## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 12

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

**הֲרַק אַךְ בְּמֹשֶׁה דִּבֶּר ה׳.** הַאָמְנָם מֹשֶׁה לְבַדּוֹ זָכָה לָזֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דְּבַר ה׳ מְיוּחָד אֵלָיו לְבַדּוֹ, מִלְּבַד מַה שֶּׁזָּכָה עִם כָּל הֲמוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה?

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
'הרק אך במשה דבר ה?, has Moses been the only one who experienced the distinction that G’d spoke to him in addition to the whole people experiencing that G’d spoke to them when He gave the Ten Commandments?


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

**וַיִּשְׁמַע ה׳.** כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה שֶׁאֲנִי צוּרְבָא דְרַבָּנַן דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּבַע בִּיקָרֵיהּ (ברכות יט).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
'וישמע ה, as our sages have said junior Torah scholars are in a class by themselves in that G’d is extremely stern in reacting to their slightest misdemeanours. (B’rachot 19)


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

**צְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶם.** רָצָה שֵׁיֵדַע מֹשֶׁה טוֹב הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמַּקְפִּיד עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
צאו שלשתכם. G’d wanted that Moses should become aware of His being concerned immediately when anyone impugned his honour.


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

**אִם יִהְיֶה נְבִיאֲכֶם.** אִם הָיָה מֹשֶׁה נָבִיא בְּאוֹתָהּ הַמַּדְרֵגָה שֶׁחֲשַׁבְתֶּם בְּאָמְרְכֶם ״הֲלֹא גַם בָּנוּ דִבֵּר״ (במדבר יב:ב).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אם יהיה נביאכם, if Moses were a prophet on the same spiritual level as you presumed when you said: “G’d spoke to us also,”


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:6:2
[Sforno on Numbers 12:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:6:2)

**ה׳ בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע.** לֹא הָיִיתִי נוֹדָע לוֹ וְנִגְלֶה עָלָיו בָּזֶה הַשֵּׁם אֶלָּא בְּמַרְאֶה לְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה, לֹא בְּהָקִיץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הָעִנְיָן בִּישַׁעְיָהוּ בְּאָמְרוֹ ״וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת ה׳ יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא״ (ישעיהו ו:א). וְכֵן בְּמִיכָה ״וְרָאִיתִי אֶת ה׳ יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסְאוֹ״ (מלכים א כב:יט), וְכָל זֶה בְּמַרְאֵה הַנְּבוּאָה בְּלִי סָפֵק, לֹא בְּהָקִיץ. וְגַם בִּלְעָם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה הַדִּבּוּר אֵלָיו בְּהָקִיץ, לֹא הָיָה לוֹ בַּשֵּׁם הַמְיוּחָד כַּאֲשֶׁר חָשַׁב הוּא בְּאָמְרוֹ ״אוּלַי יִקָּרֶה ה׳ לִקְרָאתִי״ (במדבר כג:ג), כִּי זֶה אָמְנָם לֹא עָלָה לְיָדוֹ, אֲבָל נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ ״וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם״ (במדבר כג:ד).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ה' במראה אליו אתודע, G’d would have had to reveal Himself to him in a mirror-like vision, (feminine version of the word mareh). He would not have revealed Himself to Moses while the latter was awake, as for instance in the case of Isaiah of whom it is written in Isaiah 6,1 ואראה את ה' יושב על כסא רם ונשא, or as in the case of Michyahu who claimed to have seen G’d sitting on His throne. (Kings I 29,19) These prophets experienced their prophetic visions while they were asleep, certainly not while they were awake. Also Bileam, even though he was addressed by G’d while awake, was not addressed by the Essence of G’d but by one of His attributes, he himself only hoping that G’d as Hashem would address him (Numbers 23,3). He never attained that level of prophecy, but in response to the wish expressed in above mentioned verse we find ויקר אלוקים אל בלעם, that the attribute Elokim encountered Bileam.


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

**לֹא כֵן עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה.** שֶׁהַדִּבּוּר עִמּוֹ בְּשֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד הוּא בְּהָקִיץ, וְזֶה בֵּאֵר בְּאָמְרוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
לא כן עבדי משה, who experiences that G’d the Essence (hashem) speaks to him while he is awake.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:8:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:8:1)

**פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ.** שֶׁהַנְּבוּאָה אֵלָיו הִיא בִּלְתִּי תַּרְדֵּמַת חוּשָׁיו.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
This is the meaning of the expression פה אל פה אדבר בו, “I speak to him as if one mouth to another mouth.” When he experiences prophetic insights he does not have to take leave of his senses and be put to sleep so that his senses have first become neutralised.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:8:2
[Sforno on Numbers 12:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:8:2)

**וּמַרְאֶה.** לְשׁוֹן זָכָר הַנִּקְרָא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה אֵצֶל רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יבמות מט:).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ומראה, a clear vision (masculine mode of the word), something our sages refer to as “a clear picture, visual image.” (compare Yevamot 49).


