Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 12/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ב
אותדבר מרים. היא דברה גם אהרן הסכים או החריש על כן נענש:
1AND MIRIAM…SPOKE. Miriam spoke. Aaron agreed or was silent.1 is to be interpreted: And Miriam spoke against Moses, and Aaron remained silent (or agreed). I.E. interprets thus because our verse reads, va-tedabber miriam ve-aharon.
בוטעם ותדבר. עם בי"ת דרך גנאי כמו וידבר העם באלהים גם ימצא לשבח גם בדרך נבואה. יש אומרים כי משה מלך על כוש ולקח כושית והמתרגם אמר שפירתא וטעמו לשון כבוד כאשר יקראו הישמעאלים לזפת הלבן גם אנחנו נקרא העור סגי נהור. והנה לא יתכן שנקרא שם שהוא לשבח להפכו לגנאי ויש אומרים כי כוש בן ימיני הוא שאול וכן הלא כבני כושיים וכבר פירשתיו והישר בעיני שזו הכושית היא צפורה כי היא מדינית ומדינים הם ישמעאלים והם דרים באהלים וכן כתוב ירגזון יריעות ארץ מדין ובעבור חום השמש אין להם לבן כלל וצפורה היתה שחורה ודומה לכושית:
2Now va-tedabber is in the feminine. Thus our verse is to be rendered, And Miriam spoke, and Aaron. If both spoke, then our text should have read, va-yedabberu miriam ve-aharon. Hence he was also punished.Va-tedabber (spoke) is followed by a bet2 (And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses). and has a negative connotation. It is similar to va-yedabber ha-am be-Elohim (And the people spoke against God) (Num. 21:5). The verb dabber (spoke) followed by a bet is also found with a positive connotation.3 (adabberah): Peace be within thee (bakh) (Ps. 122:8). It also appears in prophetic statements.4 (II Sam. 23:2). Some say that Moses was king of Cush5 and took a Cushite woman.6 on Shemot 168; 247. Onkelos renders Cushite, beautiful.7 (the Cushite woman) as the beautiful women (ittetah shappirtah). According to Onkelos, Cushite is an honorific term. The Arabs similarly call pitch white. We too refer to a blind person by the term sege nahor (rich of light).8 58a. But it is illogical9 to turn a positive name into a negative one.10 Some say that Cush the Benjaminite (Ps. 7:1) refers to Saul.11. See Rashi and I.E. on Ps. 7:1. They say the same with regard to Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians (Khushiyyim) unto Me (Amos 9:7).12 I have already explained this.13I believe that the Cushite woman is to be identified with Zipporah, for Zipporah was a Midianite.14 The Midianites are Ishmaelites15 and they live in tents.16 Scripture similarly writes: The curtains17 of the land of Midian do tremble (Hab. 3:7). Because of the sun18 they do not have any whiteness at all. Zipporah was black and was like a Cushite.
גוטעם כי אשה כשית לקח. זה הדבור שדברה מרים ומה נכבד דברי קדמונינו שאמרו על הזקנים אשריהם ואוי לנשיהם והנה חשדו משה כי לא נמנע לשכב עם צפורה רק בעבור שאיננה יפה:
3[FOR HE HAD MARRIED A CUSHITE WOMAN.] These are the words that Miriam spoke. How precious are the words of the ancients who said with regard to the elders, “Happy are they, but woe to their wives.”19 17b; Sifre, Devarim 99; and Yalkut Shimoni, Devarim 738. They suspected that Moses refrained from sleeping with Zipporah only because she was not beautiful.20 is to be understood as: because he refrained from sleeping with her because she was a Cushite.
אויאמרו הרק אך במשה. הביאה ראיה כי לא עשה זה לקדושת השם כי הם היו נביאים ואין המשכב אסור להם:
1AND THEY SAID: HATH THE LORD INDEED SPOKEN ONLY WITH MOSES? Miriam offered proof that Moses did not act in this manner because of the sanctity of God, for they too were prophets and they were not prohibited from engaging in sexual intercourse.
בהרק אך. והאחד יספיק רק הוא דרך צחות כמו המבלי אין קברים:
2ONLY WITH. Scripture reads, ha-rak akh.21 means only; so does akh. Thus our clause, which reads ha-rak akh be-mosheh dibber Adonai, literally reads: Hath the Lord spoken only only with Moses. Hence I.E.’s comment. One term22 or akh. Our text should have read, ha-rak be-mosheh, or ha-akh be-mosheh. would have sufficed. However, Scripture is employing elegant language.23 Compare, ha-mi-mi-beli en kevarim (because there were no graves) (Ex. 14:11).24 and en mean the same thing. See I.E. on Ex. 14:11 (Vol. 2, p. 277).
