediately." This proved impossible as the people were constantly divided, a section wanting to return to Egypt. The Midrash lists the various places where the Israelites rested on their way to the desert of Sinai as constant sources of strife and discontent. All of this is proof that the journeys of the Jewish people were nothing to be proud of and why would the Torah review them here by introducing them with the word אלה? Perhaps we have to divide these various journeys into two groups. 1) The journeys during the first year plus, prior to the decree that the people over twenty would die in the desert as a result of their supporting the majority report of the spies, and 2) the journeys undertaken as a result of that decree. G'd had never meant for the people to undertake these latter journeys at all had they not proven so quarrelsome during the journeys of the first year plus. These earlier journeys were far worse than the ones who served a positive purpose after the decree due to the debacle with the spies. The word אלה in our verse is meant to draw a dividing line between the negative aspects of the unnecessa...
Chizkuni
אלה מסעי, “these were the journeys, etc.;” whenever a paragraph commences with the word: אלה the reason is to tell the reader that what follows is not connected to what was written previously. What this means here in practical terms is that only the journeys listed from here on in, but not עטרות and דבון, of which the Torah wrote in Numbers 32,3 and the locations mentioned there, are included in what follows.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ראשית חכמה קנה חכמה ובכל קניניך קנה בינה, “The beginning of wisdom is: ‘acquire wisdom!’ With all your acquisitions acquire insight.” (Proverbs 4,7) In this verse Solomon taught the people that the first kind of wisdom they are to acquire is the wisdom dispensed by the Torah. This is the meaning of ראשית חכמה in the verse we quoted. Once a person has acquired this wisdom he also needs to acquire insight, discernment, in order for him to understand the connection between different phenomena. Wisdom is always totally incomplete unless accompanied by a measure of such ability to discern relationships. Seeing that the attribute (or emanation) בינה insight, discernment, is so crucial, Solomon advises a person to spend his entire fortune in his search to acquire בינה. The words: “with all your acquisitions acquire insight,” mean that “even if you have to spend all your money in order to acquire this attribute, do so, for true wealth is בינה, not money.” Wisdom is also portrayed as shouting (to its owner) (Proverbs 8,18) “riches and honor belong to me, enduring wealth and success. Solomon was forced to inform us here that the first and foremost requirement for his נפש, personality, is the acquisition of Torah knowledge before learning any other disciplines. If he were to acquire other kinds of knowledge first, these are apt to turn his heart away from true wisdom and implant in his mind worthless ideas. However, if a person studies Torah first and makes it the mainstay of his outlook in life he is then permitted to study other disciplines, sciences, etc., seeing that if he has built a sound base of Torah knowledge for himself he is not liable to be corrupted by the philosophically negative elements which are part of other disciplines. Torah knowledge will always remain “floating” on top just as does purified silver. This is also what David had in mind when he described G’d’s words as pure, i.e. just “like refined silver purged in an earthen crucible, refined sevenfold,” not containing any dross (Psalms 12,7). The meaning of that verse in Psalms is that although all disciplines (wisdom) are comparable to silver [when compared to ignorance, Ed.], Torah wisdom is like silver which has been refined seven times over. All other wisdom contains elements comparable to dross, impurities, which have a tendency to invalidate that wisdom. Our Torah, by contrast, will not lead man to sustain losses either in money or through misleading him philosophically. When Solomon demands that Torah must be the first subject studied, he means that unless one learns about the meaning and purpose of miracles one may fall victim to the theory that nature preceded the Lawgiver chronologically, that the universe was not created by Hashem. The reason that in Hebrew nature is known as טבע is that if one delves into the study of nature before having studied Torah such study is liable to swallow a person, he will “sink into a morass,” just as people who are drowned by the sea, טובעו, were drowned, because they had not learned to swim first. A person who has studied Torah and early Jewish history summarized in the Torah knows that in addition to “nature” and natural laws, the Creator Who is totally free has demonstrated on many occasions that He is the master of what we call “laws of nature” by temporarily suspending these so-called eternal laws and thus demonstrating that it must have been He who had created and formulated them in the first place. Scientists, i.e. people who study nature, believe only the evidence of their eyes. When they read about the miracles which the Torah records they assume that the desert through which the Israelites marched must have been a very benign strip of land, capable of producing crops, etc., etc. They totally deny what the Torah describes as “this great and terrible wilderness inhabited by fierce serpents, etc., etc., through which the Lord your G’d has led you” (Deut. 8,15). The point made by the Torah is precisely hat the deserts through which the Israelites marched was even more hostile to human habitat than regular deserts. This is why the Torah stresses beyond doubt “it was not a place where one could sow or expect to plant fruit-bearing trees such as figs, pomegranates, etc.” There were no wells. The prophet Jeremiah testifies that even by his time, 1000 years later, that region had not been one in which people set foot voluntarily. The experience of the Jewish people therefore was by itself so miraculous that unless we study it before we study general subjects we would not appreciate the greatness of G’d and His works. This explains why the Torah took pains in our portion to list so many details of the places where the Israelites stopped in their trek through this inhospitable country. That information contained many valuable lessons both for the nations of that period and for us the descendants of the generation which experienced the Exodus and the wanderings through the desert on the way to the Holy Land. אלה מסעי בני ישראל אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים לצבאותם ביד משה ואהרן, “These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, who went forth from Egypt according to their hosts, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.”
Kli Yakar
These are the journeys of the Children of Israel. Since Moses said earlier to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, and He made them wander in the desert for forty years, one might think that they were wandering and moving like one lying at the head of a rope, not resting or settling down for all forty years. Therefore, it says These are the journeys to tell you that in forty years, He only moved them forty-two times. This explains why it says These are the journeys and not “These are the encampments where they camped” in the way that it is said they traveled and they camped. Rather, it comes to explain the statement and He made them wander in the desert, for the wandering refers to the journeys. And the reason for recounting all the journeys, Rashi wrote, is to make known the kindnesses of the Omnipresent, etc. And the Rav HaMoroh [Maimonides] gave another reason. Similarly, in Abarbanel, several reasons are given, and it is not necessary to elaborate on them.
Tur HaArokh
אלה מסעי, “these are the journeys, etc.” Rashi comments that the reason the Torah details all the various journeys of the Israelites here is to illustrate the innumerable acts of kindness performed by Hashem for the people. It is a testimony to the fact that in spite of having decreed death in the desert for the generation that had participated in the Exodus, they were not wandering aimlessly for 40 years but were constantly under His benevolent supervision. Nachmanides adds a further element and writes that the detailed report here is designed to negate the claim of people who feel that the story of the Israelites surviving for 40 years in a desert devoid of the barest essentials for survival is beyond belief, and these people diminish the experience by claiming that surely the Israelites were only at the edge of the desert all that time and had easy access to regions that were inhabited and civilised. By tracing the movements of the people, such assumptions by latter-day historians, real or so-called, are laid to rest by the Torah. Anyone tracing the route of the Israelites will not find even a hint at ruins of previous human habitation. The miraculous nature of the entire experience every step of the way is preserved in the minds of our people when we read these lines.
Rashbam
אלה מסעי, the Torah reviews all the journeys in order to list all the locations were they camped.
And Moses wrote their goings forth, stage by stage, by the commandment of Hashem; and these are their stages at their goings forth.
verse value 2336 — יְהֹוָ֑ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Moses" (מֹשֶׁ֜ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·starting·points" (אֶת־מוֹצָאֵיהֶ֛ם, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·he·recorded" (וַיִּכְתֹּ֨ב), "their·starting·points" (אֶת־מוֹצָאֵיהֶ֛ם), "their·marches" (מַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם). The root מוצא appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "Moses" (root משה, 217x in Numbers); "and·these" (root אלה, 76x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּכְתֹּ֨ב [and·he·recorded] (438) + מֹשֶׁ֜ה [Moses] (345) + אֶת־מוֹצָאֵיהֶ֛ם [their·starting·points] (593) + לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם [by·their·marches] (255) + עַל־פִּ֣י [by·command·of] (190) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְאֵ֥לֶּה [and·these] (42) + מַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם [their·marches] (225) + לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶֽם [by·their·starting·points] (222) = 2336.
Onkelos
Moses recorded their departures according to their journeys, by the Word of Hashem; and these are their journeys according to their departures.
Ibn Ezra
"Their goings out" — how they traveled from place to place; therefore it says afterward "according to their journeys." "By the command of Hashem" is connected with "according to their journeys."
Sforno
ויכתוב משה, he wrote down the name of the places towards which they were setting out, as well as the name of the places from which they had started that particular journey. [this unusual sequence would justify the Torah mentioning first מסעיהם before מוצאיהם at the end of our verse. Ed.] The reason why we find sometimes the objective mentioned first and other times the place of departure, is due to the fact that sometimes the people were glad to get away from a certain place where unpleasantness had occurred, whereas other times they were merely glad to arrive at a new destination hoping for a pleasant stay in their new encampment. One of the most vexing aspects of all these journeys was that the new objective had never been announced beforehand, so that the people were always in the dark about what the next day would bring. In spite of all these uncertainties they never refused to follow the cloud and break camp at a moment’s notice when required. The reason that both the breaking of camp and the making of camp are mentioned separately is because both entailed a considerable amount of discomfort.
Or HaChaim
ויכתב משה את מוצאיהם, Moses recorded their departures, etc. What precisely did the Torah want to teach us with this verse? We did not need to be told that it was Moses who recorded this as Moses recorded the entire Torah and the journeys are part of the Torah. Besides, the Torah ought to have written that Moses recorded את מסעיהם, "their journeys." What was the point in recording their "departures?" Furthermore, what is the meaning of the words ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם "and these are their journeys according to their departures?" Why did the Torah change the order in which it mentioned departures from מוצאיהם למסעיהם, to מסעיהם למוצאיהם? It appears that the Torah wanted to inform us that Moses did not record all these journeys on a single day, but that he recorded them as and when they occurred. He commenced recording when he had received instructions to make the Israelites depart from Egypt. He wrote in his booklet the date on which the Israelites departed from Raamses up until the word שפטים at the end of verse 4. Once the Israelites made camp at Sukkot, Moses wrote verse 5. When the Israelites made camp at Eytan, Moses wrote what had transpired as verse 6. In this manner Moses recorded each and every journey as it occurred until the people arrived at ערבות מואב. At that point G'd told Moses to include these private notes he had made in the Torah in the order in which he had previously recorded it. This is what was meant by: "Moses recorded their departures, i.e. starting from the day the Israelites departed from Egypt. This referred to the two lines from "they journeyed from Raamses until the word שפטים." When the Torah speaks of למסעיהם it refers to Moses listing all the Israelites' journeys from the day they left Egypt until the end of all their journeys. It adds the words על פי השם, "at G'd's command," to inform us that the very first recording already was at the command of G'd, i.e. that G'd had told Moses to record and to keep recording. When the Torah repeats ואלה מטעיהם, "and these are their journeys," this means that these are the journeys which G'd commanded Moses to record למוצאיהם, as and when they occurred, i.e. every time the Israelites broke camp. What the Torah describes in our chapter is a copy of all the notations made by Moses throughout all these years.
