Parshat Masei – Ma’aseh Avot Siman LaBanim
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Share(י) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵאֵילִ֑ם וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ עַל־יַם־סֽוּף׃ (יא) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִיַּם־ס֑וּף וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּר־סִֽין׃ (יב) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֑ין וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּדָפְקָֽה׃ (יג) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִדָּפְקָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּאָלֽוּשׁ׃ (יד) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵאָל֑וּשׁ וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ בִּרְפִידִ֔ם וְלֹא־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֥ם מַ֛יִם לָעָ֖ם לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃ (טו) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרְפִידִ֑ם וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
(1) These were the marches of the Israelites who started out from the land of Egypt, troop by troop, in the charge of Moses and Aaron. (2) Moses recorded the starting points of their various marches as directed by the LORD. Their marches, by starting points, were as follows: (3) They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. It was on the morrow of the passover offering that the Israelites started out defiantly, in plain view of all the Egyptians. (4) The Egyptians meanwhile were burying those among them whom the LORD had struck down, every first-born—whereby the LORD executed judgment on their gods. (5) The Israelites set out from Rameses and encamped at Succoth. (6) They set out from Succoth and encamped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. (7) They set out from Etham and turned about toward Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they encamped before Migdol. (8) They set out from Pene-hahiroth and passed through the sea into the wilderness; and they made a three-days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and encamped at Marah. (9) They set out from Marah and came to Elim. There were twelve springs in Elim and seventy palm trees, so they encamped there. (10) They set out from Elim and encamped by the Sea of Reeds. (11) They set out from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. (12) They set out from the wilderness of Sin and encamped at Dophkah. (13) They set out from Dophkah and encamped at Alush. (14) They set out from Alush and encamped at Rephidim; it was there that the people had no water to drink. (15) They set out from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. (16) They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah. (17) They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth. (18) They set out from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah. (19) They set out from Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-perez. (20) They set out from Rimmon-perez and encamped at Libnah. (21) They set out from Libnah and encamped at Rissah. (22) They set out from Rissah and encamped at Kehelath. (23) They set out from Kehelath and encamped at Mount Shepher. (24) They set out from Mount Shepher and encamped at Haradah. (25) They set out from Haradah and encamped at Makheloth. (26) They set out from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath. (27) They set out from Tahath and encamped at Terah. (28) They set out from Terah and encamped at Mithkah. (29) They set out from Mithkah and encamped at Hashmonah. (30) They set out from Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth. (31) They set out from Moseroth and encamped at Bene-jaakan. (32) They set out from Bene-jaakan and encamped at Hor-haggidgad. (33) They set out from Hor-haggidgad and encamped at Jotbath. (34) They set out from Jotbath and encamped at Abronah. (35) They set out from Abronah and encamped at Ezion-geber. (36) They set out from Ezion-geber and encamped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh. (37) They set out from Kadesh and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom. (38) Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. (39) Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. (40) And the Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, in the land of Canaan, learned of the coming of the Israelites. (41) They set out from Mount Hor and encamped at Zalmonah. (42) They set out from Zalmonah and encamped at Punon. (43) They set out from Punon and encamped at Oboth. (44) They set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. (45) They set out from Iyim and encamped at Dibon-gad. (46) They set out from Dibon-gad and encamped at Almon-diblathaim. (47) They set out from Almon-diblathaim and encamped in the hills of Abarim, before Nebo. (48) They set out from the hills of Abarim and encamped in the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho; (49) they encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim, in the steppes of Moab. (50) In the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (51) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, (52) you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land; you shall destroy all their figured objects; you shall destroy all their molten images, and you shall demolish all their cult places. (53) And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have assigned the land to you to possess. (54) You shall apportion the land among yourselves by lot, clan by clan: with larger groups increase the share, with smaller groups reduce the share. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. You shall have your portions according to your ancestral tribes. (55) But if you do not dispossess the inhabitants of the land, those whom you allow to remain shall be stings in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land in which you live; (56) so that I will do to you what I planned to do to them.
