Difference between revisions of "Epilogue to the Manna Story/2"
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<point><b>Verse 35: "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" and "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת"</b> – R"Y Bekhor Shor does not address the meaning of these terms but does maintain that the forty years mentioned extend to the sixteenth of Nissan, and thus include events that happened after crossing the Jordan.  As such, he might say, like <multilink><a href="RYosefKaraShemot16-35" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Kara</a><a href="RYosefKaraShemot16-35" data-aht="source">Shemot 16:35</a><a href="R. Yosef Kara" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Kara</a></multilink>, that both terms refer to the land of Israel, with the second phrase ("קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן") serving to explicate the first ("אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת").‎<fn>Without the clarification, a reader might have though that "settled land" referred to Arvot Moav.</fn></point> | <point><b>Verse 35: "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" and "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת"</b> – R"Y Bekhor Shor does not address the meaning of these terms but does maintain that the forty years mentioned extend to the sixteenth of Nissan, and thus include events that happened after crossing the Jordan.  As such, he might say, like <multilink><a href="RYosefKaraShemot16-35" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Kara</a><a href="RYosefKaraShemot16-35" data-aht="source">Shemot 16:35</a><a href="R. Yosef Kara" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Kara</a></multilink>, that both terms refer to the land of Israel, with the second phrase ("קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן") serving to explicate the first ("אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת").‎<fn>Without the clarification, a reader might have though that "settled land" referred to Arvot Moav.</fn></point> | ||
− | <point><b>When was this epilogue written?</b> <p>R"Y Bekhor Shor | + | <point><b>When was this epilogue written?</b> <p>R"Y Bekhor Shor does not address the issue. He could suggest, like <multilink><a href="AbarbanelShemot16" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelShemot16" data-aht="source">Shemot 16</a><a href="AbarbanelBemidbar21" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 21</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink> appears to,<fn><multilink>Abarbanel <a href="AbarbanelShemot16" data-aht="source">Shemot 16</a><a href="AbarbanelBemidbar21" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 21</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>is somewhat ambiguous, but he might be suggesting this.</fn> that the entire epilogue was written in the first year, and the events which did not yet happen (including those which happened after Moshe's death) were simply recorded via prophecy.  If so, this would mean that before the Spies had actually sinned and their punishment was decreed, Hashem already hinted to Moshe that the nation was to wander in the desert for forty years!<fn>Alternatively, each part of the epilogue was written when it happened, verses 32-33 in the first year, verse 34 in the second, and verse 35 in the fortieth, partially via prophecy.</fn></p></point> |
+ | <point><b>Biblical Parallels</b> – In the epilogue to the story of the war with Amalek, Hashem tells Moshe, "כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאׇזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ".  According to Rashi, this is another case where Moshe is told to write something which hints to a future event, that it will be Yehoshua rather than Moshe who was to bring the nation into Israel.<fn>Cf. Ibn Ezra there who prefers to simply say that that verse was first written in the fortieth year.</fn>  As another example, Ramban points to the list of those who were to inherit the land in the time of Yehoshua, even though he would have no way of knowing that they were to live that long.</point> | ||
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<category>Second through Forty-first Years | <category>Second through Forty-first Years | ||
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<point><b>Verse 35 – "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" versus "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת"</b> – All of these sources assume that the different terms refer to two distinct places, and hence that the verse discusses events of both the fortieth and forty-first years.  They differ in the details:<br/> | <point><b>Verse 35 – "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" versus "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת"</b> – All of these sources assume that the different terms refer to two distinct places, and hence that the verse discusses events of both the fortieth and forty-first years.  They differ in the details:<br/> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | <li><b>Gradual | + | <li><b>Gradual cessation</b> – Ibn Ezra understands "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת" to refer to the lands of Sichon and Og, and suggests that upon arrival there, the people had the option of eating either manna or natural bread.<fn>See Seforno similarly.</fn>  Only when they got to "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" in Gilgal, in the forty-first year, did the manna cease totally.<fn>Cf. Netziv who highlights that those who tired of the manna stopped eating it already in Arvot Moav, while the "righteous" people continued to eat it until they arrived in Gilgal.</fn> R. D"Z Hoffmann explains similarly that when they had reached civilization, the manna only fell when there was not ample natural food to feed the nation, but it only completely stopped when they crossed the Jordan after Moshe's death.</li> |
− | <li><b> | + | <li><b>Still ate after manna ceased to fall</b> –  Rashi<fn>Though Rashi also distinguishes the terms, he reads the phrases in the opposite way of most commentaotrs, suggesting that "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת" means Israel proper, and that "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" refers to Arvot Moav.</fn> claims that the manna stopped falling with the death of Moshe, but what had been collected lasted and was eaten until the arrival in Gilgal.<fn>This position is difficult in light of Yehoshua 5:11, "וַיִּשְׁבֹּת הַמָּן מִמׇּחֳרָת", which speaks not of the manna running out, but of it stopping to fall on the morrow of the Pesach.</fn> </li> |
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</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
+ | <point><b>When was this epilogue written?</b> These sources do not address the question, but might suggest that each part of the epilogue was written after the particular event described occurred.  Thus, verses 32-34 were written in the second year, while verse 35 was either written by Moshe in the fortieth year, with a component of prophecy, or by Yehoshua in the forty-first year.</point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Biblical Paralells</b></point> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>First through Fortieth Years | <category>First through Fortieth Years |
Version as of 01:45, 22 January 2016
Epilogue to the Manna Story
Exegetical Approaches
First Through Forty-first Year
The epilogue covers events that transpired from the first year in the wilderness, through to the nation's arrival in Israel in the forty-first year.
