What was Moshe referring to when he said "Ka'asher Asu li B'nei Eisav ... ve'ha'Mo'avim ... "?
Rashi #1: He was referring to the beginning of the previous Pasuk - "Ochel ba'Kesef Tashbireini ... ", and not to the end -"Rak E'ebrah be'Raglai".
Rashi #2 (in Bamidbar 21:13): He was hinting at the fact that, like they did with Edom, Yisrael asked Mo'av for permission to pass through their land, but they refused, forcing Yisrael to go round it. 1
Refer to Bamidbar 20:21:151:2-5 and notes.
Rashi (Ibid.): As the Torah writes specifically in Shoftim, 11:17.
Why did Moshe add "ha'Yoshvim be'Ar" and "ha'Yoshvim be'Se'ir"?
Rashbam: Because the Mo'avim who dwelt in other towns did not sell Yisrael food and water, 1 only those who lived in Ar, 2 and by the same token it was only the B'nei Eisav who lived in Se'ir who offered to sell them food and water, whereas those who lived in Edom responded to their request by coming out to meet them with the sword. 3
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that Ka'asher Asu li ve'ha'Mo'avim" refers to selling food and water. But the Torah writes in 23:5, in connection with the Mo'avim "Lo Kidmu eschem ba'Lechem u'va'Mayim"?
Ramban (in 23:4), Riva (on Pasuk 28) #1, Moshav Zekenim citing R. Tam, Rosh (in 23:4) and Hadar Zekenim (in 23:8): "Lo Kidmu?" refers only to Amon, Mo'av may not enter K'hal Hashem only on account of the reason mentioned at the end of the Pasuk "va'asher Sachar alecha es Bil'am..." 1
Riva (in Pasuk 28) #2: Only the Mo'avim in Ar brought food and water, but not those living anywhere else. In any case, all Mo'avim were forbidden enter Kahal Hashem, because it is difficult to distinguish [Mo'avim whose ancestors lived in] one place from another. 2
Seforno (on 23:5): "Asher Lo Kidmu"means that the Mo'avim did not come forward and offer them free food, though they did sell them food.
Oznayim la'Torah: Initially the Mo'avim did not offer to sell Yisrael food and drink, 3 and Yisrael were therefore permitted to plunder them - incorporating helping themselves to food and drink. That is when - for their own benefit - they began offering to sell them food and drink. 4
Others explain that the Pasuk is not referring to selling food and water. Refer to Bamidbar 20:21:151:2-5 and notes.
Riva: R"M of Kutzi challenges this from the Gemara in Yevamos, 76b, which states that Rus ha'Mo'avah should be permitted since it is normal for men to bring food and water, and not women! SMaG ? it means that just like it is not normal for women to bring food into the desert? it is not normal for women to hire. Therefore, both for Amon and Mo'av, the Isur is only on men.
See Ramban's (23:4) objection to this explanation and to that of the Ibn Ezra.
Like the Edomim did.
See Oznayim la'Torah.
