Why does the Torah need to insert the (otherwise superfluous) words "Va'yotzei Perach, Va'yatzeitz Tzitz Va'yigmol Shekeidim"?
Rashi and Targum Yonasan: To teach us that the staffs had produced flowers, sprouted buds and almonds had ripened - all overnight.
Rashbam and Moshav Zekenim: To teach us that, when Moshe withdrew the staffs, they had already produced flowers, and then, before the eyes of the people, they sprouted buds and ripened into almonds. 1
Ba'al ha'Turim: ?Perach?, ?Tzitz? and ?Shekeidim? correspond to the three people who quarreled against the Kehunah ? Korach, Yerav?am and Uziyah.
Oznayim la'Torah: To teach us that, when Moshe withderew the staffs from the Ohel Mo'ed, the staffs had grown flowers, buds and almonds - all on the same staff - an incredible miracle for all of Yisrael to see. 2
Why did the staffs grew specifically almonds?
Rashi: It was to warn the people that, just as almonds are the fastest fruit to grow, so too, will the punishment of whoever starts up with the Kehunah follow swiftly. 1
Rashi: As happened to King Uziyah, in Divrei Hayamim 2, 26:19, in whose forehead there appeared Tzara'as when he came to the gold Mizbe'ach to offer the Ketores.
The Pasuk implies that the people saw that it produced flowers, sprouted buds and almonds had ripened. If the almonds were finished, they did not see how they developed [from flowers and buds]? Moreover, why does the Gemara say in Horiyos 12a that it was hidden, with its almonds and flowers, seeing as the flowers already became almonds?
Da'as Zekenim: It produced flowers on one side, which remained. On the other side it produced flowers, which became buds and produced almonds. 1
Moshav Zekenim #1: Why did Horiyos 12a not mention the buds? Since they saw fruits, surely there were buds; presumably, there was not a miracle to grow fruits not from buds. It produced flowers like other trees.
Moshav Zekenim #2 (citing R. Eliezer of Garmaiza): Aharon's staff produced new flowers in front of them.
Oznayim la'Torah: Refer to 17:23:1:3.
Moshav Zekenim (iting R. Aharon): It produced flowers on one side, buds on one side and almonds on one side. (This implies that it had three sides. Perhaps a small branch came out of it. Alternatively, the text should read like the Da'as Zekenim. Refer to 17:23:151:1 - PF).
Why did the Torah say both "Parach" and "va'Yotzei Perach"?
Moshav Zekenim (citing R. Eliezer of Garmaiza): People were thinking, perhaps Moshe took a staff that already blossomed, and wrote Aharon's name on it, and Aharon's staff was dry and still there. So Hashem performed a miracle, and Aharon's staff produced new flowers in front of them.
The Pasuk implies that Aharon's staff produced flowers, buds and almonds now. But Avos (d'R. Nasan 41 and Pesachim 54a) explain that Aharon's staff was created Bein ha'Shemashos at the end of Creation, with its almonds and flowers!
