The Commentators’ Bible: Deuteronomy: The Rubin JPS Miqra’ot Gedolot

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COMMENTATORS' BIBLE THE RUBIN JPS MIQRA'OT GEDOLOT

DEUTERONOMY

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COMMENTATORS' BIBLE THE RUBIN JPS MIQRA'OT GEDOLOT

DEUTERONOMY

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With the 1917 and 1985 English translations of the Jewish Publication Society TANAKH, the questions of Abarbanel, the commentaries of Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, and Nahmanides, and selections from the Masorah and from the commentaries of Bekhor Shor, Kimhi, Hizkuni, Gersonides, Abarbanel, and Sforno Edited, translated, and annotated by

MICHAEL CARASIK The Jewish Publication Society 3 Philadelphia

2015 3 5775

# 2015 by Michael Carasik OJPS translation # 1917 by The Jewish Publication Society NJPS translation # 1985, 1999 by The Jewish Publication Society Hebrew text, based on Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia # 1999 by The Jewish Publication Society All rights reserved. Published by the University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book. Manufactured in the United States of America.

L Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bible. O. T. Pentateuch. English. Jewish Publication Society. 2005. The commentators' Bible : the JPS Miqra'ot gedolot / edited, translated, and annotated by Michael Carasik.Ð1st ed. v. cm. Bible text in Hebrew and English; commentaries in English. Hebrew text based on Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. ISBN 978-0-8276-0939-6 1. Bible. O. T. PentateuchÐCommentaries. I. Carasik, Michael. II. Bible. O. T. Pentateuch. Hebrew Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 2005. III. Bible. O. T. Pentateuch. English. Jewish Publication Society (1985) 2005. IV. Title. BS1223.C37 2005 222'.1077Ðdc22 2004030331 Composition by El Ot Pre Press & Computing Ltd., Israel. Design by Adrianne Onderdonk Dudden.

University of Nebraska Press 3 Lincoln

Dedicated to our grandchildren, EMMA REBECCA and LEVI SOLOMON and our future grandchildren. May they walk in our path and in the paths of our children, BENJAMIN and TALIA, JUSTIN and JESSICA, and JONAH. ``Loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people, and bringing them closer to the Torah.'' ÐPirkei Avot 1:12 JOEL D. and TAMMY S. RUBIN

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CONTENTS CONVENTIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT'S ON THE PAGE? Text

ix

xi

xiv

xiv

Translations Questions

xiv xiv

Major Commentators

xiv

Editor's Annotations

xv

Additional Commentators

xv

PRINCIPLES OF THE TRANSLATION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

xvii

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THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE DEUTERONOMY 3

GLOSSARY

263

NAMES MENTIONED IN THE TEXT SOURCE TEXTS

266

SPECIAL TOPICS Tithes

265

267

267

Peshat and Derash

268

Interpreting Biblical Law

269

Medieval Jewish Philosophy Nahmanides' Mysticism Biblical Hebrew

270

270

271

The Jewish Calendar

272

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY OTHER ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

273

274

CONVENTIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS The commentators always quote the word or phrase on which they will comment from NJPS (the new Jewish Publication Society Bible translation of 1985), with the citation in bold. When they quote other biblical phrases, the quotation is either from NJPS, when it is appropriate for the comment, from OJPS (the old JPS translation of 1917), or my own version or revision. When the commentator refers to a particular word in a verse quoted from elsewhere in the Bible, the English translation of that word is . In biblical quotations, small caps for LORD (more rarely, GOD) represent the Tetragrammaton (see Glossary). Spellings of biblical names follow NJPS; spellings of other names follow italicized

Encyclopedia Judaica.

The following conventions are used for biblical references:

v. 6 23:21 ch. Gen. 15:15

a verse in the chapter currently being commented on a verse from another chapter in Deuteronomy another chapter in Deuteronomy verses from elsewhere in the Bible are identified by book, according to the following abbreviations:

Gen. ± Genesis Exod. ± Exodus Lev. ± Leviticus Num. ± Numbers Deut. ± Deuteronomy Josh. ± Joshua Judg. ± Judges 1 Sam. ± 1 Samuel 2 Sam. ± 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings Isa. ± Isaiah Jer. ± Jeremiah Other Abbreviations:

b. R. B. Y. M. T. NJPS OJPS

ix

Ezek. ± Ezekiel Hosea Joel Amos Obad. ± Obadiah Jon. ± Jonah Mic. ± Micah Nah. ± Nahum Hab. ± Habakkuk Zeph. ± Zephaniah Hag. ± Haggai Zech. ± Zechariah Mal. ± Malachi

or ``son of'' Rabbi Babylonian Talmud Jerusalem (Yerushalmi) or Palestinian Talmud Mishnah Tosefta New Jewish Publication Society translation (1985) Old Jewish Publication Society translation (1917) ben

bar,

Ps. ± Psalms Prov. ± Proverbs Job Song ± Song of Songs Ruth Lam. ± Lamentations Eccles. ± Ecclesiastes Esther Dan. ± Daniel Ezra Neh. ± Nehemiah 1 Chron. ± 1 Chronicles 2 Chron. ± 2 Chronicles

THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE x

Abbreviations for Tractates of Mishnah and Talmuds: Ar. ± Arakhin Av. Zar. ± Avodah Zarah BB ± Bava Batra Bek. ± Bekhorot Ber. ± Berakhot Bik. ± Bikkurim BK ± Bava Kamma BM ± Bava Metzia Dem. ± Demai Eduy. ± Eduyot Er. ± Eruvin Git. ± Gittin Hag. ± H.agigah Hal. ± H.allah Hor. ± Horayot Hul. ± H.ullin Ker. ± Keritot Ket. ± Ketubbot Kid. ± Kiddushin Kil. ± Kilayim

Kin. ± Kinnim Ma'as. ± Ma'aserot Ma'as. Sh. ± Ma'aser Sheni Mak. ± Makkot Makhsh. ± Makhshirin Meg. ± Megillah Me'il. ± Me'ilah Men. ± Menah.ot Mid. ± Middot Mik. ± Mikva'ot MK ± Mo'ed Katan Naz. ± Nazir Ned. ± Nedarim Neg. ± Nega'im Nid. ± Niddah Oho. ± Oholot Or. ± Orlah Par. ± Parah Pes. ± Pesah.im RH ± Rosh Ha-Shanah

Sanh. ± Sanhedrin Shab. ± Shabbat Shek. ± Shekalim Shev. ± Shevi'it Shevu. ± Shevu'ot Sot. ± Sotah Suk. ± Sukkah Ta'an. ± Ta'anit Tam. ± Tamid Tem. ± Temurah Ter. ± Terumah Toh. ± Tohorot TY ± Tevul Yom Uk. ± Uktzin Yad. ± Yadayim Yev. ± Yevamot Zav. ± Zavin Zev. ± Zevah.im

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does ``Miqra'ot Gedolot'' mean? ``Miqra'ot Gedolot'' is a Hebrew expression meaning something like ``Large-Format Bible'' or, more colloquially, ``The Big Book of Bible.'' The famous ``Second Rabbinic Bible'' of R. Jacob b. Hayyim (1525) was a Miqra'ot Gedolot.

What do you mean ``a'' Miqra'ot Gedolot? Are there more than one? Absolutely. There are ``Miqra'ot Gedolot'' to the Torah or Pentateuch, to the

Megillot

(the

Five Scrolls), and to the other biblical books as well. Moreover, the same biblical book can appear in different versions: ``Miqra'ot Gedolot'' refers to the format, not the contents.

So what is the Miqra'ot Gedolot format? It consists of the Hebrew biblical text in large print; a ``Targum'' or translation of the text (in rare cases more than one); and commentaries on the text, often accompanied by explanatory notes. That's why we have titled this English version

The Commentators' Bible

.

Which translation is included in this Miqra'ot Gedolot? We have included two translations: the old Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917 and the new JPS translation of 1985.

Why include both? Both were translated by the preeminent Jewish biblical scholars of their day, but the OJPS is more literal and the NJPS freer and more readable. More importantly, the purpose of the Miqra'ot Gedolot is to help explain difficulties in the biblical text. Because translators are often forced to pick a single one of several possible explanations of what the Hebrew text means, comparing two different translations is the best way for someone who doesn't know Hebrew to judge whether there is a difficulty in the original text. Having two translations should also remind you that it is the Hebrew text that is the ``real'' Bible, not any particular English version.

Which commentaries are included? We have included the most prominent commentaries of the medieval periodÐthose of Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, and NahmanidesÐwith explanatory notes as well as selected additional comments from other commentators of that era. See ``What's on the Page?'' below for biographical information about all the commentators.

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THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE xii Is this the first time these commentators have been translated into English?

The four main commentators have all been translated into English before. Then why are you translating them again?

Previous translations were either made for scholars, assume a high level of Hebrew knowledge, or are literal and difficult to follow. So this is a free translation?

Yes. First of all, remember that in their original work the commentators quote and comment on the Hebrew text. In this version, they quote instead the NJPS translation and, if they disagree with it, supplement it with the OJPS or with their own understanding of the meaning. Also, since most of us today do not have as thorough a grounding in Jewish sources as did the Hebrew readers of the original commentaries, the commentators must explain things a bit more fully when they ``write'' in English. For similar reasons, they omit grammatical comments and explanations that are both complicated and extraneous. For a more detailed look at this topic, see ``Principles of the Translation'' below. Before I get more involved . . . why should I care about what these medieval commentators think?

About 900 years ago the commentator Rashi told his grandson that new insights into the Bible were being discovered daily. That's still true, which means that if you want the latest biblical scholarship, a modern commentary will serve you better than the comments in this book. But there are some very good reasons to go back to the older commentators, even if you do not share the assumptions they make about the Bible. The first reason is that the medieval commentators read the Bible very, very carefully. They will often note connections, contradictions, or difficulties that modern readers of the text, especially casual readers, have missed. It can be difficult to think carefully, or deeply, about stories or sayings that you've known since childhood. But the commentators here will help you look at them from a fresh perspective. The second reason is that the Bible is not a chemical compound that gives the same result every time it is analyzed, but a book that tells a story and describes a way of life. Its stories and teachings call forth different responses in different ages. By reading the various commentaries on a single page, you can see how attitudes toward the Bible changed over the centuries. The third reason is that the format and nature of this book are geared toward promoting your active participation in learning about the Bible, a process that can offer both intellectual and spiritual rewards. The page is set up as a conversation among the commentators, in which the reader is encouraged to join. The fourth reason, and the most important, is that The Commentators' Bible gives you the chance to spend ``quality time'' with four of the greatest of all Bible commentators, and with half a dozen of their colleagues. Shortly after I began working on the book, a friend asked,

xiii THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE

``Which of the commentators do you like best?'' What he really wanted was to tell me which of them

he

liked best. You too are likely to find, as you read through the book of Deuter-

onomy, that the commentators will come alive for you, and that one or another of them will begin to seem less like a historical figure, and more like a companion you can learn with.

How do I read such a complicated book? This is not the kind of book you can pick up and read straight through, because too many things on each page are clamoring simultaneously for your attention. You will want to explore the page and learn what path through it works best for you. Ideally, you should study the text with others and together find your own method of making your way through the different commentaries. Here are some different approaches to try as you get started:

N

Compare the two English translations (with the Hebrew, if you can). When the two translations disagree, check to see how the commentators resolve the question.

N

Read a whole chapter at a time, in Hebrew or in either translation. Then read Abarbanel's questions about the chapter and think about them. Read the chapter againÐperhaps in the

N

other

translationÐto see whether you can think of answers to his questions.

Pick a particular commentator as your guide, and follow all of his comments to the text as you read along.

N

Read until you find a word or a verse that raises a question in

your mind. Then check to

see what each of the commentators has to say about it. Be sure to check the Additional Comments to see whether there's another comment on your question there.

N

Follow any, or all, of the commentators through an entire subject, or a complete story. Think about the implications of a particular commentator's approach for interpreting other biblical passages.

N

Dip into each page as you like until you find a thread you want to pursue.

Warning!

The commentator will sometimes continue in the voice that is speaking in the

verse itself (God's, or Moses', for example). After a dash (Ð) the commentator continues in his own voice. A dash may also separate different voices if the commentator is reconstructing a conversation or working through the steps of an argument.

WHAT'S ON THE PAGE? Text: The HEBREW TEXT of the Bible, based on the Leningrad Codex, the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. This particular version of the Hebrew text can be found in the 1999 edition of the JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH. This edition is not meant for ritual use, and it thus omits some synagogue-related features. It meets only the traditional rabbinic standards (halakhah) for formatting a study Bible, which are less stringent than those for ritual purposes. For a fuller explanation of the difference between the Leningrad Codex and the 1999 JPS edition, see the preface to the latter. Translations: The NJPS translation of the Hebrew text, prepared in the 1960s by a committee of Jewish Bible scholars from the various movements, under the auspices of The Jewish Publication Society (JPS). This translation attempts to convey the meaning of the text without adhering slavishly to the literal Hebrew. The OJPS translation of the Hebrew text, a revision of the American Standard Version (adapted from the King James Bible) prepared in the years before World War I by a committee of Jewish scholars, again under the auspices of JPS. Questions:

's questions. These questions, which serve as the basis for the commentary of Isaac Abarbanel (see below), will help the reader understand the kinds of questions that the commentators think need answering about the text. (The other commentators do not always make their questions explicit.) ABARBANEL

Major Commentators: RASHI ± R. Solomon b. Isaac (1040±1105), northern France. Universally known by the acronym of his name, Rashi is the quintessential commentator on both Bible and Talmud. Jewish translations of both works often silently follow Rashi's comments when deciding how to render a difficult passage. Rashi's method, as he himself described it, was to explain the biblical text according to its straightforward senseÐwhat the words mean in plain HebrewÐ adding only those midrashic comments that fit the context and explain a linguistic feature of the text. According to his grandson Rashbam, toward the end of his life he admitted that, if he had the time, he would completely rewrite his commentary to take account of the new discoveries about the straightforward sense of the Bible being made on a daily basis. (See also ``Peshat and Derash'' under ``Special Topics.'')

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RASHBAM ± R. Samuel b. Meir (ca. 1085±ca. 1174), northern France. Rashbam, Rashi's grandson, claimed that, though rabbinic interpretation of the Torah text was primary, the work of doing that kind of interpretationÐthe complicated linkage of every aspect of Jewish law to a letter, word, or phrase in the TorahÐwas finished. The neglected straightforward sense of the text, however, was only now in the process of being discovered. Rashbam, like his grandfather, was a skilled talmudist, but in his biblical commentary he felt free to interpret the text as it reads in plain Hebrew even when this contradicted rabbinic interpretation. (See also ``Peshat and Derash'' under ``Special Topics.'') IBN EZRA ± R. Abraham ibn Ezra (1091/92±1167), b. Spain, d. England. Ibn Ezra was Rashbam's almost exact contemporary, though scholars continue to disagree on whether they ever met or even knew each other's work. Ibn Ezra lived the first half-century of his life in Muslim Spain and spent the rest of his days wandering through Christian EuropeÐfirst in Italy, then in France, and, in his last years, in England. The twofold basis of his comments, as he explains in the long introduction to his work, is that they must conform to the grammar of the text (a field in which the Jews of the Muslim world were far more advanced than their compatriots in Christian countries) and to the bounds of reason. His attitude toward rabbinic tradition is ambiguousÐhe was not secure enough to contradict it directly, as did Rashbam, but often hinted at his doubts about one or another aspect of it. (See also ``Medieval Jewish Philosophy'' under ``Special Topics.'') NAHMANIDES ± R. Moses b. Nahman (1195±ca. 1270), b. Spain, d. Israel. Also known by the acronym ``Ramban,'' Nahmanides was advised to flee Spain after his victory in a ``disputation'' over the truth of Judaism and Christianity in which he was forced to participate. His careful analysis of the comments of his predecessors Rashi and Ibn Ezra makes him largely responsible for defining the contents of the standard Miqra'ot Gedolot page. (Rashbam is a 20th-century addition to the standard page.) In addition to his biblical and rabbinic scholarship, he was immersed in mystical learning. He sometimes explains the straightforward sense of the text and then adds an additional comment, often obscure, giving the meaning of the text ``according to the way of Truth'' or ``the True interpretation''Ða reference to mystical interpretation. (See also ``Nahmanides' Mysticism'' under ``Special Topics.'')

Editor's Annotations: I have added notes to the text of the major commentators whenever I thought their comments needed some elucidation, or when there is a difficulty that might not be apparent to the reader. I have not generally supplied the rabbinic sources for their comments unless they do so themselves. Nor have I pointed out the reasons for their comments, unless I think the reader would find the comment puzzling without this information. I have generally left it to the reader to discover when the commentators are disputing with each other.

Additional Commentators:

The MASORAH ± (ca. 1000) The comments labeled Masorah (``tradition''), dating from the second half of the first millennium C.E., generally catalogue unusual spellings or

THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE xvi

word choices in the text, to give scribes assistance in recreating it exactly. Occasional comments were added to the Masorah at the time of the ``Second Rabbinic Bible'' (1525) by its editor, Jacob b. Hayyim, a kabbalist; these comments are not identified as coming from the Masorah, but from him personally. BEKHOR SHOR ± Joseph b. Isaac Bekhor Shor (12th c.), northern France. As a younger contemporary and student of Rashbam, his comments, like those of his teacher, focus on the straightforward sense of the text. KIMHI ± R. David Kimhi (1160?±1235?), Provence. Known by the acronym ``Radak,'' he belonged to a family of illustrious scholars. Particularly known as a Hebrew grammarian, he is a major commentator to Genesis. (In our Genesis volume, he will be promoted to the main part of the page.) His comments on the rest of the Torah, however, are relatively sparse, since they are abstracted from his works on language. HIZKUNI ± R. Hezekiah b. Manoah (mid-13th c.), France. He wrote a commentary that is largely an anthology of earlier comments (many now otherwise lost) as well as an analysis of Rashi's commentary. GERSONIDES ± R. Levi b. Gershom (1288±1344), Provence. Known also by the acronym ``Ralbag,'' he viewed the biblical text largely through the lens of philosophy. ABARBANEL ± Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437±1508), b. Portugal, fled Spain, d. Italy. He was a prominent politician and financier in the Iberian Peninsula until the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. His writings mostly date from his Italian period. SFORNO ± Obadiah b. Jacob Sforno (1470±1550), Italy. Trained in Jewish learning, humanistic studies, and medicine, he was both literally and metaphorically a Renaissance man.

PRINCIPLES OF THE TRANSLATION A basic assumption of the translation is that the commentators are rewriting their original comments today, in contemporary English, for readers who do not know

. This solves a number of the difficulties inherent in turning a Hebrew commentary on a Hebrew text into an English commentary without making the translator look as if he is constantly elbowing his way in between the reader and the commentator. So: When an Hebrew

added word, phrase, or clause will make the commentator's meaning clear, I add it

as if it had been written by the commentator.

note in my own voice.

When this technique does not suffice, I add a

The following kinds of comments are regularly

omitted from the translation:

1 The commentator gives a straightforward explanation of the sense of the text when the

translation already follows it or makes it unnecessary.

2 The commentator gives another Hebrew word synonymous with the one used in the

verse.

3 The commentator identifies a form grammatically (when there is no disagreement

about it).

4 Rashbam or Ibn Ezra offers essentially the same comment as Rashi. 5 Rashbam offers a different verse than Rashi that explains the same phenomenon in the

same way.

6 Nahmanides cites an explanation of Rashi or Ibn Ezra in full. 7 In his explanation, a commentator uses another biblical example, or a rabbinic citation,

that would require more explanation than the biblical verse itself

8 A commentator quotes a biblical verse in full when that verse is close enough to the verse

being explicated for the reader to find it easily.

In addition, certain extended discussions in the commentaries of Ibn Ezra and Nahmanides have been condensed, summarized in a note, or (in some cases) omitted entirely. The following kinds of comments are nonetheless

retained in the translation:

1 The comment includes a straightforward explanation of the sense of the text when the

translation already follows it or makes it unnecessary, if one of the other commentators disagrees with it.

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THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE xviii

2

The comment includes grammatical remarks that can be easily explained, that give some of the commentator's flavor, or that other commentators disagree with.

3

Nahmanides for stylistic reasons includes citations from other biblical books, which are not themselves necessarily relevant but can be integrated smoothly into the translation. The following kinds of comments are regularly changed:

1

Discursive comments explaining more than one verse at a time are changed to fit the citation-comment pattern, when this is possible.

2

When the comment to one verse adds an explanation of a verse elsewhere in the text, I move that comment to the appropriate place.

3

When the English translation changes the order of the Hebrew text for clarity, I rearrange the comments to follow the English order and rephrase them if necessary.

4

When Nahmanides apparently had a different version of the commentary of Rashi or Ibn Ezra than we do, I reconcile the difference and/or explain it in a note.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With regard to the Commentators' Bible project as a whole, I remain grateful to the long list of friends I had the pleasure of thanking in the first pages of the Exodus volume. For the Deuteronomy volume, I have the pleasure (with apologies to anyone I've inadvertently omitted) once again of thanking: the many scholars and colleagues, some friends and some strangers, who have responded to questions and requests: Ephraim Kanarfogel, David Marcus, Kalman Neuman, Jordan Penkower, and Israel Sandman; and most especially my wife, Yaffa, whose unflagging support has made it possible for me to do this work.

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DEVARIM

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NJPS These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel OJPS These are the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel on the other side of the Jordan.ÐThrough the wilderness, in the beyond the Jordan; in the wilderness, in the Arabah, over against RASHI 1 These are the words.

1 These are the words ‡ RASHBAM that Moses addressed to all Israel.

The À¦ ¨ § © ‰l¤ ‡ ¤ Ÿ ¯ac ³¤ ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ Ìȯ·c‰ ´¥ Hebrew expression denotes words of re- -χ¤ ƉLÓ buke. The rest of the verse mentions all the Á‰·¯Úa ¨ ¨ £ «¨ ¯a„na ¨¿ § ¦ © Ôc¯i‰ ®¥ § © © ¯·Úa ¤ −¥ § χ¯NÈ-Ïk ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ¨ places where Israel had angered God, but out of respect for Israel the verse merely ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If Moses said this to hints at these events. To all Israel. Had he Israel when they were encamped ``on the other side of rebuked only some of them, those who had the Jordan'' (v. 1), how can he also have said it in all been busy in the marketplace would have the other places mentioned in that verse? said to them, ``You just listened to the son of Amram and never said a word? If we had been there, we would have given him what for!'' That is why Moses gathered them all together. He said to them, ``All right, everyone is here.

NAHMANIDES

The straightforward sense of the verse is that these are all simply place names. We often ®nd biblical texts giving multiple place names in order to explain the precise location of a particular place that they wish to talk about: ``the hill country east of Bethel . . . with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east'' (Gen. 12:8); ``before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baalzephon'' (Exod. 14:2); see also Judg. 21:19. The text, of course, takes even more care to explain where the various commandments were given, e.g., ``in the land of Egypt'' (Exod. 12:1); ``on Mount Sinai'' (Lev. 25:1); ``in the wilderness of Sinai'' (Num. 9:1); ``in the steppes of Moab at the Jordan near Jericho'' (Num. 35:1). And that is precisely what is happening here as well. For following our

The subject of this book is well known: It is a repetition of the Torah, in which Moses explains to the generation that will enter the land most of the commandments that the Jews will need. He does not mention things that concern only the priestsÐ the sacri®ces and the laws of purityÐwhich he has already explained to them; the priests were alert and conscientious and would not need such things explained to them over and over again. But Moses does issue the same commandments to the Israelites time after time, whether to clarify details of the law or simply to emphasize them by repetition. In this book, for example, one may point to the repeated admonishments not to commit idolatry and the many times he rebukes and even threatens them with severe punishments for sin. There are, it is true, a few commandments in Deuteronomy that have not been previ- IBN EZRA If you understand the secret ously mentioned: e.g., levirate marriage, defamation of a virgin, divorce, false testimony, of the ``12'' [A], of ``Moses wrote'' (31:22), of and the like. All these were told him at Sinai or in the Tent of Meeting, in the ®rst year, ``the Canaanites were then in the land'' before the incident with the spies. Nothing new is given to Moses here in the steppes of (Gen. 12:6), of ``on the mount of the LORD Moab except for ``the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to conclude with the there is vision'' (Gen. 22:14), and of ``His Israelites in the land of Moab'' (28:69). That is why we do not ®nd in this book the expres- bedstead, an iron bedstead, is now in Rabsion ``The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them'' or bah'' (3:9), you will realize the truth about vv. 1±5 as well. [B] Some say, on the basis ``Instruct the Israelites to do'' such-and-such a commandment. The reason the ``new'' commandments were not mentioned in earlier books for Moses of the expression ``that very day'' (32:48), to tell those who left Egypt is perhaps that these commandments, though incumbent on that Moses recited the entire book of Deuthe individual wherever he might be, were not actually practiced until they entered the teronomy to the Israelites in a single day land. (Note that this is explicitly mentioned in Num. 15:2 with regard to the libations.) Or and died on that same day. But he did no perhaps it is because these commandments are not everyday occurrences that Moses did such thing. See my comment to that verse. 1 These are the words that Moses adnot mention them until it was time for the generation of the children of those who left dressed to all Israel on the other side of Egypt to take possession of the land. Before he begins his explanation of the Torah, Moses rebukes the Israelites and re- the Jordan. In my opinion, these ``words'' minds them of their transgressionsÐhow often they rebelled in the wilderness, and how are the laws recorded in chs. 12±26. But compassionately the Holy One nevertheless treated them. All this is to make them realize [A] Most likely Ibn Ezra means the 12 verses of Deuteron34, describing the death of Moses. But a number of other how great is His loyalty to them, and to emphasize that they must not return to their mis- omy explanations of this ``secret'' have been proposed. [B] On behavior lest they be wiped out for their sins. He also wanted to encourage them by assur- the face of it, all these verses must have been written by someone other than Moses, either because they mention him ing them that they could always count on God to be compassionate to them. That way, no the third person or because they assume a ``now'' when the one could say that it would be impossible to take possession of the landÐ``for there is no in Israelites are in the land and Og is a character from history. man who does not sin'' (1 Kings 8:46), and when he sinned he would expect to have God's Based on Ibn Ezra's comment to ``to this day'' (34:6), the aspect of judgment bear down him immediately, so that he would perish. That is why our ``truth'' would seem to be that Joshua wrote these verses. master Moses told them that the Holy One was compassionate and merciful. His forgiveness and clemency are indeed of great help and assistance to humanity in serving Him: ``Yours is the power to forgive so that You may be held in awe'' (Ps. 130:4). 1 These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel. This phrase refers to the commandments written throughout the book, from the beginning of the Ten Commandments in 5:6. ``These words'' are the Teaching that ``Moses undertook to expound'' (v. 5). (Though v. 6 lacks the expression ``he said'' to introduce the parenthetical material of Deuteronomy 1±4, it must be understood, as for

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The question is whether this book is from heaven like the ®rst four books, or whetherÐsince it is all in Moses' voiceÐthese are the words of Moses and not of God. In fact, Moses told Israel all these things because he was soon to part from them. After he had ®nished, the Holy One wanted them as part of the Torah, so He dictated them to Moses (perhaps adding a few things) and Moses wrote them into the Torah at the command of the Almighty, who announced, ``TheseÐno more and no lessÐare the words that Moses addressed to all Israel.'' The introductory verses, 1:1±5, in the third person, testify that Moses' words in this book are divine just like the rest of the Torah (Abarbanel). 1 These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel. The phrase ``these are the words'' occurs only ®ve other times: in Exod. 19:6, Exod. 35:1, Isa. 42:16, Zech. 8:16, and (as ``and these are the words'') Jer. 30:4 (Masorah). When he was close to death, he wished to organize all the commandments for Israel; the names in this verse identify or symbolize the places where the commandments were given

3 DEUTERONOMY 1:1 DEVARIM

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DEUTERONOMY 1:1 DEVARIM

NJPS RASHI

it now!''

OKZCE

Arabah near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, If you have anything to say, say

Through the wilderness.

The

Hebrew literally says ``in the wilderness''

OJPS

B OKZCE

Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and

Ô·Ï ¬¨ ¨ § ÏÙz-ÔÈ·e ¤ Ÿ ² «¥ Ô¯‡t-ÔÈa ¯¨ ¨ «¥ ÛeÒ¹ ÏBÓ¸

RASHBAM

verse, you ®nd Moses be-

ginning to ``expound this Teaching'' in v. 5. (You will ®nd the same phenomenon again

On the other side of the Jordan.

(OJPS), but of course they were not in the

in 4:46.)

wilderness but in the steppes of Moab. What it really means is ``with regard to the

Which is the ``other'' side? The one that is

wilderness''Ðwith regard to the way you angered God in the wilderness when you said,

``in the wilderness'' (as OJPS correctly trans-

``If only we had died by the hand of the L ORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the

In the Arabah. ``With regard to'' the Arabah, the steppe, when they sinned with Baal-peor in the steppes of Moab. Near Suph. At the ``Suph'' Sea, the Sea of Reeds, when they said to Moses, ``Was it for want of

lates), the one on the same side as the wil-

¯eshpots, when we ate our ®ll of bread!'' (Exod. 16:3).

derness in which the Israelites spent 40

graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness?'' (Exod. 14:11), and even

the land of Israel. The expression does not

after crossing the sea: ``They did not remember Your abundant love, but rebelled at the

Between

refer to the Jerusalem side of the river,

sea, at the Sea of Reeds'' (Ps. 106:7). (See B. Ar. 15a for this interpretation.)

though that is of course ``the other side of

``between Paran'' (on the one hand) and ``Tophel and Laban'' (on the other). Said R.

when they were still going through the wil-

Simeon b. Yohai:

derness.

Paran and Tophel, Laban. The Hebrew makes clear that this expression really means

[A] We have gone through the entire Bible and not found a place called

years, which is ``the other side of the Jordan'' from the perspective of those who dwell in

the Jordan'' from where the Israelites were

In the Arabah. In what part of the

``Tophel and Laban.'' This is an allusion to the way they ``denigrated'' (taphlu) the manna,

wilderness were they? In the part that was

which was white (laban): ``We have come to loathe this miserable food'' (Num. 21:5).

``in the Arabah,'' that is, in the steppes of

It refers as well to the story of the spies, which took place in the wilderness of Paran.

Hazeroth. This refers to the Korah rebellion. [B] Another reading: He told them, ``You should have learned from what I did to Miriam at Hazeroth for uttering harmful speech. And you spoke harmful words about the Holy One!'' Di-zahab. Here he is reproving your

[A] Some versions of Rashi's comment have ``R. Johanan.''

NAHMANIDES ``These are the

[B] See the ``additional comment'' of Hizkuni.

example in Gen. 41:51 and 52.) Our phrase essentially means,

commandments

that Moses addressed to all Israel,'' on the far side of the

Jordan, ``in the fortieth year'' and so forth (as explained in vv. 1±5). But when he did so, he ®rst uttered the introductory words that begin in v. 6 and continue on to the end of 4:40, explaining that God's original intention had been for them to cross the Jordan and conquer the land immediately. But their sins had prevented this. Then ``Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day!'' (5:1). Moses therefore begins to expound the Teaching with the Ten Commandments, so that the Israelites might hear them directly from the mouth of the one who received them from the mouth of the Holy One. Next, he informs them of the oneness of GodÐ``Hear, O Israel! The L ORD is our God, the L ORD alone'' (6:4)Ðfollowed by the rest of the commandments in the book. That is, ``the words that Moses addressed to all Israel'' are those that he spoke when he ``summoned all the Israelites and said to them'' (5:1). For

Moab, at the Jordan.

Near Suph. In fact

SuphÐthat is, the Suph Sea or ``Sea of Reeds''Ðis east of the land of Israel: ``I will set your borders from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of Philistia'' (Exod. 23:31). Since this verse moves from east to west, it is clear that the ``Sea of Reeds'' mentioned here is the Dead Sea: ``Your southern boundary shall start on the east from the tip of the Dead Sea'' (Num. 34:3). The ``Sea of the Arabah'' (4:49) must also be the ``Sea of

[A] Between Paran and Tophel. Here again the

Reeds'' near the steppes of Moab.

text is making the location more precise, as in ``between Bethel and Ai'' (Gen. 13:3).

[A] Not the ``Sea of Reeds'' in the exodus story.

IBN EZRA

``Moses

addressed''

has

a

double function here: These words that

expounding the Teaching and completing the sum of the commandments had to be done,

Moses addressed to all Israel on the other

just like the original giving of the Torah, in the presence of all Israel. Vv. 4:44±49 had to

side of the Jordan were the words that he

repeat what we are told here in vv. 1±5 because Moses' introduction to the laws goes on

had addressed to them in

for so long. Remember that ``the land of King Sihon of the Amorites'' (4:46) is the same as ``the land of Moab'' mentioned here in v. 5; Israel was not allowed to enter any of the land of Moab except for that part of it that had been legitimized for them to enter by being ®rst conquered by Sihon. (See my comment to Num. 21:26.)

Through the wilderness. Since

the Israelites were not actually `` in the wilderness'' (as OJPS correctly translates) at this

the wilderness, in the Arabah near Suph, and so forth, ever since they left Sinai. Between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. These places are either not recorded in Numbers 33 or they are recorded there

point (having already entered Moab), Onkelos interprets all these place names as implicit rebukes.

[A] One must certainly ask what they are doing here; the verse has more place names than a real-estate transaction. Onkelos

understands the Hebrew to mean that Moses spoke to the Israelites

[A] See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

about

the wilderness, the Arabah, and so onÐeven

about

the ``eleven

(Bekhor Shor). ``These'' were words of rebuke, as opposed to those other words, the commandments

that he had previously given them. Addressing them to ``all'' Israel shows that Moses' voice reached the far extent of the Israelite camp (Hizkuni). Since v. 3 tells us this happened ``in the fortieth year, on the ®rst day of the eleventh month,'' we must not lose sight of the fact that it is impossible for our verse to mean that Moses addressed these words to all Israel ``in'' the following places, as the literal Hebrew seems to say; rather, he is reminding them of the things that

happened

to them in these places (Gersonides). If the point of these words

was to rebuke Israel, wouldn't Moses have begun with the Golden Calf, the ®rst and worst of their rebellions? Instead, all the incidentsÐif that is what they areÐare totally mixed up. Nor could the supposedly ``new'' commandments some think he is introducing be called Moses' own words. In fact, his only purpose was to clarify the laws that had already been given. It would have been pointless to berate the children over what their parents' generation had done (Abarbanel).

The wilderness. It was variously called ``the wilderness of the

peoples'' or of Shur, Etham, Sin, Sinai, Paran, Kadesh, Zin, Kedemoth, or Moab, all of these being located near that wilderness (Hizkuni).

Tophel. ``Nonsense''Ða reference to their attaching themselves to Baal-peor at Shittim; idol worship is obviously senseless (Gersonides). Laban. This is Libnah of Num. 33:20; I think the Korah episode must have taken place there (Gersonides). Hazeroth. See Rashi's

comment. He certainly knew that the Korah rebellion took place in the wilderness of Paran, but as I have said that was a large wilderness; the text identi®es the site of the Korah rebellion by naming a well-known place near this wilderness (Hizkuni). This is where the sin of Aaron and Miriam (Numbers 12) took place (Gersonides).

Di-zahab. ``Zahab'' is gold; this is a reference to the Golden Calf episode

4

5 DEUTERONOMY 1:1±3 DEVARIM

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NJPS Hazeroth, and Di-zahab, 2it is eleven days from Horeb OJPS Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. 2It is eleven days journey from

to Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir route.Ð3It was in the Horeb unto Kadesh-barnea by the way of mount Seir. 3And it fortieth year, on the ®rst day of the elevcame to pass in the fortieth year, in the enth month, that Moses addressed the ·¯ÁÓ Ÿ − ¥ £ © eleventh month, on the ®rst day of the ½¥Ÿ «¥ ÆÌBÈ ¯NÚ ¬¨ ¨ „Á‡ ©¸ © 2 :·‰Ê «¨ ¨ È„Â ¬ ¦ § ˙¯ˆÁ Israelites in accordance with the instruc- ÆȉÈ month, that Moses spoke unto the chil© «¥ § © L„˜ ¬¥ ¨ „Ú −© ¯ÈÚN-¯‰ ®¦ ¥ © C¯c ¤ −¤ tions that the LORD had given him for ¦ § © 3 :Ú¯a dren of Israel, according unto all that the L„Á ¤Ÿ − ¯NÚ-ÈzLÚa ¬¨ ¨ «¥ § © § ‰L ¨½ ¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡a ´ ¦ ¨ § © § LORD had given him in commandment

RASHI

them for the calf that they made

because of all the gold (zahab) that they had: ``It was I . . . who lavished silver on her

χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ Èa ´¥ § -χ¤ ƉLÓ ¤ Ÿ ¯ac ³¤ ¦ L„ÁÏ ¤Ÿ ® © „Á‡a ´¨ ¤ §

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F What is the point of

mentioning here that ``it is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir route'' (v. 2)? This 2:10). is surely out of place. F Why repeat that in 2 It is eleven days from Horeb to comment th year ``Moses addressed the Israelites'' (v. 3)? the 40 Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir and goldÐwhich they used for Baal'' (Hosea

route.

Moses said, ``Do you see what you

RASHBAM Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

These too, according to the straight-

forward sense of the text, are all simply place names. For Di-zahab as a name, compare Me-zahab of Gen. 36:39.

2 It is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea. ``He who is wise will un-

have done? This is the shortest route from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, and it still takes

derstand'' (Hosea 14:10) that this verse was

three days!'' For according to Num. 10:11, they left Horeb

only written to set the stage for what Moses

``on the twentieth day of the second month,'' and they sent the spies from Kadesh-barnea

is about to say in v. 19. Kadesh-barnea is

on the 29th of Sivan, the third month.

next to the land of Israel; that is where they

eleven days. Yet you got there in

[C] T hey spent ``a whole month'' (Num. 11:20) of this

time at Kibroth-hattaavah, so subtract 30 days from the total, along with the seven days

sent the spies from. Moses mentions it here

they waited at Hazeroth while ``Miriam was shut out of camp'' (Num. 12:15). You are left

because the Israelites spent 40 years there.

with the result that the actual time of travel all the way from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea was

By the Mount Seir route.

just three days. Moses continued, ``That is how eager the Shekhinah was to get you into

heading for Israel by the most direct route,

the land. But because you acted so badly, God had you skirt the hill country of Seir for

and

40 years.''

Kadesh-barnea) in just 11 days. But be-

3 It was in the fortieth year, on the ®rst day of the eleventh month.

This teaches

could

have

entered

cause they sinned,

they

They left Horeb

the

land

``skirted

the

(via

hill

us that he did not rebuke them until just before his death. From whom did he learn to do

countr y of Seir a long time'' (2:1)Ð40 years

this? From Jacob, who did not rebuke his sons until he was on the point of death. He told

in all. So all of v. 19 took place within just

Reuben, ``Son, I will tell you why I have not rebuked you all these yearsÐso that you

11 days, but ``from there [says Moses] I sent

would not leave me and attach yourself to my brother, Esau.'' There are actually four

the spies and you had to spend 40 years

reasons (says the Sifrei) not to rebuke someone until one is close to death: so as not to

there, for your sins.''

have to keep rebuking him over and over; so that your friend does not avoid you out of embarrassment; so that your friend does not hold a grudge against you; and so that the air is cleared when he parts from you at last. Joshua too did not rebuke Israel until he was

IBN EZRA

under other names. After all,

we know from 3:9 that Senir has more than

close to death; nor did Samuel: ``Here I am! Testify against me'' (1 Sam. 12:3). Even David

one name, and many other

did not rebuke Solomon until he was on his deathbed.

tioned in the Bible do too.