1. אלים 2. ים סוף 3. מדבר סין 4. דפקה 5. אלוש 6. רפידים 7. מדבר סיני
(כז) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֵילִ֔מָה וְשָׁ֗ם שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֛ה עֵינֹ֥ת מַ֖יִם וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים תְּמָרִ֑ים וַיַּחֲנוּ־שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַמָּֽיִם׃
(1) Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD. They said: I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. (2) The LORD is my strength and might; He is become my deliverance. This is my God and I will enshrine Him; The God of my father, and I will exalt Him. (3) The LORD, the Warrior— LORD is His name! (4) Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the pick of his officers Are drowned in the Sea of Reeds. (5) The deeps covered them; They went down into the depths like a stone. (6) Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the foe! (7) In Your great triumph You break Your opponents; You send forth Your fury, it consumes them like straw. (8) At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up, The floods stood straight like a wall; The deeps froze in the heart of the sea. (9) The foe said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall have its fill of them. I will bare my sword— My hand shall subdue them.” (10) You made Your wind blow, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the majestic waters. (11) Who is like You, O LORD, among the celestials; Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in splendor, working wonders! (12) You put out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them. (13) In Your love You lead the people You redeemed; In Your strength You guide them to Your holy abode. (14) The peoples hear, they tremble; Agony grips the dwellers in Philistia. (15) Now are the clans of Edom dismayed; The tribes of Moab—trembling grips them; All the dwellers in Canaan are aghast. (16) Terror and dread descend upon them; Through the might of Your arm they are still as stone— Till Your people cross over, O LORD, Till Your people cross whom You have ransomed. (17) You will bring them and plant them in Your own mountain, The place You made to dwell in, O LORD, The sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands established. (18) The LORD will reign for ever and ever! (19) For the horses of Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, went into the sea; and the LORD turned back on them the waters of the sea; but the Israelites marched on dry ground in the midst of the sea. (20) Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. (21) And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. (22) Then Moses caused Israel to set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went on into the wilderness of Shur; they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water. (23) They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; that is why it was named Marah. (24) And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (25) So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. There He made for them a fixed rule, and there He put them to the test. (26) He said, “If you will heed the LORD your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I the LORD am your healer.” (27) And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water.
(א) וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מֵֽאֵילִ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ כָּל־עֲדַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־מִדְבַּר־סִ֔ין אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּין־אֵילִ֖ם וּבֵ֣ין סִינָ֑י בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יוֹם֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י לְצֵאתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(1) Setting out from Elim, the whole Israelite community came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. (2) In the wilderness, the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. (3) The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, when we ate our fill of bread! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole congregation to death.” (4) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread for you from the sky, and the people shall go out and gather each day that day’s portion—that I may thus test them, to see whether they will follow My instructions or not. (5) But on the sixth day, when they apportion what they have brought in, it shall prove to be double the amount they gather each day.” (6) So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “By evening you shall know it was the LORD who brought you out from the land of Egypt; (7) and in the morning you shall behold the Presence of the LORD, because He has heard your grumblings against the LORD. For who are we that you should grumble against us? (8) Since it is the LORD,” Moses continued, “who will give you flesh to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to the full, because the LORD has heard the grumblings you utter against Him, what is our part? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD!” (9) Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole Israelite community: Advance toward the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.” (10) And as Aaron spoke to the whole Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there, in a cloud, appeared the Presence of the LORD. (11) The LORD spoke to Moses: (12) “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Speak to them and say: By evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; and you shall know that I the LORD am your God.” (13) In the evening quail appeared and covered the camp; in the morning there was a fall of dew about the camp. (14) When the fall of dew lifted, there, over the surface of the wilderness, lay a fine and flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. (15) When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”—for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “That is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. (16) This is what the LORD has commanded: Gather as much of it as each of you requires to eat, an omer to a person for as many of you as there are; each of you shall fetch for those in his tent.” (17) The Israelites did so, some gathering much, some little. (18) But when they measured it by the omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no deficiency: they had gathered as much as they needed to eat. (19) And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over until morning.” (20) But they paid no attention to Moses; some of them left of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and stank. And Moses was angry with them. (21) So they gathered it every morning, each as much as he needed to eat; for when the sun grew hot, it would melt. (22) On the sixth day they gathered double the amount of food, two omers for each; and when all the chieftains of the community came and told Moses, (23) he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy sabbath of the LORD. Bake what you would bake and boil what you would boil; and all that is left put aside to be kept until morning.” (24) So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered; and it did not turn foul, and there were no maggots in it. (25) Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath of the LORD; you will not find it today on the plain. (26) Six days you shall gather it; on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” (27) Yet some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing. (28) And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you men refuse to obey My commandments and My teachings? (29) Mark that the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you two days’ food on the sixth day. Let everyone remain where he is: let no one leave his place on the seventh day.” (30) So the people remained inactive on the seventh day. (31) The house of Israel named it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers in honey. (32) Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: Let one omer of it be kept throughout the ages, in order that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.” (33) And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, put one omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout the ages.” (34) As the LORD had commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the Pact, to be kept. (35) And the Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a settled land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (36) The omer is a tenth of an ephah.
(א) וַ֠יִּסְעוּ כָּל־עֲדַ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֛ין לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֣י יקוק וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ בִּרְפִידִ֔ים וְאֵ֥ין מַ֖יִם לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת הָעָֽם׃
(1) From the wilderness of Sin the whole Israelite community continued by stages as the LORD would command. They encamped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.
(א) בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃ (ב) וַיִּסְע֣וּ מֵרְפִידִ֗ים וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נֶ֥גֶד הָהָֽר׃
(1) On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. (2) Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain, (3) and Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: (4) ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. (5) Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, (6) but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (7) Moses came and summoned the elders of the people and put before them all that the LORD had commanded him. (8) All the people answered as one, saying, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the people’s words to the LORD. (9) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after.” Then Moses reported the people’s words to the LORD, (10) and the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and warn them to stay pure today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothes. (11) Let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down, in the sight of all the people, on Mount Sinai. (12) You shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, ‘Beware of going up the mountain or touching the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death: (13) no hand shall touch him, but he shall be either stoned or shot; beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain.” (14) Moses came down from the mountain to the people and warned the people to stay pure, and they washed their clothes. (15) And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day: do not go near a woman.” (16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. (18) Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the LORD had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. (19) The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder. (20) The LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up. (21) The LORD said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people not to break through to the LORD to gaze, lest many of them perish. (22) The priests also, who come near the LORD, must stay pure, lest the LORD break out against them.” (23) But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and sanctify it.’” (24) So the LORD said to him, “Go down, and come back together with Aaron; but let not the priests or the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break out against them.” (25) And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