Chizkuni
את מוצאיהם למסעיהם על פי ה,, “their departures and their journeys to the next locations at the direct command from the Lord;” This has already been spelled out in Numbers 9,20. (B’chor shor) [At that point it had been an instruction, but had not yet been carried out. Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
למסעיהם על פי ה', “according to their journeys at the command of Hashem.” The Torah states: 1) the journeys themselves were all at the command of G’d; 2) Moses recorded them all at the express command of G’d. The purpose of these records was what we discussed already in our introduction. There was an additional purpose, namely to demonstrate the many acts of loving kindness performed by Hashem, who, though He had decreed that they were to travel through the desert (although alternate routes were available) did not subject them to the discomforts associated with travel through such inhospitable country. Moreover, by having listed all the places where the Israelites camped, we realise that the people did not move around in the desert constantly, like someone escaping from a pursuer, but that during the entire 40 years (counting from the crossing of the sea until the death of Moses) there were actually fewer than 40 stops, so that they usually could stay put in a camp for more than a year at a time. A careful analysis shows that 14 of the total of 42 stops were made during the first year of their journeying. Eight more stops are recorded after the death of Aaron which occurred in the 40th year, so that during the 38 years after the sin of the spies until the death of Aaron there were only 20 stops. According to our tradition the “many years” which the Israelites are reported as having remained stationary in Kadesh (Deut. 1,15) were equivalent to the total of the years they journeyed from there, i.e. 19 years. This effectively reduces the period of wanderings or journeying to 19 years during which they broke camp 19 times. There was clearly no human planning at work in the strategy governing these journeys, why else would the Torah describe that sometimes the people would stay in one place for only a single night (Numbers 9,21)? The people never knew for how long the cloud would remain stationary signaling that they were to remain in their present location. All their journeys were determined by G’d’s strategy, not their own or that of Moses. We may illustrate the matter by means of a parable. A king had a sick child. He took that child from one place to another to find a cure for him. After the father returned from these exhausting trips and the child had been cured, he would remind himself and the child of what happened at each location that he and his sick child had stopped on the way. He would remind his son: ”here we were freezing cold;” “here we were resting comfortably,” “here you suffered from a headache,” etc., etc. There is a third purpose in the Torah recording all these details which appear irrelevant to us the reader of these lines three millennia afterwards. Every journey was triggered by certain events or certain tendencies displayed by the people at that location. This is the reason the Torah does not merely give us the number of the way stations but names each one of them. [Clearly most of these places being in the middle of the desert had not been named before and only were so named after the Israelites had stopped there to commemorate this. Ed.] If the reason that G’d decided to move the people from one location to another was because they had conducted themselves properly, then the name of the location at which they arrived next reflected this, such as ויחנו בהר שפר (verse 23). If the reason G’d made them break camp was because the people had misbehaved, the place where they encamped reflected this, such as ויחנו בחרדה, a name reflecting fear, disquiet. When the name of the place suggests something pleasant, positive, it means that the move had been orchestrated by the attribute of Mercy, whereas if the name of the place suggests a negative connotation this reflects the fact that the attribute of Justice had orchestrated that particular journey. Concerning this matter the sages in the Jerusalem Talmud said that when the Israelites had been complaining about their fate, the watchmen surrounding the camp would tremble all night long. This teaches that the different attributes of G’d were very much in evidence, and that the moods of the people kept on changing. This is what Solomon spoke of in Song of Songs 3,8: “to protect him from the fear during the nights.” He meant that the Israelites were afraid of the attribute of Justice. Still another purpose of the Torah providing us with all these details about the Israelites’ journeying is that it contains allusions to the future. All the predictions of our prophets concerning the redemption of the future clearly indicate that this redemption will largely reflect earlier redemptions. The more we know about the redemption from Egypt, etc., the better we can picture how the redemption of the future will develop. Just as when the Israelites departed from Egypt they marched into the desert, so in the final redemption many Jews would also march into the desert on their way to their home and this is what the prophet Ezekiel 20,34-35 spoke about when he quoted G’d as saying: “I shall take you out from the nations, and gather you from the lands into which you were scattered....and I will bring you to the wilderness of the nations.” In our verse there is an allusion to this as the word מוצאיהם, “the place from which they set out,” is repeated. Ezekiel speaks of the final redemption and means that in the interval between the Israelites leaving lands in which they sojourned as exiles, the Lord will guide them and provide for them as He had done after the Exodus from Egypt. The apparently redundant repetition of the words ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם are an allusion to the way the redemption of the future will materialise. Seeing the paragraph had commenced with אלה מסעי, the Torah employs the same syntax when alluding to the journeys in the future. The conjunctive letter ו at the beginning of the words ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם indicates that these words refer to journeys in the future. A Midrashic approach based on Tanchuma Massey 3: Why were all these journeys spelled out in the Torah? It was a reward for these parts of the earth which willingly accepted the people of Israel on their soil. This region, though it had always been barren, etc., will flourish in the future after the final redemption of the Jewish people as we know from Isaiah 35,1-2: “the arid desert shall be glad, the wilderness shall rejoice and shall blossom like a rose. It shall blossom abundantly, it shall also exult and shout. It shall receive the glory of Lebanon, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon. They shall behold the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our G’d.” If the desert will receive so much reward for merely tolerating the Jewish people on its surface, how much more will he be rewarded who welcomes Torah scholars into his home. You find that whereas on the one hand some deserts will be transformed into habitable regions, there are regions which were always habitable and will be made into desolate, arid land. This is the meaning of Malachi 1,3: “I have hated Esau; I have made his hills a desolation, his territory a home for beasts of the desert.” Isaiah 41,18 says specifically that the desert will become a pool of water. You know that nowadays there are no trees to be found in the desert. In the future trees will grow there. We have this on the authority of Isaiah 41,19: “I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias and myrtles and oleasters; I will set cypresses in the desert, box trees and elms as well.” Whereas nowadays people are fearful to travel through these regions, in due course “I will make a path through the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43,19).
Kli Yakar
And Moses wrote their departures for their journeys according to the command of the Lord. And afterward he reversed the order, [saying] these are their journeys for their departures, and it does not say “according to the command of the Lord.” I will explain this in three ways. The first is that in some journeys they went forward and in some they turned backward. For at first, they turned back and encamped before Pi-hahiroth (Exodus 14:2). Rashi explained that they went backwards towards Egypt. And likewise, in Deuteronomy (2:1) it is written And we turned and traveled to the wilderness, Rashi explained that because they misbehaved, they turned toward the wilderness. And similarly in Parashat Eikev (Deuteronomy 10:6), from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah, they went back eight journeys. It turns out that most of the journeys in which they went forward and not backward, which were according to the command of the Lord, are called their departures for their journeys, because they turned their faces away from the place they had left, which is called their departures, and their faces were toward their journeys which were ahead of them. But when they turned backward because they had misbehaved through sin, it was not according to the command of the Lord, and this is called their journeys for their departures because they returned and traveled to the place they had left, which is called their departures, as they turned their faces toward Egypt. The second interpretation is when we examine why it says They journeyed from Rameses without mentioning the children of Israel, and then later repeats The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses. Furthermore, it is written here On the day after the Passover, the children of Israel left, while elsewhere it states (Deuteronomy 16:1) The Lord brought you out of Egypt at night. The explanation must be that the mixed multitude [erev rav] fled during the night, and about them it says (Exodus 14:5) And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled. It doesn’t say “a fugitive fled” but rather fled, indicating they fled immediately upon leaving. This would not be accurate regarding Israel, as they left with a high hand [openly and triumphantly]. Rather, it must be that the king was told about the mixed multitude, who are called the people. But Israel went during the day with a high hand. So when it says They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, it is speaking about the mixed multitude, and afterward it says On the day after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with a high hand. Then it says The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses, because the mixed multitude went first, as is the way of those who flee, and the children of Israel followed after them. And this is what it means when it says And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord — this refers to the journey of the Children of Israel, whose foundation was from the Holy Land. Therefore, they always turned their faces away from their goings out, the place from which they departed, namely Egypt, and set their sights toward their journeys, to come to the land which the Lord swore to their fathers. But regarding the mixed multitude, whose origins were from Egypt and who did not leave by the commandment of the Lord — for Moses brought them out on his own initiative — it says of them and these are their journeys to their goings out because they always had a desire and wish to return to Egypt, to their source. And as they say, “throw a stick into the air, and it will fall to its roots” (Bereishit Rabbah 53:15) — likewise, their faces were always turned toward the place from which they had departed. A third explanation is that had the Israelites not sinned, they would have traveled in a single journey to the land. [Scripture] states, And Moses wrote their departures to their journeys, because from the first departure they would not have had another departure from a place of encampment, as God wanted to carry them on eagles’ wings to the land immediately. But because they ruined it, He had to write, And these were their journeys to their departures, for they traveled to places from which they would ultimately return and depart, and be moved about from journey to journey. And this matter was not according to God’s command, for God did not desire these things.
And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians,
verse value 5795
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "·teen" (עָשָׂ֛ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·Israel" (בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 562: the·first, the·first. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "on·five" (בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה), "all·the·Egyptians" (כׇּל־מִצְרָֽיִם). The root חדש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of·Israel" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "on·five" (root חמש, 99x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·first', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out openly, in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Ibn Ezra
"On the morrow of Passover" — I have explained this, and likewise [the phrase] "with a high hand."
Or HaChaim
ויסעו מרעמסס, They journeyed from Raamses, etc. The Torah had to mention twice that this journey occurred during the first month although it could have written "on the fifteenth," and I would have understood that the day mentioned was the first month. The Torah could also have written: "they travelled on the fifteenth of the first month after the Passover;" Perhaps the Torah alluded to what we have been told in Shemot Rabbah 15,11 that the month of Nissan is the month in which the zodiac sign of Israel is at its zenith and that the most auspicious day during that month is the fifteenth of that month. The Torah writes ויסעו בחודש הראשון, to describe the month during which Israel's fortunes ride high and it adds that this occurred on the fifteenth of that month, i.e. when the moon is full. The Torah added once more that it was in the first month, as the significance of the full moon is meaningless for Israel unless it occurs during the first month. The combination of these two factors was meaningful, was a good omen.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מרעמסס בחודש הראשון בחמשה עשר יום וגו, “they began their journeys from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, etc.;” the people had not been warned about the laws of Yom Tov [such as the prohibition of festivals regarding travel beyond the boundaries of their town except as regards the first night, when they had been forbidden to leave their houses on pain of death] except to abstain from eating chametz on that night. ממחרת הפסח, “on the morning following the offering (and consuming) of the Passover sacrifice.” Both Passover eve and the first night are called פסח, because these are the periods the people are preoccupied with the Passover offering. If we needed proof for this, we only have to look at Leviticus 23,8 and Numbers 28,16. The remainder of that festival is always referred to as חג המצות, “the festival of unleavened breads.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
ממחרת הפסח, "on the day following the Passover-offering" The reference is not to the festival but to the day on which the lamb was slaughtered in anticipation of the Exodus. This occurred on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan; the Israelites left Egypt on the morning of the 15th.
while the Egyptians were burying them that Hashem had smitten among them, even all their first-born; upon their gods also Hashem executed judgments.
verse value 3000 — יְהֹוָ֛ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3000 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "had·struck·down" (הִכָּ֧ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·on·their·gods" (וּבֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·the·Egyptians" (וּמִצְרַ֣יִם), "were·burying" (מְקַבְּרִ֗ים), "and·on·their·gods" (וּבֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "those·whom" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "executed" (root עשה, 127x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·firstborn', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וּמִצְרַ֣יִם [and·the·Egyptians] (386) + מְקַבְּרִ֗ים [were·burying] (392) + אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר [those·whom] (902) + הִכָּ֧ה [had·struck·down] (30) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + בָּהֶ֖ם [among·them] (47) + כׇּל־בְּכ֑וֹר [all·firstborn] (278) + וּבֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם [and·on·their·gods] (99) + עָשָׂ֥ה [executed] (375) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + שְׁפָטִֽים [judgments] (439) = 3000.