[C]

2 It is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea.

See B. Ta'an. 29a.

NAHMANIDES

Rather,

days'' (v. 2), reminding them what they did wrong in each of these

places. In the Sifrei, R. Judah explains it this way as well, but R. Yose b. Durmaskit understands them as actual place names.

2 It is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir route.

The

text is telling us the extent of the wilderness. Kadesh-barnea was at the far end of the wilderness, on the border of ``the hill countr y of the Amorites'' (v. 7), which was the inheritance of Israel. Here too were the lands of Sihon and Og (see again 4:46). The text will explain the complications introduced at that point by their sending the spies, from v. 19 through the end of the chapter. On ``Horeb,'' see my comment to v. 6.

3 Moses addressed the Israelites in accordance with the instructions that the LORD had given him for them.

What we are being told here is two things: ®rst, that he

told them the commandments that are found only in this book and not earlier; and, second, that these commandments were precisely ``in accordance with the instructions'' given him by the Lord. He himself had neither added to nor taken away from what the Lord had commanded. Since none of the ``new'' commandments are introduced with the words ``T he L ORD spoke to Moses,'' this statement clari®es in advance that all of them were indeed spoken by the mouth of the Holy One.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 2 It is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir route.

places men-

these

are

the

words Moses had addressed to Israel ``during the eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea.'' As I've explained, it was from Kadesh-barnea that they sent out the spies.

[C] After the Lord swore that they would not

enter the land, we ®nd no commandments being

given to them until the 40th year.

Notice that in v. 5 Moses is not giving them new laws but ``expounding'' the ones he had already given them ``between Paran and Tophel'' and so forthÐeven though most of those

commandments

are

recorded

only

here in Deuteronomy. V. 3 makes clear that the commandments recorded here are those that ``that

the L ORD had [already] given

him'' in the places mentioned in v. 1.

3 It was in the fortieth year.

Some say

this is meant as a contrast with v. 2Ðit

(Gersonides). All of these are places where Moses

had

rebuked the people, as they deserved (Abarbanel).

should have taken just 11 days to get to Kadesh-barnea, but they got there only in the fortieth year. These people are mistaken,

All the

though, for they got to Kadesh-barnea in the

evil doings recounted by Moses took place during those 11 days (Gersonides). They took

second

place along this route, as well as in Kadesh itself. For Moses had fearlessly rebuked those

make clear that ``it was in the fortieth year''

who actually deserved it (Abarbanel).

3 On the ®rst day of the eleventh month.

year.

The

translations

(correctly)

that Moses addressed the Israelites. The eleventh month. See

The 1st of Shevat, 37 days before Moses'

death on the 7th of Adar (Bekhor Shor). It is not that Moses recited all of the commandments to Israel on this one day. But some of the commandments are quite terse, and Moses was under pressure to clarify them because of his approaching death (Abarbanel).

my comment to v. 1.

See my comment to Num. 7:72.

[C]

Num. 32:8 says this explicitly. It is not clear where Ibn

Ezra thinks he has ``explained'' this.

DEUTERONOMY 1:3±6 DEVARIM

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B OKZCE

them, 4after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amo- OJPS unto them; 4after he had smitten Sihon the king of the rites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who dwelt Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, at Ashtaroth [and] Edrei. 5On the other who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei; 5beyond side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, ȯÁ‡ Ÿ §  the Jordan, in the land of Moab, took Mo´¥ £ © 4 :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¥ ‡ £ B˙‡ − Ÿ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ‰eˆ ¯¨ ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÏÎk Moses undertook to expound this Teachses upon him to expound this law, saying: Ÿ ¦ ˙‡¥ μ B˙k‰ ÀŸ © ½ ¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ CÏÓ ·LBÈ −¥ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ȯӇ‰ ¤ ´¤ ÆÔÁÈÒ 6The L ORD our God spoke unto us ing. He said: 6The L ORD our God spoke to us at ·LBÈ-¯L ¬¥ ¤‡ £ ÔLa‰ ¨½ ¨ © CÏÓ ¤ ´¤ ‚BÚμ ˙‡Â ¥À § ÔBaLÁa ® § ¤ § in Horeb, saying: ``Ye have dwelt long Horeb, saying: You have stayed long ı¯‡a Ÿ−¨ § © § ¤ ´¤ § Ôc¯i‰ −¥ § © © ¯·Úa ¤ ¬¥ § 5 :ÈÚ¯„‡a ¦ «¤ § ¤ § ˙¯zLÚa

NJPS

IBN EZRA 5 Moses undertook to ex¬¨ © ¤ ¯‡a ²¥ ¥ ‰LÓ ¤½ Ÿ ÏȇB‰ ´¦ ·‡BÓ ®¨ pound. That is, he began to explain to the RASHI 4 After he had defeated ‰¯Bz‰-˙‡ Ÿ « ¥ ˙‡f‰ Ÿ− © Israelites' children, who had been born in :¯Ó‡Ï Sihon. Moses thought, ``If I rebuke them

before they have taken possession of even ¯Ó‡Ï Ÿ ® ¥ ·¯Áa ´¥Ÿ § eÈÏ −¥ ‡¥ ¯ac ¬¤ ¦ eÈ‰Ï ²¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § 6 the wilderness, what had happened to their parents. He also repeated to them all the the slightest bit of the land, they will just say, `What's his problem? What good is he any- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Most impor- laws, including the Ten Commandments. Deuteronomy a divine Teaching like the Their parents had heard these directly from way? He is only reprimanding us to give him tantlyÐis of the Torah, or is it the words of Moses when he the mouth of the Lord, and now they too an alibi for not being able to bring us into the rest ``undertook to expound this Teaching'' (v. 5)? F How must hear them, from ``a trusty messenger'' land.''' That is why he waited to rebuke them can it be correct to say that Moses was merely ``exuntil he had beaten Sihon and Og and given pounding'' the Teaching, when there are so many new (Prov. 25:13). Note that the verse literally them possession of the lands of those two commandments in this book? F Shouldn't Moses says that he ``undertook [it and] expounded kings. Who dwelt in Heshbon. Even if Si- have told the story of receiving the Torah (which he [it].'' For a similar sequence of two verbs in ch. 5) before repeating what ``the LORD our that are linked without the Hebrew using hon had not been such a tough nut to crack, does spoke to us at Horeb'' (v. 6) that event? But ``and,'' compare ``my beloved had turned, had he been entrenched in Heshbon, a tough God in fact by the end of ch. 3 he will have brought the city, he would have been tough to beat. Had story right up to the 40th year before going back to the gone'' (Song 5:6). 6 Horeb. This is Sinai. See my comment he been entrenched in any other city, it giving of the Torah! to Exod. 3:1. would have been tough to conquer because he, its king, was so tough. Just imagine how dif®cult it was when the king and the city were both tough to conquer. Who dwelt at Ashtaroth. Here too, the king was tough and the city was tough. ``Ashtaroth'' is a word meaning ``rugged precipices''; it is the same as Ashteroth-karnaim, ``Ashtaroth of the horns,'' where ``Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim'' (Gen. 14:5). The ``fugitive'' from that battle mentioned in Gen. 14:13 was actually Og: ``Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaim'' (3:11). Edrei. This was the name of the kingdom. 5 Undertook. That is, ``began'': ``Here I venture to speak to my Lord'' (Gen. 18:27). To expound this Teaching. He explained it to them in all 70 languages. 6 You have stayed long enough. This is straightforward enough. But the word translated ``enough'' really means ``much.'' So a midrash adds another reading: You have ``much'' greatness and reward for ``staying'' at this mountain. You have made a tabernacle, after

NAHMANIDES 4 Who dwelt in Heshbon. Which was not his; he had conquered it from the king of Moab and built it to be his royal capital. Who dwelt at Ashtaroth and Edrei. The same thing applies here. This was Rephaim country, and Og (like Sihon) was one

of the kings of the Amorites, as I will explain (God willing) in my comment to 3:11. But the Hebrew really says ``in Ashtaroth, at Edrei'' (OJPS), which tells us that Ashtaroth was the name of a region in which there was a town called Edrei. I don't know where Rashi got the idea that ``Ashtaroth'' has to do with ``rugged precipices,'' though it's true that there were rock fortresses at Ashteroth-karnaim, which the text likens to karnaim, animal horns. (Compare the similar metaphor in Job 39:28, where the eagle lodges ``upon the tooth of the rock.'') Rashi also adds (in his comment to 7:13) a reference to Ashtaroth as meaning ``riches,'' based on the link with osher (``wealth'') noted by the Sages. What the word literally means is ``sheep.'' Note that sheep and goats climb up on the crags; this is responsible for the connection with ``horns'' that gives us the name ``Ashteroth-karnaim,'' the Sheep Horn Mountains. On the lower slopes of these mountains they built a city they called Edrei (see 3:1). There Og gathered his forces, at the city where he had built his royal palace and established his capital. What the Sifrei means (misunderstood by Rashi) is that Edrei was like Ashtaroth(-karnaim, where Og and his family came from)Ðtough to conquer. But Edrei was the name of his current capital, for the name of the kingdom was Bashan. 5 Moses undertook to expound this Teaching. This implies that he was also repeating the commandments already given and adding certain details. Saying that he ``undertook'' to do so meant that he had not been commanded to do so by GodÐit was his own idea. The Hebrew verb really means that he ``wanted'' to do so: ``Won't you stay overnight and enjoy yourself?'' (Judg. 19:6); ``If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!'' (Josh. 7:7)Ðto cite just a few of the numerous examples. 6 The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying. In my opinion, Horeb is the name of a place near Mount Sinai, where the Israelites stayed during that year. The wilderness, after all, was large; and in it was ``the mountain God desired'' (Ps. 68:17), which was called Sinai. That is why the wilderness itself was called SinaiÐas if to say ``the wilderness of Mount Sinai.'' When Exod. 19:2 tells us, ``they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain,'' we must understand that this place in front of the mountain was called Horeb. It may be that both the mountain and the wilderness were named Sinai from sneh, the word for the many thornbushes found in that area. In that region, near the mountain, there was a place, perhaps a settlement, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 4 After he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites...and King Og of Bashan. Once the Israel-

ites saw that these two mighty kings had fallen, they understood that it was for nothing that their forefathers had abandoned the conquest of the land. When they understood this, Moses began to rebuke them (Bekhor Shor). Moses' point was that, now that the Israelites were done with the sins for which they had been forced to spend 40 years in the wilderness, they had easily defeated these two mighty kings despite their forti®cations (Gersonides). Moses wanted to make sure they understood that all this had not happened naturally, but miraculously (Abarbanel). Moses waited to say these things to the Israelites until they had reached a secure place in a settled land (Sforno). 6 The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb. Moses only said this in order to start his speech with a joke; God had spoken only to him, not to them all (Hizkuni).

6

7 DEUTERONOMY 1:6±9 DEVARIM NJPS

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B OK ZCE

OJPS

enough at this mountain. 7Start out and make your way enough in this mountain; 7turn you, and take your to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites and unto all the Arabah, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Negeb, the the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and the Lebanon, as far as in the Lowland, and in the South, and by the sea-shore; the land the Great River, the river Euphrates. 8See, of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as I place the land at your disposal. Go, take eÚÒe ´ § | et ´ § 7 :‰f‰ «¤ © ¯‰a ¬¨ ¨ ˙·L ¤ −¤ ÌÎÏ-·¯ ¬¤ ¨ © the great river, the river Euphrates. 8Behold, I have set the land before you: go in possession of the land that the LORD Ÿ ¸ ÌÎÏ ¼ÂÈÎL-Ïk ¨¥ § ¨ -χ ¤ § »È¯Ó‡‰ ¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ ¯‰ ¬© e‡·e ¤À ¨ swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and and possess the land which the L ORD ´ § ·‚p·e ¤ −¤ © ‰ÏÙM·e ¬¨ ¥ § © ¯‰· ²¨ ¨ ‰·¯Úa ¬¨ ¨ £ ¨ swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Jacob, to assign to them and to their heirs ÛBÁ·e ½ ¨ § © § ÆÈÚk‰ after them. ¯‰p‰-„Ú ¬¨ ¨ © © ÔB·l‰Â ¦ £ © § «© ı¯‡ ¤ ³¤ Ìi‰ ®¨ © Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and 9Thereupon I said to you, ``I cannot bear Ÿ − ¨ © to their seed after them.'' ÌÎÈÙÏ −¤ ¥ § ¦ Èz˙ ¦ ¬© ¨ ‰‡¯ ²¥ § 8 :˙¯t-¯‰ «¨ § © § Ï„b‰ 9And I spoke unto you at that time, Ÿ μ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ eL¯e ´ § e‡a ¤ ®¨ ¨ ¤ saying: ``I am not able to bear you myself a lampstand, and sacred uten-

RASHI

³¨ § ¦ § ̉¯·‡Ï ¨¸ ¨ § © § ÌÎÈ˙·‡Ï ¤¹ ¥ Ÿ ¸ £ © ‰Â‰È ¨ §  ÚaL ´© § ¦ sils; you have received the Torah; and you ˜ÁˆÈÏ have appointed for yourselves a Sanhedrin Ÿ £ © § « IBN EZRA 7 Start out. Literally ``turn'' :̉ȯÁ‡ «¤ ¥ £ © ÌÚ¯ÊÏe −¨ § © § Ì‰Ï ¤½ ¨ ˙˙Ï ´¥ ¨ Æ·˜ÚÈÏe as well as chiefs of thousands and chiefs of (OJPS); but it means ``leave this place.'' And Ÿ ¯Ó‡Ï Ÿ ® ¥ ‡Â‰‰ -‡Ï −¦ © ˙Úa ¬¥ ¨ ÌÎÏ ¤½ ¥ ‡ £ ¯Ó‡Â ´© Ÿ ¨ 9 make your way. Though the verb is differhundreds. 7 Start out and make your way. To ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If Moses' intent ent, the syntax is the same as in ``Go you Arad and Hormah. [D] To the hill country was to chronicle their journeys, why did he omit so forth'' (Gen. 12:2). Adding ``you'' or ``your'' of the Amorites and to all their neigh- much, including even the exodus from Egypt itself ? to such a phrase is a typical feature of Bibbors. The Amorites are mentioned explic- But if his intent was merely to reproach the Israelites, lical Hebrew literary style. itly; the ``neighbors'' are Ammon, Moab, and why begin with the story of appointing the subordi9 I cannot bear the burden of you by nate judges (vv. 9±18)? F Why does Moses say this Mount Seir. In the Arabah. The ``steppe,'' happened myself. As Jethro had told him, ``You can``at that time'' (v. 9, OJPS)Ðthat is, as they referring here to the ¯at, forested country. were about to leave SinaiÐwhen we know from not do it by yourself'' (Exod. 18:18). The hill country. This is what is referred to Exodus 18 that all this took place before the giving of in rabbinic literature as ``the royal moun- the Torah? F How can Moses claim that these ap- NAHMANIDES named Horeb, and that tain,'' that is, the central hill country. The pointments were his own idea when Exodus 18 tells is where they stayed. Remember that when Shephelah. The low country of the south. us that Jethro suggested them? (Admittedly, it is an- Moses was tending Jethro's sheep, he ``came puzzle how the wisest of all prophets could have The Negeb, the seacoast. Ashkelon, Gaza, other to the mountain of God, unto Horeb'' (Exod. Caesarea, and the like. All this is explained failed to come up with this idea himself.) 3:1, OJPS). That is, he came to Horeb, where in the Sifrei. As far as the Great River, the mountain of God (with its burning bush) river Euphrates. Though it was the smallest of the four rivers of Gen. 2:10±14 (being the was. This was the place, facing the mounlisted last), it is called ``great'' here by virtue of being mentioned in association with the tain, where Israel would camp for a year. land of Israel. As the saying goes, ``The king's servant is a king himself.'' Stick close to the That is why Moses had to ``turn aside to powerful and people will bow down to you; touch one who is anointed with fragrant oil look'' (Exod. 3:3) at the bushÐhe had to and some of it will rub off on you. from Horeb to the mountain. Admit8 See, I place the land at your disposal. You see it with your own eyes. I am not move tedly, even the mountain is sometimes telling you this by hearsay. Go, take possession of the land. There is no one to object; called ``Horeb'' in the text: ``So the Israelites you will not have to ®ght. Ð Had they not sent the spies, they would not even have had remained stripped of the ®nery from Mount to carry weapons. To your fathers. This being said, why must the text specify them as Horeb on'' (Exod. 33:6). But the Hebrew exAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob? To emphasize that even Abraham alone, Isaac alone, or pression really means ``the mountain of Jacob alone would have deserved this. that is, the mountain that is in 9 Thereupon I said to you. More precisely, I said to you ``saying'' (OJPS). Moses said Horeb,'' Horeb (or ``facing'' Horeb). ``Be mindful of to them, ``I am not saying this to you on my own, but on the instructions of the Holy One.'' the Teaching of My servant Moses, whom I I cannot bear the burden of you by myself. Can one imagine that Moses was unable to charged at Horeb with laws and rules for all judge Israel? Could the man who brought them out of Egypt, split the sea for them, brought Israel'' (Mal. 3:22) refers generally to everydown the manna, and swept a ¯ock of quail from the sea for them not be able to judge thing he was commanded, both at the mounthem? What he meant was this: ``The LORD your God has made you great'' (as v. 10 tain and at the Tent of Meeting (which of literally says)Ðsuperior to your judges; He has taken your punishment away from you and course was in Horeb). In Midrash Yelam[D] See Numbers 21. medenu I have found the following midrash: ```You had never heard, you had never known, your ears were not opened of old' [Isa. 48:8]Ð`You had never heard' at Sinai; `you had never known' at Horeb; `your ears were not opened' in the steppes of Moab.'' This implies that Horeb was the location of the Tent of Meeting. [B] But Ibn Ezra thinks Horeb is simply an alternative name for Sinai (see his comment to Exod. 3:1), both names referring to the climate of the location, its dryness and its thornbushes. 7 Start out and make your way. The verse continues with the location where they were to go and the route they were to follow. 8 See, I place the land at your disposal. Go, take possession of the land. The latter phrase shows that this is not a promise, but a command; see my comment to Num. 33:53. That the LORD swore to your fathers. Here the Lord refers to Himself in the third person; see my comment to ``Come up to the LORD'' of Exod. 24:1. 9 Thereupon. Rather, ``at that time'' (OJPS), before the Lord told us to start outÐthis, at least, is the opinion of those who say that Jethro came to the Israelites (see Exodus 18) before the giving of the Torah (Exodus 19±20). That is, this all happened ``at the time'' we

[B] Sinai, the Tent of Meeting, and the steppes of Moab were the three locations where the laws were given to Israel.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 I cannot bear the burden of you by myself.

Rather, ``I cannot carry the burden of you to the land all by myself''; see Num. 11:12, where the verb is used this way. ``And I certainly would not be able to rule you there as I can here, where you all dwell in the one camp'' (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 1:9±13 DEVARIM

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the burden of you by myself. 10The L ORD your God alone; 10the L ORD your God hath multiplied you, and, has multiplied you until you are today as numerous as the stars behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.Ð in the sky.Ð11May the L ORD, the God of your fathers, in- 11The L ORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand crease your numbers a thousandfold, and bless you as He prom- times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised you.Ð12How can I bear unaided the ised you!Ð12How can I myself alone bear trouble of you, and the burden, and your cumbrance, and your burden, and ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § 10 :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ ˙‡N ¬¥ § Èc·Ï −¦ © § ÏÎe‡ ¬© the bickering! 13Pick from each of your your strife? 13Get you, from each one of Ÿ ½ ÌBi‰ © ÌÎp‰Â ´ ¤ § ¦ § ÌÎ˙‡ ® ¤ § ¤ ‰a¯‰ ´ ¨ § ¦ ÌÎÈ‰Ï − ¤ ¥ ‡ ¡ tribes men who are wise, discerning, and your tribes, wise men, and understanding,

F [RK

RASHI

Ÿ « ¨ ÌÈÓM‰ º¨ § 11 :·¯Ï È‰Ï ´¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¦ −© ¨ © È·ÎBÎk ¬¥ § § ®¦ ¨ § ÛϤ ‡ ´¤ ÌÎk −¤ ¨ ÌÎÈÏÚ ²¤ ¥ £ ÛÒÈ ¯¥Ÿ ÌÎ˙B·‡ ÌÈÓÚt ¤À ¥ « £ ‰Îȇ ¬¨ ¥ 12 :ÌÎÏ «¤ ¨ ¯ac ¬¤ ¦ ¯L −¤ ‡k £ © ÌÎ˙‡ ¤½ § ¤ C¯·È ´¥ ¨ ¦ :Ìηȯ «¤ § « ¦ § Ì·OÓe −¤ £ © «© ÌÎÁ¯Ë ¬¤ £ § ¨ Èc·Ï ®¦ © § ‡O‡ −¨ ¤ ÌÈ·e ² ¦ Ÿ § ÌÈÓÎÁ ¯¦ ¨ £ ÌÈL‡ ¦¸ ¨ £ ÌÎÏ ¤ ¨  e·‰ ´ ¨ 13

given it to your judges. You ®nd the same of Solomon, who said, ``Who can judge this vast people of Yours?'' (1 Kings 3:9). Could ``the wisest of all men'' (1 Kings 5:11) really ask this question? What Solomon meant was this: The judges of this people are not like the judges of any other people. Judges of other nations can pervert justice, steal, even kill, and think nothing of it. But with us, if I mistakenly ®ne someone so much as a penny, my life is forfeit: ``For the LORD will take up their cause and despoil of life those who despoil them'' (Prov. 22:23). Were they really so numerous on that day? There were just 600,000 Israelites. So what did Moses mean by saying this? That ``you are this day as the stars of heaven'' (OJPS). Metaphorically, he was saying, ``You are as permanent as the sun, moon, and stars.''

10 You are today as numerous as the stars in the sky.

IBN EZRA 10 The LORD your God has multiplied you. In Egypt, as he swore to your ancestor Jacob. [D] As numerous as the stars in the sky. This is meant to be a rhetorical image, not a precise number. 11 A thousandfold. Literally, ``a thou-

sand times.'' In Arabic one would say the reverse, ``times thousand,'' just as one says ``two thousand'' or ``three thousand.'' Compare ``They are become a burden to Me, I cannot endure them'' (Isa. 1:14). The ``trouble'' Moses is referring to is his dif®culty in getting fools to understand the commandments. ``Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me?'' (Num. 11:11)Ðtheir asking for bread, water, and meat. With each other. This verb is grammatically strange; one would expect the vowel under

12 The trouble.

11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase your numbers a thousand- den. fold. What then could Moses mean by adding, and bless you as He promised you? The

The bur-

Israelites said to him, ``Moses, you are putting a limit on our blessings! The Holy One has already promised Abraham, `I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted' [Gen. 13:16].'' Moses replied, ``That was my personal blessing. But He will certainly bless you as He promised you.'' Even if I wanted to do so for the sake of reward, I would not be permitted to do so. That is what I meant when I told you that I was not saying this on my [D] See Gen. 46:3. own but on God's instructions. This teaches us that the Israelites were troublemakers. When one of them saw that his opponent was about to win the case, he would claim, ``I have more witnesses to bring! I have more evidence to bring! I want to add more judges to the case!'' This teaches us that the Israelites were irreverent. If Moses left home earlier than usual in the morning, they would say, ``What's the son of Amram in such a hurry for? Maybe he's henpecked?'' But if he was later than usual, they would say, ``Where's Moses? You know what? He's sitting home concocting schemes about you!'' For they were always arguing. What the Hebrew says is, ``Get you'' (OJPS)Ðget yourselves ready for this. Why mention ``men''? Could you imagine they were going to pick women? What Moses meant was that they should pick men who were both righteous and admired.

The

bickering. 13 Pick.

12 How can I bear?

The trouble of you.

And the burden.

13 Pick.

And the bickering!

Men.

Wise,

NAHMANIDES

were dwelling in Horeb. Moses mentions it now, after saying that they had been told to ``take possession of the land'' (v. 8), in order to tell the Israelites: ``Look, we had received the Torah, and you had magistrates and of®cials to govern you and lead you. We were ready to enter the land, and we left Horeb in military formation, with our magistrates and our elders. But you all came to me with your sages and your tribal elders and demanded that we send the spiesÐwhich ruined everything.'' The straightforward explanation of this phrase is that Moses is alluding to the three things he told Jethro (in Exod. 18:15±16) that he did for the people; see my comment to Exod. 18:15. refers to ``I make known the laws and teachings of God'' (Exod. 18:16). For Moses took great trouble to teach those who left Egypt all the intricacies of the various laws and teachings. refers to ``the people come to me to inquire of God,'' a reference to all the prayers Moses offered up on their behalf. For the Hebrew noun comes from a root meaning ``to lift up,'' which is also used with prayer: ``if you will offer up prayer for the surviving remnant'' (2 Kings 19:4); ``do not raise a cry of prayer on their behalf'' (Jer. 7:16). is straightforward; it refers to the legal disputes they brought to him. Rashi (following the Sifrei) thinks this falls into the category of ``the burden,'' but I do not know what he could possibly mean by the suggestion that a disputant might say, ``I want to add more judges to the case!'' One might renege after agreeing to let the case be tried before judges who should technically be disquali®ed, but if the judges are quali®ed he cannot reject them just because they rule against him. We do encourage litigants who wish to add additional (and better quali®ed) judges to hear a case, and ®nding these extra judges can sometimes be a dif®culty. But in the wilderness they had all the sages of Israel right there with them, and they could easily say, ``Let's go before the chiefs of thousands.''

12 The trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering! you The burden

The trouble of The bickering

13 Pick from each of your tribes men who are wise, discerning, and experienced, and I will appoint them as your heads.

Moses was referring to the judges who would settle the legal disputes, not to the other two categories; he said he would ``appoint them as

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase your numbers a thousandfold.

Rather, ``[I know that] the LORD, the God of your fathers, will increase your numbers a thousandfold, and bless you as He promised you.'' How much more dif®cult it will be for me then to ``bear unaided the trouble of you'' (v. 12)! (Bekhor Shor). With the two halves of v. 10, this verse combines to illustrate their increase in past, present, and future (Abarbanel). ``The trouble,'' your quarrels with each other; ``the burden,'' carrying you into the land; and ``the bickering,'' the ®ghting with your enemies along the way (Abarbanel).

12 The trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering!

8

9 DEUTERONOMY 1:13±16 DEVARIM NJPS

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experienced, and I will appoint them as your heads.'' and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over You answered me and said, ``What you propose to do is good.'' you.'' 14And ye answered me, and said: ``The thing which 15 So I took your tribal leaders, wise and experienced men, and thou hast spoken is good for us to do.'' 15So I took the heads of appointed them heads over you: chiefs of your tribes, wise men, and full of knowlthousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of edge, and made them heads over you, :ÌÎÈL «¤ ¥ ‡¯a ¨ § ÌÓÈN‡Â −¥ ¦ £ © ÌÎÈË·LÏ ®¤ ¥ § ¦ § ÌÈÚ„È −¦ ª ¦ ®fties, and chiefs of tens, and ofcaptains of thousands, and captains of hun½ § Ÿ ´ © È˙‡ ¤‡ £ ¯·c‰-·BË ¬¨ ¨ © « e¯Ó‡z ®¦ Ÿ eÚz − £ © «© 14 dreds, and captains of ®fties, and captains ®cials for your tribes. 16I charged your -¯L magistrates at that time as follows, ``Hear ÈL º© ¤ ¨ 15 :˙BNÚÏ ´¥ ‡¯-˙‡ ¨ ¤ Áw‡Â « £ © z¯ac ¨ § −© ¦ of tens, and of®cers, tribe by tribe. 16And out your fellow men, and decide justly Ôz‡Â ½¦ ª « ¦ ÆÌÈÓÎÁ ¬¥ ¤ ¨ ÌÈÚ„È ¦ ¨ £ ÌÈL‡ ³¦ ¨ £ ÌÎÈË·L ¤À ¥ § ¦ I charged your judges at that time, saying: ``Hear the causes between your brethren, between any man and a fellow Israelite or a ¹¦ ¨ ‡ ¸¥ ¨ ÌÎÈÏÚ È¯N ´¥ ¨ § ÌÈÙÏ £ ȯN ®¤ ¥ £ ÌÈL −¦ ‡¯¨ Ì˙B‡ ²¨ and judge righteously between a man and Ÿ ½ ¨ £ ȯN À ¥ his brother, and the stranger that is with ˙¯NÚ ´¥ ¨ § ÆÌÈMÓÁ ¦ ¦ £ ȯN ³¥ ¨ § ˙B‡Ó 14

RASHI discerning.

Able to ``read be- -˙‡¤ Ɖeˆ‡Â ¤ © £ ¨ 16 :ÌÎÈË·LÏ «¤ ¥ § ¦ § ÌȯËL −¦ § Ÿ § tween the lines.'' As Arius asked R. Yose: Ÿ ® ¥ ‡Â‰‰ ©Ÿ ³ ¨ ¯Ó‡Ï −¦ © ˙Úa ¬¥ ¨ ÌÎÈËÙL ¤½ ¥ § Ÿ ´ IBN EZRA the F to be a patah hatuf, not What is the difference between ``wise'' and -ÔÈa¥ ÚÓL . . ``discerning''? A wise man resembles a rich -ÔÈ·e ¥ Lȇ-ÔÈa ¬ ¦ «¥ ˜„ˆ ¤ ¤½ ÌzËÙLe ´¤ § © § ÆÌÎÈÁ‡ ¤ ¥ £ a kamatz. Experienced. Rather, ``known'' banker. When they bring him coins to exto everyone. amine, he does so; when they do not bring ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If Moses' own rul15 Chiefs of thousands. See my comhim anything, he just sits there and wonders ings had been suf®cient to take care of Israel up to that ment to this phrase at Exod. 18:21. what to do. A discerning man resembles an time, wouldn't 10 or 20 new judges be enough? But 16 Hear out. This usage of the in®nitive enterprising banker. When they bring him Moses appointed 78,600 judges, all the way down to absolute implies an understood imperative. ``chiefs of tens'' (v. 15). F Why was all of Moses' efcoins to examine, he does so; when they fort Compare ``Remember the sabbath day'' concentrated on the court system and none on the don't, he goes and gets some. Experienced. military (Exod. 20:8). [E] Or a stranger. See my or other aspects of leadership? The translations have moved the last word comment to Gen. 15:13. of the phrase forward. The Hebrew here [E] When the in®nitive absolute is combined with another really says, ``experienced with your tribes.'' They should be people who are familiar to you. verb, it adds emphasis; compare (e.g.) ``If . . . you obey'' If someone comes before me wrapped in his prayer shawl, I have no idea who he is, what (11:13). tribe he is from, and whether or not he is a wholesome person. But you will know, for you grew up with him. That is why the judges have to be ``experienced with your tribes.'' I will appoint them. The Hebrew word asimem is spelled OP[B, without the expected K, so that it can also be read as ashemim, ``guilty.'' [E] Israel's guilt depends on its leaders, who are responsible for objecting to bad behavior and directing them onto the right path. As your heads. You must approach them with awe and treat them with respect. 14 You answered me. You decided that it was to your bene®t to go along with the plan. What you should have answered was, ``Moses, our master, how could it be better to be judged by your disciples than by you, who have done it so painstakingly?'' But I know what you were thinking: ``He's going to appoint so many judges! If it's someone who does not know us, we'll just bring the judge a little `gift' and he'll be on our side.'' What you propose to do. If I had procrastinated, you would have said, ``Hurry up and do it!'' 15 So I took your tribal leaders. I ``took'' them along with me, persuading them as follows: ``How lucky you are! Over whom are you to be appointed? Over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; over people who are called `brothers and friends' [Ps. 122:8], `the LORD's portion . . . His own allotment' [Deut. 32:9], and many other expressions of endearment.'' Wise and experienced men. But I did not ®nd any who were discerning. Ð This is one of the seven qualities Jethro described to Moses, [F] of which he found just three: righteous, wise, and experienced. And appointed them heads over you. They should be at your head in buying, in selling, and in negotiation. The judges should be the last to enter and the ®rst to leave. Chiefs of thousands. One was appointed over each 1,000 Israelites. Chiefs of hundreds. Another was appointed over each 100 Israelites. Of®cials for your tribes. These were the men who would put them in the stocks or whip them at the judges' instructions. 16 I charged your magistrates. I told them: Be deliberate in judgment. If a case comes before you not just once but two or three times, don't say, ``This case has already been before me many times,'' but discuss it once again. At that time. As soon as I appointed them, I said to them: The old days are gone. In the old days, you were your own bossesÐnow you are public servants. A stranger. Literally, ``his ger,'' the one who alleges (oger) things about him. Another reading: The stranger ( ger) can also be read as ``one who lives ( gar) with him.'' You must judge even brothers who are quarreling about how to divide household effects, right down to the oven and the stove. [E] In our texts the word is spelled with K.

[F] The other four are presumably those of Exod. 18:21: ``(1) capable men who (2) fear God, (3) trustworthy men who (4) spurn ill-gotten gain.''

NAHMANIDES

your heads,'' implying that they would teach and pray for the people too, out of modesty. Rashi's comment that the judges must be ``experienced with your tribes'' (which he took from the Sifrei) goes against the straightforward sense, which is given by the translations. The Hebrew word means not ``experienced'' but ``known,'' and in my opinion it is to be taken literally. In order for them to be appointed as judges, they must be well known as men of judicial temperament. The word encompasses all the qualities enumerated by Jethro: ``capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who spurn ill-gotten gain'' (Exod. 18:21). Moses was telling them to pick people of whom everyone would say, ``Yes, he deserves to be a judge.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 Chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of ®fties, and chiefs of tens. The same four levels of government that exist in Venice today (Abarbanel). The Israelites were so quarrelsome that each group of 10 of them needed its own private judge (Sforno). Of®cials for your tribes. One for each (Abarbanel). 16 A stranger. What Rashi means is not that one should be given the oven and the other the stove, but that the judge must appraise

them precisely and have one give money to the other to make the values come out precisely even (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 1:16±19 DEVARIM

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stranger. 17You shall not be partial in judgment: hear out OJPS him. 17Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall low and high alike. Fear no man, for judgment is God's. And hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the any matter that is too dif®cult for you, face of any man; for the judgment is you shall bring to me and I will hear it.'' ÌÈÙ 17 Ÿ ¹¦ ¨ e¯Èk˙-‡Ï ¸¦ © « :B¯b« ¥ ÔÈ·e ¬¥ ÂÈÁ‡ −¦ ¨ God's; and the cause that is too hard for 18Thus I instructed you, at that time, about you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear Ÿ ¨ © ÔËwk Ÿ ³ ¨ © ËtLna Ÿ ³ ÔeÚÓLz Æe¯e‚˙ Æ ¨ ‡Ï ½ ¨ § ¦ ÆÏ„bk ¨À § ¦ © the various things that you should do. it.'' 18And I commanded you at that time 19We set out from Horeb and traveled ½¦ ¥ § ¦ all the things which ye should do. ‡e‰® ÌÈ‰Ï ´ ¦ Ÿ ‡Ï¥ ËtLn‰ −¨ § ¦ © Èk ¬ ¦ Lȇ-ÈtÓ 19And we journeyed from Horeb, and the great and terrible wilderness that you ÈÏ −© ‡¥ Ôe·¯˜z ¬ ¦ § © ÌkÓ ¤½ ¦ ‰L˜È ´¤ § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ Ư·c‰Â ¨ ¨© § went through all that great and dreadful ‡Â‰‰ ®¦ © ˙Úa ´¥ ¨ ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰eˆ‡Â ¬¤ © £ ¨ 18 :ÂÈzÚÓLe «¦ § © §

NJPS

RASHI 17 You shall not be partial in judgment. This is directed at the person

:ÔeNÚz « £ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ìȯ·c‰-Ïk −¦ ¨ § © ¨ ˙‡ ¬¥ IBN EZRA 17 You shall not be parwho appoints the judges. He must not say, ¯a„n‰-Ïk Ÿ ¿ À ´¨ § ¦ © ¨ ˙‡ ´¥ CÏp ¤ ¥ © ·¯ÁÓ ¥ ¥ Úqp ´© ¦ © 19 tial. Literally, ``you shall not recognize a ``So-and-So is powerful (or simply pleasant); ¹ © ‡¯Bp‰Â ¸¨ © § ÁÏB„b‰ ¤À ¦ § ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‡e‰‰ ¨ © face,'' that is, you must not force the out¤ ¤μ Ì˙ȇ¯ let me appoint him as judge. So-and-So is C¯c come to go in favor of someone just because my relative; I will appoint him to the municihe is an acquaintance of yours. pal court''Ðhe must not say this if the person is not quali®ed to be a judge. Such a judge 18 The various things that you should might end up convicting the innocent and acquitting the guilty. So I consider the person do. The laws and rules that he had taught who appointed the judge as if he himself had been ``partial in judgment.'' Hear out low them. and high alike. Rather, ``the small and the great'' matter (see OJPS). You must consider a 19 The great and terrible wilderness. case involving one perutah to be as signi®cant as one involving 100 minas. If the perutah This is a reference to the eleven-day journey case comes before you ®rst, you must not postpone it until after the 100-mina case. Another reading: Understand it, indeed, to mean ``low and high'' (as did Onkelos). You must not say, ``This man is poor and the other one is rich and commanded to provide for him anyway; I will rule in favor of the poor man, and he can get his support without embarrassment.'' Another reading: You must not say, ``How can I tarnish this rich man's reputation for the sake of a single dinar? I will rule in his favor, but on his way out I will say to him, `Give the man his moneyÐyou really do owe it to him.''' Fear no man. Another reading takes taguru as a form of ta'aguru: ``He who lays in stores during the summer'' (Prov. 10:5). Do not keep your own words in for fear of another man. For judgment is God's. What you take unjustly from this man you compel Me to give back to him. Thus you end up directing your unfair judgment against Me. You shall bring to me. For saying this, Moses was punished by being unable to judge the case of the daughters of Zelophehad. [G] The same thing happened when Samuel told Saul, ``I am the seer'' (1 Sam. 9:19). The Holy One said to him, ``I am going to make you realize that you are no seer! I guarantee it.'' And when did He do so? When Samuel went to anoint David. ``When . . . he saw Eliab, he thought: `Surely the LORD's anointed stands before Him.''' The Holy One said to him, ``I thought you were the one who said, `I am the seer'! `Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. For not as man sees does the LORD see; man sees only what is visible, but the LORD sees into the heart' [1 Sam. 16:6±7].'' 18 I instructed you, at that time, about the various things that you should do. Literally, ``all the things.'' This refers to the 10 things that distinguish civil cases from criminal ones. [H] 19 The great and terrible wilderness. In which there were snakes as big as a wooden beam and scorpions the size of a longbow. [G] See Numbers 27. [H] See M. Sanh. 4:1±2.

NAHMANIDES 17 For judgment is God's.

