## Tur HaArokh, Numbers

###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:1:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:1:1)

**ותדבר מרים ואהרן וגו' האשה הכושית.**כתב ר' אברהם יש אומרים כי משה מלך על כוש ולקח כושית. והמתרגם אומר שפירתא כמו שקורין לעור סגיא נהור ולא יתכן שנקרא שם שהוא לשבח להפכו לגנאי והישר בעיני שזאת הכושית היא צפורה כי היא מדיינית והמדיינים הם הישמעאלים והם דרים באהלים בעבור חום השמש ואין בהם לבן וצפורה היתה שחורה דומה לכושית. והנה חשדו למשה שפירש מצפורה בעבור שאינה יפה ולכך אמר הרק אך במשה ודאי לא פירש ממנה בשביל הנבואה הרק אך במשה דבר ה' והלא גם הם נביאים ואין המשכב אסור להם. ויש מפרשים שהוכיחו אותו על שלא היתה מיוחסת ואמרו מעלה יש לנו על משה מצד אשתו שאינה מיוחסת והיא מדיינית ולגנותה אמרו כושית ואנחנו בעלי יחס מגדולי הדור ואשתך כמו כן מיוחסת אחות נחשון שאין בישראל כמוהו והוא נשא כושית ואם תאמר מדריגה יש לו עלינו הרק אך במשה דבר ה' הלא גם בנו דבר אין לו מעלה עלינו בזה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ותדבר מרים ואהרן....האשה הכושית, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses….on account of the Cushite woman (whom he had married).” 
 Ibn Ezra writes that some people claim that Moses had been king in the land of Cush for many years and had married a Cushite woman in that country. Onkelos, on the other hand, translates the word כושית as describing Tzipporah’s physical beauty. Although generally speaking, the term is derogatory, Miriam is described as referring to Tzipporah as we refer to a blind man by calling him סגי נהור, “endowed with exceptionally good eyesight.” [This makes Miriam’s comment a sarcastic one. Ed.] I consider it most unlikely that Miriam used a term that is used as a complimentary one and turned it into an insulting one. Tzipporah, apparently was dark-skinned, similarly to the Negroes of the land of Cush. Tzipporah’s being a Midianite, people who live like Bedouins in a hot climate, with constant exposure to the sun, was therefore not unlike the Negroes in her skin colour.
 Miriam and Aaron suspected that Moses had separated from Tzipporah due to the colour of her skin. They could not imagine that Moses’ separation from Tzipporah was connected to his status as a prophet, and that is why they asked the rhetorical question: “does G’d only speak to him, did He not also speak to us?” They implied that the status of being a prophet does not require for the prophet to abandon normal family life, as they had not abandoned it either.
 Other commentators believe that Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for not having married a woman of better lineage, of more aristocratic background. They considered themselves as superior to Moses because of their wives or husbands being of superior background. In other words, they used the word Cushite as a derogatory term. Miriam contrasted Aaron’s wife the sister of Nachshon, who was of impeccable heritage with that of Moses, who in her opinion, had married “beneath” him, socially and culturally. She added, if one were to say that nonetheless Moses himself remained of superior statute on account of his prophetic abilities, they themselves had also been found worthy of having communications from *Hashem.*


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:3:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:3:1)

**והאיש משה עניו מאד.**כתב הרמב"ן להגיד כי השם קינא בשבילו בעבור ענותנותו כי הוא לא יענה על ריב לעולם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
והאיש משה עניו מאד, “and Moses was an exceedingly humble person.” According to Nachmanides this line has been inserted here to explain why G’d Himself had to defend Moses’ virtue. Moses, was unable, by definition, to defend his conduct without in the process losing his reputation as a truly humble and modest, unassuming person. [Imagine how he would have appeared in the eyes of both Miriam and Aaron if he had used the very arguments on his own behalf that G’d used on his behalf! Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:4:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:4:1)

**פתאום אל משה ואל אהרן ואל מרים.**כתב הרמב"ן הנה משה לא היה עמהם אבל הנבואה באה לשלשלתם כאחד ופי' פתאום שלא היו בעת ההיא נותנים לבם ומכוונים לנבואה ולכבוד משה באה להם מבלי הזמנה לדבר כי פתאום על דעת המפרשים הוא דבר שלא עלה על הלב מגזרת פתי יאמין לכל דבר ואמר הכתוב פתאום בשביל אהרן ומרים כי משה מוכן לנבואה בכל עת. ואנקלוס תרגם בתכף לשון מהירות פי' כי בעודם מדברים במשה בא להם הדיבור. וטעם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
פתאום אל משה ואהרן ואל מרים, “suddenly, to both Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.” Nachmanides writes that Moses was not present when G’d spoke to Aaron and Miriam. Nonetheless, the prophetic vision came to all three of them simultaneously. The significance of the word פתאום lies in the fact that at that time neither of them had prepared themselves for receiving a prophetic vision. In fact, Aaron and Miriam were only granted their prophetic vision in honour of Moses, as otherwise they had never received such communications without having first prepared themselves for this in some manner. All the commentators agree that the word פתאום indicates that the recipient of such perceptions had been totally unprepared for them. The word applies only to Aaron and Miriam, since Moses never needed to prepare himself in order to be on G’d’s “wavelength,” in order to be able to immediately assimilate anything that G’d wished to tell him. 
 Onkelos translates the word פתאום as meaning בתכף, as meaning “immediately, without delay.” G’d intervened while Miriam and Aaron were still speaking to one another about this subject.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:4:2
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:4:2)