1. אלים 2. מדבר סין 3. רפידים 4. מדבר סיני
... והנה יתרו יצא עם בתו והבנים ממדין ובאו אל הר סיני, ומשה היה ברפידים שהוא מקום אחד במדבר סין, שהכתוב אמר (לעיל טז א) ויסעו מאלים ויבואו כל עדת בני ישראל אל מדבר סין אשר בין אלים ובין סיני, לומר כי מדבר סין מגיע עד הר סיני, ויכלול דפקה אלוש ורפידים. ואף על פי שאמר (לעיל יז א) ויסעו ממדבר סין ויחנו ברפידים, כך אמר ויסעו ממדבר סין ויחנו בדפקה ואלוש (במדבר לג יב יג), והם ממדבר סין עצמו, כי המדבר כלו יקרא מדבר סין, והמקום שלפני הר סיני יקרא מדבר סין, וכמוהו וישובו אל ארץ פלשתים (בראשית כא לב):
(1) Our rabbis already disagreed (Mekhilta on Exodus 18:1, Zevachim 116a) about this section. There are some of them that say Yitro came before the giving of the Torah, like the order of the sections, and there are some of them that say that it came after the giving of the Torah. And [the latter view] is certainly supported by the verse that states (Exodus 18:5), "And Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, and his sons and wife came to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped there at the mountain of God." Behold, it states that he came to him in his being encamped in front of Mount Sinai, where they encamped for a year. And this [phrase serves as] the explanation of "where he was encamped there." And also as it states (Exodus 18:16), "and I make known the laws and teachings of God,” as they are the ones given to him at Mount Sinai. And also as here it states (Exodus 18:27), "And Moshe sent off his father-in-law, and he went his way to his land" - and this was in the second year when they traveled from Mount Sinai, as it states in Parshat Behaalotekha (Numbers 10:29), "And Moshe said to Hovav, son of Reuel the Midianite, Moshe’s father-in-law, 'We are traveling.'" And there it is written (Numbers 10:30), "And he said to him, 'I will not go, but rather to my land and to my birthplace will I go,'" and that is the going written [about] here (Exodus 18:27), "and he went his way to his land." And they also brought a proof from that which the verse stated (Deuteronomy 1:6-7), "The Lord, our God, spoke to us at Horeb saying, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and travel,'" and there it states, (Deuteronomy 1:9,15), "And I said to you, 'I am not able to carry you by myself' [...] And I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, etc.," and that is the counsel of Yitro. And there it states (Deuteronomy 1:9,15), "And we traveled from Chorev," as they traveled immediately. And, if so, a reason is required why this section is brought forward to write it here. And nonetheless I ask about this opinion, when the verse [here] states, "And Yitro heard all that the Lord had done for Moshe and for Israel His people, that the Lord had brought Israel out from Egypt" - and why did it not state that he heard that which He did for Moshe and for Israel at the giving of the Torah, about all of the great wonders that He did for them, as it stated (Deuteronomy 4:32), "You have but to inquire about bygone ages that came before you, ever since God created man on earth, from one end of heaven to the other, 'Has anything as grand as this ever happened, or has its like ever been known? Has any people heard the voice of God speaking out of a fire, as you have, and lived?'" And [also] when it states (Exodus 18:8), "And Moshe recounted to his father-in-law everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way," and Yitro said from this (Exodus 18:11), "Now I know that the Lord is greater" - why did he not tell him [about] the stand at Mount Sinai, [since] from it, he would know that the Lord is true and his Torah is true, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:35-6), "You have been shown that the Lord alone is God; there is none beside Him. From the heavens He let you hear His voice, etc." And maybe we can say that Yitro immediately heard in his land that God had taken Israel out of Egypt and [so] he traveled from his land and arrived to Moshe after he was encamped at Mount Sinai, after the giving of the Torah. And it does not recount that [Moshe] mentioned to him the matter of that stand, as the thing was still proximate and they were still there, and [so] it is obvious that it was told to him. And what is closer to me is to take the order of the Torah, that [Yitro] came before the giving of the Torah, when [the Israelites] were in Refidim, as they said in Mechilta here, "Rabbi Yehoshua said, 'He heard about the war of Amalek and came, as it is written alongside it,'" and he traveled with them from Refidim to Mount Sinai. And the matter of the verse that states, "Where he was encamped there at the mountain of God," is that Mount Sinai was on the way from Midian, close to there - as behold, Moshe went there to graze the flock of Midian (Exodus 