Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 9/אבן עזרא על במדבר ט׳

אויהי אנשים. לא יתכן שיהיה מחנה ישראל גדול ושלא ימותו שם מתים בכל יום:

1BUT THERE WERE CERTAIN MEN. It is impossible for a camp to be big as that of the Israelites without people dying every day.

אלמה נגרע. מבנין נפעל:

1WHEREFORE ARE WE TO BE KEPT BACK. Niggara (kept back) is a nifal.

אעמדו. פתח אהל מועד:

1STAY YE. At the opening of the tent of meeting.

אאו בדרך רחוקה. אין לחפש כי כבר העתיקי חז"ל כמה היא הרחוקה:

1IN A JOURNEY AFAR OFF. We do not have to search for the meaning of this phrase, for our sages have already transmitted to us the meaning of afar off.¹. 9:2, afar off means outside of the threshold of the temple courtyard. For other opinions see Pes. 9:2.

בלכם. לטמא נפש:

2OF YOU. This refers to being unclean by reason of a dead body.

גאו לדורותיכם. בטמא נפש ודרך רחוקה:

3OR OF YOUR GENERATIONS. This refers to both a person who is unclean by reason of a dead body and to one in a journey far off.

אובדרך לא היה. או בדרך וכן ומכה אביו ואמו:

1AND IS NOT ON A JOURNEY. U-ve-derekh (and on a journey) is to be rendered, or is on a journey.² of u-ve-derekh is to be rendered “or,” not “and.” I.E. comments thus because he believes that the law of being far off did not apply in the wilderness (I.E. on verse 10). Hence he reads our verse as follows: But the man that is unclean in the wilderness, and is on a journey in future generations. So Filwarg. For additional interpretations see Krinsky and Avi Ezri. U-makkeh aviv ve-immo (and he that smiteth his father, or his mother)³ (Ex. 21:15) is similar.⁴

בחטאו ישא. הוא בעצמו:

2SHALL BEAR HIS SIN. He alone.⁵

אוכי יגור אתכם גר. גם הוא יעשה פסח שני כמשפט ויש אומרים כי הטעם על פסח ראשון:

1AND IF A STRANGER SHALL SOJOURN AMONG YOU. He too shall observe the second Passover⁶ in accordance with the ordinance. Others say that the reference is to the first Passover.⁷

אוביום הקים את המשכן. החל לספור מסעי ישראל הוצרך להזכיר הענן שחנה על המשכן כי בחנותו יחנו ובנסעם יסעו:

1AND ON THE DAY THAT THE TABERNACLE WAS REARED UP. Scripture begins to count the journeys of Israel. It was thus compelled to make mention of the cloud that rested on the tabernacle, for when it camped they camped and when it journeyed⁸. 38. Our texts read, when they journeyed, they journeyed. they journeyed.

בלאהל העדות. על אהל ורבים כן:

2EVEN THE TENT OF THE TESTIMONY. Le-ohel (even the tent) is to be rendered, on the tent.⁹ usually has the meaning of to. Hence I.E.’s comment. I.E. renders our verse, the cloud covered the tabernacle, on the tent of the testimony. There are many such instances in Scripture.

אעל פי ה' יסעו. הטעם ידוע כי הענן השם יניחנו ויסענו:

1AT THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED. Its meaning is clear, for God caused the cloud to rest and God caused it to journey.

אובהאריך. ואם היה מאריך והנה דרך כלל ואחר כן אמר ימים מספר יסעו או יחנו על פי ה':

1AND WHEN THE CLOUD TARRIED. The meaning of u- ve-ha’arikh (and when it tarried) is to be rendered, and if it tarried.¹⁰ Scripture first speaks in general terms.¹¹ It then goes on to say that sometimes the Israelites would journey for a few days or encamp according to the commandment of the Lord.

אאו יומם ולילה. הנה פעמים יסעו בלילה ויש אומרים כי פירושו יומם ולילה כמשמעו והוא הנכון בעיני והעד או יומם:

1OR IF IT CONTINUED BY DAY AND BY NIGHT. They thus occasionally journeyed at night.¹² (by day and by night) is to be rendered, by day or by night. Our verse reads as follows: or if it (the cloud) continued by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up they journeyed. In other words, sometimes the cloud stayed over the tabernacle during the day and was taken up at the beginning of the night. Thus Israel at times took up their journey at night. Others say that yomam va-laylah (by day and by night) is to be interpreted literally.¹³ of yomam va-laylah is to be translated literally. Thus yomam va-laylah means by day and by night. Therefore what the verse is telling us is that the cloud continued on the tabernacle a day and a night and was taken up in the morning, and then Israel journeyed. The verse thus teaches that Israel journeyed in the morning, not at night. This interpretation appears correct to me. The term yomayim (two days) (v. 22)¹⁴. 38. See also Filwarg. The printed texts have yomam. is proof that this interpretation is correct.¹⁵ follows yomam va-laylah. Yomayim refers to two days and two nights. Hence yomam va-laylah must refer to a day and a night.

אאו ימים. שנה תמימה:

1OR A YEAR. The word yomam means a full year.¹⁶

אעל פי ה' יחנו. באחרונה כל ימי שבתם במדבר:

1AT THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD THEY ENCAMPED. This is stated at the end of the chapter to indicate that this was the procedure as long as Israel lived in the wilderness.