## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 20

###### Sforno on Numbers 20:3:1
[Sforno on Numbers 20:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:3:1)

**וַיָּרֶב הָעָם עִם מֹשֶׁה.** הִנֵּה הַמְּרִיבָה עִם מֹשֶׁה הָיְתָה בְּאָמְרָם ״וְלָמָה הֲבֵאתֶם אֶת קְהַל ה׳ אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה״. אָמְנָם הָיְתָה גַּם עַל הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵעִיד בְּאָמְרוֹ (במדבר כ:יג) ״אֲשֶׁר רָבוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת ה׳״, וְזֶה הָיָה בְּאָמְרָם ״וְלָמָה הֶעֱלִיתֻנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וירב העם עם משה, the subject of the quarrel was why Moses had brought the people to such a desert as the one they found themselves in at the time. However, there was also a complaint against G’d Himself, as the Torah testifies in verse 13 where the Torah writes: אשר רבו בני ישראל את ה', “in that the Children of Israel quarreled with G’d.” This referred to the words (verse 5) “why did you take us out of Egypt?”


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

**קַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה. וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע.** כְּבָר רַבּוּ הַדֵּעוֹת בְּעִנְיַן חֵטְא מֵי מְרִיבָה, וְהָיָה סָפֵק אֵצֶל רַבִּים בַּמֶּה חָטְאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן שֶׁנִּכְתַּב עֲלֵיהֶם ״לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם״, ״מְעַלְתֶּם״ (דברים לב:נא), וּ״מְרִיתֶם״ (במדבר כ:כד). וְאִם הָיְתָה כַּוָּנַת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיְּדַבְּרוּ בִּלְבַד אֶל הַסֶּלַע, מַה עִנְיָן לִלְקִיחַת הַמַּטֶּה? וְאִם הָיָה הַחֵטְא עַל שֶׁהִכָּה מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַסֶּלַע שֶׁלֹּא בְּמִצְוַת שׁוֹלְחוֹ, בַּמֶּה חָטָא אַהֲרֹן? אָמְנָם כְּשֶׁנִּתְבּוֹנֵן בְּעִנְיַן הַמְּרִיבָה, רָאוּי שֶׁנַּחְשֹׁב שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מִצְוַת הָאֵל בָּזֶה עַל אֹפֶן שֶׁיַּכִּירוּ רִשְׁעַת מְרִיבָתָם וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת חַטָּאתָם וְשָׁבוּ וְרָפָא לָמוֹ, כִּי לֹא יַחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הַמֵּת. וּבְכֵן נָבִין שֶׁבָּזֶה הֶחֱטִיאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת כַּוָּנַת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְעַל זֶה הֶעֱנִישָׁם. אָמְנָם הַמְּרִיבָה עִם מֹשֶׁה הָיְתָה בְּאָמְרָם שֶׁהָיְתָה הַנְהָגָתוֹ בִּלְתִּי שְׁלֵמָה בְּמָה שֶׁהֵבִיא אוֹתָם אֶל אוֹתוֹ הַחֵלֶק הָרַע מֵהַמִּדְבָּר, וְעַל הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיְתָה מְרִיבָתָם בְּאָמְרָם שֶׁהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ נוֹשֶׁבֶת טוֹבָה אֶל אֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר. וּלְהוֹדִיעָם אֶת רִשְׁעָם בָּזֶה, הִתְחַיֵּב שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַנֵּס מוֹדִיעַ שֶׁהַשָּׁלִיחַ הָיָה מַנְהִיג בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, וְשֶׁהַמְּשַׁלֵּחַ הֵיטִיב בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ וְלֹא הֵרַע כְּלָל. וּבִהְיוֹת מִינֵי הַנִּסִּים הַמְּסֻפָּרִים בְּכִתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶׁשׁ עַל אֶחָד מִשְּׁלוֹשָׁה פָּנִים: הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא נֵס נִסְתָּר, כְּמוֹ יְרִידַת הַמָּטָר וְהַהִמָּלֵט מִן הַחֲלָאִים וּמִן הַצָּרוֹת, וְזֶה הַמִּין מִן הַנִּסִּים יַשִּׂיגוּהוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים בִּתְפִלָּתָם, כְּעִנְיָן ״וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּרְפָּא אֱלֹהִים אֶת אֲבִימֶלֶךְ״ (בראשית כ:יז), וְכֵן ״וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל מֹשֶׁה בְּעַד הָעָם״ (במדבר כא:ז). וְהַשֵּׁנִי הוּא נֵס נִגְלֶה, לֹא יוּכַל הַטֶּבַע לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹ הָאֹפֶן, אֲבָל יַעֲשֵׂהוּ אַחַר תְּנוּעוֹת רַבּוֹת בְּמֶשֶׁךְ זְמַן. וְזֶה הַמִּין מִן הַנִּסִּים יַעֲשֶׂהוּ הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל יְדֵי עֲבָדָיו עִם הַקְדָּמַת אֵיזוֹ תְּנוּעָה מְסֻדֶּרֶת מֵאִתּוֹ, כְּעִנְיָן ״הַשְׁלִיכֵהוּ אַרְצָה״ (שמות ד:ג), ״הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ וְהַכֵּיתָ בַצּוּר״ (שמות יז: ו), ״יְרֵה וַיּוֹר״ (מלכים ב יג:יז) וְזוּלָתָם. וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי הוּא מִין מִן הַנִּסִּים שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל הַטֶּבַע לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן, וְזֶה הַמִּין יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֵל יִתְעַלֶּה עַל יְדֵי עֲבָדָיו בְּדִבּוּר בִּלְבַד, שֶׁהִיא פְּעֻלָּה שִׂכְלִית וְיוֹתֵר נִכְבֶּדֶת מִשְּׁאָר תְּנוּעוֹתָיו הַגַּשְׁמִיּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הָעִנְיָן בִּפְתִיחַת פִּי הָאָרֶץ, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר וַתִּבָּקַע הָאֲדָמָה״ (במדבר טז:לא), וְכֵן בְּעִנְיָן עֲמִידַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ נֶאֱמַר ״אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ״ (יהושע י:יב). וְהִנֵּה בְּעִנְיַן זֹאת הַמְּרִיבָה הָיָה מִן הַהֶכְרֵחַ לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת רָעַת תְּלוּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַנֵּס הַנַּעֲשֶׂה מְבָאֵר מַעֲלַת הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמְּשַׁלֵּחַ וְדַרְכֵי טוּבוֹ, וּמְבָאֵר גַּם כֵּן מַעֲלַת הַשָּׁלִיחַ וְטוּבוֹ וְשֶׁהוּא מוּכָן אֶל שֶׁיֵּיטִיב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל יָדוֹ לְעַמּוֹ. וְתִתְבָּאֵר מַעֲלַת הַמְּשַׁלֵּחַ בַּמִּין הַשְּׁלִישִׁי מִן הַנִּסִּים, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוּכַל הַטֶּבַע כְּלָל עָלָיו בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן וּבְשׁוּם זְמַן, וְתִתְבָּאֵר מַעֲלַת הַשָּׁלִיחַ בַּמִּין הַשֵּׁנִי מִן הַנִּסִּים הַנַּעֲשֶׂה בִּתְנוּעַת הַשָּׁלִיחַ הָרָאוּי לָזֶה. וּבְכֵן צִוָּה הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיֵּהָפֵךְ הַסֶּלַע לְמַיִם, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וְנָתַן מֵימָיו״, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַמַּיִם מִן הַסֶּלַע, לֹא נִמְשָׁכִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר אֵלָיו. וְזֶה הָיָה נִמְנָע זוּלָתִי בִּהְיוֹתוֹ נֶהְפָּךְ מִצּוּרַת סֶלַע אֶל צוּרַת מַיִם, כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵעִיד אַחַר כָּךְ בְּאָמְרוֹ ״הַמּוֹצִיא לְךָ מַיִם מִצּוּר הַחַלָּמִישׁ״ (דברים ח:טו), כִּי אִם הָיוּ הַמַּיִם מוּבָאִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר שָׁם בְּנֵס, לֹא יִהְיֶה הֶבְדֵּל בֵּין צוּר חַלָּמִישׁ לְזוּלָתוֹ. וְזֶה הַמִּין מִן הַנִּסִּים לֹא יוּכַל עֲשׂוֹתוֹ הַטֶּבַע בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן וְלֹא בְשׁוּם זְמַן, וְצִוָּה שֶׁזֶּה יִהְיֶה עַל יְדֵי דִבּוּר עֲבָדָיו, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע״, לְמַעַן יַכִּירוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיָה זֶה הַנֵּס מִן הַמִּין הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כָּאָמוּר, לֹא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מַיִם נִגָּרִים שָׁם מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר. וּבָזֶה יָדְעוּ גֹדֶל וְטוּב הַמְּשַׁלֵּחַ, וְיָשִׁיבוּ אֶל לִבָּם שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר, אֵין בָּזֶה רָעָה כְּלָל בִּהְיוֹתוֹ עִמָּהֶם, אַחַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לָשִׂים מִדְבָּר לַאֲגַם מַיִם וְזוּלַת זֶה מִמַּה שֶּׁלֹּא יוּכַל הַטֶּבַע עָלָיו, וְשֶׁאִם הוּא כָּאן הַכֹּל כָּאן, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״הַמִּדְבָּר הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל״ (ירמיהו ב:לא). וְצִוָּה עִם זֶה שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁיֵּהָפֵךְ הַסֶּלַע לְמַיִם, יוֹצִיא מֹשֶׁה אוֹתָם הַמַּיִם לָהֶם בְּמַטֵּהוּ לְשִׁבְטֵיהֶם, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״בִּמְחֹקֵק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָם״ (במדבר כא:יח). וּלְזֶה הַמִּין מִן הַנִּסִּים אָמַר ״קַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה וְהוֹצֵאתָ לָהֶם מַיִם מִן הַסֶּלַע וְכוּ׳״. וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן הִסְכִּימוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּין הַשֵּׁנִי מִן הַנִּסִּים, וּלְהַגִּיר הַמַּיִם אֶל הַסֶּלַע מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשׂוּ בִּרְפִידִים, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וְהִכֵּיתָ בַצּוּר וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מַיִם״ (שמות יז:ו), כִּי לֹא בָטְחוּ שֶׁיָּקִים הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ אֶת דְּבָרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּין הַשְּׁלִישִׁי מִן הַנִּסִּים, בְּחָשְׁבָם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אָז מַמְרִים מְאֹד עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בִלְתִּי רְאוּיִים אֵלָיו, וְשֶׁיִּנָּחֵם ה׳ עַל הַטּוֹבָה. וּבְכֵן עָשׂוּ אֶת דֶּרֶךְ מִין הַשֵּׁנִי מִן הַנִּסִּים בַּמַּטֶּה, אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ הוֹדִיעַ מַעֲלַת הַשָּׁלִיחַ, וְלֹא עָשׂוּ אֶת דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּין הַשְּׁלִישִׁי אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ יוֹדִיעוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַעֲלַת הַמְּשַׁלֵּחַ וְטוּבוֹ. וּלְזֶה נִכְתַּב עֲלֵיהֶם ״לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי״, שֶׁהָרָצוֹן בּוֹ לֹא בְטַחְתֶּם בִּי שֶׁאֶעֱשֶׂה מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתִּי, ״וּמְעַלְתֶּם בִּי״ (דברים לב:נא) שֶׁחִלַּלְתֶּם כְּבוֹדִי וְלֹא הִרְאִיתֶם לַמְּרִיבִים אֶת סִכְלוּתָם, ״וּמְרִיתֶם פִי״ בְּשֶׁלֹּא שְׁמַרְתֶּם מִצְוָתִי.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
קח את המטה...ודברתם אל הסלע, there are numerous opinions of what precisely Moses’ sin consisted of. Many commentators have difficulty understanding the wordsלא האמנתם, ‘you lacked faith” in verse 12 as well as with the word מעלתם בי, “you trespassed against Me” in Deuteronomy 32,51, as well as the words מריתם את פי “you rebelled against My command” in verse 24 of our chapter here. 