``Consider what you are doing, for you judge not on behalf of man, but on behalf of the LORD, and He is with you when you pass judgment'' (2 Chron. 19:6). It is God's responsibility to deal justly with His creatures; He created them with the intent that there be honesty and righteousness among them and that they ``rescue him who is robbed from him who defrauded him'' (Jer. 21:12). He has put you in His place to perform these tasks, so if you scheme to pervert justice, you will have sinned against the Lord. For you will have broken faith with the task He assigned you. 18 Thus I instructed you, at that time, about the various things that you should do. See Rashi's comment (which follows the Sifrei). If he is correct, our verse would be continuing the instructions to the judges in vv. 16±17. (The reason for simply mentioning the 10 differences rather than listing them would be that all of them can be derived from the text.) The straightforward sense, though, is that Moses is referring to ``the laws and the teachings . . . the way they are to go and the practices they are to follow'' (Exod. 18:20). For everything was told to all Israel directly from the mouth of Moses. He mentions this for the following reason. Everyone knows that Moses here is describing the advice Jethro gave to him in Exodus 18. As I explained in my comment to Exod. 18:20, it was only with regard to disputes that Jethro suggested he name judges to assist him, not with regard to prayer or instruction. Our verse, then, is making clear that the ``chiefs of thousands'' (v. 15) and so on were solely judicial appointments, for ``Moses heeded his father-in-law and did just as he had said'' (Exod. 18:24). He himself retained the task of instructing them in what they should do. As to why Moses makes no reference here to Jethro, in my opinion he did not want to refer to him in front of all Israel out of modesty. [C] Or perhaps he thought that this generation would think it dishonorable if he were to remind them that he had married a Cushite woman. Or it may simply be that Moses had in fact consulted with the Shekhinah and taken Jethro's advice on God's orders. [C] This would seem to mean modesty on 's behalf. Another reading of Nahmanides' commentÐvery similar in HebrewÐsuggests that Moses did not want to embarrass the Israelites Jethro

(by reminding them that Jethro had found them excessively quarrelsome).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 Hear out low and high alike. That is, rich and poor alike. They must tell the rich man, ``Either dress like him or dress him like you''Ðso that the arguments of the poor man are not automatically silenced by the difference in their clothing (Bekhor Shor). Fear no man, for judgment is God's. The judges must simply tell those they punish, ``It is not me who has judged you, but God'' (Hizkuni). 18 Thus I instructed you, at that time, about the various things that you should do. You therefore realize that it was not so that you might learn Torah that you remained in the wilderness for 40 years, but for your sins; when the time came, I taught you everything rather quickly (Hizkuni). 19 The great and terrible wilderness. Where no one had gone before; God wanted their journey to be as short as possible so they could enter the land immediately (Sforno).

10

11 DEUTERONOMY 1:19±25 DEVARIM NJPS

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saw, along the road to the hill country of the Amorites,

as the L ORD our God had commanded us. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,

20

I said to you, ``You have come to the hill

country of the Amorites which the L ORD our God is giving to us.

21

See, the L ORD your God has placed

the land at your disposal. Go up, take possession, as the L ORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. Fear not and be not dismayed.'' 22

Then all of you came to me and said,

``Let us send men ahead to reconnoiter the land for us and bring back word on the route we shall follow and the cities we shall come to.''

23

I approved of the plan,

and so I selected twelve of your men, one from each tribe.

24

They made for the hill

country, came to the wadi Eshcol, and spied it out.

25

They took some of the fruit

of the land with them and brought it down

RASHI 22 Then all of you came to me. All mixed together. But later Moses

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wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country

of the Amorites, as the L ORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

20

And I said unto you: ``Ye are come

unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which the L ORD our God giveth unto us.

21

Behold, the L ORD thy

½ ¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ ¯‰ eÈ‰Ï −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‰eˆ ²¨ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © ȯӇ‰ ´© God hath set the land before thee; go up, take possession, as the L ORD, the God of Ÿ ¾ ¨ © e˙‡ −© Ÿ ¨ 20 :Ú¯a © «¥ § © L„˜ ¬¥ ¨ „Ú −© ‡·p ®¨ Ÿ ¯Ó‡Â thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear ½ ¦Ÿ ¡ ¨ ¯‰-„Ú ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ȯӇ‰ ´© © ÆÌ˙‡a ¤ ¨ ÌÎÏ ®¤ ¥ ‡ £ not, neither be dismayed.'' And ye came near unto me every one EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § Ô˙ ©¸ ¨ ‰‡¯ ¥ §Â 21 :eÏ «¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ eÈ‰Ï −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ of you, and said: ``Let us send men before ¯ac ¤¸ ¦ Á¯L ¤ ‡k £ © L¯À¥ ‰ÏÚ ´¥ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ®¨ ¨ ¤ EÈÙÏ −¤ ¨ § us, that they may search the land for us, Ƥ Ÿ £ È‰Ï ¹¨ § and bring us back word of the way by -χ © § ‡¯Èz-Ï −¨ ¦ ‡© CϨ½ ÆEÈ˙·‡ ³¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È :˙Áz «¨ ¥ which we must go up, and the cities unto K[KN[ À § Ÿ © ¼ÌÎlk ‰ÁÏL ³¨ § § ¦ e¯Ó‡z ¤ § ª »ÈÏ© ‡¥ Ôe·¯˜z ´ § § ¦ © 22 which we shall come.'' And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ®¨ ¨ ¤ eÏ-e¯tÁÈ −¨ § § © § eÈÙÏ ¥½ ¨ § ÆÌÈL‡ ¦ ¨£ you, one man for every tribe; and they ƨ Ÿ e·LÈ -‰ÏÚ ¤ £ © ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆC¯c‰-˙‡ ¤ Ƥ © ¤ ¯·c ¨½ ¨ Æe˙‡ ³¦ ¨ § turned and went up into the mountains, Ÿ − ¨ ¯L ½ ¦ ¨ «¤ Æ˙‡Â :Ô‰ÈÏ «¤ ¥ ‡ £ ‡· ¬¤ ‡ £ Ìȯډ ¥ § da¨½ and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and ÌÈL ´¥ § ÆÌkÓ ¤ ¦ Áw‡Â ®¨ ¨ © ÈÈÚa −© ¥ § ·ËÈi ¬© ¦ © 23 spied it out. And they took of the fruit of ³© ¤ ¨ ¯·c‰ the land in their hands, and brought it ÆeÙi § ¦ © 24 :Ë·MÏ ¤ «¨ © „Á‡ −¨ ¤ Lȇ ¬ ¦ ÌÈL‡ ¦½ ¨ £ ¯NÚ ´¨ ¨ Ÿ ® § ‡¤ ÏÁ-„Ú Ÿ − ¨ © ‰¯‰‰ ÏkL © ´© © e‡·i ¨ ¨½ ¨ eÏÚi ´ £ © © IBN EZRA of v. 2. Along the road to 25 ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ȯtÓ ´ ¦ § ¦ ÆÌ„È· ¨ ¨ § eÁ˜i ³ § ¦ © :d˙‡ «¨ Ÿ eÏb¯È − § © § «© the hill country of the Amorites. See v. ½ § Ÿ´ © Ư·„ e¯Ó‡i ¨ ¨ e˙‡ ³¨ Ÿ e·Li ¦¸ ¨ © eÈÏ ®¥ ‡¥ e„¯Bi −¦ © 44. They were to travel in that direction. 22

23

24

25

says, ``You came up to me, all your tribal heads and elders'' (5:20). That time, they came properly, with the younger ones respecting their elders by letting them go ®rst, 22 To reconnoiter. Literally, ``to dig''; and the elders respecting the tribal heads by ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If Moses' intent was compare ``they have come to spy out the letting them go ®rst. But here ``all of you'' indeed to reproach the Israelites, why begin with the whole country'' (Josh. 2:3). ``Digging'' is a came at onceÐwith the youngsters shoving spies (v. 22)? Shouldn't he have mentioned the Golden metaphor for seeking something that is the elders and the elders shoving the tribal Calf episode and the stories of Numbers 11? (Note hidden. The cities we shall come to. The heads. Bring back word. Rather, ``bring that he will ®nally get around to mentioning all these ®rst cities we shall come to. ch. 9.) F How could Moses omit the following back speech.'' Let us know what language in 23 I approved of the plan. Since all of three essential facts: (1) that God had commanded him they speak there. The route we shall fol- to send the spies (Num. 13:2); (2) that he himself had you agreed with it. low. For there is no road without its twists given the spies a long list of information to gather 25 Brought it down. This would make and turns. The cities we shall come to. (Num. 13:17±20); and (3) that the spies reported that sense if it referred to bringing it down from the country was ``one that devours its settlers'' (Num. Which ones we should conquer ®rst. the top of the tree; but the truth is that it 23 I approved of the plan. But the Holy 13:32)Ðthe opposite of what Moses says in v. 25 here! One did not. If Moses approved of it, though, why is he reproaching the Israelites for it? It is like a man who says to someone else, ``Sell me this donkey of yours.'' The other man says, ``All right.'' ``Let me take him out for a test ride ®rst.'' ``All right.'' ``In the mountains.'' ``All right.'' When the purchaser sees that the seller is willing to agree to anything he suggests, he thinks, ``He's sure I will not ®nd anything wrong.'' So he immediately tells him, ``Take the moneyÐI don't need to test him.'' Moses was doing the same thing as the donkey seller in the parable. ``I agreed to everything you said, hoping this would convince you to drop the plan. But you didn't.'' So I selected. From the ``select,'' the ®nest, among you. Twelve of your men, one from each tribe. ``Twelve of your men'' tells us that Moses' own tribe, the tribe of Levi, was not represented among them. 24 They...came to the wadi Eshcol. It was not called this when they came there, of course; the place was named after the eshcol, the cluster of grapes, that the spies would cut down there. And spied it out. The Hebrew word for ``spied'' implies that they went on foot. This tells us that they ended up walking through it in all four directions, covering it warp and woof. 25 Brought it down to us. This tells us that Israel is higher than all other countries. They gave us this report: ``It is a good land.'' Who were ``they'' who gave this report? Joshua and Caleb.

NAHMANIDES 22 The route we shall follow and the cities we shall come to. Again, Rashi's comment is drawn from the Sifrei. As I explained in my comment to Num. 13:2, the Israelites sent the spies (as Moses says here) to determine the best route to follow. 23 I selected twelve of your men. He does not praise them (as he originally did in Num. 13:2±3) as ``chieftains'' or ``leaders of the Israelites''; once they had done wrong, they no longer deserved this praise. 25 It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving to us. Rashi, quoting the Sifrei, says it was only Joshua and Caleb who said

this. If so, I must ask, what is his complaint against the Israelites? Was it not reasonable for them to believe something reported by ten

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 Let us send men ahead. But the Holy One did not agree; in Num. 13:2, He told Moses, `` send men'' (Sforno). The route we shall follow. For some mountain roads are so narrow and convoluted that a single man can block the pass and kill a huge army (Abarbanel). The cities we shall come to. They wanted to ®nd a city weak enough to capture quickly, to frighten You

the Canaanites and to have a place where they could establish their wives and children while they undertook the long task of conquering the rest of the country (Abarbanel). 23 I approved of the plan. There was no intrinsic element of rebellion against God in it; if there had been, God would certainly not have agreed to let them go ahead with it (Gersonides). I never dreamed that you doubted God's promise; I simply thought you wanted to know which part of the land was best to conquer ®rst, since it obviously could not all be conquered in a single year (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 1:25±32 DEVARIM

OK ZCE

B OKZCE

NJPS to us. And they gave us this report: ``It is a good land OJPS down unto us, and brought us back word, and said: that the LORD our God is giving to us.'' ``Good is the land which the LORD our God giveth unto us.'' 26Yet you refused to go up, and ¯outed the command of the 26Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment 27 LORD your God. You sulked in your tents and said, ``It is be- of the LORD your God; 27and ye murmured in your tents, and cause the LORD hates us that He brought us out of the land of said: ``Because the LORD hated us, He hath brought us forth out Egypt, to hand us over to the Amorites to wipe us out. 28What of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, kind of place are we going to? Our kinsto destroy us. 28Whither are we going up? men have taken the heart out of us, saying, :eÏ our brethren have made our heart to melt, «¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ eÈ‰Ï −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ‰·BË ´¨ `We saw there a people stronger and taller Èt-˙‡ saying: The people is greater and taller 26 Ÿ ® £ © Ì˙È·‡ Ÿ¬ § ¾ § © © ˙ÏÚÏ ¬¦ ¤ e¯Óz −¤ ¦ £ ‡Ï than we, large cities with walls sky-high, than we; the cities are great and forti®ed ÆÌÎÈω‡· ¤ ¥ ¢ ¨ § e‚¯z ³ § ¨ ¥ © 27 :ÌÎÈ‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È −¨ § up to heaven; and moreover we have seen and even Anakites.''' 29I said to you, ``Have no dread or fear ½ § Ÿ ´ © the sons of the Anakim there.'' −¨ ¦ ¨½ Ÿ Æ‰Â‰È e‡ÈˆB‰ e˙‡ ¨ § ˙‡Na ³© § ¦ § e¯Ó‡z 30 29Then I said unto you: ``Dread not, of them. None other than the LORD ȯӇ‰ −¦Ÿ ¡ ¨ „Èa ¬© § e˙‡ ²¨ Ÿ ˙˙Ï ¬¥ ¨ ÌȯˆÓ ¦ ®¨ § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ´¤ ¥ your God, who goes before you, will ®ght neither be afraid of them. 30The LORD ÁeÈÁ‡ ¥ © ÌÈÏÚ ¦À Ÿ eÁ‡ § ´© £ | ‰‡ ´¨ ¨ 28 :e„ÈÓL‰Ï «¥ ¦ § © § for you, just as He did for you in Egypt your God who goeth before you, He shall Ÿ À ¥ e··Ï-˙‡ ¨ ¨ ÏB„b ³ ¨ ÌÚ ´© ¯Ó‡Ï ¥¹ ¨ § ¤ eqÓ‰ ©¸ ¥ ®ght for you, according to all that He did before your very eyes, 31and in the wil- Æ̯ Ÿ − § ˙Ï„b Ÿ ¬ Ÿ § ÌÈ¯Ú derness, where you saw how the LORD -Ì‚Â © § ÌÈÓMa ¦ ®¨ ¨ © ˙¯eˆ·e ² ¦ ¨ epnÓ ¤½ ¦ for you in Egypt before your eyes; 31and in your God carried you, as a man carries :ÌL «¨ eȇ¯ ¬ ¦ ¨ ÌȘÚ −¦ ¨ £ Èa ¬¥ § the wilderness, where thou hast seen how his son, all the way that you traveled until that the LORD thy God bore thee, as a man − § « ¦ Ÿ « § Ôeˆ¯Ú˙-‡Ï ¬ § © «© Ÿ ÌÎÏ ®¤ ¥ ‡ £ ¯Ó‡Â −© Ÿ ¨ 29 doth bear his son, in all the way that ye you came to this place. 32Yet for all that, Ôe‡¯È˙-‡Ï ¤½ ¥ § ¦ Cω‰ ´¥ Ÿ © ÆÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤ ¥Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § 30 :Ì‰Ó «¤ ¥ went, until ye came unto this place. 32Yet you have no faith in the LORD your God, ÌÎÈÙÏ Ÿ §  ÌÎÏ ÌÎz‡ ²¤ § ¦ ‰NÚ ¯¨ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÏÎk ®¤ ¨ ÌÁlÈ ´¥ ¨ ¦ ‡e‰− in this thing ye do not believe the LORD RASHI 27 You sulked. Rather, you ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ Ưa„n·e ¨ § ¦ © 31 :ÌÎÈÈÚÏ «¤ ¥ ¥ § ÌȯˆÓa ¦ −© § ¦ § ``murmured'' (OJPS): ``The words of a queruRASHBAM 27 You sulked. Rather, Ÿ ½ Æ ¬¤ ‡k £ © EÈ‰Ï ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § E‡N £ ¨ § ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ˙ȇ¯ ¨ ½¦ ¨ you ``murmured'' (OJPS); the verb is a lous man are bruising'' (Prov. 18:8). It is ¯L because the LORD hates us. In fact, He ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆC¯c‰-ÏÎa ¤ Ƥ © ¨ § Ba ® § -˙‡¤ Lȇ-‡OÈ −¦ ¨ ¦ Niphal, as in Prov. 18:8 (= Prov. 26:22). loved youÐit was you who hated Him. As :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌB˜n‰-„Ú ¬ ¨ © © Ì·a −¤ £ Ÿ -„Ú© ÌzÎω ¤½ § © £ the saying goes, ``You imagine your friend IBN EZRA refers to bringing it ``down'' ½¦ ¦ £ © ÆÌÎȇ −¨ © ÌÈÓ‡Ó ¤ § «¥ ‰f‰ ®¤ © ¯·c·e −¨ ¨ © 32 thinks the same about you as you think ‰Â‰Èa about him.'' That He brought us out of the land of Egypt. It is like a king who had two sons and two ®elds, one that was irrigated and one that was dependent on rainfall. He gave the former to the son he loved and the latter to the one he hated. Egypt is well watered, for the Nile rises and irrigates it, but Canaan is at the mercy of the rain, yet He brought us out of Egypt to give Canaan to us. 28 Large cities with walls sky-high. ``Sky-high'' is an exaggeration, as is sometimes the way of Scripture. 29 Have no dread. Rather (as Onkelos explains it), ``do not break'' under this pressure. ``They live in the clefts of wadis'' (Job 30:6). 31 As a man carries his son. See my comment to Exod. 14:20. 32 Yet for all that. Rather, ``yet in this thing'' (OJPS): the thing that He promisedÐto bring you into the land.

from the Negeb to where the Israelites were. 27 You sulked. Rather you ``murmured'' (OJPS); compare ``the confused shall acquire insight and grumblers accept instruction'' (Isa. 29:24). But in our verse it is Niphal, rather than Qal as in Isaiah. [F] 29 Have no dread. ``Dread Him alone'' (Isa. 8:13). The meaning of the root is ``break''; it implies that one's heart is crippled with fear. [F] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

NAHMANIDES

men more than something reported by two? Perhaps he was saying, ``Since the Holy One has informed you that it is a good land, and the greatest of the spies and the most righteous among them testify to it as well, you should have assumed that the others said what they said because they were fainthearted.'' But the correct explanation is the one I gave in my comment to Num. 13:32. All 12 spies admitted, ``We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed ¯ow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit'' (Num. 13:27). Thus all of them admitted that it was a good land. But their hearts sank at the great strength of the nations who lived there. It was only after they saw Joshua and Caleb encouraging the Israelites to ®ght that the other spies told them, behind Moses' back, that it was a land ``that devours its settlers'' (Num. 13:32). That is what our v. 27 refers to. The people, of course, did not tell Moses this, for it would have contradicted what the spies themselves said openly; rather, they admitted that it was a good land, ¯owing with milk and honey. That is when the interchange of vv. 28±33 took place. Moses reminded them of everything the Holy One had done for them from Egypt onwardÐ ``Yet for all that, you have no faith in the LORD your God'' (v. 32). Their hesitation was a direct result of their lack of faith. Here you have this entire section explained straightforwardly and coherently.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 27 You sulked in your tents. Rather, you ``murmured'' (OJPS); this was ``in your tents'' because it was done secretly. They were expressing things with their lips that were not the same as what was in their hearts (Kimhi). It is because the LORD hates us. For worshiping idols in Egypt (Sforno). 28 What kind of place are we going to? The ®rst word of the verse literally asks, ``Whither?'' (OJPS). Only here and in Ps. 139:7 does the accent on this word fall on the second syllable; ordinarily F at the end of a word, meaning ``to,'' does not take the accent (Masorah). A people stronger and taller. Literally, ``great and tall.'' See also only 9:2; but contrast 2:10 and 2:21, ``a people great and numerous and tall'' (Masorah). With walls sky-high. As high as the air; it is a metaphor (Kimhi). 31 In the wilderness, where you saw how the LORD your God carried you...all the way. Had He wanted to destroy you, He would simply have abandoned you among the serpents and the scorpions (Sforno). 32 Yet for all that. Literally, ``yet in this thing'' (OJPS); the phrase occurs only once elsewhere in the Bible, in 32:47 (Masorah). You have no faith in the LORD your God. Rather, ``have you no faith in the LORD your God?'' (Bekhor Shor).

12

13 DEUTERONOMY 1:33±40 DEVARIM NJPS

OK ZCE

B OK ZCE

OJPS

33who

goes before you on your journeysÐto scout the your God, 33Who went before you in the way, to seek place where you are to encampÐin ®re by night and in cloud by you out a place to pitch your tents in: in ®re by night, to show day, in order to guide you on the route you are to follow.'' you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.'' 34When the L ORD heard your loud complaint, He was angry. 34And the L ORD heard the voice of your words, and was 35 He vowed: Not one of these men, this wroth, and swore, saying: 35``Surely there evil generation, shall see the good land that shall not one of these men, even this evil ¯e˙Ï ¬ ¨ C¯ca ¤ À¤ © ÌÎÈÙÏ ¤¹ ¥ § ¦ Cω‰ ¥¸ Ÿ © 33 :ÌÎÈ‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ I swore to give to your fathersÐ36none exgeneration, see the good land, which I ¨ § ©À | L‡a ´¥ ¨ ÌÎ˙ÁÏ ®¤ § Ÿ « £ «© ÌB˜Ó − ¨ ÌÎÏ ²¤ ¨ swore to give unto your fathers, 36save cept Caleb son of Jephunneh; he shall see ‰ÏÈÏ −¨ ¨ ¤ d·¨½ -eÎÏz § «¥ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆC¯ca ¤ Ƥ © ÆÌÎ˙‡¯Ï ¤ § Ÿ « § © Caleb the son of Jephunneh, he shall see it; it, and to him and his descendants will I ÔÚ·e and to him will I give the land that he hath give the land on which he set foot, because :ÌÓBÈ «¨ trodden upon, and to his children; because he remained loyal to the LORD. Ÿ − § ¦ © ÌÎȯ·c Ûˆ˜i ®¤ ¥ § ¦ ÏB˜-˙‡ ´ ¤ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ÚÓLi ¬© § ¦ © 34 37Because of you the L ORD was inhe hath wholly followed the LORD.'' 37Also the L ORD was angry with me for Ÿ« ¥ ‰‡¯È-̇ ¬¤ § ¦ ¦ 35 :¯Ó‡Ï Ú·Mi ¬© ¨ ¦ © censed with me too, and He said: You shall ÆLȇ¦ 38 not enter it either. Joshua son of Nun, ˙‡ ¥ μ ‰f‰ ®¤ © Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ ¯Bc‰ ¬ © ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ ÌÈL‡a ´ ¦ ¨ £ ¨ your sakes, saying: Thou also shalt not go 38 who attends you, he shall enter it. Imbue ˙˙Ï −¥ ¨ ÈzÚaL ¦ § ©½ § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‰·Bh‰ ¨½ © ı¯‡‰ ¤ ´¨ ¨ in thither; Joshua the son of Nun, who him with strength, for he shall allot it to standeth before thee, he shall go in thither; º¦ ¨ « 36 :ÌÎÈ˙·‡Ï ´ ƉpÙÈ-Ôa ¤ ª § ¤ ·Ïk ³¥ ¨ È˙ÏeÊ «¤ ¥ Ÿ £ © encourage thou him, for he shall cause Israel. 39Moreover, your little ones who you ‡e‰ −¨ -C¯c © «¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ²¨ ¨ ¤ Ôz‡-BÏ ¯¥ ¤ « § ‰p‡¯È ¨ ¤½ § ¦ Israel to inherit it. 39Moreover your little said would be carried off, your children da ones, that ye said should be a prey, and who do not yet know good from bad, they :‰Â‰È «¨ § ȯÁ‡ ¬¥ £ © ‡lÓ −¥ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÔÚÈ © ©¾ ÂÈ·Ïe ®¨ ¨ § your children, that this day have no knowlshall enter it; to them will I give it and they Ÿ ® ¥ ÌÎÏÏ‚a ¯Ó‡Ï −¤ § © § ¦ ‰Â‰È ¨½ § Ûp‡˙‰ ´© © § ¦ ÆÈa¦ -Ìb© 37 edge of good or evil, they shall go in thither, shall possess it. 40As for you, turn about Ÿ ¬ ¨ Ÿ ‰z‡-Ìb ÆÔe-Ôa¦ ÚLB‰È ©³ª § 38 :ÌL «¨ ‡·˙-‡Ï −¨ © © and unto them will I give it, and they shall Note that this ˜fÁ Ÿ ´¨ ‡e‰− EÈÙÏ ¥½ © B˙‡ ´ Ÿ ‰nL ¨ ®¨ ‡·È ¤½ ¨ § „ÓÚ‰ ´¥ Ÿ ¨ possess it. 40But as for you, turn you, and lar'ot

l'har'ot

[I] See Rashi's comment to that verse.

ÁÌÎtËÂ ¤ § © § 39

:χ¯NÈ-˙‡ «¥ ¨ § ¦ ¤ ‰pÏÁÈ ¨ ¬¤ ¦ § © ‡e‰-Èk − ¦ IBN EZRA 33 To guide you. The ¯L¤¸ ‡£ ÌÎÈ·e ¤ ¥ §  ‰È‰È ¤À § ¦ Ê·Ï ´© ¨ Ìz¯Ó‡ ¤¹ § © £ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ . under the N shows that there is a missing F indicating a Hiphil verb, just as with a Ÿ ´ ¨ ‰n‰ ½¨ ¨ ·BË´ ÆÌBi‰© eÚ„È-‡Ï ¨ ®¨ e‡·È ¨ −¥ گ ³ §¨ Ÿ ‰nL et ´ § Ìz‡Â −¤ © § 40 :‰eL¯ÈÈ ¨ « ¨ ¦ ̉ −¥ § ‰pz‡ ¨ ¤½ § ¤ ̉Ï ´¤ ¨ § preposition that conceals the (missing) de®nite article. But the . under the N of ``to :ÛeÒ-ÌÈ « © C¯c ¤ ¬¤ ‰¯a„n‰ ¨ −¨ § ¦ © eÚÒe ¬ § ÌÎÏ ®¤ ¨ encamp'' is simply because of the following

F ZCKTK

RASHI 33 To guide you. is a contracted form of a Hiphil verbÐ instead of . You will ®nd similar forms in Exod. 13:21, 2 Kings 9:15, and Ps. 26:7. 36 The land on which he set foot. Hebron: ``[He] came to Hebron'' (Num. 13:22). [I] 37 Incensed. Filled with anger. 40 As for you, turn about. I intended to move you through the northern part of

pa-

tah

patah

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

How can Moses claim that the Lord punished him ``because of you'' (v. 37), when we know from Num. 20:12 that he was punished for his own sin?

NAHMANIDES 37 Because of you the LORD was incensed with me too. It was sin in the matter of the spies that prevented you from entering the good land, and you sinned yet again and prevented from entering the land. Ð He wanted to make clear that everyone who was prevented from entering the land was punished in that way as a result of the Israelites' sins. Moreover, Moses is telling them that everything that happened was the result of their quarreling; remember that ``the Israelites quarreled with the LORD'' (Num. 20:13). Or perhaps Moses is referring to himself and Aaron striking the rock, about which God said, ``You both broke faith with Me among the Israelite people'' (32:51). They were punished not for their action but for acting so ``among the Israelite people.'' This is how the Sifrei understands it. But I have already explained the straightforward sense of that episode in my comments to Num. 20:7±13. 38 Joshua son of Nun, who attends you, he shall enter it. Moses points out that Joshua, who remained loyal to the Holy One (like his comrade Caleb) enter the land. He would be the one who would allot it to Israel, since Moses had been punished with the decree that he could not enter the land. Notice that Moses omits to mention that ``those who spread such calumnies about the land died of plague'' (Num. 14:37), nor does he repeat the calumnies themselves. He is not criticizing individuals here but rebuking the entire nation. For they all sinned and were all punished. your

me

would

guttural, I; this root is not found in the Hiphil. 36 Except. The K is extraneous, for the word also occurs without it. To him and his descendants will I give the land on which he set foot. Hebron. [G] 37 Incensed. As the Hebrew verb makes clear, the root for ``anger'' contains a R, though in the noun form this R is always swallowed up by the V. Compare ``Although You with me, Your has turned back'' (Isa. 12:1), where the R is visible in the verb but not in the noun. 38 Joshua son of Nun. Caleb is mentioned ®rst, in v. 36, for the reasons I explained in my comment to Num. 14:30. Who attends you. Literally, ``who stands before you'' (compare OJPS); but NJPS has the sense. 39 Who do not yet know good from bad. On the day the Lord issued this decree they did not yet know. The text speaks in general termsÐ of those under 20 did not yet know good from bad. were wroth

wrath

most

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 34 Your loud complaint. Your weeping for no reason [G] See Ibn Ezra's comment to Num. 13:22. (Sforno). 35 Not one of these men...shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers. Everyone will get what they want. They did not want to see the land, and won't; Joshua and Caleb desired the land and will in fact get there (Bekhor Shor). Moses occupied an intermediate position; he would see it, but not enter it (Abarbanel). 36 Because he remained loyal to the LORD. Literally, he ``®lled'' after the Lord; he ful®lled all that Moses had said in God's name (Hizkuni). 37 The LORD was incensed with me too. And authority was taken away from me and given to Joshua. Ð That is why this verse intervenes between the Caleb verse and the Joshua verse here (Hizkuni). 39 Your children who do not yet know good from bad, they shall enter it. Instead of the parents. But for Moses it was the opposite; he led the Israelites, but his sons would not do so. Instead, Joshua would succeed him (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 1:41±2:1 DEVARIM

NJPS

OK ZCE

and march into the wilderness by the way of the Sea of

Reeds. 41

OJPS

C OKZCE

take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the

Red Sea.''

You replied to me, saying, ``We stand guilty before the

41

Then ye answered and said unto me: ``We have sinned

L ORD. We will go up now and ®ght, just as the L ORD our God

against the L ORD, we will go up and ®ght, according to all that

commanded us.'' And you all girded yourselves with war gear

the L ORD our God commanded us.'' And ye girded on every

and recklessly started for the hill country.

42

But the L ORD said to

man his weapons of war, and deemed it a light thing to go up 42

me, ``Warn them: Do not go up and do not

into the hill-country.

®ght, since I am not in your midst; else

unto me: ``Say unto them: Go not up, nei-

you will be routed by your enemies.''

43

I

spoke to you, but you would not listen; you

¯outed

the

L ORD`s

command

and

willfully marched into the hill country. 44

Then the Amorites who lived in those

hills came out against you like so many bees and chased you, and they crushed you at Hormah in Seir.

45

Again you wept be-

fore the L ORD; but the L ORD would not heed your cry or give ear to you.

2

46

Thus, after you had remained at Ka-

desh all that long time,

1

we marched

back into the wilderness by the way of the

RASHI

¼‰Â‰ÈÏ ¨ «© »e‡ËÁ ¨ ¨ ÈÏ©À ‡¥ e¯Ó‡z ´ § Ÿ © | eÚz ´ £ © «© 41 Ÿ ¬ § eÓÁÏ eeˆ-¯L −¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÏÎk § ©½ § ¦ § ƉÏÚ ¤ £ © eÁ‡ § ³© £ À § § © «© eÈ‰Ï ÈÏk ´¥ § -˙‡¤ Lȇ¦ μ e¯bÁz ®¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § 42 Ÿ ¬ £ © eȉz ½ § ©§ ¦ ¤ Ÿ ¸ © :‰¯‰‰ ¯Ó‡i ¨ «¨ ¨ ˙ÏÚÏ −¦ ¨ © BzÓÁÏÓ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ¹¨ § -‡Ï§ ÆeÏÚ˙ £ «© ‡Ï³ ÆÌ‰Ï ¤ ¨ ¯Ó‡ ³ ¡ ÈÏ©À ‡¥ ‰Â‰È Ÿ § ÌÎa¯˜a ½ £ ´¨ ¦ ½ § «¨ ¦ ƇÏ eÙ‚pz ®¤ § § ¦ § Èpȇ ¦ −¤ ¥ Èk ¬ ¦ eÓÁl˙ Ÿ ´ § ÌÎÈÏ ‡Ï −¤ ¥ ‡ £ ¯a„‡Â ¬¥ © £ ¨ 43 :ÌÎȷȇ «¤ ¥ § Ÿ ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦

And the L ORD said

ther ®ght; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.''

43

So I

spoke unto you, and ye hearkened not; but ye rebelled against the commandment of the L ORD, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill-country.

44

And the

Amorites, that dwell in that hill-country, came out against you, and chased you, as

bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even e„Êz −¦ ¨ © ‰Â‰È ¨½ § Èt-˙‡ ´¦ ¤ Æe¯Óz § © © ÌzÚÓL ®¤ § © § unto Hormah. And ye returned and wept ¹¦Ÿ ¡ ¨ ‡ˆi ·Li‰ ¥¸ Ÿ © ȯӇ‰ ¥¸ ¥ © 44 :‰¯‰‰ ¨ «¨ ¨ eÏÚz ¬ £ © © before the L ; but the L hearkened ÌÎ˙‡ ¤½ § ¤ eÙc¯i ´ § § ¦ © ÌÎ˙‡¯˜Ï ¤½ § © § ¦ Ƈe‰‰© ¯‰a ³¨ ¨ not to your voice, nor gave ear unto you. So ye abode in Kadesh many days, ÌÎ˙‡ ²¤ § ¤ e˙ki ¬ § © «© Ìȯ·c‰ ®¦Ÿ § © ‰ÈNÚz ¨ −¤ £ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £© according unto the days that ye abode ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ ek·z − § ¦ © e·Lz ¬ª ¨ © 45 :‰Ó¯Á-„Ú «¨ § ¨ © ¯ÈÚNa −¦ ¥ § there. Then we turned, and took our Ÿ ¬ § ÌÎϘa ÔÈʇ‰ −¦ ¡ ¤ ‡Ï ¤½ § Ÿ ´ § Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÚÓL-‡Ï ³© ¨ Ÿ « § ‰Â‰È ®¨ § journey into the wilderness by the way to :ÌÎÈÏ «¤ ¥ ‡ £ RASHBAM 41 You . . . recklessly ÌÈÓik −¦ ¨ © ÌÈa¯ ®¦ © ÌÈÓÈ ´ ¦ ¨ L„˜· −¥ ¨ § e·Lz ¬ § ¥ © 46 started for the hill country. Compare Ɖ¯a„n‰ ¨ ¨Æ § ¦ © Úqp ³© ¦ © ÔÙp ¤ ¥¹ © 1 :Ìz·LÈ «¤ § © § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Num. 14:40. 45

ORD

ORD

46

Edom to bring you right into Israel. But you spoiled everything and brought this delay on yourselves. Now you must turn around and march through the wilderness, all the way back to the Sea of Reeds. (For the wilderness through which they had been marching at this point was south of Mount Seir, in between Mount Seir and the Sea of Reeds.) Now turn back to the sea and go around the south of the mountain, all the way from west to east. 41 You...recklessly started for the hill country. Rather, ``you prepared to go up'': ``We are prepared to go up'' (Num. 14:40). The verb is related to the word hinneh, ``behold''Ðyou were ``presenting'' yourselves for dutyÐand to hen, ``yes''Ðyou ``assented'' to go up. 42 Do not go up. You will not ascend, but descend. 44 Like so many bees. Just as a bee dies as soon as it stings someone, they too died as soon as they encountered you. 45 But the LORD would not heed your cry. If it were possible to say so, you turned His compassion to cruelty. 46 You had remained at Kadesh all that long time. Rather, ``you remained at Kadesh many days, as many as the days that you remained'' on all the rest of the marches (compare OJPS, but note that ``there'' does not appear in the Hebrew). This period lasted a total of 38 years, so 19 of them were spent at Kadesh and the other 19 in setting out, getting lost, and returning to Kadesh: ``He made them wander in the wilderness'' (Num. 32:13). This is the explanation I found in Seder Olam. 2:1 We marched back into the wilderness. Had they not sinned, they would have been going instead directly north, via Mount Seir, into the land of Israel. But because they misbehaved, they instead turned around toward the wilderness south of Mount Seir, in

·

2

1

46 All that long time. Literally, ``according to the days that you remained there.'' What Moses meant was simply, ``as you know.'' IBN EZRA 41 Recklessly started.

The verb tahinu does not refer to recklessness or to starting off, but to saying hinneh, ``we are here, we are prepared'' (Num. 14:40). Do not be surprised to see a word of this kind turned into a verb. We also have al, ``upon,'' and alah, ``go up''; pen, ``face,'' and pun, ``be dismayed'' (see Ps. 88:16). Some, however, relate tahinu to hin, the measurement, but this is implausible. 44 The Amorites. These are the Canaanites, as I explained in my comment to Num. 14:25. Like so many bees. When anyone touches the hive, they immediately chase after him and sting him. They crushed you. As in ``I will crush his adversaries before him'' (Ps. 89:24); see my comment to Num. 14:45. At Hormah. This may indeed be a NAHMANIDES 41 We will go up now and ®ght. We will go up ourselves and not place nameÐbut it could also be a gerund: leave it to our children after us, as you told us. ``even unto destruction'' (compare OJPS). 45 Again you wept before the LORD. This weeping was not recorded in the text 46 You had remained at Kadesh. when it actually occurred; there was no need to do so. But Moses mentions it now to praise Kadesh-barnea. All that long time. Rather, them for repenting of their sinÐand to tell them that it was too great to be forgiven. For ``many years, like the number of days that when God accompanies His decree by swearing to it, the decree can never be rescinded. you remained there.'' Remember that the number of years they stayed there was the ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 44 Like so many bees. Who sting a person every same as the number of days the spies spent which way, but do not kill him (Bekhor Shor). When one bee leaves the hive to attack, reconnoitering. For the text attributes the they all do, just as in Num. 14:45, when ``the Amalekites and the Canaanites . . . came delay to all the Israelites: ``You shall bear your punishment for forty years, corredown and dealt them a shattering blow'' (Hizkuni). sponding to the number of daysÐforty 45 The LORD would not heed. This phrase is unique (Masorah). 46 After you had remained at Kadesh all that long time. No need to remind them daysÐthat you scouted the land: a year for each day'' (Num. 14:34). again precisely how long it was (Abarbanel).

14

15 DEUTERONOMY 2:1±6 DEVARIM NJPS

Sea of Reeds, as the L ORD had spoken to me, and

skirted the hill country of Seir a long time. 2

Then the L ORD said to me:

OJPS

the Red Sea, as the L ORD spoke unto me; and we com-

passed mount Seir many days.