Onkelos
While the Egyptians were burying those whom Hashem had slain among them — every firstborn — and upon their idols Hashem had executed judgments.
Rashi
ומצרים מקברים AND THIS EGYPTIANS WERE BURYING [ALL THEIR FIRSTBORN] — they were busily occupied in their mourning.
Ibn Ezra
"And against their gods Hashem executed judgments" — like the head of Dagon; for so Hashem said to Moses.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ובאלוהיהם עשה ה' שפטים, “and the Lord had inflicted punishments on their deities.” G’d had kept His promise made in Exodus 12,12 “and on all the gods of Egypt I will inflict judgments.” How did these judgments or punishments become manifest? If the images were made of silver or gold they would simply melt; if they were made of wood, the wood would rot; if they were made of stone, the stone would crack in many places. The word שפטים also includes that these idols would be found by their worshippers in embarrassing positions as described in Samuel I 5,4: “Dagon was again lying prone on the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord. The head and both hands were cut off.” (The Philistines had taken the Holy Ark captive from the Israelites).
Kli Yakar
And Egypt was burying etc. This is to tell you that [the Israelites] left [Egypt] in full view of all Egyptians at the time when they were burying those whom God had struck among them, and their teeth were blunted [i.e., they were powerless to respond]. And not only that, but God also executed judgments against their gods at that same time, and even so, not one of them uttered a sound against Israel. And regarding what is said, whom God had struck among them, all the firstborn, some say that this is in accordance with the Midrash [Pesikta Rabbati, section “And it came to pass at midnight”] on the verse To Him who struck Egypt through their firstborn (Psalms 136:10), that the firstborn were killing their fathers, as this is implied by [the wording] through their firstborn — meaning that God struck Egypt with [or through] the firstborn, as the firstborn were the rod of His anger and the staff of His wrath. Therefore it says struck among them all the firstborn. And this is a precise interpretation. And when it says in front of Baal Tzefon, it indicates that only this idol remained in order to mislead them. It was appointed over the gold that comes from the north, and they would say that it remained for the sake of their wealth that they took unlawfully, as explained in the portion of Beshalach (Exodus 14:2). And why it says they traveled from Marah and came to Elim and doesn’t say “they camped at Elim,” is because it was a short journey from Marah to Elim and they had not intended to make a camp there. However, since they found there 12 springs of water corresponding to the 12 tribes who from the source of Israel would water the entire congregation, and 70 date palms corresponding to the 70 elders, for the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, therefore they said this is a significant sign that they should make a camp there. For even the name of the place indicates this number: “Elim” has the numerical value of 82 with the word itself, meaning 12 and 70. Also, “Elim” indicates a number of strong men, as it is from the expression and the mighty of the land he took (Ezekiel 17:15). And all this they took as a sign to make a camp there.
Daat Zkenim
ובאלוהיהם עשה ה' שפטים, “and the Lord executed judgments on their gods.” Read שופטיהם, “their judges,” instead of their gods; “judgments” cannot be executed on inert idols. The Torah here uses a play on words, seeing that the word אלוהים is also used in the Torah for judges. (Compare Exodus 22,7)
And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
verse value 1787
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "at·Succoth" (בְּסֻכֹּֽת, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·Israelites" (בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "at·Succoth" (בְּסֻכֹּֽת). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Rameses', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֥וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [the·Israelites] (603) + מֵרַעְמְסֵ֑ס [from·Rameses] (470) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּסֻכֹּֽת [at·Succoth] (482) = 1787.
Onkelos
The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses and encamped at Succoth.
Or HaChaim
ויסעו…מרעמסס ויחנו בסוכות. They journeyed from Raamses and they made camp at Sukkot. Why did the Torah repeat the information that the Israelites journeyed from Raamses? We have been told this in verse three! All the Torah had to write here was that the Israelites made camp at Sukkot! It appears that the Torah wanted to inform us that there was no other journey between Raamses and Sukkot. Had the Torah only written about the encampment at Sukkot, the impression might have prevailed that there had been some way stations between Raamses and Sukkot. [Mechilta on Exodus 12,37 describes the distance between these two locations as 120 מיל, i.e. 150 kilometers. Ed.] The same reasoning applies to all the journeys, i.e. the words: "they encamped" mean that there had been no other unmentioned way-stations.
Chizkuni
ויסעו...מרעמסס ויחנו בסוכות. Our author refers the reader to his commentary on Exodus 12,37.
Targum Yonatan
And the sons of Israel went forth from Pelusin, and encamped in Sukkoth, a place where they were protected by seven glorious clouds.
And they journeyed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
verse value 2144
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Succoth" (מִסֻּכֹּ֑ת), "at·Etham" (בְאֵתָ֔ם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "the·wilderness" (root דבר, 149x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Succoth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִסֻּכֹּ֑ת [from·Succoth] (520) + וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְאֵתָ֔ם [at·Etham] (443) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [that] (501) + בִּקְצֵ֥ה [on·edge·of] (197) + הַמִּדְבָּֽר [the·wilderness] (251) = 2144.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Succoth and encamped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מסוכות ....ויעברו בתוך הים המדברה, “they journeyed from Sukkot ....and they crossed through the sea till they came to the desert.” The spirit of escaping from slavery in Egypt prevailed until they had run out of water three days after emerging from the sea of reeds. This is alluded to in Exodus 15,22 where they began a march toward an uncertain future in the desert of Shur, one of the deserts described elsewhere as ”this great and terrifying desert.” (Deuteronomy 8,15)
And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon; and they pitched before Migdol.
verse value 3160
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְעוּ֙, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "Migdol" (מִגְדֹּֽל). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "toward·Pi-" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "faces" (root פנים, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'zephon', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְעוּ֙ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵֽאֵתָ֔ם [from·Etham] (481) + וַיָּ֙שׇׁב֙ [and·turned·about] (318) + עַל־פִּ֣י [toward·Pi-] (190) + הַחִירֹ֔ת [hahiroth] (623) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + עַל־פְּנֵ֖י [faces] (240) + בַּ֣עַל [Baal-] (102) + צְפ֑וֹן [zephon] (226) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + לִפְנֵ֥י [before] (170) + מִגְדֹּֽל [Migdol] (77) = 3160.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Etham and turned back toward Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon, and they encamped before Migdol.
Ibn Ezra
"And it turned back" — this is an allusion either to the cloud or to Israel.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וישב על פי החירות. The word וישב in the singular is the same here as וישובו, “they turned back.” Alternatively, the word may refer to the cloud traveling above the people. This would account for the singular וישב.
And they journeyed from Penehahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
verse value 4430
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "journey" (דֶּ֣רֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "through·the·sea" (בְתוֹךְ־הַיָּ֖ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·they·passed·through" (וַיַּֽעַבְר֥וּ), "through·the·sea" (בְתוֹךְ־הַיָּ֖ם), "at·Marah" (בְּמָרָֽה). The root מדבר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "days" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "from·Pene-" (root פנים, 119x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'into·the·wilderness', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְעוּ֙ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִפְּנֵ֣י [from·Pene-] (180) + הַֽחִירֹ֔ת [Hahiroth] (623) + וַיַּֽעַבְר֥וּ [and·they·passed·through] (294) + בְתוֹךְ־הַיָּ֖ם [through·the·sea] (483) + הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה [into·the·wilderness] (256) + וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ [and·they·went] (72) + דֶּ֣רֶךְ [journey] (224) + שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת [three] (1030) + יָמִים֙ [days] (100) + בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר [in·wilderness·of] (248) + אֵתָ֔ם [Etham] (441) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּמָרָֽה [at·Marah] (247) = 4430.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they walked a three-day journey in the wilderness of Etham and encamped at Marah.
Ibn Ezra
"From before Hahiroth" — Pi-hahiroth is one place, and "the mouth" (pi) is the same as "the face" (penei). "A journey of three days" — I have explained this.
Chizkuni
ויעברו בתוך הים המדברה, “they passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness;” the same spirit (wind) that had helped them to enter the sea when coming from the desert on the other side, also helped them face the desert when emerging from the sea. (Tossaphot Erchin 15) This was the North wind that G-d had only activated in order to encourage the Egyptians to pursue the Israelites.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויסעו מפני החירות ויעברו בתוך הים המדברה, “they journeyed away from Pi Hachirot and they crossed the sea into the desert.” The Torah repeats that the people journeyed from Eylim and encamped by the Sea of Reeds to teach us that they returned to the side of the sea they had already passed previously.
Targum Yonatan
And from the caravansaries of Hiratha they removed, and passed through the midst of the sea, and went upon the shore of the sea, collecting onyx stones and pearls. Afterwards they proceeded three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah.
And they journeyed from Marah, and came to Elim; and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they pitched there.
verse value 4120 — אֵילִ֑מָה = 86 (Elohim)
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "to·Elim" (אֵילִ֑מָה) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "water" (מַ֛יִם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·encamped·there" (וַיַּחֲנוּ־שָֽׁם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Marah" (מִמָּרָ֔ה), "to·Elim" (אֵילִ֑מָה), "and·in·Elim" (וּ֠בְאֵילִ֠ם). The root אילם appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 89x in Numbers); "and·seventy" (root שבע, 85x in Numbers). First appearance of the root אילם ("to·Elim") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Elim', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְעוּ֙ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִמָּרָ֔ה [from·Marah] (285) + וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ [and·they·came] (25) + אֵילִ֑מָה [to·Elim] (86) + וּ֠בְאֵילִ֠ם [and·in·Elim] (89) + שְׁתֵּ֣ים [two] (750) + עֶשְׂרֵ֞ה [-teen] (575) + עֵינֹ֥ת [springs·of] (530) + מַ֛יִם [water] (90) + וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים [and·seventy] (428) + תְּמָרִ֖ים [palm·trees] (690) + וַיַּחֲנוּ־שָֽׁם [and·they·encamped·there] (420) = 4120.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there.
Chizkuni
the places called Marah and Eylim have been explained in Exodus 15,23 and 27.
Targum Yonatan
And they removed from Marah, and came to Elim; in Elim were twelve fountains of water for the twelve tribes, and seventy palm trees, answering to the seventy sages; and they encamped there by the waters.
And they journeyed from Elim, and pitched by the Sea of Reeds.
verse value 649
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "by·the·Sea·of·Reeds" (עַל־יַם־סֽוּף, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Elim" (מֵאֵילִ֑ם), "by·the·Sea·of·Reeds" (עַל־יַם־סֽוּף). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Elim', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵאֵילִ֑ם [from·Elim] (121) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + עַל־יַם־סֽוּף [by·the·Sea·of·Reeds] (296) = 649.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Elim and encamped by the Reed Sea.
Chizkuni
ויחנו על ים סוף, ”they encamped near the sea of reeds between Eylim and the desert of Tzin which stretched from the sea of reeds towards the desert that they had come from. This encampment as well as the ones at Dofkah and Elosh, have not been mentioned in the portion of Beshalach but were lumped together in Exodus 16,1 where the Torah wrote: “the whole community of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin.” ויחנו ברפידים, the reader is referred to Exodus 17,1 for the author’s commentary.
