| 14Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying, “So says Israel, your brother: You know of all the hardship that has befallen us. |
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ידוַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח משֶׁ֧ה מַלְאָכִ֛ים מִקָּדֵ֖שׁ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ אֱד֑וֹם כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אָחִ֣יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מְצָאָֽתְנוּ: |
| אָחִיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל - Israel, your brother. Why did he see fit to mention their brotherhood here? Only because he was telling him: “We are brothers, descendants of Abraham, to whom it was said: ‘your descendants will be foreigners,’ and the obligation to pay this debt was on both of us.” |
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אָחִיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
מָה רָאָה לְהַזְכִּיר כָּאן אַחֲוָה? אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ אַחִים אֲנַחְנוּ, בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ" (בראשית ט"ו), וְעַל שְׁנֵינוּ הָיָה אוֹתוֹ הַחוֹב לְפָרְעוֹ (תנחומא):
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| אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָה - You know of all the hardship - for this reason your father moved away from our father, as it says: “he moved to another region, away from his brother Jacob,” i.e., because of this “bill of debt” incumbent on them, freeing himself of its responsibility and leaving it imposed upon Jacob alone. |
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אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָה.
לְפִיכָךְ פֵּרֵשׁ אֲבִיכֶם מֵעַל אָבִינוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ מִפְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אָחִיו" (בראשית ל״ו:ו׳) — מִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁטָר חוֹב הַמֻּטָּל עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהִטִּילוֹ עַל יַעֲקֹב:
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| 15Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt for a long time. And the Egyptians mistreated us and our forefathers. |
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טווַיֵּֽרְד֤וּ אֲבֹתֵ֨ינוּ֙ מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַנֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וַיָּרֵ֥עוּ לָ֛נוּ מִצְרַ֖יִם וְלַֽאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ: |
| וַיָּרֵעוּ לָנוּ - Mistreated us - i.e., we underwent many troubles. |
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וַיָּרֵעוּ לָנוּ.
סָבַלְנוּ צָרוֹת רַבּוֹת:
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| וְלַֽאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ - And our forefathers. From here we derive that the patriarchs suffer in the grave when misfortune comes upon Israel. |
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וְלַֽאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ.
מִכָּאן שֶׁהָאָבוֹת מִצְטַעֲרִים בַּקֶּבֶר כְּשֶׁפֻּרְעָנוּת בָּאָה עַל יִשְֹרָאֵל (עי' תנחומא):
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| 16We cried out to God and He heard our voice. He sent an emissary, and he took us out of Egypt. Now we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. |
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טזוַנִּצְעַ֤ק אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָ֔ךְ וַיֹּֽצִאֵ֖נוּ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וְהִנֵּה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בְקָדֵ֔שׁ עִ֖יר קְצֵ֥ה גְבוּלֶֽךָ: |
| וַיִּשְׁמַע קֹלֵנוּ - And He heard our voice - through the blessing with which our ancestor Isaac blessed us: “The voice is the voice of Jacob,” i.e., that when we cry out to God, we be answered. |
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וַיִּשְׁמַע קֹלֵנוּ.
בַּבְּרָכָה שֶׁבֵּרְכָנוּ אָבִינוּ "הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב", שֶׁאָנוּ צוֹעֲקִים וְנַעֲנִים (תנחומא בשלח):
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| מַלְאָךְ - An emissary. This refers to Moses. From here we see that the prophets are called מַלְאָכִים; and similarly, it says: “they would mock the messengers of (מַלְאֲכֵי) God.” |
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מַלְאָךְ.
זֶה מֹשֶׁה, מִכָּאן שֶׁהַנְּבִיאִים קְרוּאִים מַלְאָכִים, וְאוֹמֵר "וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְעִבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" (דברי הימים ב' ל"ו):
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| 17Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink well-water. We will walk along the king’s road, and we will turn neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory.” |
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יזנַעְבְּרָה־נָּ֣א בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ לֹ֤א נַֽעֲבֹר֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה וּבְכֶ֔רֶם וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה מֵ֣י בְאֵ֑ר דֶּ֧רֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ נֵלֵ֗ךְ לֹ֤א נִטֶּה֙ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֔אול עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־נַֽעֲבֹ֖ר גְּבֻלֶֽךָ: |
| נַעְבְּרָה־נָּא בְאַרְצֶךָ - Please let us pass through your land. You cannot object to us claiming exclusive inheritance of the Land of Israel, for you did not settle your portion of the debt of exile. So give us a little assistance by allowing us to pass through your land. |
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נַעְבְּרָה־נָּא בְאַרְצֶךָ.