3

You have been skirting this hill 4

country long enough; now turn north. And charge the people as

2

And the L ORD spoke unto me, saying:

territory of your kinsmen, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. Though they will 5

not to

provoke them. For I will not give you of their land so much as a foot can tread on; I have given the hill country of Seir as a possession to Esau. 6What food you eat you shall obtain from them for money; even the

water

you

drink

you

shall

procure

RASHI between Mount Seir and the Sea of Reeds, and then continued by the way of the Sea of Reeds, the same way they had

3

``Ye have compassed

this mountain long enough; turn you northward.

follows: You will be passing through the

be afraid of you, be very careful

C OK ZCE

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4

And com-

mand thou the people, saying: Ye are to

½ © C¯c ·Òp ¨¬¨ © ÈÏ ®¨ ‡¥ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯ac ¬¤ ¦ ¯L ²¤ ‡k £ © ÛeÒ-ÌÈ ¤ ´¤ Ò :ÌÈa¯ « ¦ © ÌÈÓÈ ¬ ¦ ¨ ¯ÈÚN-¯‰-˙‡ −¦ ¥ © ¤ K[KPI Ÿ − ÌÎÏ-·¯ Ÿ « ¥ ÈÏ ·Ò ¤¾ ¨ © 3 :¯Ó‡Ï ¬© ‡¥ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ¬ © 2 4 -˙‡Â ¤ § :‰Ùˆ ¨Ÿ « ¨ ÌÎÏ −¤ ¨ et ¬ § ‰f‰ ®¤ © ¯‰‰-˙‡ ´¨ ¨ ¤ Ÿ Ÿ ÆÏe·‚a À¦ § « Ìz‡ ´© »ÌÚ‰ ¨ ¨ § ¦ Ìȯ·Ú ´¤ © ¼¯Ó‡Ï¥ ˆ e‡¯ÈÈ ´ § « ¦ § ¯ÈÚNa ®¦ ¥ § ÌÈ·Li‰ −¦ § Ÿ © ÂNÚ-Èa ¨½ ¥ ¥ § ÌÎÈÁ‡ ´¤ ¥ £ Ÿ « § Ìz¯ÓL ̷¨½ e¯b˙z-Ï ´ ¨ § ¦ ‡© 5 :„‡Ó −¤ § © § ¦ § ÌkÓ ¤½ ¦ ´© § ¦ „Ú −© ̈¯‡Ó ¨½ § © «¥ ÆÌÎÏ ¤ ¨ Ôz‡-‡Ï ³¥ ¤ Ÿ « Èk¦  C¯„Ó ¯‰-˙‡ ¬© ¤ Èz˙ ¦ −© ¨ ÂNÚÏ ¨½ ¥ § ‰M¯È-Èk ´¨ ª § « ¦ Ï‚¯-Ûk ¤ ®¨ © 6 ÛÒka ¤ −¤ © Ìz‡Ó ²¨ ¦ «¥ e¯aLz ¯ § § ¦ Ï· ¤Ÿ ´ :¯ÈÚN «¦ ¥ ¹ ÛÒka ¤ −¤ © Ìz‡Ó ²¨ ¦ ¥ e¯Îz ¯ § ¦ ÌÈÓ ¦ © -Ì‚Â © § ÌzÏ· ®¤ § © £ ©

pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you; take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore;

5

contend

not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 6Ye shall purchase food of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water

RASHBAM 2:3 Turn north. Toward

the land of Israel. For they had been going through the wilderness to the south of Israel. 4 Who live in Seir. As v. 29 makes clear, the ``descendants of Esau'' mentioned in this chapter cannot be the same as the Edomites who did not sell food or water to Israel and ``would not let Israel cross their territory'' (Num. 20:21) but went forth to war against them. They will be afraid of you. This is an imperfect verb with a nonconversive vav; like a perfect verb with a conversive vav, it refers to future action. 5 For I will not give you of their land. Moses had to inform them of this (and of the similar commands mentioned in vv. 9 and 19) because otherwise they might have panicked. ``If the Holy One wants to give us a land to possess and has the power to do it, why has He not dispossessed for us these nations through whose territory we have passed?'' So Moses informs them now that the Holy One did not want to do that, having given those lands to those three nations. I have given the hill country of Seir as a possession to Esau. Again, see similarly vv. 9 and 19. These nations were given their lands by virtue of their kinship with Abraham, just as Israel was. Moses was also reassuring Israel that, if God had given lands to these nations for the sake of Israel's own [J] See Gen. 19:36±38. ancestors, there was no need to worry. He would certainly give Israel themselves the NAHMANIDES 2:4 Your kinsmen, the descendants of Esau. Israel's genealogy land He had speci®cally sworn to their anleads back to Abraham, and all of his offspring are their kinsmen, for they all are circum- cestors to give them. cised. This explains ``You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your kinsman'' (23:8). It is only the descendants of Abraham's concubines who are not considered kinsmenÐIsh- IBN EZRA 2:5 Not to provoke them. mael as well as Midian and all the other descendants of Keturah. [D] This derives from ``A greedy man provokes quarrels'' (Prov. Gen. 21:12, ``It is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued for you.'' 28:25). The verb refers to creating disturb6 What food you eat you shall obtain from them for money. Should you have an ance and disorder. appetite for the local foods, [E] you must not take any without paying them full price; that 6 What food you eat you shall obtain is what is meant by ``obtaining'' the food from them. Even the water you drink you shall from them for money. If they wish to sell procure from them for money. At whatever price they wish to charge. As we know from it. But some understand it as a question: v. 29, they indeed did this. ``Must you purchase food of them for money, [D] See Genesis 25. [E] The Israelites' basic needs would be met by eating manna. that you may eat?'' (Compare the more literal syntax of OJPS.) For in fact they had no need ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 2:2 This hill country. Mount Seir (Hizkuni). of food or drink all those years that they 5 I will not give you of their land. ``You'' is plural in Hebrew; contrast v. 9, ``I will passed through the wilderness. Emphasizing not give you any of their land,'' where ``you'' is singular and the verse literally says ``his that ``the LORD your God has blessed you'' land,'' and contrast both with v. 19, ``I will not give any part of the land'' (Masorah). (v. 7) is good evidence for this view.

come forth from Egypt south and west of Israel; from there they turned back east. Skirted the hill country of Seir. Marching ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F along the southern border of Moab. 3 Now turn north. Literally, ``face north.'' At this point, ``they kept to the east of the land of Moab'' (Judg. 11:18), marching F from south to north. 4 Be very careful ``not to provoke them'' (v. 5). NJPS understands the relationwere ship between these verses correctly. F 5 So much as a foot can tread on. You may not put so much as a single foot over their border without their permission. Ð But the Hebrew literally says ``until the treading of a foot,'' which the midrash takes as a reference to Zech. 14:4, ``On that day, He will set His feet on the Mount of Olives.'' According to this reading the verse is saying, ``I will not give you any of their land until that day.'' As a possession to Esau. Literally, ``as an inheritance''Ðfrom Abraham. I told Abraham I would give his offspring 10 nations: ``the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites'' (Gen. 15:19±21). The last seven of them are for you, but not the ®rst three. ``Kenites'' and ``Kenizzites'' are simply other names for Ammon and Moab; God treated Lot as if he were Abraham's son and gave these two nations to him [J] as a reward for going with Abraham to Egypt and keeping quiet when he said of his wife ``She is my sister'' (Gen. 12:19). The Kadmonites are Seir, and this nation was the inheritance of Esau. 6 Procure. This is a word that means ``to make a purchase'': see Gen. 50:5, where Joseph quotes Jacob as using it to refer to the grave he purchased in Canaan. It is related to the seaport slang word kirah (instead of mekirah) for ``selling.'' AgainÐif the pur-

pose of Moses' speech was to tell the story, why is ch. 2 so short and why does it omit so much? But if he in-

tended to reproach the Israelites, what would be the point of this chapter at all?

Why is it that the lands

of the descendants of Esau (v. 5), the Moabites (v. 9),

and the Ammonites (v. 19) are not to be given to the

Israelites? In what way do they differ from the seven nations

whose

lands

given

to

the

Israelites?

Since these ``descendants of Esau'' (v. 5) are in fact

the Edomites, why is the encounter with Edom in Num. 20:14±21 not mentioned here at all?

DEUTERONOMY 2:6±10 DEVARIM

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from them for money. 7Indeed, the LORD your God has OJPS of them for money, that ye may drink. 7For the LORD blessed you in all your undertakings. He has watched over your thy God hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; He hath wanderings through this great wilderness; the LORD your God known thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty has been with you these past forty years: you have lacked years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.'' nothing. 8We then moved on, away from our kinsmen, the descendants 8So we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, that of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the road of the Arabah, away dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah, from Elath and from from Elath and Ezion-geber; and we Ezion-geber. marched on in the direction of the wilAnd we turned and passed by the way of Ÿ § Eίa À § © «¥ EÈ‰Ï ¸¨ § ÁÈk¦ 7 :Ì˙È˙Le ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È «¤ ¦ § derness of Moab. 9And the LORD said to ÆÏÎa the wilderness of Moab. 9And the LORD Ÿ − ¨ © ¯a„n‰-˙‡ me: Do not harass the Moabites or pro- Ï„b‰ ½ § § ¤ Ú„È ½¤ ¨ ‰NÚÓ ¬¨ § ¦ © ¤ EzÎÏ ´© ¨ E„È ´¥ £ © said unto me: ``Be not at enmity with voke them to war. For I will not give you ÆEÈ‰Ï Æ¤ Ÿ ‡ À ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ‰L ¨ ¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ´ ¦ ¨ § © | ‰Ê´¤ ‰f‰ ®¤ © Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of his land for a any of their land as a possession; I have Ÿ ¬ CnÚ :¯·c «¨ ¨ z¯ÒÁ ¨ § −© ¨ ‡Ï ¨½ ¦ possession; because I have given Ar unto assigned Ar as a possession to the descenŸ º £ © «© 8 the children of Lot for a possession.Ð ÆÌÈ·Li‰ ¦ § Ÿ « © ÂNÚ-È· ¨À ¥ ¥ § eÈÁ‡ ´¥ © ˙‡Ó ¯¥ ¥ ¯·Úp dants of Lot.Ð 10It was formerly inhabited by the 10The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a Ÿ´ § ¤ ¥ ˙ÏÈ‡Ó ½¦ ¥ § ÔȈÚÓe −© ¥ ¥ ‰·¯Ú‰ ¨½ ¨ £ «¨ ÆC¯cÓ ¤ Ƥ ¦ ¯ÈÚNa Emim, a people great and numerous, and Ÿ ½ £ © «© ÆÔÙp «¨ ¬© § ¦ C¯c ¤ −¤ ¯·Úp :·‡BÓ ¯a„Ó ¤ ¥Æ © Ò ¯·b ¤ ®¨ people great, and many, and tall, as the ¹¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¨½ -˙‡¤ Ưˆz-Ï © ƨ ‡© ÈÏ©À ‡¥ ‰Â‰È ¤ Ÿ¸ © 9 ·‡BÓ RASHI 7 Indeed, the LORD your God EÏ ¥¸ ¤ Ÿ « Èk¦  ‰ÓÁÏÓ ®¨ ¨ § ¦ Ìa −¨ ¯b˙z-Ï ¬¨ § ¦ ‡Â © § RASHBAM 7 You have lacked nothing. Where there was no place to buy food, has blessed you. So do not display in- ³ § Ôz‡-‡Ï ½ ¥ § ¦ Èk −¨ ¤ Èz˙ ¦ ¬© ¨ ËBÏ-È·Ï ´ ¦ ‰M¯È ¨½ ª § ÆBˆ¯‡Ó § © «¥ He supplied your wants without your gratitude to Him by pretending that you are ¯Ú-˙‡ poor. Show them how rich you are! :‰M¯È «¨ ª § needing money. Where you could buy food, He made sure you had enough money to 8 We marched on in the direction of ÏB„b¬ ¨ ÌÚ´© d·®¨ e·LÈ § ´¨ ÌÈÙÏ −¦ ¨ § ÌÈÓ‡‰ ¬ ¦ ¥ ¨ 10 do so. the wilderness of Moab. We marched north, passing by the eastern border of the YGSV TXPBC BYSKV v. 8. descendants of Esau.

NJPS

*

IBN EZRA 9 I have assigned Ar. 9 Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war. He only prohibited them from warring against Moab. But they were That is, ``Ar of Moab'' (Num. 21:28). Though

permitted to frighten the Moabites by showing themselves to be well armed. That is why we know from that passage that Sihon con``Moab was alarmed'' (Num. 22:3), and that is how the Israelites managed to plunder quered it, perhaps he eventually returned them. But in v. 19 the Israelites are warned not to ``provoke'' the Ammonites at all. it to Moab, who were the descendants (Compare OJPS; NJPS obscures the two comparable phrases.) This was a reward for the of Lot. 10 The Emim. See my comment to delicacy of their ancestress, Lot's younger daughter, who named her child Ben-ammi, ``son of my people'' (Gen. 19:38), while her older sister named her son Moab, ``from Father.'' Ar. Gen. 14:5. Our verse is saying that Moab originally had taken Ar from the Emim. This was the name of the city. 10 It was formerly inhabited by the Emim. Since these Emim ``are counted as Rephaim'' (v. 11), you think these are the Rephaim whose lands I awarded to Abraham, but it is not so. I dispossessed those Rephaim long ago, replacing them with Lot's descendants, Ammon and Moab.

NAHMANIDES 7 The LORD your God has blessed you in all your undertakings.

I don't understand how Rashi's comment can be reconciled with ``all your undertakings.'' Their blessings were blessings of heaven. They did no ``work of their own hands'' (compare OJPS), so there was nothing of the kind to be blessed. Perhaps the phrase is meant to refer to the sheep and cattle they took out from Egypt. For they did have livestock and other kinds of wealth that they had plundered from Egypt and Amalek, all of which was blessed in their hands. This would be comparable to what God did for Job: ``You have blessed his efforts so that his possessions spread out in the land'' (Job 1:10). He has watched over your wanderings through this great wilderness. He has supplied all your wants, with manna, quail, and water from the miraculous well. You have lacked nothing that travelers through the desert might want. 10 It was formerly inhabited by the Emim. See Rashi's comments to this verse and to v. 20. I am astounded to hear him claim that Moab and Ammon were not the ``Rephaim country'' given by God to AbrahamÐas if to say that the Israelites did not have these lands coming to them, and that they were not part of ``the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to assign to them'' (1:8). All the text is saying is that it was assigned ``as a possession to the descendants of Lot'' (v. 19). Even though it was part of Abraham's inheritance, the Holy One gave it to the descendants of Lot on Abraham's account. Rashi himself says this in his comment to v. 5; see also what he says there about Esau and Seir. So why would the Holy One insist to Moses that these lands were not among the lands given to Abraham? In fact, in v. 20, we are told explicitly that the land that went to the descendants of Lot was inhabited by Rephaim ``aforetime'' (OJPS)Ðmeaning that they were the original inhabitants. Compare the use of the same Hebrew word in Ps. 102:26,

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 The LORD your God has blessed you in all your undertakings. So if you want to blow some money on obtaining food and water from the descendants of Esau, you needn't worry (Gersonides). You have lacked nothing. Typically, a host serves two meat dishes the ®rst night, one the second, vegetables on the third night, and even less after that; yet God has sustained us with manna and the miraculous well exactly the same at the end of the 40 years as at the beginning. Ð But the Hebrew also means ``you have lost nothing.'' It has cost you nothing; you are not a penny out of pocket (Bekhor Shor). 8 We then moved on, away from our kinsmen. Having been told in v. 3 to ``turn north.'' This was an abrupt change of direction, which is why there is a space in the middle of this verse (Hizkuni). 9 I will not give you any of their land. In fact, none of the land on the east bank of the Jordan was supposed to be part of the Israelites' inheritance, except for the lands of Sihon and Og, which God gave to Israel in order to frighten the Canaanites (Abarbanel).

16

17 DEUTERONOMY 2:10±14 DEVARIM

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NJPS as tall as the Anakites. 11Like the Anakites, they are OJPS Anakim; 11these also are accounted Rephaim, as the

call them Emim. Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. 12And in Seir dwelt the Horites aforetime, but the children of Esau succeeded them; and they destroyed e·LÁÈ ¬ § ¨ ¥ Ìȇٯ ² ¦ ¨ § 11 :ÌȘÚk « ¦ ¨ £ ¨ ̯ −¨ ¨ ·¯Â ²© § them from before them, and dwelt in their ½¦ ¨ Ÿ ´ © § ÌȘÚk Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ e‡¯˜È ¬ § § ¦ ÌÈ·‡n‰Â −¥ © ®¦ ¨ £ ¨ ̉-Û‡ stead; as Israel did unto the land of his pos¼ÌÈÙÏ º¦ ¥ § 12 :ÌÈÓ‡ ¦ ¨ § »ÌȯÁ‰ ¦Ÿ © e·LÈ ´ § ¨ ¯ÈÚN·e «¦ ¥ session, which the LORD gave unto them.Ð 13Now rise up, and get you over the À ¨ « ¦ ÂNÚ Ì‰ÈtÓ ¤½ ¥ § ¦ ÆÌe„ÈÓLi ¦ § © © ÌeL¯ÈÈ ´¨ ¥ È·e ¯¥ § brook Zered.'' And we went over the χ¯NÈ ¥À ¨ § ¦ ‰NÚ ´¨ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡k £ © ÌzÁz ®¨ § © e·Li − § ¥© brook Zered. 14And the days in which we ½ ¨ ª § Æı¯‡Ï :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § Ô˙-¯L ¬© ¨ ¤ ‡ £ B˙M¯È ¤ Ƥ § came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were „¯Ê ¤®¨ ÏÁ-˙‡ © ´© ¤ ÌÎÏ −¤ ¨ e¯·Ú ¬ § ¦ § eÓ˜²ª ‰zÚ ¨À © 13 come over the brook Zered, were thirty Ÿ − £ © «© and eight years; until all the generation, º¦ ¨ © § 14 :„¯Ê -¯L¤ ‡£ ÌÈÓi‰Â ¤ «¨ ÏÁ-˙‡ © ¬© ¤ ¯·Úp even the men of war, were consumed from Æe¯·Ú-¯L § ©Æ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ „Ú ³© Ú¯a © ¥À § © L„wÓ ´¥ ¨ ¦ | eÎω § ´© ¨ the midst of the camp, as the LORD swore -„Ú© ‰L ®¨ ¨ ‰ÓLe −¤Ÿ § ÌÈLÏL ¬ ¦ Ÿ § „¯Ê ¤ ¤½ ÏÁ-˙‡ © ´© ¤ RASHI 11 Like the Anakites, they are ·¯wÓ Ÿ ¸ RASHBAM 14 The time that we spent ¹ © ¨ Ìz ¤ ´¤ ¦ ƉÓÁÏn‰ ¨ ¨ § ¦ © ÈL‡ ³¥ § © ¯Bc‰-Ïk

counted as Rephaim; but the Moabites 12Similarly, Seir was formerly inhabited by the Horites; but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them, wiping them out and settling in their place, just as Israel did in the land they were to possess, which the LORD had given to them.Ð 13Up now! Cross the wadi Zered! So we crossed the wadi Zered. 14The time that we spent in travel from Kadeshbarnea until we crossed the wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, until that whole generation of warriors had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn concerning

counted as Rephaim.

They are counted as Rephaim for the same reason the Anakites areÐthey are so huge that the hands of anyone who sees them slacken (mitraphot) with fear. Emim. So called because they strike terror (emah) into everyone else. 12 Similarly, Seir was formerly inhabited by the Horites. The ``similarity'' (this word is not in the Hebrew; see OJPS) is this: ``Just as I gave the lands of the Emim to Ammon and Moab, I gave the lands of the Horites to the descendants of Esau.'' Dispossessed them. Rather, ``would dispossess them'' because I gave them the power to go on doing so.

in travel from Kadesh-barnea from where the spies were sent was thirty-eight years. For the spies were sent in year two. That whole generation of warriors. Those old enough for army service, from 20 up.

IBN EZRA 11 Rephaim. See again my comment to Gen. 14:5. 12 The Horites. The descendants of

NAHMANIDES ``Of old You established the earth; the heavens are the work of Your ``Seir the Horite'' (Gen. 36:20). hands.'' So what difference is there between the Rephaim and the Kenites, Kenizzites, or Kadmonites? [F] These verses actually mean the opposite of what Rashi said. Remember that the Holy One has just told Moses, ``Do not harass the Moabites . . . I have assigned Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot'' (v. 9). Vv. 10±11 follow speci®cally to say that this land would have belonged to the descendants of Abraham even if it had not been given to the descendants of Lot. It was inhabited by a people as tall and mighty as giants; ``the Moabites call them Emim'' (v. 11), as Rashi explains in his comment to that verse. The Lord performed a miracle for the descendants of Lot, in Abraham's honor, to enable them to prevail and dispossess these giants. The Israelites, therefore, must not steal from them the land that the Lord gave them in so miraculous a fashion. 11 They are counted as Rephaim. Rather, they are ``ranked'' as Rephaim; the Hebrew verb speci®cally marks high status: ``He was despised, we did not esteem him'' (Isa. 53:3); ``Who do not value silver or delight in gold'' (Isa. 13:17). (There are many other similar examples.) In rabbinic Hebrew, calling a man ``esteemed'' (h. ashuv) is another way of saying that he is ``important.'' Emim. ``Dreadful,'' for they too were ``as tall as the Anakites'' (v. 21), the giants. 12 Similarly, Seir was formerly inhabited by the Horites. Not ``formerly,'' but ``of old''; see my comment to v. 10. The Horites are the same as the Hivites: Esau married ``Oholibamah daughter of Anah daughter of Zibeon the Hivite'' (Gen. 36:2), and Zibeon is identi®ed as one of ``the sons of Seir the Horite'' (Gen. 36:20). These Hivites were descendants of Canaan (see Gen. 10:15±18) and are listed among the seven nations of Canaan (see 7:1), so this land was part of the gift to Abraham. Both names relate to snakes; remember that the same individual or group may have different names that nonetheless have the same meaning. [G] The point is that the situation here was the same as with the Moabites. The descendants of Esau, as offspring of Abraham, overcame these mighty people in the same miraculous fashion that the Israelites eventually overcame the other nations whose land was given to Abraham. So you see that God did give the lands of all these nations to the descendants of AbrahamÐone of them to Esau, and the rest to Israel, the ®rstborn. It would not be right to steal this land from them; the Holy One would be as angry at Israel for stealing it as He would at a nation who stole Israel's land once He had given it to them. Just as Israel did in the land they were to possess. Rather, the same would apply to Israel ``once I had done so in the land they were to possess.'' 14 The time that we spent in travel from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the wadi Zered was thirty-eight years. The verse is not saying that the journey from Kadesh-barnea to the wadi Zered took 38 years, but rather, ``It took 38 years before we left Kadeshbarnea and crossed the wadi Zered.'' As I explained in my comments to Exod. 12:40±42, the text sometimes points to an event that [F] All of them were among the 10 nations whose lands were promised to Abraham; see Rashi's comment to v. 5. [G] We omit Nahmanides' list of examples. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 11 They are counted as Rephaim; but the Moabites call them Emim. Rather, they are ``considered'' Rephaim on account of their might, but they are not; the Moabites call them Emim, which is their actual name (Hizkuni). 12 Just as Israel did in the land they were to possess. The land of Sihon and Og, which Israel had indeed taken possession of by the time the Torah was written down (Sforno). Which the LORD had given to them. This language is not used of Seir or Moab, the

Ammonites or the Caphtorim, all of whom received their lands through general providence, but only of the Israelites, who received their land through special providence (Gersonides). Providence ensures that every nation dwells quietly and tranquilly on their own land, as long as they observe the rules of natural law that are provided by the human intellect, which our Sages call ``the seven Noahide commandments'' (Abarbanel). 14 Until that whole generation of warriors had perished from the camp. God let most of them live their normal life span, but toward the end of the 40 years He hurried things along a bit to make sure they had all perished by the deadline (Gersonides). Not one of them died before the age of 60 (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 2:14±22 DEVARIM

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them. 15Indeed, the hand of the LORD struck them, to OJPS unto them. 15Moreover the hand of the LORD was root them out from the camp to the last man. against them, to discom®t them from the midst of the camp, 16When all the warriors among the people had died off, 17the until they were consumed. 16So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed LORD spoke to me, saying: 18You are now passing through the 19 territory of Moab, through Ar. You will then be close to the and dead from among the people, 17that the LORD spoke unto Ammonites; do not harass them or start a me saying: 18``Thou art this day to pass over the border of Moab, even Ar; 19and ®ght with them. For I will not give any part of the land of the Ammonites to you Ì‚Â ³© § 15 :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ÚaL ¬© § ¦ ¯L ²¤ ‡k £ © ‰Án‰ ¤½ £ © «© when thou comest nigh over against the as a possession; I have assigned it as a pos- ‰Án‰ ®¤ £ © «© ·¯wÓ ¤ ´¤ ¦ Ìn‰Ï −¨ ª § Ìa¨½ ‰˙ȉ ¨ § ´¨ Ɖ‰È-„È ¨ § © children of Ammon, harass them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee session to the descendants of Lot.Ð :Ìnz «¨ ª „Ú −© of the land of the children of Ammon for a 20It, too, is counted as Rephaim country. ²¨ ¨ § ¦ © ÈL‡-Ïk ¯¥ § © ¨ enz-¯L ©¹ ¤ ‡Î £ © ȉÈ ¦¸ § © 16 possession; because I have given it unto It was formerly inhabited by Rephaim, ‰ÓÁÏn‰ whom the Ammonites call Zamzummim, ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯a„È ¬¥ © § © 17 Ò :ÌÚ‰ «¨ ¨ ·¯wÓ ¤ ¬¤ ¦ ˙eÓÏ − ¨ the children of Lot for a possession.Ð 21a people great and numerous and as tall 20That also is accounted a land of ReŸ « ¥ ÈÏ ¬ § ¤ ÌBi‰ ² © ¯·Ú ¬¥ Ÿ ‰z‡ Ïe·b-˙‡ ¨¸ © 18 :¯Ó‡Ï ¬© ‡¥ as the Anakites. The LORD wiped them phaim: Rephaim dwelt therein aforetime; ½ © Èa ´¥ § ÏeÓμ z·¯˜Â ¨À § © ¨ § 19 :¯Ú-˙‡ «¨ ¤ ·‡BÓ −¨ but the Ammonites call them Zamzumout, so that [the Ammonites] dispossessed ÔBnÚ them and settled in their place, 22as He did Ôz‡-‡Ï ´ ¦ Ìa ®¨ ¯b˙z-Ï ´¨ § ¦ ‡Â © § ̯ˆz-Ï −¥ ª § ‡© mim, 21a people great, and many, and tall, ¥ ¤  Ÿ « Èk for the descendants of Esau who live in ËBÏ-È·Ï − ¥ § ¦ Èk ¬ ¦ ‰M¯È ¨½ ª § ÆEϧ ÔBnÚ-Èa ³ © ¥ § ı¯‡Ó ¤ ¤¸ ¥ as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded Seir, when He wiped out the Horites :‰M¯È «¨ ª § ‰Èz˙ ¨ ¬ ¦ © § them, and dwelt in their stead; 22as He did ³¦ ¨ § ‡Â‰-Û‡ ®¦ © ·LÁz −¥ ¨ ¥ Ìȇٯ-ı¯‡ ¬ ¦ ¨ § ¤ «¤ 20 for the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, RASHI 15 The hand of the LORD Ìȇٯ when He destroyed the Horites from struck them. It ``was upon them'' (compare Ì‰Ï ½¦ Ÿ © «¨ § ÌÈÙÏ ½¦ ¨ § Æd·¨ -e·LÈ −¤ ¨ e‡¯˜È ¬ § § ¦ ÌÈnډ § «¨

NJPS

OJPS) to hurry and

root them out within 40 ÌȘÚk −¨ ¨ ·¯Â ²© § ÏB„b ¬ ¨ ÌÚ ´© 21 :ÌÈnÊÓÊ «¦ ª § © ®¦ ¨ £ ¨ ̯Â

years so that they would not cause their

children to stay yet longer in the wilderness.

16 The warriors.

The ``men of war''

(OJPS), those 20 and older, who serve in the army.

17 The LORD spoke to me.

e·Li ¬ § ¥ © ÌL¯Èi −ª ¨ ¦ © ̉ÈtÓ ¤½ ¥ § ¦ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § Ì„ÈÓLi ³¥ ¦ § © © 22 Æ ÂNÚ ¨½ ¥ È·Ï ´¥ § ¦ ‰NÚ ¨ ¨ ¯L ³¤ ‡k £© :ÌzÁ˙ «¨ § © -˙‡¤ „ÈÓL‰ ³¦ § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ¯ÈÚNa ®¦ ¥ § ÌÈ·Li‰ −¦ § Ÿ ©

From the

sending of the spies until this point we have not seen the phrase ``the L ORD spoke to me''; only ``the L ORD said to me.'' For the whole 38 years when the Israelites were being ostracized, God did not communicate with Moses calmly, affectionately, and face to face. This teaches you that the Shekhinah rests on the prophets only for the sake of Israel.

18±19 You are now passing through the territory of Moab...You will then be close to the Ammonites. So Ammon is north of Moab. 20 It, too, is counted as Rephaim country. It was formerly inhabited by Rephaim. But again, these were not the ``lands of the Rephaim'' that I awarded to Abraham. NAHMANIDES takes place at the end of a period of time as the summation of the entire period. 20 It, too, is counted as Rephaim country. More precisely, it is ``accounted'' (OJPS) within Rephaim country; it is a part of that country, just as the lands ``from the Shihor . . .

to the territory of Ekron on the north, are accounted Canaanite'' ( Josh. 13:3). (See also 2 Sam. 4:2.) The same could apply to v. 11 as well, to say that the Emim are included in the ``count'' of Rephaim, and this is certainly correct. You will note that ``Rephaim country'' was quite large. Moab took some of it and the Ammonites took some more, yet there was still plenty left for the Rephaim themselves. (Og of course was one of them; see 3:11.) Josh. 17:15 tells us further of the extent of ``Rephaim country.'' Our verse is telling us that Ammon, like Moab, was part of the land of the Rephaim, but that those two na-

Formerly. Rather, ``of old.'' See my comment to Zamzummim. The name is a reduplicated form of the root found in Ps. 140:9, ``O

tions called the Rephaim by other names. v. 12.

L ORD, do not grant the desires of the wicked; do not let their plan succeed,'' and Gen. 11:6, ``nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 When all the warriors among the people had died off. Why did the Israelites not enter the land at once? Because it had been decreed that

RASHBAM 19 I have assigned it as a possession to the descendants of Lot. Because he was a nephew of Abraham. All

the more so will I give a possession to you, who are direct descendants of Abraham.

20 It, too, is counted as Rephaim country. These are the Rephaim whose lands were among those given to Abraham

in the ``covenant between the pieces'' of Genesis 15. ``If these Rephaim fell even before the descendants of Lot, you will most certainly be able to dispossess them.'' Note that it was ``counted'' as Rephaim country but not called Rephaim country; only ``the kingdom of Og'' (3:13, OJPS) was ``called Rephaim country.'' That was the land promised to Abraham in Genesis 15. So the Israelites would certainly take possession of it.

IBN EZRA 16 When all the warriors among the people had died off. As the translations show, this verse is not complete

in itself but is the ®rst part of a sentence that continues in the next verse; see similarly 31:24±25, Exod. 6:28±29, and many others.

19 You will then be close to the Ammonites. Rather, ``when you come close to the Ammonites'' (compare OJPS). 20 Zamzummim. Like the ``satraps'' of

Esther 3:12, this is a foreign word that has been given a Hebrew plural.

21 The Ammonites.

There are no Am-

monites in this verse; see OJPS. Rather, the text is going on to say that the Lord had

Moses should not enter the land, and it would have been unseemly to leave him outside the

wiped out others for the Moabites and yet

land by himself (Hizkuni). ``The warriors'' means those who warred with God, or perhaps it

others ``for the descendants of Esau'' (v. 22).

is a sarcastic reference to the ones who were too frightened to enter the land (Abarbanel).

17 The LORD spoke to me, saying. Again, the phrase is unique in the Bible (Masorah). 19 You will then be close to the Ammonites. Close, but not right next to them, for their land was east of Og's country of Bashan (Hizkuni). 20 It, too, is counted as Rephaim country. It was formerly inhabited by Rephaim, whom the Ammonites call Zamzummim. As in v. 11, it is ``considered'' Rephaim country, but it really is not; the name of these people was Zamzummim (Hizkuni).

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19 DEUTERONOMY 2:22±23 DEVARIM

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NJPS before them, so that they dispossessed them and settled OJPS before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in in their place, as is still the case. 23So, too, with the Avvim who their stead even unto this day; 23and the Avvim, that dwelt in dwelt in villages in the vicinity of Gaza: the villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that Caphtorim, who came from Crete, wiped came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed ÌzÁ˙ ¨½ § © e·Li ´ § ¥ © ÆÌL¯Èi ª ¨ « ¦ © ̉ÈtÓ ¤½ ¥ § ¦ ÆȯÁ‰ ¦Ÿ © them out and settled in their place.Ð them, and dwelt in their stead.Ð ÌÈ·Li‰ ¬ ¦ § Ÿ © ÌÈeډ ² ¦ © «¨ § 23 :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBi‰ ¬ © „Ú −© RASHI 23 The Avvim who dwelt in Ìȇˆi‰ RASHBAM 23 The Caphtorim, who ´ ¦ § Ÿ © ÆÌȯzÙk ¦Ÿ § © ‰fÚ-„Ú ®¨ © © ÌȯˆÁa −¦ ¥ £ © villages in the vicinity of Gaza. These came from Crete, wiped them out and ½ § © ¦ :ÌzÁ˙ «¨ § © e·Li ¬ § ¥ © Ì„ÈÓL‰ −ª ¦ § ¦ ¯BzÙkÓ Avvim are part of the Philistines, with whom settled in their place. If the Holy One they are linked in Joshua: ``those of the ®ve gave the land of the Avvim to the Caphtolords of the PhilistinesÐthe Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and rim, He will certainly give you the land that the EkronitesÐand those of the Avvim'' (Josh. 13:3). Because of the oath that Abra- He swore to your ancestors to give you. ham swore to Abimelech, [K] the Israelites were forbidden to push these people out of their lands. The Caphtorim, who came from Crete, wiped them out and settled IBN EZRA 23 In the vicinity of in their place. I replaced the Avvim with the Caphtorim, so you are now permitted to take Gaza. Which had belonged to the Philisthese lands. tines; remember the covenant that Abimelech made with Abraham in Gen. 21:22±24. [K] See Gen. 21:22±24. Our verse is saying that the Avvim had NAHMANIDES 23 The Avvim who dwelt in villages in the vicinity of Gaza. taken possession of Gaza. [H] ``Villages'' by de®nition ``have no encircling walls'' (Lev. 25:31). These villages extended [H] It is not clear whether Ibn Ezra is following Rashi's or whether he thinks the Avvim had displaced the ``as far as Gaza'' (OJPS), for ``the original Canaanite territory extended from Sidon, in the opinion, Philistines with whom Abraham made his agreement. direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza'' (Gen. 10:19). The Caphtorim, who came from Crete, wiped them out and settled in their place. The Caphtorim were of Egyptian descent and had no share in the gift to Abraham; their land therefore belonged to Israel, since the Caphtorim had taken it from Canaanites. When God told Isaac of the Philistines' lands, ``I will assign all these lands to you and to your heirs, ful®lling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham'' (Gen. 26:3), this was precisely the reason. This land had originally belonged to the Canaanites, and so in the days of Joshua Israel took possession of lands that were ``accounted Canaanite, namely, those of the ®ve lords of the PhilistinesÐthe Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the EkronitesÐand those of the Avvim'' (Josh. 13:3). The Avvim were Canaanites, and the Philistines wiped them out, settled in their towns, and took the names of those locations for themselves. As we see from Joel 4:4, the Philistines eventually conquered Sidon, the northern extent of Canaan according to Gen. 10:19. In my opinion the Avvim were the Hivites. The text customarily interchanges varied names that refer to a single thing, as I said in my comment to v. 12, and the Avvim can be turned into Hivites by a simple interchange of T and I, which is common. [H] What the text is telling us in this passage is what happened to the lands of the Hivites: They lost them all, some to Esau (which were forbidden to us) and some to the Caphtorim, which we were permitted to take. Genesis Rabbah says that the Avvim were Rephaim, and when I researched the matter I found that this is indeed correct. Note that the Hivites (that is, the Avvim) are mentioned among the seven nations of 7:1, but only six of these nations are included among those whose lands were promised to Abraham. The Hivites are omitted, so they would have to be the Rephaim (Gen. 15:20) or some part of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, or the Kadmonites (Gen. 15:19). Now the Israelites are not described anywhere in the book of Joshua as dispossessing the latter three nations, though they will one day do so; those nations fall into the category of ``when the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land that He promised to give your fathers'' (19:8). So the ``Rephaim'' whose land was promised to Abraham can only be the Hivites. Their ancestor is listed (in Gen. 10:15±17) as the sixth son of Canaan, so it must have been later, in Abraham's time, that they acquired the name ``Rephaim,'' which is used to name those who (like snakes) are hidden in the earth: ``The shades tremble beneath the waters and their denizens'' (Job 26:5); ``You make the land of the shades come to life'' (Isa. 26:19). The descendants of these Hivites were very numerous, and when ``the clans of the Canaanites spread out'' (Gen. 10:18), this group took great swaths of territory. Some of them began to be called Rephaim, some Horites, and some Avvim, but they all were Hivites and they all were Rephaim, just as among us we refer to Ephraim, Judah, and Israel, though all are Israelites. But ``Hivite'' was the original name; all the others are derived from its basic meaning of ``snake.'' Moses uses the original name in 7:1, but in this chapter the text wishes to outline the fate of the various parts of their original land. Rashi's explanation (see his comment) seems off the mark to me. Josh. 13:3 clearly lists ``the ®ve lords of the Philistines'' and then adds the Avvim as a distinct nation. Moreover, if it was the Caphtorim's conquest of the Avvim that permitted the Israelites to take this land, what permitted the Israelites to conquer the land of the other ®ve Philistine peoples?Ðwhich Joshua (according to Josh. 13:3) was certainly supposed to do. In fact, why did Abimelech need to make a pact with Abraham at all? The Philistines were of Egyptian descent and thus not among the 10 nations whose lands were supposed to be given to Abraham. In fact, the Avvim were not Philistines at all. On the contrary! In my opinion, the Philistines and the Caphtorim are one and the same people: ``For the LORD will ravage the Philistines, the remnant from the island of Caphtor'' (Jer. 47:4). The Caphtorim ``came from Crete'' as a small nation looking for a place to live, conquered the Avvim, and settled in their (formerly Canaanite) territory, which they subsequently divided among ®ve lords. The name of these regions was Philistia, so the Caphtorim took on the name of Philistines. (See further my comment to Gen. 10:14.) ``I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, but also the Philistines from Caphtor'' (Amos 9:7)Ðfor Caphtor was their original homeland. So when the Caphtorim wiped out the Avvim, it was actually a great miracle performed for them by the Holy One. But the Avvim may have been exiled to Caphtor and then brought back to what was originally their own land. If this indeed happened, we do not know when it took place. However it happened, the Philistines eventually began to be regarded as Canaanites: ``There is a word of the LORD against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines'' (Zeph. 2:5). In any case, the Israelites did not seize the land of the Philistines until after the three generations speci®ed in the oath Abraham swore to Abimelech in Gen. 21:24. (As the midrash explains, Abimelech's grandson was still alive at the time the Israelites left Egypt.) All this presents the correct understanding of who the Caphtorim and the Avvim were, though Rashi's comment does follow one of the disputed opinions on B. Hul. 60b, so it is possible that he is right. But what I have written is the best, most direct solution to the problem. [H] We omit the many examples of this interchange cited by Nahmanides from rabbinic literature.