And they journeyed from the Sea of Reeds, and pitched in the wilderness of Sin.
verse value 836
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "in·wilderness·of·Sin" (בְּמִדְבַּר־סִֽין, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·the·Sea·of·Reeds" (מִיַּם־ס֑וּף), "in·wilderness·of·Sin" (בְּמִדְבַּר־סִֽין). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "in·wilderness·of·Sin" (root מדבר, 43x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·Sea·of·Reeds', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִיַּם־ס֑וּף [from·the·Sea·of·Reeds] (236) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּמִדְבַּר־סִֽין [in·wilderness·of·Sin] (368) = 836.
Onkelos
They journeyed from the Reed Sea and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויסעו מים סוף ויחנו במדבר סין, “They journeyed from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the desert of Sin.” The desert mentioned here was not the desert of Sinai seeing the Torah goes on to write in verse 15 that when the people journeyed away from Refidim they encamped in the desert of Sinai.” The desert known as “Sin” is situated between Eylim and Sinai, just as reported in Exodus 16,1
And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, and pitched in Dophkah.
verse value 829
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "from·wilderness·of·Sin" (מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֑ין, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·wilderness·of·Sin" (מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֑ין), "at·Dophkah" (בְּדׇפְקָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "from·wilderness·of·Sin" (root מדבר, 43x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·wilderness·of·Sin', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֑ין [from·wilderness·of·Sin] (406) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּדׇפְקָֽה [at·Dophkah] (191) = 829.
Onkelos
They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and encamped at Dophkah.
And they journeyed from Dophkah, and pitched in Alush.
verse value 800
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. Verse gematria: 800 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Dophkah" (מִדׇּפְקָ֑ה), "at·Alush" (בְּאָלֽוּשׁ). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Dophkah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִדׇּפְקָ֑ה [from·Dophkah] (229) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּאָלֽוּשׁ [at·Alush] (339) = 800.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Dophkah and encamped at Alush.
And they journeyed from Alush, and pitched in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
verse value 2708
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֥ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "at·Rephidim" (בִּרְפִידִ֔ם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Alush" (מֵאָל֑וּשׁ), "at·Rephidim" (בִּרְפִידִ֔ם). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·there·was·no" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "for·the·people" (root עם, 85x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Alush', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵאָל֑וּשׁ [from·Alush] (377) + וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בִּרְפִידִ֔ם [at·Rephidim] (336) + וְלֹא־הָ֨יָה [and·there·was·no] (57) + שָׁ֥ם [there] (340) + מַ֛יִם [water] (90) + לָעָ֖ם [for·the·people] (140) + לִשְׁתּֽוֹת [to·drink] (1136) = 2708.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Alush and encamped at Rephidim, and there was no water there for the people to drink.
Ramban
PITCHED IN REPHIDIM, AND THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE PEOPLE TO DRINK. Scripture [here] does not mention the miracle [that occurred] with the water in Marah, nor the [daily] wonder of manna [which took place] in the wilderness of Sin. But [it mentioned the giving of water at Rephidim] because this episode at Rephidim was an important event, since they tried G-d [there], and that place was therefore called Massah (Trying) and Meribah (Strife), wherein He was sanctified in their presence by bringing forth water for them out of the rock, and it was there that they were attacked by the Amalekites. Therefore He [only] described it here in brief, [saying], and there was no water for the people to drink, since it was the place which was recognized and known by this [fact].
Tur HaArokh
ויחנו ברפדים ולא היה מים לעם לשתות, “They encamped at Refidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.” Nachmanides points out that Moses has not mentioned the miracle of Marah, nor the miracle of the manna that became manifest in the desert of Sin in this review. However, seeing that what happened at Refidim was exceptionally remarkable, the people having literally put G’d to the test, the fact that a miracle involving the provision of drinking water occurred there is at least hinted at. After all, the name of that location was changed to Massah and Merivah, seeing that G’d had been sanctified in the presence of the whole people when water was produced miraculously from a barren rock. The location became famous additionally because near there Amalek attacked the people out of the blue, and they survived that treacherous attack intact, the first time that they had to fight for their lives.
And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
verse value 984
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "Sinai" (סִינָֽי, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·Rephidim" (מֵרְפִידִ֑ם, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Rephidim" (מֵרְפִידִ֑ם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "in·wilderness·of" (root מדבר, 43x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Rephidim', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵרְפִידִ֑ם [from·Rephidim] (374) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר [in·wilderness·of] (248) + סִינָֽי [Sinai] (130) = 984.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
Chizkuni
ויחנו במדבר סיני, “they encamped in the desert of Sinai. This is the desert Sin. Our author commented on the names in the portion of Yitro, that the letter, 10) י), was added to the name of this desert to commemorate that the Ten Commandments had been given there.
And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and pitched in Kibroth-hattaavah.
verse value 1769
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "Sinai" (סִינָ֑י, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "at·Kibroth" (בְּקִבְרֹ֥ת). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "from·wilderness·of" (root מדבר, 43x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Sinai', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר [from·wilderness·of] (286) + סִינָ֑י [Sinai] (130) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּקִבְרֹ֥ת [at·Kibroth] (704) + הַֽתַּאֲוָֽה [hattaavah] (417) = 1769.
Onkelos
They journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai and encamped at the Graves of those who craved.
Ibn Ezra
"Kibroth-hattaavah" — it is at Kadesh-barnea, as I have explained.
Chizkuni
ויסעו ממדבר סיני וגו, “they journeyed from the desert of Sinai, etc.” These journeys up until verse 20 have been explained by our author in Numbers chapters 11 and 12, up until the point from which the spies were sent out, from the desert of Paran.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויחנו בקברות התאוה, “they camped at Kivrot Hata'avah” — a place otherwise known as Kadesh Barnea. [The name mentioned here was in commemoration of the people who died because they overindulged their craving for meat.]
And they journeyed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
verse value 1617
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Hazeroth" (מֵחֲצֵרֹ֑ת), "at·Rithmah" (בְּרִתְמָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Hazeroth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵחֲצֵרֹ֑ת [from·Hazeroth] (738) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּרִתְמָֽה [at·Rithmah] (647) = 1617.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah.
Rashi
ויחנו ברתמה AND THEY ENCAMPED IN RITHMAH — It was so called with reference to the slanderous speech of the spies, uttered there, as it is said, (Psalms 120:3-4): “What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, thou deceitful tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty with coals of juniper (רְתָמִים).
And they journeyed from Rithmah, and pitched in Rimmon-perez.
verse value 1579
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "Perez" (פָּֽרֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Rithmah" (מֵרִתְמָ֑ה), "at·Rimmon" (בְּרִמֹּ֥ן). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Rithmah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵרִתְמָ֑ה [from·Rithmah] (685) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּרִמֹּ֥ן [at·Rimmon] (292) + פָּֽרֶץ [Perez] (370) = 1579.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-perez.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מרתמה, “they journeyed from Ritmah;” this is the place of which the Torah wrote in Numbers 14,25: “tomorrow you will turn around and start traveling towards the sea of reeds.” This is what the Torah referred to when it wrote in Deut. 2,1: ונפן ונסע דרך ים סוף, “we turned around and journeyed in the direction of the sea of reeds.” From that point on they were detouring Mount Seir during all the way stations mentioned up until verse 36 of this chapter, where they were reported to have entered the desert of Tzin at Kadesh. Compare Numbers 20,1: “the entire congregation of the Children of Israel arrived at the desert of Tzin.”
And they journeyed from Rimmon-perez, and pitched in Libnah.
verse value 1021
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "Perez" (פָּ֑רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Rimmon" (מֵרִמֹּ֣ן), "at·Libnah" (בְּלִבְנָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Perez', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵרִמֹּ֣ן [from·Rimmon] (330) + פָּ֑רֶץ [Perez] (370) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּלִבְנָֽה [at·Libnah] (89) = 1021.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Rimmon-perez and encamped at Libnah.
And they journeyed from Libnah, and pitched in Rissah.
verse value 626
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. The shortest word is "at·Rissah" (בְּרִסָּֽה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Libnah" (מִלִּבְנָ֑ה), "at·Rissah" (בְּרִסָּֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Libnah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִלִּבְנָ֑ה [from·Libnah] (127) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּרִסָּֽה [at·Rissah] (267) = 626.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Libnah and encamped at Rissah.
And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelah.
verse value 1079
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. Verse gematria: 1079 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "from·Rissah" (מֵרִסָּ֑ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "at·Kehelath" (בִּקְהֵלָֽתָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Rissah" (מֵרִסָּ֑ה), "at·Kehelath" (בִּקְהֵלָֽתָה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Rissah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵרִסָּ֑ה [from·Rissah] (305) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בִּקְהֵלָֽתָה [at·Kehelath] (542) = 1079.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Rissah and encamped at Kehelathah.
And they journeyed from Kehelah, and pitched in mount Shepher.
verse value 1599
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. Verse gematria: 1599 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "from·Kehelath" (מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Kehelath" (מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה), "at·Mount·Shepher" (בְּהַר־שָֽׁפֶר). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Kehelath', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה [from·Kehelath] (580) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּהַר־שָֽׁפֶר [at·Mount·Shepher] (787) = 1599.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Kehelathah and encamped at Mount Shepher.
And they journeyed from mount Shepher, and pitched in Haradah.
verse value 1276
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "from·Mount·Shepher" (מֵֽהַר־שָׁ֑פֶר, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Mount·Shepher" (מֵֽהַר־שָׁ֑פֶר), "at·Haradah" (בַּחֲרָדָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Mount·Shepher', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵֽהַר־שָׁ֑פֶר [from·Mount·Shepher] (825) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בַּחֲרָדָֽה [at·Haradah] (219) = 1276.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Mount Shepher and encamped at Haradah.
And they journeyed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.
verse value 1066
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. Verse gematria: 1066 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "at·Makheloth" (בְּמַקְהֵלֹֽת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Haradah" (מֵחֲרָדָ֑ה), "at·Makheloth" (בְּמַקְהֵלֹֽת). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Haradah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵחֲרָדָ֑ה [from·Haradah] (257) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּמַקְהֵלֹֽת [at·Makheloth] (577) = 1066.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Haradah and encamped at Makheloth.
And they journeyed from Makheloth, and pitched in Tahath.
verse value 1657
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. The shortest word is "at·Tahath" (בְּתָֽחַת, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·Makheloth" (מִמַּקְהֵלֹ֑ת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Makheloth" (מִמַּקְהֵלֹ֑ת), "at·Tahath" (בְּתָֽחַת). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Makheloth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִמַּקְהֵלֹ֑ת [from·Makheloth] (615) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּתָֽחַת [at·Tahath] (810) = 1657.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath.
And they journeyed from Tahath, and pitched in Terah.
verse value 1690
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. Verse gematria: 1690 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·Tahath" (מִתָּ֑חַת, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Tahath" (מִתָּ֑חַת), "at·Terah" (בְּתָֽרַח). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Tahath', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִתָּ֑חַת [from·Tahath] (848) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּתָֽרַח [at·Terah] (610) = 1690.
And they journeyed from Terah, and pitched in Mithkah.
verse value 1427
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. The shortest word is "from·Terah" (מִתָּ֑רַח, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Terah" (מִתָּ֑רַח), "at·Mithkah" (בְּמִתְקָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Terah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִתָּ֑רַח [from·Terah] (648) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּמִתְקָֽה [at·Mithkah] (547) = 1427.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Terah and encamped at Mithkah.