If it had indeed been G’d’s intention that they were only to speak to the rock, what purpose was served in commanding Moses to take the staff? If the sin consisted in that Moses struck the rock, something he had not been commanded to do, what was Aaron’s sin?
 However, when we scrutinise the matter (the quarrel) more thoroughly we must remember that G’d’s instructions were designed to bring home to the people how wrong they had been in their rebellious attitude. They were meant not only to become aware of this, but to repent it and to apologise for it, seeing that G’d does not desire the death of the sinner but his rehabilitation by his own efforts. 
Knowing that this is so, Moses and Aaron’s actions or inaction resulted in G’d’s intention of bringing about the people’s repentance of their conduct was thwarted. G’d punished them for having become the instrument of thwarting His plan. 
The quarrel of the people with Moses was that they accused him of a failure of leadership that resulted in their finding themselves in a situation where they even lacked water for survival. Their quarrel with G’d consisted in their accusing Him of taking them out of a good land called Egypt and bringing them to a desert instead. G’d had wanted to make it clear to them by means of the miracle that Moses had not acted on their own but had merely been His messenger, had carried out his mission faithfully, and that the One Who had sent him had not caused the people any harm at all. We must remember that there are three distinct kinds of miracles in Scripture
 1) The “hidden” miracle such as that rain occurs when needed, or that people are recovering from a variety of life threatening diseases. These are the types of miracles that the righteous can bring about by means of their prayers. The Torah quotes an example of this kind of miracle in Genesis 20,17 when it tells us that Avraham’s prayer resulted in G’d healing the households in Avimelech’s kingdom where an outbreak of a disease had resulted in none of the expectant women being able to give birth to their babies until after Avraham’s prayer. A similar miracle occurred in Numbers 21,7 when Moses prayed on behalf of the people who had acknowledged that they had sinned.
 2)	The second type of miracle is an “open” miracle, something that could not be produced by nature without a special assist by G’d, although it could conceivably be become a natural phenomenon over a long period of time. Examples of this kind of miracle are Moses throwing his staff to the earth and G’d turning it into a snake (Exodus 4,5) or G’d commanding Moses to raise his staff (Exodus 14,16) and the waters of the sea parting, or Moses striking the rock in Exodus 17,6 in order to produce water from that rock. Kings II 13,17 is a similar miracle where Elisha by letting the king shoot arrows means to assure victory over the armies opposing Israel.
 3)	The third type of miracle is something that nature could never produce however long it practiced. It is a miracle to accomplish which only words are employed. G’d, by means of His prophet, produces a result by means of mere words which demonstrates that use of intelligence without any physical action can produce phenomenal results. This kind of miracle within a material universe employs an absolute minimum of the tools that are the basic instruments of running this terrestrial universe. This is the type of miracle employed when the earth opened and swallowed Korach, etc. (16,31) or when at Joshua’s command the orbit of both the sun and the moon were arrested (Joshua 10,12).
