במדבר רבה כ״גBamidbar Rabbah 23

Section 1א׳

הֲלָכָה מִי שֶׁהָיָה נִרְדָּף מִן הַגּוֹיִם אוֹ מִן הַלִּסְטִים מַהוּ שֶׁיְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, כָּךְ שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מִי שֶׁהָיָה נִרְדָּף מִן הַגּוֹיִם אוֹ מִן הַלִּסְטִים מְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת בִּשְׁבִיל לְמַלֵּט אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ, וְכָךְ אָנוּ מוֹצְאִין בְּדָוִד כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל לְהָרְגוֹ, בָּרַח מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִמְלַט. אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ לִגְדוֹלֵי צִפּוֹרִי כְּתָבִים רָעִים מִן הַמַּלְכוּת, הָלְכוּ וְאָמְרוּ לְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פַּרְטָא, רַבִּי, כְּתָבִים רָעִים בָּאוּ לָנוּ מִן הַמַּלְכוּת, מָה אַתָּה אוֹמֵר, נִבְרַח, וְהָיָה מִתְיָרֵא לוֹמַר לָהֶם בִּרְחוּ, וְאָמַר לָהֶם בְּרֶמֶז, וְלִי אַתֶּם שׁוֹאֲלִים, לְכוּ וְשַׁאֲלוּ אֶת יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת משֶׁה וְאֶת דָּוִד, מַה כְּתִיב בְּיַעֲקֹב (הושע יב, יג): וַיִּבְרַח יַעֲקֹב, וְכֵן בְּמשֶׁה (שמות ב, טו): וַיִּבְרַח משֶׁה, וְכֵן בְּדָוִד (שמואל א יט, יח): וְדָוִד בָּרַח וַיִּמָּלֵט, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ישעיה כו, כ): לֵךְ עַמִּי בֹּא בַחֲדָרֶיךָ, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְכָאֵלּוּ כָּל גְּדוֹלֵי עוֹלָם יָרְאוּ וּבָרְחוּ מִן שׂוֹנְאֵיהֶם, כָּל אוֹתָן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁעֲשִׂיתֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא הִנַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִבְרֹחַ, אֶלָּא הָיִיתִי מַפִּיל שׂוֹנְאֵיכֶם לִפְנֵיכֶם בַּמֶּה שֶׁהָיִיתִי עִמָּכֶם, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא כַּמָּה נְחָשִׁים וְכַמָּה שְׂרָפִים וְכַמָּה עַקְרַבִּים הָיוּ שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ח, טו): נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב, וְלֹא הִנַּחְתִּי אוֹתָם לְהַזִּיק אֶתְכֶם, לְכָךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה כְּתֹב אֶת הַמַּסָּעוֹת שֶׁנָּסְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יוֹדְעִים מַה נִסִּים שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי לָהֶם, מִנַיִן, מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּרִינוּ בָּעִנְיָן (במדבר לג, א): אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי.

“These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who departed from the land of Egypt according to their hosts, at the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Numbers 33:1). Halakha – one who is being pursued by gentiles or by robbers, what is the ruling; may he desecrate Shabbat? This is what our Rabbis taught: One who is being pursued by gentiles or by robbers may desecrate Shabbat in order to save his life. So we find regarding David when Saul sought to kill him; he fled from him and escaped. Our Rabbis said: There was an incident where evil edicts from the empire came to the prominent leaders of Tzippori. They went and said to Rabbi Elazar ben Parta: Rabbi, evil edicts have come to us from the empire. What do you say; shall we flee? He was afraid to say to them: Flee, so he said it to them as an allusion: ‘Are you asking me? Go and ask Jacob, Moses, and David. What is written regarding Jacob? “Jacob fled” (Hosea 12:13); and likewise regarding Moses: “Moses fled” (Exodus 2:15); and likewise regarding David: “David fled and escaped” (I Samuel 19:18). Likewise it says: “Go, my people, enter your chambers [and close your door behind you; hide for a brief moment, until fury passes]”’ (Isaiah 26:20). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘All the prominent leaders of the world feared and fled from their enemies. All those forty years that you spent in the wilderness, I did not allow you to flee, but rather, I would topple your enemies before you by virtue of My accompanying you. Moreover, how many serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions were there, as it is stated: “Serpent, fiery serpent, and scorpion” (Deuteronomy 8:15), but I did not allow them to harm you.’ Therefore, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Write the journeys that Israel traveled in the wilderness, so that they will know what miracles I performed on their behalf.’ From where is it derived? It is from what we read regarding the matter of: “These are the journeys.”

