Perek Bet

וַנֵּפֶן וַנִּסַּע הַמִּדְבָּרָה דֶּרֶךְ יַם-סוּף כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָֹה אֵלָי וַנָּסָב אֶת-הַר-שֵׂעִיר יָמִים רַבִּים: 
Deuteronomy, Chapter two, Verse one says   "Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke unto me; and we compassed mount Seir many days.

The Netziv is at it again folks. The term "many days" seems a tad puzzling to this 19th century commentator. It most places it would probably say a certain amount of time. Why does it say, specifically in this case, "many days."

The Netziv answers this quandary by looking at where the Israelites are camping for "many days." Mount Seir--otherwise known as Edom--is where the nation encamped. The Netziv suggests that the "many days" that the Israelites encamped at Edom allude to the "many days" of the Galut Edom or the Edomite Exile. The Israelites, more specifically the Jews, went through four different exiles through their history. The Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, and the Roman exiles were the four. Rome, which was known as Edom, destroyed the second Temple in Jerusalem and exiled the Jews out of their homeland in 70 C.E. This exile has been going from the first century to the twenty first century, or present day. The "many days" encamped at Mount Seir was a foreshadowing to the "many days" the nation would be "encamped" in the Roman exile. According to the Netziv, we, the Jewish nation in 5774, are still encamped around Mount Seir and have yet to travel forward.

Ich Bin Ein Berliner

Rav Naphtali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin was born in Mir, Russia in 1816 to his father Jacob, a talmudic scholar, and his unidentified mother who was a direct descendant of Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt. The Netziv was placed in a regular cheder as a young child. The Netziv, however, was not a gifted child, and his parents then began discussing removing their son from cheder and putting him in trade school. But upon hearing the news, the Netziv then burst into tears and pleaded with his parents for one more year in cheder to prove himself--and he did.  When the first volumes of his famous work Hemek Shaila were printed he   said that had he not shed those tears he still would have become a successful Jew..  However, he said,  in heaven, God would have brought him a copy of the Sefer with his name in it as the author.  God would have explained to him that this was his destiny, but he lost out.
It didn't take long for him to catch up and by time the Netziv was 11 years old he was sent to learn in Volozhin.  Half a year after his Bar Mitzva, the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Itzele Volozhin the son of Rav Chaim Volozhin, saw him fit from all the other budding stars, to take him as a son-in-law.  Once asked if it was true that he learned twenty hours a day, the Netziv said he only learned sixteen hours a day.  However he added that he did this every day including Friday, Shabbos, and Yom Tov for 25 years straight.  On his wedding day he was no where to be found.  They finally found him in the local Bais Medrash as if it were an ordinary day.  He quickly washed up and changed and was taken to the Chupah. At the age of 30, the Netziv began teaching in Volozhin. At 36, in 1853, when his brother-in-law died, the Netziv took over as the Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin. He held this position until 1892 when the Russians shut down the Yeshiva. After the shutdown, the Netziv moved to Warsaw in poor health. He dreamed of moving to Israel but it was not practical. He then died a year later on August 10, 1893. 
THe Netziv's legacy lives on through his books, notably the Haamek Hadaver, a commentary on the Chumash.  The Netziv was known for a more traditional approach, which was at odds with the highly analytical style of lomdus. The Netziv's life was the quintessential success story. 

אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר בָּעֲרָבָה מוֹל סוּף בֵּין־פָּארָן וּבֵין־תֹּפֶל וְלָבָן וַחֲצֵרֹת וְדִי זָהָב:
In Deuteronomy 1:1, we are faced with one of the most puzzling verses of the Bible. 

 These are the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel beyond the Jordan; in the wilderness, in the Arabah, over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.

Moses spoke to Israel beyond the Jordan in all of these places? Furthermore, a number of these places sound like places Israel has been to previously. They've been in the "wilderness," "mol suph (opposite the Red Sea possibly)," and they had already encamped in a place called "Hazeroth" (Numbers 33:17). Additionally, Moses spoke to them in all of these places? It seems as though this long speech occurs at one time and in one place. Many have been confused about the exact geographic destination of the nation at this point of its history. 

HaRav Naphtali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, also known as the Netziv, answers this question in a simple, yet satisfying way. He suggests that Moses' speech did not take place at one time and in one place but rather at different gatherings of the people. The locations mentioned in the text, suggests the Netziv, are all different cities in the area known as "beyond the Jordan river." Each gathering took place at these spots. Once in "midbar," "arabah," "mol suph," "between Paran and Tophel", "Laban," "Hazeroth," and "Di-Zahab." 

But why travel to all of these different cities? It seems as though the nation is stationed in one spot.

The Netziv then continues his answer by comparing the encampments of the nation in the desert and the encampments beyond the Jordan. He suggests that in the desert the nation all settled in one place according to each tribes' flag. making a gathering relatively simple. Beyond the Jordan, however, the nation spread out to many different cities, such as the ones listed in the text. These cities were conquered in the wars with Sihon and Og. Only the Holy Ark rested in one place. This information answers the question. Moses gave speeches numerous times not all in one place. He traveled to all of these different cities to address the nation.

The nation was stationed in the general area of "beyond the Jordan" but they had spread out to the newly conquered cities. The Netziv, through his simple answers, satiates the minds of all those who were bewildered by this verse. Thank you Netziv.