- Prior to the Sin of the Golden Calf, the nation was scheduled to enter the land immediately after the revelation at Sinai. As such, now was the time to collect a sample, while the manna was still raining down.
- It is also possible that Hashem specifically wanted to preserve the manna at the outset of the miracle, when the people were still marveling at and in awe of the phenomenon. By the fortieth year, the nation were no longer appreciative of the miracle, but tired and disgusted by it.3 Announcing then that they should preserve the manna so as to show their children this wonderful gift might have been counter-productive.
R"Y Bekhor Shor does not address the issue. He could suggest, like Abarbanel appears to,5 that the entire epilogue was written in the first year, and the events which did not yet happen (including those which happened after Moshe's death) were simply recorded via prophecy. If so, this would mean that before the Spies had actually sinned and their punishment was decreed, Hashem already hinted to Moshe that the nation was to wander in the desert for forty years!6
Second through Forty-first Years
The appendix includes events from the second to the forty-first year, and does not relate to the first at all.
- R. D"Z Hoffmann points out that the original plan was to enter the land soon after the Tabernacle was constructed.10 As such, this is the logical time to collect a sample for future generations.
- Alternatively, Hashem simply waited until there was an appropriate place to store the manna, and only then issued the command.
- Gradual cessation – Ibn Ezra understands "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת" to refer to the lands of Sichon and Og, and suggests that upon arrival there, the people had the option of eating either manna or natural bread.11 Only when they got to "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" in Gilgal, in the forty-first year, did the manna cease totally.12 R. D"Z Hoffmann explains similarly that when they had reached civilization, the manna only fell when there was not ample natural food to feed the nation, but it only completely stopped when they crossed the Jordan after Moshe's death.
- Still ate after manna ceased to fall – Rashi13 claims that the manna stopped falling with the death of Moshe, but what had been collected lasted and was eaten until the arrival in Gilgal.14
First through Fortieth Years
The appendix includes events from the first to the fortieth year, and does not relate to the forty-first at all.
- R. D"Z Hoffmann points out that the original plan was to enter the land soon after the Tabernacle was constructed.15 As such, this is the logical time to collect a sample for future generations.
- Alternatively, Hashem simply waited until there was an appropriate place to store the manna, and only then issued the command.
- Connected to fulfillment – Ibn Ezra and R. D"Z Hoffmann assert that the commands were given in proximity to their fulfillment, and the entire passage only occurred after the construction of the Tabernacle.16
- Disconnected from fulfillment – According to Shadal,17 in contrast, Moshe's pronouncement to the people (verse 32) is in its proper place and occurred as they gathered the manna, but Moshe only gave Aharon his specific instructions when the time came for him to fulfill them in the second year.18
- Distinct terms – Many of these sources assume that the different terms refer to two distinct places, and hence separate stages in the cessation of the manna:
- Gradual Cessation – Ibn Ezra understands "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת" to refer to the lands of Sichon and Og, and suggests that at that point there was an option of eating either manna or natural bread.19 Only when they got to "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן", to Gilgal, did the manna cease totally.20 R. D"Z Hoffmann explains similarly that when they had reached civilization, the manna only fell when there was not ample natural food to feed the nation, but it only completely stopped when they crossed the Jordan.
- Falling versus eating – Rashi reads the phrases in the opposite way, suggesting that "אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת" means Israel proper, and that "קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" refers to Arvot Moav. He claims that the manna stopped falling with the death of Moshe, but what had been collected lasted and was eaten until the arrival in Gilgal.21
- Identical terms – In contrast to the above, Shadal identifies the two terms, suggesting that both refer to Arvot Moav, which is on the eastern edge of Canaan. Thus, the verse is not informing the reader when the manna ceased,22 but simply remarking that the nation ate it until the end of the period discussed in Torah. The doubling is explained as the Torah's attempt to clarify an ambiguous term.
- First year – Abarbanel might claim that the entire epilogue was written in the first year, despite some of the events not yet having happened, and some (cessation of the manna) not taking place until after his death.23 Moshe simply wrote about the future via prophecy, just as he had regarding his own death. If so, this would mean that before the Spies had actually sinned and their punishment was decreed, Hashem already hinted to Moshe that the nation was to wander in the desert for forty years.24
- Fortieth year – In contrast, according to Shadal,25 verses 33-35 (those which he regards as achronological) were all written by Moshe in the fortieth year. According to him, Moshe wrote nothing via prophecy, but rather recorded everything after the fact. Thus he writes of the placement of the manna in the Mishkan only years later, and when discussing the length of time that the manna was eaten, he speaks only of that which he had knowledge, that the nation ate it until they arrived at the border of Canaan.
Only Fortieth Year
The manna was first put aside for storage in the fortieth year.