Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 12:16/רמב"ן על במדבר י״ב:ט״ז
אוְטַעַם וְאַחַר נָסְעוּ הָעָם מֵחֲצֵרוֹת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן, לוֹמַר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר נָסְעוּ מֵחֲצֵרוֹת לֹא נָסְעוּ מִמִּדְבָּר זֶה אֶל מִדְבָּר אַחֵר, כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּסָּע הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁנָּסְעוּ מִמִּדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן (במדבר י׳:י״ב), אֲבָל נָסְעוּ מֵחֲצֵרוֹת אֲשֶׁר הוּא בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן וְחָנוּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר מִן הַמִּדְבָּר הַהוּא עַצְמוֹ, וְהוּא קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ, כִּי מִשָּׁם נִשְׁתַּלְּחוּ מְרַגְּלִים כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר "אֶל מִדְבַּר פָּארָן קָדֵשָׁה" (במדבר י״ג:כ״ו), וְכֵן כָּתוּב: "וַנָּבֹא עַד קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ וְגוֹ׳ וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי וַתֹּאמְרוּ נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים" (דברים א יט כב). וְלֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵחֲצֵרוֹת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּקָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ", כִּי אוּלַי מַסָּעוֹת הַרְבֵּה בֵּינֵיהֶם וְאֵין עַתָּה מָקוֹם לְהַזְכִּירָם, אֲבָל הִזְכִּיר מִדְבַּר פָּארָן לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי קָדֵשׁ זֶה הוּא קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ אֲשֶׁר בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן, לֹא קָדֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר בְּמִדְבַּר צִין שֶׁהָיָה שָׁם עִנְיַן מֵי מְרִיבָה בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים:
1AND AFTERWARD THE PEOPLE JOURNEYED FROM HATZEROTH, AND PITCHED IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN. The reason [why Scripture mentions the wilderness] is to say that when they travelled from Hatzeroth they did not go from one wilderness to another, as they did on their first journey when they set forth from the wilderness of Sinai and pitched in the wilderness of Paran,303 for [now] they set forth from Hatzeroth which is in the wilderness of Paran, and pitched in another place in that very same wilderness. This [place was called] Kadesh-barnea, for [although its name is not given here], it is from there that the spies [mentioned in the next section of the Torah] were sent, as is said in another place, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh,304 and so also it is written, and we came to Kadesh-barnea;305 And ye came unto me every one of you, and said: Let us send men before us.306, Verse 22. Now Scripture does not say here: “and they journeyed from Hatzeroth, and pitched in Kadesh-barnea,” for perhaps there were many [stages in their] journey between them [i.e., these two places], and this is not now the place to mention them. However, it mentioned [that they pitched] in the wilderness of Paran,303 in order to inform us that this Kadesh [from where the spies were sent] is the Kadesh-barnea which is in the wilderness of Paran, not the Kadesh which is in the wilderness of Sin307 where the affair of the waters of Meribah308, Verse 13. took place in the fortieth year [of the Israelites’ stay in the wilderness].Shelach