## Rashbam on Numbers Chapter 12

###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:1:1
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:1:1)

הכשית - שהיא ממשפחת חם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
הכושית, from one of the tribes going back to Cham.


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:1:2
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:1:2)

כי אשה כשית לקח - כדכתיב בדברי הימים, דמשה רבינו מלך היה בארץ כוש ארבעים שנה ולקח מלכה אחת ולא שכב עמה כמ"ש שם. והם לא ידעו כשדברו בו שלא נזקק לה, זה עיקר פשוטו. שאם בשביל צפורה דברו, מה צורך לפרש כי אשה כושית לקח וכי עד עתה לא ידענו כי צפורה מדינית היא?! ועוד תשובה, כי לא היתה כושית, כי כוש מבני חם הוא ומדין מבני קטורה אשר ילדה לאברהם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כי אשה כושית לקח, as reported in the biography of Moses (compare Yalkut Shimoni, edition by Heiman-Shiloni on Exodus page 34, glossary 18) According to that version, Moses ruled for 40 years as king over the land of Cush, took himself a woman as his queen but never slept with her, as reported there. Miriam and Aaron were never aware of the fact that Moses had not consummated that union. This is the plain meaning of our verse.
 If, as some believe, Miriam and Aaron spoke about Moses and Tzipporah, what need was there for the Torah to describe Moses’ wife as אשה כושית when everyone is well aware that Moses married Tzipporah the daughter of Yitro who was a Midianite, not a Cushite. Tzipporah could not have been described as Cushite seeing that the Cushites are descended from Cham, and the Midianites are descendents of the sons of Keturah, Avraham’s concubine, who bore 6 sons for him one of them being Midian. [Rash’bam’s argument is tenuous, for if Keturah was the same person as Hagar, according to most commentators, seeing that Hagar was an Egyptian, a woman descended from her could be described as Cushite, seeing that Mitzrayim, Egypt, was a descendant of Cham, also. Ed.]


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:2:1
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:2:1)

ויאמרו הרק אך במשה - כלומר: עוד זאת אמרו על משה במה יכול להתפאר עלינו הלא גם בנו - דבר לישראל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
'ויאמרו הרק אך במשה וגו, in addition to what they had already said concerning the Cushite woman to whom Moses was married, they also had another subject to criticise him for, namely that Moses could not boast about G’d communicating with him, seeing G’d did also speak to them.


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:2:2
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:2:2)

בנו - על ידינו.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
בנו, using us as His medium.


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:4:1
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:4:1)

פתאם - בשעה שהיו מדברים במשה ולא היתה שעה רגילה לדבר עמהם, אלא לגעור בהם מפני משה ולחלוק לו כבוד.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
פתאום, at the very moment when they were speaking about Moses. This was not a customary hour for G’d to communicate with them, but seeing G’d was upset about them on behalf of Moses, He wanted to pay him the honour of reacting immediately.


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:6:1
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:6:1)

נביאכם - נבואתכם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
נביאכם, same as נבואתכם, “your prophecy.”


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:7:1
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:7:1)

נאמן הוא - קבוע ומיוסד כל שעה ביום. וכמוהו: ותקעתיו יתד במקום נאמן. יתד התקוע במקום חזק אינו ממהר ליפול.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
נאמן הוא, a permanent presence, belonging to the foundation at any time of the day. The word נאמן occurs in this sense of Isaiah 22,23 יתד במקום נאמן, “as a peg in a firm place.” It is something that is not apt to fall down.


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:12:1
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:12:1)

אל נא תהי כמת - כלומר, לכבודך ובשבילך אל נא תהיה אתה בעצמך כמת. והיאך? אשר - נולד - בצאתו - מי שהוא נולד ממעיו - מרחם אמו - של אחיו שהוא חי הרי נאכל - חצי בשרו - של חי. כלומר: מאחר שנולדה מרים מרחם אמו של משה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אל נא תהי כמת, for reasons of your own honour and dignity do not allow yourself to become as if dead, for when someone who has been born from the same womb as your mother would be dead it is as if half of your own flesh is already dead.


###### Rashbam on Numbers 12:12:2
[Rashbam on Numbers 12:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Numbers/r/12:12:2)

אל נא תהי - אל תהיה אתה כמת, כמו: אל תהי בתוקעי כף. אל תהי עד חנם. אל תהי בסובאי יין.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אל נא תהי, do not become like a dead person The meaning of the words אל נא תהי as reflecting on the person addressed and not as the person who is the object of the conversation is also found in Proverbs 22,26, i.e.אל תהי בתוקעי כף, “do not be one of those who gives their hand, etc.” We also find this meaning in Proverbs 24,28 אל תהי עד חמס , “do not become a false witness.” [the author’s principal point is not to understand the word תהי as third person future feminine, but as second person, direct speech masculine. Ed.]