Section 2ב׳

זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים עז, כא): נָחִיתָ כַצֹּאן עַמֶּךָ בְּיַד משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, מַה נָחִיתָ, נוֹטָרִיקוֹן הוּא, נָחִיתָ, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר נִ'סִּים עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּהֶם, חַ'יִּים נָתַתָּ לָהֶם, יָ'ם קָרַעְתָּ לָהֶם, תּ'וֹרָה נָתַתָּ לָהֶם, וְעַל יְדֵי מִי עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָחִיתָ, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר נִ'פְלָאוֹת עָשִׂיתָ לָהֶם, חֵ'רוּת נָתַתָּ לָהֶם, יְ'מִינְךָ הוֹשִׁיעַ אוֹתָם, תְּ'לוּי רֹאשׁ נָתַתָּ לָהֶם, עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אוֹמְרִים, נָחִיתָ, נְ'בִיאִים הֶעֱמַדְתָּ מֵהֶם, חֲ'סִידִים הֶעֱמַדְתָּ מֵהֶם, יְ'שָׁרִים הֶעֱמַדְתָּ מֵהֶם, תְּ'מִימִים הֶעֱמַדְתָּ מֵהֶם, עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָחִית, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, נ'וֹרָאוֹת עָשִׂיתָ בְשׂוֹנְאֵיהֶם, חֲ'רוֹן אַף שָׁלַחְתָּ בָּהֶם, יָ'דְךָ הֻלְחַמָּה אוֹתָם, תְּ'הוֹמוֹת כִּסִּיתָ עֲלֵיהֶם, עַל יְדֵי מִי עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָחִיתָ כַצֹּאן עַמֶּךָ, מַהוּ כַּצֹּאן, אֶלָּא מַה הַצֹּאן הַזֶּה אֵין מַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָהּ לְצֵל הַקּוֹרָה, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא נִכְנְסוּ לְצֵל הַקּוֹרָה, לְכָךְ נִמְשְׁלוּ כַּצֹּאן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָחִיתָ כַצֹּאן עַמֶּךָ, מַה הַצֹּאן אֵין כּוֹנְסִין לָהּ אוֹצָרוֹת אֶלָּא רוֹעִים אוֹתָהּ בַּמִּדְבָּר, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר נִזּוֹנוּ בְּלֹא אוֹצָרוֹת, לְכָךְ נִמְשְׁלוּ כַּצֹּאן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָחִיתָ כַצֹּאן, מַה הַצֹּאן כָּל הֵיכָן שֶׁהָרוֹעֶה מַנְהִיגָהּ הִיא נִמְשֶׁכֶת אַחֲרָיו, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן מַסִּיעִים אוֹתָם הָיוּ נוֹסְעִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: נָחִיתָ כַצֹאן עַמֶּךָ.

That which the verse said: “You led [naḥita] Your people like a flock in the hands of Moses and Aaron” (Psalms 77:21) – what is “naḥita”? It is an acronym. Rabbi Eliezer says: Nun – miracles [nisim] You performed for them; ḥet – life [ḥayim] You gave them; yod –the sea [yam] You split for them; tav – Torah You gave them. By means of whom? It is by means of Moses and Aaron. Another matter: “Naḥita” (Psalms 77:21) – Rabbi Yehoshua said: Nun – wonders [niflaot] You performed on their behalf; ḥet – freedom [ḥerut] You gave them; yod – Your right [yeminekha] saved them; tav – elevation [tilui rosh] You gave to them, by means of Moses and Aaron. Our Rabbis say: “Naḥita” (Psalms 77:21) – Nun – prophets [neviim] You established from among them; ḥet – pious ones [ḥasidim] You established from among them; yod – upright ones [yesharim] You established from among them; tav – faultless ones [temimim] You established from among them, by means of Moses and Aaron. Another matter: “Naḥita” (Psalms 77:21) – Rabbi Akiva says: Nun – awesome deeds [noraot] You performed against their enemies; ḥet – enflamed wrath [ḥaron af] You sent against them; yod –Your hand [yadekha] waged war against them; tav – depths [tehomot] with which You covered them. By means of whom? By means of Moses and Aaron. Another matter: “You led Your people like a flock” (Psalms 77:21) – what is “like a flock”? It is, that just as this flock, one does not take it into a roofed building, so, Israel, all forty years that they spent in the wilderness they did not enter a roofed building. That is why they were likened to a flock. Another matter: “You led Your people like a flock” (Psalms 77:21) – just as the flock, one does not collect for it in storehouses of food, but rather, one herds it in the wilderness, so, Israel, all forty years that they were in the wilderness they were sustained without storehouses. That is why they were likened to a flock. Another matter: “You led [Your people] like a flock” (Psalms 77:21) – just as the flock, everywhere that the shepherd leads it, it is drawn after him, so too, Israel, everywhere that Moses and Aaron would transport them, they would travel after them, as it is stated: “These are the journeys of the children of Israel” – to realize what is stated: “You led Your people like a flock.”

Section 3ג׳

אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה בְּנוֹ חוֹלֶה הוֹלִיכוֹ לְמָקוֹם אֶחָד לְרַפְּאוֹתוֹ, כְּשֶׁחָזְרוּ הִתְחִיל אָבִיו מוֹנֶה כָּל הַמַּסָּעוֹת, וְאוֹמֵר כָּאן יָשַׁנְּנוּ, כָּאן הוֹקַרְנוּ, כָּאן חָשַׁשְׁתָּ אֶת רֹאשְׁךָ. כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, מְנֵה לָהֶם כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת הֵיכָן הִכְעִיסוּנִי, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי.

“These are the journeys” – this is analogous to a king whose son was ill. He took him to a certain place to cure him. When they returned, his father began enumerating all of the journeys, and says: Here we slept, here we cooled ourselves, here you had a headache. So the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: Enumerate all the places where they angered Me. That is why it is stated: “These are the journeys.”