What are the ramifications of "P'nu lachem Tzafonah"?
Rashi: It means 'Turn towards the north, and travel along Edom's eastern border'. 1
R. Bachye (citing Midrash Rabah #1): ?When Eisav?s time of greatness arrives, hide yourselves before him!? 2
R. Bachye (citing Midrash Rabah #2): It means that Yisrael should keep away from Edom, who will set out to destroy the one Mizbe?ach (which is in the north). 3
Rashbam: It means ?Turn northwards towards Eretz Yisrael. 4
See Sifsei Chachamim and refer to Bamidbar, 34:3:1:1*, 34:3:1:1**.
Advice which the zealots in the time of R. Yochanan ben Zakai would have done well to have followed.
See R. Chavel?s footnotes.
Rashbam: Since they had been traveling in the desert south of Eretz Yisrael.
Why did Hashem insert the (otherwise superfluous) phrase "Rav lachem Sov es ha'Har ha'Zeh"?
Da'as Zekenim and Rosh: This was Eisav's reward for saying to Ya'akov "Yesh Li Rav Achi, Y'hi l'cha Asher Lach". (I do not need your gift). 1
Rosh (citing Devarim Rabah 1:15): Eisav honored his father greatly - He even wore special clothes when serving him. Therefore, Yisrael were prohibited from fighting Edom. 2
Alshich: It refers to the great misfortune of being close to this evil neighbor - Aharon died when Yisrael approached Edom. 3
Yalkut Shimoni (806) implies that the reward was that they turned away from Edom. R. Bachye implies that his reward was that they did not fight Edom all those years. (Alterntively, the benefit was that they bought food and water from them (Pasuk 6) during those many years - PF). See also Oznayim la'Torah.
Devarim Rabah: "Har" alludes to Chevron (which is on a mountain - see Yehoshua 11:21 & 20:7) - because Eisav honored [two of] the Avos buried there (Yalkut Shimoni 806). See also Ba'al ha'Turim in Pasuk 5.
Refer to Bamidbar 20:23:1:1 and note.
