6th portion
Why do you dishearten Bnei Yisroel from crossing over to the land that Adonoy has given them?
Rashi’s Commentary
- Why do you dishearten. Turn aside and restrain their hearts from crossing, for they will think that you are afraid to cross because of the war, and the strength of the cities and the people.
They (the tribes of Reuvein and Gad) approached him (Moshe) and said: “We will build enclosures for our flocks here and cities for our children.
Rashi’s Commentary
- We will build [enclosures] for our flocks here. They were more concerned over their property than [over] their sons and daughters, for they gave precedence to their flocks over their children. Moshe said to them, ‘not so! Treat what is of major importance as such, and what is secondary as such. First build yourselves cities for your children, and afterward pens for your flocks.’
וַיִּגְּשׁוּ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ גִּדְרֹת צֹאן נִבְנֶה לְמִקְנֵנוּ פֹּה וְעָרִים לְטַפֵּנוּ׃
רש"י
- נבנה למקננו פה. חָסִים הָיוּ עַל מָמוֹנָם יוֹתֵר מִבְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם, שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ מִקְנֵיהֶם לְטַפָּם. אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה "לֹא כֵן, עֲשׂוּ הָעִקָּר עִקָּר וְהַטָּפֵל טָפֵל, בְּנוּ לָכֶם תְּחִלָּה עָרִים לְטַפְּכֶם וְאַחַר כֵּן גְּדֵרוֹת לְצֹאנְכֶם" (תנחומא):
We will then arm ourselves rapidly, and will be ready to go before Bnei Yisroel until we have brought them to their place. Our children will dwell in fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
Rashi’s Commentary
- We will then arm ourselves rapidly. We will arm ourselves quickly, as in “quicken the spoil, hasten the plunder,” “let him hurry, hasten [his actions].”
- Before Bnei Yisroel. At the head of the armies, since they were great warriors, as it is said concerning Gad, “he shall tear arms, skulls as well.” Moshe, too, reiterated specifically to them, in “These are the words”: “I commanded you at that time, etc., go forth armed before your brothers, Bnei Yisroel, all [you] great warriors.” And at Yericho it is written, “the armed force went before them” — they were [the sons of] Reuven and Gad, who fulfilled their condition.
- Our children will dwell. When we are with our brothers.
- In fortified cities. Which we shall build now.
וַאֲנַחְנוּ נֵחָלֵץ חֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם־הֲבִיאֹנֻם אֶל־מְקוֹמָם וְיָשַׁב טַפֵּנוּ בְּעָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר מִפְּנֵי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ׃
רש"י
- ואנחנו נחלץ חשים. נִזְדַּיֵּן מְהִירִים, כְּמוֹ "מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז" (ישעיהו ח'), "יְמַהֵר יָחִישָׁה" (שם ה'):
- לפני בני ישראל. בְּרָאשֵׁי גְּיָסוֹת, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁגִּבּוֹרִים הָיוּ, שֶׁכֵּן נֶאֱמַר בְּגָד (דברים ל"ג) "וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף קָדְקֹד"; וְאַף מֹשֶׁה חָזַר וּפֵרֵשׁ לָהֶם בְּאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים (דברים ג') "וָאֲצַו אֶתְכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִוא וְגוֹ' חֲלוּצִים תַּעַבְרוּ לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל בְּנֵי חָיִל", וּבִירִיחוֹ כְּתִיב (יהושע ו') "וְהֶחָלוּץ עוֹבֵר (הֹלֵךְ) לִפְנֵיהֶם" — זֶה רְאוּבֵן וְגָד שֶׁקִּיְּמוּ תְנָאָם:
- וישב טפנו. בְּעוֹדֵנוּ אֵצֶל אַחֵינוּ:
- בערי המבצר. שֶׁנִּבְנֶה עַכְשָׁו:
7th portion
Build for yourselves cities for your children and enclosures for your sheep. But what you have expressed verbally, you must fulfill.”
Rashi’s Commentary
- For your sheep. This word is conjugated from 'צֹנֶה', “all the sheep and cattle.” It does not have the “ אָלֶ"ף “ intervening between the “ נוּ"ן “ and “ צָדִ"י “ and the “ אָלֶ"ף “ which appears here after the “ נּוּ"ן “ is instead of the “ הֵ"א “ of צֹנֶה . I learned this from R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s commentary.
- But what you have expressed verbally, you must fulfill. For the sake of Heaven, as you pledged to cross and do battle until the conquest and apportionment [of the land]. Moshe had only requested of them, “the land will be conquered, etc. and after you may return” but they pledged “until [Bnei Yisroel] have inherited” — so they added that they would remain for the seven years of apportionment, and they did so.
