1.

Rashi and Rashbam: Moshe and Aharon, who reinstated it after it stopped producing water.

2.

Rosh and Targum Yonasan: They did not actually dig it, and ?Sarim? - the nobles refers to the Avos ¹ , Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'akov, on whose merit they received the well. ²

3.

Da'as Zekenim: Moshe, Aharon and the Chachamim of Yisrael. ³

4.

Kol Eliyahu and Divrei Eliyahu: They are the Talmidei-Chachamim, who dig (delve) into its secrets. Refer to 21:18:4:2*.

1.

Rashi #1 and Targum Yonasan: "The leaders of the people" refers to Moshe and Aharon, who, with their staffs, scratched a line in the ground from the well to the people whenever they encamped, along which the water ran, thereby supplying the people with water. ¹

2.

Rashi #2 (in Pasuk 20): "The leaders of the people" refers to the Nesi'im, who, with their staffs, scratched a line in the ground from the well to their respective tribes whenever they encamped, along which the water ran, thereby supplying each tribe with its own water supply.

3.

Ibn Ezra: Also this refers to the Sarim (Refer to 21:18:1:1-4).

4.

Kol Eliyahu and Divrei Eliyahu: They are rich people, who do business in order to acquire Torah through their money (by enabling Chachamim to learn). Refer to 21:18:4:2*.

1.

Rashi #1: It means through Moshe the law-giver, ¹ via his staff - on which was engraved the explicit Name of. Hashem). ²

2.

Rashi #2 (in Tehilim 78:16, citing Beraisa of forty-two Midos): Each Nasi carved a faint furrow from the well to his tribe, and the water flowed through it to his tribe.

3.

Targum Yonasan: It means that the princes Moshe and Aharon dug with their staffs.

4.

Ibn Ezra: "Mechokek" means the Chachamim or the judges. ³

5.

Da'as Zekenim: The well (which they did not dig with shovels like other wells, but ? which) they carved with the staff of Hashem. ⁴

1.

Ramban: The Torah is stressing that they were given the well in the desert, which is totally desolate and where no other source of water exists.

2.

Rashbam: According to the simple P?shat, these are all place-names where they traveled and encamped.

3.

Mizrachi (in Pasuk 17, from Bamidbar Rabah 19:26): The well was a gift to Yisrael from when they entered the desert

4.

Rosh #1 (in Pasuk 18, from Bamidbar Rabah 19:26): Torah was given in the desert. If it was in Eretz Yisrael, each Shevet would want that it be given in their portion, and say 'I am first in it!' Rather, it was given in the Midbar, so all will be equal in it.

5 #2 (in Pasuk 18, citing Bamidbar Rabah, 19:26): Just like a desert is not seeded or worked, so one who accepts the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom is removed from him.

6.

Rosh #3 (Pasuk 18, citing Bamidbar Rabah, 19:26): B'nei Torah, like a desert, do not ¹ pay taxes. 7. Eruvin, 54a: If one makes himself like a desert on which everyone tramples, he remembers his Torah, and it is given to him as a gift - "u'mi'Midbar Matanah".

8.

Kidushin 30b: ?When a person makes himself Hefker like a desert ? which is Hefker to all, the Torah is given to him as a gift; Afterwards he ascends ? "u'mi'Nachli'el Bamos" (Pasuk 19). If he gets haughty, Hashem will bring him down him ? "u'mi'Bamos ha'Gai" (Pasuk 20). If he repents [from his haughtiness], Hashem will raise him ² to be a leader - "Rosh ha'Pisgah" (and if he then becomes conceited, Hashem will sink him into the ground - "ve'Nishkafah al-P'nei ha'Yeshimon". ³