HERMON, THE SIDONIANS CALL SIRION, [AND THE AMORITES CALL IT SENIR]. “But in another place Scripture states, even unto Mount Sion which is Hermon.²⁶⁰ Thus you see that the mountain has four names [Hermon, Sirion, Senir and Sion. Scripture’s reference to this multiplicity of names is] to tell the praise of the Land of Israel because there were four kingdoms priding themselves in this; this one saying ‘After me shall it be called,’ and another saying, ‘After me shall it be called.’” This is Rashi’s language from the words of Agadah.²⁶¹ It is indeed possible that this praise [that four nations were vying for this mountain] is correct but the main purport of the verse is to state that the Sidonians, children of Canaan’s firstborn,²⁶² called Mount Hermon “Sirion” when it was formerly in their possession; and the Amorites, who now dwelled there and from whom Israel was to capture it, called it “Senir.” [Senir] is a Canaanite word for “snow,” as Rashi testified about it, and as Onkelos also rendered it, [“mountain of snow”]. And because it is a mountain of snow, also on account of its frigid temperature causing it to be bleak [and unapproachable], it is called Hermon [from the word cherem — “banned”], this being a surname of the mountain. Perhaps the name “Sirion” in the Sidonian language indicates this characteristic while the real name of the mountain [as mentioned by the Torah further on]²⁶⁰ is Sion. The verse stating, from the top of Senir and Hermon²⁶³ [which would seem to indicate that these were two separate mountains], really refers to two surnames of the [same] mountain and thus means “from the top of the snow and the bleakness,” or it may mean “from the top of Senir and from the whole mountain.” Similarly, that which is stated in the Book of Chronicles, And the children of the half-tribe of Menasheh dwelt in the land, from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon where they increased²⁶⁴ also means “and Senir and the whole mountain which is Mount Hermon.” Baal-hermon, however, was a city or a tower which they called “Baal,” or perhaps it was the name of one of the Baal-idols that was worshipped there. It is possible that after Israel was in the Land, names of places were somewhat changed; this mountain was large — and they called the highest part of its summit Senir, and the second part thereof they called Hermon. Or they²⁶⁵ may be other mountains which people after the [period of the] Torah called by these names [Senir, Hermon — and they really represent two separate mountains, but the names mentioned in the Torah indicate different names of but one mountain, as explained above]. There are many cases like this. So also, and the Hermons from the hill Mizar²⁶⁶ [would indicate that there were other mountains by the name of Hermon, for otherwise we have no explanation why they called “the Hermons,” in the plural].

footnotes: ²⁶⁰ Further, 4:48. ²⁶¹ Chullin 60b. ²⁶² Genesis 10:15. ²⁶⁰ Further, 4:48. ²⁶³ Song of Songs 4:8. ²⁶⁴ I Chronicles 5:23. ²⁶⁵ I.e., the mountains mentioned in the above-quoted verses from the Song of Songs and the Book of Chronicles. ²⁶⁶ Psalms 42:7.

FOR ONLY OG KING OF BASHAN REMAINED OF THE REMNANT OF THE REPHAIM; BEHOLD, HIS BEDSTEAD WAS A BEDSTEAD OF IRON etc. The purport of the verse is to tell that this Og was called the king of the Amorites because he ruled over them, but he himself was of the Rephaim. And in order to tell of his height and strength, since the Rephaim were a people great, and many, and tall as the Anakim,²⁶⁷ it states that his bedstead was a bedstead of iron, no bedstead of wood being able to support him as it does other people. It is in the city of Rabbah which was his dwelling place, and when the children of Ammon destroyed the Rephaim as is mentioned above,²⁶⁸, Verse 21. and his city [Og’s capital, Ashtaroth] was captured, he alone was saved from the hands of the Ammonites. It is this which is stated, For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was left there in Rabbah which now belongs to the children of Ammon, and the Ammonites preserved it as testimony that they destroyed a great and tall people; and the mighty man whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks²⁶⁹ — from him they captured his kingdom. This is the sense of the word behold [behold, his bedstead …], meaning: “behold, the proof of [Og’s strength] still exists; it is the iron bedstead, very long and wide, and is to be found in Rabbah of the children of Ammon,” since his bedstead, which was in Ashtaroth, was plundered and lost.²⁷⁰

footnotes: ²⁶⁷ Above, 2:10. ²⁶⁸ Ibid. ²⁶⁹ Amos 2:9. ²⁷⁰ That is, when the Ammonites destroyed the Rephaim and captured Og’s capital city Ashtaroth (above, 1:4) they plundered it and took his bedstead from there and brought it to Rabbah.