בְּנוּ־לָכֶם עָרִים לְטַפְּכֶם וּגְדֵרֹת לְצֹנַאֲכֶם וְהַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיכֶם תַּעֲשׂוּ׃
רש"י
- לצנאכם. תֵּבָה זוֹ מִגִּזְרַת "צֹנֶה וַאֲלָפִים כֻּלָּם" (תהלים ח') שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ אָלֶ"ף מַפְסִיק בֵּין נוּ"ן לַצָּדִ"י, וְאָלֶ"ף שֶׁבָּא כָאן אַחַר הַנּוּ"ן בִּמְקוֹם הֵ"א שֶׁל צֹנֶה הוּא; מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַ' מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לָמַדְתִּי כֵן:
- והיצא מפיכם תעשו. לְגָבוֹהַּ, שֶׁקִּבַּלְתֶּם עֲלֵיכֶם לַעֲבֹר לַמִּלְחָמָה עַד כִּבּוּשׁ וְחִלּוּק, שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה לֹא בִּקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם אֶלָּא "וְנִכְבְּשָׁה … וְאַחַר תָּשׁוּבוּ" וְהֵם קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם "עַד הִתְנַחֵל", הֲרֵי הוֹסִיפוּ לְהִתְעַכֵּב שֶׁבַע שֶׁחָלְקוּ, וְכֵן עָשׂוּ:
We will cross over armed for battle before Adonoy, to the land of Canaan, and we shall [then] have our permanent inheritance on this side of the Yardein.”
Rashi’s Commentary
- And we shall [then] have our permanent inheritance. As if to say, ‘in our hands, in our possession, will be our hereditary territory on this side.’
Nevo, Ba’al Me’on—their names having been changed, and Sivmah. They retained the names of the other cities that they built.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Nevo, Ba’al Me’on, their names having been changed. Nevo and Ba’al Meon were names of idols. The Emorites would name their cities after their idols, so the sons of Reuven changed their names in favor of other names. This is the meaning of “their names having been changed” — Nevo and Ba’al Me’on were turned aside in favor of a different name.
- And Sivmah. They built Sivmah. This is Sevam mentioned above.
וְאֶת־נְבוֹ וְאֶת־בַּעַל מְעוֹן מוּסַבֹּת שֵׁם וְאֶת־שִׂבְמָה וַיִּקְרְאוּ בְשֵׁמֹת אֶת־שְׁמוֹת הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ׃
רש"י
- ואת נבו ואת בעל מעון מוסבת שם. נְבוֹ וּבַעַל מְעוֹן שְׁמוֹת עֲ"זָ הֵם, וְהָיוּ הָאֱמוֹרִיִּים קוֹרִים עָרֵיהֶם עַל שֵׁם עֲ"זָ שֶׁלָּהֶם, וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן הֵסֵבּוּ אֶת שְׁמָם לְשֵׁמוֹת אֲחֵרִים, וְזֶהוּ מוסבת שם — נְבוֹ וּבַעַל מְעוֹן מוּסַבּוֹת לְשֵׁם אַחֵר:
- ואת שבמה. בָּנוּ שִׂבְמָה, וְהִיא שְׂבָם הָאֲמוּרָה לְמַעְלָה:
The sons of Machir, son of Menashe, went to Gil’ad and captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were in it.
Rashi’s Commentary
- And drove out. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, וְתָרִיךְ, “and ousted,” for the word יָרֹשׁ may be used in two ways, to denote inheritance, or to denote ousting, meaning driving out, expelling.
Novach went and conquered Kenas and its suburbs, and called it Novach, after his own name.
Rashi’s Commentary
- And [he] called it Novach. לָה does not have a dot in its ה . I saw in R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s commentary: Because this name did not endure, it is therefore silent, implying that it is to be expounded as לָא, “not” [Novach]. But I wonder how he (R’ Moshe) would expound two similar words, וַיֹאמֶר 'לָה' בֹעַז, “Boaz said to her,” לִבְנוֹת לָה בַיִת, “to build her a house.”
וְנֹבַח הָלַךְ וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־קְנָת וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶיהָ וַיִּקְרָא לָה נֹבַח בִּשְׁמוֹ׃ {פ}
רש"י
- ויקרא לה נבח. "לָה" אֵינוֹ מַפִּיק הֵ"א, וְרָאִיתִי בִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַ' מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַיֵּם לָהּ שֵׁם זֶה לְפִיכָךְ הוּא רָפֶה, שֶׁמַּשְׁמָעוּת מִדְרָשׁוֹ כְּמוֹ לֹא; וּתְמֵהַנִי מַה יִּדְרֹשׁ בִּשְׁתֵּי תֵבוֹת הַדּוֹמוֹת לָהּ "וַיֹּאמֶר לָה בֹעַז" (רות ב'), "לִבְנוֹת לָה בַיִת" (זכריה ה'):