What is the meaning of "Panim el Panim"?
Seforno: It means that, unlike all other prophets, Moshe remained standing and in full control of his faculties when Hashem spoke to him. 1
B'rachos, 43b #1: Hashem said to Moshe 'I and you will work out the Halachah together'.
B'rachos, 43b #2: Hashem said to Moshe 'Just as I showed you goodwill, 2 so too, should you show Yisrael goodwill, and return the tent to its place'.
What are the connotations of "Ka'asher Yedaber Ish el Re'ehu"?
Seforno: It means that Hashem spoke to him straight, and not in riddles. 1
As He did to all other prophets.
Why would Moshe return to the camp after Hashem had spoken to him?
Rashi #1: To pass on to the elders what Hashem had taught him. 1
Rashi #2 (citing a Midrash): Because Hashem instructed him to return immediately. 2
B'rachos, 43b: 'Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu said to Moshe "Now they will say that if the Rebbe is angry and the Talmid is angry, what will happen to the people? If you will return the Tent to its place, well and good; if not, Yehoshua bin Nun your Talmid will take over from you!' Nevertheless, Hashem's words were not said in vain-as the Pasuk goes on to say "Yehoshua bin Nun the servant would not move from the tent!"
How long did the current arrangement last?
Rashi: From Yom Kipur until the Mishkan was erected 1 (on Rosh Chodesh Nisan).
Ramban: Refer to 33:7:2:2
Rashi: Since before Yom Kipur, Moshe was too preoccupied with the aftermath of the Eigel (See Rashi who explains in detail), and after Rosh Chodesh Nisan, Hashem spoke to Moshe from the Mishkan. See Ramban's objections to this explanation and R. Chavel's footnotes, where, citing the Mizrachi, he clarifies Rashi.
What is the significance of the Pasuk "vi'Yehoshua ... Lo Yamish mi'Toch ha'Ohel?
Rashi (in Avos, 1:1): It teaches us Yehoshua's dedication to Torah-study - that he 'killed himself' studying Torah diligently from his youth, and acquired a good name. That is why Moshe passed on the Torah to him and not to Elazar, Pinchas or the seventy elders who prophesied in the camp. 1
Seforno: To stop the people, who were in Cherem, from entering the location where the Shechinah was located. 2
Oznayim la'Torah: To answer those who came out to seek Hashem, since Moshe was now in the camp. 3
Temurah, 16a: When Moshe died, he said to Yehoshua 'Ask me all the S'feikos (doubts) that you have!' To which Yehoshua replied 'Rebbe; Did I leave you for one moment to go anywhere else?', as the Pasuk testifies "u'Meshorso Yehoshu'a bin Nun ... ". 4
Menachos, 99b: And because Yehoshua's love of Torah was so intense, Hashem promised him by way of a B'rachah "Lo Yamush Seifer ha'Torah ha'Zeh mi'Picha" (Yehoshua, 1:8).
Like Hashem told Moshe at the Burning Bush (See 3:5).
See Oznayim la'Torah as to why Moshe went to the camp and Yehoshua remained in the tent.
See Torah Temimah, note 17, for the sequel to this episode.
Seeing as Yehoshua was either forty-two at the time (Rashi), how can the Torah describe him as a "Na'ar"?
Rashi (in Divrei Hayamim 1, 22:5): Even someone who is forty-two is called a 'Na'ar' - seeing as Yehoshua, who reigned only twenty-eight years after Moshe, lived until a hundred and ten, and, in the first year in the desert, when he was forty-two, the Torah refers to him as "Na'ar".
Ramban and Ibn Ezra: The word "Na'ar" is used in the sense of a servant (irrespective of age). Although Yehoshua was fifty-six, 1 he performed the service of a Na'ar (a youth). 2 The Pasuk is therefore saying that 'Yehoshua was Moshe's servant; he served constantly, never moving from the Ohel Mo'ed'.
Ramban and Ibn Ezra: Since he died at the age of a hundred and ten (assuming that he died immediately after the fourteen years of conquest and division - PF).
Ramban: Like we find, for example, in Shmuel 2, 2:14 and in Melachim 2, 4:12.
Why does the Torah call him "Yehoshua bin Nun" (and not Yehoshua 'ben Nun')?