And they journeyed from Mithkah, and pitched in Hashmonah.
verse value 1222
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. Verse gematria: 1222 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "at·Hashmonah" (בְּחַשְׁמֹנָֽה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Mithkah" (מִמִּתְקָ֑ה), "at·Hashmonah" (בְּחַשְׁמֹנָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Mithkah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִמִּתְקָ֑ה [from·Mithkah] (585) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּחַשְׁמֹנָֽה [at·Hashmonah] (405) = 1222.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Mithkah and encamped at Hashmonah.
And they journeyed from Hashmonah, and pitched in Moseroth.
verse value 1383
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "from·Hashmonah" (מֵֽחַשְׁמֹנָ֑ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Hashmonah" (מֵֽחַשְׁמֹנָ֑ה), "at·Moseroth" (בְּמֹסֵרֽוֹת). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Hashmonah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵֽחַשְׁמֹנָ֑ה [from·Hashmonah] (443) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּמֹסֵרֽוֹת [at·Moseroth] (708) = 1383.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Hashmonah and encamped at Moserot.
And they journeyed from Moseroth, and pitched in Bene-jaakan.
verse value 1272
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "at·Bene-" (בִּבְנֵ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·Moseroth" (מִמֹּסֵר֑וֹת, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Moseroth" (מִמֹּסֵר֑וֹת). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "at·Bene-" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Moseroth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִמֹּסֵר֑וֹת [from·Moseroth] (746) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בִּבְנֵ֥י [at·Bene-] (64) + יַעֲקָֽן [jaakan] (230) = 1272.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Moserot and encamped at Benei-jaakan.
And they journeyed from Bene-jaakan, and pitched in Hor-haggidgad.
verse value 793
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Verse gematria: 793 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "at·Hor-" (בְּחֹ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "at·Hor-" (בְּחֹ֥ר). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Bene-" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'jaakan', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִבְּנֵ֣י [from·Bene-] (102) + יַעֲקָ֑ן [jaakan] (230) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּחֹ֥ר [at·Hor-] (210) + הַגִּדְגָּֽד [haggidgad] (19) = 793.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Benei-jaakan and encamped at Hor-hagidgad.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויחנו בחר הגדגד, “they encamped in Char Hagidgad.” The word חר is not to be confused with הר.
And they journeyed from Hor-haggidgad, and pitched in Jotbah.
verse value 927
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "from·Hor-" (מֵחֹ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "at·Jotbath" (בְּיׇטְבָֽתָה, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "at·Jotbath" (בְּיׇטְבָֽתָה). 3 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'haggidgad', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵחֹ֣ר [from·Hor-] (248) + הַגִּדְגָּ֑ד [haggidgad] (19) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּיׇטְבָֽתָה [at·Jotbath] (428) = 927.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Hor-hagidgad and encamped at Jotbathah.
And they journeyed from Jotbah, and pitched in Abronah.
verse value 1027
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. Verse gematria: 1027 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "from·Jotbath" (מִיׇּטְבָ֑תָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Jotbath" (מִיׇּטְבָ֑תָה), "at·Abronah" (בְּעַבְרֹנָֽה). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Jotbath', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִיׇּטְבָ֑תָה [from·Jotbath] (466) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּעַבְרֹנָֽה [at·Abronah] (329) = 1027.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Jotbathah and encamped at Abronah.
And they journeyed from Abronah, and pitched in Ezion-geber.
verse value 1026
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. Verse gematria: 1026 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "Geber" (גָּֽבֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·Abronah" (מֵֽעַבְרֹנָ֑ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Abronah" (מֵֽעַבְרֹנָ֑ה), "at·Ezion" (בְּעֶצְיֹ֥ן). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Abronah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵֽעַבְרֹנָ֑ה [from·Abronah] (367) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּעֶצְיֹ֥ן [at·Ezion] (222) + גָּֽבֶר [Geber] (205) = 1026.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Abronah and encamped at Ezion-geber.
Chizkuni
the Jerusalem Targum renders this place as meaning: בכרך תרנגולא, “at a place where one could hear the roosters.”
And they journeyed from Ezion-geber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin—the same is Kadesh.
verse value 1501
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "Geber" (גָּ֑בֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·wilderness·of·Zin" (בְמִדְבַּר־צִ֖ן, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Ezion" (מֵעֶצְיֹ֣ן). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "Kadesh" (root קדש, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Geber', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵעֶצְיֹ֣ן [from·Ezion] (260) + גָּ֑בֶר [Geber] (205) + וַיַּחֲנ֥וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְמִדְבַּר־צִ֖ן [in·wilderness·of·Zin] (388) + הִ֥וא [that·is] (12) + קָדֵֽשׁ [Kadesh] (404) = 1501.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Ezion-geber and encamped in the wilderness of Zin, which is Rekem.
And they journeyed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.—
verse value 1632
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "at·Hor" (בְּהֹ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). The root הר appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "land·of" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Kadesh', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִקָּדֵ֑שׁ [from·Kadesh] (444) + וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּהֹ֣ר [at·Hor] (207) + הָהָ֔ר [the·mountain] (210) + בִּקְצֵ֖ה [on·edge·of] (197) + אֶ֥רֶץ [land·of] (291) + אֱדֽוֹם [Edom] (51) = 1632.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Rekem and encamped at Hor the mountain, on the border of the land of Edom.
Ibn Ezra
"And they journeyed from Kadesh" — it is the name of a city.
Chizkuni
הר ההר, this has been explained in Numbers 20,22.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויסעו מקדש, “They journeyed from Kadesh.” This was the name of a town.
And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of Hashem, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month.
verse value 5869 — יְהֹוָ֖ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 83 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֑ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Israelites" (בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "in·year·of" (בִּשְׁנַ֣ת), "the·fortieth" (הָֽאַרְבָּעִ֗ים), "to·go·out" (לְצֵ֤את). The root הר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "on·first·day" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 10 words.
Onkelos
Aaron the priest ascended Hor the mountain by the Word of Hashem and died there in the fortieth year after the going out of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first of the month.
Rashi
'על פי ה [AND AARON THE PRIEST WENT UP TO MOUNT HOR] BY THE WORD (lit., BY THE MOUTH) OF THE LORD— This phrase tells us that he died by the Divine Kiss (Bava Batra 17a; cf. Rashi on Numbers 20:26).
Rabbeinu Bahya
בחדש החמישי באחד לחודש, “in the fifth month on the first of the month.” This was the New Moon on which Aaron died. On the ninth of that month (many hundreds of years later) the Temple was burned and the Torah with it. On the 7th of the month of Adar following Moses died, as is reported in Joshua that the Children of Israel crossed the river Jordan on the tenth of the first month (Nissan). You may deduct the three days that the people prepared food for the crossing and 30 days during which the people mourned their leader and you will find that Moses must have died on the 7th of Adar (compare Joshua 4,19 and 1,11).
And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.
verse value 3237
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. Verse gematria: 3237 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "year" (שָׁנָ֑ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "twenty" (וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "son·of·three" (בֶּן־שָׁלֹ֧שׁ), "when·he·died" (בְּמֹת֖וֹ). The root הר appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hundred" (root מאה, 90x in Numbers); "year" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers); "when·he·died" (root מות, 87x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'year', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן [and·Aaron] (262) + בֶּן־שָׁלֹ֧שׁ [son·of·three] (682) + וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים [twenty] (626) + וּמְאַ֖ת [hundred] (447) + שָׁנָ֑ה [year] (355) + בְּמֹת֖וֹ [when·he·died] (448) + בְּהֹ֥ר [on·Hor] (207) + הָהָֽר [the·mountain] (210) = 3237.
Onkelos
Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died at Hor the mountain.
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.—
verse value 2473
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "king" (מֶ֣לֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·was·dwelling" (וְהֽוּא־יֹשֵׁ֥ב, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "Arad" (עֲרָ֔ד), "and·he·was·dwelling" (וְהֽוּא־יֹשֵׁ֥ב), "in·coming·of" (בְּבֹ֖א). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Canaan', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁמַ֗ע [and·he·heard] (426) + הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ [the·Canaanite] (205) + מֶ֣לֶךְ [king] (90) + עֲרָ֔ד [Arad] (274) + וְהֽוּא־יֹשֵׁ֥ב [and·he·was·dwelling] (330) + בַּנֶּ֖גֶב [in·the·Negeb] (57) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + כְּנָ֑עַן [Canaan] (190) + בְּבֹ֖א [in·coming·of] (5) + בְּנֵ֥י [sons·of] (62) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 2473.
Onkelos
The Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
Rashi
וישמע הכנעני AND THE CANAANITE HEARD This is stated here to tell you that Aaron’s death was indeed the news he heard — that the clouds of glory that until now had protected Israel had departed, and he therefore believed that liberty was now given to wage war against Israel. It is on this account that this is again recorded here (see Rashi on Numbers 21:1) (Rosh Hashanah 3a).
Ibn Ezra
"The meaning of 'the Canaanite heard'" — that he fought against Israel when they were at Mount Hor.
Sforno
וישמע הכנעני, this too was a credit for them in that this time they did not say: “let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt.” (Compare Numbers 14,4 when they did) This time they were not afraid of facing war and battle.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וישמע הכנעני מלך ערד, “the Canaanite, i.e. the King of Arad heard.” This verse follows mention of Aaron’s death to teach that when the Canaanite noticed that Aaron had died and that the protective cloud-cover over the camp of the Israelites had disappeared, they assumed that it was now permissible to attack this nation.
Targum Yonatan
And Amalek the wicked, who was combined with the Kenaanites, and reigned in Arad,-the house of his abode was in the land of the south,-heard that the sons of Israel were coming to wage war against them, and utterly to destroy their cities.
And they journeyed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
verse value 904
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "from·Hor" (מֵהֹ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "at·Zalmonah" (בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "at·Zalmonah" (בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "the·mountain" (root הר, 29x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·mountain', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵהֹ֣ר [from·Hor] (245) + הָהָ֑ר [the·mountain] (210) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה [at·Zalmonah] (217) = 904.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Hor the mountain and encamped at Zalmonah.
Ramban
AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM MOUNT HOR, AND PITCHED IN ZALMONAH. These places — Zalmonah and Punon — were by the way of the Red Sea circling the land of Edom, and the soul of the people became impatient because of the way, and they [therefore] spoke against G-d, and Moses on the way, and G-d sent against them the fiery serpents whilst they were travelling and when they rested in camp. Then Moses made the serpent of brass, which they carried upon a pole all the way, and [kept it] when they encamped in Zalmonah and Punon, and it was not removed from them until they pitched in Oboth. Therefore Scripture there, in narrating this episode [of the fiery serpents, above in Chapter 21], did not mention the name of the place [from which they set forth again, i.e., Zalmonah and Punon] and [merely] stated, And the children of Israel journeyed, and pitched in Oboth, without saying “and they journeyed from such-and-such a place and pitched in Oboth,” as it does with all the [other stages of their] journeyings. This is because the matter [of the brass serpent] continued throughout this way — from the time that they journeyed from Mount Hor until they pitched in Oboth, and they journeyed from Oboth and pitched in Ije-abarim. From there they journeyed and they pitched in Divon-gad, and then in Almon-diblathaim, and [finally] in the mountains of Abarim, [all these] being places in the valley of Zered.
