Oroh V'Simchoh

OROH V'SIMCHOH - MESHECH CHOCHMOH - PARSHAS CHUKAS BS"D

Ch. 20, v. 5: "Lo m'kome zera u's'einoh v'gefen v'rimone" - Since this was a complaint about the lack of fruit types that the bnei Yisroel were looking forward to upon entering Eretz Yisroel, why did they leave out "zeis shemen u'd'vash," olives and honey-dates, which are also among the species that grow in abundance in Eretz Yisroel? The MESHECH CHOCHMOH answers that although it was wrong for them to complain, they did not use fabricated claims. The flavours of oil and honey were readily available to them in the manna, as the verse says, "V'taamo k'tzapichis biDVOSH" (Shmos 16:31), and "K'taam l'shad ha'SHO'MEN" (Bmidbar 11:8).

Ch. 20, v. 14: "Atoh yodato es kol hatlo'oh" - Why did the bnei Yisroel give this preamble of all their travail and their miraculous departure from Egypt as a lead in to their request to traverse the land of Edom? Rashi explains (M.R. 19:7) that the bnei Yisroel related that they were on their way back from all the travail and suffering of being exiled in Egypt. This lot could just as easily fallen upon the Edomites, the descendants of Eisov. The bnei Yisroel, so to say, paid off the debt that by right should have been equally shared by both of Yitzchok's sons. In view of this the least Edom could do is to allow for unhampered traversing rights to the bnei Yisroel.

The MESHECH CHOCHMOH answers that had the Edomites thought that the bnei Yisroel exited Egypt after a hard fought rebellion, they surely would have been reluctant to allow the bnei Yisroel ingress to their land for fear that they might fight them as well and attempt to take over the land of Edom. Once they would hear that they left without a fight and that Hashem had miraculously intervened for them, there was no fear that the bnei Yisroel had any such intention.

Perhaps there is a simpler explanation. To avert the above-mentioned fear, the bnei Yisroel sent a message that they were originally from the land of Canaan, having descended to Egypt many year earlier, as per the next verse, "Va'yeirdu avoseinu Mitzraymoh," and were on their way back, having no intentions of conquest along the way.

A GUTTEN SHABBOS KODESH.
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