 In our situation G’d was about to provide the Jewish people with the demonstration of such a miracle in order to bring about their repentance when the people would become alert to the uniqueness of the prophet as well as to that of the One Who had made him His emissary, and Moses and Aaron deprived Him of that opportunity by preempting Him through hitting the rock. When G’d said to Moses that the rock ונתן מימיו, “it will give forth its waters,” He meant that it would dissolve into water so that no one could claim that the source of its waters had been elsewhere and that the course of these waters had merely been diverted to make it look as if the stone had turned into water. Moses’ high-handed action in merely striking the rock had been responsible for the fact that this type of miracle had not occurred, and that the aggrandizement of G’d’s name by the performance of such a miracle had not taken place. He himself had testified to this when he said in Deuteronomy 8,15 that G’d is One Who המוציא לך מים מצור החלמיש, “Who has produced water for you from the rock which is as hard as flint.” The reason that he chose this adjective is clear. If the waters that gushed forth from that rock had merely been diverted from somewhere else, what difference would it have made if the rock were soft or hard as flint? 
 This type of miracle could never be produced by forces concealed within nature irrespective of thousands and millions of years of evolution. [my choice of word, but author’s meaning. Ed.] G’d had commanded that this type of miracle occur as a result of words spoken by His servants. This is the reason for the emphasis on the words ודברתם אל הסלע, “you are to speak to the rock.” The Children of Israel were to be alerted not just to a miracle, but to the specific nature of this kind of miracle. Observing Moses in action in this fashion, they would get an inkling of the Power of the G’d Who had employed him as His emissary.
 They were to reflect on the fact that although G’d/Moses had taken the people out of Egypt they had not suffered any harm from that at all seeing that their G’d had been with them every step of the way. He had converted the desert into a pool of water on their behalf, had performed miracles totally beyond the latent powers of nature ever to perform. As long as G’d was with them, i.e. in the words of Sukkah 53,אם אני כאן הכל כאן, “if I, the Lord, is present, everything you need is present.” Jeremiah 2,31 phrased it thus: המדבר הייתי לישראל, “was I G’d then a desert for Israel?” (did I not provide everything that is otherwise lacking in a desert?)
 G’d commanded that as soon as the rock would yield up its water, Moses was to use his staff in order to guide separate streams of that water to the various areas in which each tribe had its tents, so that they would not have to leave their homes, as they did to collect the manna, in order to benefit from this vital resource.
 This was the meaning of the words “take the staff…..and extract the water for them from the rock and provide water for the congregation” (verse 8). This is also the meaning of 21,18 במחוקק במשענותם, “when they split it with their staff.” Moses and Aaron had agreed between them to carry out the second part of the miracle by bringing water to the people via the rock as they had done at Refidim when the Torah had described what would happen as “when you strike the rock the water will come forth from the rock an the people will drink.” (צור, not סלע), (Exodus 17,6) 
 The type of miracle we had described as category three earlier is described here with the words והוצאת להם מים מן הסלע, what Moses and Aaron agreed to do was the lesser level of miracle as they were not sure G’d meant to perform the third category of miracle, i.e. not involving any action such as striking the rock. The reason why they doubted that G’d was going to perform the latter miracle was that they did not considered the Israelites worthy at the time to experience this kind of miracle seeing they had acted in a rebellious manner, Moses himself having addressed them as ממרים, rebels. By performing the second category of miracle, the one which demonstrates only the elevated stature of the messenger, while failing to perform the third category of miracle which would also have demonstrated the exalted nature of the One Who had instructed them as His emissary they committed a serious error. This is the reason the Torah writes לא האמנתם, “you did not have faith enough” (verse 12). The meaning is not that they considered G’d incapable of producing water from the rock by their merely speaking to it, but they did not believe that the circumstances at the time warranted that G’d would put Himself out to such an extent for these people. Deuteronomy 32,51 makes clear that their sin of omission constituted a desecration of G’d’s honour.