**צאו שלשתכם.**כי רצה שיהיה משה שם ויראה בקנאת השם לכבודו ויהיה מצוי להם שלא יחמול השם אלא על ידו כאשר יתחנן אליו וירצה להם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
צאו שלשתכם, “go out all three of you, to the Tabernacle.” G’d wanted that Moses should be there and should become aware that G’d Himself defended Moses’ virtue and his reputation. They would also become aware that G’d did not pardon Miriam and Aaron their slander unless Moses himself did so by pleading on their behalf.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:5:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:5:1)

**ויקרא אהרן ומרים.**שלא לומר שבחו בפניו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויקרא אהרן ומרים, “He summoned Aaron and Miriam.” He called them aside so that He would not have to dwell on Moses’ virtues in his presence, [something that would make him feel most uncomfortable. Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:6:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:6:1)

**אם יהי' נביאכם.**כתב הרמב"ן פי' אם יהיה לכם נביא. ור' אברהם פי אם יהיה נביאכם נבי' ה':

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אם יהיה נביאכם, “if there will be a prophet amongst you, etc.” According to Nachmanides these words mean: ‘if you will have a prophet amongst you.” (Just as Onkelos translates the words)
 Ibn Ezra reads the words אם יהיה נביאכם ה' as a single sequence, i.e. “if among you there is a prophet of *Hashem,* etc.”


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:6:2
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:6:2)

**במראה אליו אתודע.**פי' אפי' אם יהיה נביאכם נביא ה' אינו מתנבא בשמי הגדול רק במראה או בחידות. במראה אליו אתודע ולא אמר במראה אליו אראה לומר כי הדיבור יהיה להם בחלום:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
במראה אליו אתודע, “even though he may be endowed by My attribute *Hashem,* he will not be able to reveal matters pertaining to this attribute of Mine, but will refer to emanations of Mine of a lower order.” This will become clear, as I will not speak to him when he is awake but I will communicate with him as a dream, in a manner that is indirect. The Torah was careful not to write במראה אליו אראה, “I will become visible to him in a vision,” but במראה אליו אתודע, “I will make Myself known to Him as some sort of vision.” This relegates any audible revelation to one that occurs in a dream. [Whatever the prophet thinks he hears, he only hears in his dream. Ed]


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:7:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:7:1)

**לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא.**פי שהוא כבן בית שנכנס ויוצא בלא רשות אבל אתם אין הדיבור בא לכם בכל פעם ואף כשיבוא לכם לא יהיה אלא בחלום אבל הוא פה אל פה אדבר בו ולא בחלום:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא , “not so is My servant Moses who is trusted in My entire house.” *Hashem* describes Moses as a father would describe his own son, or anyone whom he had adopted as part of his family. Just as such children have unrestricted access to any part of their father’s house at any time, so Moses does not need to make appointments if he wants to discuss something with *Hashem*. You, however, G’d says to Aaron and Miriam, not only do you not always have access to My house, but even when you do enjoy communications from Me, it is on a different level from the way I communicate with Moses.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:12:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:12:1)

