Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 11:4/רמב"ן על במדבר י״א:ד׳
אוְטַעַם וְהָאסַפְסֻף אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבּוֹ הִתְאַוּוּ תַּאֲוָה, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶם חִסָּרוֹן בַּמִּדְבָּר, כִּי הָיָה לָהֶם הַמָּן לָשׂוֹבַע, וְהָיוּ עוֹשִׂים בּוֹ מַטְעַמִּים שׁוֹנִים בְּטַעַם חָשׁוּב מְאֹד כַּאֲשֶׁר יְסַפֵּר, אֲבָל הִמְשִׁילוּ בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָם תַּאֲוָה רַבָּה כַּמִּתְאַוִּים לֶאֱכֹל הַפֶּחָמִים וְהֶעָפָר וְהַמַּאֲכָלִים הַנִּבְאָשִׁים:
1AND THE MIXED MULTITUDE THAT WAS AMONG THEM ‘HITHAVU TA’AVAH’ (FELL A LUSTING). The meaning of this [double expression, which translates literally as “lusted a lust,” is] that they had nothing lacking in the wilderness, for they had plenty of manna and they could make of it all different kinds of delicacies with distinguished flavors, as Scripture relates further on, but they goaded themselves to a great desire, as if they wanted to eat [even] charcoal or earth and other bad foods.
בוַיֹּאמְרוּ מִי יַאֲכִלֵנוּ בָּשָׂר – כִּי לֹא הָיָה לְכָל הָעָם בָּשָׂר לֶאֱכֹל בְּכָל יוֹם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת, וְהָיָה לְמִקְצָתָם מִקְנֶה וְאָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַגְּדוֹלִים כְּמִנְהַג הַמַּחֲנוֹת וּמְקוֹמוֹת הַיּוֹקֶר, אֲבָל בַּדָּגִים אָמְרוּ ״זָכַרְנוּ אֶת הַדָּגָה״ (במדבר י״א:ה׳) כְּזוֹכֵר הַנִּשְׁכָּחוֹת, כִּי לֹא אָכְלוּ דָגִים מִיּוֹם צֵאתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד הֵנָּה:
2AND THEY SAID: WHO SHALL GIVE US FLESH TO EAT. [They used this expression who shall give us] because there was not enough meat for the whole people to have every day, although they did eat it many times, for some of them had herds, but [only] the important people ate it [every day], as happens in camps and places where prices are high. But about fish they said, We remember the fish,159 like one who remembers forgotten things, since they had not eaten any fish from the day that they left Egypt until now.