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

**וַיִּקָּדֵשׁ בָּם.** בְּאוֹתָם הַמַּיִם עַצְמָם נִקְדַּשׁ אַחַר כָּךְ בְּעִנְיַן נַחַל אַרְנוֹן, שֶׁהֶרְאָה אָז לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאוֹתָם הַמַּיִם הָיוּ בִּלְתִּי טִבְעִיִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹרוּ אָז בְּשִׁירָתָם בְּאָמְרָם (במדבר כא:יט) ״וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת״, שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם עוֹלִים יוֹתֵר מִמְּקוֹם מְקוֹרָם, עַל הֶפֶךְ הָרָאוּי לַמַּיִם הַטִּבְעִיִּים.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויקדש בם, by these very waters G’d did become sanctified later on in the incident which occurred at the river Arnon when He showed these people these unnatural waters as testified to by the Israelites in their song (21,19) ומנחליאל במות that these waters instead of flowing downwards in accordance with the laws of gravity, actually flowed uphill.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:17:1
[Sforno on Numbers 20:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:17:1)

**דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ.** בְּאוֹתָהּ הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיְּצַוֶּה הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁנֵּלֵךְ בָּהּ, כְּמִנְהַג כָּל מֶלֶךְ הַנּוֹתֵן מַעֲבָר לִצְבָא אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמוֹ, לִשְׁלוֹחַ עִמָּהֶם מוֹרֶה בַּדֶּרֶךְ לְמַעַן לֹא יַזִּיקוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַצָּבָא אוֹ קְצָתָם בְּעָבְרָם לְיוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
דרך המלך, the route which the king would command them to travel. It was an established custom that when foreign armies were given permission to traverse a neutral country’s territory that they were assigned a specific route for that purpose. Such armies would also be assigned a guide advising them of possible pitfalls en route.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:18:1
[Sforno on Numbers 20:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:18:1)