אֵין לְךָ לְעוֹרֵר עַל הַיְרֻשָּׁה שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁלֹּא פָרַעְתָּ הַחוֹב, עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ עֵזֶר מְעַט לַעֲבֹר דֶּרֶךְ אַרְצְךָ:
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| וְלֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מֵי בְאֵר - (lit.) Nor will we drink water of a well. Surely, he should have said מֵי בוֹרוֹת “water of wells,” in the plural! The singular is used only because this is what Moses was saying: “Even though we have the manna to eat and a well from which to drink, we will not drink from it; rather, we will buy food and water from you, so that you benefit from our passage through your land.” From here we learn that one who lodges at an inn, even though he has food with him, should buy from the storekeeper in order that his host may benefit. |
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וְלֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מֵי בְאֵר.
מֵי בוֹרוֹת הָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר, אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדֵנוּ מָן לֶאֱכֹל וּבְאֵר לִשְׁתּוֹת, לֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ, אֶלָּא נִקְנֶה מִכֶּם אֹכֶל וּמַיִם לַהֲנָאַתְכֶם, מִכָּאן לְאַכְסְנַאי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לֶאֱכֹל יִקְנֶה מִן הַחֶנְוָנִי, כְּדֵי לְהַנּוֹת אֶת אֻשְׁפִּיזוֹ (תנחומא):
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| דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ נֵלֵךְ וגו' - We will walk along the king’s road… We will muzzle our animals so they not stray to either side to eat. |
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דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ נֵלֵךְ וגו'.
אָנוּ חוֹסְמִים אֶת בְּהֶמְתֵּנוּ וְלֹא יִטּוּ לְכָאן וּלְכָאן לֶאֱכֹל (שם):
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| 18Edom replied to them, “You will not pass through my country, lest I go out to greet you with the sword!” |
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יחוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱד֔וֹם לֹ֥א תַֽעֲבֹ֖ר בִּ֑י פֶּן־בַּחֶ֖רֶב אֵצֵ֥א לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ: |
| פֶּן־בַּחֶרֶב אֵצֵא לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ - Lest I go out to greet you with the sword. Just as you pride yourselves with the power of voice that your ancestor bequeathed to you, as you said: “We cried out to God and He heard our voice,” I will come out against you with the power that my ancestor bequeathed to me: “You will live by your sword.” |
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פֶּן־בַּחֶרֶב אֵצֵא לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ.
אַתֶּם מִתְגָּאִים בְּקוֹל שֶׁהוֹרִישְׁכֶם אֲבִיכֶם וְאוֹמְרִים "וַנִּצְעַק אֶל ה' וַיִּשְׁמַע קֹלֵנוּ", וַאֲנִי אֵצֵא עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמַה שֶּׁהוֹרִישֵׁנִי אָבִי "וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה" (בראשית כ"ז):
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| 19The Israelites said to them, “We will keep to the highway, and if either we or our cattle drink your water, we will pay its price. There is really nothing to fear; we will pass through on foot.” |
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יטוַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֥יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה נַֽעֲלֶה֒ וְאִם־מֵימֶ֤יךָ נִשְׁתֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י וּמִקְנַ֔י וְנָֽתַתִּ֖י מִכְרָ֑ם רַ֥ק אֵין־דָּבָ֖ר בְּרַגְלַ֥י אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה: |
| רַק אֵין־דָּבָר - (lit.) Only there is nothing - means: there is absolutely nothing that can harm you. |
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רַק אֵין־דָּבָר.
אֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר מַזִּיקְךָ:
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| 20But he said, “You will not pass through!” and Edom came out to greet them with a vast force and a strong hand. |
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כוַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַֽעֲבֹ֑ר וַיֵּצֵ֤א אֱדוֹם֙ לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּעַ֥ם כָּבֵ֖ד וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה: |
| וּבְיָד חֲזָקָֽה - And a strong hand - relying on our ancestor’s promise: “the hands are the hands of Esau.” |
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וּבְיָד חֲזָקָֽה.
בְּהַבְטָחַת זְקֵנֵנוּ "וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו" (שם):
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| 21Edom refused to allow Israel to cross through its territory. So Israel turned away from them. |
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כאוַיְמָאֵ֣ן | אֱד֗וֹם נְתֹן֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עֲבֹ֖ר בִּגְבֻל֑וֹ וַיֵּ֥ט יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵֽעָלָֽיו: |
