Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 31:2/רמב"ן על במדבר ל״א:ב׳
אנְקֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ' אַחַר תֵּאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ – נִגְזַר עַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן, אֲבָל מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן עָשָׂה כָּל מִצְווֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל: נִצַּח שְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי הַגְּדוֹלִים וְחִלֵּק אֶת אַרְצָם בְּנַחֲלָה, וְהוּא רָאוּי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה נְקָמָה בְּשׂוֹנְאֵי ה', וְאֵין עַל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ רַק מִצְווֹת הָאָרֶץ. וְעוֹד שֶׁחָלַק לוֹ הַקב״ה כָּבוֹד זֶה שֶׁיִּרְאֶה וְיִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק כִּי חָזָה נָקָם, וְזֶה טַעַם ״אַחַר תֵּאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּךָ״. וּמֹשֶׁה חָלַק כָּבוֹד לְפִינְחָס שֶׁהִתְחִיל בַּמִּצְוָה וְעָלָיו לְגוֹמְרָהּ, וַעֲשָׂאוֹ מְשׁוּחַ מִלְחָמָה זוֹ. וְאֵין רָאוּי שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ אֶלְעָזָר כִּי הוּא הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל:
1AVENGE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OF THE MIDIANITES; AFTERWARD SHALT THOU BE GATHERED UNTO THY PEOPLE. It was decreed upon our teacher Moses not to cross over the Jordan, but on the other [eastern] side of the Jordan he fulfilled all the commandments [that were necessary] for Israel. Thus he conquered the two great Amorite kings, and divided their land up as an inheritance [amongst the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Menasheh], and it was he who was worthy of executing vengeance upon the enemies of the Eternal, leaving Joshua only the commandment of [conquering and dividing] the Land. Furthermore [this commandment was given to Moses because] the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him honor so that the righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance,59 25:1 and Pinchas 25:11) the triumph of right over evil was thus a source of rejoicing to the righteous one [Moses]. this being the meaning of afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. And Moses showed honor to Phinehas60 because he had begun the meritorious task [of punishing the Midianites, by killing Cozbi]61 and it was up to him to finish it, and therefore he appointed him the anointed priest for this war.62 It was not fitting that Eleazar should go [as the anointed priest of the war], because he was the High Priest [after the death of Aaron].63