The murmurs of the people, on account of which God sent upon them the
serpents, took place in Zalmonah, a place where grew only thorns and
thistles. Thence they wandered on to Punon, where God's punishment
overtook them. [660] In the following two stations also, in Oboth and
Iye-abarim, they continued their hostile actions against God, who for
this reason was full of wrath against them, and did not look upon them
again with favor until they reached Arnon. [661] God's favor was
instantly shown during Israel's passage through the valley of Arnon,
where He wrought for Israel miracles as great as those of yore at the
passage through the Red Sea. This valley was formed by two lofty
mountains that lay so close together that people upon the two summits
of them could converse with one another. But in passing from one
mountain to the other, one had to cover a distance of seven miles,
having first to descend into the valley, and then again to ascend the
other mountain. The Amorits, knowing that Israel should now have to
pass through the valley, assembled in innumerable multitudes, and a
part of them hid in the caves, of which there were many on the slopes
of the mountain, while another part of them awaited Israel in the
valley below, hoping to attack and destroy them unexpectedly from above
and from below in their passage through the valley. God, however,
frustrated this plan, bringing it to pass that Israel did not descend
into the valley at all, but stayed above, through the following
miracle. For whereas the mountain on the one side of the valley was
full of caves, the other consisted entirely of pointed rocks; and God
moved this rocky mountain so close up to the other, that the jutting
rocks of the one entered into the caves of the other, and all the
Amorites that were concealed within them were crushed.
It was the rocky mountain that was moved, and not the other, for this
same rocky mountain was the beginning of the promised land, and at the
approach of Israel from the other mountain, which was Moabite, the land
leaped to meet them, for it awaited them most longingly.
An old proverb says: "If you give a piece of bread to a child, tell its
mother about it." God, likewise, wanted Israel to know the great
miracles He had accomplished for their sake, for they had no inkling of
the attack the heathens had planned to make upon them. God therefore
bade the well that had reappeared since their stay in Beeroth to flow
past the caves and wash out parts of the corpses in great numbers. When
Israel not turned to look upon the well, they perceived it in the
valley of the Arnon, shining like the moon, and drawing corpses with
it. Not until then did they discover the miracles that had been wrought
for them. Not only did the mountains at first move together to let them
pass, and then again move apart, but God saved them from great peril.
They now intoned a song of praise to the well that revealed to them the
great miracle. [662]
When, at the passage through the Red Sea, Israel wanted to intone a
song of praise, Moses did not let them do it alone, but first sang to
them the song they were to sing to the Lord. For then Israel was young,
and could only repeat what its teacher Moses sang before them, but when
the nation reached Arnon, it was fully grown, after its forty years'
march through the desert. Now the Israelites sang their own song,
saying: "O Lord of the world! It behooves Thee to work miracles for us,
whereas it is our duty to intone to Thee songs of praise." Moses had no
part in the song of praise to the well, for the well had given occasion
to his death in the desert, and no man can be expected to sing about
his executioner. As Moses wanted have nothing to do with this song, God
demanded that His own name also be not mentioned in it, acting in this
instances like the king who was invited to a prince's table, but
refused the invitation when he learned that his friend was not to be
present at the feast. [663] The song to the well was as follows: "This
is the well that the Patriarchs of the world, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, have digged, the princes olden times have searched, the heads of
the people, the lawgivers of Israel, Moses and Aaron, have made its
water to run with their staves. In the desert Israel received it as a
gift, and after they had received it, it followed Israel upon all their
wanderings, to lofty mountains and deep valleys. Not until they came to
the boundary of Moab did it disappear, because Israel did not observe
the words of the Torah." [664]
Israel sang a song to the well alone, and not to manna, because they
had on several occasions railed against the heavenly food, and
therefore God said: "I do not wish ye to find fault with manna, nor yet
to have ye praise it now," and He would not permit them to sing a song
of praise to manna. [665]