**פֶּן בַּחֶרֶב אֵצֵא לִקְרָאתֶךָ.** כִּי הֲמוֹן עַם אֱדוֹם אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים, וּבְסִבָּה מוּעֶטֶת מִמְּרִיבָה אוֹ זוּלָתָהּ שֶׁתִּפּוֹל בֵּין אַנְשֵׁי הָאָרֶץ וְהָעָם הָעוֹבֵר, יִתְעוֹרְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָאָרֶץ בַּחֶרֶב נֶגֶד הָעוֹבְרִים.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
פן בחרב אצא לקראתך, most of the people of Edom were bloodthirsty people and did not need more than the slightest pretext in order to start a war.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:19:1
[Sforno on Numbers 20:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:19:1)

**בַּמְסִלָּה נַעֲלֶה.** הִנֵּה זֶה אוּלַי יִקְרֶה אִם נַעֲבֹר בֶּעָרִים, אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ נַעֲבֹר בַּמְסִלָּה בִּלְבַד וְלֹא תִקְרֶה שָׁם סִבָּה שֶׁתְּעוֹרֵר אֶת עַמְּךָ בַּחֶרֶב לִקְרָאתֵנוּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
במסלה נעלה, Moses argued that if they were to cross through towns and come into contact with the inhabitants there might be concern about possible friction, but it was their intention to cross the land in areas that were totally uninhabited so that there could not be a question of possible friction and war.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:19:2
[Sforno on Numbers 20:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:19:2)

**רַק אֵין דָּבָר בְּרַגְלַי.** אֵין אִתָּנוּ שׁוּם דָּבָר מוּכָן לְחַרְחֵר רִיב.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
רק אין דבר ברגלי, we have not even with us anything that could become the focus of a quarrel.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:19:3
[Sforno on Numbers 20:19:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:19:3)

**אֶעֱבֹרָה.** מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינְךָ מְמָאֵן לְהַנִּיחֵנוּ לַעֲבֹר אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ הִנֵּה נוּכַל לַעֲבֹר, שֶׁאֵין לָחוּשׁ לָזֶה כְּלָל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אעבורה, seeing that your only concern is possible friction and you do not object basically to our traversing your territory we will proceed to cross it seeing that you have nothing to fear.


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

**וַיֵּצֵא אֱדוֹם לִקְרָאתוֹ.** עַל הַגְּבוּל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויצא אדום לקראתו, to face them at the border.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:26:1
[Sforno on Numbers 20:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:26:1)

**וְהַפְשֵׁט אֶת אַהֲרֹן אֶת בְּגָדָיו.** אוֹתָם בְּגָדִים הָרְאוּיִם לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר עַל כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והפשט אהרן את בגדיו, the garments that were exclusively those of a High Priest, i.e. those in addition to the garments worn by the ordinary priest.


###### Sforno on Numbers 20:26:2
[Sforno on Numbers 20:26:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/20:26:2)

**וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּם אֶת אֶלְעָזָר.** שֶׁהָיָה לָבוּשׁ בִּגְדֵי כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט, וּבְכֵן נִשְׁאַר אַהֲרֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה בִּגְדֵי כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה עִנְיָנוֹ בְּהִכָּנֵס לִפְנֵי וְלִפְנִים, וּכְעִנְיַן הֵרָאוֹת מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים לַעֲבָדָיו.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והלבשתם את אלעזר, who was already wearing the standard four garments which every priest wore. As a result, Aaron would remain wearing the basic four garments worn by every priest. It is precisely these four garments which he would wear any time he had occasion to enter the Holy of Holies, so that he in no way was deprived of status by not wearing the garments which were meant only for his image among his peers, not for his image when facing G’d. In fact, basically, what he remained with were the kind of garments angels appear in when they appear to human beings.