אָז יָשִׁיר יִשְׂרָאֵל. מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִזְכַּר מֹשֶׁה שָׁם. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנֶּעֱנַשׁ עַל הַמַּיִם, וְאֵין אָדָם מְקַלֵּס לִסְפֶּקְלָטוֹר שֶׁלּוֹ. וְלָמָּה שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא נִזְכַּר בָּהּ. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לְשִׁלְטוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה סְעוּדָה לַמֶּלֶךְ. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, פְּלוֹנִי אוֹהֲבִי יֵשׁ שָׁם אָמְרוּ לוֹ: לָאו. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, אַף אֲנִי אֵינִי הוֹלֵךְ לְשָׁם. אַף כָּאן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הוֹאִיל וּמֹשֶׁה אֵינוֹ נִזְכַּר, אַף אֲנִי אֵינִי נִזְכַּר שָׁם. בְּאֵר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים. וְכִי חֲפִירָה הָיְתָה שָׁם. אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּתְּנָה בִּזְכוּת אָבוֹת שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ שָׂרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: פָּתַח צוּר וַיָּזוּבוּ מָיִם, הָלְכוּ בַּצִּיּוֹת נָהָר, כִּי זָכַר אֶת דְּבַר קָדְשׁוֹ אֶת אַבְרָהָם עַבְדּוֹ (תהלים קה, מא-מב). כָּרוּהָ נְדִיבֵי הָעָם בִּמְחֹקֵק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָם, שֶׁהָיוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים עוֹמְדִין עַל גַּבָּהּ וּמוֹשְׁכִים בְּמַטּוֹתֵיהֶם כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְשִׁבְטוֹ וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ. וְרֶוַח הָיָה בֵּין הַדְּגָלִים מָלֵא מַיִם תִּגְבּוֹרִין. וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָיְתָה צְרִיכָה לֵילֵךְ אֵצֶל חֲבֶרְתָּהּ מִדֶּגֶל לְדֶגֶל, הָיְתָה הוֹלֶכֶת בִּסְפִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָלְכוּ בְּצִיּוֹת נָהָר. וְאֵין צִיּוֹת אֶלָּא סְפִינוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְצִי אַדִּיר לֹא יַעַבְרֶנּוּ (ישעיה לג, כא). וְהַמַּיִם הָיוּ יוֹצְאִין חוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וּמַקִּיפִין פִּיסָא גְּדוֹלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יַנְחֵנִי בַּמַּעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (תהלים כג, ג). וּמְגַדְּלִין מִינֵי דְּשָׁאִים וְאִילָנוֹת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם סוֹף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא וְגוֹ' (שם פסוק ב). כָּל אוֹתָן יָמִים שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר, הָיוּ מְשַׁמְּשִׁין בָּהּ. לְכָךְ קִלְּסוּ עָלֶיהָ, בְּאֵר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים. וּמִמִּדְבָּר מַתָּנָה, שֶׁנִּתְנָה לָהֶם מַתָּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר לְשַׁמְּשָׁן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לָמָּה נִתְּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר. שֶׁאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה לָהֶם בָּאָרֶץ, הָיָה שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁנִּתְּנָה בִּתְחוּמוֹ, מִדַּיֵּן וְאוֹמֵר: אֲנִי קוֹדֵם בָּהּ. לְכָךְ נִתְּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁיְּהוּ הַכֹּל שָׁוִין בָּהּ. וְעוֹד לָמָּה נִתְּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמִּדְבָּר לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶעֱבָד, כָּךְ הַמְּקַבֵּל עָלָיו דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, פּוֹרְקִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁמִּדְבָּר אֵין מַעֲלֶה אַרְנוֹן, כָּךְ בְּנֵי תּוֹרָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מִמִּדְבָּר. מִי מְקַיֵּם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. מִי שֶׁמֵּשִׂים עַצְמוֹ כַּמִּדְבָּר, מְפַנֶּה עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכֹּל. וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל, וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת. שְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת אֵלּוּ, כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה בָּתֵּי דִּינִין שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ מְפָרְשִׁין תּוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. מִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל, אֵלּוּ סַנְהֶדְרִין שֶׁבְּהַר הַבַּיִת. וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת, אֵלּוּ סַנְהֶדְרִין שֶׁבָּעֲזָרָה בְּצַד הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. וּמִבָּמוֹת הַגַּיְא אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂדֵי מוֹאָב, אֵלּוּ סַנְהֶדְרִין שֶׁבְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית בִּתְחוּם אוֹתָהּ שֶׁבָּאתָה מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נַעֲרָה מוֹאָבִיָּה הִיא הַשָּׁבָה עִם נָעֳמִי מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב (רות ב, ו). וְנִשְׁקְפָה עַל פְּנֵי הַיְּשִׁימוֹן, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם יָצָא הַתּוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וּמִמִּדְבַּר מַתָּנָה. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַחַר כָּל הַנִּסִּים שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לָהֶם, אֲנִי מֵת מִתַּחַת יְדֵיהֶם. מִן הַמִּדְבָּר נָתַן לָהֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמִמִּדְבַּר מַתָּנָה. וְעַל יָדִי נָחֲלוּ אוֹתָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל. וּמִשֶּׁנָּחֲלוּ אוֹתָהּ, גָּזַרְתָּ עָלַי מִיתָה. וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת, בָּא מָוֶת. וּמִבָּמוֹת הַגַּיְא אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂדֵה מוֹאָב וְגוֹ', זוֹ קְבוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בַּגַּיא בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב (דברים לד, ו). זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר אִיּוֹב, אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָשָׂא פְּנֵי שָׂרִים וְלֹא נִכַּר שׁוֹעַ לִפְנֵי דָל כִּי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו כֻּלָּם (איוב לד, יט). וְנִשְׁקְפָה עַל פְּנֵי הַיְשִׁימוֹן, זֶה לְעִנְיַן בְּאֵר שֶׁבָּאת עִמָּהֶם עַד שֶׁנִּגְנְזָה לְתוֹךְ יַמָּהּ שֶׁל טְבֶרְיָה. וְהָעוֹמֵד עַל פְּנֵי הַיְשִׁימוֹן, רוֹאֶה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם כִּמְלֹא פִי תַּנּוּר, וְהוּא הַבְּאֵר הַנִּשְׁקָף עַל פְּנֵי הַיְשִׁימוֹן. (Numb. 21:17:) “Then Israel sang.” For what reason is Moses not mentioned there?136Numb. R. 19:26. For the reason that he was being punished because of the waters; and no person praises137Rt.: QLS. Cf.: Gk.: kalos. his executioner.138Lat.: speculator (“examiner” or “overseer”). And why is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, not mentioned there? The matter is comparable to a governor who made a banquet for the king. The king said, “Will my friend so-and-so be there?” They told him, “No.” He said, “[Then] I also am not going there.” Also here the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Inasmuch as Moses is not mentioned, I also will not be mentioned there.” (Numb. 21:18:) “The well that the princes dug.” Was it dug there? It is simply that it was given through the merit of the ancestors who were called princes. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 105:41-42), “He opened a rock, and water gushed out […]. For he remembered His holy promise and His servant Abraham.” (Numb. 21:18, cont.:) “That the nobles of the people dug with the scepter, even with their own staffs.” The princes were standing by it, and each and every one drew [the water] with his own staff for his own tribe and for his own family. And the space between the [four] standards was filled with a [flow of] water that was gathering strength. A woman who had to go to her companion from one standard to [another] standard went by ship, as stated (in Ps. 105:41), “they traveled the river by tsiyyot.”139A more traditional translation would be: IT FLOWED THROUGH THE WILDERNESS LIKE A RIVER. Now tsiyyot (here understood as the plural of tsi) can only denote a ship, since it is stated (in Is. 33:21), “nor shall a stately ship (tsi) pass by.” Now the waters flowed outside the camp and embraced a great strip of land. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 23:3) “He leads me in paths (literally, circles) of righteousness.” In addition, [the encircling waters] would cause endless varieties of green herbage and trees to grow, as stated (in Ps. 23:2), “[He makes me lie down] in green pastures; [He leads me beside still waters].” All those the days that Israel was in the desert they used it (i.e., the well). Therefore, they rendered praise for it [with the song ending] (in Numb. 21:18), “the well that the princes dug.” (Numb. 21:18, cont.:) “From Midbar (literally, desert) to Mattanah,” [so stated] because in the desert [the well] was given (nittenah) them to use as a gift (mattanah). Another interpretation: Why was [the well] given in the desert? Because if it had been given to them in the land, the tribe in whose border it was given would have argued and said, “I have a prior claim to it.” For that reason it was given in the desert where all would have an equal claim to it. And for what other reason was it given in the desert? Just as a desert is neither sown nor cultivated, so is the one who receives the words of Torah. They remove from him the yoke of the government and the yoke of earning a living. Just as a desert does not grow arnona;140The Latin word generally denotes, as it probably does here, a tax on farm goods paid in kind; but the word also occurs in a broader sense denoting agricultural products generally. so are children of Torah (i.e., Torah scholars) free [from it] in this world.141I.e., by accepting the yoke of Torah, such scholars are exempt from government taxes and the need to earn a living. See Numb. R. 19:26. Another interpretation [of why it was given] in the desert: Who is the one who fulfills the Torah? One who uses himself like the desert, [i.e.,] whoever makes himself like a desert and removes himself from everything [that might distract him]. (Numb. 21:19:) “From Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth.” These three places correspond to the three courts in Jerusalem that would explicate the Torah to all of Israel: (Ibid.) “From Mattanah to Nahaliel,” these refer to the Sanhedrin on the Temple Mount; (ibid., cont.) “from Nahaliel to Bamoth,” these refer to the Sanhedrin142Gk.: synhedrion. in the [Temple] court beside the altar; (Numb. 21:20) “From Bamoth to the valley that is in the Plain of Moab.” These refer to the Sanhedrin, when it was in the chamber of hewn stones, which was in the region of that woman who came from the Plain of Moab (i.e., Ruth), of whom it is stated (in Ruth 2:6), “She is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the Plains of Moab.” (Numb. 21:20, cont.:) “[At the Summit of Pisgah,] which is visible on the surface of wilderness (yeshimon);”143Yeshimon may be a place name, Jeshimon. for from there (she’misham) Torah goes forth into the world. Another interpretation (of these verses, centering on Numb. 21:19) “From Mattanah to Nahaliel”: Moses said, “Master of the world, after all of the miracles that You did for them, I am to die from them? He gave them the Torah from the desert (midbar), [as stated] (in Numb. 21:18), ‘From Midbar to Mattanah (literally, gift).’ And through me, they inherited (nahalu) it, as stated (in Numb. 21:19) ‘From Mattanah to Nahaliel.’ And from when they inherited it, You decreed death upon me [since] (Numb. 21:19, cont.), ‘from Nahaliel to Bamoth,’ [meaning] death came (ba mavet).” (Numb. 21:20) “From Bamoth to the valley that is in the Plain of Moab…,” that is burial, as stated (in Deut. 34:6), “He buried him in the valley in the Land of Moab.” This is related to what Job said (to Job 34:19), “He is not partial to princes; the noble are not preferred to the wretched; for all of them are the work of His hands.”(Numb. 21:20, cont.:) “[At the Summit of Pisgah,] which is visible on the surface of wilderness (yeshimon).” This is in reference to the well which accompanied them until it was hidden in the Sea of Tiberias.144See above, Lev. 7:7; Numb. 1:2; 6:35, 47-49; and the notes there; also yKil. 2:4 or 3 (32cd); yKet. 12:3 (35b); Lev. R. 22:4; Eccl. R. 5:8-9:5; cf. Shab. 35b, according to which the well is visible from Mount Carmel; similarly M. Ps. 24:6, according to which the well is visible from Mount Nebo. And one standing on the surface of the wilderness sees something in the midst of the sea about the size of the mouth of an oven; and that is the well, which is visible on the surface of the wilderness.