DEUTERONOMY 2:24±29 DEVARIM

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Set out across the wadi Arnon! See, I give into OJPS 24Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the valley your power Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. of Arnon; behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite, Begin the occupation: engage him in battle. 25This day I begin to king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend put the dread and fear of you upon the with him in battle. 25This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee peoples everywhere under heaven, so that Ÿ § © ÏÁ-˙‡ À § eÓe˜´ 24 ‰‡¯ ´¥ § ¼Ô¯‡ © ´© ¤ »e¯·Ú § ¦ § eÚq upon the peoples that are under the whole they shall tremble and quake because of Ÿ¸ ¦ ÔBaLÁ-CÏÓ ¯ § ¤ ¤ «¤ ÔÁÈÒ-˙‡ ¤ E„È· § ¨ §  Èz˙ ¦ ´© ¨ heaven, who, when they hear the report of you whenever they hear you mentioned. 26Then I sent messengers from the Ba− ¯b˙‰Â ¬¨ § ¦ § L¯®¨ ÏÁ‰ ´¥ ¨ Bˆ¯‡-˙‡Â − §© ¤ § ȯӇ‰ ² ¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ thee, shall tremble, and be in anguish bewilderness of Kedemoth to King Sihon of ÆEcÁt of thee.'' 25 § § © ˙z ³¥ ÆÏÁ‡ ¥ ¨ ‰f‰ ¤À © ÌBi‰ ´© :‰ÓÁÏÓ «¨ ¨ § ¦ cause 26And I sent messengers out of the Heshbon with an offer of peace, as follows, ½¦ © «¨ ÆÈt-ÏÚ ½ § ´¨ § ¦ § wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king -Ïk¨ ˙Áz © −© ÌÈnÚ‰ ¥ § © E˙‡¯È 27``Let me pass through your country. I will ½ Æ eÏÁ − ¨ § eÊ‚¯Â ¬ § ¨ § EÚÓL £ § ¦ ÔeÚÓLÈ § § ¦ ¯L ³ ¤ ‡ £ ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ ®¨ ¨ © of Heshbon with words of peace, saying: keep strictly to the highway, turning off 28 27``Let me pass through thy land; I will go neither to the right nor to the left. What :EÈtÓ «¤ ¨ ¦ food I eat you will supply for money, and along by the highway, I will neither turn ½ ¥ § ¯a„nÓ -χ¤ ˙BÓ„˜ ´© § ¦ ¦ ÆÌÈ·ÏÓ ¦ ¨ § © ÁÏL ³© § ‡Â ¤ ¨ 26 what water I drink you will furnish for unto the right hand nor to the left. 28Thou Ÿ 29 :¯Ó‡Ï « ¥ ÌBÏL − ¨ ȯ·c ¬ ¥ § ¦ ÔBaLÁ ® § ¤ CÏÓ ¤ ´ ¤ ÔBÁÈÒ − ¦ shalt sell me food for money, that I may money; just let me pass throughÐ as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir did ‡Ï Ÿ ¬ CÏ ®¥ ‡¥ C¯ca ¤ −¤ © C¯ca ¤ ¬¤ © Eˆ¯‡· ¤½ § © § ‰¯aÚ‡ ´¨ § § ¤ 27 eat; and give me water for money, that I for me, and the Moabites who dwell in ÛÒka only let me pass through on my Ÿ« § ¤ ³¤ © Ï· ¤ Ÿ ´ 28 : χÓNe ÔÈÓÈ ¬ ¦ ¨ ¯eÒ‡ − ¨ may drink; feet; 29as the children of Esau that dwell in −¦ ¤ ¦ ÛÒka ¤ ¬¤ © ÌÈÓe ¦ ²© ÈzÏ· ¦ § ©½ ¨ § ÆÈ¯aLz ¦ Æ¥ ¦ § © Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar, did RASHI 25 This day I begin to put the ÈÏ-Ôzz dread and fear of you upon the peoples ¯L¤¸ ‡k £ © 29 :ÈÏ‚¯· «¨ § © § ‰¯aÚ‡ ¬¨ § § ¤ ˜¯−© È˙È˙L ¦ ®¦ ¨ §

NJPS

24Up!

*

everywhere under heaven.

This teaches that the sun stood still for Moses when he battled with Sihon, [L] so the thing became known ``everywhere under heaven.''

½¦ ¥ § ÆÌÈ·Li‰ ¯ÈÚNa ¦ § Ÿ « © ÂNÚ ¨À ¥ Èa ´¥ § ÈÏ-eNÚ ¦¹ «¨ RASHBAM 24 Engage him. The verb is apocopated, the Hitpael of FZD. Ÿ ¡ «¤ «¤ ‡ Ư·Ú‡-¯L ½¦ ¨ ´ © § £ „Ú ³© ¯Úa ®¨ § ÌÈ·Li‰ −¦ § Ÿ © ÌÈ·‡Bn‰Â 29 The descendants of Esau. See my

comment to v. 4. Those of the descendants of Esau who were called Edom, however, Even though the Holy One did not command ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Once God told ``would not let Israel cross their territory, and me to extend an offer of peace to Sihon, Moses to ``engage [Sihon] in battle'' (v. 24), why did Israel turned away from them'' (Num. 20:21) I learned to do so back in the wilderness Moses send him an offer of peace (v. 26)? and ``skirted the hill country of Seir a long of Sinai, from the Torah, which preceded time'' (v. 1). The Moabites who dwell in (kedem) the very world itself. When He was Ar. But just these; the other Moabites ``did about to give the Torah to Israel, He ®rst took it around to Esau and Ishmael. Even though not meet you with food and water on your He knew perfectly well they would not accept it, nonetheless He extended an offer of journey'' (23:5). peace to them. So I too ``preempted'' Sihon with an offer of peace. Another reading: I learned from You, who preceded Your world. You might have launched a single thun- IBN EZRA 26 From the wilderness of derbolt and burnt the Egyptians to a crisp. Yet You sent me from the wilderness to tell Kedemoth. In my opinion this is ``the wilPharaoh patiently, ``Let My people go.'' [M] of Mattanah'' (Num. 21:18). [I] 29 As the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir did for me. This does not refer to derness 27 The highway. ``The'' well-known letting the Israelites ``pass through'' their land, but to selling them food and water. That I highway that passed through that country. [L] Our texts say ``Og,'' but the biblical context and Rashi's comment on B. Av. Zar. 25a make clear that this is a mistake. 28 What food I eat you will supply for [M] Moses says this to Pharaoh in Exod. 5:1 and four more times in the book of Exodus. money. If I should need any.

26 The wilderness of Kedemoth.

'G BNP v. 27.

NAHMANIDES 24 See, I give into your power Sihon the Amorite.

This divine utterance is that which is reported in v. 31. Moses cannot have sent messengers to Sihon ``with an offer of peace'' (v. 26) once God commanded him to ``take possession of his land'' (v. 31). Note that Moses' offer in v. 26 is not comparable to the general rule requiring an offer of peace; according to that rule, if the town ``responds peaceably and lets you in, all the people present there shall serve you at forced labor'' (20:11), which contradicts what Moses promised in his offer to Sihon. V. 26 explains that Moses had previously sent such an offer of peace. But v. 30 (see my comment there) makes clear that this whole incident was prearranged by the Lord.

25 This day I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven. ``You,'' though it is singular, refers to Israel as a whole. It makes

29 As the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir did for me. Some explain

that these ``descendants of Esau'' supplied the Israelites with food (as the translations imply); but how do they explain the Moabites? For 23:5 speci®cally says of them, ``They did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left [I] It was in Num. 21:21 that Israel ``sent messengers to Sihon.''

no sense to say this to Moses personally, who fought no one but King Sihon and King Og. This is a promise to the nation (and to Joshua). The Canaanites did indeed march forth to face the Israelites with faint hearts, but the Lord ``stiffened their will,'' making them think, ``Better that we die by their swords than become their slaves.'' As Moses told Joshua, ``You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so shall the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you shall cross over'' (3:21). 26 Then I sent messengers. Rather, ``I had sent messengers'' (see my comment to v. 24).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 25 This day I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven. This day you begin the conquests; your military victories will put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere (Bekhor Shor). Previous to this, the seven nations of Canaan saw Edom and Moab individually refusing to let the Israelites pass through their land and felt con®dent that the seven of them, united, would have no trouble with Israel. Once Sihon fell, the Canaanites began to feel afraid (Hizkuni). 26 The wilderness of Kedemoth. Rather, ``the former wilderness''Ðthe place that was wilderness before the Holy One brought forth water from the rock, but is now well watered (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``the eastern wilderness'' described in Judg. 11:22 (Hizkuni). An offer of peace. As 20:10 makes clear, peace was to be offered to enemy towns even in the land of Canaan (Gersonides).

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21 DEUTERONOMY 2:29±37 DEVARIM

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NJPS ArÐthat I may cross the Jordan into the land that the OJPS unto me; until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land LORD our God is giving us.'' which the LORD our God giveth us.'' 30But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to let us pass through, 30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; because the LORD had stiffened his will and hardened his heart for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart in order to deliver him into your powerÐ obstinate, that He might deliver him into as is now the case. 31And the LORD said to eÈ‰Ï ½¥ § © © −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ‡¤ Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ¤ thy31hand, as appeareth this day. me: See, I begin by placing Sihon and his And the LORD said unto me: ``Behold, ¬¥ Ÿ I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his :eÏ«¨ Ô˙ land at your disposal. Begin the occupaŸ ¦ ‰·‡ Ÿ ´ § 30 land before thee; begin to possess his ½ § ¤ CÏÓ e¯·Ú‰ −¥ ¦ £ © ÔBaLÁ ¤ ´¤ ÆÔÁÈÒ ¨À ¨ ‡Ï tion; take possession of his land. 32Sihon with all his men took the ®eld 32 À ¸¨ § Á‰L˜‰-Èk BÁe¯-˙‡ ¤ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¨ § ¦ « ¦ Ba® land.'' Then Sihon came out against us, 33 against us at Jahaz, and the LORD our he and all his people, unto battle at Jahaz. ½ ¨§ ¬ © E„È· − § ¨ § Bzz ¬ ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ²© § B··Ï-˙‡ ¤ Æın‡Â ¥ ¦ § 33And the LORD our God delivered him up God delivered him to us and we defeated ÌBik ¥À § ÈÏ©½ ‡¥ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ³ © 31 Ò :‰f‰ «¤ © before us; and we smote him, and his sons, him and his sons and all his men. 34At that ‰‡¯ time we captured all his towns, and we Bˆ¯‡-˙‡Â Ÿ− ¦ ® §© ¤ § ÔÁÈÒ-˙‡ ¤ EÈÙÏ ¤½ ¨ § ˙z ´¥ ÆÈ˙lÁ‰ ¦ Ÿ Æ ¦ «© and all his people. 34And we took all his doomed every townÐmen, women, and :Bˆ¯‡-˙‡ « §© ¤ ˙L¯Ï ¤ −¤ ¨ L¯½¨ ÏÁ‰ ´¥ ¨ cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every city, the men, and the women, and childrenÐleaving no survivor. 35We reŸ ¸ ¦ Á‡ˆi ² © ¨ § ‡e‰¯ e˙‡¯˜Ï ¥¹ ¨ § ¦ ÔÁÈÒ ¥ ¥ © 32 the little ones; we left none remaining; tained as booty only the cattle and the spoil BnÚ-ÏΠ−¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § e‰zi ²¥ § ¦ «© 33 :‰ˆ‰È ¨ § «¨ ‰ÓÁÏnÏ −¨ ¨ § ¦ © 35only the cattle we took for a prey unto of the cities that we captured. 36From Aroer eÈ‰Ï on the edge of the Arnon valley, including -Ïk¨ -˙‡Â ¤ § ÂÈa −¨ ¨ Â·-˙‡Â ¤ § B˙‡ ² Ÿ Cp ®¥ ¨ § ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which ¬© © eÈÙÏ the town in the valley itself, to Gilead, not we had taken. 36From Aroer, which is on Ÿ ³ § ¦ © 34 :BnÚ ‡Â‰‰ ¦½ © ˙Úa ´¥ ¨ ÆÂȯÚ-Ïk ¨ ¨ ¨ -˙‡¤ „kÏp « © the edge of the valley of Arnon, and from a city was too mighty for us; the LORD our ½¦ § ¯ÈÚ-Ïk ®¨ © § ÌÈLp‰Â −¦ ¨ © § Ì˙Ó ´ ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ Æ̯Áp ¥ £ © «© the city that is in the valley, even unto God delivered everything to us. 37But you Ûh‰Â did not encroach upon the land of the eÊÊa Ÿ ¬ Gilead, there was not a city too high for us: § ´© ¨ ‰Ó‰a‰ −¨ ¥ § © ˜¯¬© 35 :„ȯN « ¦ ¨ e¯‡L‰ § −© § ¦ ‡Ï Ammonites, all along the wadi Jabbok and ¯Ú¯ÚÓ LORD our God delivered up all before ¥¿ Ÿ £ «¥ 36 :e„ÎÏ § «¨ ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ìȯډ −¦ ¨ ¤ ÏÏLe ¬© § eÏ ®¨ the 37 us. Only to the land of the children of the towns of the hill country, just as the Ÿ ¹ § © ÏÁ-˙ÙN-ÏÚ ¸¦ ¨ § Ô¯‡ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ¯Èډ © ©¸ © § © Á¯L ¤‡ £ Ammon thou camest not near; all the side LORD our God had commanded. Ÿ ³ „ÚÏb‰-„Ú ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰È¯˜ ¨½ § ¦ Ɖ˙ȉ ¨ § «¨ ‡Ï ¨½ § ¦ © © § ÆÏÁpa © ©Æ © of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the RASHI may cross the Jordan. This is eÈ‰Ï Ÿ¾ © −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Ô˙ ²© ¨ Ïk‰-˙‡ ¤ epnÓ ®¤ ¦ ‰·‚N −¨ § ¨ hill-country, and wheresoever the LORD the continuation of the original request, ``Let our God forbade us. Ÿ ´ ÔBnÚ-Èa ‡Ï − © ¥ § ı¯‡-Ï ¤ ¬¤ ‡¤ ˜¯²© 37 :eÈÙÏ «¥ ¨ § me pass through your country'' (v. 27). 31 I begin by placing Sihon and his ÏΠŸ © ÏÁ Ÿ ¬ § ¯‰‰ º© ¨ z·¯˜ © ³© „È-Ïk ¨ § ®¨ ¨ IBN EZRA Egypt.'' (But some explain ¨½ ¨ ȯÚ ´¥ ¨ § ƘaÈ land at your disposal. He forced the angel Ÿ :eÈ‰Ï «¥ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‰eˆ-¯L −¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ that the Moabites did not meet the Israelites in charge of the Amorites under the feet of with food and water, but the Israelites did Moses and had Moses tread on his neck. manage to buy food from them.) Edom, too, 32 Sihon with all his men took the ®eld. But he did not send for Og to help him. told the Israelites, ``You shall not pass This teaches you that they in fact had no need of each other. through us'' (Num. 20:18), so these people 33 His sons. As written in a Torah scroll (without vowel signs), the word would simply are forced to interpret what they ``did'' as mean ``his son.'' For he had a son as mighty as he himself was. supplying them with food and water. I think 34 Men. The translations understand correctly. what the ``descendants of Esau'' did was to 35 We retained as booty. The Hebrew verb bazaz hints also at the verb bazah, let the Israelites pass through, keeping ``scorn.'' With Sihon, they were eager to retain the cattle and the rest of the spoil as booty. ``strictly to the highway'' (v. 27), as they inBut by the time they got to Og, they were full and satis®ed, and they scorned to retain his deed did (see v. 4). It was only the king of spoil as booty. Instead, they simply tore up the objects and even the animals and threw Edom who would not let them pass through them away, taking nothing but the silver and the gold. That is why the second z is missing his territory, which was close to Canaan, in this word when the expression is repeated in 3:7. This is how it is explained in Sifrei forcing them to go all the way around, Numbers to Num. 25:1. through Ar (see v. 18). 37 Just as the LORD our God had commanded. Rather, ``all that the LORD our God 33 We defeated him. This verb nakkeh had commanded'' us not to conquer, we left alone. is spelled with a RÐbut it is not the R of the root! NAHMANIDES 30 The LORD had stiffened his will and hardened his heart. See 34 Men. The Hebrew word actually means ``people.'' my comments to vv. 24 and 25. 31 Begin the occupation; take possession of his land. Rather, ``begin to possess 36 Too mighty for us. Rather, ``too his land'' (OJPS). Moses would begin the process, but Joshua would have to ®nish it. See high for us'' (OJPS): ``None but the LORD shall be exalted in that day'' (Isa. 2:12). again my comment to v. 25. 34 We doomed every townÐmen, women, and children. Those who were Amor- 37 The land of the Ammonites. The ites. This follows what they were commanded: ``In the towns of the latter peoples, how- land that the Ammonites currently possess ever, which the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage, you shall not let a soul remain (see my comment to Num. 21:24). All along alive'' (20:16). Nonetheless, even in these cases, they started out by making offers of the wadi Jabbok. Literally, ``all hand''; peace, as I shall explain (with God's help) in my comment to 20:10. But Moses made no ``hand'' in Hebrew can be used to refer to a offer of peace to Og, who came forth to meet them in battle before they came anywhere place. Compare ``with the Jordan at hand'' (Num. 13:29). near his city, as I explained in my comment to Num. 21:22. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 30 The LORD had stiffened his will and hardened his heart.

There was no more injustice in this than when God did the same to Pharaoh; both of them were so depraved that they had well earned what was coming to them (Gersonides). ``Stiffened his will'' to refuse to let them pass through; ``hardened his heart'' to ®ght with them (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 3:1±9 DEVARIM

D OKZCE

OK ZCE

3 We made our way up the road toward Bashan, and OJPS 3 Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan; King Og of Bashan with all his men took the ®eld against us at and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his Edrei. 2But the LORD said to me: Do not fear him, for I am people, unto battle at Edrei. 2And the LORD said unto me: ``Fear delivering him and all his men and his country into your power, him not; for I have delivered him, and all his people, and his and you will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst who lived in Heshbon. unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.'' 3So the LORD our God also delivered 3So the L ORD our God delivered into into our power King Og of Bashan, with our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his men, and we dealt them such a blow Á‚BÚ ‡ˆi all his people; and we smote him until ´¥ ¥ © ÔLa‰ ®¨ ¨ © C¯c ¤ −¤ ÏÚp © ©½ © ÔÙp ¤ ´¥ © that no survivor was left. 4At that time we BnÚ-ÏΠnone was left to him remaining. 4And we ² © ¨ § ‡e‰¯ e˙‡¯˜Ï ¥¹ ¨ § ¦ ÔLa‰-CÏÓ ¨¸ ¨ © ¤ «¤ captured all his towns; there was not a took all his cities at that time; there was ³¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ ¸ © 2 :ÈÚ¯„‡ ¦ «¤ § ¤ ‰ÓÁÏnÏ −¨ ¨ § ¦ © not a city which we took not from them; town that we did not take from them: sixty ÆÈÏ© ‡¥ ‰Â‰È towns, the whole district of Argob, the B˙‡ º § ¨ § Èk ½ Ÿ ‡¯Èz-Ï ² Ÿ Èz˙ ¦ ¯© ¨ E„È· ´ ¦ B˙‡ ´¨ ¦ ‡© threescore cities, all the region of Argob, 5 kingdom of Og in BashanÐ5all those Bl½ ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ § Bˆ¯‡-˙‡Â ® §© ¤ § BnÚ-Ïk − © ¨ -˙‡Â ¤ § the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these towns were forti®ed with high walls, gates, were forti®ed cities, with high walls, gates, Ÿ ¦ § ˙ÈNÚ ½ ¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ CÏÓ ¨ ¦À ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡k £ © and bars; beside the unwalled towns a great ¬¤ ‡ £ ȯӇ‰ ¤ ´¤ ÆÔÁÈÒÏ and barsÐapart from a great number of ¯L :ÔBaLÁa « § ¤ § ·LBÈ −¥ unwalled towns. 6We doomed them as we many. 6And we utterly destroyed them, as had done in the case of King Sihon of ‚BÚ-˙‡ À¥ ¨ § eÈ‰Ï ¸¨ § ÁÔzi ¬ ¤ Ìb ²© e„Èa ¥¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¥ ¦ © 3 we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utHeshbon; we doomed every townÐmen, -„Ú© e‰kp ¥¾ © © BnÚ-Ïk ® © ¨ -˙‡Â ¤ § ÔLa‰-CÏÓ −¨ ¨ © ¤ «¤ terly destroying every city, the7 men, and women, and childrenÐ7and retained as the women, and the little ones. But all the Ÿ ³ § ¦ © 4 :„ȯN « ¦ ¨ BÏ-¯È‡L‰ − « ¦ § ¦ ÈzÏa ¬ ¦ § ¦ cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took booty all the cattle and the spoil of the -˙‡¤ „kÏp Ÿ ³ ‡Â‰‰ ‰È¯˜ ¨½ § ¦ Ɖ˙ȉ ¨ § «¨ ‡Ï ¦½ © ˙Úa ´¥ ¨ ÆÂȯÚ-Ïk ¨ ¨ ¨ for a prey unto ourselves. towns. 8Thus we seized, at that time, from the 8And we took the land at that time out -Ïk¨ ƯÈÚ¦ ÌÈML ¬ ¦ ¦ Ìz‡Ó ®¨ ¦ «¥ eÁ˜Ï-‡Ï § −© ¨ Ÿ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ two Amorite kings, the country beyond -Ïk¨ 5 :ÔLaa of the hand of the two kings of the Ÿ ½ § © Ï·Á «¨ ¨ © ‚BÚ− ˙ÎÏÓÓ ¤ ¬¤ § © ·b¯‡ ¤ ´¤ the Jordan, from the wadi Arnon to Mount Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, Ÿ ² ª § ÌÈ¯Ú ¦ ´© ¨ § ‰‰·‚ −¨ Ÿ § ‰ÓBÁ ¬¨ ˙¯ˆa ¯¦ ¨ ‰l¤ ‡¥¹ from the valley of Arnon unto mount HermonÐ 9Sidonians called Hermon ÌÈ˙Ïc Sirion, and the Amorites call it SenirÐ :„‡Ó HermonÐ9which Hermon the Sidonians Ÿ « § ‰a¯‰ ¬¥ § © Èʯt‰ −¦ ¨ § © ȯÚÓ ¬¥ ¨ ¥ „·Ï ²© § Áȯ·e © ®¦ § call Sirion, and the Amorites call it SenirÐ Ÿ − ¦ § eÈNÚ CÏÓ ¤ ´¤ ÔÁÈÒÏ ¦½ ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡k £ © Ì˙B‡ ¨½ ̯Áp ´¥ £ © © 6 NJPS

‚

RASHI 3:1 We made our way up the ½¦ § ¯ÈÚ-Ïk ÌÈLp‰ −¦ ¨ © Ì˙Ó ´ ¦ ¨ Æ̯Á‰ ¥ £ © ÔBaLÁ ® § ¤ RASHBAM 3:4 Argob. road. 2 Do not fear him. 7 eBfa ¬ © Ìȯډ −¦ ¨ ¤ ÏÏLe ¬© § ‰Ó‰a‰-ÏΠ²¨ ¥ § © ¨ § :Ûh‰Â «¨ © § ``Up'' means ``northward.''

T here was no need

to say this about Sihon. But with Og, Moses

was afraid that the merit Og had earned by serving Abraham would stand him in good stead.

For

when

Lot

was

captured

in

the

battle of the four kings against the ®ve, ``A fugitive brought the news to Abram the Hebrew'' (Gen. 14:13)Ðand that was Og.

4 The whole district of Argob.

``the

Palace

District.''

Onkelos

Rather,

:eÏ«¨ ÆÈL º© ¦ © 8 ¥ § „iÓ ©À ¦ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ Ƈ‰‰ ¦ © ˙Úa ³¥ ¨ Áwp ½ ¦Ÿ ¡ ¨ ÈÎÏÓ ÏÁpÓ © ¬© ¦ Ôc¯i‰ ®¥ § © © ¯·Úa ¤ ´¥ § ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ȯӇ‰ ´¥ § © Ÿ− § © e‡¯˜È ¬ § § ¦ ÌÈ„Ȉ ² ¦ Ÿ ¦ 9 :ÔBÓ¯Á « § ¤ ¯‰-„Ú ¬© © Ô¯‡ Ÿ® § ¦ ÔBÓ¯ÁÏ ½ ¦Ÿ ¡ ´¨ § ÔȯN :¯ÈN « ¦ § BÏ-e‡¯˜È − § § ¦ ȯӇ‰Â − §¤ §

identi®es

Argob as Trachonitis, and I found

trachonin

T he word can

only be understood in context

as a place

name.

IBN EZRA 3:3 No survivor was left. Rather, ``not a single one [of the Israelites] left him a survivor.''

4 The whole district of Argob.

one

knows

expression.

how

[J]

Onkelos

Every-

understood

this

Some say ``Argob'' was the

name of a man who inherited this district used in one of the Aramaic translations of

from his father. Others take it as a common

clods

Esther for ``palace.'' So I have concluded that ``Argob'' must mean ``the province of the

noun,

king's palace,'' after which the whole province was named. 2 Kings 15:25, where ``Argob''

( Job 38:38), but that is implausible.

is also found, tells us plainly that Pekah killed Pekahiah ``in the royal palace in Samaria.''

[J]

related

to

``its

stick

together''

See Rashi's comment.

So Argob must be a word meaning ``palace.''

5 Unwalled towns. 6 We doomed every town. 8 From the two Amorite kings. 9 Sidonians called Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir. Compare ``Jerusalem shall be peopled as a cit y

without walls''

(Zech. 2:8).

Rather, ``dooming'' every town; compare OJPS ``destroying.'' More literally, from ``the hand'' of the two kings, that is, from their control. And 4:48 gives it still a fourth name, Sion. W hy did all this

have to be recorded? In praise of the land of Israel. Four different kingdoms all boasted, `` T he mountain's name comes from

NAHMANIDES 3:9 Sidonians called Hermon Sirion. The Amorites call it Senir.

our

See Rashi's comment, taken from the midrash. T he ``praise'' to which he

refers may well be found here, but the main purpose of the verse is to tell us that the SidoniansÐdescendants of Canaan's ®rstborn called Hermon Sirion of old, when it was in their possession.

[I]

Ð

T he Amorites, in whose possession it was now,

and from whom the Israelites would capture it, called it Senir. T his does indeed mean ``snow'' in Canaanite, as Rashi points out; Onkelos translates the name as ``Mount Snow.'' T he snow and cold often put this mountain ``off limits,'' that is,

.

herem,

hence the nickname Hermon.

``Sirion'' may mean the same thing in Sidonian. T he real name of the mountain was Sion. ``From the peak of Senir and Hermon'' (Song 4:8)

[I]

See Gen. 10:15.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 3:3 The LORD our God also delivered into our power King Og of Bashan.

T he text goes into such

detail about this victor y because it was so incredibly miraculous. T here were 60 cities in Og's kingdom, all massively forti®ed, and yet the Israelites conquered them all in a ver y short time. For it all happened in the month bet ween the death of Aaron and that of Moses, a time when Moses had many other things to do besides this (Gersonides).

9 Sidonians called Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.

veracit y of the book (Gersonides).

T he Torah goes into such detail in order to demonstrate the

22

23 DEUTERONOMY 3:10±13 DEVARIM

OK ZCE

D OK ZCE

the towns of the Tableland and the whole of Gilead OJPS 10all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Baand Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, the towns of Og's king- shan, unto Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in dom in Bashan. 11Only King Og of Bashan Bashan.Ð11For only Og king of Bashan rewas left of the remaining Rephaim. His mained of the remnant of the Rephaim; Ÿ À ¦ © È¯Ú Ÿ ´ 10 behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of ¨ § Æ„ÚÏb‰-ÏΠ¨ § ¦ © ¨ § ¯LÈn‰ ´¥ ¨ | Ïk bedstead, an iron bedstead, is now in -ÏΠRabbah of the Ammonites; it is nine cubits ˙ÎÏÓÓ ¤ ¬¤ § © È¯Ú ²¥ ¨ ÈÚ¯„‡Â ¦ ®¤ § ¤ § ‰ÎÏÒ-„Ú −¨ § © © ÔLa‰ ¨½ ¨ © iron; is it not in Rabbah of the children long and four cubits wide, by the standard ÔLa‰ 11 º © Èk ¨À ¨ © CÏÓ ¤ ´¤ ‚BÚ-˜¯ ´¦ :ÔLaa «¨ ¨ © ‚BÚ− of Ammon? nine cubits was the length cubit! thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, N¯Ú ¤ ´¤ ÆBN¯Ú § © ‰p‰ ³¥ ¦ ¼Ìȇٯ‰ ¦ ¨ § ¨ ¯˙iÓ ¤ ´¤ ¦ »¯‡L © § ¦ after the cubit of a man.Ð 12And this is the land which we appor12And this land we took in possession at Ÿ ´ £ Ïʯa © ¯¥ ÔBnÚ ® © Èa ´¥ § ˙a¯a −© © § ‡Â‰¦½ ‰Ï‰ ¤½ § © tioned at that time: The part from Aroer ÚLz along the wadi Arnon, with part of the hill daÁ¯ −¨ § ¨ ˙Bn‡ ² © Úa¯‡Â ¬© § © § dk¯‡ ¨À § ¨ ˙Bn‡ ´ © that time; from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill-country country of Gilead and its towns, I assigned :Lȇ-˙n‡a «¦ © © § of Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I to the Reubenites and the Gadites. 13The Ÿ² © ı¯‡‰-˙‡Â ®¦ © ˙Úa ´¥ ¨ eL¯È § −© ¨ ˙‡f‰ ¤ ¯¨ ¨ ¤ § 12 unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites; rest of Gilead, and all of Bashan under ‡Â‰‰ Ÿ À § © ÏÁ-ÏÚ-¯L º¥ Ÿ £ ¥ 13and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the ³¦ £ © Ô¯‡ -¯‰«© ȈÁ © ´© © ¤ ‡ £ ¯Ú¯ÚÓ

NJPS

10all

*

*

RASHI

language.'' ``Senir'' is related to

the German and Slavic words for ``snow,'' the latter of which ultimately derives from Canaanite.

11 Of the remaining Rephaim.

½¨ ¨ § Æ„ÚÏb‰ :È„bÏ « ¦ ¨ © § È·e‡¯Ï −¦ ¥ « ¨ Èz˙ ¦ ©¾ ¨ ÂȯÚ ¨§ ¦© ‚BÚ½ ˙ÎÏÓÓ ¤ ´¤ § © ÆÔLa‰-ÏΠ¨ ¨ © ¨ § „ÚÏb‰ ³¨ § ¦ © ¯˙È ¤ ¤¸ § 13 Ÿ ´ ‰MÓ‰ Ï·Á ¤ ³¤ Ïk ®¤ © § «© Ë·L ¤ ´¥ ȈÁÏ −¦ £ © Èz˙ ¦ ©¾ ¨ "F R F G " Q K T J P G Q K ZK CS ' B O G YP C ' F

After

``Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him

came

and

defeated

the

Rephaim

v. 11. v. 11.

at

RASHBAM 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaim. An iron bedstead.

W hich is why the Holy One told Moses, ``Do not

fear

him''

(v.

2).

Rather, ``an iron cradle.'' He was so strong even as a little boy that when he stretched

Ashteroth-karnaim'' (Gen. 14:5). Remember

out on it he would have broken it if

that we are told in Gen. 14:13 that Og escaped from that defeat.

cradle had been made of wood. So they had

the

By the standard cubit. 12 And this is the land which we apportioned at that time. The part from Aroer along the wadi... Is I assigned to the Reubenites and the Gadites. now in Rabbah of the Ammonites.

Rather, ``the cubit of a man'' (OJPS). And which man? Og himself!

to make him one of iron. He must have been

``T his'' being the land

``from the wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon'' (v. 8).

a child when this happened, because this would not be necessar y for a mature man.

It was from Aroer along the wadi (and so

It is

forth) that was assigned to the Reubenites and the Gadites. But the land that was ``ap-

still there where he grew up, to amaze every-

portioned'' ran as far as Hermon.

one with how big he was when he was a young boy. One doesn't preserve a grown

NAHMANIDES

man's bed in one place, since as an adult he either calls the mountain by two of its nicknames or refers indi-

would

have

slept

in

many

beds

By the standard cubit.

in

vidually to the peak and then to the rest of the mountain. T he latter explanation applies to

places.

1 Chron. 5:23 as well. Of course, it may be that after the Israelites had been in the land for

cubit of a [fully grown] man'' (OJPS).

many

Rather, ``the

a while some names were slightly changed. It would not be unusual for the top of such a great mountain to have one name and the rest of the mountain another. Or these names may have been given individually to other mountains entirely, naming them after the

IBN EZRA 11 By the standard cubit.

mountain made famous in the Torah: ``I think of You in this land of Jordan and Hermon, in

Literally, ``the cubit of a man'' (OJPS)Ðan

Mount Mizar'' (Ps. 42:7).

11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaim. His bedstead, an iron bedstead, is now in Rabbah of the Ammonites; it is nine cubits long and four cubits wide.

ordinar y man. Og was twice the size of a

``as tall as the Anakites'' (2:21). A bedstead of wood could not support Og as it would

wouldn't even have looked human.

He was indeed

called ``king of the Amorites,'' for he reigned over them, but he himself

was one of

the Rephaim.

T he Rephaim, of whom Og was one, were

normal man, so it cannot refer to Og's own cubit. Anyway, what would be the point of telling us that? Besides, if Og needed a bed nine times as long as his own forearm, he

an ordinar y man. Rabbah was where Og had lived; when the Ammonites dispossessed the Rephaim (see again 2:21), ``only [he] was left'' to ¯ee to safet yÐbut his bedstead remained there. T he Ammonites kept it to prove that they had conquered a great people and seized the kingdom of a man ``whose stature was like the cedar's and who was stout as the oak'' (Amos 2:9). T his is the point of beginning this sentence with ``behold'' (OJPS; NJPS omits it): ``Behold, the evidence still exists.'' T he bedstead that he must have had later, in Ashtaroth, was plundered and lost.

By the standard cubit.

Rather, ``after the cubit of a man''Ða

real

man, a great man: ``Be strong and show yourself a man''

(1 Kings 2:2). But Onkelos understands the phrase to mean, ``after the cubit of

the

man,'' that is, Og himself. ``T he'' is missing from

the Hebrew text, but see Num. 28:4 and Gen. 19:33, among many other examples, for similar cases where ``the'' is missing and must be assumed.

12 This is the land which we apportioned at that time.

See Rashi's comment. I believe it would be more correct to translate as

follows: ``T his land, which we apportioned at that time . . . I gave'' and so forth. (``W hich'' is not in the Hebrew; see OJPS. But there are many examples of this syntax in the BibleÐe.g., ``the way [that] they are to go'' [Exod. 18:20].)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 11 His bedstead, an iron bedstead. It is nine cubits long and four cubits wide. By the standard cubit!

Rather, ``his forti®cation'' in Rabbah of the Ammonites was ``a

forti®cation of iron''; that is, it was as strong as iron. T he word translated ``bedstead'' is found on B. Er. 26a with the meaning ``partition'' (Bekhor Shor). Shor).

Rather, ``it'' (the wall) ``is nine cubits high and four cubits wide'' (Bekhor

T he Hebrew phrase occurs nowhere else in the Bible (Masorah). ``T he cubit of a man''Ða full-grown man,

not a child (Hizkuni). So Og must have been six or seven cubits tall, or perhaps even a little more; beds are normally somewhat longer than the person who sleeps in them (Gersonides). Rather, ``by the cubit of with this meaning, e.g. Isa. 56:11 and 1 Kings 20:20 (Sforno).

each'' of

the Rephaim; the word ``man'' (see OJPS) is often used

DEUTERONOMY 3:13±20 DEVARIM

NJPS

Og's ruleÐthe

whole

Argob

district,

all

that

part

of

Bashan which is called Rephaim countryÐI assigned to the halftribe of Manasseh.

D OKZCE

OK ZCE

14

Jair son of Manasseh received the whole

OJPS

kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half-tribe of Manasseh;

all the region of ArgobÐall that Bashan is called the land of Rephaim.

14

Jair

the

son

of

Manasseh

took

all

the

region

of

Argob district (that is, Bashan) as far as the boundary of the

Argob, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites,

Geshurites

and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth-jair,

and

the

Maacathites,

Havvoth-jairÐas is still the case.

and 15

named

it

after

himself:

To Machir I assigned Gilead.

unto this day.Ð

15

16

And I gave Gilead unto Machir.

And unto the

16

Reubenites

assigned the part from Gilead down to the

from Gilead even unto the valley of Arnon,

wadi Arnon, the middle of the wadi being

the middle of the valley for a border; even

the boundary, and up to the wadi Jabbok,

unto the river Jabbok, which is the border

the boundary of the Ammonites.

of the children of Ammon;

And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I

17

Gadites

I

gave

the Arabah also, the Jordan being the

nereth down to the sea of the Arabah, the

border

F [CKTK

the edge of the Jordan, and from Chin-

At

the

17

foot of the slopes of Pisgah on the east, to

18

unto

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[We also seized] the Arabah, from the

Dead Sea.

and

thereof,

from

Chinnereth

even

unto the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah eastward. 18

And I commanded you at that time,

that

time

I

charged

you,

saying,

saying: ``The L ORD your God hath given

``The L ORD your God has given you this

you this land to possess it; ye shall pass

country to possess. You must go as shock-

over armed before your brethren the chil-

troops, warriors all, at the head of your Is-

dren of Israel, all the men of valor.

19

19

But

Only your wives, chil-

your wives, and your little ones, and your

dren, and livestockÐI know that you have

cattleÐI know that ye have much cattleÐ

much livestockÐshall be left in the towns

shall

raelite kinsmen.

I have assigned to you,

20

until the L ORD

abide

given you;

in

your

cities

which

I

have

20

until the L ORD give rest unto

has granted your kinsmen a haven such as

your brethren, as unto you, and they also

you

possess

have,

session

of

and

they

too

have

the

land

that

the

taken

pos-

L ORD

your

the

land

which

the

L ORD

your

F PVJKZ

RASHI which is this that I gave to Abraham. [N] 16 The middle of the wadi being the EZRA 14 Jair son of Manasseh. boundary. Rather, ``the middle of the wadi and [more] territory,'' that is, from the middle IBN As I explained in my comment to Num. up to and including the bank of the wadi and even a bit more. he was in fact a descendant of Judah. 17 To the edge of the Jordan, and from Chinnereth down to the sea of the 32:41, The Geshurites the Maacathites. Arabah. Chinnereth is west of the Jordan. The territory of the Gadites was east of the Despite the singularandforms in the Hebrew,

Jordan, but the whole width of the Jordan and a bit of the west bank also fell to them. Our these are indeed the names of two more verse does not say ``to the edge of the Jordan,'' but uses the same syntax as in v. 16: ``the nations. Jordan and [more] territory.'' To Machir I assigned Gilead. See 18 I charged you. He is saying this to the Reubenites and the Gadites. At the head of my15 comments to Num. 32:39±40. your Israelite kinsmen. They went at the head because they were the ®ercest ®ghters. 16 The middle of the wadi being the Later, Moses will say of Gad, ``Poised is he like a lion to tear off arm and scalp'' (33:20). boundary. Rather, ``the middle of the wadi [N] See Rashi's comments to 2:10 and 2:20. and its territory.'' 17 To the edge of the Jordan. Rather, ``the Jordan and its territory.'' NAHMANIDES 13 The whole Argob district, all that part of Bashan which is called Rephaim country. Again NJPS correctly recognizes ``which'' (the relative pro- 18 I charged you. He is speaking here noun) in a nonstandard form; see ``all the men who had brought home foreign women'' to the Reubenites and the Gadites. But he (Ezra 10:17); ``all that Samuel the seer had dedicated'' (1 Chron. 26:28). In fact there are does not say, ``I charged them,'' since they many similar examples where the de®nite article replaces the relative pronoun. It was are, after all, Israelites too. The opposite oc``called Rephaim country'' either because Og, who ruled it, was one of the Rephaim, or curs in 31:25±27, when ``Moses charged the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covebecause it had originally belonged to them and still belonged at least to him. [J] nant'' and says, ``Take this book of Teaching 15 To Machir I assigned Gilead. See my comment to Num. 32:40. [J] Our texts of Nahmanides' commentary add: ``For he and the people living there were the last remaining Rephaim.'' It is and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, and let it remain dif®cult to understand how to reconcile this phrase with v. 11. there as a witness against you. Well I know how de®ant and stiffnecked you are.'' He is of course not directing this statement at the Levites but at the other Israelites; nonetheless, he ``charges'' the Levites with this commandment because they are part of Israel as a whole.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 13 The whole Argob district. For hevel (which usually means ``rope'') as ``district,'' see also Josh. 17:5, ``Ten districts fell to Manasseh'' (Bekhor Shor). 14 Jair son of Manasseh. Ibn Ezra's explanation is unnecessary; there are plenty of times when two different people have the same name (Abarbanel). 16 The middle of the wadi being the boundary. Rather, ``the middle of the wadi being the territory'' of Sihon (Gersonides). .

