“These are the marches” [33:1]. King Solomon said: “the beginning of wisdom is – acquire wisdom” [Proverbs, 4:7]. This means, first buy the wisdom of the Torah before all other wisdoms. The one who has not seen in the Torah all the wise signs and wonders that the Holy One did for Israel in the wilderness; he does not know what the Holy One can do. The person will not believe in any wonders from God, but he would say that the world goes on its way by itself and the Holy One cannot change anything for good or evil. The person would say that the signs in the wilderness are nothing, since the wilderness was like other lands in that grain, wheat and wine grow there. Therefore, the Holy One wrote in this portion, separately and consecutively at one time all the cities where Israel moved in the wilderness and also lets us know and tells what kind of wilderness this was. There were large snakes, as thick as beams, fiery serpents and scorpions. There was also no water. There was some bitter water and God made it sweet. It is impossible for the person to live without water for one day, particularly with a large people, women and children, for forty years where no person could survive for one day. Therefore, the Torah wrote very explicitly each city in the wilderness, so that they should see the signs and wonders that God possesses.1Bahya, Masaei, Introduction.
Another explanation is that he wrote the cities in the wilderness where the Israelites traveled, so that the people should not say that the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years like the penitents who do not rest one night where they rested the previous night. Therefore, the Torah tells us where they traveled in the forty years. For nineteen years they stayed in the city of Kadesh, with prosperity and enjoyment. Their primary travel was in the first year of the forty years and in the last year of the forty years. The first year they traveled to fourteen cities, from Ramses to the city of Rimthah.2Rashi, Numbers, 33:1.
Moses sent the spies from Rimthah. Why was the city called Rimthah, because Israel spoke evil with the spies against the land of Israel? Rithmah means, burning coals, and the one who speaks slander is compared to a burning coal.3Rashi, Numbers, 33:18.
Afterwards, they traveled to five cities after the death of Aaron on Mount Hor until the plains of Moab. This was in the fortieth year. Therefore, the Torah informs us that Israel was like those who have gone astray. They do not know the way and they have no rest, but the Holy One led them with the cloud and the fiery pillar; they illumined by day and night. Our sages gave a parable about a king who took his son to a physician in another, distant, country, to have him healed. When the king and his son returned to their home, the king said to his son. Dear son, do you remember that we rested in this place. We cooled down in this place because of the heat. In this place, your head hurt. So too, the Holy One wrote all the travels that Israel followed in the wilderness, at one time, in one place in the Torah. He showed them the good that He did for them for forty years. In each place he said, in this city you had this good, and in the other city you had that good. Therefore, he wrote the travels because He wanted to show the cities in the wilderness where things went well for Israel with wonders. So too, some Israelites will come into the wilderness in the days of the Messiah. The Holy One will do all the signs, miracles, and wonders as happened at the Exodus from Egypt. He will feed them with good food. He will lead them with light and clouds as He did for Israel in the wilderness, as the verse says, “and I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations” [Ezekiel, 20:35]. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, in the days of the Messiah. Therefore “their starting points” [33:2] is written here twice. He shows us the Exodus from Egypt and the Exodus from the exile. Since the wilderness accepted the Israelites and things went well for Israel in the wilderness, the Holy One will pay the desert a good reward in the days of the Messiah. Beautiful and fragrant trees will grow there, like cloves and roses, beautiful fields and vineyards, and all sorts of good fruits and good oil. Where the people previously lived, these lands will become desolate and the wilderness will become habitable for people. The wilderness is as large as where people now live. From here we learn that the Holy One wants to pay a good reward to the wilderness, because it accepted Israel to dwell in it. How much more so, when a householder takes a scholar and honors him in his house, the Holy One will give him a doubly good reward.4Bahya, Numbers, 33:2.
Some sages say that the Holy One wrote the names of the cities where God did miracles and wonders for Israel, so that if an Israelite should wander into these cities, he should recite a blessing and should praise God for His wonders and signs. Therefore, each city was listed separately by name, so that they should be known by their names. Therefore, one should be advised that every Israelite should learn the name of the cities in order to know them.5Toldot Yizhak, Numbers, 33:2.
“The Egyptians meanwhile were burying those among them whom the Lord had struck down, every first-born – whereby the Lord executed judgment on their gods” [33:4]. The Egyptians buried all the firstborn, since God had killed all the firstborn and God judged all of their idols. Our sages say that the verse was written here, that the Egyptians buried the firstborn, even though it was not relevant here. The Torah shows us here that the idols were destroyed the same night that the firstborn were killed. That night, the Egyptians cried the whole night because of their firstborn and did not see that their idols were destroyed. However, the next morning when they went to bury their firstborn in their houses of worship, as is their custom to bury their dead in their houses of worship. They came and saw that their idols were broken and destroyed. The idol that was silver or gold was melted, and the one that was wood was rotten and the one that was stone, was broken in pieces.6Toldot Yizhak, Numbers, 33:4.
