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Ramban on Numbers 20:1/רמב"ן על במדבר כ׳:א׳

אוַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל הָעֵדָה מִדְבַּר צִן – הָעֵדָה עֵדָה שְׁלֵמָה, שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מֵתֵי מִדְבָּר וְאֵלּוּ פָּרְשׁוּ לְחַיִּים - לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר כ׳:א׳). וְכֵן דַּעַת ר״א. וְאִם כֵּן, מַה צֹרֶךְ לְהַזְכִּיר כֵּן בְּבוֹאָם אַחֲרֵי כֵן אֶל הֹר הָהָר (במדבר כ׳:כ״ב)? וְר״א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על במדבר כ׳:כ״ב) כִּי הִזְכִּיר זֶה בַּעֲבוּר כִּי יָצָא אֱדוֹם לְהִלָּחֵם בָּם, הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁלֹּא נִפְקַד מֵהֶם אִישׁ בְּבוֹאָם מֵעִיר אֱדוֹם. וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן, כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָטוּ מֵעָלָיו וְלֹא נִלְחַם בָּם כְּלָל. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי מִנְהַג הַכָּתוּב לְהַזְכִּיר כֵּן בִּמְקוֹם הַתְּלוּנוֹת: ״וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל מִדְבַּר סִין אֲשֶׁר בֵּין אֵילִם וּבֵין סִינָי״ (שמות ט״ז:א׳), ״וַיִּסְעוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַסְעֵיהֶם וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּרְפִידִים״ (שם י״ז:א׳). יוֹדִיעֵנוּ הַכָּתוּב כִּי הָיוּ כֻלָּם בַּתְּלוּנָה, וְכֵן ״וַתִּשָּׂא כָּל הָעֵדָה וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת קוֹלָם״ (במדבר י״ד:א׳), ״וַיִּלּוֹנוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמָּחֳרָת״ (שם י״ז:ו׳). וְאָמַר כֵּן בְּבוֹאָם אֶל הֹר הָהָר לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁהָיוּ כֻּלָּם בְּהֶסְפֵּדוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן קְדוֹשׁ ה', כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״וַיִּבְכּוּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל" וְגוֹ' (במדבר כ׳:כ״ט), וְאָמַר ״לְעֵינֵי כָּל הָעֵדָה״ (במדבר כ׳:כ״ז). וּבְמִדְבַּר סִינַי רַבָּה (במדבר רבה י״ט:ט׳) רָאִיתִי שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה ״עֵדָה שְׁלֵמָה״ וְכוּ' בַּכָּתוּב הַשֵּׁנִי בְּהֹר הָהָר בִּלְבַד, כִּי הָרִאשׁוֹן מִפְּנֵי הַתְּלוּנָה נֶאֱמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי:

1AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, EVEN THE WHOLE CONGREGATION, CAME INTO THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN. “The congregation — an upright congregation, for those who were [punished] with death in the wilderness [on account of sinning in the matter of the spies] had already died, and these were designated to live” [i.e., they were the new generation which was to enter the Land]. This is Rashi’s language, and such is also the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. But if so, why was it necessary to mention this [same expression: even the whole congregation] when they came afterwards unto Mount Hor?⁶⁸. Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote [there] that Scripture mentioned it because Edom had come out to fight them,⁶⁹, Verse 20. therefore it mentions that none of them was missing when they came back from the city of Edom. But this is not correct, since Israel turned away from him [Edom]⁷⁰, Verse 21. and did not wage battle with them at all.The correct interpretation appears to me to be that it is the Scriptural style to mention [“the whole congregation”] when speaking of complaints, [just as in the following verses]: And all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai;⁷¹, Verses 2-3, that they murmured for food. And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their stages … and encamped in Rephidim⁷², 17:1. There too it is related in Verses 2-3 that they quarrelled with Moses, saying, “Give us water.” — and Scripture thereby informs us that they all [participated] in the complaint. Similarly, And all the congregation lifted up their voice;⁷³ And on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured.⁷⁴ 17:6. There they complained about the death of Korach and his followers. Scripture uses that expression when they came to Mount Hor⁷⁵ in order to tell us that they all took part in the mourning for Aaron, the holy one of the Eternal,⁷⁶ just as it is said, and they wept for Aaron … all the house of Israel,⁷⁷ and it states [furthermore]: in the sight of all the congregation.⁷⁸, Verse 27. In Bamidbar Sinai Rabbah⁷⁹ I have seen mentioned the text [quoted above by Rashi] — “an upright congregation etc.” — only in connection with the second verse [speaking] about Mount Hor [i.e., Verses 22 and 27 quoted above, which say that ‘the whole congregation came’ to Mount Hor, and that Moses and Aaron went up into Mount Hor ‘in the sight of all the congregation’], for in the case of the first verse [i.e., the present verse, the expression all the congregation] is used because [Scripture wants to indicate that they all joined in] the murmuring, as I have explained.

בוְטַעַם וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם בְּקָדֵשׁ – לוֹמַר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר נִכְנְסוּ בְּמִדְבַּר צִין עַד קָדֵשׁ, מֵתָה מִרְיָם. וְטָעָה ר״א שֶׁאָמַר בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ שָׁם יָמִים רַבִּים, כִּי כֵן כָּתוּב, כִּי קָדֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר כָּתוּב בּוֹ: ״וַתֵּשְׁבוּ בְקָדֵשׁ יָמִים רַבִּים כַּיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם״ (דברים א מו) - הוּא קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ, וְהוּא בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן, וּמִשָּׁם נִשְׁתַּלְּחוּ הַמְרַגְּלִים בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה וְשָׁם חָזְרוּ. אֲבָל קָדֵשׁ זֶה הוּא בְּמִדְבַּר צִין, וּבָאוּ שָׁם בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים, וְשָׁם מֵתָה מִרְיָם. וּמִקְרָאוֹת מְפֹרָשִׁים הֵם:

2VAYEISHEV HA’AM’ (AND THE PEOPLE ABODE) IN KADESH. The intention thereof is to tell us that when they had entered the wilderness of Zin as far as Kadesh, Miriam died. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra erred [here] when he commented: “[Scripture states vayeishev ha’am, meaning ‘the people dwelt,’ and does not say vayachanu — ‘and they pitched’] because they stayed there for a long time, for so it is written.”⁸⁰ there. Rashi there explains that the many days were in fact nineteen years. See the note that follows. [This is in error] because the place called Kadesh of which it is written, So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there⁸⁰ there. Rashi there explains that the many days were in fact nineteen years. See the note that follows. is Kadesh-barnea,⁸¹, Verse 19: and we came to Kadesh-barnea. From there the spies were sent to see the Land (further, 32:8). As a result of their sin, it was decreed that the people would remain in the wilderness for the following thirty-eight years, and die therein. The first half of this period they spent in Kadesh, namely Kadesh-barnea. It is this Kadesh-barnea which Ibn Ezra equated with Kadesh [mentioned here], and that is an error, as explained. which is in the wilderness of Paran⁸² [and not in the wilderness of Zin, mentioned here]. It was from there that the spies were sent out [to see the Land] in the second year [after the exodus], and thence that they returned. But the Kadesh [mentioned] here is in the wilderness of Zin, and they [only] arrived there in the fortieth year [after the exodus], and there Miriam died. The verses are explicit [on this matter].