24

25 DEUTERONOMY 3:20±22 DEVARIM NJPS God is assigning them, beyond the Jordan. Then you may return each to the homestead that I have assigned to him.'' 21I also charged Joshua at that time, saying, ``You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so shall the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you shall cross over. 22Do not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who will battle for you.''

OK ZCE

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s

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 21 I also charged Joshua at that time.

D OK ZCE

OJPS God giveth them beyond the Jordan; then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.'' 21And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying: ``Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings; so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou goest over. 22Ye shall not fear them; for the LORD your God, He it is that ®ghteth for you.''

``T hat time'' was in Num. 27:23, when Moses ``laid his hands

upon him and commissioned him''; ``commissioned'' translates the same Hebrew word as ``charged'' in our verse (Hizkuni).

VA-`ETHANNAN NJPS

.

23

I

pleaded

with

the

L ORD

at

that

time,

saying,

24

``O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the ®rst works of

QRI\BG

OJPS

23

And

I

besought

the

L ORD

at

that

time,

saying:

24

``O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy

Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You

greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what

whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or

god is there in heaven or on earth, that can

Ÿ « ¥ ‡Â‰‰ :¯Ó‡Ï −¦ © ˙Úa ¬¥ ¨ ‰Â‰È-Ï ®¨ § ‡¤ ÔpÁ˙‡Â −© © § ¤ ¨ 23 À¦ § È„‡ ´ § © § Æ˙BlÁ‰ ¨ Æ ¦ «© ‰z‡ ³¨ © ‰Â‰È ´¨Ÿ £ 24 RASHI 23 I pleaded with the LORD. ˙B‡¯‰Ï The Hebrew root implies a plea for a gift ‰˜ÊÁ‰ ½ § § ¨ ¤¸ Ec·Ú-˙‡ ½ § § © «¤ − § ¨ ¤ § EÏ„b-˙‡ ®¨ ¨ £ © E„È-˙‡Â freely given. Even though the righteous have -¯L¤ ‡£ ı¯‡·e ¤ ¨½ ¨ ÌÈÓMa ¦ ´© ¨ © Æχ-ÈÓ ¥ ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ some right to rely on their good deeds, they

do not ask God for anything on that basis; instead, they request a gift of God's grace. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F In Moses' case, God had after all said to F him, ``I will proclaim before you the name LORD, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show'' (Exod. 33:19); Moses therefore made his plea using a verb from this same root. As we learn from the Sifrei, this is one of the 10 Biblical Hebrew words for prayer. At that time. After I had conquered the land of Sihon and Og, I imagined that perhaps the decree that I would not enter the land had been rescinded. Saying. The Hebrew can also be understood to mean, ``I pleaded with the Lord at that time to say.'' This is one of the three places in the Bible where Moses says to God, ``I will not let You alone until you tell me whether or not You will grant my request.'' 24 O Lord GOD. Moses addresses the Holy One as ``compassionate in judgment,'' invoking the divine aspect of mercy (with the name ``Lord'') and the divine aspect of justice (with the name elohim, which can mean ``judges'' as well as ``God''). You who let Your servant see. Moses took this as an opportunity to continue praying about this subject even though the decree had been issued. After the Golden Calf incident, ``you said to me, `Now, let Me go' [Exod. 32:10]. Was I holding on to You? But I understood that You were giving me the opportunity to pray on their behalf, hinting that their fate depended on me. That is exactly what I intend to do now.'' Your greatness. That is, the great extent of Your goodness: ``Therefore, I pray, let my Lord's forbearance be great'' (Num. 14:17). Your mighty hand. Your right hand, stretched forth to everyone in the world, exercising Your might to enable Your compassion to overcome Your desire for strict justice. You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! You are not like a king of ¯esh and blood, who has advisers and cabinet ministers who prevent him from showing mercy when it would mean violating protocol. If You decide to be merciful and annul Your When exactly was it

that

Moses

(v. 23)?

``pleaded

with

the

L ORD

at

that

time''

What did praising God's unequaled ``pow-

erful deeds'' (v. 24) have to do with Moses' request?

do according to Thy works, and according

RASHBAM 24 You who let Your servant see the ®rst works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand. Rather, ``You

have begun to let Your servant see the works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand,'' in accordance with 2:25, ``This day I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven.'' (The full vowel under the F of the verb ``begun'' is due to the following guttural letter; see 30:19,

IBN EZRA 23 I pleaded with the LORD at that time. Rather, ``I had [already]

pleaded with the LORD by that time.'' By the time I ``charged Joshua'' (v. 21), I had already pleaded with the Lord to let me go across with you. For God's ``greatness cannot be fathomed'' (Ps. 145:3); His mercies ``are renewed every morningÐample is Your grace!'' (Lam. 3:23). But I cannot go across with you. That is why I gave Joshua his charge.

24 Your greatness and Your mighty hand. Moses, the wisest of all men, men-

tions God's ``greatness'' in reference to His actions that keep the world on its regular course, and His ``mighty hand'' in reference to the miracles performed by His hand so that it will be known that there is no God but Him alone. Powerful deeds. The Hebrew is a combination of two nouns, ``Your NAHMANIDES 23 I pleaded with the LORD. After describing the conquest of works'' and ``Your mighty acts'' (see OJPS at Sihon and Og, Moses told the Israelites that he had issued instructions to Joshua, who the end of the verse, where these words apwould cross into the land with them. For ``I pleaded with the Lord to let me enter the land, pear in the Hebrew). ``Works'' refers to the but He did not heed me.'' At that time. At the time of the decree that he could not enter the land (see 1:37). Moses' pleading with the Lord is not recorded at that point, when he actually did it. Correctly understood, ``that time'' must have been after the conquest of Sihon and Og, for that meant that Moses had begun the ®ght against the nations to whom Israel would be opposed. He had also begun allocating the land to them, at least to two of the tribes. That is when God told him, ``Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people'' (Num. 27:12), and that is when he begged for mercy and pleaded to be allowed to cross with them. It was when God denied this request that Moses prayed, ``Let the LORD, Source of the breath of all ¯esh, appoint someone over the community who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in'' (Num. 27:16±17). As we see in v. 28 of our chapter, God agreed to this request and told Moses to give Joshua his instructions. Moses told the Israelites all this to demonstrate how great was his love for the land that they had prevented him from entering. It was part of his rebuke of them. 24 O Lord GOD. See Rashi's comment. What he does not observe is that the Tetragrammaton (which always alludes to mercy, no matter how it is pronounced) is preceded in this verse by the Hebrew word adonai, ``Lord,'' which can only refer to ``lordship'' and the aspect of justice. This appellation, therefore, means not ``compassionate in judgment'' but ``just in compassion.'' Midrash Yelammedenu understands this to imply, ``If in justice I deserve this, please give it to me; if not, please grant it to me out of Your great mercy.'' Note that Abraham, asking for a son, invokes the Holy One with this same phrase in Gen. 15:2. The key to understanding our passage is that Moses does not ``pray'' for God to grant justice but ``pleads'' for Him to be gracious. That is, Moses invokes God's power, noting that He began by

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 24 O Lord GOD. This expression, common in Ezekiel, occurs only four times in the Torah: here and 9:26, along with twice in the story of the covenant between the pieces: Gen. 15:2 and 15:8 (Masorah). You who let Your servant see the ®rst works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand. The Hebrew appears to say literally ``You have begun to show Your servant''

(compare OJPS) ``Your greatness'' and so forth; but it can also be understood to mean ``You have begun to show them with Your servant,'' that is, by means of him (Bekhor Shor). The ``®rst works'' or (better) the ``beginning'' of Your works means ``just a small amount of your greatness and power'' (Gersonides). Powerful deeds. The hardening of Sihon's heart, mentioned in 2:30 (Abarbanel). No god in heaven or on earth can equal. The angels have partial control over heaven and earth, but only the Holy One has complete control (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 3:23±24 VA-`ETHANNAN .

QRI\BG

D OKZCE

26

27 DEUTERONOMY 3:24±27 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

on earth can equal!

25

Let me, I pray, cross over and see

the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country,

and

the

Lebanon.''

26

But

OJPS

to Thy mighty acts?

25

Let me go over, I pray Thee, and

see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-

the

country,

-‰¯aÚ‡ ¨ § § ¤ 25 :E˙¯e·‚Π«¤ Ÿ § ¦ § EÈNÚÓÎ −¤ £ © § ‰NÚÈ ¬¤ £ © ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ‰·Bh‰ ¨½ © ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ´¨ ¨ ¤ Ɖ‡¯‡Â ¤ § ¤ § ‡p¨À :ÔB·l‰Â « ¨ § © § ‰f‰ −¤ © ·Bh‰ ² © ¯‰‰ ¬¨ ¨ Ôc¯i‰ ®¥ § © © ¯·Úa ¤ ´¥ § Ÿ ¬ § ÌÎÚÓÏ ÚÓL −© ¨ ‡Ï ¤½ § © ´© § ÆÈa¦ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ¯aÚ˙i ¥¸ © § ¦ © 26 ¤ À ‡© CÏ-·¯ ¨½ © ÆÈÏ© ‡¥ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ ¸ © ÈÏ ÛÒBz-Ï ®¨ ‡¥ 27 Ÿ L‡¯´ | ‰ÏÚ ´¥ £ :‰f‰ «¤ © ¯·ca ¬¨ ¨ © „BÚ− ÈÏ ²© ‡¥ ¯ac ¬¥ © Ÿ À ‰ÓÈ˙ ¨ ¬ ¨ ¥ § ‰و ¨ ² ¨ § ‰nÈ ¨ ¯ ¨ EÈÈÚ ² ¤ ¥ ‡N ¬ ¨ § ‰bÒt‰ ¨ § ¦ © RASHI decree against me, there is no one to prevent You from doing so. Ð But the ¯·Ú˙ Ÿ − £ © ‡Ï-Èk Ÿ ¬ ¦ EÈÈÚ· ®¤ ¥ § ‰‡¯e ´¥ § ‰Á¯ÊÓe ¨ −¨ § ¦

and

L ORD was wrathful with me on your ac-

was

count

hearkened

and

would

not

listen

to

me.

The

L ORD said to me, ``Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!

27

D OK ZCE

Go up to the

wroth

Lebanon.''

with not

me

unto

26

for me;

But

your and

the

L ORD

sakes, the

and

L ORD

said unto me: ``Let it suf®ce thee; speak no

more

unto

Me

of

this

matter.

27

Get

summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the

thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up

west, the north, the south, and the east.

thine eyes westward, and northward, and

Look at it well, for you shall not go across

southward, and eastward, and behold with

straightforward sense of the verse is simply this: ```You have begun to show Your servant ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Your greatness' (compare OJPS) in the war against Sihon and Og: `See, I begin by placing Sihon and his land at your disposal' [2:31]. Continue by showing me the war against the 31 kings of Canaan!'' [A] 25 Let me, I pray, cross over. This F does not mean, as some think, ``Let me cross over now.'' That good hill country. Jerusalem. The Lebanon. The Temple. [B]

Why was it so in-

credibly important to Moses that he ``cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan'' (v. 25)? Did he not realize that as soon as he died his soul would ®nd a bliss incomparable to anything it could know while in his material body?

F

What was

the point of adding ``that good hill country, and the Lebanon''?

How could Moses tell the Israelites that

the Lord was wrathful with him ``on your account'' (v. 26)? It was on Moses' own account!

F

What rea-

son was there for Moses to ``gaze about'' (v. 27) at the

26 But the LORD was wrathful with me. He was bursting with anger. On your account. You are responsible for this happening to me: ``They provoked wrath at the waters of Meribah and Moses suffered on their account'' (Ps. 106:32). Enough! So that no land if he was not to enter it?

thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this

RASHBAM

Isa. 9:3, and Isa. 41:25 for other examples. Ordinarily, without a following guttural, it would be a half vowel.)

IBN EZRA

wisdom with which they are accomplished and ``mighty acts'' to God's ability to do them. No god. No power. In heaven. The realm of the angels and the stars. Or on earth. The realm of animals and people.

25 The good land on the other side of the Jordan. Moses is trying to instill in

them a love for the land of Israel. If they felt this love, they would observe God's commandments in order not to be expelled from the land.

one should say, ``How tough the Master is, and how stubborn the disciple!'' Another 27 Go up to the summit of Pisgah. reading: there is enough, and more than enough, reward already hidden away for you. That is, ``to the valley that is in the country 27 Look at it well. You asked Me, ``Let me, I pray, . . . see the good land on the other of Moab, at the peak of Pisgah, overlooking side of the Jordan'' (v. 25). Fine! I will let you see it all: ``The LORD showed him the whole the wasteland'' (Num. 21:20). land'' (34:1).

[A] See Joshua 12.

[B] The Temple was made from cedars of Lebanon, and it turned scarlet sins into laban, white.

NAHMANIDES

showing him His greatness and His might (compare OJPS here), a reference to their very ®rst encounter, when ``Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God'' (Exod. 3:6), and adding that no god in heaven or on earth can equal Him. From this you will understand why God was ``wrathful'' (v. 26) with him. [A]

[A] See the last paragraph of Nahmanides' comment to Num. 20:7.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 25 Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan.

For then You will have ful®lled all that I wish for. It just that I want to see itÐit is not that I want some land. After all, I am a Levite, and I have no hereditary portion in the land (Bekhor Shor). The land of Israel is ``good'' in the sense of its being the land in which the divine emanation ¯ows most readily (Gersonides). It is natural for a man to want to see the culmination of his efforts. Since the decree of Num. 20:12 had said merely ``you shall not lead this congregation into the land,'' Moses assumed that he himself would be able to cross over as long as someone else was leading them. Remember, too, that in 2:31 God told Moses, ``See, I begin by placing Sihon and his land at your disposal''Ðbut if Moses did not cross, that would be both beginning and end (Abarbanel). 26 The LORD was wrathful with me on your account. As Ps. 90:11 tells us, ``Your wrath matches the fear of You''Ðthe more one fears God, the more one faces His wrath for even the smallest sin. Had someone other than Moses committed this sin, the Holy One would not have paid any attention to it (Kimhi). More precisely, He was wrathful with me ``for your sakes'' (OJPS). He told me, ``If you cross over, everyone will think the generation of the wilderness died there because they have no portion in the World to ComeÐand that you cared only for yourself. But if you are buried with them, you can bring them with you into the future world'' (Hizkuni). As 1:37 tells us, the decree against Moses had to do with the incident of the spies, for which he bore partial responsibility; after all, according to Num. 13:18, he is the one who asked them, ``Are the people who dwell in it strong or weak, few or many?'' (and so forth). It was their answers to his questions that incited the people against entering the land. God does not forgive one who causes harm to others without repenting of it, much less Moses, who was responsible for an entire generation failing to enter the land (Abarbanel). I wanted to establish you permanently in the land, and He had already sworn to disperse you among the nations (Sforno). Enough! I have done enough miracles through you. If I let you cross, it will end by you wanting to see the Temple. Ð For ``the Lebanon,'' as Onkelos too expresses it, is a reference to the Temple, which was built of cedars from Lebanon (Bekhor Shor). You have already seen the conquest of Sihon and Og, and that is enough for you (Hizkuni). The amount of wisdom and divine emanation that you have already achieved is enough for you (Gersonides). The war against Sihon was just the beginning for Israel, but for Moses it was ``enough.'' Or perhaps God was simply telling him that He did not want to be reminded all day long about the incident with the spies (Abarbanel). Never speak to Me of this matter again! Wouldn't God's refusal to grant Moses what he prayed for cause ordinary people to despair of praying? But the decree of Num. 20:12 was introduced with the word ``therefore,'' indicating that God had sworn to ful®ll it; if there is no oath involved, prayer can still be ef®cacious (Abarbanel). 27 Look at it well. This is enough to remove Moses from the category of Num. 14:22±23, ``none of the men who have . . . disobeyed Me, shall see the land'' (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 3:27±4:2 VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

NJPS

yonder Jordan.

28

Give Joshua his instructions, and im-

bue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the

OJPS

Jordan.

28

But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and

strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he

head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see.'' 29

Meanwhile we stayed on in the valley

near Beth-peor.

4

And now, O Israel, give heed to the

laws and rules that I am instructing you to

shall cause them to inherit the land which

ÚLB‰È-˙‡ © −ª § ¤ ˆ ¬© § 28 :‰f‰ «¤ © Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ¬¥ § © © ¤ Ÿ À £ © ‡e‰-Èk ÌÚ‰ ´¨ ¨ ÆÈÙÏ ¥ § ¦ ¯·ÚÈ ´ ¦ e‰ˆn‡Â ®¥ § © § e‰˜fÁ ´¥ § © § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ −¨ ¨ ¤ Ì˙B‡ ¨½ ÏÈÁÈ ´ ¦ § © Ƈe‰Â§ ‰f‰ ¤½ © :‰‡¯z «¤ § ¦ Ù :¯BÚt « § ˙Èa ¬¥ ÏeÓ− ‡Èba § ¨½ © ·Lp ¤ ´¥ © 29

observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the L ORD, the God of

E OKZCE

„

29

So we abode in the valley over against

Beth-peor.

4

And now, O Israel, hearken unto the

statutes

and

unto

the

ordinances,

which

I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the

ÚÓL ³© § χ¯NÈ ¥À ¨ § ¦ ‰zÚ ´¨ © § ½¦ ¨ § ¦ © ‡Â ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ „nÏÓ ¬¥ © § ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ «¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ÌÈËtLn‰-Ï ¤§ À § « ¦ ÔÚÓÏ ÌzL¯È ´¤ § ¦ « ¦ ÆÌ˙‡·e ¤ ¨ eÈÁz © ´© § ˙BNÚÏ ® £© ÌÎÈ˙·‡ −¤ ¥ Ÿ £ È‰Ï ¬¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ Ÿ ´ 2 :ÌÎÏ À¦ Ÿ ‡Ï ³¤ ‡ £ Ư·c‰-ÏÚ ¨ ¨ © © eÙÒ˙ «¤ ¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ RASHI 28 Give Joshua his instruc- ¯L tions. About ``the trouble, and the burden, epnÓ Ÿ ¬ § ÌÎ˙‡ ®¤ ¦ eÚ¯‚˙ − § § ¦ ‡Ï ¤½ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ´¤ © § ÆÈÎ‡ ¦ Ÿ ¨ RASHBAM 29 We stayed on. We and the bickering'' (1:12). Imbue him with have stayed on. In the valley near BethŸÀ § ¦ Ÿ § ¦ -˙‡¤ ¯ÓLÏ ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Æ˙ÂˆÓ strength and courage. By speaking en- ¯L peor. In the steppes of Moab, where we are

your fathers, is giving you.

2

You shall not

ÆÌÈwÁ‰-Ï ¦ ª «© ‡¤

thou shalt see.''

add anything to what I command you or

of

the

L ORD

your

2

Ye

shall

God

add

unto

the

word

which

from it, that ye may keep the commandments

couragingly to him, so that he not be fainthearted and think, ``My master was pun- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F ished on account of the Israelites, and I am going to end up suffering the same fate.'' I promise him that he shall go across at

Didn't

Moses

al-

ready ``give Joshua his instructions'' (v. 28) in v. 21? (The

same

Hebrew

verb

is

used

in

both

verses.)

What is the point of mentioning Beth-peor (v. 29)? Is

the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land. If he goes across at their

not

I command you, neither shall ye diminish

take anything away from it, but keep the commandments

L ORD, the God of your fathers, giveth you.

that really where the Israelites were ``at that time''?

F

What is the connection between not adding any-

thing to the commandments or taking anything away

head, they will have the land allotted to them; if he does not, they won't. Ð You ®nd exactly this happening when he sent some of the people to attack Ai, but he remained behind: ``The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them . . . and the heart of the troops sank in utter dismay'' (Josh. 7:5). God said to Joshua, ``Arise! Why do you lie prostrate?'' (Josh. 7:10). ``You stay where you are and send the warriors by themselves? Didn't I tell your master Moses, `If Joshua crosses over, the Israelites can cross. If he doesn't, they can't either'?'' 29 Meanwhile we stayed on in the valley near Beth-peor. Where you attached yourselves to Baal-peor. [C] Even so, ``give heed to the laws and rules that I am instructing you to observe'' (4:1), for everything is forgiven you. But I myself did not manage to be forgiven. 4:2 You shall not add anything to what I command you. By, for example, adding a ®fth text to your phylacteries, a ®fth species to the four waved on the Feast of Tabernacles, or a ®fth fringe to your garments. Or take anything away from it. The same applies here. from them (v. 2) and ``the matter of Baal-peor'' (v. 3)?

of

the

L ORD

your

God

which

now. And you must learn from what you have seen hereÐas 4:3±4 goes on to explain.

IBN EZRA 29 We stayed on in the valley. Rather, ``we stayed'' in that had

valley, the one ``at the peak of Pisgah'' (see the previous comment), from which they traveled on to the steppes of Moab. This valley was in the heights of Abarim. [A] 4:1 And now. Now Moses begins to speak about the commandments. Since he has just mentioned their being near Bethpeor, he begins by speaking about idolatry.

That I am instructing you to observe.

Literally, ``which I teach you, to do them'' (OJPS). For the essential purpose of teaching the commandments is doing them. So that you may live. For those who worshiped Peor were wiped out. Occupy. The unusual hireq under the Z (instead of patah) is unique; except for the other occurrences of this same word, there is no comparable [C] See Num. 25:3. form anywhere else in the Bible. 2 You shall not add anything. You NAHMANIDES 4:1 Give heed to the laws and rules that I am instructing you to shall not add anything that you think up observe. Moses concludes his rebuke of the Israelites by declaring to them that all the yourselves, even if you do so for the purpose evil that befell their ancestors was their own doingÐand that is also what prevented Moses of worshiping the Lord; nor shall you take himself from entering the land. But they, the children, would indeed enter the land and take anything away. possession of it, if only they would refrain from being, like their parents, ``a wayward and [A] See Ibn Ezra's comment to Num. 21:19. de®ant generation'' (Ps. 78:8). He thus presents to them the general outlines of the commandments, to which they must add nothing and from which they must take nothing away. 2 You shall not add anything ...or take anything away. See Rashi's comment, which comes from the Sifrei; B. RH 28b adds one who dwells in his ``booth'' on the festival of Sukkot for eight days rather than the standard seven. (He would similarly be violating this commandment if he dwells there for only six days.) But in my view it extends beyond increasing or decreasing numbers to include making up a brand-new commandment. So when Jeroboam dreamed up ``a festival on the ®fteenth day of the eighth month'' (1 Kings 12:32), he .

.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 28 Give Joshua his instructions.

The instructions he had given in vv. 21±22 were just preliminary, and more for Israel than for Joshua himself, since at that time Moses thought that he himself would still be with them when they crossed over (Abarbanel).

4:1 Give heed to the laws and rules that I am instructing you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land. 2 You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it. By adding a ®fth fringe to your garments,

I am giving you these laws for your own good (Bekhor Shor).

you in effect entirely replace the command to have four fringes (Bekhor Shor). When I told your ancestors to go up and take possession of the land, they added to that command the request, ``Let us send men ahead to reconnoiter the land for us'' (1:22)Ðan addition that ended with their carcasses dropping dead in the wilderness (Hizkuni). The reference is to adding something that detracts from the Torah's

28

29 DEUTERONOMY 4:2±6 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

that I enjoin upon you.

OJPS

3

You saw with your own eyes

what the L ORD did in the matter of Baal-peor, that the L ORD your

God

every 4

while

wiped

person you,

out

who

who

from

among

followed

held

fast

to

L ORD

your God, are all alive today. 5

See, I have imparted to you laws and

rules,

as

the

L ORD

my

God

has

com-

manded me, for you to abide by in the land that

you

are

about

to

enter

and

occupy.

6

Observe them faithfully, for that will be

proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws will say, ``Surely, that great nation is a

RASHI 6 Observe them faithfully. Literally, ``observe therefore and do them'' (OJPS); ``observe'' in this case means ``attend to them, study them.'' For that will be

proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples. Studying the commandments and doing them will make the other peoples consider you wise and discerning.

Your eyes have seen what the L ORD

the L ORD thy God hath destroyed them

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ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Doesn't the men-

tion of Baal-peor belong in vv. 15±20, the paragraph warning against idolatry?

F

Why does v. 5 mention

``laws and rules'' but not the ``commandments'' and ``decrees'' of 6:17?

NAHMANIDES

3

did in Baal-peor; for all the men that followed the Baal of Peor,

you

Baal-peor; the

I command you.

E OK ZCE

that

is,

as

the

F

Why is it precisely the ``laws''Ð

Hebrew

word

implies,

the

ones

for

from the midst of thee.

4

But ye that did

cleave unto the L ORD your God are alive every one of you this day. 5

Behold, I have taught you statutes and

ordinances,

even

as

the

L ORD

my

God

commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess

it.

6

Observe

therefore

and

do

them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that, when they hear all these statutes, shall say: ``Surely this great nation is a wise and

IBN EZRA 3 You saw with your own eyes. There is no need for witnesses to what I told you in v. 1; you saw the evidence for this with your own eyes. In the matter of Baal-peor. Literally ``in Baal-peor'' (OJPS), but NJPS interprets correctly; Moses is referencing what God did ``on account of'' Baal-peor. The preposition is often used in this way. Moses' point was that anyone who did not serve Baal-peor was still alive. 5 I have imparted to you. The Hebrew verb is the same as used in v. 1 (see OJPS): I have taught you, as I said I would. As the

was violating this prohibition. We see this on B. Meg. 14a, which explains that Israel had 180 prophets [B] who neither took anything away from the Torah nor added anything to it but for the reading of the Megillah, the book of Esther, on LORD my God has commanded me. Purim. In the Palestinian Talmud's version of this story, the Sages exhibit great distress Moses adds this here to emphasize: ``The over the matter until God opens their eyes and they realize that there are indeed verses in commandments are His, so you must do the Torah, Prophets, and Writings alluding to this commandment. [C] The verse cited by them in the land that He is giving you posthe Sages in that story, ``These''Ðand only theseÐ``are the commandments that the LORD session of. Moreover [Moses adds in the gave Moses for the Israelite people on Mount Sinai'' (Lev. 27:34), demonstrates that even continuation of this paragraph], the coma prophet cannot add such a new commandment if it is not already found in a verse. For mandments will actually glorify you in the prophets are no longer authorized to innovate in this way. When the Sages ``add'' to the eyes of the other nations.'' The point is that commandments by creating a ``fence'' around the Torah (for example, by extending the intelligent people will understand the purlaws of incest), this in itself is the ful®llment of a Torah commandmentÐthough it is very pose of the commandments and realize why important to distinguish between such rulings and the actual Torah declared by the mouth they were given. of the Almighty. 3 You saw with your own eyes. Since his purpose is to give them the details of the commandments, he begins with idolatry, which is at the root of them all. 5 See, I have imparted to you laws and rules. The Hebrew verb is indeed in the past tense, but the sense of this idiom is ``See, I am imparting them to you today''Ða present tense, just like in vv. 2 and 8. In our verse, the past tense may imply the following: remember, when you enter the land, that I have imparted to you these laws and rules. Having started with idolatry, which encompasses both positive commands and prohibitions, Moses now continues with the ``laws'' that were simply decreed by heaven and also with the ``rules'' that make reasonable sense. Both of these categories need their own kind of emphasis: ``laws'' because the reasons for them are not evident; ``rules'' because ``by rules a king sustains the land'' (Prov. 29:4). For you to abide by in the land. Once again Moses' purpose here is allencompassing. For there are many laws and rules that do not apply outside the land. Or perhaps he is alluding to the essential connection between the commandments and the land; see my comments to Lev. 18:25. 6 That will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples. One of the great bene®ts of the commandments is the esteem they give the Israelites in the eyes of other people. Even people who are their enemies nonetheless praise them for the commandments and their loyalty to them. which there is no obvious reasonÐthat will make the

other nations consider the Jews ``wise and discerning'' (v. 6)?

[B] Our texts of the Talmud say: 48 male prophets and 7 female prophets.

[C] According to that text, the verses are Exod. 17:19, Mal. 3:16, and Esther 9:32.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS purposeÐfor example, by extending the law of 21:10±14 to a woman who was not captured in wartime. But an addition that preserves the intent of the Torah, like the ``fences'' added by our Sages, is perfectly ®ne (Gersonides). Moses' point was that the laws he was teaching them were not humanÐin which case they might be improved by adding or taking awayÐbut divine (Abarbanel). 6 Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom. Rather, that will be ``your wisdom'' (OJPS), that is, ``your wisest course'' or ``your source of wisdom'' in knowing how to respond to religious challenges (Sforno). Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people. Despite the fact that the reasons for the ``laws'' were not evident, the rightness of the ``rules'' and the result of them both would be so bene®cial as to elicit admiration from the nations (Abarbanel). If the other nations think you foolish, that would be a desecration of God's name (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 4:6±10 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

wise and discerning people.''

7

For what great nation is

there that has a god so close at hand as is the L ORD our God whenever we call upon Him?

8

Or what great nation has laws and

OJPS that

understanding people.''

hath

God

so

9

But take utmost care and watch your-

selves

scrupulously,

so

that

you

do

not

forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. And make them known to your children and to your children's children: before

the

L ORD

10

The

your

day

God

you at

stood

Horeb,

when the L ORD said to Me, ``Gather the people to Me that I may let them hear My words,

in

order

that

they

may

learn

to

revere Me as long as they live on earth, and

RASHI 8 Laws and rules as perfect as all this Teaching. Literally, as ``right'' as all this TeachingÐso reasonable and so sensible.

9 But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget. As long as you do not forget

nigh

unto

7

For what great nation is there,

them,

whensoever we call upon Him?

rules as perfect as all this Teaching that I set before you this day?

E OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

as

the

L ORD

our

God

is

8

And what great nation is there,

that hath statutes and ordinances so righ-

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ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why are the ``rules''

once again combined with the ``laws'' in v. 8?

teous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy

soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children; stoodest Horeb,

before when

the

the

10

the day that thou

L ORD

L ORD

thy

said

God

unto

in

me:

``Assemble Me the people, and I will make them hear My words that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live upon

RASHBAM 4:7 Whenever we call upon Him. ``God heard their moaning''

(Exod. 2:24); ``The Israelites cried out to the LORD . . . `Why do you cry out to Me?''' (Exod. 14:10, 15). And God continued to respond to their cries with manna, with quail, and with water.

them, and you continue to perform them scrupulously, you will be considered wise IBN EZRA 7 For what great nation is and discerning. If you bend the rules out of forgetfulness, you will be considered foolish. there that has a god so close at hand? To 10 The day you stood before the LORD. This continues the ®rst part of v. 9: ``the answer whatever they ask forÐwhen they things that you saw with your own eyes on the day you stood before the Lord,'' when you ask wisely. ``witnessed the thunder and lightning'' (Exod. 20:15). 8 Or what great nation has laws and

NAHMANIDES 7 A god so close at hand as is the LORD our God whenever we call upon Him. This too is a direct result and a great bene®t of the commandments. 8 What great nation. Despite the greatness of other nations, they will comprehend the wisdom behind the commandments, which draw Israel closer to God, and they will fear the Israelites. Laws and rules as perfect as all this Teaching. Not to mention the

rules as perfect as all this Teaching?

Literally, ``as right, as correct'' when intellectually considered. But vv. 7 and 8 are really asking the question ``what nation is there as great as Israel in wisdom and in fear of the Lord?''

9 But take utmost care...so that you intrinsic rightness and utility of these laws and rules for ensuring the welfare of the people do not forget the things that you saw and of the world at large. 9 Take utmost care...so that you do not forget. Rashi's comment is completely with your own eyes. If you forget everywrong. This verse is in my opinion a prohibition of its own: ``Take utmost care to remember thing else, do not forget the day you stood at where these commandments came to you from. Never forget the things you saw and heard Sinai, when ``all the people saw the thunder when you stood at Sinai! God's whole purpose in putting on this display was to teach you and lightning'' (Exod. 20:15). 10 As long as they live on earth. Rato fear Him and to have you teach your children throughout all future generations to do the same. So don't forget to do this!'' Before recounting the Ten Commandments, Moses ther, ``upon the soil'' of the land of Israel. wanted to make sure that we would never remove from our hearts what he was about to say God knew that they would not be able to and that we would pass on to our children what we saw and heard. Make them known to ful®ll the commandments properly when your children. The bene®t of this commandment is great indeed. If we had originally they were exiled to the lands of those naheard the Torah only from the lips of Moses, then despite the fact that his prophecy was tions who would rule over them. con®rmed by signs and portents, still, suppose another ``prophet or a dream-diviner'' (13:2) should appear and, giving us a sign or a portent, command us to do just the opposite of what the Torah says? This might put doubt in some people's hearts. But since the Torah came to our ears and eyes directly from the mouth of the Almighty, without intermediary, we can easily reject a disputer, a doubter, or a deceiver. Signs and portents will not spare him from death at our hands, for we will recognize his deceit. This is also the point of God's telling Moses, ``I will come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after'' (Exod. 19:9). When we pass this tradition down to our children, they too will know, as surely as if every generation had seen it for themselves, that it is true without a doubt. For we would not lie to our children or give them a tradition that is pointless or worthless. They in their turn will not have the slightest doubt of what we tell them, but will believe absolutely in what we tell them that we saw with our own eyes. This topic will return in ch. 13; I have mentioned it already in my comment to Exod. 19:9.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 Whenever we call upon Him.

The Hebrew expression occurs elsewhere only in Ps. 20:10 (Masorah). Not ``whenever,'' but rather ``with all'' our calling upon Him: when we call upon Him with all our might (Hizkuni). Rather, ``with whatever we call upon Him,'' whatever we ask Him for (Gersonides). 8 What great nation has laws and rules as perfect as all this Teaching that I set before you this day? Since no human being has been able to establish rules this perfect, you understand that they are not the product of ¯esh and blood, but of the Holy One (Bekhor Shor). Our Teaching, unlike the laws of other nations, is so well designed that observing it is not a burden on us (Gersonides).

30

31 DEUTERONOMY 4:10±18 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

may so teach their children.''

11

You came forward and

stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with ¯ames to the very skies, dark with densest clouds.

12

The L ORD

spoke to you out of the ®re; you heard the sound of words but perceived no shapeÐnothing but a voice.

13

the

to

covenant

that

He

commanded

you

He declared to you observe,

the

Ten

Commandments; and He inscribed them on two tablets of stone.

OJPS

the earth, and that they may teach their children.''

cross into and occupy. 15

For your own sake, therefore, be most

carefulÐsince you saw no shape when the L ORD your God spoke to you at Horeb out of the ®reÐ

16

not to act wickedly and make

for yourselves a sculptured image in any likeness whatever: the form of a man or a woman,

17

the form of any beast on earth,

the form of any winged bird that ¯ies in the sky,

18

the form of anything that creeps

on the ground, the form of any ®sh that is

RASHI 14 At the same time the LORD commanded me to impart to you laws and rules for you. This refers to the Oral Torah. 16 In any likeness whatever. That is,

in any form.

NAHMANIDES 12 The LORD spoke to you out of the ®re. See my comment to

And

burned with ®re unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.

12

And the L ORD spoke unto you out of the

midst of the ®re; ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only a voice.

13

And He declared unto you His covenant,

which He commanded you to perform, even the ten words; and

At the same time the L ORD commanded

to observe in the land that you are about to

11

ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain

14

me to impart to you laws and rules for you

E OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

He wrote them upon two tables of stone.

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Exod. 19:20 and my general remarks on Exod. 20:15±18. They heard the Holy One speak directly the Ten Commandments of ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F His covenant to them from the great ®re, which they saw. Ð The other commandF ments (says Moses) He instructed me at that time to teach you later, for what you saw was enough to assure you that I am a trustworthy prophet. (See again Exod. 19:9.) 15 Be most careful. They must not ``cut off the shoots'' [D] by straying from the Voice that they heard. 16 The form of a man or a woman. From which one might actually imagine a voice to come. From here Moses continues on to animals, birds, reptiles, ®sh, and from there to the stars. [D] ``Cutting off the shoots'' is a rabbinic idiom for heresy, drawn from the talmudic story of Elisha b. Avuyah; mystically it What is the con-

nection between the paragraph beginning ``For your

own sake, therefore, be most careful'' (v. 15) and what preceded it?

What sense does it make to tell the

Israelites to ``be careful'' because they ``saw no shape'' and so forth?

14

And the L ORD commanded me at that

time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. 15

Take

ye

therefore

good

heed

unto

yourselvesÐfor ye saw no manner of form on the day that the L ORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the ®reÐ 16

lest

ye

deal

corruptly,

and

make

you

a

graven image, even the form of any ®gure, the likeness of male or female,

17

the like-

ness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that ¯ieth in the heaven,

18

the likeness of any thing that

creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any

RASHBAM 11 You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain. Not

``underneath'' the mountain; ``over/above'' and ``under/below'' are frequently used to refer to the relative positions of tall or high things next to short or low ones. See, for example, Gen. 18:2, where the three men are standing ``over'' Abraham. Here too the Israelites are being described as ``below'' the mountain because it is looming ``over'' them.

The mountain was ablaze with ¯ames. Telling us that the Israelites were standing at the foot of a blazing mountain prepares us for what they will say in 5:22.

14 At the same time the LORD commanded me to impart to you laws and rules. Besides the Ten Commandments. 16 In any likeness whatever. ``Likeness'' is the correct translation; compare ``the infuriating image'' of Ezek. 8:3 and 8:5.

IBN EZRA 11 To the very skies.