NINE CUBITS WAS THE LENGTH THEREOF [of Og’s bedstead], AND FOUR CUBITS THE BREADTH OF IT, AFTER THE CUBIT OF A MAN. The meaning of after the cubit of a ‘man’ is that of the biggest man [i.e., Og], just as the expression, be thou strong and show yourself a man²⁷¹ [which means “a strong man”]. And in the opinion of Onkelos, after the cubit of ‘a’ man means “after the cubit of ‘the’ man,” and the translation thereof [in Aramaic] is “the king” [indicating that no ordinary man is meant here — “the” man means the king]. Similarly, eth hakeves echad²⁷² [which literally means: “the one lamb” — should be eth hakeves ha’echad: “the one ‘specific’ lamb”]; balailah hu²⁷³ [should be: balailah hahu — “in ‘that’ night”]. There are many similar cases. That is to say, [after the cubit of a man means] after the cubit of [“the” man] — Og himself.

footnotes: ²⁷¹ I Kings 2:2. ²⁷² Numbers 28:4. ²⁷³ Genesis 19:33.

AND THIS LAND — “this land mentioned above, from the brook of Arnon unto Mount Hermon²⁷⁴ — WE TOOK IN POSSESSION AT THAT TIME. FROM AROER, WHICH IS BY THE BROOK ARNON — this is not connected with the beginning of the verse [defining this land] but with the end thereof: I gave unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites. But as regards the possession, it was unto Mount Hermon.”²⁷⁴ This is Rashi’s language. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the verse is stating: “and this land ‘which’ we took in possession at that time [I allocated in the following way]: from Aroer [etc.] I gave unto the Reubenites.” So also is the verse, and thou shalt let them know the way they shall walk therein²⁷⁵ [means “the way ‘which’ they shall walk therein”]. There are many similar cases.

footnotes: ²⁷⁴ Above, Verse 8. ²⁷⁴ Above, Verse 8. ²⁷⁵ Exodus 18:20.

ALL THE REGION OF THE ARGOB — ALL ‘HAHU’ (THAT) BASHAN IS CALLED THE LAND OF REPHAIM. The meaning thereof is: “and all the region of the Argob — all ‘the’ Bashan ‘asher’ (which)²⁷⁶ in hahu [habashan ‘hahu’ — “that” Bashan] as meaning asher (which): “the Bashan ‘which’” is called the land of Rephaim. is called the land of Rephaim” [I also gave to the half-tribe of Menasheh]. This usage [a letter hei meaning asher (which) or (who)] is also found in the following verses: And all ‘hahikdish’ Samuel the Seer, and Saul the son of Kish,²⁷⁷ in hahikdish means asher hikdish (“which” he dedicated). [meaning: asher hikdish — “‘which’ he dedicated”]; ‘hahoshivu’ foreign women²⁷⁸ [meaning: asher hoshivu — “‘who’ had married”]. In all these cases the letter hei is in the place of asher (which or who). There are many similar examples. Now [Argob] was considered part of the land of Rephaim because of Og who ruled over it, or because it originally belonged to the Rephaim and was left to Og because he and the people that dwelled in it were of the remnant of the Rephaim.²⁷⁹ Va’ethchanan

footnotes: ²⁷⁶ Ramban thus explains the letter hei ²⁷⁷ I Chronicles 26:28. Here too, the letter hei ²⁷⁸ Ezra 10:17. ²⁷⁹ Verse 11.

AND I BESOUGHT THE ETERNAL AT THAT TIME, SAYING. [The time referred to, is] when Moses mentioned the conquest of the lands of Sihon and Og. He said, And I commanded Joshua at that time,¹ intimating, that “I [Moses] will not go over there, for I besought the Glorious Name² [to rescind the decree forbidding me to enter the Land], but He hearkened not to me and He commanded me to charge Joshua, *for he shall go over before this people.”*³ The purport of the expression at that time is that it alludes to the time of the decree that he mentioned, Also the Eternal was angry with me [for your sakes, saying: ‘Thou shalt not go in thither’],⁴ though [Moses’] supplication is not mentioned there on the day of that event. The correct interpretation, however, is that the expression at that time refers to the time mentioned: “when I conquered Sihon and Og and I began to war against the nations given to Israel and I allocated the land to the two tribes [Reuben and Gad].” In that case, this supplication [referred to here] was offered when it was said to Moses, Get thee up into this mountain of A barim,⁵ for it was then that he sought mercy in the matter and entreated this supplication. And when G-d did not hearken to his voice, he again prayed, Let the Eternal, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,⁶, Verse 16. as is mentioned there. It is this verse, And charge Joshua³ [that constitutes the answer to Moses’ second request]. Now, there [in the Book of Numbers] Scripture mentioned the prayer on which he was affirmatively answered [namely, the appointment of a successor]⁷, Verses 18-21. and here he mentioned this [unsuccessful prayer] in order to inform the people that, although the Land was beloved to him, he did not merit [to enter] it because of them. All this was part of his reproof.

footnotes: ¹ Above 3:21. ² Further, 28:58. ³ Verse 28 here. ⁴ Above, 1:37. ⁵ Numbers 27:12. ⁶ Ibid. ³ Verse 28 here. ⁷ Ibid.