“Aaron died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month” [33:38]. Aaron died in the fortieth year in the fifth month, that is the month of Ab, on the first day of the month. Our sages say: why did the verse say here on which day he died? When he died should have been written in the portion of Hukat, since the proper death of Aaron was written there. Furthermore, we do not find regarding our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that the Torah writes on which day they died. However, the Torah does write on which day that Aaron died, on the first day of the month of Ab. The Canaanites thought that the month of Ab was good to wage war against Israel, since they will have it as a month of troubles and exile in the future. In particular, the clouds were removed and Aaron died. The Canaanite thought to himself, I will wage war with Israel. Therefore, it is written in this verse, “he died in the fifth month” [33:38]. This means that Aaron died in the fifth month, which is the month of Ab.7Bahya, Numbers, 33:38.
“The Canaanite heard” [33:40]. This means, the Canaanite heard that Aaron died in the month of Ab and he came to wage war against Israel.8Rashi, Numbers, 33:40.
“They encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab” [33:49]. Israel rested by the Jordan from the city of Beth-jeshimoth to Shittim, in the plains of Moab. From here we learn how wide and long [the area] was where Israel rested at one time and in one place. Rabah bar bar Hanah said: I was at that place and I saw that where Israel rested was twelve miles long. The people of Israel was so numerous that they needed a place that was twelve miles wide.9Rashi, Numbers, 33:49.
“This is the land that shall fall to you as your portion, the land of Canaan” [34:2]. The land that falls to you with the lots. Our sages said: the verse says that the land that falls to you in the lottery is right for you. A parable. A king who has male and female servants, and he gives the male servants, wives from foreign lands. The king reconsiders and says: I have male and female servants who are from my land. Why should I give my male servants foreign wives? I would rather give my male servants my female servants as wives. So said the Holy One. Israel is called My land, as the verse says, “for the land is Mine” [Leviticus, 25:23], and Israel is My people and My servants, as the verse says, “for it is to Me that the Israelites are servants” [Leviticus, 25:55]. It is better that I should give My land to My servants and to my children.10Tanhuma, Masaei, 10.
Our sages say that it is written in the verse that the lot that falls means that the Holy One overthrew seven kings who were placed over the seven nations of the land of Israel and bound the kings before Moses and said to Moses: see that they no longer have any power and do not fear the nations, since their kings have been bound.11Rashi, Numbers, 34:2.
“These are the names of the men through whom the land shall be apportioned for you” [34:17]. The men will enable you to inherit the land. The Holy One said: you should choose a chieftain from each tribe, who should see how many families there are in his tribe and if the family is large. They should see that it is just to give that tribe more land. However, the chieftain will make it, so should it remain. The verse mentions Eleazar before Joshua, even though Joshua will be in place of Moses, but in any event Joshua must first ask Eleazar what should be done. The verse mentions ten chieftains, even though there were twelve chieftains of tribes. However, the tribes of Reuben and Gad had their share of the land, outside the land of Israel. Therefore, the verse only mentions ten chieftains who should divide the land. One can ask, why does the verse not mention with regard to three tribes that their administrators were chieftains and important people, as he says with regard to the seven tribes, where he calls them chieftains. The verse first mentions, “from the tribe of Judah, Caleb” [34:19]. This means, to the tribe of Judah, the administrator should be the one called Caleb. It does not tell us that he was a chieftain. However, as soon as he comes to the tribe of Dan and the other tribes, it says, “from the tribe of Dan, a chieftain, Buki son of Jogli” [34:21]. This means, for the tribe of Dan, the administrator was a chieftain called, Buki son of Jogli. The verse calls him a chieftain. Also with the other tribes, they are called chieftains. However, the Torah did not write this concerning the tribe of Judah, its administrator is not called important, since the whole world knows that Caleb was pious and important. Therefore, it does not have to say that the administrator of Judah was important. With regard to the tribe of Simeon, it also does not call him a chieftain. The tribe of Simeon was not worthy to have the word, chieftain, written because they engaged in illicit sex with the daughters of Midian, and their evil chieftain was killed. Therefore, the Torah does not write the word, chieftain. Concerning the tribe of Benjamin, it also does not write the word chieftain, because the tribe of Benjamin would commit sins regarding illicit sex with regard to the concubine in Gibeah. Some sages say that chieftain is not written regarding the tribe of Benjamin, because the chieftain was a prophet. Thus, it did not want to call him chieftain. One would have thought that he was like the other chieftains, and the truth was that he was a prophet.12Bahya, Numbers, 34:17.