Literally, to ``the heart of heaven'' (OJPS), the zenith, which is the middle of the sky from the perspective of those looking up at it. For ``heart'' in the sense of ``middle,'' compare ``The deeps froze in the heart of the sea'' (Exod. 15:8). 12 Nothing but a voice. Literally, you ``saw no shape; only a voice'' (compare OJPS)Ðyou saw no shape, but perceived only the voice that you heard. For a voice cannot literally be ``seen.'' See my comment to Exod. 20:15. 14 At the same time the LORD commanded me to impart to you laws and rules. The Lord gave all these rules to Moses at Sinai. Moses told them to Israel ®rst in the second year of the wilderness wandering and now, a second time, in the 40th year. 16 Not to act wickedly. The verb is transitive: ``not to corrupt''Ðthe truth, or your ways. Sculptured. The root refers to carving something out of stone: ``The king ordered huge blocks of choice stone to be quarried, so that the foundations of the house might be laid with hewn stones. Solomon's masons, Hiram's masons, and the men of Gebal shaped them'' (2 Kings 5:31±32). A man or a woman. Like the idols commonly worshiped among the other nations. There are even some nations where they worship whatever animal they happen to encounter ®rst on a particular day, to invoke the heavenly power represented by that animal. For example, an image of a scorpion channels the power to bite (and the same with the other 47 constellations). [B] [B] In addition to the 12 signs of the zodiac, there are understood to be 36 other constellations, for a total of 48. Note also that the numerical value of CMGM (``star'') is 48. implies destruction of a metaphysical kind.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 The form of a man or a woman. dreamed up by the astrologers (Abarbanel).

V. 19 demonstrates that all the images of vv. 16±18 are those

DEUTERONOMY 4:18±22 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

in the waters below the earth.

E OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

19

And when you look up

OJPS

®sh that is in the water under the earth;

19

and lest thou

to the sky and behold the sun and the moon and the stars, the

lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and

whole heavenly host, you must not be lured into bowing down

the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be

to them or serving them. These the L ORD your God allotted to other peoples everywhere under heaven;

20

but you the L ORD

took and brought out of Egypt, that iron blast furnace, to be His very own people, as is now the case. 21

Now

the

L ORD

was

angry

with me

on your account and swore that I should not cross the Jordan and enter the good land that the L ORD your God is assigning you as a heritage.

22

For I must die in this

land; I shall not cross the Jordan. But you will cross and take possession of that good

RASHI 19 When you look up to the sky...you must not be lured. Literally,

drawn away and worship them, and serve

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``lest you lift up your eyes'' and so forth. The implication is that you ``lift up your eyes'' to see something and have a mind to stray after it. It is not forbidden merely to look at them. These the LORD your God allotted ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F to other peoples. To give light to them. Another reading: He allotted them to the F other peoples as their gods, not preventing them from worshiping the sun, moon, and stars. The Hebrew word translated ``alF lotted'' can also mean ``smoothed''Ðhe smoothed the way for their idol worship to F drive them right out of the world. 20 That iron blast furnace. The HeF brew word refers to a crucible in which gold is puri®ed.

If God

``allotted''

(v. 19) the sun, moon, and stars to the other peoples, are we to understand that human lives really are astrologically determined?

If the stars do determine the

course of events, are the Jews included or excluded from this? The light of the stars shines equally on all nations!

Can it really be that the other nations are

permitted to be misled into worshiping the stars as if they were gods?

Why does Moses repeat that ``the

them, which the L ORD thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.

20

But

you

hath

the

L ORD

taken

and brought forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day. 21

Now the L ORD was angered with me

for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the L ORD thy

God

giveth

thee

for

an

inheritance;

22

but I must die in this land, I must not go

over the Jordan; but ye are to go over, and

RASHBAM 19 These the LORD your God allotted to other peoples everywhere under heaven. To provide them

with light. But essentially the straightforward meaning of the text is that He allotted the sun, moon, and stars to the other nations for them to worship. He was not worried about them. [A]

20 But you the LORD took...to be His very own people. For you to worship Him. He would be your God.

[A] It is not clear whether ``them'' refers to the other peoples or to the sun, moon, and stars.

L ORD was angry with me on your account'' (v. 21) after

having

®nished

with

turned to other matters?

this

topic

in

ch.

3

and

Why does Moses tell the

Israelites that ``I must die in this land'' (v. 22)?

21 Now the LORD was angry with me. Again, He was ®lled with anger. On your account. Literally, ``because of

IBN EZRA 19 The sun and the moon. The ``great lights'' of Gen. 1:16. The whole heavenly host. A general name for them allÐsun, moon, and stars, including all the planets and constellations. You must not be lured. The Hebrew verb implies that one who does so slips and falls. These the LORD your God allotted to other peoples. It is a

your words,'' but the translations understand correctly that it means ``on account of your behavior.'' 22 For I must die in this land; I shall not cross the Jordan. After he died, how could he cross? He was telling them, ``Even my bones will not cross the Jordan with you.'' fact tried and true that every nation, and even every city, has its own astrological NAHMANIDES 19 These the LORD your God allotted to other peoples every- sign. God allotted high status to Israel by where under heaven. See my comments to Lev. 18:25 and Num. 11:16. Every nation not allotting a constellation to them, but lethas its own star or constellation, and there are still higher angels above them; see Daniel ting the Lord be their counselor. For Israel is the Lord's ``very own people'' (v. 20). 10. So the other nations make gods out of them, which they worship. 20 But you the LORD took and brought out of Egypt. You are the Lord's allotted 21 Now the LORD was angry with me. portion; set no help or ruler over yourselves but Him. He brought you out of the iron blast This follows naturally from Moses' menfurnace of Egypt despite their heavenly ``princes,'' against whom He ``meted out pun- tioning that God had taken the Israelites to ishments'' (Exod. 12:12). For had the Holy One not brought about the downfall of the be His people, a reference to their serving ``princes'' of the Egyptians, their stature was so great that you would never have gotten out Him in the landÐ``but I will not receive that of there. To be His very own people. That is the reason He did all of thisÐfor you to be a bene®t.'' On your account. It is you who are responsible for me not entering the land. ``treasured possession among all the peoples'' (Exod. 19:5) for His great name. 21 The LORD was angry with me on your account. The reason Moses repeats this Ð See my comment to Num. 20:8. here is simply to say, The Lord commanded me to teach you the laws that you must obey in the land where you are going and I am not. So accept instruction from my mouth, ``for I must die in this land'' (v. 22) and I will no longer be able to teach you. But the True explanation is that he is saying, The reason the Lord was angry with me was out of concern that you might ``forget the covenant'' and ``make for yourselves a sculptured image'' (v. 23). I have already discussed this in the last paragraph of my comment to Num. 20:7.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19 These the LORD your God allotted to other peoples everywhere under heaven. The workings of the stars have no effect on the People of Israel as a wholeÐbut they can affect individual Jews (Abarbanel). 20 That iron blast furnace. The Israelites were smelted there, through harsh labor (Kimhi). 22 I must die. More literally, ``I am about to die, I am going to die''; the Hebrew expression occurs only four other times, all in the story of Joseph (Masorah). I shall not cross the Jordan. Neither dead nor alive (Bekhor Shor).

32

33 DEUTERONOMY 4:23±26 NJPS

land.

23

VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

OJPS

Take care, then, not to forget the covenant that

possess that good land.

E OK ZCE

23

Take heed unto yourselves, lest

the L ORD your God concluded with you, and not to make for

ye forget the covenant of the L ORD your God, which He made

yourselves a sculptured image in any likeness, against which the

with you, and make you a graven image, even the likeness of any

L ORD your God has enjoined you.

24

For

thing which the L ORD thy God hath for-

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24

the L ORD your God is a consuming ®re,

bidden thee.

an impassioned God.

devouring ®re, a jealous God.

25

When you have begotten children and

For the L ORD thy God is a

25

When thou shalt beget children, and

children's children and are long established

children's children, and ye shall have been

in the land, should you act wickedly and

long in the land, and shall deal corruptly,

make for yourselves a sculptured image in

and make a graven image, even the form of

any likeness, causing the L ORD your God

any thing, and shall do that which is evil

displeasure

and

vexation,

26

I

call

heaven

and earth this day to witness against you

passionate revenge, burning with anger to ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F punish idolaters. 25 And are long established. This is the English translation of a single Hebrew F word, whose numerical value is 852. God is hinting to the Israelites here that they will be exiled from the land after 852 years. In fact, He exiled them after only 850 years, preventing them from reaching the full measure of 852 and thus exempting them from the decree of ``you shall soon perish from the land'' (v. 26). This is alluded to in ``the LORD hastened to bring calamity upon us'' (Dan. 9:14)ÐHe hastened to exile us to keep us from earning the full penalty and being ``utterly wiped out.'' 26 I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you. I call on them to be witnesses that I have warned you. What does Moses'

dying have to do with his insistence, once again, that

they not ``make for yourselves a sculptured image in any likeness'' (v. 23)?

Why does Moses suddenly

warn the Israelites about what will happen in the far

future if they ``act wickedly'' (v. 25)? Shouldn't he at least

have

This

warning

repeated

the

makes

Ten

much

Commandments

more

sense

when

®rst? it

is

repeated at the end of the book.

[D] ``Against'' is not in the Hebrew but is adopted by NJPS from Rashi's comment.

NAHMANIDES 23 Against which the LORD your God has enjoined you. ``Against,'' which is not in the Hebrew but is adopted by NJPS from Rashi's comment, is the straightforward sense of the text. But one who is enlightened will understand the True meaning of these verses. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming ®re. Which you saw ``on the top of the mountain'' (Exod. 24:17). This re¯ects the divine aspect of justice, impassioned against idolatry. This verse explains all you need to know about why the phrase ``the LORD your God'' is used throughout Deuteronomy. 25 When you have begotten children and children's children and are long established in the land. Being so secure and well established, you might forget the Lord. If you do, I am warning you that you will speedily ``perish from the land'' (v. 26). If you worship idols, He will have no patience with you. Should you act wickedly. The Hebrew permits two interpretations here: the warning of NJPS not to commit idolatry, and the explicit, prophetic statement (not, however, a decree) that the Israelites ``shall do that which is evil'' (OJPS). Moses deliberately framed it in this ambiguous fashion. This is why the Sages took our verse as a coded reference to the exile to Babylonia. [E] There had been a tradition that this verse referred to exile; when it actually came upon them, they ®nally comprehended it. Should you act wickedly and make for yourselves a sculptured image. It does not say ``and serve it'' or ``and worship it.'' Even making it is still considered to be acting ``wickedly.'' For any such image is regarded as a likeness of the All [F] and is strictly forbidden; see my comments to vv. 15±20. [E] See Rashi's comment.

[F] See Nahmanides' comment to Num. 15:39.

in the sight of the L ORD thy God, to provoke Him;

26

I call heaven and earth to wit-

ness against you this day, that ye shall soon

RASHBAM 26 I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you. This is a warning that, if necessary, ``He will IBN EZRA 23 Take care...not to make for yourselves a sculptured image. This repeats vv. 15±16 in order to add the contrasting image of the ``consuming ®re'' (v. 24). Against which the LORD your God has enjoined you. ``Against'' is not found in the Hebrew, but this is one possible understanding; the word translated ``enjoin'' can be used to mean ``prohibit'': ``I will prohibit the clouds from dropping rain on it'' (Isa. 5:6). Another way to understand it would be ``as the Lord your God has enjoined you.'' And some would take it as a warning not to make (elsewhere than on the Ark) even ``what the Lord your God has enjoined you''Ðthe cherubim. [C] But I ®nd this implausible. 24 A consuming ®re. This is a metaphor: He is like a consuming ®re. An impassioned God. Literally, He is ``jealous'' (OJPS) of the stars and the constellations; His jealousy is like a ®re that will ``burn them to ashes and leave of them neither stock nor boughs'' (Mal. 3:19). 25 Should you act wickedly and make for yourselves a sculptured image. This too is a result of God's ``jealousy'' (v. 24). Causing the LORD your God displeasure and vexation. The Hebrew introduces this phrase with ``and'' (OJPS); it refers to violating the rest of the commandmentsÐmurder, adultery, and the like. 26 I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you. Some say that ``heaven'' and ``earth'' in this verse are meant [C] See Exod. 25:17±22. Our text of Ibn Ezra refers to ``stars'' rather than ``cherubim,'' but this seems to be a mistake. The two words closely resemble each other in Hebrew.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 23 Against which the LORD your God has enjoined you. ``Against'' is not in the Hebrew. This phrase is actually connected to the beginning of the verse: ``Take care . . . not to forget the covenant that . . . the Lord your God has enjoined you'' (Hizkuni). 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming ®re. His anger is therefore no small thing (Bekhor Shor). 25 And are long established. The Hebrew word that this phrase translates occurs nowhere else in the Bible but here (Masorah). Should you act wickedly. There are two aspects to health care: prevention and cure. Having discussed prevention, Moses turns in vv. 25±40 to the cure necessary when the Israelites have failed to observe the commandments preventivelyÐthat is, when they have abandoned the behavior he has up until now been urging them to follow (Abarbanel). 26 Heaven and earth. This phrase occurs 13 times in the Bible (Masorah).

DEUTERONOMY 4:26±30 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

that you shall soon perish from the land that you are

crossing the Jordan to possess; you shall not long endure in it, but

shall

be

utterly

wiped

27

The

out.

E OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

L ORD

will

scatter

you

OJPS

utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over

the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

among the peoples, and only a scant few of

27

And the L ORD shall scatter you

among the peoples, and ye shall be left few

Ìȯ·Ú ¯¦ § Ÿ Ìz‡ ¤¹ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ÏÚÓ ´© ¥ ¼¯‰Ó ¥ © ÔÎȯ‡˙-‡Ï ³ª ¦ £ © Ÿ « dzL¯Ï ®¨ § ¦ § ‰nL ¨ −¨ Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ²¥ § © © ¤ ıÈى ¯¦ ¥ § 27 :Ôe„ÓMz « ¥ ¨ ¦ „ÓM‰ −¥ ¨ ¦ Èk ¬ ¦ ‰ÈÏÚ ¨ ¤½ ¨ ÆÌÈÓÈ ¦¨ È˙Ó ´¥ § ÆÌz¯‡L ¤ § © § ¦ § ÌÈnÚa ®¦ © ¨ ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ¾¦ © ¯tÒÓ ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ‚‰È ¯¥ © § ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÌÈBba ¨½ § ¦ ‰NÚÓ −¥ £ © ÌÈ‰Ï ¦½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÌL-Ìz„·Ú ´¨ ¤ § © £ © 28 :‰nL ¨ «¨ Ÿ ´ § ÆÔe‡¯È-‡Ï ‡Ï § ¦ Ÿ « ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ Ô·‡Â ¤ ¤½ ¨ ıÚ ´¥ Ì„‡ ®¨ ¨ È„È ´¥ § Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ½ § § ¦ :ÔÁÈ¯È «ª ¦ § ‡Ï ¬ § ÔeÏÎ‡È − § « ‡Ï ¬ § ÔeÚÓLÈ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ¬¨ § ¤ ÌMÓ ²¨ ¦ ÌzLw·e ¬¤ § © ¦ 29 RASHI 28 There you will serve man- -Ïηe ¨ § E··Ï-ÏÎa − § ¨ § ¨ § epL¯„˙ ¤½ § § ¦ Èk ´ ¦ ˙‡ˆÓe ¨ ®¨ ¨ made gods. This is to be understood as Ìȯ·c‰ Ÿ − Ee‡ˆÓe ¾ ¨ § EÏ ½ § ¯va ´ ¦ ¨ § © Ïk ´© © 30 :ELÙ «¤ § © RASHBAM shut up the skies so that does Onkelos: by serving those who serve there will be no rain and the ground will not ½¦ ¨ © Æ˙ȯÁ‡a ´¨ § © Æz·L ¨ § © § ÌÈÓi‰ ¦ £ © § ‰l¤ ‡‰ ®¥ ¨ yield its produce'' (11:17). those gods, it will be as if you yourselves ‰Â‰È-„Ú you

shall

be

left

among

the

nations

which the L ORD will drive you. you

will

serve

man-made

gods

to

in number among the nations, whither the

28

of

There

L ORD shall lead you away.

wood

And there ye

shall serve gods, the work of men's hands,

and stone, that cannot see or hear or eat or

wood

smell.

hear, nor eat, nor smell.

29

28

and

29

But if you search there for the L ORD

But

stone,

from

which

thence

neither

ye

will

see,

nor

seek

the

your God, you will ®nd Him, if only you

L ORD thy God; and thou shalt ®nd Him, if

seek Him with all your heart and soulÐ

thou search after Him with all thy heart

30

and

things have befallen you and, in the end,

when all these things are come upon thee,

return to the L ORD your God and obey

in the end of days, thou wilt return to the

when you are in distress because all these

with

L ORD

were serving them.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

What sense does it

thy

all

thy

God,

soul.

and

30

In

thy

hearken

distress,

unto

His

28 There you will serve man-made gods. Understand this as does Onkelos. [B] That cannot...smell. Rather, ``that cannot

NAHMANIDES 27 Only a scant few of you shall be left among the nations. breathe'': ``Nor is there breath in their That is, there will be ``a scant few'' in each of mouths'' (Ps. 135:17). the nations to which the LORD will drive you. For He would scatter them to the four [B] See Rashi's comment. winds. But altogether there will be many of us, praise the Lord. 28 There you will serve man-made gods. See Rashi's comment. I have already IBN EZRA to refer to the angels and explained the idea behind this in my comment to Lev. 18:25: one who dwells outside the humanity, respectively, as the witnesses. land is (as it were) by that very fact worshiping idols. Man-made gods. Once under the Others consider it a reference to the rain and jurisdiction of the divine ``princes'' of those other lands, they will end by worshiping man- its effect on heaven and earth: ``I will make made objects. It is to go from the sublime to the ridiculous. That cannot see or hear or your skies like iron and your earth like eat or smell. They are ``stone'' deaf, just as they were before they were shaped. There is copper'' (Lev. 26:19). I think the sense is make to warn the Israelites that, as punishment for idolatry, they ``will serve man-made gods'' (v. 28)?

no breath of life in them, not even human life, let alone divine. Such a ``god'' cannot see the af¯iction of his people, hear their prayer, or save them from their distress. After pointing out their de®ciency as gods, the verse continues by noting that they cannot even eat or smell, as people do. The very man who makes such an idol outranks it. But possibly the eating and smelling too are noted with regard to the divinities of the other nations, not just the idols: They do not see the distress of those who worship them or hear their prayers; they do not send down ®re to eat the sacri®ces offered to them or smell the pleasing odor of their sacri®ces. The text does not elaborate in the way I have described because in fact they entirely lack these senses. 30 Return to the LORD your God and obey Him. This too alludes to the redemption from Babylonian exile, for they returned to the Lord, confessed before Him, and obeyed the prophets that He raised up for them. That is why He promised them not to let them perish (v. 31) and not to forget the covenant, just as He had said: ``Then will I remember

that the heavens and the earth will bear eternal witness because the Israelites and their descendants will always see them; they are permanent: ``as long as there is a heaven over the earth'' (11:21). Compare ``See, this very stone shall be a witness against us, for it heard all the words that the LORD spoke to us; it shall be a witness against you, lest you break faith with your God'' (Josh. 24:27); ``Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORDÐyou ®rm foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a case against His people, He has a suit against Israel'' (Mic. 6:2). Anyone who argues that there are also verses like ``Though the heavens should melt away like smoke, and the earth wear out like a garment'' (Isa. 51:6) may think he is awakeÐbut he is really in dreamland. You shall soon perish. Note the vowel under the (second) Hebrew verb; this is a pausal form, the result of the word's being at the end of the verse. 27 A scant few. See my comment to Gen. 34:30. 28 That cannot see or hear or eat or smell. The verse invokes four of the senses; there was no need to mention the ®fth, which is the coarsest of all of them. Besides, it pertains to the entire body, not to a particular organ. 29 But if you search there for the LORD your God, you will ®nd Him. The ®rst ``you'' is plural, and the second is singular; Moses is speaking both to the masses and to the nation as a whole (or to each of them as an individual). With all your heart. See my comment to 30:10.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples. If you decide you prefer to act like them (Bekhor Shor). A scant few of you. The Hebrew phrase also occurs only in Gen. 34:30, Jer. 44:28, Ps. 106:12, and 1 Chron. 16:19 (Masorah). 28 You will serve man-made gods of wood and stone. We will actually ®nd this happening as soon as the book of Judges, and as

late as the book of Daniel (Gersonides). They have no will of their own; there is no other being who does, except for God and (while they live) human beings. Everything else is simply part of nature, as arranged by the Holy One (Sforno). 29 But if you search there for the LORD your God, you will ®nd Him. ``There'' refers not to a location but to the situation in which they are forced to ``serve man-made gods of wood and stone'' (v. 28). This is the condition of those who are compelled to abandon their own faith and observe another religionÐfrom the lips outward (Abarbanel). 30 In the end. This refers to the long exile in which we are currently living (Gersonides).

34

35 DEUTERONOMY 4:30±34 NJPS

Him.

31

For

the

VA-`ETHANNAN L ORD

your

God

E OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

is

a

compassionate

OJPS

voice;

31

for the L ORD thy God is a merciful God; He

God: He will not fail you nor will He let you perish; He will not

will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of

forget the covenant which He made on oath with your fathers.

thy fathers which He swore unto them.

32

You have but to inquire about bygone ages that came before

you, ever since God created man on earth, from one end of

32

For ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since

the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one

heaven to the other: has anything as grand

end

as this ever happened, or has its like ever

there hath been any such thing as this great

been known?

33

Has any people heard the

voice of a god speaking out of a ®re, as you have, and survived?

34

Or has any god ven-

tured to go and take for himself one nation from the midst of another by prodigious acts, by signs and portents, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and

RASHI 31 He will not fail you.

Literally, ``He will not let you go,'' He will not cease to hold you in His hands, He will not ``cause'' release to you from Himself (it is a Hiphil verb): ``I held him fast, I would not let him go'' (Song 3:4); note that that verb too is Hiphil, not Qal. [E] The verb is always found in Hiphil or Hitpael.

32 From one end of heaven to the other. Ask also all creatures everywhere,

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from one end of heaven to the other. That is ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F the straightforward sense of the phrase. Midrashically, it teaches that Adam, when originally created, stood on the earth and was tall enough to reach the heavensÐfor that distance is the same as from one end of heaven to the other. Has anything as grand F as this ever happened? ``This'' being the grand thing described in vv. 33±34.

How does the fact

that ``the L ORD your God is a compassionate God''

of

thing

heaven

is,

or

unto

hath

the

been

other,

heard

whether

like

it?

33

Did ever a people hear the voice of God

speaking out of the midst of the ®re, as thou hast heard, and live?

34

Or hath God

assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs,

and

by

wonders,

and

by

war,

and

by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all

IBN EZRA 31 He will not fail you.

Rather, ``He will not weaken you.'' The Hebrew verb is the opposite of ``strengthen.'' 32 You have but to inquire. Rather, ``inquire now'' (compare OJPS). Ever since. The preposition ``since'' is preceded in Hebrew by an untranslatable N, as frequently happens. The N has no meaning here, or perhaps should be considered stylistic.

From one end of heaven to the other.

This refers to the air, that is, the ®rmament, which does indeed end at the horizon; see my comment to Gen. 1:6. Has anything as grand as this ever happened? In all the days of man. Has its like ever been known? ``It'' being that a people has heard the voice of a god, as described in v. 33. 34 Any god. God forbid that NJPS 34 Has any god ventured to go and translates correctly here. Rather, the questake for himself one nation from the tion being asked is that of OJPS, about midst of another? Literally, has any god ``miracled'' to do so? (Note the special vowel indicating the interrogative F four times in whether God Himself has ever done this these three verses.) By prodigious acts. Rather, ``by miraculous tests'' (the noun is re- before. Ventured. God, of course, does not lated to the verb). He made His greatness known to them through miraculous tests. ``venture'' anything; this is human language, As with Moses and Pharaoh in Exod. 8:5, God is really saying here, ``See if I can do this.'' reframing God's activity in a way that peoThese miracles were essentially tests. By signs. The ``signs'' proved that Moses was the ple might understand. Prodigious acts. The agent of God (see Exodus 4). And portents. These were the miraculous plagues that God Hebrew word is a general one, encompassbrought upon the Egyptians. By war. At the sea: ``The LORD is ®ghting for them against ing all the nouns listed after it. Or perhaps the word refers speci®cally to those ``signs'' Egypt'' (Exod. 14:25). that were used as part of the ``venture'' (for [E] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.'' our noun is related to the verb that has just been used) to remove Israel from Egypt, as NAHMANIDES My covenant with Jacob; I will remember also My covenant with when Aaron ``performed the signs in the sight Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land'' (Lev. 26:42). of the people'' (Exod. 4:30). Portents. These Deuteronomy 28 will allude to the future redemption, as I explained in my comment to are the Ten Plagues: ``Moses and Aaron had Lev. 26:15. I will have more to say on this, with God's help. performed all these portents before Pha32 Has anything as grand as this ever happened, or has its like ever been raoh'' (Exod. 11:10). By war. This may refer known? Since He did with you something He has never done with any other people, He to the killing of the ®rstborn or to the Lord will have no patience if you commit idolatry and will not forgive you for it. meting out punishments to the Egyptian 33 Has any people heard the voice of a god speaking out of a ®re, as you have? gods. By a mighty hand. When the IsraelHe did this so that ``the fear of Him may be ever with you'' (Exod. 20:17). But He took you ites ``went out with a high hand'' (Num. for Himself, ``one nation from the midst of another by prodigious acts, by signs and por- 33:3). An outstretched arm. This refers to tents'' (v. 34), so that you would serve no one but Him. the ``pillar of ®re and cloud'' (Exod. 14:24) (v. 31) ensure that the Israelites will ``return to the L ORD your God and obey Him'' (v. 30)?

F

Why does

the Hebrew text introduce ``You have but to inquire about bygone ages'' (v. 32) with the word ``for'' (see OJPS)? What is the logical connection provided by this word?

Why is it that vv. 32±37 mix up the

giving of the Torah and the exodus instead of mentioning them in chronological order? In fact, why was it necessary to mention either of these here?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 33 The voice of a god. Or ``the voice of God'' (OJPS)Ðan expression that occurs also in 5:23 and nowhere else in the Bible (Masorah). 34 By prodigious acts, by signs and portents, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and awesome power. If

you count the plural nouns as two and the singular nouns as one, you will notice that the verse alludes obliquely to the Ten Plagues; ``awesome power'' is also pluralÐsee ``great terrors'' of OJPSÐto include the drowning of Pharaoh's army as well (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 4:34±38 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

OJPS

awesome power, as the L ORD your God did for you in

Egypt before your very eyes?

35

It has been clearly demonstrated

that the L ORD your God did for you in Egypt before

thine eyes?

to you that the L ORD alone is God; there is none beside Him.

35

Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know

From the heavens He let you hear His

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see His great ®re; and from amidst that ®re

loved after

your

fathers,

them;

might,

led

He you

He

And because He

chose

Himself, out

of

in

their

heirs

His

great

38

to

Egypt,

drive

from your path nations greater and more populous than you, to take you into their land and assign it to you as a heritage, as is

RASHI 35 It has been clearly demonstrated to you.

More precisely (follow-

ing Onkelos), ``you were shown, so that you might

know''

(compare

OJPS).

W hen

Out

of heaven He made thee to hear His voice,

voice to discipline you; on earth He let you

37

36

that the L ORD, He is God; there is none else beside Him.

36

you heard His words.

E OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

the

that

He

might

instruct

thee;

and

upon

earth He made thee to see His great ®re; and thou didst hear His words out of the 37

And because He loved

midst of the ®re. thy

fathers,

them,

and

presence, Egypt, thee

and

chose

brought

with

their

thee

His

seed

out

great

after

with

power,

His

out

to drive out nations from before

greater

and

mightier

than

thou,

RASHBAM 37 He Himself, in His great might, led you out of Egypt. ``For

night

I

will

go

through

the

land

Holy One gave them the Torah, He opened the seven heavensÐand just as He opened the

Eg ypt . . . I

realms above, so too He opened the realms below, and they saw that He was unique: that

L ORD went before them'' (Exod. 13:21).

``because He loved your fathers.''

Rather, He led

you out ``before Him''Ðlike a man guiding his son in front of him: ``T he angel of God, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them'' (Exod. 14:19). Another reading:

He Himself...led you out of Egypt.

Rather, ``in his pres-

ence''Ðin the presence of their ancestors: ``He performed marvels in the sight of their fathers'' (Ps. 78:12). Do not be surprised that the Patriarchs are referred to in this phrase in the singular; the switch already took place at the beginning of the verse, which literally says, ``He loved your fathers, and chose his heirs after him.''

38 As is still the case.

L ORD''

(Exod.

12:12);

of

`` T he

Rather, ``as it is

this day'' (OJPS). You have already begun, by taking

possession of the land of Sihon

and Og.

IBN EZRA down

at

the

from which the Lord looked Eg yptian

them into a panic.

army

and

threw

Awesome power. In Egypt.

T he

drowning of Pharaoh and his army as part of

Literally, ``as [you see] this ver y day.''

the

38 As is still the case.

is what ``you were shown, so that you might know.''

T hat is, all that He did in v v. 35±36 was

to

bring thee in, to give thee their land for an

that

37 And because He loved your fathers. He Himself...led you out of Egypt.

of

38

splitting

the

sea

for

Israel.

Rather, ``against Eg ypt,'' that is, against the Eg yptians.

NAHMANIDES 35 It has been clearly demonstrated to you. 35 It has been clearly demonstrated That the LORD alone is God. there is none to you. beside Him. 36 From the heavens He let you hear His voice. [D] On earth He let you see His great ®re and from amidst that ®re you heard His words. The 37 He Himself. in His great might LORD alone is God. haYou saw it with your

own eyes.

He is One and His name is OneÐ

More literally, ``it has been shown

to

To teach you ``the discipline of

wisdom'' (Prov. 1:3).

``ablaze with ¯ames to the

very skies'' (v. 11),

you''

, associated

(according to the way of Truth) with His face.

God

elohim,

know

the

verb

you

all

that

He

alone

is

Literally,

``the''

Exod. 18:19.

answered him in thunder'' (Exod. 19:19); ``for

OJPS);

showed

is

of

a

the

things mentioned in v v. 33±34 so that you would

Literally, ``He with His Face''Ðthat is,

(compare

Hophal.

God;

[E]

see

my

God. He

is

comment

to

We read ``God spoke all

these words'' (Exod. 20:1), but ``the God the God has come'' (Exod. 20:17); ``the thick cloud where the God was'' (Exod. 20:18)Ðbut

the One who speaks is always ``God'' and not ``the'' God. (I have gone on at such length because not ever yone would understand a terser explanation.) T his is a profound myster y!

[F] There is none beside Him.

As I hinted in my comment to Eccles. 5:7, one who under-

stands the divine mysteries will realize that each one has a ``higher one'' above him, to a total of 55;

[G]

but there is none higher than

God. I cannot say more than this.

36 To discipline you. 37 And because He loved your fathers. He chose their heirs.

T hat is why ``He let you hear His voice''Ðso that you would fear Him: ``Let not God speak to us, lest we die''

(Exod. 20:16). So you were frightened both by what you saw and by what you heard.

Patriarchs.

T his is the other reason that ``He let you hear His voice''Ðyour ``fathers'' being the three

Despite the translations, the Hebrew says, ``He chose

would include Esau, Ishmael, and the six sons of Keturah. Face''ÐHe, in His anger at Eg ypt.

[I]

[H] He Himself.

his heirs,'' a reference to Jacob, since ``their'' heirs

Another way of understanding it would be ``He with His

But some think ``His Presence'' (as this can also be translated; see OJPS) refers to ``the angel of His

Presence'' who ``delivered them'' (Isa. 63:9). In my opinion, however, it does indeed mean ``He Himself,'' as in ``

you yourself march into

battle'' (2 Sam. 17:11), where the Hebrew literally says ``your face.''

38 As is still the case.

Literally, ``as it is this day'' (OJPS), taking ``as'' in the sense of ``approximately'' today, that is, quite soon from

now. But in fact it refers to the Israelites taking the land of the two Amorite kingsÐfor it is quite appropriate to refer to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh as ``Israel.'' (T he same applies to 2:12.) In this case, our phrase would not be referring to the upcoming conquest of Canaan at all, despite the many people who understand it this way. Look at Psalm 136 for proof. T here we are told that God ``struck down great kings . . . and slew might y kings'' (vv. 17±18), but only Sihon and Og are mentioned. Yet He ``gave their land as a heritage . . . to His servant Israel'' (v v. 21±22), where ``Israel'' is clearly referring only to the two and a half tribes.

[D]

T he passive of Hiphil. See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

discussion of

elohim in his comment to Gen. 1:1.

[G]

[E]

T here he explains that ``God'' is a common noun that has been turned into a proper name.

T he 48 constellations (see note

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 37 He Himself.

B

) and the seven planets.

[H]

See Gen. 25:2.

[I]

[F]

See also Ibn Ezra's

See Ibn Ezra's comment to Lev. 26:17.

`` With His face'' (as the Hebrew literally says) means ``with His direct providence.''

Providence is linked with the face in the sense that one directs the face to see, or oversee, something (Gersonides).

36

37 DEUTERONOMY 4:38±43 NJPS

still the case.

VA-`ETHANNAN

39

Know therefore this day and keep in

mind that the L ORD alone is God in heaven above and on earth 40

below; there is no other.

Observe His laws and command-

OJPS

inheritance, as it is this day;

it

may

go

well

with

you

and

your

children after you, and that you may long remain

in

the

land

that

the

L ORD

your

God is assigning to you for all time. 41

the

Then Moses set aside three cities on

east

side

manslayer

of

the

could

42

to

Jordan

escape,

one

which

who

a

un-

wittingly slew a fellow man without having

been

hostile

to

him

in

the

past;

he

could ¯ee to one of these cities and live: 43

Bezer,

land,

in

the

wilderness

belonging

to

the

in

the

Table-

Reubenites;

Ra-

moth, in Gilead, belonging to the Gadites; and

Golan,

in

Bashan,

belonging

to

the

Manassites.

RASHI 41 Then Moses set aside three cities. Literally, ``Moses would set aside

39

know this day, and lay it to

thy heart, that the L ORD, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.

ments, which I enjoin upon you this day, that

E OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

40

And thou shalt keep His

statutes, and His commandments, which

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three cities.'' He took great care to make sure that he would do soÐeven though the ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F rules concerning them would not go into effect until the comparable cities on the west side of the Jordan, in Canaan, were also set aside. For Moses thought, ``Any commandment that is possible for me to ful®ll, I will indeed ful®ll.'' On the east side of the Jordan. OJPS translates more literally, but NJPS has the sense; see my comment to v. 47. ``East'' is literally the place of ``the sunrising'' (OJPS). The east has been a refuge for murderers since the time of Cain (see Gen. 4:16). What is the story

about Moses setting aside three cities of refuge (vv. 41±43) doing here? It is a most unsuitable location to bring this up!

NAHMANIDES 39 The great LORD alone is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other. So you must ``observe His laws and commandments'' (v. 40). 40 That it may go well with you. In heaven above. And that you may long remain. On the earth below. 41 Then Moses set aside three cities. Ibn Ezra's explanation is not correct. This

verse says precisely what it seems to say: Moses gathered the Israelites to expound the Teaching to them. He began by rebuking them for what they had done; continued by warning them against idolatry and proclaiming to them the oneness of God; and ®nished by instructing them to obey God's laws and commandments so that it would go well with them. While they were all standing before him, he went on: ``Now let's ful®ll the commandment to set aside three cities of refuge for people who kill someone unintentionally'' (see v. 43). It's true that the refuge would not go into effect until the cities in Canaan were also designated, but Moses told them, ``Any commandment that presents itself to us we should ful®ll, so that it will go well with us.'' After having done this, he then called out to the Israelites in a loud voice, ``Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day! Study them and observe them faithfully!'' (5:1). For now he was ready to begin the fuller exposition of the commandments, as I explained in my comment to 1:1.

I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee,

and

that

thou

mayest

prolong

thy

days upon the land, which the L ORD thy God giveth thee, for ever. 41

Then

Moses

separated

three

cities

beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising; 42

that the manslayer might ¯ee thither, that

slayeth his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past; and that ¯eeing unto one of these cities he might live:

43

Bezer in

the wilderness, in the table-land, for the Reubenites;

and

Ramoth

in

Gilead,

for

the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

RASHBAM 41 Then Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan. Why is Moses' speech, which con-

tinues in 5:1 and goes on for chapter after chapter, interrupted here? Since the introductory material has already gone on so longÐfor only in 5:1 will Moses begin ``to expound this Teaching'' (1:5)Ðit was reasonable to include here some material necessary for understanding the rules Moses is about to explain. In 19:8±9, Moses will command the Israelites to add another three towns to these three. But nowhere does he command them to set aside these ®rst three, on the east bank of the Jordan, which God instructed him to do in Num. 35:14. Our passage, therefore, explains that Moses himself had taken care of it already and did not need to command the Israelites to do it.

42 One who unwittingly slew a fellow man. [C] [C] See Rashbam's comment to Exod. 20:13.

IBN EZRA 39 Know therefore this day and keep in mind that the LORD alone is God. In v. 35 the Israelites were told that they had been ``shown'' this, but now they are to know it by a higher method, through wisdom and the intellect.

In heaven above and on earth below.

Heaven is above humanity and earth is below them: ``The skies above your head shall be copper and the earth under you iron'' (28:23). 40 Observe His laws and commandments. Having seen these wonders, and ``keeping them in mind'' (v. 39), you are obligated to observe the commandments, which in any case will make things go well with you and your children. 41 Then Moses set aside three cities. The day on which he set aside these cities is the day on which he told them the words of the covenant in ch. 5.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 39 Know therefore this day and keep in mind.

``This'' day does not mean ``today,'' as the commentators take it; Moses is telling them to keep ``this day'' in mind, the day he had reminded them of in v. 10: ``The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb'' (Abarbanel). 41 Then Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan. Since the rule about the cities of refuge would not go into effect until all six cities were set aside, Moses' purpose in doing this was to reassure the Israelites that the land would indeed be conquered, and quickly (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 4:44±5:3 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS ites:

45

OJPS

44

This is the Teaching that Moses set before the Israel-

these are the decrees, laws, and rules that Moses addressed

44

And this is the law which Moses set before the chil-

dren of Israel;

45

these are the testimonies, and the statutes, and

to the people of Israel, after they had left beyond the Jordan, in the valley at

Beth-peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, whom Moses and the Israelites defeated after they had left Egypt.

47

They had taken posses-

sion of his country and that of King Og of BashanÐthe two kings of the AmoritesÐ which were on the east side of the Jordan 48

from

Aroer

on

the

banks

of

the

wadi

Arnon, as far as Mount Sion, that is, Hermon;

49

also the whole Arabah on the east

side of the Jordan, as far as the Sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah.

5

Moses

summoned

all

the

Israelites

and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day! Study them and observe them faithfully! 2

The L ORD our God made a covenant

with us at Horeb.

3

It was not with our fa-

thers that the L ORD made this covenant, but

with

us,

the

living, every

one

of

us

RASHI 44 This is the Teaching. 45 These are the decrees, laws, and rules. `` T his'' being what follows in ch. 5.

T he

``decrees''

are,

rather,

``warn-

ings'' not to perform a certain act. It is the word

``laws''

that

represents

decrees

for

which no reason is given other than acceptance of God's yoke. T he ``rules'' are the ones

That Moses addressed to the people of Israel, after they had left Egypt. whose

purpose

is

obvious.

T he same decrees that

he had Eg ypt

the ordinances, which Moses spoke unto

46

Egypt,

addressed he

now

to them when

repeated

to

them

they left on

the

steppes of Moab.

47 On the east side of the Jordan.

Hebrew

can

be

understood

to

mean

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``be-

yond'' the Jordan (see OJPS), but the sense is indeed the ``side'' of the Jordan that is on the

‰

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repeat the beginning of the whole book?

F

Why does

Moses, which seems standard for Deuteronomy (and which will resume in 5:1), back to the typical thirdperson narrative of the rest of the Torah?

