Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 11:14/רמב"ן על במדבר י״א:י״ד
אוְטַעַם לֹא אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי, לֹא שֶׁיַּעַזְרוּהוּ הַזְּקֵנִים לָתֵת לָהֶם בָּשָׂר, כִּי מֵאַיִן לָהֶם. וְעוֹד, אֲפִלּוּ בִּהְיוֹת לָהֶם פַּרְנָסִים רַבִּים לֹא יִתְלוֹנְנוּ רַק עַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁהוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, כְּמִנְהָגָם לֵאמֹר לוֹ "לָמָּה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם", וְהוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָהֶם בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתָם וְתַאֲוָתָם יָבִיא לָהֶם. אֲבָל חָשַׁב מֹשֶׁה כִּי בִּהְיוֹת לָהֶם מַנְהִיגִים רַבִּים יְשַׁכְּכוּ חֲמָתָם וִידַבְּרוּ עַל לִבָּם בְּעֵת תְּלוּנָתָם. וְאֶפְשָׁר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְנַבְּאוּ הַזְּקֵנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱצַל עֲלֵיהֶם מִן הָרוּחַ וְיָדְעוּ הָעָם כִּי נֶאֱמָנִים הֵם לַנְּבִיאִים, לֹא יִתְאַסְּפוּ כֻּלָּם עַל מֹשֶׁה וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ תַּאֲוָתָם גַּם מֵהֶם.
1I AM NOT ABLE TO BEAR ALL THIS PEOPLE MYSELF ALONE. The meaning thereof is not that the elders should help him to give the people flesh, for where should they get it from? Moreover, even if they would have many leaders they would still only complain against Moses our teacher who took them out of Egypt, as they used to say to him, And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt?178 [asking him] that he should give them through his prayers all that they asked for, and grant them their desires179 [and so they would still continue to complain to him rather than to the elders]! But Moses thought that if they would have many leaders they would appease their wrath by speaking to their hearts when they would start complaining. Or it is possible that when the elders prophesied, and the spirit [which was upon Moses] was put upon them,180 the people would know that these elders are established as prophets,181 and would not all gather against Moses but would ask for their desires from them as well [by means of their prayers].