Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 14:5/רמב"ן על במדבר י״ד:ה׳
אוְטַעַם וַיִּפֹּל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן עַל פְּנֵיהֶם – שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁהָיוּ הָעָם נוֹעָצִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רֹאשׁ וְלָשׁוּב מִיָּד, וְקָמוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְאַפָּם אַרְצָה לֵאמֹר לָהֶם, אַל נָא אַחַי תָּרֵעוּ, וְלֹא תִהְיֶה זֹאת לָכֶם לְפוּקָה. עַל כֵּן אָמַר לִפְנֵי כָּל קְהַל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי לָהֶם הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ עַל אַפַּיִם. וְכֵן ״וַיִּפֹּל לְאַפָּיו אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים״ (שמואל א כ, מא). וְטַעַם לִפְנֵי כְּמוֹ לָהֶם, וְכֵן ״וַיֵּלְכוּ גַּם אֶחָיו וַיִּפְּלוּ לְפָנָיו״ (בראשית נ, יח), וְרַבִּים זוּלָתוֹ:
1THEN MOSES AND AARON FELL ON THEIR FACES. The reason for this was that they saw that the people were about to decide to appoint a leader and return [to Egypt] immediately; so the righteous ones [Moses and Aaron] arose and prostrated themselves with their faces on the ground saying to them, ‘I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly,’96 and let this be no stumbling-block unto you.97 Therefore it says [that they fell on their faces] before all the congregation of the children of Israel, for it was for their sake that they prostrated themselves on their faces [imploring them to abandon their plan to return to Egypt].98] before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel, thus indicating that they did so in order to implore them to abandon their plan of returning to Egypt. See also Note 155 further. Similarly, and he [David] fell on his face to the ground and bowed down three times99 [before Jonathan, is an expression of conciliation and supplication]. And the meaning of the word liphnei [“before” — ‘before’ all the assembly] is like lahem [“for them” — to implore them, for their good, to renounce their plan of returning to Egypt]. Similarly, And his brethren also went and fell down ‘l’phanav (‘before’ him)100 [also means “to” him — Joseph — to beg him for forgiveness]. There are many examples of this usage.