**אל נא תהי כמת וגו'.**פי לא תהיה כנפל המת כאשר יצא מבטן אמו נאכל חצי בשרו וכן בשר המצורע. פירש"י ך"א אל נא תהי וגו' אם אינך מרפאה בתפלה מי מסגירה מי מטהרה וכו'. וקשה מה שאמר מי מטהרה אדרבה כיון שאין כהן לעולם לא תזקק לטומאה שאין הנגע טמא עד שיאמר לו כהן טמא אתה ואת"ל שתטמא בלא כהן תטהר נמי בלא כהן ואף את"ל דלחומרא אמרי' שתטמא בלא כהן אבל שתטהר בעי כהן א"כ מה אמר אם אינך מרפאה בתפלה שאפי' מתרפא אי אפשר לה ליטהר בלא כהן שכל טהרת הכהן אינו אלא אחר שיתרפא הנגע. וראיתי בספרי מביא בלשון אחר אמר אהרן מה מצאתי הפסד לאחותי שאיני יכול להסגירה לא לטומאה ולא לטהרה ולפ"ז לא יקשה קושיא אחרונה ואפשר לומר כי גם לקושיא הראשונה דנהי דאין לה טומאה כ"א ע"י כהן לדין נגע לא להחליטה ולפריעה ולקרבן מ"מ בני אדם מרחיקין אותה ותשאר בזה כל ימיה כיון שאין כהן לטהר אותה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אל נא תהי כמת, “please let her not be like a corpse;” Moses drew a comparison with a prematurely aborted fetus, which due to its inadequately developed body is similar in appearance to someone suffering from *tzoraat. Rashi* offers an alternate interpretation in which he quotes Moses as saying: “if You do not heal her as a result of my prayer, who will be able to declare her as definitely stricken with this disease so that she requires to be isolated; and who would be able to declare her as cured when the time came and the symptoms had disappeared?” The latter words of *Rashi “*who could declare her as ritually pure,” i.e. as cured, are very difficult! Instead of this being a problem it should be part of the solution seeing that no priest had declared her as ritually impure, for no one had examined her! [The assumption underlying *Rashi’s* question is that a priest who is related to the person suspected of having been stricken with *tzoraat* is unable to conduct the examination and to testify as to the result. Seeing that the three priests that were alive at that time were all related to Miriam, either as brother or as nephews, how could she have undergone the procedures necessary? Ed.] If you were to answer that she could have become ritually unclean without the testimony of the priest and that nonetheless her purification would require the services of a priest, why would she not also be able to become purified without the services of a priest? What did *Rashi* have in mind when he quoted Moses as saying to G’d that He must heal her by means of his prayer? If we were to apply the more stringent *halachic* yardstick, even if G’d were to heal her (the symptoms) she would still not become ritually pure again so that she could resume living within the camp! Who had had the authority to declare her as purified?
 I have seen a version of this commentary in the *Sifrey* according to which Aaron asked Moses: “what did you find wrong with my sister that you neither permitted me to declare her ritually impure for temporary or absolute isolation, nor to declare her as ritually pure?” According to this version the second problem we raised is not a problem, and it is even possible to argue that the first problem we raised with *Rashi’s* alternate explanation is not problematic either, for granted that she could have been declared ritually unclean only by a priest as far as the *tzoraat* is concerned, this would not however prevent people from keeping a physical distance from her due to her appearance! As a result she would remain condemned to be visibly afflicted for the rest of her life, all because there was no priest at hand to declare her cured. Moses’ prayer for G’d to heal her so that she had never become definitely impure was justified therefore.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:13:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:13:1)

**אל נא וגו'.**פי' ר' אברהם אל אתה שגבורה בידך רפא נא פי' עתה לה על כן השיב השם ואביה ירק ואילו אבי' כעס עליה וירק בפניה הלא תכלם לראות פניו שבעת ימים תסגר שבעת ימים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
קל, נא, רפא נא לה, “please, o Lord, heal her” In addressing the unspoken question why Moses added the name of the Lord, קל, Ibn Ezra understands Moses as pointing out that G’d, being G’d had the power to heal Miriam immediately, and that Moses was so emotionally upset about the suffering his sister was undergoing that he phrased his appeal so urgently. This is why G’d was obliged to explain to him the nature of Miriam’s sin as deserving at least a minimum period of her being ostracized.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:16:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 12:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/12:16:1)

**ואחר נסעו העם מחצרות ויחנו במדבר פארן.**כתב הרמב"ן לומר כאשר נסעו מחצרות לא נסעו ממדבר אל מדבר אחר כאשר במסע הראשון שנסעו ממדבר סיני ויחנו במדבר פארן אבל נסעו מחצרות אשר היא במדבר פארן ויחנו במקום אחר מן המדבר ההוא עצמו והוא קדש ברנע כי משם נשתלחו המרגלים כאשר אמר בכאן ולא אמר הכתוב ויסעו מחצרות ויחנו בקדש ברנע כי אולי מסעים הרבה ביניהם ואין עתה מקום להזכירם אבל הזכיר עתה מדבר פארן להודיע כי קדש זו היא קדש ברנע אשר במדבר פארן ולא קדש אשר במדבר צין שהיה שם ענין מי מריבה בשנת הארבעים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ואחר נסעו העם מחצרות ויחנו במדבר פארן, “and after (the conclusion of that wait) the people journeyed fro *Chatzerot* and camped in the desert of *Paran*.” Nachmanides writes that the people’s journey from *Chatzerot* does not describe the journey from one desert to yet another desert, but that they journeyed from one point in the desert of *Paran* to another location in that same desert The precise location where they encamped now was known as *Kadesh Barnea,* the place from which the spies would be dispatched, as described in the following chapter. (13,26) The reason the Torah did not mention that location by name at this stage may have been that the journey from *Chatzerot* entailed several brief stops before they encamped around *Kadesh Barnea.* There was another location called Kadesh, and this is the reason why the Torah in 13,26 is precise so that we should not confuse that *Kadesh* with the *Kadesh* in the desert of *Tzin.*