Why does the Torah use the Lashon "Ru'ach Nasa", a Lashon that we do not generally find in connection with the wind?
Oznayim la'Torah: The Pasuk in Tehilim, 78:26 uses the same Lashon to describe the east wind blowing the quails ("Yisa Kadim ba'Shamayim"). 1 Now surely, if the wind blew in the quails from the Mediteranean Sea, it ought to have been - not an east wind, but - a west-wind that blew them in? only in order to maximise the miracle 2 He used an east wind to blow the quails past the camp and then changed direction - the way a traveler does when necessary 3 - and blew them back from east to west, to the camp of Yisrael.
Targum Yonasan: ?A storm-wind of anger went out; it traveled angrily from before Hashem and wanted to destroy the world?.
What are the connotations of ?Va'yagaz Salvim??
Rashi (in Tehilim, 78:26 & 27): It is a Lashon a. of detaching (in Yirmiyah, 7:29); b. of taking out or c. of passing or moving (in Tehilim, 70:6); d. of moving away (in Bava Metzi?a, 99a).
Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means ?and it blew (quails).
What are the connotations of ?Va'yitosh al ha?Machaneh??
Rashi: It means and it scattered them in the camp?. 1
Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means ?and it cast them on the camp?.
Rashi: As in Shmu?el 1, 30:16 and Yechezkel, 29:5.
From which sea did Hashem blow the quails?
Seforno: From the Yam-Suf, which was due south of where they were encamped. 1
Targum Yonasan: From the Mediteranean Sea.
See Seforno.
What are the implicatons of "ke'Derech Yom Koh u'ke'Derech Yom Koh"?
Targum Yonasan: It implies that the quails only fell on two sides of the camp - north and south. 1
In spite of the words "Sevivos ha'Machaneh. See Na'ar Yonasan citing the Malbim and Oznayim la'Torah.
What are the implicatons of "ke'Derech Yom Koh u'ke'Derech Yom Koh"?
Targum Yonasan: It implies that the quails only fell on two sides of the camp - north and south. 1
In spite of the words "Sevivos ha'Machaneh. See Na'ar Yonasan citing the Malbim and Oznayim la'Torah.
What is the significance of the fact that the quails lay in piles of two Amos high?
Rashi: This is the level of a person's heart - to enable them to collect them with ease, without having to reach for them or to bend down. Refer to 11:23:2:4.
Why did Hashem send specifically birds?
Moshav Zekenim: 'Moshe discussed animals, which were created from earth, and fish, which were created from water', so Hashem said 'I will give them something from a different source ? birds which were created from mud'.
Oznayim la'Torah: Yisrael complained about a lack of meat and of fish - and Moshe followed suite when he mentioned them both to Hashem. In response Hashem, to avoid punshing them too harshly 1 by making them suffer by eating the meat of both animals (which were created from earth) and of fish (which were created from water), sent them birds (which were created from mud - a combination of earth and water).
Oznayim la'Torah: See Nachum, 1:9.