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:8:3
[Sforno on Numbers 12:8:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:8:3)

**וְלֹא בְחִידֹת.** דִּבּוּר מְבֹאָר בְּלִי חִידָה, לֹא כְּעִנְיָן בִּזְכַרְיָה (זכריה ד:ה) וְזוּלָתוֹ שֶׁרָאָה חִידוֹת וּמְשָׁלִים וְאָמַר לוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ ״הֲלֹא יָדַעְתָּ מָה הֵמָּה אֵלֶּה״, וְאוֹמֵר ״לֹא אֲדֹנִי״, וְהַמַּלְאָךְ פֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ אֶת הַמָּשָׁל. וּמֵהֶם הָיוּ שֶׁרָאוּ אֶת הַמְּשָׁלִים וְהֵבִינוּ אוֹתָם, כְּעִנְיַן ״הֵיטַבְתָּ לִרְאוֹת״ (ירמיהו א:יב). וּכְעִנְיַן בִּלְעָם בְּאָמְרוֹ ״וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ״ (במדבר כג:ז), כִּי בַתְּחִלָּה הִגִּיד הַמָּשָׁל שֶׁרָאָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ בֵּאֵר אוֹתוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ולא בחידות, neither in riddles, such as parables, sometimes even having to be helped to understand the meaning of the parables. (Zecharyah 4,5) Other prophets understood such parables without an angel being needed to help them, such as Jeremiah 1,12 who was told that he had correctly understood the vision which had been granted him in the form of a parable. Bileam also sometimes revealed the parable he himself had been shown as the Divine message (Numbers 23,7) he was revealing.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:8:4
[Sforno on Numbers 12:8:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:8:4)

**וּתְמוּנַת ה׳ יַבִּיט.** וְכָל זֶה הוּא מַשִּׂיג עִם הַהִגָּלוֹת אֵלָיו בַּשֵּׁם הַמְיוּחָד, לֹא כְּבִלְעָם שֶׁעִם זֶה שֶׁלֹּא הִשִּׂיג אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, הָיְתָה הַשָּׂגָתוֹ בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים בִּלְבַד, לֹא בַּשֵּׁם הַמְיוּחָד.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ותמונת ה' יביט, all of the aforementioned Moses experiences as a direct communication from G’d in His capacity as “hashem, i.e. the Essence.” He was distinct from Bileam who received the message not clearly formulated but only expressed in the guise of a parable.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:8:5
[Sforno on Numbers 12:8:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:8:5)

**וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא יְרֵאתֶם.** לֹא יִמָּלֵט שֶׁאֵין זֶה כִּי אִם רֹעַ לֵב, שֶׁאִם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם שֶׁאֲנִי מַכִּיר בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, אִם כֵּן חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי תּוֹעֶה שֶׁאֲנִי חָפֵץ בָּרְשָׁעִים, הֵפֶךְ מַה שֶׁהָיָה לָכֶם לַחֲשׁוֹב, שֶׁלֹּא הָיִיתִי מַזְכֶּה אוֹתוֹ לָזֹאת הַמַּעֲלָה אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא רָאוּי לְכָךְ. וּבְכֵן הָיָה לָכֶם לִירָא מִלְּדַבֵּר בְּאִישׁ כָּזֶה. וְאִם אוּלַי חֲשַׁבְתֶּם שֶׁאֵינִי מַכִּיר בְּמַעֲשָׂיו וְשֶׁאַתֶּם מַכִּירִים בּוֹ יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי, שֶׁחָשַׁבְתִּי שֶׁהוּא רָאוּי לְכָךְ וְאֵינוֹ כֵן, הִנְּכֶם יוֹתֵר חוֹשְׁבִים אֶל ה׳ תּוֹעֶה, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה ״זוֹ קָשָׁה מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנָה״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ומדוע לא יראתם, if you have not been afraid to speak as you did this could only be due to something evil in your heart. For, if you thought that I am certainly aware of Moses’ deeds you must have mistakenly concluded that I find pleasure in the wicked. This is exactly the reverse of what you should have been thinking. You should have thought that in view of Moses’ position and the miracles he performed in My name that I would not have allowed him to do this unless I had thought that he was worthy of such a lofty position. If, perchance, you thought that I am unaware of Moses’ past deeds and that you know more about this than I do, and that is why I considered him fit for his lofty position whereas in fact he is not, you would be far more guilty of an error than the error you kept accusing Moses of.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:9:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:9:1)

**וַיִּחַר אַף ה׳ בָּם.** שֶׁלֹּא נִכְנְעוּ תֵּיכֶף כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָה דָּוִד בְּאָמְרוֹ אֶל נָתָן ״חָטָאתִי״ (שמואל ב יב:יג).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויחר אף ה' בם, that they did not immediately humble themselves as did David when the prophet Nathan told him that he had sinned. (Samuel II 12,13) וילך, G’d departed seeing they had not even reacted.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:10:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:10:1)

**וְהֶעָנָן סָר.** כְּמַרְחִיק הַמְצֹרַעַת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּשַׁלְּחוּהָ אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה לְבַיְּשָׁהּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והענן סר, as one needs to keep one’s distance from anyone afflicted with tzoraat, and so that the afflicted person could be removed from the encampment of the people.


