Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Numbers 33:3/אור החיים על במדבר ל״ג:ג׳

אוַיִּסְעוּ מֵרַעְמְסֵס וְגוֹמֵר. הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר זִכְרוֹן בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים, הֲגַם שֶׁהָיָה יָכוֹל לוֹמַר ״בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם״ וּמוּבָן הַדָּבָר שֶׁבַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן מְדַבֵּר הַכָּתוּב, אוֹ עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ ״וַיִּסְעוּ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן״. אוּלַי שֶׁרָמַז מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שמות רבה טו,יא) כִּי חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן הוּא זְמַן שֶׁמַּזָּלָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמֵד, גַּם זְמַן שְׁלֵמוּת הַהַצְלָחָה בּוֹ הוּא חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בַּחֹדֶשׁ, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ וַיִּסְעוּ וְגוֹ׳ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא זְמַן הַעֲמָדַת מַזָּלָם, וְעוֹד לְתוֹסֶפֶת גֹּדֶל הַמַּעֲרָכָה בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר שֶׁהוּא זְמַן מִלּוּי הַלְּבָנָה, וְאָמְרוֹ לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לְפִי שֶׁאֵין גֶּדֶר זֶה מוֹרֶה עַל רוּם הַהַצְלָחָה אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַמֻּצְלָח.
1 ויסעו מרעמסס, They journeyed from Raamses, etc. The Torah had to mention twice that this journey occurred during the first month although it could have written "on the fifteenth," and I would have understood that the day mentioned was the first month. The Torah could also have written: "they travelled on the fifteenth of the first month after the Passover;" Perhaps the Torah alluded to what we have been told in Shemot Rabbah 15,11 that the month of Nissan is the month in which the zodiac sign of Israel is at its zenith and that the most auspicious day during that month is the fifteenth of that month. The Torah writes ויסעו בחודש הראשון, to describe the month during which Israel's fortunes ride high and it adds that this occurred on the fifteenth of that month, i.e. when the moon is full. The Torah added once more that it was in the first month, as the significance of the full moon is meaningless for Israel unless it occurs during the first month. The combination of these two factors was meaningful, was a good omen.