Tur HaArokh
ויסעו מהר ההר ויחנו בצלמות ויסעו מצלמות ויחנו בפונן ויסעו מפונן ויחנו באובות., “They journeyed from Hor Hahar and encamped at Tzalmavet. They journeyed from Tzalmavet and encamped at Punan. They journeyed from Punan and encamped at Ovot. In Parshat Chukat (Numbers 21,10) we did not hear about these places at all, but were only told that when journeying from Ovot that the people became very frustrated at the long detour they had to take. It is not even stated there from which place they set out before arriving at Ovot. Nachmanides writes that the reason for the failure to mention Tzalmavet and Punan in Parshat Chukat is that they were located along the detour around the territory of Edom, and the people passed there while full of discontent at this lengthy detour. They spoke out against G’d on that occasion so that He dispatched the snakes, etc., against them. Eventually, Moses constructed the copper snake, and the people carried that snake on a pole all the way until they came to Ovot. That snake was removed only at that time. Seeing that the phenomenon of the copper snake continued during these journeys, the stops in between were not considered as relevant, as nothing in the condition of the people had changed due to their having made camp.
And they journeyed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.
verse value 675
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters) and the longest is "from·Zalmonah" (מִצַּלְמֹנָ֑ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Zalmonah" (מִצַּלְמֹנָ֑ה), "at·Punon" (בְּפוּנֹֽן). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Zalmonah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִצַּלְמֹנָ֑ה [from·Zalmonah] (255) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּפוּנֹֽן [at·Punon] (188) = 675.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Zalmonah and encamped at Punon.
Ibn Ezra
"Zalmonah and Punon" — I have explained them.
Chizkuni
ויחנו בצלמונה, “they encamped at Tzalmonah.” Both this way station as well as ויחנו בפונון, have not been mentioned by these names in the portion of Chukat in chapter 21,10, but as Ovot, as this was a turning point in their south easterly route, from which they turned northward.
And they journeyed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth.
verse value 863
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. The shortest word is "at·Oboth" (בְּאֹבֹֽת, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Punon" (מִפּוּנֹ֑ן). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Punon', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִפּוּנֹ֑ן [from·Punon] (226) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּאֹבֹֽת [at·Oboth] (405) = 863.
And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched in Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.
verse value 1186
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "from·Oboth" (מֵאֹבֹ֑ת, 4 letters) and the longest is "Abarim" (הָעֲבָרִ֖ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "in·territory·of" (בִּגְב֥וּל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "Moab" (root מואב, 33x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Oboth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵאֹבֹ֑ת [from·Oboth] (443) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּעִיֵּ֥י [at·Iye] (92) + הָעֲבָרִ֖ים [Abarim] (327) + בִּגְב֥וּל [in·territory·of] (43) + מוֹאָֽב [Moab] (49) = 1186.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Oboth and encamped at the border of the Abarim, on the border of Moab.
Rashi
בעיי העברים IN IJE-ABARIM — The word denotes waste places and heaps of rubbish, the same as, (Micah 1:6): “[will make Samaria] into a heap (עי) in the field”; (Psalms 79:1): “They have made Jerusalem into heaps (עיים)” (cf. Rashi on Numbers 21:11).
And they journeyed from Ijim, and pitched in Dibon-gad.
verse value 477
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "Gad" (גָּֽד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·set·out" (וַיִּסְע֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Iyim" (מֵעִיִּ֑ים), "in·Dibon" (בְּדִיבֹ֥ן). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Iyim', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵעִיִּ֑ים [from·Iyim] (170) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּדִיבֹ֥ן [in·Dibon] (68) + גָּֽד [Gad] (7) = 477.
Onkelos
They journeyed from the border and encamped at Dibon-gad.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מעיים ויחנו בדיבון גד, in Parshat Chukat this location is referred to as 21,12) .נחל זרד)
And they journeyed from Dibon-gad, and pitched in Almon-diblathaim.
verse value 1028
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "Gad" (גָּ֑ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "Diblathaim" (דִּבְלָתָֽיְמָה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Dibon" (מִדִּיבֹ֣ן), "in·Almon" (בְּעַלְמֹ֥ן). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Dibon" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Gad', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מִדִּיבֹ֣ן [from·Dibon] (106) + גָּ֑ד [Gad] (7) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּעַלְמֹ֥ן [in·Almon] (192) + דִּבְלָתָֽיְמָה [Diblathaim] (491) = 1028.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Dibon-gad and encamped at Almon-diblathaim.
Ibn Ezra
"Almon-diblathaim" — this is a general name encompassing many stages, as I have explained in the portion of Zot Chukat ha-Torah.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מדיבון גד ויחנו בעלמון דבלתימה, this location has been referred to in Parshat Chukat, Numbers 21,13 “from Ever Arnon which is in the desert.”
Targum Yonatan
thence to Almon Diblathaimah, where the well was hidden from them, because they had forsaken the words of the law, which are as delicious as figs (diblatha);.
And they journeyed from Almon-diblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, in front of Nebo.
verse value 1725
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "Nebo" (נְבֽוֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "Diblathaim" (דִּבְלָתָ֑יְמָה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·Almon" (מֵעַלְמֹ֣ן), "in·mountains·of" (בְּהָרֵ֥י), "Nebo" (נְבֽוֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before" (root פנים, 119x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Diblathaim', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵעַלְמֹ֣ן [from·Almon] (230) + דִּבְלָתָ֑יְמָה [Diblathaim] (491) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּהָרֵ֥י [in·mountains·of] (217) + הָעֲבָרִ֖ים [the·Abarim] (327) + לִפְנֵ֥י [before] (170) + נְבֽוֹ [Nebo] (58) = 1725.
Onkelos
They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim and encamped in the mountains of the Abarim, before Nebo.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מעלמון דבלתימה ויחנו בהר העברים, “they journeyed on from Almon Divlataymah and encamped around the Mountains of Avarim. In Numbers 31,19 this journey had been described as commencing from the desert called Matanah.
And they journeyed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
verse value 2125
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "at" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Abarim" (הָעֲבָרִ֑ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·mountains·of" (מֵהָרֵ֣י). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "at" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "and·they·set·out" (root נסע, 89x in Numbers); "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·Abarim', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּסְע֖וּ [and·they·set·out] (152) + מֵהָרֵ֣י [from·mountains·of] (255) + הָעֲבָרִ֑ים [the·Abarim] (327) + וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת [in·steppes·of] (674) + מוֹאָ֔ב [Moab] (49) + עַ֖ל [at] (100) + יַרְדֵּ֥ן [Jordan] (264) + יְרֵחֽוֹ [Jericho] (224) = 2125.
Onkelos
They journeyed from the mountains of the Abarim and encamped in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.
Chizkuni
ויסעו מהרי העברים ויחנו בערבות מואב, “they journeyed from the mountains of Avarim and encamped in the plains of Moav. This journey had been referred to in Parshat Chukat as: “from Matanah to Nachliel.” (verse 19).
And they pitched by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth even to Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
verse value 2850
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. Verse gematria: 2850 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "as·far·as" (עַ֖ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·Jordan" (עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "upon·the·Jordan" (עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן֙), "from·Beth" (מִבֵּ֣ית), "Jeshimoth" (הַיְשִׁמֹ֔ת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·encamped" (root חנה, 73x in Numbers); "from·Beth" (root בית, 61x in Numbers); "Moab" (root מואב, 33x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Shittim', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיַּחֲנ֤וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ [upon·the·Jordan] (369) + מִבֵּ֣ית [from·Beth] (452) + הַיְשִׁמֹ֔ת [Jeshimoth] (755) + עַ֖ד [as·far·as] (74) + אָבֵ֣ל [Abel] (33) + הַשִּׁטִּ֑ים [Shittim] (364) + בְּעַֽרְבֹ֖ת [in·steppes·of] (674) + מוֹאָֽב [Moab] (49) = 2850.
Onkelos
They encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as the meadow of Shittim, in the plains of Moab.
Rashi
מבית הישמת עד אבל השטים [AND THEY ENCAMPED] … FROM BETH-JESIMOTH EVEN UNTO ADEL-SHITTIM — Here it tells you that the extent of Israel’s camp was twelve miles, for Rabba bar bar Chana said: “I myself have seen that place etc., and it is three Parsangs (12 miles) square” (Eruvin 55b). אבל השטים — The plain of Shittim had the name אבל (cf. Rashi on Genesis 14:6).
Ibn Ezra
"From Beth-jeshimoth" — it is the valley that overlooks the face of the wasteland. It was then that Hashem commanded to warn Israel, for they were near to crossing over.
Chizkuni
Once the people had come to this location, they gradually spread out in different directions on that plain.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויחנו על הירדן מבית הישימות עד אבל השטים בערבות מואב, “they made camp by the river Jordan, from Bet Yeshimot until the plains of Shittim in the wilderness of Moav. The Torah describes the length of the camp, i.e. 12 “mils” (13,5 km.) We have the personal testimony of Rabbi Bar bar Chanah who was shown this site (Eiruvin 55). This is when G’d gave the direct order to disinherit (exterminate) the people residing in the land of Canaan at that time, as the people had now come very close to carry out this directive by crossing the river.
Kli Yakar
And they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth unto Abel-shittim. On the level of allusion, one can explain why these two extremes were mentioned, since this portion speaks of the death of Aaron, and our Sages said (Rosh Hashanah 18b) that the death of the righteous is equivalent to the burning of our God’s Temple. This is hinted at the beginning of the portion: And [Aaron] died there in the fortieth year… in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. This is the month of Av, in which our God’s Temple was burned, and which was established as a time of weeping for all generations since the time of the spies, to indicate that these two events are of equal weight; therefore they coincided in the same month. This is alluded to in “Beth-jeshimoth,” which is a term of desolation and destruction of the Temple, and “Abel-shittim” is a term related to cedar and alludes to the time when they mourned for the righteous one who is compared to a cedar. Both of these coincided at the same place, and the connection of these two extremes indicates that they are equivalent, as if one extreme experienced Abel-shittim — meaning the mourning for the soul of the righteous — and the second extreme experienced the pain of Beth-jeshimoth. You should know that in Yalkut on Isaiah (29) it concludes on the verse Behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people (Isaiah 29:14), that the departure of the righteous is greater before Him who spoke and the world came into being than the ninety-eight curses in Deuteronomy and the destruction of the Temple. This seems contradictory, since our Sages said in tractate Rosh Hashanah that they are equivalent, while here it says their departure is greater. Look to the right and see that [the text] mentioned the term “departure,” while in the Gemara they said “the death of the righteous,” and in the Midrash it mentioned the term “destruction of the holy,” and in the Gemara they said “like the burning of the house of our God.” The explanation for all this is that the term “destruction of the Temple” indicates the time when the physical structure of the Temple made of wood and stone remained intact, but it was “destroyed” in the sense that all its glory and splendor departed from it, meaning the removal of all the spiritual elements that were in it. However, the term “burning of our God’s house” is more severe than this, because in addition to the removal of spirituality from there, the physical structure was also burned. Similarly, with righteous people, when the term “death” is mentioned, it refers to the physical body, because the body dies but the soul does not die as it lives on. But the term “departure” applies to the soul and not to the body, because only the soul ascends, as it is said The spirit of man ascends upward (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Now, the death of the righteous, meaning that which affects the physical body of the righteous person, is certainly equivalent to the burning of our God’s house — the physical structure of the Temple. But the departure of the righteous, meaning the spirit of man that departs and ascends upward, corresponds to the destruction of our God’s house, meaning the spirituality from there. And what it says that this is greater than this, it does not mean that this is greater in essence, but rather that the damage that comes to the world with the removal of the soul of the righteous is greater than the damage that comes to the world with the removal of spirituality from the Holy Temple. For one must examine what is meant by saying “before the One who spoke and the world came into being” — why not simply say “before the Holy One, blessed be He”? Rather, it is certain that this comes to give a reason why this is greater than that, and it says that because the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke and the world came into being, and He desires its existence and continuance, and the soul of the righteous gives more existence and continuance to the world than all the spirituality that was in the Holy Temple. This is because one righteous person is the foundation of the world, and their soul is hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory; it contains great holiness and gives existence and continuance to the entire world. And know that this is so, for it brings on this the verse Behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish (Isaiah 29:14). And what does this imply about the removal of the righteous? Rather, certainly with the removal of the intellectual soul, which is called the wisdom of their wise men, for the intellectual soul is what gives continuance and existence to the entire world, and its removal causes the pillars of the world to weaken. And this is a true and correct thing, worthy to be connected to this verse by way of allusion.
