An Onkelos Translation Observation: נצב ("Nitzav") Standing, Planting, Anticipating

(2) Looking up, he saw three figures standing near him. Perceiving this, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground,

(2) He lifted his eyes and saw, and behold three men were standing over him. He saw [them], and ran from the door of the tent to greet them, and he bowed down to the earth.

He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and messengers of God were going up and down on it.

He dreamed, and behold a ladder was set up on [planted in] the earth and the top of it reached toward heaven; and behold angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it.

(13) And standing beside him was יהוה, who said, “I am יהוה, the God of your father Abraham’s [house] and the God of Isaac’s [house]: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring.

And behold [the Glory of] Adonoy stood over him, and said, I am Adonoy, God of Avraham, your father, and God of Yitzchok. The land upon which you are lying, I will give to you and to your descendants.

(7) There we were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf stood up and remained upright; then your sheaves gathered around and bowed low to my sheaf.”

(7) Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field. Behold my sheaf rose and stood up straight; and behold your sheaves surrounded it and prostrated themselves to my sheaf.

(4) And his sister stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him.

(4) [The child’s] sister stood herself at a distance to see what would happen to him.

(15) Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is coming out to the water, and station yourself before him at the edge of the Nile, taking with you the rod that turned into a snake.

(15) Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water, and stand there to meet him by the bank of the river. The rod that was turned into a snake, take in your hand.

(13) But Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stand by, and witness the deliverance which יהוה will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.

(13) Moshe said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance of Adonoy, which He will perform for you this day, for the Egyptians you have seen this day you will never again see them, even to eternity.

(17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.

(17) Moshe brought the people toward [the Divine Presence of] [the Word of] God, [leading them] out of the camp. They stood at the foot of the mountain.

Another explanation is offered for this custom. On the day when the Jews received the Torah, they overslept. Moshe our teacher had to wake them up to receive the Torah, as we read: “Moshe led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain” (Shemot 19:17). This was a failure on the part of the people. They neither prepared themselves properly for Matan Torah, nor experienced the appropriate anticipation (Shir Ha-shirim Rabba 1:56). In order to make up for this sin, we study Torah all night on Shavu’ot, as we long for and anticipate the light of Matan Torah, which is revealed anew each year on Shavu’ot (MA §494).

Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: “While the king was at his feast,” while the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, was at His feast, in the firmament—He arrived early, as it is stated: “It was on the third day when it was morning” (Exodus 19:16). [This is analogous] to a king who decreed: On such and such day I will enter the province. The residents of the province slept through the night and when the king arrived, he found them asleep. He positioned trumpets, horns, and a shofar, the governor of that province awakened them and brought them out to meet the king, and the king walked before them until he reached his palace. So too, the Holy One blessed be He arrived early, as it is stated: “It was on the third day when it was morning,” and it is written: “For on the third day, the Lord will descend before the eyes of the entire people” (Exodus 19:11). Israel slept through that entire night because sleep during [the season of] Shavuot is pleasant and the night is short. Rabbi Yudan said: Not even a flea stung them. The Holy One blessed be He came and found them asleep. He began positioning trumpets; that is what is written: “It was on the third day when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning” (Exodus 19:16), and Moses was awakening them and taking them out to meet the King of kings the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Moses took the people out of the camp toward God” (Exodus 19:17). The Holy One blessed be He was walking before them until He reached Mount Sinai, as it is written: “The entire Mount Sinai was smoking [because the Lord had descended]” (Exodus 19:18). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is why He taunted them through Isaiah, as it is stated: “Why have I come and there is no man, I called and there is no one to answer? Is My hand insufficient for redemption?” (Isaiah 50:2).

(22) But God was incensed at his going; so a messenger of יהוה took a position in his way as an adversary. He was riding on his she-ass, with his two servants alongside,

(22) God showed anger because he went, and an angel of Adonoy placed himself in the way to thwart him, as he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two attendants.

לשטן לו [AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD IN THE WAY] FOR AN OBSTRUCTION AGAINST HIM — It was an Angel of Mercy מלאך יהוה, an angel of the Lord,( the designation of God as a God of Mercy), and he wished to deter him from sinning — so that he should not sin and perish (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 8).

(3) Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings while I am gone. Perhaps יהוה will grant me a manifestation, and whatever is revealed to me I will tell you.” And he went off alone.

(3) Bil’am said to Balak: “Stand beside your burnt-offering and I will go away. Perhaps, [a word from before] Adonoy will appear to me, and whatever He will show me I will tell you.” And he went away alone.

(6) So he returned to him and found him standing beside his offerings, and all the Moabite dignitaries with him.

(6) When he returned, Balak was still standing next to his burnt-offering together with all the dignitaries of Moav.

(27) So they withdrew from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Now Dathan and Abiram had come out and they stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, their adult children, and their little ones.

(27) They withdraw from the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Avirom, and all around; and Dasan and Avirom went out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, children and infants.

(1) יצאו נצבים [AND DATHAN AND ABIRAM] CAME OUT, STATIONING THEMSELVES [AT THE ENTRANCE OF THEIR TENT] — The word נצבים suggests that they stood with erect stature in a challenging attitude, ready to revile and to curse. The phrase is similar in meaning to (I Samuel 17:16) “And he stationed himself (ויתיצב) there for forty days”, which occurs in the story of Goliath (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 3).

Moses said, “In as much as they did not want to come [to me], I shall go to them. Perhaps they will be ashamed and repent.” It is so stated (in Numb. 16:25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw him they began to curse and blaspheme, as stated (in vs. 27), “and Dathan and Abiram came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Does one go out sitting, kneeling, or lying prostrate? It is simply that it is to teach that they went out cursing and blaspheming. As going out and standing upright (rt.: ytsb) is mentioned here, and going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) is [also] mentioned in reference to Goliath the Philistine, where it is written (in I Sam. 17:4, 16), “And there went out a champion [….] Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening, and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.” Just as going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) involved cursing and blaspheming in that case, so also in this case did going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) involve cursing and blaspheming. Moses therefore began by saying (in Numb. 16:29, 32), “If these [people] die….”

(9) You stand this day, all of you, before your God יהוה —your tribal heads, your elders, and your officials, every householder in Israel,

אתם נצבים YE ARE STANDING THIS DAY [ALL OF YOU BEFORE THE LORD] — This teaches that Moses assembled them in the presence of the Omnipresent on the day of his death, in order to initiate them into a covenant with Him.

(33) [Abraham] planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and invoked there the name of יהוה, the Everlasting God.

(33) Avraham planted an eishel [tree] in Beer Sheva, and there he proclaimed [and there he prayed in] the Name Adonoy, Almighty of the universe.

(21) You shall not set up a sacred post—any kind of pole beside the altar of your God יהוה that you may make—

(21) Do not plant an Asherah for yourself [or] any tree near the altar of Adonoy, your God, that you will make for yourself.

(6) Like palm-groves that stretch out, Like gardens beside a river, Like aloes planted by יהוה, Like cedars beside the water;

(6) They stretch forth like streams, like gardens by the river [flowing like irrigated gardens near Peras], like the aloe trees that Adonoy has planted; like cedar trees [standing] by the water.