Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Numbers 32:17/אור החיים על במדבר ל״ב:י״ז
אוְיָשַׁב טַפֵּנוּ וְגוֹ׳. הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר זֶה, גַּם לֹא אָמְרוּ כֵן לְמַעְלָה כְּשֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ ״וְעָרִים לְטַפֵּנוּ״, נִתְכַּוְּנוּ לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם יֵשְׁבוּ טַפָּם בְּעָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת אָז יְכוֹלִין לְהוֹסִיף עוֹד תְּנַאי אַחֵר, שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּבוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם עַד הִתְנַחֵל אִישׁ נַחֲלָתוֹ, פֵּרוּשׁ, אַחַר שֶׁיַּעַבְרוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁל כִּבּוּשׁ וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁל חִלּוּק, וְאִם לֹא יִהְיוּ בְּעָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר, פֵּרוּשׁ עָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת, אֶלָּא לִשְׁמִירָה כַּמִּצְטָרֵךְ, לֹא יִהְיוּ בְּטוּחִים בָּהֶם לְהִתְעַכֵּב כָּל כָּךְ אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה אֶלָּא שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים עַד שֶׁיִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ. וְלָזֶה כָּתַב מַאֲמַר ״וְיָשַׁב טַפֵּנוּ בְּעָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר״ בְּאֶמְצַע שְׁנֵי הַמַּאֲמָרִים שֶׁכֻּלָּם עִנְיָן אֶחָד, שֶׁהֵם מַאֲמַר ״וַאֲנַחְנוּ נֵחָלֵץ חוּשִׁים וְגוֹ׳ עַד הֲבִיאוֹנוּם אֶל מְקוֹמָם״ וּמַאֲמַר ״לֹא נָשׁוּב אֶל בָּתֵּינוּ עַד הִתְנַחֵל״ וְגוֹ׳, וּמִן הָרָאוּי הָיָה לוֹ לְהַסְמִיךְ שְׁנֵי הַמַּאֲמָרִים, שֶׁהַשֵּׁנִי גְּזֵרָה שֶׁל הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְלֹא לְהַפְסִיק בְּשֶׁלֹּא כָּעִנְיָן, וּלְדַרְכֵּנוּ יִתְיַשֵּׁב עַל נָכוֹן.
1 וישב טפנו בערי המבצר, "while our children will dwell in the fortified cities." This comment had to appear here and not previously when the two tribes mentioned the building of cities for their children (and women). They wanted to make it plain that once they could feel reassured about the safety of their families they could volunteer to add another undertaking, i.e. not to return to their own families until all the other tribes had taken over their respective inheritance. The time frame under discussion was 14 years, 7 years of conquest and another seven years for the distribution of the various lands. The two tribes made it plain that unless they left their families in a condition which made it unnecessary for them to worry they would only be with the other tribes during the seven years of conquest. This was why the Torah inserted these words in the middle of this verse although the statement נחלץ חושים should really have been followed immediately by verse 18.
בגַּם יִתְיַשֵּׁב לָמָּה אָמְרוּ שְׁנֵי גְּבוּלִים נֶגְדִּיִּים: א׳ ״עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם הֲבִיאוֹנוּם״ וְגוֹ׳, וְב׳ ״עַד הִתְנַחֵל״, וְהֲגַם שֶׁהָאֶחָד אָמְרוּ לְעִנְיַן נֵחָלֵץ חוּשִׁים וְהַשֵּׁנִי לְעִנְיַן הֲשָׁבָתָם לְאַרְצָם, עִם כָּל זֶה מִפָּסוּק רִאשׁוֹן מַשְׁמַע שֶׁלֹּא חִיְּבוּ עַצְמָן אֶלָּא עַד הֲבִיאָם לִמְקוֹמָן וְלֹא עַד הִתְנַחֵל, וְלִדְבָרֵינוּ עָלָה עַל נָכוֹן.
2The consideration about these tribes remaining with the main body of the Israelite army until after the distribution of the land also explains something which otherwise appears as contradictory. On the one hand they had said they would join and bear arms (verse 18) until התנחל, the other tribes would inherit; on the other hand they said in the earlier verse that they would participate until הביאותם אל מקומם, "until we have brought them to their place." If you accept our interpretation both statements make sense and are in place.
גוְאָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה ״בְּנוּ לָכֶם עָרִים לְטַפְּכֶם״, דִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר לָכֶם, פֵּרוּשׁ, לְמַה שֶׁבִּרְצוֹנְכֶם שֶׁהוּא לִבְנוֹת עָרֵי מִבְצָר, וְכֵן הָיָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּבְנוּ אֶת דִּיבוֹן וְאֶת עֲטָרוֹת״ וְגוֹ׳ (במדבר לב:לד-לח), שֶׁאֵלּוּ הֵם עָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר שֶׁהֵם הָעֲיָרוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ בִּשְׁאֵלָתָם, וְתִמְצָא שֶׁלֹּא חָזְרוּ לְבָתֵּיהֶם עַד אַחַר אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה שֶׁל כִּבּוּשׁ וְחִלּוּק.
3Moses added the word לכם when he encouraged the two tribes to build cities, etc. in verse 24 to show that he agreed with the purpose of their building the cities for their families' safety. In fact, this is what the two tribes did as we know from verse 34-38. The fact is that the soldiers of these tribes did not return to their homes until 14 years later.