Rashbam
ויחנו על הירדן...בערבות מואב. There, וידבר ה' אל משה בערבות מואב על ירדן יריחו
And Hashem spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:
verse value 2206 — יְהֹוָ֛ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "at·Jordan" (עַל־יַרְדֵּ֥ן, 6 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "saying" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "to·Moses" (root משה, 217x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Moab', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר [and·he·spoke] (222) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה [to·Moses] (376) + בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת [in·steppes·of] (674) + מוֹאָ֑ב [Moab] (49) + עַל־יַרְדֵּ֥ן [at·Jordan] (364) + יְרֵח֖וֹ [Jericho] (224) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 2206.
Onkelos
Hashem spoke with Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:
"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
verse value 3538
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "when" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Jordan" (אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 322: crossing, to·land·of. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: דַּבֵּר֙ [speak!] (206) + אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י [to·sons·of] (93) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ [and·you·shall·say] (647) + אֲלֵהֶ֑ם [to·them] (76) + כִּ֥י [when] (30) + אַתֶּ֛ם [you] (441) + עֹבְרִ֥ים [crossing] (322) + אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן [the·Jordan] (670) + אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ [to·land·of] (322) + כְּנָֽעַן [Canaan] (190) = 3538.
Onkelos
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
Rashi
כי אתם עברים את הירדן וגו׳ והורשתם וגו׳ WHEN YOU ARE PASSED OVER THE JORDAN … YOU SHALL DRIVE OUT [ALL THE INHABITANTS] — But had they not already been admonished about this several times? But it is repeated here in this form “when you are passing over the Jordan”, and not as usual “when you come into the land” because Moses spoke thus to them: While you are passing through the Jordan on dry land, you shall pass over having this in view (that you will drive out the inhabitants), and if you do not, the waters will come and overwhelm you. And so indeed we find (Jos. 4:10) that Joshua spoke to them while they were still standing in the Jordan (Sotah 34a).
then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places.
verse value 7285
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 76 letters. The shortest word is "the·land" (הָאָ֙רֶץ֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·their·figured·objects" (אֵ֖ת כׇּל־מַשְׂכִּיֹּתָ֑ם, 10 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "all·inhabitants·of" (אֶת־כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֤י), "and·you·shall·destroy" (וְאִ֨בַּדְתֶּ֔ם), "all·their·figured·objects" (אֵ֖ת כׇּל־מַשְׂכִּיֹּתָ֑ם). The root אבד appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·land" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers); "from·before·you" (root פנים, 119x in Numbers); "all·their·figured·objects" (root כל, 98x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·their·figured·objects', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְה֨וֹרַשְׁתֶּ֜ם [and·you·shall·dispossess] (957) + אֶת־כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֤י [all·inhabitants·of] (773) + הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ [the·land] (296) + מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם [from·before·you] (240) + וְאִ֨בַּדְתֶּ֔ם [and·you·shall·destroy] (453) + אֵ֖ת כׇּל־מַשְׂכִּיֹּתָ֑ם [all·their·figured·objects] (1261) + וְאֵ֨ת כׇּל־צַלְמֵ֤י [and·all·images·of] (627) + מַסֵּֽכֹתָם֙ [their·molten·images] (560) + תְּאַבֵּ֔דוּ [you·shall·destroy] (413) + וְאֵ֥ת כׇּל־בָּמוֹתָ֖ם [and·all·their·cult·places] (945) + תַּשְׁמִֽידוּ [you·shall·demolish] (760) = 7285.
Onkelos
you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and you shall destroy all their houses of worship, and all their molten images you shall destroy, and all their high places you shall demolish.
Rashi
והורשתם means, AND YE SHALL DRIVE OUT. משכיתם — Understand this as the Targum does: THEIR SPOTS FOR WORSHIP; it is called משכית (connected with the root סכך = סכה “to cover”), because they used to cover the ground with marble stone to prostrate themselves upon it with hands and feet stretched forth, as it is said, (Leviticus 26:1): “And no stone of משכית, covering (no mosaic) shall ye put on your ground to prostrate yourself upon it” (because this is a heathen form of worship). מסכיתם — Understand this as the Targum does: their molten gods.
Ibn Ezra
"Their figured stones" (maskiyotam) — like "a stone of figures" (even maskith). "Their high places" (bamotam) — elevated sites, like "the high places of the earth" (bamotei aretz).
Or HaChaim
והורשתם את כל יושבי הארץ, "You are to drive out all the inhabitants of the land, etc." Even though the Torah says in Deut. 20, 16 that: "you must not allow a single soul (of these seven nations) to survive," in this instance the Torah does not speak of the seven Canaanite nations but about others who lived amongst them. This is the reason the Torah chose its words carefully, i.e. "all the ones who dwell in the land," that the Israelites were to drive out even those people who lived there who were not members of the seven nations. Alternatively, the Torah refers again to a nation which the Israelites do not possess the strength to kill. At least they should ensure that they would leave the land and not remain in it.
Daat Zkenim
ואבדתם את כל צלמי משכיתם, “you are to destroy all their molten images.” According to Tanchuma 8 on this verse this is what is meant in Job 35,11 מלפנו מבהמות ארץ, “who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth.” G–d told the Israelites to learn a lesson from Elijah at Mount Carmel who had asked the priests of the Baal to prepare one bullock as their sacrifice to the Baal and to wait if the Baal would respond in any manner at all. When almost the whole day had passed and no response from the Baal had been forthcoming, Elijah proceeded to dig a trench around an ancient altar that had been destroyed when the Temple in Jerusalem was built, and he filled the trench with water. He poured water over the bullock after it had been cut up three times and prayed to the Lord of Israel; fire descended from heaven and consumed the bullock and licked up all the water in the trench. (Kings I 18,32). I have heard that the size and shape of that trench was copied from what the Israelites constructed in front of the Tabernacle. The amount of water poured into that trench and over the bullock also was the same as had been used with the altar in front of the Tabernacle. How was he allowed to use jugs which had been used by the idolatrous priests of the Baal? In Kings II 3,11 Elisha, Elijah’s successor, is quoted as having been the one who poured the water on Mount Carmel for his mentor Elijah so that there is no problem of idolatrous vessels having been used. There is puzzling verse in Job 35,11: where one of Job’s friends tells him that “the Lord gives us more wisdom than the birds in the sky.” This was a reference to the ravens which had supplied Elijah with food and water when he was hiding out from King Achav. These birds did not want to enter the palace of the idolatrous king. Our author feels that this interpretation cannot be reconciled with the Talmud on that subject. (Chulin folio 5.) It is stated there that the ravens took that food from the kitchen of the King, which being under the supervision of Adoniah, (a prophet) was strictly kasher.
And you shall take possession of the land and dwell in it, for to you have I given the land to possess it.
verse value 5432
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·settle·in·it" (וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֑הּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 697: the·land, the·land. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·settle·in·it" (וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֑הּ), "to·possess" (לָרֶ֥שֶׁת). The root ירש appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·land" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers); "I·have·given" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers); "to·you" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·you·shall·settle·in·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם [and·you·shall·take·possession·of] (957) + אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ [the·land] (697) + וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֑הּ [and·you·shall·settle·in·it] (765) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + לָכֶ֛ם [to·you] (90) + נָתַ֥תִּי [I·have·given] (860) + אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ [the·land] (697) + לָרֶ֥שֶׁת [to·possess] (930) + אֹתָֽהּ [it] (406) = 5432.
Onkelos
You shall drive out the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for to you I have given the land to possess it.
Rashi
והורשתם את הארץ (lit., ye shall drive out the land) — this means: and you shall dispossess it of its inhabitants, and then, וישבתם בה YOU WILL DWELL IN IT — i.e., you will be able to remain in it, but if not, you will not be able to remain in it.
Ramban
AND YE SHALL DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, AND DWELL THEREIN; FOR UNTO YOU HAVE I GIVEN THE LAND TO POSSESS IT. In my opinion this is a positive commandment, in which He is commanding them to dwell in the Land and inherit it, because He has given it to them and they should not reject the inheritance of the Eternal. Thus if the thought occurs to them to go and conquer the land of Shinar or the land of Assyria or any other country and to settle therein, they are [thereby] transgressing the commandment of G-d. And that which our Rabbis have emphasized, the significance of the commandment of settling in the Land of Israel, and that it is forbidden to leave it [except for certain specified reasons], and [the fact] that they consider a woman who does not want to emigrate with her husband to live in the Land of Israel as a “rebellious [wife],” and likewise the man — the source of all these statements is here [in this verse] where we have been given this commandment, for this verse constitutes a positive commandment. This commandment He repeats in many places, such as Go in and possess the Land. Rashi, however, explained: “And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the Land — [if] you dispossess it of its inhabitants, then ye will be able to dwell therein, and to remain there, but if not, you will not be able to remain in it.” But our interpretation [of the verse] is the principal one.
Sforno
והורשתם את הארץ, when you will wipe out the present inhabitants of that land your children will thereby acquire the right to treat it as their ancestral heritage. If you fail to drive out or wipe out the local population, the land will not become your heritage even though you have conquered it.
Or HaChaim
והורשתם את הארץ וישבתם בה, "and you will take possession of the land and dwell in it, etc." Rashi explains that the commandment is to drive out the people, whereas the words: "you will dwell in it" are a promise; Nachmanides explains that the commandment is to dwell in the land and that this verse is the halachic basis for Ketuvot 110 that הכל מעלין לארץ ישראל, "that one may force all the members of one's household to migrate to the land of Israel." It would appear that Rashi referred to the plain meaning of the verse considering the conclusion of the verse which says: "for I have given it to you to dispossesss it (of its inhabitants)." If the commandment had been the dwelling in the land, the Torah should have indicated this by writing "for I have given it to you to dwell in it."
Rabbeinu Bahya
והורשתם את הארץ, “you shall drive out the land.” The meaning is to drive out the inhabitants of the land. Once you have done this, you will be able to settle in it. If you fail to drive out the present inhabitants you will not be able to stay in the land for long.
Tur HaArokh
והורשתם את הארץ וישבתם בה, “you will take possession of the land and dwell thereon.” According to the opinion of Nachmanides this verse is one of the positive commandments in the Torah. This means that if, for some reason, the people would decide to conquer a different land and to settle there, they would be in violation of this positive commandment to settle in the Holy Land. The commandment to take possession of the Holy Land and to settle thereon is deemed so important that the Torah repeats it on several occasions. This is the reason why our sages stated that anyone leaving the Holy Land to take up residence elsewhere is equivalent to having chosen for himself an alien deity. (Ketuvot 110) Our sages deal at length with the subject of a wife who refuses to accompany her husband to the Holy Land, etc. The same debate is conducted if the wife wants to settle in the land of Israel and her husband refuses. Rashi does not interpret the words והורשתם את הארץ in the same manner, but sees the whole verse as describing the circumstances that make our settling in the land of Israel possible, i.e. taking possession of it, being undisputed owners. According to Rashi, unless we are in physical possession of that land, our living there will always be of a temporary nature.
