How is it possible that their garments did not wear out during the entire forty years that they traveled in the desert?
Rashi (citing Shir Hashirim Rabah), Ramban and R. Bachye (both citing Midrash Tehilim): Because the Ananei Kavod washed and ironed them even as they were wearing them. Moreover, the children's clothes grew with them, just like a snail's shell grows with it. 1 2
R. Bachye: It was a pure miracle that, in spite of wear and tear and perspiration, 3 their garments remained as new.
Why does the Torah insert the (otherwise superfluous) word "Lo Balsah me'Alecha"?
What is the meaning of "Ragl'cha Lo Batzeikah"?
Rashi and R. Bachye #1: 'Your feet did not swell (like dough). 1
R. Bachye #2: The people wore shoes and the Pasuk is referring to the Levi'im who carried the Aron (and the holy Keilim) and who walked barefoot.
R. Bachye #3 (citing Targum Onkelos) It means that their shoes did not wear out.
Targum Yonasan: Their feet did not swell because their shoes - which protected their feet - never wore out.
See Sifsei Chachamim.
Why did their feet not swell in the way of people who walk barefoot in the desert?
Targum Onkelos: The Torah means that their shoes 1 did not wear out (presumably for the same reason as their clothes. 2
Targum Yonasan: Refer to 8:4:1.2:2.
Yayin ha'Tov: If "Raglecha" would mean 'your feet', the Torah would have mentioned it before your garments. Or ha'Targum: Moreover, the Targum learns from the Pasuk in 29:4, which says that your shoes did not wear out on your feet. Nefesh ha'Ger: 'shoes' (not feet) goes together with clothes, like we find in Vayigash Bereishis, 45:6 also, it translates pairs that go together; where Onkelos translates "Asher Ein Charish ve'Katzir" as 'there is no seeding or harvest', even though "Charish" normally means plowing.