“You shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge” [35:11]. You should prepare cities, so that when a person accidentally kills his friend, he should run to this city. No person should harm him there. The custom was that when a killer ran to the city, whether he killed deliberately or accidentally, the court sent for him and examined him. If he did it deliberately, he is put to death. If he did it accidentally, then he is returned to the city and remained there until the high priest died. Then he was allowed to leave and no person could harm him. King David said: “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He shows sinners the way” [Psalms, 25:8]. God is good and upright and compassionate. Therefore, He shows the sinful person a way to repent. King David said: Lord of the Universe, you are compassionate to the killer, in that you have prepared a city to flee to because he killed accidentally. The compassion is already from the time of Adam, since Adam brought death into the world upon all people. You had compassion on him and expelled him from the Garden of Eden, like a penitent who wanders around, and forgave him his sin. Therefore, You also ordered them to make cities of refuge, to which the killer, who killed accidentally, should flee. Concerning this, the verse says, “O Lord, be mindful of Your compassion and Your faithfulness; they as old as time” [Psalms, 25:6]. This means, Your grace and compassion is from the beginning of time. This is since the time of Adam. He did not willingly kill his friend, his heart was not in it, and he was not guilty of death, since all the sins depend on the heart. When somebody fulfills a commandment and his heart is not in it, in that he does not intend it to be for the sake of heaven, then his act is as nothing. Moses Our Teacher said to the Holy One: Lord of the Universe, when somebody has killed his friend in a different land, how does he know to find the cities of refuge, since he was not in that land? The Holy One responded: place large pillars in the markets and write on them, killer, cities of refuge. Place the pillars in the direction of the cities of refuge, in many places. Thus, the killer would read the inscription and would find the way. Concerning this, the verse said, “good and upright is the Lord” [Psalms, 25:8]. God is good and compassionate to the killer and makes a path for him. How much more so for the righteous, as the verse says, “He guides the lowly in the right path” [Psalms, 25:9].13Tanhuma, Masaei, 11.
The Holy One ordered that three cities be made in the land of Reuben and Gad and another three cities in the land of Israel, even though there were nine tribes in the land of Israel, and the land of Reuben and Gad had two and one half tribes. Why did the two and one half tribes have as many cities of refuge as the nine tribes? This is because there were many killers in the land of Reuben and Gad. Therefore, they had to have many cities of refuge. Also, the inhabitants of the land of Reuben and Gad were killers; this was the nature of the land.14Rashi, Numbers, 35:14.
The killer had to sit in the city and could not leave. If he left, then the relative of the one killed could kill him. “Until the death of the high priest” [35:25]. The killer sat in the cities of refuge until the death of the one who caused the Shekhinah to rest among Israel. The killer caused the Shekhinah to be removed. Therefore, it was not just that the killer should be free while the high priest lived. The high priest was also supposed to pray that no killing should happen in his days. Therefore, the killer must sit until he died, and the killer prayed that the high priest should die.15Rashi, Numbers, 35:25.
Another explanation why they waited until the high priest died, because when the same relatives, who were relatives of the killed, will see that the high priest dies, they would be consoled and say that the high priest was an important person and yet he died? Therefore, is this like the death of our relative? The relatives will no longer hate the killer.16Bahya, Numbers, 35:25.
The mother of the high priest brought food to the killer so that he should not pray that the high priest should die.17B. Makkot, 11a.
“The killer may return to his land holding” [35:28]. The killer may return to his land holding. Raba said: the killer returns home to his barns, fields, and vineyards. However, the official position that he previously had is not given back to him. Rabbi Meir said that he is given back his position of authority.18B. Makkot, 13a. In the Talmud, Rabbi Judah, rather than Raba is cited.
“You may not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer” [35:31]. They should take no money from the killer when he is guilty of the death penalty, or he is guilty of running to the cities of refuge, since the sin of killing is the greatest sin of all sins, as we find concerning Ahab, who was an evil king. The Holy One allowed his sins to accumulate. No greater sin was found, but the killing that he caused to happen, the murder of Naboth, and therefore, the Holy One allowed him to be killed because of this sin, even though Ahab did not kill him with his own hands. Rather, he ordered him to be killed. How much more so, when someone has killed with his own hands, how great is the sin. Therefore, he should not be redeemed with any money.19Bahya, Numbers, 35:31.
“You shall not pollute the land” [35:33]. You should not engage in any flattery. That is, when somebody commits a sin in secret that no person knows about and he presents himself as very important. Our sages said: a person who engages in flattery comes to Gehenna. When somebody engages in flattery so that his friends should give him honor, he will have much shame in the end. When someone flatters the Holy One, his prayer is not accepted. Rabbi Eleazar said: the one who engages in flattery with his friend, in the end he will fall into his hands.20B. Sotah, 41b.
“In which I myself abide” [35:34]. The Holy One said: do not engage in flattery, because I am among you. Israel are beloved even when they are impure and even more so when the Shekhinah is among them, as the verse says, “which abides with them in the midst of their uncleanness” [Leviticus, 16:16]. Rabbi Nathan said: when Israel are, there the Shekhinah is among them. The Shekhinah was with them in Egypt. The Shekhinah was with them in Babylon. The Shekhinah is with us in this exile, as the verse says, “who is this coming from Edom” [Isaiah, 63:1]. When we will again go to Jerusalem, the Shekhinah will go with us, as the verse says, “then the Lord will restore” [Deuteronomy, 30:3]. This should soon come to pass. Amen and so may it be His will.