3:1), and with Aharon, it stated (Exodus 4:27), "and he met him on the mountain of God." And behold, Yitro went out with his daughter and the boys from Midian and they came to Mount Sinai, and Moshe was in Refidim, which is a place in the Sien Wilderness. As the verse stated (Exodus 16:1), "And they traveled from Elim and the Children of Israel came to the Sien Wilderness which is between Elim and Sinai," meaning the Sien Wilderness extends until Mount Sinai, and includes Dofkah, Alush and Refidim. And even though it states (Exodus 17:1), "And they traveled [...] from the Sien Wilderness [,,,] and they camped in Refidim," so [also] did it state (Numbers 33:12-13), "And they traveled from the Sien Wilderness and they camped in Dofkah," and "Alush" - and they are part of the Sien Wilderness itself. As the entire wilderness is called the Wilderness of Sien and the [specific] place that is in front of Mount Sinai is called the Wilderness of Sien. And similar to this is (Genesis 22:32), "and they went back to the Land of the Philistines." And behold, the explanation of the verse would [then] be, "Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law, came with his sons and wife to Moshe in the wilderness where he was encamped," and he came "to the mountain of God," since he came to the mountain and he stopped there." And it is like (Exodus 3:1), "And he came to the mountain of God, to Chorev," and so [too] (Genesis 4:27), "and he met him at the mountain of God," and so [too] (Deuteronomy 1:6), "It is enough for you to be sitting at this mountain." And from the mountain, he sent [word] to him, "I am your father-in-law, Yitro, who has come to you, and Moshe went out to him." And we will [then] not need to say that "and [Yitro] said" [in this verse] is earlier. And even if Refidim would not be in the Wilderness of Sien, nonetheless it is in the wilderness - since Israel did not come to an inhabited land for the entire forty years. And it was close to Mount Sinai, as the congregation - of such a large camp as it - came from there to the mountain in one day, as was explained regarding the matter of the boulder from which they drank at Refidim, as I explained (Ramban on Exouds 17:7). And behold, the explanation that I said is correct. And I also saw in Mekhilta (here), "'To the wilderness where he encamped there' - behold, the verse is wondering about him, that he was [living] in the glory of the world and he [nonetheless] sought to go out to the wilderness of emptiness, where there is nothing in it." [From here we see that] their opinion is to explain, "to the wilderness where he encamped," that it is the wilderness of "the mountain of God" - as the Wilderness of Sien [extended] from Elim to Mount Sinai, and the verse recounts that he came to the edge of "the wilderness where he encamped there" - that is the wilderness of the 'mountain of God, to Chorev.' And it mentioned this for the praise of Yitro, that he left his land and came to the wilderness in which he was in, which was the mountain of God - as there was God revealed to him, as he already heard the whole matter that Israel went out of Egypt to serve 'God upon this mountain,' and he came 'in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.' And this is also correct. And so [too] does it appear [correct] to me that [that which] it stated here (Exodus 18:27), "And Moshe sent away his father-in-law and he went his way to his land," was in the first year, and he went to his land and returned to [Moshe afterwards] - and it is likely that he went to convert his family, and he returned to Moshe while he was still at Mount Sinai, since it is close to Midian, as I have mentioned. As behold, when the camp traveled in Iyar of the second year, when Moshe said to him, "We are traveling [...] Come with us," and Yitro answered him, "I will not go, but will return to my native land,” and Moshe supplicated him greatly and said to him, “Please do not leave us, etc. and you will be to us like eyes. So if you come with us, we will extend to you the same good that the Lord grants us" (Numbers 10:29:32), he did not respond at all, and [so] it appears that [Yitro] accepted [Moshe's] words and did according to his will and did not leave them. However [we find that] in the days of Shaul, his children were with Amalek and they came and reconnected with Israel and [that] the children of Yonadav the son of Rachav were in Jerusalem. [So] maybe with the death of Moshe, he or his children returned to his land. And maybe the Kenites that dwelt with Amalek were from the family of Yitro, but were not his children, and [Shaul] did kindness with the whole family for [Yitro's] sake, like Yehoshua did with the family of Rachav (Joshua 6:23). And the opinion of our rabbis is such that he went with them: they said in Sifrei Behaalotekha 34:1 that they gave him the fat [land] of Yericho, and they would consume [produce from] it for four hundred and forty years, until the Temple was built. And Rashi himself wrote this in Parshat Behaalotekha (Rashi on Numbers 10:32). If so, [Yitro] changed his mind [about leaving]. And in Mikhilta (here) [it is written], "'Behold, I will go and convert the people of my city, so that I will bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence.' Maybe he went and did not come back? [That is why] it teaches to say, 'And the children of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moshe, went up from the city of dates, etc.' (Judges 1:16)."
