“The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished, and they wept for Aaron thirty days, the entire house of Israel” (Numbers 20:29). “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished” – when Moses and Elazar descended from the mountain, the entire assembly gathered around them and said to them: ‘Where is Aaron?’ They said to them: ‘He died.’ They said: ‘How could the angel of death harm him, a person who stood against the angel of death and stopped him, as it is stated: “He stood between the dead and the living [and the plague was checked]” (Numbers 17:13)?
If you bring him, fine; if not, we will stone you.’ At that moment, Moses stood in prayer and said: ‘Master of the universe, deliver us from suspicion.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He opened the cave and showed him to them, as it is stated: “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished.” “The Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwells in the south, heard that Israel came via Atarim.
He waged war against Israel, and took captives from them” (Numbers 21:1). What is written thereafter? “The Canaanite, king of Arad” – you find that when Aaron died, the clouds of glory dissipated, and they [Israel] appeared like a woman whose hair is exposed. Who was the “king of Arad”?
This is Amalek, as it is stated: “Amalek dwells in the southern region; and the Hittites, the Yevusites and the Emorites dwell on the mountain; and the Canaanites live along the sea and alongside the Jordan” (Numbers 13:29). It [Amalek] was dwelling in the breach.60They dwelled in the south near the border. When he heard that Aaron had died and that the clouds of glory had dissipated, he immediately provoked them.
“Via Atarim” – the great scout [tayar] that had scouted [tar] the way for them, as it is stated: “The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was traveling before them” (Numbers 10:33).61The following verse states: “The cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they traveled from the camp” (Numbers 10:34). “He waged war against Israel.” If he was Amalek, why is he called “Canaanite”? It is because Israel was prohibited from waging war against the children of Esau,62Amalek was a grandson of Esau. as it is stated: “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you from their land even the tread of a foot, because I have given Mount Seir to be an inheritance to Esau” (Deuteronomy 2:5).
When Amalek came, it provoked them once, twice. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: This one is not prohibited for you like the children of Esau. It is for you like the Canaanites, in whose regard it is stated: “You shall utterly destroy them” (Deuteronomy 20:17). That is why he was called Canaanite.
Amalek had always been a chastising whip for Israel. You find when they said: “Is the Lord in our midst?” (Exodus 17:7), immediately, “Amalek came” (Exodus 17:8). “They said one to another: Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4) – “the Amalekite and the Canaanite descended” (Numbers 14:45). And here: “The Canaanite, king of Arad…heard.”
You find that when Aaron died, Amalek set out against them, and they traveled seven journeys in reverse, as it is stated: “The children of Israel traveled from Be’erot Benei Yaakan to Mosera; there Aaron died” (Deuteronomy 10:6). Did Aaron die there? Did he not die at Hor Mountain, as it is stated: “Aaron died there at the top of the mountain”? The verses prove that they are seven journeys in reverse, to teach you that they traveled in reverse.63See Numbers 33:30–39 which lists the journeys from Mosera to Hor Mountain.