Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 11:20/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״א:כ׳
אחדש ימים. פירשתיו שישוב ערך הלבנה באורה כאשר היתה וכן שנתים ימים:
1BUT A WHOLE MONTH. I have already explained the meaning of the word chodesh yamim (a whole month).83 The phrase chodesh yamim alludes to the time that it takes for the moon’s light to return to its original amount.84 Shenatayim yamim (two full years) (Gen. 41:1) is similar to chodesh yamim.85
בוטעם מאפכם. כי הריח באף ויצא הריח ממנ' ולא ימצא:
2[AT YOUR NOSTRILS.]86 (at your nostrils) literally means from your nostrils. Hence I.E.’s comments. The sense of smell is located in the nose. The sense of smell will depart from your nostrils, and will not be found there.87
גלזרא. באל"ף תחת ה"א כמו קראן לי מרא כי אותיות אהו"י מתחלפין וטעם לזרא. הוא דבר זר נתעב לתולדת שלא הרגיל אדם בו:
3AND IT BE LOATHSOME. The word le-zara is spelled with an alef88 in place of the heh. Compare, mara in call me Mara89 in place of a heh at the end of the word. (Ruth 1:20), for the letters alef, heh, vav, yod interchange. The word zara (loathsome) refers to something which is strange90. and abhorrent to the nature of a person who is not used to it.