Ramban #1: We find "Ben" spelt with a 'Chirik' in other places too. 1
Ramban #2: The Torah is hinting at his unique measure of wisdom, in his capacity as Moshe Rabeinu's star Talmid - as "Bin Nun" placed together spells 'Binun'. 2
Ramban #3: Alternatively, 'Bin Nun' means born of knowledge. 3
Redak (Yehoshua 1:1): The words "Bin Nun" are always connected, and they are short - and it is easier to read them with a Chirik than with a Segol.
Toras Moshe (Bamidbar 13:16) #1: "Bin" refers to contemplation; he contemplated the fiftieth (Nun) gate of Chochmah. Even though even Moshe did not attain it, he had some understanding of it.
Toras Moshe (Bamidbar 13:16) #2 and Agra d'Kalah Sh'lach DH 'le'Mateh': The 'Yud' that Moshe added to his name 4 came from Sarai, where it had no Nekudos (dots), and now it (Yehoshua) has two (the vowel 'Sh'va'). Aand since Nekudos cannot be added freely, two dots had ro be taken from the Segol of 'Ben', and it became a Chirik.
See for example, Mishlei, 30:1 and Devarim 25:2.
Meaning 'the knowledgeable one' (Ramban).
From the word "Nin" (offspring). See Tehilim, 72:17 (Ramban).
Snce he was initially called 'Hoshe'a'.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that on the nineteenth of Tamuz, Moshe ascended Har Sinai the second time, and descended on the twenty-ninth of Av, and he ascended again on Rosh Chodesh Elul. If that is so, the last set of forty days days terminated after Yom Kipur?
Moshav Zekenim (in Pasuk 7): We must say that Moshe ascended on the sixth of Sivan, descended on the sevententh of Tamuz, when he broke the Luchos and burned the Eigel, and he ascended again on the eighteenth,. He descended on the twenty-ninth of Av and ascended again on the thirtieth, descending on Yom Kipur, after forty days and thirty-nine nights. 1 The last days were 'like the first days, as the Torah writes in Eikev Devarim, 10:10), but not like the first nights 2 , for the first time there were forty [days and] nights. Ka'Yamim ha'Rishonim teaches that Hashem was appeased during the last days, like during the first, but in the middle days, He was angry.
Moshav Zekenim: In 34:28, the Torah writes that Moshe was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights in order to receive the second Luchos, implying that he merited them through his Tefilos during the middle forty days and forty nights
The Pasuk continues "Arba'im Yom ve'Arba'im Laylah"! Perhaps that is discussing the middle forty days. However, the Pasuk in Eikev Devarim, 9:25 already taught "Arba'im ha'Yom ve'es Arba'im ha'Laylah"? (PF)
Rashi writes that on Yom Kipur, Hashem was totally appeased, and said "Salachti ki'Devarecha". But that Pasuk is written after the Meraglim - in Sh'lach-l'cha Bamidbar, 14:20?
Moshav Zekenim (in 34:1) and Avi ha'Ezri (3:849, citing R. Tam): After the Meraglim, Moshe mentioned the thirteen Midos and asked Hashem to bear Yisrael's sin, like He did after the Chet ha'Eigel on Yom Kipur, when He was appeased. And on that second Yom Kipur, 1 Hashem said "Salachti ki'Devarecha" on the sin of the Meraglim.
Avi ha'Ezri (citing R. Yehudah b'Ribi Yom Tov), Da'as Zekenim, Riva and Rosh (all in Bamidbar 14:20) #1: After the Meraglim, Moshe asked Hashem to pardon Yisrael, like He did on Yom Kipur, when Hashem said "Salachti ki'Devarecha" for the Eigel. 2
R. Chaim Paltiel and Hadar Zekenim (both in Sh'lach L'cha Bamidbar, 14:20): After the Meraglim, Moshe asked Hashem to pardon Yisrael, like He pardoned them for the Eigel and the complainers. Hashem said "Salachti ki'Devarecha" (indeed, I forgave them for those sins). "ve'Ulam..." (However, now...) Hadar Zekenim - I will prolong the punishment, like you said.
Da'as Zekenim and Rosh (both in Sh'lach L'cha Bamidbar, 14:20) #2: "Salachti" (I forgive) "ki'Devarecha" (like you asked)yh, that I pardon like I pardoned them for the Eigel. If so, Hashem said "Salachti" also after the Eigel.
The Pesukim in Bamidbar imply that Hashem said this the day after the Meraglim returned, two months before Yom Kipur?(PF)
The Pesukim in Bamidbar indicate that Hashem said "Salachti ki'Devarecha" then, since it continues 'However ... ' and states the punishment that He will give due to the Meraglim (PF).