And you shall inherit the land by lot according to your families—to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance; wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall you inherit.
verse value 9295 — ל֥וֹ = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 100 letters. Notable word values: "for·it" (ל֥וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 9295 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to" (אֶל֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "by·your·clans" (לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 895: its·share, its·share. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·apportion" (וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩), "by·your·clans" (לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם), "by·tribes·of" (לְמַטּ֥וֹת). The root נחל appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "the·land" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers); "to" (root איל, 111x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'it·shall·be', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 3 words.
Onkelos
You shall apportion the land by lot among your clans; to the more numerous you shall increase their inheritance, and to the fewer you shall diminish their inheritance — wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his; you shall apportion it according to the tribes of your fathers.
Rashi
אל אשר יצא לו שמה — This is an elliptical verse, the meaning being, the place where the lot falleth to anyone, that shall be his. למטות אבותיכם ACCORDING TO THE TRIBES OF YOUR FATHERS [YE SHALL DIVIDE INHERITANCE] — i.e., according to the number of those who came out of Egypt (Bava Batra 117a; cf. Rashi on Numbers 26:55). Another explanation: ye shall divide it into twelve districts, as is the number of the tribes.
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall take possession" (ve-hit'nahaltem) — like "and you shall mark out" (ve-hit'avitem), the object being the land. The meaning of mentioning "to the many you shall increase" is to attach to it what follows: "but if you do not drive them out."
Kli Yakar
And you shall inherit the land by lot. In this verse, the commentators had great difficulty, noting that the beginning of the passage speaks about destroying the nations and their molten images, and similarly the end of the passage states But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, etc. How then does the verse And you shall inherit the land fit between these connected matters? I say there is no difficulty at all because in the destruction of images and high places and the expulsion of all the nations, God imposed a great task upon Israel, and there are two concerns to worry about: First, that it would become like “a pot belonging to partners” [where responsibility is diffused] and this commandment would be neglected because each person would say, “The commandment of elimination can be fulfilled by others.” Second, that it would cause conflict among the tribes because each one would choose the lesser evil — a place where there aren’t many images and idols. Therefore, He inserted within this matter the verse And you shall inherit the land by lot, because this eliminates all these concerns.
But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those that you let remain of them shall be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land in which you dwell.
verse value 7607 — וְהָיָה֙ = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּֽהּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·your·eyes" (בְּעֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: those·whom, in·which. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "you·dispossess" (תוֹרִ֜ישׁוּ), "inhabitants·of" (אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י), "you·allow·to·remain" (תּוֹתִ֣ירוּ). The root ישב appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "those·whom" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "if·not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·sides', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Onkelos
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, those whom you allow to remain among you shall be as armed bands bearing weapons against you and as encampments surrounding you, and they shall distress you in the land in which you dwell.
Rashi
והיה אשר תותירו מהם THEN IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT THOSE WHOM YE LEAVE OF THEM shall be a misfortune for you. לשכים AS שכים IN YOUR EYES — as pins which prick out your eyes: the Targum translation of יתדות pins or pegs, is שיכיא (cf. e. g., Exodus 27:19). ולצנינים — The lexicographers explain it in the sense of a hedge of thorns (צנינים is another form of צנים) so that the meaning here is: they will become as something which hedges you in, enclosing and imprisoning you in order that none can go forth nor come in (cf. Rashi on Joshua 23:13) (The meaning is they will hedge you in on all sides בצדיכם. וצררו אתכם — Understand this as the Targum does: (“and they will distress you”).
Ramban
L’SIKIM’ IN YOUR EYES — “‘like pins’ which prick out your eyes. The [Aramaic] Targum [Onkelos] of the Hebrew word yetheidoth (pins) is sikim. ‘V’LITZNINIM.’ Translators have interpreted this [word] in the sense of [the phrase] mesuchath (hedged by) thorns encircling you so that they enclose and imprison you and you cannot go out or come in.” This is Rashi’s language. Now it is [indeed] clear that sikim means “sharp thorns,” and is related to [the expression]: I will take away ‘mesukatho’ (the hedge thereof); I will ‘sach’ (hedge up) thy way with thorns; Hast Thou not ‘sachta’ (made a hedge) about him?; and put ‘sakin’ to thy throat — [all these phrases referring to] something sharp, made from a thorn or from iron. V’litzninim is likewise [a term for] a piercing thorn related to the expression: and taketh it even ‘mitzinim’ out of the thorns); ‘tzinim’ (thorns) and snares are in the way of the crooked, and [the word tzinim in these two verses] lacks the double letter [‘nun,’ since the full word is tzninim, as in the verse before us]. But the intention of [the expression here] ‘l’sikim’ in your eyes is: “to mislead you so that you will not see nor understand,” just as in [the expression], for the bribe ‘blindeth’ the open-eyed, and as, nor put a stumbling-block before ‘the blind,’ according to the opinion of our Rabbis. Thus the verse is saying that they [the inhabitants of the Land] will “prick out” your eyes by misleading you, because you will not perceive nor understand [the danger], and they will teach you [to do] all their abominations and to worship their gods, just as He said, They shall not dwell in thy Land, lest they make thee sin against Me, for thou wilt serve their gods. After being thorns in your eyes and misleading you to turn away from Me, they will be pricks in your sides, causing you suffering and pain, by plundering and despoiling you. And after that they shall harass you, meaning that they will fight against you and bring you under siege, and I will then send you into exile, a whole captivity, in their place. For as I thought to do unto them because of you, that is, to send all of them into exile from the Land, so that you should leave none of them any more there, but you have not hearkened to My voice, therefore so will I do unto you and I will leave not a single one of you in the Land. In a similar way Joshua said: And they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and scourge in your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good Land. Joshua said a snare and a trap referring to the errors into which they will lead you, as in [the expression], for thou wilt serve their gods — for they will be ‘a snare’ unto thee; and a scourge in your sides which means that they will chastise you with shotim (whips) so that they may plunder, despoil and cause you great suffering; and pricks in your eyes, this refers to blinding of the perception of the heart, so as to further mislead you after their gods; until ye perish fr...
Ibn Ezra
"As thorns" (le-sikhim) — sharp thorns, from the root of "remove his thicket" (haser misukato); and [compare] "I will hedge your way with thorns" (hineni sakh et darkekh ba-sirim). "And as pricks" (le-tzninim) — its meaning in context is like "and as scourges in your sides," referring to blows of a whip, or [else] sharp thorns like "thorns and snares" (tzanim pachim). There is yet another explanation: that the verse is setting for them the boundary of their inheritance, [teaching] that they are obligated to drive out the inhabitants of the land from there.
Or HaChaim
ואם לא תורישו את יושבי הארץ, "And if you will fail to drive out the inhabitants of the land, etc." According to Megillah 10 which says that wherever the word והיה occurs it alludes to something joyful, the meaning of the word here would be that although the reason the Israelites would decide to allow some of these inhabitants to remain would be in order that they perform menial duties for them, etc., i.e. in order to enjoy their services, G'd would see to it that instead these remaining inhabitants would prove to be thorns in their eyes and pricks in their sides and that these foreigners would harass the new owners. וצררו אתכם על הארץ, "and they shall harass you in the land, etc." The Torah means that not only will they harass you in the part of the land that you did not drive them out of, but they will harass you even in the parts of the country which you have conquered and driven them out of and which you have settled. They will challenge you to leave what they consider to be their country. The meaning of the word על in this context is similar to Numbers 20,24: על אשר מריתם את פי, "because you have rebelled against My word." We have a similar meaning of the word על in Deut. 32,51.
Chizkuni
.לשכים בעיניכם, “as thorns in your eyes.” This expression also appears in this sense in Proverbs 15,19: כמשוכת חדק, “like thorns in a hedge.” ולצנינים, “and as pricks;” Compare Proverbs 22,5, צנים פחים.
Tur HaArokh
לשכים בעיניכם ולצנינים בצדיכם, “as pins in your eyes and as thorns in your sides.” They will be as thorns in your eyes that prick you and make you blind, as a result of which you will constantly be misled so that you will not be able to learn from your past mistakes and will learn to copy the evil ways of these pagans, as a result of which they will harass you in your own country. Because of your being disloyal to Me, I will expel you from the Holy Land. Ultimately, the land will become “Judenrein,” devoid of any Jews.
Rashbam
לשכים בעיניכם, an expression describing thorns and thistles. These pierce one’s eyes as described in Hoseah 2,8 הנני סך את דרכך בסירים, “here I am going to hedge up her roads with thorns.” We have further support for this in the Book of Joshua 23,13 והיו לכם לפח ולמוקש ולשוטט בצדיכם ולצנינים בעיניכם, “they shall become a snare and a trap for you, a scourge to your sides and thorns in your eyes.” We have a similar threat uttered by Rechavam Solomon’s son who told the people: “my father disciplined you with whips, whereas I intend to flog you with scorpions” (Kings I 12,11). ולצנינים, anothet kind of thorns that are harmful to human beings. Menachem ben Srok understands Job 5,5 speaking of מצנים יקחהו ואל as referring to picking some harvest between the thorns and thistles, whereas I believe that the correct meaning of the word is connected to snow, i.e. צנת שלג as in Proverbs 25,13 coldness of snow. Accordingly, the meaning of the line in Job would be that “when one is forced to harvest among thorns and to slake one’s thirst by swallowing one’s own wealth, the robbers who are hungry and the naked who are thirsty will devour one’s money. [Job is expressing his frustration with the day he was born,] Our author understands the word צינים there as referring to the naked.
And it shall come to pass, that as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you."
verse value 2358 — וְהָיָ֗ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2358 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·planned" (דִּמִּ֛יתִי, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "I·planned" (דִּמִּ֛יתִי). The root עשה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "to·do" (root עשה, 127x in Numbers). Full calculation: וְהָיָ֗ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר [as] (521) + דִּמִּ֛יתִי [I·planned] (464) + לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת [to·do] (806) + לָהֶ֖ם [to·them] (75) + אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה [I·will·do] (376) + לָכֶֽם [to·you] (90) = 2358.
Onkelos
And it shall be that as I had intended to do to them, I will do to you.
Sforno
והיה כאשר דמיתי לעשות להם אעשה לכם, for you will surely follow their religious cult, which will result in your expulsion or death.
Or HaChaim
כאשר דמיתי לעשות להם, "as I meant to do unto them, etc." My commandment was meant for your benefit. Seeing you have not fulfilled it, My commandment remains unfulfilled; I therefore have no choice but to fulfil it in respect of these people you have left in the land.
Rashbam
כאשר דמיתי, as I had imagined to myself. לעשות להם, I had commanded you not to allow a soul to survive, (Deuteronomy 20,16) whereas you have allowed them not only to survive but have kept them alive. אעשה לכם, I will do unto you, not to keep you alive. [the punishment would match the crime. Ed.]
Onkelos
Rashi
Ramban
Ibn Ezra
Sforno
Or HaChaim
Chizkuni
Rabbeinu Bahya
Kli Yakar
Tur HaArokh
Rashbam