G-D THE ETERNAL — “merciful in judgment.” This is Rashi’s language. Now, the Rabbi did not consider that the first Divine Name is spelled with the letters Aleph Dalet and the second Name is spelled with the letters Yod Hei [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].⁸ represents the attribute of justice; the Name beginning with the letters Yod Hei signifies the attribute of mercy. Since of the two Divine Names mentioned here in the verse, the first one is with Aleph Dalet and the second one with Yod Hei, Rashi should have interpreted them to mean, “Lord of judgment in the attribute of mercy,” instead of writing, “merciful in judgment,” implying that the first Name signifies mercy and the second one judgment. See further in Vol. II, p. 67. In this regard [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], the Rabbis have said:⁹ “Wherever Scripture states ‘the Eternal’ [i.e., the Tetragrammaton] it signifies the attribute of mercy, and [wherever it mentions] ‘G-d’ (Elokim) it indicates the attribute of judgment.”¹⁰ of the two Divine Names that indicates the attribute of mercy, why then did Rashi put it first, writing “merciful in judgment?” Rather, the Divine Names written here mean: “Lord¹¹ but Ado noy (Lord), Ramban writes: “Lord etc.” in the attribute of mercy.” And so the Rabbis have said in [Midrash] Yelamdeinu:¹² “Moses said to G-d: ‘Master of the worlds! If it is justly requested by me [that You grant my supplication] give it to me, and if it is not justly requested by me, have mercy on me,’ just as Abraham said, O Lord Eternal, what wilt Thou give me etc.”¹³ Also in the case of Abraham, the Divine Names are written in this order: the first one with Aleph Dalet, and the second with Yod Hei. And the purport of the section [before us] will be understood [by the fact that the Divine Names are written in this particular order]. For Moses stated va’ethchanan (and I besought) and he did not say va’ethpaleil (and I prayed), since he spoke in “supplication” [to the Glorious Name],¹⁴ saying: “O Lord in Whom is the mercy, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant. Such was the beginning of my prophecy that You showed me Your glory — as it is written [at Moses’ first vision of G-d’s glory], And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon G-d¹⁵ — together with the greatness and the power,¹⁶. and I learned to know what deity is there in heaven or on earth from whom could come forth like Thy great works and Thy mighty prowess?” From here you will further understand the matter concerning which the Glorious Name was angry with Moses.¹⁷ However, the language of the Sifre is as follows:¹⁸ 26. The text substantiates Ramban’s interpretation, that the first Divine Name mentioned here in the verse represents judgment, while the second one signifies mercy. Ramban introduces the text with the word aval (“however,” or “but”) as if to say: “while the text of the Midrash Yelamdeinu (mentioned above) is not so lucid on this problem — although this is surely its meaning — ‘however’ the text in the Sifre clearly states it to be so.” “Wherever Scripture mentions ‘the Eternal’ it signifies the attribute of mercy, as it is said, The Eternal, G-d, gracious and merciful,¹⁹ [and wherever it mentions] G-d (Elokim) it indicates the attribute of judgment, as it is said, before ‘ha’elohim’ (the judges) shall come the word of both. ”²⁰, 22:8. And the intent [of the Sifre] is to explain that the second [Divine] Name mentioned here indicates the attribute of mercy, this being the Proper Divine Name, while all other Names signify the attribute of judgment, like Elokim which is also a term for judges, and certainly the Name Aleph Dalet which is an expression of lordship. Thus Moses completed the words of reproof with this episode in which he informed the people that their fathers caused themselves evil, and also caused him [Moses] to suffer punishment preventing them from going over into the Land. They, the children, however, will go over and inherit it, if they will not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation.²¹ Therefore he now began to warn them about the principles of the commandments that they should not add to them, neither diminish from them.

footnotes: ⁸ The gist of Ramban’s comment is as follows: The Divine Name which begins with the letters Aleph Dalet ⁹ Bereshith Rabbah 73:2. ¹⁰ And here, since it is the second ¹¹ Since the Hebrew here is not Elokim ¹² On the term Yelamdeinu, see Vol. II, p. 131, Note 196. This Midrash is also found in Devarim Rabbah 2:8. — Now the text clearly indicates that Moses prayed that the judgment be mitigated with mercy, thus substantiating Ramban’s interpretation that the expression of the two Divine Names here means, “Lord of judgment in the attribute of mercy.” ¹³ Genesis 15:2. This is interpreted by the above Midrash as follows. “Said Rabbi Levi: Abraham said, ‘O Master of the universe. If it is justly requested by me that I have children, give them to me. And if it is not justly requested by me, then grant them to me in mercy.’ And similarly did Moses say etc.” Thus the parallel is drawn by the Midrash between Moses’ prayer here and that of Abraham. Now in the case of Abraham also etc. (see text). ¹⁴ Ricanti. ¹⁵ Exodus 3:6. ¹⁶ I Chronicles 29:11. Here understood as Cabalistic references to the Divine Emanations. They are also referred to here in our verse: Thy greatness and Thy great hand ¹⁷ See Ramban to Numbers 20:4 (Vol. IV, pp. 217-219). See also further 4:21. ¹⁸ Sifre, Vaethchanan ¹⁹ Exodus 34:6. ²⁰ Ibid. ²¹ Psalms 78:8.