... ממרה נסעו לאילם, שנאמר ויסעו ממרה ויבאו אילמה וגו' (במדבר לג ט), הא למדנו שלא היו ישראל חונין אלא על המים, ומאילם נסעו לאלוש, שנאמר ויסעו מאילם ויבאו כל עדת בני ישראל אל מדבר סין (שמות טז א) (הוא אלוש) ... ועוד למדנו שהיו ישראל אוכלין מעוגה שהוציאו בידם ממצרים כל שלשים יום, ובו ביום כלתה, ולערב אכלו את השליו ולמשכים לקטו את המן, ובאלוש נתנה להם השבת, ושם עשו שבת ראשונה, שנאמר וישבתו העם ביום השבעי (שם טז ל), באחד בשבת בכ"ג באייר נסעו מאלוש ובאו להם לרפידים:
רַבִּי יוֹנָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא הִיא מִדְבַּר סִין הִיא מִדְבַּר אָלוּשׁ, מֵאֵיזוֹ זְכוּת זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם מַן בַּמִדְבָּר, בִּזְכוּת שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁאָמַר: לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת:
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַלֵּוִי בֶּן רַבִּי שָׁלוֹם בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹנָה וְאַף רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָמָא בֶּן רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר לְאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִם מַסָּעוֹת יָרַד לָהֶם הַמָּן, וְהֵיכָן יָרַד בְּאָלוּשׁ, וְלָמָּה בְּאָלוּשׁ בִּזְכוּת שֶׁאָמַר אַבְרָהָם (בראשית יח, ו): לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת, כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פָּרַע לְבָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם:
(ח) שָׁטוּ֩ הָעָ֨ם וְלָֽקְט֜וּ וְטָחֲנ֣וּ בָרֵחַ֗יִם א֤וֹ דָכוּ֙ בַּמְּדֹכָ֔ה וּבִשְּׁלוּ֙ בַּפָּר֔וּר וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ עֻג֑וֹת וְהָיָ֣ה טַעְמ֔וֹ כְּטַ֖עַם לְשַׁ֥ד הַשָּֽׁמֶן׃
(8) The people would go about and gather it, grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes. It tasted like rich cream.
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב כל מה שעשה אברהם למלאכי השרת בעצמו עשה הקב"ה לבניו בעצמו וכל [מה] שעשה אברהם ע"י שליח עשה הקב"ה לבניו ע"י שליח (בראשית יח, ז) ואל הבקר רץ אברהם (במדבר יא, לא) ורוח נסע מאת יקוק ויקח חמאה וחלב (שמות טז, ד) הנני ממטיר לכם לחם מן השמים (בראשית יח, ח) והוא עומד עליהם תחת העץ (שמות יז, ו) הנני עומד לפניך שם על הצור [וגו'] (בראשית יח, טז) ואברהם הולך עמם לשלחם (שמות יג, כא) ויקוק הולך לפניהם יומם (בראשית יח, ד) יוקח נא מעט מים (שמות יז, ו) והכית בצור ויצאו ממנו מים ושתה העם:
he has increased his obligation to them, since if he had meant to give them no more than the accepted amount, he would not have made any stipulation at all. The mishna then continues: And there is also a supporting incident involving Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Matya, who said to his son: Go out and hire laborers for us. His son went, hired them, and pledged to provide sustenance for them as a term of their employment, without specifying the details. And when he came back to his father and reported what he had done, Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Matya said to him: My son, even if you were to prepare a feast for them like that of King Solomon in his time, you would not have fulfilled your obligation to them, as they are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Gemara asks: Is this to say that the feast of Abraham, our forefather, was superior to that of King Solomon? But isn’t it written: “And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal; ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, beside harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl” (I Kings 5:2–3). And Guryon ben Asteyon says in the name of Rav: These measures of flour mentioned in the verse were used merely for the bakers’ well-worked dough [la’amilan] that was placed in the pot to absorb the steam. And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: These measures of flour were used for meat pudding, a mixture of wine, flour, and leftover meat, in a pot. And Rabbi Yitzḥak further says: King Solomon had one thousand wives, each one of whom would prepare for him at her home a feast of such proportions. What is the reason that they did this? This wife reasoned: Perhaps he will feast with me today, and that wife reasoned: Perhaps he will feast with me today. But with regard to Abraham, it is written: “And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good” (Genesis 18:7), and Rav Yehuda says that Rav says, in explanation of the verse: “A calf” indicates one; the word “tender” means an additional one, i.e., two; “and good” indicates yet another one. This makes a total of three calves, a considerably smaller feast than that of Solomon. The Gemara answers: There, with regard to Abraham, he prepared three oxen for three people, whereas here, in the case of Solomon, his wives would prepare a feast for the entire realms of Israel and Judah, as it is stated: “Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry” (I Kings 4:20). Abraham’s feast was proportionately greater than that of Solomon. With regard to the verse cited in relation to King Solomon, the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the term “fatted fowl [avusim]”? Rav says: It means that they are fed [ovsim] by force. Shmuel says: It means that they were fattened [avusim] and maintained on their own accord, i.e., they were naturally fat. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Solomon’s feasts were of fine quality because they would bring from his herd an ox that had never been forced to work, and they would also bring a hen from its coop that had never been forced to lay eggs, and use those for the cuisine. The Gemara cites a related statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The choicest of cattle is the ox. The choicest of fowl is the hen. With regard to the type of hen to which this is referring, Ameimar says: It is a fattened, black hen [zagta] that is found among the wine vats, which consumes so many grape seeds that it cannot take a step the length of a reed, due to its corpulence. The Gemara returns to discuss the verse in Genesis: “And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good” (Genesis 18:7). Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: “A calf” is one; “tender” indicates an additional one, i.e., two; “and good” indicates another one, for a total of three calves. The Gemara asks: But why not say that the verse is referring to only one calf, as people say when describing a single item that it is tender and good? The Gemara answers: If so, let the verse write: Tender, good. What is the significance of the term “and good,” which indicates an addition? Conclude from this that the verse is stated for the purpose of an exposition and is referring to more than one calf. The Gemara challenges: But one can still say there were only two calves. The Gemara answers: From the fact that the word “good” is written for an exposition, to include an additional calf, it may be inferred that the term “tender” is also written for an exposition and indicates yet another calf. Rabba bar Ulla raises an objection, and some say it is Rav Hoshaya, and some say it is Rav Natan, son of Rabbi Hoshaya, who raises the objection: The verse states: “And he gave it to the servant; and he hastened to prepare it” (Genesis 18:7). The singular term “it” indicates that there was only one calf. The Gemara answers: Abraham gave each and every calf to one servant, i.e., he gave the three calves to three different servants. The Gemara raises a question from the verse: “And he took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them” (Genesis 18:8), which again indicates that there was only one calf. The Gemara responds: The verse means that as each calf arrived prepared, he brought it before them, and he did not serve all three calves at once. The Gemara asks: And why do I need three calves? One calf should be sufficient for three guests. Rav Ḥanan bar Rava said: Abraham prepared three calves in order to feed the guests three tongues with mustard, a particular delicacy. With regard to this incident, Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai says: A person should never deviate from the local custom, as Moses ascended to heaven on high and did not eat bread while he was there, whereas the ministering angels descended down to this world, as guests visiting Abraham, and they ate bread. You say: And they ate bread? Can it enter your mind that they actually ate food? Rather, say that they merely appeared as though they ate and drank. Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Every action that Abraham performed himself for the ministering angels, the Holy One, Blessed be He, performed Himself for Abraham’s descendants. And every action that Abraham performed through a messenger, the Holy One, Blessed be He, likewise performed for his descendants through a messenger. The Gemara elaborates: With regard to Abraham, the verse states: “And Abraham ran to the herd” (Genesis 18:7), bringing the meat himself, and in reference to God’s actions for Abraham’s descendants the verse states: “And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought across quails from the sea” (Numbers 11:31), that God brought meat to them. In reference to Abraham, the verse states: “And he took curd and milk” (Genesis 18:8), and God says to the Jewish people: “Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4), which shows that God gave food to the Jewish people. With regard to Abraham, the verse states: “And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate” (Genesis 18:8), and in reference to God, the verse states: “Behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and there shall come water out of it” (Exodus 17:6). In the case of Abraham it is written: “And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way” (Genesis 18:16), and the verse states: “And the Lord went before them by day” (Exodus 13:21). By contrast, Abraham performed certain actions through an agent. He said: “Let now a little water be fetched” (Genesis 18:4), and correspondingly the verse states in reference to Moses, God’s messenger: “And you shall strike the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:6). The Gemara notes: And in stating this, Rav disagrees with that statement of Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina. As Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says, and likewise the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: In reward for three acts of hospitality that Abraham performed for the angels, his descendants merited three rewards. The Gemara elaborates: In reward for providing them with curd and milk, the Jewish people merited the manna; in reward for: “And he stood [omed] by them,” the Jews merited the pillar [amud] of cloud; in reward for Abraham saying: “Let now a little water be fetched,” they merited the well of Miriam. This statement does not distinguish between actions performed by Abraham himself and those performed by means of a messenger. The Gemara continues its analysis of the verse: “Let now a little water be fetched and wash your feet” (Genesis 18:4). Rabbi Yannai, son of Rabbi Yishmael, said that the guests said to Abraham: Are you suspicious that we are Arabs who bow to the dust of their feet? Yishmael has already issued from him, i.e., your own son acts in this manner. § The Gemara expounds another verse involving Abraham: “And the Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of “the heat of the day”? Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: That day was the third day after Abraham’s circumcision, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, came to inquire about the well-being of Abraham. The Holy One, Blessed be He, removed the sun from its sheath in order not to bother that righteous one with guests, i.e., God made it extremely hot that day to allow Abraham to recover from his circumcision, as he would not be troubled by passing travelers whom he would invite into his tent. Despite the intense heat, Abraham wanted to invite guests. He sent Eliezer his slave to go outside to see if there were any passersby. Eliezer went out but did not find anyone. Abraham said to him: I do not believe you. The Gemara comments: This demonstrates the popular adage that people there, i.e., in Eretz Yisrael, say: Slaves do not have any credibility. The Gemara continues: Abraham himself went out and saw the Holy One, Blessed be He, standing at the entrance to his tent. This is as it is written: “My Lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, do not leave Your servant” (Genesis 18:3), i.e., God’s presence was there, and Abraham asked Him for permission to attend to the travelers. Once God saw Abraham tying and untying the bandage on his circumcision, God said: It is not proper conduct to stand here, i.e., it is not respectful to Abraham even for God to stand there. This is as it is written: “And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three men stood over him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them” (Genesis 18:2). The verse first states that they stood over him, and then it says that he ran to meet them. The Gemara reconciles this apparent contradiction: Initially, they came and stood over him. Upon seeing that he was in pain, they said: It is not proper conduct to stand here. The Gemara continues: Who are these three men? They are the angels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael: Michael, who came to announce to Sarah that she was to give birth to a son; Raphael, who came to heal Abraham after his circumcision; and Gabriel, who went to overturn Sodom. The Gemara asks: But it is written: “And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening” (Genesis 19:1). The Gemara answers that Michael went along with Gabriel to Sodom to save Lot. The Gemara notes: The language is also precise, as it is written: “And he overturned those cities” (Genesis 19:25), and it is not written: They overturned those cities. Conclude from it that only one angel overturned Sodom. The Gemara asks: What is different with regard to the incident involving Abraham, where the angels acquiesced immediately to his request to remain with him, as it is written: “So do, as you have said” (Genesis 18:5), and what is different with regard to Lot, where they first displayed reluctance, as it is written:
