)מדבר כא, יד(ב הַנְּחָלִים אַרְּ נוֹן-וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה וְּאֶת-אֶת 'כֵן יֵאָמַר בְּסֵפֶר מִלְּחֲמֹת ה-עַל
Commentaries on the Book of G-d’s Wars
- Ramban: An ancient lost book written by the wise men of those times that told the stories of the great wars, and attributed the victories to the wonders of G-d.
- Baalei Tosefos: A book of wars recounted in allegorical format to inspire the teaching of values.
- Bechor Shor: An ancient book chronicling the major wars and victories.
- Abarbanel: Book of records kept since the time of Avrohom.
- Ibn Ezra: An ancient book possibly from Avrohom Avinu that was lost like other books, such as the words of Nasan, Ido, the Kings of Israel and the Songs of Shlomo.
- Targum Yonasan: Identifies this book with the Torah as a whole.
- Medrash Aggadah: Identifies this book with Sefer Shmos.
- Yechudah haChasid: Identifies this book with Sefer Devarim.
- Rashi: Not actually a book but the “telling of G-d’s wars.”
- Sefarno: Recounting of the prior wars of the nations which the Jews of the Desert were now defeating in battle.
- The Gra: Recounting of the journeys of the Jews in the desert as they are approaching the time to enter Eretz Yisrael.
- Malbim: The Jews wrote in a book about their recent victories accounting for the lands and property that was taken as victors in the wars. HaShem had commanded them not to take certain lands, thus, the specified what lands were taken and from whom.
Miracles of the Canyon of Arnon that occurred that are recounted:
Midrash Tanchuma Chukas 20, BaMidbar. Rabbah 19:25 (as recited in Rashi)
The mountains were high and the gorge deep and narrow, and the mountains were so close to each other, that a man standing on the mountain on one side [of the gorge] could speak to his fellow standing on the mountain on the other side. A road passed along [the floor of] the gorge. The Amorites said, “When the Israelites enter the land by passing through the gorge, we will come out of the caves in the mountains above them and kill them with arrows and stones shot from catapults.” There were clefts in the rock on the Moabite side [of the canyon], and directly opposite those clefts, on the mountain on the Amorite side, there were protrusions, [appearing] like horns and breasts. When the Israelites prepared to pass through, the mountain of the Land of Israel trembled, like a maidservant going out to greet her mistress, and moved toward the mountain of Moab. Then those breast-like protrusions entered the clefts, killing them [the Amorites].
Kiddushin 30b: (R. Chiya bar Aba): "When they speak with enemies in the gate" - even a father and son, or a Rebbi and Talmid, when they engage in Torah, they become enemies; "Es v'Hav b'Sufah" - in the Sof (end), they will love each other.
Berarchos 54: "Al Ken Ye'amar b'Sefer Milchamos Hash-m Es va'Hev b'Sufah" -- "Es" and "Hev" (the vav is a conjunctive and indicates a reference to two people) were two Metzora'im walking in back of the camp of Yisrael. When Yisrael were about to pass by, the Emorites made caves (in the mountain) and hid in them, planning to [throw down arrows and boulders to] kill Yisrael. They did not know that the Aron traveled in front of Yisrael and flattened out mountains. It came, and the mountains stuck together, and killing the Emorites. Their blood flowed into the Arnon River. Es and Hev saw the blood and told Yisrael. They sang Shirah -- "v'Eshed ha'Nechalim Asher Natah Lasheves Ar v'Nish'an li'Gevul Mo'av." (The mountain leaned on the mountain bordering Mo'av.) This is referred to as the miracles of the Canyons of Arnon.