גוישמע ה'. ואם דברו בסתר:
3AND THE LORD HEARD IT. Even though they spoke in secret.25
אענו מאד. במשקל שלו והטעם שלא בקש גדולה על אחיו:
1WAS VERY MEEK. The word anav26. (meek) is similar to the word shalev27. (at peace) (Job 16:12).28. In both words a vav has been substituted for a heh. Its meaning is that Moses did not seek honor over his brother.29
אפתאום. המ"ם נוסף כמ"ם שלשום והוא מגזרת פתי דבר שלא עלה על לב:
1SUDDENLY. The mem of pitom (suddenly) is superfluous. It is like the mem of shilshom (three days ago).30 of which is superfluous. Pitom is related to peti (a thoughtless one) (Prov. 9:4). It refers to something that one did not think of.31 is a person who does not anticipate the consequences of his acts. Similarly, the word pitom (suddenly) means unanticipated.
בצאו שלשתכם ויצאו שלשתם. כל אחד מאהלו והנה דרך כלל ואחר כן פרט וירד ה' בעמוד ענן ויקרא אהרן ומרים ומשה שומע:
2COME OUT YE THREE UNTO THE TENT OF MEETING. Each one from his tent. Scripture first speaks generally.32 is a general statement. It then goes into detail, namely, And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud…and called Aaron and Miriam (v. 5), and Moses heard.33
אשמעו נא. כמו עתה:
1HEAR NOW MY WORDS. The word na means now.34
בנביאכם. מי שיהיה מכם נביא ה':
2A PROPHET AMONG YOU. If there be a prophet of God among you.35, which literally means your prophet. In this case, our verse reads, if your prophet will be. However, this reading makes no sense within the context of our verse. Hence I.E. maintains that im yiheyeh nevi’akhem be rendered, if there be a prophet among you.
גבמראה. פירושו אם היה נביאכם שהוא נביא ה' כמו והנבואה עודד הנביא האהלה שרה אמו כסאך אלהים עולם:
3IN A VISION The meaning of im yiheyeh nevi’akhem Adonai36 (if there be a prophet among you, I the Lord) is, if there be a prophet, one who is a prophet of God among you.37 should be read as if written nevi’akhem nevi Adonai. Compare, ve-hanevu’ah oded ha-navi38 (even the prophecy, prophecy of Oded the prophet), for the word nevu’ah has a definite article prefixed to it and thus cannot be in the construct with oded. See I.E. on Gen. 2:9 (Vol. 1, p. 54). (even the prophecy of Oded the prophet (II Chron. 15:8); and ha-ohelah sarah immo (his mother Sarah’s tent) (Gen. 24:67);39 (the tent, tent of Sarah his mother). See I.E. on Gen. 24:67 (Vol. 1, p. 243). and kisakha Elohim olam40 (Thy Throne, Throne of God for ever). See I.E. on Gen. 24:67 (Vol. 1, p. 243). (Thy throne given of God is for ever) (Ps. 45:7).
דבמראה. במראות הלילה:
4IN A VISION. In the visions of the night.
הבחלום אדבר בו. כפול כדרך הנבואות:
5I DO SPEAK WITH HIM IN A DREAM. Scripture repeats itself as is its style in prophecies.41 repeats I…do make myself known unto him in a vision.
אבכל ביתי נאמן הוא. טעמו כבן בית שיכנס בלא רשות ואם יצטרך ידבר צרכיו ואתם כאשר אתודע לכם בחלום תדעו ואם לא אין לכם רשות לשאול:
1HE IS TRUSTED IN ALL MY HOUSE. It means that Moses is, at it were, a member of My house. He enters without permission. If necessary he states his needs. However, in your case when I make myself known to you in a dream, then you are informed. If not, then you have no permission to ask.
אפה אל פה אדבר בו. הטעם בלא אמצעי:
1WITH HIM DO I SPEAK MOUTH TO MOUTH. The meaning is, I speak to him without an intermediary.42
בבמראה ולא בחידות. הטעם שאראה לו הדבור כאשר הוא כצורת המשכן:
2EVEN MANIFESTLY, AND NOT IN DARK SPEECHES. This means I illustrate my word to him as I did when I commanded the erection of the tabernacle.43.
גולא בחידת. כמו הנשר הגדול:
3AND NOT IN DARK SPEECHES. Compare, A great eagle (…Came unto Lebanon, And took the top of the cedar) (Ezek. 17:3).
דותמונת ה' יביט. כטעם הראני נא את כבודך או שהוא בהקיץ:
4AND THE SIMILITUDE OF THE LORD DOTH HE BEHOLD. As in the case of Show me, I pray Thee, Thy glory (Ex. 33:18).44 Or its meaning is45. that God communicates with Moses when Moses is awake.