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

**אַל נָא תְהִי כַּמֵּת אֲשֶׁר בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵרֶחֶם אִמּוֹ וַיֵּאָכֵל חֲצִי בְשָׂרוֹ.** הִנֵּה הָעוּבָּר שֶׁהוּא מֵת בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה, שֶׁבְּצֵאתוֹ מֵרֶחֶם אִמּוֹ נֶאֱכַל וְנִתְקַלְקֵל חֲצִי בְשָׂרוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּרְאֶה שֶׁהוּא מוֹסִיף שְׁלֵמוּת בַּלֵּדָה עַל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ בְּבֶטֶן אִמּוֹ, בְּצֵאתוֹ מִשָּׁם אֶל מְקוֹם הַחַיִּים הַשְּׁלֵמִים, הוּא אָמְנָם מוֹסִיף גֵּרָעוֹן בֶּהֱיוֹת נֶאֱכָל חֲצִי בְשָׂרוֹ בְּאוֹתָהּ הַלֵּדָה. כֵּן אַתָּה, הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְנִכְנָס לָאָרֶץ הַנִּבְחֶרֶת וּבָזֶה תֵּיטִיב מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ, אַל נָא תְהִי כְּאוֹתוֹ הַמֵּת, שֶׁתָּנִיחַ חֲצִי בְשָׂרְךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אל נא תהי כמת אשר בצאתו מרחם אמו ויאכל חצי בשרו, when a fetus is dead, having prematurely been aborted so that half its flesh looks as if it had already wasted away by the time it is expelled from its mother’s womb, even though it then appears in better condition than it was while still within its mother’s womb. When such a fetus leaves this world (mother’s womb) and enters the world of real life, perfect life, it still adds a negative dimension by being born, seeing that half of its flesh is consumed. Aaron asks Moses (whom he addresses here) not to leave his sister behind “dead” in the desert, whereas he will go on to the Holy Land, seeing that this would appear in retrospect as if he had left half of his own flesh (and blood) behind him in the desert.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:13:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:13:1)

**אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ.** בְּבַקָּשָה אֲנִי שׁוֹאֵל שֶׁתִּרְפָּא עַתָּה לָהּ, וְלֹא נִצְטָרֵךְ לְבַיְּשָׁהּ לְהוֹצִיאָהּ חוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
א-ל נא רפא נא לה, he was pleading that Miriam should be healed forthwith so that she would not be subjected to the embarrassment of having to leave the camp.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:14:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:14:1)

**הֲלֹא תִכָּלֵם.** רְאוּיָה הִיא לְזֹאת הַבּוֹשָׁה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
הלא תכלם, she deserves to experience this shameful embarrassment.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:15:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:15:1)

**וְהָעָם לֹא נָסַע.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֶעָנָן סָר מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל וּכְתִיב ״וּבְהֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִסְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל מַסְעֵיהֶם״ (במדבר ט:יז), מִכָּל מָקוֹם לֹא נָסְעוּ, שֶׁהִכִּירוּ שֶׁלֹּא נֶעֱלָה אָז אֶלָּא לְהַרְחִיק הַמְצֹרַעַת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והעם לא נסע, even though the cloud had lifted off the encampment and the Tabernacle. The Torah writes: ובהעלות הענן מעל המשכן יסעו בני ישראל בכל מסעיהם, “when the cloud would lift from above the Tabernacle the Children of Israel would begin all their respective journeys.” They did not journey on this occasion as they realised that the reason why the cloud had lifted was in order to distance itself from the tzoraat.


###### Sforno on Numbers 12:16:1
[Sforno on Numbers 12:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/12:16:1)

**וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן.** בְּמָקוֹם מִן הַמִּדְבָּר שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לוֹ שֵׁם כְּלָל, אֲבָל הָיָה מוּל קָדֵש בַּרְנֵעַ וְקָרוֹב לָהּ, כְּדֵי לְסַדֵּר עִנְיְנֵיהֶם וּלְהִכָּנֵס שָׁם, שֶׁהִיא הָעִיר הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁפָּגְעוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵעִיד בְּאָמְרוֹ (דברים א:יט-כא) ״וַנָּבֹא עַד קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ״, וְאוֹמֵר ״אֲלֵיכֶם בָּאתֶם עַד הַר הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ נֹתֵן לָנוּ, עֲלֵה רֵשׁ וְכוּ׳״. וְקָרָא אוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם רִתְמָה, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי (במדבר לג:יח).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויחנו במדבר פארן, in a region of the desert which had not been named at all, but it is clear that it was opposite Kadesh Barnea, not far from it. This was in order for them to make all the necessary preparations to enter the first town of what was going to be their homeland. Moses referred to this specifically in his review in Deuteronomy 1,19-21. Having made camp there the Israelites called the site Ritmah, and it is described as such in the list of the journeys of the Israelites in Parshat Massey.