## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 33

###### Sforno on Numbers 33:1:1
[Sforno on Numbers 33:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/33:1:1)

**אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי.** רָצָה הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיִּכָּתְבוּ מַסְעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹדִיעַ זְכוּתָם בְּלֶכְתָּם אַחֲרָיו בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְהִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אלה מסעי, G’d wanted all the journeys to be recorded in order to compliment the Jewish people who had followed him blindly through the desert where nothing grew, so that as a reward for their faith they would deserve to enter and inherit the land of Israel.


###### Sforno on Numbers 33:2:1
[Sforno on Numbers 33:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/33:2:1)

**וַיִּכְתֹּב מֹשֶׁה.** כָּתַב מָקוֹם שֶׁיָּצְאוּ אֵלָיו וְהַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָסְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי לִפְעָמִים הָיָה הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁיָּצְאוּ אֵלָיו בְּתַכְלִית הָרֹעַ וְהַמָּקוֹם שֶׁנָּסְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ טוֹב.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויכתוב משה, he wrote down the name of the places towards which they were setting out, as well as the name of the places from which they had started that particular journey. [this unusual sequence would justify the Torah mentioning first מסעיהם before מוצאיהם at the end of our verse. Ed.]


###### Sforno on Numbers 33:2:2
[Sforno on Numbers 33:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/33:2:2)

**וְאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵיהֶם לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶם.** וְלִפְעָמִים קָרָה הֵפֶךְ זֶה. וְכָתַב גַּם כֵּן עִנְיַן הַמַּסָּע שֶׁהָיָה לָצֵאת מִמָּקוֹם אֶל מָקוֹם בְּלִי הַקְדָּמַת יְדִיעָה, שֶׁהָיָה זֶה קָשֶׁה מְאֹד, וּבְכָל זֶה לֹא נִמְנְעוּ. וּבְכֵן נִכְתַּב בְּכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶם ״וַיִּסְעוּ מִמָּקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי״, כִּי הַמַּסָּע וְהַחֲנִיָּה הָיָה כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם קָשֶׁה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
The reason why we find sometimes the objective mentioned first and other times the place of departure, is due to the fact that sometimes the people were glad to get away from a certain place where unpleasantness had occurred, whereas other times they were merely glad to arrive at a new destination hoping for a pleasant stay in their new encampment. One of the most vexing aspects of all these journeys was that the new objective had never been announced beforehand, so that the people were always in the dark about what the next day would bring. In spite of all these uncertainties they never refused to follow the cloud and break camp at a moment’s notice when required. The reason that both the breaking of camp and the making of camp are mentioned separately is because both entailed a considerable amount of discomfort.


###### Sforno on Numbers 33:40:1
[Sforno on Numbers 33:40:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/33:40:1)

**וַיִּשְׁמַע הַכְּנַעֲנִי.** גַּם זֶה זְכוּת לָהֶם, כִּי לֹא אָמְרוּ כַּאֲבוֹתָם ״נִתְּנָה רֹאשׁ״ (במדבר יד:ד), גַּם בִּרְאוֹתָם מִלְחָמָה, אֲבָל נָדְרוּ נֶדֶר לַה׳ וְשִׁלְּמוּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וישמע הכנעני, this too was a credit for them in that this time they did not say: “let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt.” (Compare Numbers 14,4 when they did) This time they were not afraid of facing war and battle.


###### Sforno on Numbers 33:53:1
[Sforno on Numbers 33:53:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/33:53:1)

**וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם אֶת הָאָרֶץ.** כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּבַעֲרוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ, אָז תִּזְכּוּ לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵיכֶם, שֶׁאִם לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אוֹתָם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאַתֶּם תִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, לֹא תִזְכּוּ לְהוֹרִישָׁהּ לִבְנֵיכֶם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והורשתם את הארץ, when you will wipe out the present inhabitants of that land your children will thereby acquire the right to treat it as their ancestral heritage. If you fail to drive out or wipe out the local population, the land will not become your heritage even though you have conquered it.


###### Sforno on Numbers 33:56:1
[Sforno on Numbers 33:56:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/33:56:1)

**וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּמִּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם אֶעֱשֶׂה לָכֶם.** כִּי תִזְנוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם בְּלִי סָפֵק.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והיה כאשר דמיתי לעשות להם אעשה לכם, for you will surely follow their religious cult, which will result in your expulsion or death.