And the people spoke against God and against Moses, etc. It appears that they did not complain only about the manna, but also about the water, as they said, There is no bread and no water. Both the bread and the water were spiritual and light, and all light things are good for those who are at rest, but not for travelers. For heavy food is digested well by those who exert themselves. Therefore, when the people became impatient because of the journey, they said that according to the difficulty of the journey, there is no bread and no water — for both of them seemed as if they were not there at all. And our souls loathe this worthless [kelokel] bread — “light, light” [kal kal] — both of them being light as mentioned. And because they complained about the food, He sent among them snakes, about which it is said, and dust shall be the serpent’s food (Isaiah 65:25). And because they complained about the water, He sent among them the fiery serpents, for there is no water to extinguish the fire.

And in Toldot Yitzchak it is written that because they spoke against God and Moses, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “My part I forgive and pardon, but make for yourself a fiery serpent to counter what they did to you.” And Moses said the opposite: “My part is forgiven, but who can forgive the part against the Most High?” Therefore, he made a copper serpent. The root of this matter is also found in the Yalkut Parashat Shemot, an explanation for this interpretation: for evil speech burns and harms a person, Like the sharpened arrows of a warrior, with burning coals of broom wood (Psalms 120:4). Therefore, the fiery serpent came as a response to what they spoke against Moses. But regarding what they said against the Most High, What can He give you, and what can He add to you, O deceitful tongue? (Psalms 120:3). Therefore, He sent the serpents against them because they adopted the craft of the primordial serpent who spoke evil against his Creator, for the tongue falls upon the tongue [there is wordplay], as the serpent who sinned with its tongue falls upon those who misuse their tongues. And he looked at the copper serpent and lived — meaning he would see what happened to the primordial serpent and then not return to folly.

Then Israel sang this song. Since it does not say “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang,” and furthermore they did not sing this song at the beginning of the forty years in the wilderness, we can deduce that the children of Israel sang this song about Moses, because the well returned in his merit after it had ceased with Miriam’s death. For this reason, Miriam is not mentioned in this song, but Moses is mentioned, as it says, A well dug by princes, carved out by nobles of the people, with the lawgiver. And lawgiver refers only to Moses, as it says For there the portion of the lawgiver is hidden (Deuteronomy 33:21), and in Tractate Ta’anit (9a), it concludes that the well returned in Moses’ merit. Because initially, the manna came in Moses’ merit, as he received the Torah, for the Torah was given only to those who ate the manna (Tanchuma, Beshalach 20), as it says so that I may test them, whether they will follow My law [Torati] or not (Exodus 16:4). And the well, which supplied all their needs, was in Miriam’s merit, as she embodied the trait of loving-kindness, as it says and they kept the boys alive (Exodus 1:18), for they supplied them with food, etc. And the clouds of glory, in which the Shechina’s glory dwelled, were in Aaron’s merit, as he caused the Divine Presence to rest among the people through the sacrifices. And in the merit of the Torah, all three — the manna, the well, and the clouds — returned. That is why it says, A well dug by the nobles of the people, who embodied the trait of loving-kindness, and in their merit the well existed from the beginning. Now it returned with the lawgiver, in Moses’ merit and in the merit of the Torah, which is alluded to in the verses, and from the wilderness to Mattanah, and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, as our Sages explained (in Eruvin 54a). Otherwise, it would be difficult to understand why they chose to interpret these verses as referring to the Torah, and what connection the praise of the Torah has to the song of the well. Rather, it is because the well returned in the merit of the Torah that Moses received. And this is a correct and clear interpretation.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him.” Rashi explains that he [Moses] was afraid that perhaps the merit of Abraham would stand for him [Og]; otherwise it is difficult to understand — would Moses fear the arm of flesh and blood when God is with him? And furthermore, since it says for I have given him and his people into your hand, it should have said “do not fear him and his people.” Rather, certainly from his people he was not afraid because God was with him, but of him [Og] he was afraid lest the merit of Abraham stand for him.

And what people question here is how [Moses] was afraid of this merit, on the contrary, at that time [Og] was sinning and rebelling, because his intention was for Abraham to be killed so that he could marry Sarah, as Rashi explained there (Genesis 14:13). This is not a difficult question because Rashi explained it according to the truth, as ultimately the entire matter is understood that this merit did not help him, and therefore the end result proves that his intention was for evil and not for good. But Moses did not yet know the end of the matter and thought that [Og] had intended [it] for his good, to save Lot, therefore he was afraid that this merit might stand for him. And the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand — and it should have said “for I will give him” [in future tense]. Although God’s gift is considered as if it has already been given, nevertheless, in a place where it can be interpreted according to its simple understanding, there is no need for this interpretation. And the explanation of the matter is that from long ago I have already given him into your hand, because he never had any merit, and in that act he was pursued to disadvantage and his intention was for evil, and it was decreed upon him since then that he would be given to you and delivered into your hand, and this is a precious interpretation.