Young Men (נער)

Sources

AND BEHOLD A BOY THAT WEPT. Moses’ limbs were as large as if he were a fully developed boy. Pharaoh’s daughter noticed that Moses was circumcised. She took pity on him because of his beauty. This is the meaning of that he was a goodly child.

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 2:6:2

BUT HIS MINISTER JOSHUA, THE SON OF NUN, A YOUNG MAN. Joshua lived a hundred and ten years. Our sages said that Joshua spent seven years conquering Canaan and seven years dividing it up. If this is the case, then Joshua was now fifty-six years old. Why then did Scripture call him a young man? This is its grammatical explanation. His minister Joshua, the son of Nun, performed the service of a young man.

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 33:11:2

AND HIS MINISTER JOSHUA, ‘BIN’ (THE SON OF) NUN, ‘NA’AR’ (A LAD). Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “Joshua lived a hundred and ten years, and the Sages say that it took him seven years to conquer the Land [of Israel] and seven years to apportion it amongst the tribes. If so, he was now fifty-six years old, and how does Scripture call him na’ar (lad)? We must therefore say that this is the meaning thereof: and his minister Joshua the son of Nun rendered him such service as can be given only by a youthful attendant…

Ramban on Exodus 33:11:1

AND BEHOLD IT WAS A WEEPING LAD. “His voice sounded like that of a grown lad.” Thus the language of Rabbeinu Shlomo. Now the Rabbis have already rejected this opinion, saying, “If so, you have made Moses our teacher appear as having a blemish [and being unfit for Levitical service in the Tabernacle].” Besides, what reason is there for Scripture to mention his unnatural voice?
And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that his limbs were developed as that of a young lad. Perhaps Scripture mentioned this in order to denote the child’s beauty…

Ramban on Exodus 2:6:1

A child may be dissembling in his behavior
Even though his actions are blameless and proper.

והוא נער AND HE, BEING A LAD — His actions were childish: he dressed his hair, he touched up his eyes so that he should appear good-looking (Genesis Rabbah 84:7).

Rashi on Genesis 37:2:2

את הילד, בוכה, she noticed that though his size was that of an infant, when he cried he sounded like a far older child, a lad. Actually, from birth until maturity a child is still called ילד. The best proof of this is found in Kings I 12,10 where the advisors of Rechavam, the son of king Solomon who ascended the throne after him, is described as listening to his youthful advisors who are called הילדים אשר גדלו עמו “the children who had grown up with him.” [Rechavam was 41 years of age at the time. Ed.] Also in Daniel 1,4 youngsters at least in their teens are referred to as ילדים…

Sforno on Exodus 2:6:2

[4] (Proverbs 1:4): 'To give prudence to the simple, etc.' - Solomon said: I was simple, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave me prudence; I was a youth, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave me discretion. Alternatively, 'to give prudence to the simple' - from how many years onward does a person need to have prudence? From the age of twenty and above. 'To the young man knowledge and discretion' - until how many years is a person considered a youth? Rabbi Meir says: until 25 years, Rabbi Akiva says: until 30 years…

Midrash Mishlei 1:4

THESE ARE THE ‘TOLDOTH’ (GENERATIONS) OF JACOB. And this is an account of the generations of Jacob. These are their settlements and the events which occurred to them until they attained settlement status. The first cause was Joseph, being seventeen years old, etc. It was through this incident that it happened that they descended to Egypt. This is the literal explanation of the text, which permits each detail to fall into its place. These are the words of Rashi. But the word toldoth cannot apply to a settlement…

Ramban on Genesis 37:2:1

And the lads who were the spies went in. This mission required speed, thus they performed like speedy lads. However on the first night they were like angels, guarding themselves from sinning with Rochov, the harlot, therefore they were referred to as angels. Therefore they were referred to as men, as angels and as lads.

Rashi on Joshua 6:23:1

The pasuk states, "And he blesses Yosef saying, the angel who redeemed me, shall protect the lads, and they will multiply like the fish." The question arises: what blessing did Yaakov give Yosef, as it seems directed only at Menashe and Efraim? The explanation is that Yaakov blessed Yosef with the ability to spread his own power. The source of life force comes from Yosef, but when this blessing descends into the lower worlds, it requires protection. In exile, due to the dominance of negative forces, holiness cannot be readily revealed…

Sefat Emet, Genesis, Vayechi 7:4

וישלח את נערי בני ישראל, “He sent the youths of the Children of Israel, etc.” These were the firstborn. The reason the Torah refers to them as נערי, “youths of,” is that they were ritually pure, ready to perform sacrificial service. They had never committed a sin, had not had sexual intercourse with a woman. This is what our sages said in Berachot 43 when they described that in the future these בחורי ישראל, “young men of the Jewish people,” who had never committed any sin would exude a fragrance like that of the Lebanon…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 24:5:1

And she opened, and saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept; and she had compassion upon him, and said, This is one of the children of the Jehudaee.

Targum Jonathan on Exodus 2:6

3. The third view is that which is taught in Scripture, and which forms one of the principles of our religion. It coincides with the opinion of the philosophers in all points except one. For we believe that, even if one has the capacity for prophecy, and has duly prepared himself, it may yet happen that he does not actually prophesy. It is in that case the will of God [that withholds from him the use of the faculty]. According to my opinion, this fact is as exceptional as any other miracle, and acts in the same way…

Guide for the Perplexed, Part 2 32:4

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