אוילך. הכבוד והעד והענן סר:
1AND HE DEPARTED. The reference is to God’s glory. And when the cloud was removed46 (v. 10) proves this.
אמעל האהל. מעל פתח האהל:
1FROM OVER THE TENT. From over the opening of the tent.47
בוהנה מצורעת. תחסר מלת היא כמו כאשר קאה:
2AND…BEHOLD, MIRIAM WAS LEPROUS. Ve-hinneh metzora’at48 is to be rendered, and behold, “she” [Miriam] was leprous.49 is to be read as if written, ve-hinneh hi metzora’at. Compare, ka’asher ka’ah50, for ka’asher ka’ah means as spit out. (as it vomited out) (Lev. 18:28).
אבי אדני. פירשתיו:
1OH MY LORD. I have already explained the meaning of bi adoni (Oh my lord).51 is an expression introducing a request, or the phase of bi adoni is short for: upon me (bi), my lord, is the sin. See I.E. on Gen. 43:20 (Vol. 1, p. 392); and Ex. 4:10 (Vol. 2, p. 99).
באל נא. אל עתה:
2LAY NOT, I PRAY THEE. The meaning of al na52 means now. Hence his comment. (…not, I pray thee) is, now, do not.53
גנואלנו. מבנין נפעל ואין לו ריע כי אם נואלו שרי צאן ויש אומרים שהוא הפוך מאולת קשורה וטעמו ידוע:
3WE HAVE DONE FOOLISHLY. The word no’alnu (we have done foolishly) is a nifal. It has no cognate54 does not appear in Scripture with the meaning of foolishness except when it is in the nifal form. It has a different meaning in the hifil. See Filwarg. except for the word no’alu (are become fools)55 forms. See Jer. 5:4 (Filwarg). in The princes of Zoan are become fools (Is. 19:13). Some say that the root of no’alnu56 comes from the root yod, alef, lamed. was formed by inverting the root ivvelet57 (yod), lamed. (foolishness). Compare, Foolishness is bound up (Prov. 22:15) (in the heart of a child). The meaning of no’alnu is known.58
אאל נא תהי כמת. אל עתה תהיה אחותינו כנפל המת כאשר יצא מבטן אמו נאכל חצי בשרו וכן בשר המצורע ואין צורך לתיקון סופרים:
1LET HER NOT, I PRAY, BE AS ONE DEAD. Let our sister not now be as a stillborn child, half of whose flesh is consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb. The same is true of the flesh of a leper.59 There is no need for a scribal emendation.60 should be read as if written our mother’s womb, and “half of his flesh” as if it read half our flesh, for Scripture employed the third rather than the first person plural because it wanted to avoid using non-flattering language regarding Moses and Aaron. See Sifre debe Rav, Be-Ha’alotekha 105. Also see Rashi on our verse. I.E. apparently believes that the Midrash was of the opinion that the scribes changed the original text of the Torah from the first person to the third person. He disagrees and maintains that there is no need to change the reading when interpreting our verse.
אויצעק משה. זה יורה שהיה בצער על אחותו:
1AND MOSES CRIED. This shows that Moses was pained because of what happened to his sister.
באל. אתה שיש הגבורה בידך עתה רפא עתה לה על כן השיב השם ואביה ואילו אביה כעס עליה וירק בפניה הלא תכלם לראות פניו שבעת ימים:
2O GOD. You who hold the power in Your hands,61. According to I.E. this name alludes to God’s power. heal her now. God therefore answered him as follows: If her father was angry at her and spat in her face, would she not hide in shame from seeing his face for seven days?
אתסגר. כמו המצורעים שלא יזיקו אחרים:
1SHUT UP. As lepers are, so that they do not harm others.62
בואחר תאסף. תחשב מהיישוב וכן ואספתו מצרעתו ואחר שבאה אל המחנה נסעו העם מחצרות:
2AND AFTER THAT SHE SHALL BE BROUGHT IN AGAIN. Ve-acher te’asef (and after that she shall be brought in again) means she shall once again be considered as a member of the community. Va-asafto (and you shall bring him in) in and you shall bring him in from his leprosy (II Kings 5:3) is similar. After Miriam returned to the camp, the people journeyed from Hazeroth.
אויחנו במדבר פארן. על דעת רבים שהענן היה שם בעבור שמצאו וישכן הענן במדבר פארן ויפרשו הענן סר מעל האהל כמשמעו ולפי דעתי אין זה הפירוש נכון:
1AND PITCHED IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN. Many believe that the cloud was there.63 They interpret thus because they found Scripture stating and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran (Num. 10:12).64 They interpret And when the cloud was removed from over the Tent (v. 10) literally.65 However, I believe that this is not the correct meaning.66