F

the

L ORD to

the

made

dangerous

this

children

covenant was made?

F

covenant''

of

Israel, 46

when

they

came

beyond the Jordan, in

the valley over against Beth-peor, in

the

land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, when they came 47

forth out of Egypt;

and they took his land

in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan,

the

two

kings

of

the

Amorites,

who were beyond the Jordan toward the 48

from Aroer, which is on the

sunrising; edge

of

the

valley

of

Arnon,

even

mount SionÐthe same is HermonÐ

unto 49

and

all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.

5

And Moses called unto all Israel, and

said unto them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them. 2

The L ORD our God made a covenant

with us in Horeb.

3

The L ORD made not

this covenant with our fathers, but with us,

IBN EZRA 46 Beyond the Jordan, in the valley. T his

Abarim,

before of

was

they

Moab

at

the

heights

journeyed

(though

the

to

heights

of

the of

Abarim are of course in Moab).

5:1 Moses summoned all the Israelites.

As I explained in my comment to 1:5,

he summoned them so that the children of those who came out of Eg ypt could hear the

of

those

(v.

with

3),

when

whom

the

Doesn't this statement create

possibility

that

future

generations

would indeed say that the covenant was made ``with our fathers'' but ``not with us''?

east, just as the other ``side'' is on the west.

children

forth out of Egypt;

How could Moses say, ``It was not with our fathers

speaking

the

the

steppes Why do vv. 44±49

the end of ch. 4 switch from the ®rst-person speech of

that

T he

F OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

words of the covenant.

2 At Horeb. 3 It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant. But with us. Sinai.

Not with them

alone.

Also. T he situation is

like that of Gen. 35:10, `` You shall be called

48 Hermon. 5:3 It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, the living. See my comment to 3:9.

T hat is, not

only with our fathers, but

also with us.

NAHMANIDES 47 They had taken possession of his country and that of King Og of Bashan.

As we learned at the beginning

of the book, it was after defeating Sihon and Og that Moses undertook to expound the Teaching. We learn here that before he did so the two and a half tribes had already taken possession of that countr y, which is to say that Moses had already allocated it to them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 44 This is the Teaching that Moses set before the Israelites.

At just ``this'' time mentioned in v. 43,

when he ``set aside three cities'' (Bekhor Shor). Saying that Moses addressed these laws to the Israelites ``after they had left Eg ypt'' (v. 45) makes clear that ever ything Moses explicates here in Deuteronomy had already been given to him at Sinai. It is obvious in any case that the Torah, as a single law given for a single purpose, must have been given all at once, not at different times, in order to be coherent (Gersonides). T hese words in the third person, as at the beginning of the book, are a reminder that even though most of the book is in the voice of Moses, it is in fact a book that he was commanded by the Shekhinah to write (Abarbanel).

45 These are the decrees, laws, and rules.

T hose that can be con®rmed by demonstrated proofs; the ``Teaching'' (v. 44) refers to

the speculative aspects (Sforno).

5:1 Study them. 3 It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, the living.

Without studying them, how could they teach them to their children? (Gersonides). Every generation must think that

the Torah was given directly to them (Gersonides). Moses did not want them to think that the agreement had expired simply because the

38

39 DEUTERONOMY 5:3±5 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

who is here today.

4

Face to face the L ORD spoke to you 5

on the mountain out of the ®reÐ I stood between the L ORD and you

at

that

time

to

convey

the

®re

and

did

not

go

up

the

OJPS

even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

mountainÐ

saying:

RASHI 4 Face to face.

Said R. Berechiah, Moses was saying this: ``Don't think that I am misleading you by making things up, the way a middleman does between a seller and a buyer. The seller [F] spoke directly to you.'' That is, ``the LORD spoke to you on the mountain'' (v. 4), saying, ``I the LORD am your God'' (v. 6).

5 Saying.

®reÐ

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ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

How

can

Moses

claim, ``Face to face the L ORD spoke to you'' (v. 4), when he admits that ``I stood between the L ORD and you at that time'' (v. 5)?

F

4

The L ORD

spoke with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the

L ORD`s

words to you, for you were afraid of the

F OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

Why does Moses blame the

5

I stood between the L ORD and you

at that time, to declare unto you the word of the L ORD; for ye were afraid because of

the

®re,

and

went

not

up

into

the

mountÐsaying:

RASHBAM 5:5 Saying.

As the punctuation of the translations indicates, this word is the continuation of v. 4 and the introduction to v. 6; what Moses says in v. 5 is parenthetical.

Israelites for not going up the mountain because they ``were afraid of the ®re,'' when Exod. 19:12 explicitly forbade them from going up?

[F] Our texts of Rashi have ``the buyer''; ``the seller'' comes

from Rashi's midrashic source. Since none of the early commentators on Rashi remark on the difference, it is probably a mistake and not a change made by Rashi himself.

NAHMANIDES 5:5 I stood between the LORD and you at that time to convey the LORD's words to you. He would go up the mountain and hear the words of God and

come down and tell them to the people, up until the Lord spoke with them ``face to face'' (v. 4). ``At that time'' refers to the situation described in Exod. 19:3±24, during the preparations for receiving the Ten Commandments. Ibn Ezra's explanation, that this verse refers to the period after the events at Sinai, is incorrect. In my view, the correct explanation is the one I gave in the second paragraph of my comment to Exod. 20:7. For the Israelites perceived directly from the Lord nothing but the ®rst two commandments, ``I the L ORD am your God'' (Exod. 20:2) and ``You shall have no other gods'' (Exod. 20:3). The other eight commandments were ``conveyed'' to the Israelites by Moses, who was literally ``between'' them and the Lord by virtue of being closer to the place of the Shekhinah than they were; they had fallen back before the commandments were given, as I explained in my general comments to Exod. 20:15±18. Now Moses reminds them: You did not come as close to the mountain as you were permitted to do. That is why I was standing in the middle, in between you and the place of the Presence; you were much farther away. From that place, I conveyed the commandments to you. See the comments of Rashi and Ibn Ezra. It would make more sense to suggest that only the ``you were afraid of the ®re . . .'' part of the verse is parenthetical, and that our verse reads, ``to convey the Lord's words to youÐfor you were afraid of the ®re [and so forth]Ðsaying.'' Compare ``and you shall explain to your son on that day, saying'' (Exod. 13:8). But in my opinion none of this is necessary. The word is right where it belongs; Moses meant that the Israelites were saying, ``We will not go upÐwe are afraid of the ®re.'' That is, Moses did not assume that was the reason. The Israelites were ``saying'' so explicitly.

IBN EZRA

Jacob no more, but Israel shall be your name.'' No longer would he only be called Jacob. But perhaps our verse could literally be taken to mean the covenant was not made with ``our fathers'' at allÐreferring to those who had been slaves in EgyptÐbut with us. For there were many left in the camp who had indeed heard the original covenant directly from God. Indeed, vv. 4±5 demonstrate that this must be so. Without intermediary. When one person speaks directly to another, that is considered speaking ``face to face,'' whether or not the other person can see him.

4 Face to face.

5 I stood between the LORD and you. At that time.

See my comment to ``as Moses spoke'' of Exod. 19:19. It could be that what Moses is saying is that God spoke with them ``face to face'' at that time, but that ever since ``I have stood between the Lord and you,'' because of their fear (as he is about to say). You were afraid even though you did not go up the mountain as I did: ``So the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was'' (Exod. 20:18). [J] This word is a continuation of v. 4. Pay no mind to the fact that it is so far away from that verse; there are many such occurrences in the text. Such interruptions are part of the text, but that does not mean that they occurred while Moses was actually speaking. For that matter, even when the speci®c words of the Ten Commandments in this chapter differ from those given in Exodus 20, it should not concern you. The words are merely the physical body of the laws. It is their meaning that is the spirit. It is like using two different tools for the same task. Two different Hebrew words are used for ``false'' in the commandments of v. 17 and Exod. 20:13, but they are synonymous, after all. (See my comment to v. 17.)

You were afraid of the ®re and did not go up the mountain. Saying.

For you were afraid of the ®re and did not go up the mountain. Saying.

[J] Ibn Ezra says in his comment there that he will ``reveal'' a ``mystery'' about it hereÐbut he does not.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

generation with whom it had originally been made was dead. God of course knew in advance that that generation would not actually enter the land; in any case, the Torah is given not to those who originally received it but to those who are living in every generation (Abarbanel). ORD Again: The Torah was given directly to all Israelites of every generation (Abarbanel). ``Face to face'': not in a dream or a vision of the night, but while you were in full possession of your senses (Sforno). This shows that, had they wished, they could have heard the entire Torah directly from God just as they did the Ten Commandments; since the Israelites did not go up the mountain with Moses, they really had nothing to fear. In any case, the point is that they must believe the rest of the commandments of the Torah just as they did those that they heard directly (Gersonides). Rather, ``at the saying.'' Moses is telling them, ``You were afraid and did not go up the mountain on the occasion of God's saying, `I the LORD am your God''' (Abarbanel).

4 Face to face the L spoke to you. 5 For you were afraid of the ®re and did not go up the mountain. Saying.

DEUTERONOMY 5:6±12 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

6

I the L ORD am your God who brought you out of the

land of Egypt, the house of bondage:

7

You shall have no other

You

shall

OJPS

6

I am the L ORD thy God, who brought thee out of the

land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 7

Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

gods beside Me. 8

not

make

for

yourself

sculptured

Thou shalt not

make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of

likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below,

any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,

9

image,

8

any

or in the waters below the earth.

a

F OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

You shall not bow down to

or that is in the water under the earth.

9

Thou shalt not bow

them or serve them. For I the L ORD your

down unto them, nor serve them; for I the

God am an impassioned God, visiting the

L ORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting

guilt

the iniquity of the fathers upon the chil-

of

the

parents

upon

the

children,

dren,

upon the third and upon the fourth generations

of

those

who

reject

Me,

10

but

and

upon

the

third

and

upon

the

fourth generation of them that hate Me,

showing kindness to the thousandth gen-

10

eration

generation of them that love Me and keep

of

those

who

love

Me

and

and showing mercy unto the thousandth

keep

My commandments.

My commandments. 11

You

name

of

shall the

not

swear

L ORD

your

falsely

by

the

God;

for

the

11

Thou shalt not take the name of the

L ORD thy God in vain; for the L ORD will

L ORD will not clear one who swears falsely

not

by His name.

name in vain.

12

12

Observe the sabbath day and keep it

NAHMANIDES 6 I the LORD am your God. Now the repetition of the Teaching

him

Observe

RASHI 7 Beside Me.

Literally, ``before Me'' (OJPS)Ðin any place where I am, which means the whole world. Another reading: as long as I am in existence. (Note that I have already explained the Ten Commandments in my comments to Exodus 20.) 12 Observe. The Exodus version says ``Remember'' (Exod. 20:8). But both words were spoken (and written) simultaneously,

hold

guiltless

the

sabbath

that

taketh

day,

to

His

keep

it

RASHBAM 7 Beside Me.

BG F G , Q G \ I\ F G Q G K N T F O T J C S V E R \ Z G E F P K V N Z V S R OK Y G S V F G , K B C ZT P N S KZ T J T N

v. 6±18.

O K Y G S V F O G MS C ZV S R B N K B C Z T P N

v. 7.

begins. Moses does not alter or explain anything in this commandment or in ``You shall have no other gods'' (v. 7), for they heard these directly from the mouth of the Almighty. 11 You shall not swear falsely by the name of the LORD your God. Here too there was no need to change anything; the original commandment, in Exod. 20:7, already had employed the Deuteronomic expression ``the LORD your God.'' (See my comment to Lev. 19:12 for the reason.) 12 Observe the sabbath day. In Exod. 20:8 it is ``remember'' rather than ``observe.'' The straightforward explanation is that Moses has begun to ``expound'' the commandments. According to our Sages, both words were said in a single utterance, and that was what Moses expounded to them here. They all knew ``remember,'' but now he informed them that ``observe'' had been spoken along with it. The True explanation is also that both were spoken in a single utterance, for the Voice expressed itself both as ``remember'' and as ``observe''; the Torah is ``an eternal pact, drawn up in full to be observed'' (2 Sam. 23:5). Moses heard the ``remember'' aspect, but the Israelites heard only the ``observe''

Literally, ``before Me'' (OJPS), visible to Me. Even if it is Me you believe in, you must not have gods other than me with which you perform magic rituals. This, by the way, is what Laban's idols (which he called ``gods,'' Gen. 31:30) were: images used for magic. Similarly, we read in Exod. 20:20, `` , therefore, you shall not make any gods of silver,'' that is, ``You shall not make them even if you continue to believe in Me.'' Again, ``Whoever sacri®ces to a god other than the LORD alone shall be proscribed'' (Exod. 22:19)Ðit is forbidden to sacri®ce to Him and to others as well.

With Me

12 Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy. I have already explained in my comment to Exod. 20:8 why that verse says

IBN EZRA 6 I the LORD am your God. You should know that, according to

the opinion of all our ancient Sages, this is the ®rst commandment. I have explained it this way in my comment to Exod. 20:1, where I rely on the traditional view. Nonetheless, one must ask why there is not a break before v. 7. [K] My own view is that our phrase is a commandment, but the Speaker of the commandments identifying Himself. As I have explained, this phrase is the essential thing on which the commandments are contingent. [L] 12 Observe the sabbath day. Exod. 20:8 has ``remember''; see my comment there. As the LORD your God has commanded you. As He commanded you at Mount Sinai; this phrase is therefore an addition to what we read in Exod. 20:8.

not

is

not

[K] The standard editions of Ibn Ezra ask ``why there a break,'' but the manuscript variants that have ``why there is a break'' are clearly correct. Ibn Ezra is referring to the ``upper'' set of cantillation marks, which divide this section not into verses but into commandments. In this grouping, there is no break between vv. 6 and 7. [L] See Ibn Ezra's comment to Exod. 20:1.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 I the LORD am your God. Unlike the other nations, whose gods are my underlings (Abarbanel). 7 You shall have no other gods beside Me. Rather, you shall have none of the ``other gods [who are] before Me'' (see OJPS), the separate intelligences who rule over the other nations (Abarbanel). 11 You shall not swear falsely by the name of the LORD your God. The fact that this commandment happens to be the same as in Exodus does not change the fact that in our chapter Moses is explaining the commandments in his own words (Hizkuni). This is the complement of v. 7, which warns the Israelites not to worship other gods; here they are warned against worshiping no god at all, taking the Lord's name ``in vain'' (OJPS) by using it to swear even though they do not actually believe in Him (Abarbanel). 12 Observe the sabbath day. More literally, ``keep'' it (in mind). The Israelites are told to keep the Sabbath in mind here, where it is connected to the (quite recent) exodus from Egypt, but are urged to ``remember'' it in Exodus, where it is connected with the long-ago creation of the world (Bekhor Shor). ``Remember'' of Exodus is directed at those who sail on the sea, ``observe'' at those who dwell on dry

40

41 DEUTERONOMY 5:12±15 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

holy, as the L ORD your God has commanded you.

days you shall labor and do all your work,

14

F OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

OJPS

13

Six

but the seventh day is

holy, as the L ORD thy God commanded thee.

shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;

13

Six days

14

but the seventh day is a

a sabbath of the L ORD your God; you shall

sabbath unto the L ORD thy God, in it thou

not do any workÐyou, your son or your

shalt not do any manner of work, thou,

daughter, your male or female slave, your

nor

ox or your ass, or any of your cattle, or the

man-servant,

stranger in your settlements, so that your

thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cat-

male and female slave may rest as you do.

tle,

15

gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-

Remember that you were a slave in the

land

of

Egypt

and

the

L ORD

your

God

an

outstretched

arm;

therefore

son,

nor

servant

freed you from there with a mighty hand and

thy

thy

may

nor

thy

daughter,

nor

thy

maid-servant,

stranger

rest

as

that

well

is

as

nor

thy nor

within

thou.

thy

15

And

thou shalt remember that thou wast a ser-

the

vant in the land of Egypt, and the L ORD

L ORD your God has commanded you to

thy

observe the sabbath day.

mighty hand and by an outstretched arm;

RASHI and they were heard simultaneously as well. As the LORD your God has commanded you. As He commanded you at Marah, before the giving of the Torah. [G] 15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. That is why He redeemed youÐso that you would be His slaves and keep His commandments.

[G] See Exodus 16 and also Rashi's comment to Exod. 15:25.

God

brought

thee

out

thence

by

a

therefore the L ORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why does v. 12 add

``as the L ORD your God has commanded you'' to the original Exodus version of the commandment? (See also v. 16; shouldn't this have been added either to all the

commandments

or

to

none

of

them?)

F

Why

does v. 15 connect the Sabbath with the exodus from Egypt, rather than with creation as in the original version of this commandment?

NAHMANIDES aspect. One who is enlightened will understand that ``remember'' is a positive commandment and refers to the day, while ``observe'' is a prohibition and refers to the night. As the LORD your God has commanded you. If Rashi is correct, the com-

RASHBAM ``Remember'' and this verse says ``Observe.'' [D] As the LORD your God has commanded you. As He explained in Exod. 20:11, ``For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.'' Note that both the Sabbath commandment and the commandment to honor one's father and mother have this phrase, for they are positive commandments. But the others are prohibitions, so they do not have it. For it would not be proper to say that God ``commanded'' the prohibitions. In 7:11 Moses says of the laws and rules, ``I command you to do them.'' But nowhere do we ®nd the expression ``I command you not to do'' something.

mandment to honor one's father and mother, which has this phrase too (see v. 16), must also have been given at Marah. But when he originally lists the commandments given at Marah, in his comment to Exod. 15:25, Rashi mentions only the Sabbath, the red heifer, and the establishment of a judicial system. What appears to me to be the True explanation is that here, as throughout Deuteronomy, Moses speaks as if in the voice of the Almighty. Take for example ``I will grant the rain for your land in season'' (11:14). Of course, it is not Moses who will grant the rain or ``provide grass'' (11:15). Rather, the original commandments are given in Exodus in ``remember'' mode, while here in Deuteronomy they are [D] In our text of Rashbam's commentary, he only explains ``Remember'' there. given in ``observe'' mode. That is why Moses uses the expression ``the LORD your God'' in Deuteronomy but in the rest of the Torah just ``the LORD,'' except in the Exodus version of the Ten Commandments, which he introduces by saying, ``God spoke all these words'' IBN EZRA 14 Your ox or your ass, or any of your cattle. First some speci®cs are (Exod. 20:1). Understand this. 14 A sabbath of the LORD your God. See the end of my comment to ``Therefore'' in mentioned; then the general category is dev. 15. Your ox or your ass. Moses added these to the original commandment to clarify scribed. In Exod. 20:10, only the general that even working the land, on which human life depends, is forbidden on the Sabbath; category is given. Nonetheless, the two comsee similarly ``Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor; mandments are the same. So that your you shall cease from labor even at plowing time and harvest time'' (Exod. 34:21). So that male and female slave may rest as you do. This phrase is added to what was given your male and female slave may rest as you do. See the next comment. 15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. You must give rest to in Exodus in order to explain the reason for your slaves just as the Lord freed you and gave you rest when you were a slave. When the inclusion of slaves in the commandment. 15 Remember that you were a slave in they, like you, rest from labor, you will remember that you too were a slave and that the Lord freed you. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the the land of Egypt and the LORD your God sabbath day. More precisely, ``the Lord your God hereby commands you'' (see similarly freed you from there. Releasing you from my comment to ``the LORD has warned you'' of 17:16). Ibn Ezra's assertion that you are to servitude. So He commanded you to do the observe the Sabbath day by releasing your slaves from servitude on the Sabbath is not same for your own slaves on the Sabbath. correct. When we recite the blessing to sanctify the Sabbath on Friday evenings, we say Some think this verse implies the oppoquite clearly both that the Sabbath is ``in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt'' and site, that Sabbath rest is for you who are no that it is ``in remembrance of the creation of the world.'' Maimonides says in Guide 2:31 longer slaves. that the connection with creation, in the Exodus commandments, is intended to make us regard the Sabbath as noble and exalted, while here the purpose is to remind us that in Egypt we were forced to work whether we wanted to or not. ``Therefore we have been commanded inactivity and rest so that we should conjoin the two things: the belief in a true opinionÐnamely, the creation of the world in time, which shows that the deity existsÐand the memory of the bene®t God bestowed upon us by giving us rest from `the labors of the Egyptians' [Exod. 6:7].'' But I do not ®nd this quite

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

land (Hizkuni). In the context of the ®rst three commandments, failure to observe the Sabbath would be a denial of God's role in creation; we do not rest on Saturday because of Saturn, but because God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 5:16±18 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

16

Honor

your

father

and

your

F OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

mother,

as

the

OJPS

L ORD

your God has commanded you, that you may long endure, and

16

Honor thy father and thy mother, as the L ORD thy

God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may

that you may fare well, in the land that the

go well with thee, upon the land which the

L ORD your God is assigning to you.

L ORD thy God giveth thee.

17

17

You shall not murder.

Thou shalt not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

Neither shalt thou steal.

You shall not bear false witness against

Neither

your neighbor. 18

You

shall

shalt

thou

bear

false

witness

against thy neighbor. not

covet

your

18

neighbor's

Neither

wife. You shall not crave your neighbor's

RASHI 16 As the LORD your God has commanded you. They had been given

bor's

YG S V T X P B C B YS K V O K P T V [ G N[ K B C Z T P N Y G S V T X P BC B YS K V

this commandment at Marah too: ``There He made for them a ®xed rule'' (Exod. 15:25). ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

17 You shall not commit adultery.

``Adultery'' here means sleeping with another man's wife.

18 You shall not crave your neighbor's house. ``Crave'' is another word for ``covet.''

v. 17. v. 18.

Why does the com-

mandment to honor one's father and mother now include a promise ``that you may long endure, and that you may fare well'' (v. 16)?

F

Why do the ``you shall

nots'' that follow ``You shall not murder'' (v. 17) begin with the conjunction ``and'' (``neither'' in OJPS) here, when

it

was

omitted

in

Exodus?

F

Why

does

the

phrase ``false witness'' use a different Hebrew word

wife;

shalt

thou

neither

shalt

covet thou

thy

neigh-

desire

thy

IBN EZRA 16 As the LORD your God has commanded you. See my comment to this phrase in v. 12. That you may long endure, and that you may fare well.

Some think the ®rst phrase refers to this world, and the second to the World to Come. I will provide some hints to the mystery of the World to Come in my comment to 32:39. Of course, the promise that one who honors his father and mother will ``fare well'' also applies to this world.

17 You shall not bear false witness so obvious. Resting on F F against your neighbor. Literally, ``vain the Sabbath does not remind us of the witness,'' witness thatÐlike everything exodus, nor would anyone who sees us refalseÐis nonexistent. laxing gain any knowledge of it. Its con18 You shall not covet your neighnection with the exodus is no greater than that of any of the other commandments. By contrast, it is certainly a remembrance of creation, for we rest on the same day that the bor's wife. The Hebrew verb can someLord ``ceased from work and was refreshed'' (Exod. 31:17). It would be better to say (as I times mean not just ``to covet'' but ``to seize did in my comment to Exod. 20:2) that since the exodus demonstrates the existence of a because of covetousness.'' In Exod. 34:24, Creator with will and power, it is mentioned here in case God's resting on the Sabbath for example, the verse cannot be saying that makes you doubt His creation, His will, or His power. Just remember what your own eyes ``no one will covet your land,'' because that saw during the exodus. For the Sabbath is a remembrance of the exodus, and the exodus would imply that the land was a bad one. In is a remembrance of the Sabbath. They would remember that He created all the miracles fact, that verse makes no sense unless it is of the exodus just as He created the world. That is why ``the LORD your God has com- speaking in praise of the land of Israel. The manded you to observe the sabbath day.'' The explicit mention of creation in Exod. 20:11 other usage of the verb, of course, is indeed is not found here (having already been mentioned so many times in the Torah), but it is ``to covet'' without taking action to acquire alluded to by calling the day ``a sabbath of the LORD your God'' (v. 14), when He too rested what one covets. Note that ``You shall not and was refreshed; Moses explains that the Israelites should understand from what covet your neighbor's house'' (Exod. 20:14) happened to them during the exodus that He spoke and the worldÐincluding the Sab- is the ninth commandment, and ``You shall bathÐcame into being. We may add, in accordance with the True explanation, that the not covet your neighbor's wife'' is the tenth. ``observe'' aspect of the Sabbath commandment is intended to make us ``fear this honored Those who take ``I the LORD am your God'' and awesome Name'' (28:58). The ``mighty hand'' and ``outstretched arm'' mentioned here (v. 6) as a separate commandment must would naturally elicit that feeling: ``When Israel saw the wondrous power which the LORD combine these two into one, or take ``your had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD'' (Exod. 14:31). That is why ``the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the sabbath day''Ðso that the Assembly of Israel will be His mate with regard to the Sabbath. There are allusions to this in rabbinic literature as well. One who is enlightened will understand. 16 As the LORD your God has commanded you. See my comment to this same phrase in v. 12. That you may fare well. This too is added in Moses' own voice, in accordance with ``The LORD also bestows His bounty; our land yields its produce'' (Ps. 85:13). [G] 17 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. The different word used here for ``false'' [H] implies that this pertains even to something about the neighbor that does not necessarily incriminate him. It may simply be idle chatter, for example, ``So-and-So wanted to lend this other man a mina, but he would not accept it.'' 18 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. This tooÐmoving ``wife'' ahead of ``house''Ðis Moses giving some additional explanation to the earlier version of the commandment. ``The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth'' (Gen. 8:21), and more so about women than anything else. You shall not crave your neighbor's house. Moses further explains that even ``craving'' is an aspect [G] See further Nahmanides' comment to ``that you may long endure on the land'' of Exod. 20:12. [H] See the end of Ibn Ezra's comment to v. 5. NAHMANIDES

for ``false'' here than was used in the Exodus version? Why

does

v.

18

reverse

the

``house'' ®rst and then ``wife''?

Exodus

order

of

Why is the addi-

tional verb ``crave'' used here, but not in Exodus?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 That you may fare well. The original set of commandments lacked the letter J, so Moses added this phrase, which contains that letter, so that the alphabet would be complete (Hizkuni). 17 You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. In fact, all these commandments after the ®rst, and those in v. 18 as well, are connected with the conjunction ``and'' (compare

OJPS), which is not found in the Exodus version. These ®ve commandments governing behavior among people are not separate, but are a single, complete package of correct behavior (Abarbanel). 18 You shall not crave your neighbor's house. ``Craving'' refers speci®cally to thought; if one actually speaks about one's craving, that is considered ``coveting'' (Hizkuni).

42

43 DEUTERONOMY 5:18±21 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

house, or his ®eld, or his male or female slave, or his ox,

or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's. 19

The

L ORD

spoke

those

F OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

wordsÐthose

OJPS

neighbor's house, his ®eld, or his man-servant, or his

maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbor's.

and

no

moreÐto

19

These words the L ORD spoke unto all your assembly in the

your whole congregation at the mountain, with a mighty voice

mount out of the midst of the ®re, of the cloud, and of the thick

out of the ®re and the dense clouds. He inscribed them on two

darkness, with a great voice, and it went on no more. And He

tablets of stone, which He gave to me. voice

out

of

the

darkness,

while

20

wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me. 20

the

mountain was ablaze with ®re, you came up to me, all your tribal heads and elders, 21

and said, ``The L ORD our God has just

And it came to pass, when ye heard the

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F IPK[K

shown us His majestic Presence, and we

RASHI 19 Those and no more.

When you heard the

That is, the voice ``went on no more'' (OJPS); literally, ``it did not continue.'' Onkelos translates ``without ceasing.'' For His ``mighty voice'' could go on forever. It did not pause between commandments and thus did not have to ``continue.'' Another reading: He did not ``continue'' to appear any longer in public, ceremonially. 20 You came up to me. Far differently than the way Moses described them in 1:22. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F 21 The LORD our God has just shown us His majestic Presence. As we asked. F (For when God told Moses, ``I will come to added

to

the

things

that

you

Why is ``his ®eld'' should

not

crave?

Since Moses' purpose was merely to ``expound'' the

elements of the law that needed clari®cationÐwitness the fact that many commandments, such as those in-

voice

out

of

the

midst

of

the

darkness,

while the mountain did burn with ®re, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

21

and ye said:

``Behold, the L ORD our God hath shown

RASHBAM 19 Those and no more.

More precisely, ``it went on no more'' (OJPS). What ``went on no more'' was the ``mighty voice.'' No such mighty voice was ever again heard on earth; that is the straightforward sense of the phrase. The Hebrew phrase uses a verb that means ``to add on'' or ``to continue''; the same verb is usedÐtranslated adverbiallyÐin v. 22, ``if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.'' (The similar sounding verb in Ps. 73:19 actually comes from a different root.)

IBN EZRA

neighbor's house'' as the general commandment and the rest of the verse a speci®cation of it. The fact that Moses uses a different verb here for ``coveting'' the neighbor's house is evidence for my view. [M] You shall not crave your neighbor's house. This is the proof that ``covet'' is the correct translation of the Hebrew verb discussed at the beginning of the previous comment. Many would assert that there can be no sin committed simply by thinking, and that reward and punishment do not apply to one's thoughts. However, there are many proofs that they are wrong. I will not go on at length about this, but I would just show them ``A mind that hatches evil plots'' (Prov. 6:18); God's saying to David, ``As for your wanting to build a House for My name, you do well to want that'' (2 Chron. 6:8); ``Do good, O LORD, to the good, to the upright in heart'' (Ps. 125:4); and, not least, here in 30:14, ``No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.'' In fact, the whole point of the commandments is to set the heart on the right path; most of them are merely reminders about correct behavior. The very fact that one who deliberately violates a commandment is treated differently than one who violates it inadvertently ought to convince them. 19 Those words. This refers to the Ten Commandments, not speci®cally to the words used in this chapter. Those and no more. Rather, ``it went on no more'' (OJPS). This was a one-time event. A mighty voice. Unlike any they had ever heard. 20 When you heard the voice. Vv. 20±24 explain why this event was never repeated. 21 His majestic Presence. Rather, ``His glory and His greatness'' (OJPS). ``His glory'' (this of course is a euphemism for ``His Presence'') refers to the appearance of the ®re, and ``His greatness'' to the thunder, the lightning, and the loud blast of the horn. [M] Some understand Ibn Ezra here to be saying that this is evidence for the traditional view, not for his own.

NAHMANIDES

volving sacri®ce, are not repeated in Deuteronomy at

of coveting. If a man ``desires'' (OJPS) to steal something but cannot because the man who has it is stronger than he, or because he is afraid of being apprehended by the authorities, he nonetheless violates this commandment. His ®eld. As the Mekilta points out, the added details in the Exodus version of the commandment include only moveable property. The addition of the ``®eld'' here adds the category of real estate, so we learn that the commandment applies to anything that can be bought or sold. 19 Those and no more ...with a mighty voice. In the Hebrew, these phrases come at the end of the verse, and in reverse order (see OJPS). See Rashi's comment. Following Onkelos, he thinks the sense is that God spoke ``without ceasing,'' that is, saying the commandments in a single breath, something humanly impossible. [I] According to Exod. 19:19, ``The blare of the horn grew louder and louder,'' which (as the Sages note) was to accustom them gradually to the sound. Now, that verse literally says not ``the sound'' but ``the voice'' (see OJPS), but perhaps this indeed refers only to the sound of the horn. God's own voice speaking the commandments did not get louder, but remained at the same level. The translation ``ceasing'' is correctly derived from the same verb in ``take away their breath'' (Ps. 104:29) and the related verb in ``rejoicing and gladness are gone from the farm land'' (Jer. 48:33). The sense would be that God's might was not withdrawn until all the commandments had been spoken. But the straightforward sense of the verse is that ``it went on no more'' (OJPS), that is, that such a sound was never again heard. The True interpretation is that ``those words'' (the ®rst two commandments), and ``no more,'' were spoken ``with a mighty voice.'' The Holy One enabled the entire assembly to comprehend this single utterance, for that was the limit of their capacity. See my comment to Exod. 19:20 and my other remarks about this episode. Out of the ®re and the dense clouds. Rather, ``out of the ®re, that is, out of the dense clouds'' (which are two nouns in the Hebrew; see again OJPS): ``Dense clouds are around Him, righteousness and justice are the base of His throne'' (Ps. 97:2). [I] Our version of Rashi does not contain this comment. allÐwhy did he repeat the Ten Commandments essentially without additional clari®cation?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19 Those and no more.

Saying that the voice ``went on no more'' (OJPS) is further corroboration that the Israelites could have heard the entire Torah directly from God had they not been so afraid (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 5:21±26 VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

NJPS

have heard His voice out of the ®re; we have seen this

day that man may live though God has spoken to him.

22

Let us

not die, then, for this fearsome ®re will consume us; if we hear the voice of the L ORD our God any longer, we shall die.

23

For

OJPS

F OKZCE

us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His

voice out of the midst of the ®re; we have seen this day that God doth

speak

with

man,

and

he

22

Now

liveth.

therefore

why

should we die? for this great ®re will consume us; if we hear the

what mortal ever heard the voice of the

voice of the L ORD our God any more, then

living God speak out of the ®re, as we did,

we shall die.

and lived?

24

You go closer and hear all that

the L ORD our God says, and then you tell us everything that the L ORD our God tells you, and we will willingly do it.'' 25

The

L ORD

heard

the

plea

that

you

made to me, and the L ORD said to me, ``I have heard the plea that this people made to you; they did well to speak thus.

26

May

they always be of such mind, to revere Me

RASHI

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you in a thick cloud,'' Moses ``reported the people's words to the LORD'' [Exod. 19:9]. The people's words were this request: ``We want to see Him! Hearing it from the King's mouth cannot be compared to hearing it from his representative.'') He ful®lled our request and showed us that it was in His power to endow His creatures with strength enough to endure His ®ery words. The word used is the feminine pronoun, not the masculine one. ``You sapped my strength until I was as weak as a woman. I took such trouble for you and yet you undermined me. So I saw that it was not out of love that you were so frightened to draw near to Him. Would it not have been better for you to learn from the mouth of the Almighty rather than from me?'' ``Everything'' includes all that future prophets like you may say in His name.

24 You.

Tell us everything.

NAHMANIDES 23 The voice of the living God.

23

For who is there of all ¯esh,

that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the ®re, as we have, and lived?

24

Go thou near, and hear

all that the L ORD our God may say; and thou shalt speak unto us all that the L ORD our God may speak unto thee; and we will hear it and do it.'' 25

And the L ORD heard the voice of your

words, when ye spoke unto me; and the L ORD

said

unto

me:

``I

have

heard

the

voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken.

26

Oh that

they had such a heart as this always, to fear

IBN EZRA His voice.

The Ten Commandments. True, there is one individual opinion in the traditional sources that God spoke nothing but ``I the LORD am your God'' (5:6, Exod. 20:2). The adjective matches the plural grammatical form of the noun elohim, ``God,'' rather than its singular meaning; see my comment to Gen. 1:1. Calling Him ``living'' here is meant, in my opinion, to differentiate Him from the host of heaven. For the latter, though divine, cannot move independently. ``You'' appears to have its feminine form here, as in ``If You would deal thus with me'' (Num. 11:15); see my comment there.

23 The voice of the living God.

24 You tell us everything.

Ibn Ezra explains that ``living'' is meant to differentiate God from the ``host of heaven.'' It could be, though, that the point of calling Him here the ``living'' God is to say that one who hears the voice of God, with whom is the source of all life, would cleave to his foundation and cease to live a life of the ¯esh. The similar-sounding expressions in Josh. 3:10 and Dan. 12:7 in fact carry a different meaning than the phrase used here. In Hebrew, the wish ``May . . .'' is conveyed Rashi's comment (which he takes from the midrash) by the expression ``Who would grant . . . ?'' would seem to indicate that Moses viewed their response with concern; God had in fact But God is not asking, ``Who would grant to told him that ``they did well to speak thus'' (v. 25), for they acted out of reverence for Him Me that they always be of such mind?'' but (v. 26). The correct explanation is the one I gave in my general comments to Exod. 20:15± ``Who would grant this to them?'' The trans18Ðthey thought He intended to tell them the entire Torah. In fact, He intended to tell lations are free; ``to them'' appears clearly in them only the Ten Commandments, as they wished. You must understand that their the Hebrew. Now, you must know that the request was not merely that they not hear the voice of God any longer on that day, but that root of all deeds, in fact every motion on the they never hear it again, down to the latest generation. As the saying goes, miracles do not face of the earth, is in a decree of the Lord. occur every day; they did not want to risk this experience ever again. But they assured Everything that exists in the world under him that they did believe in the prophets and they would ful®ll all that God wanted of them heaven acquires its potential and its ability as conveyed prophetically. This is as Moses explained: ``The LORD your God will raise up to turn the potential into the actual from the for you a prophet from among your own people, like myself; him you shall heed. This is in¯uence of the con®guration of the stars on just what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb, on the day of the Assembly, saying, `Let the roots below, which affects everything me not hear the voice of the LORD my God any longer or see this wondrous ®re any more, compounded of the four elements. This lest I die''' (18:15±16). This demonstrates that the request was meant to extend to all future generations. That is, ``to fear Me'' (OJPS). For people have free will to act rightly or wrongly as they choose: ``All is in the hands of heaven but for the fear of heaven'' (B. Ber. 33b). Admittedly, the text is speaking here in human

24 You tell us everything.

26 May they always be of such mind.

26 May they always be of such mind, to revere Me.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 23 For what mortal ever heard the voice of the living God speak out of the ®re, as we did, and lived? Rather, ``What mortal like us ever heard the voice of the living God speak out of the ®re and lived?'' (Abarbanel). 24 You. The weakness implied by the use of the feminine pronoun is not that of Moses himself, but of his voice, in comparison to that

of the Holy One, as if to say, ``if your voice comes to us, we will be able to bear it'' (Bekhor Shor). In fact, this is a masculine form, even though one normally ®nds F added at the end; there are three places where that does not occur, and this is one of them (Kimhi). You are mortalÐbut not mortal ``like us'' (Abarbanel). You speak to usÐeven though we are aware that your voice is of less value than divine speech (Sforno).

44

45 DEUTERONOMY 5:26±30 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

and follow all My commandments, that it may go well

with them and with their children forever! `Return to your tents.'

28

F OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

27

Go, say to them,

But you remain here with Me, and I will

OJPS

Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be

well with them, and with their children for ever! them: Return ye to your tents.

27

Go say to

28

But as for thee, stand thou here

give you the whole InstructionÐthe laws

by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the

and

to

commandment, and the statutes, and the

them, for them to observe in the land that

ordinances, which thou shalt teach them,

I am giving them to possess.''

that they may do them in the land which

the

rulesÐthat

you

shall

impart

·ËÈÈ ¬© ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ©¸ § ÌÈÓi‰-Ïk ®¦ ¨ © ¨ È˙ÂˆÓ −© Ÿ § ¦ -Ïk¨ -˙‡¤ Ÿ ´ ¡ CÏ Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ ¯Ó‡ −¥ 27 :ÌÏÚÏ «¨ Ÿ § ̉È·Ï −¤ ¥ § ¦ § Ì‰Ï ²¤ ¨ Ÿ ´ £ »‰t Ÿ ‰z‡Â „ÓÚ ¨À © § 28 :ÌÎÈω‡Ï «¤ ¥ ¢ ¨ § ÌÎÏ −¤ ¨ e·eL ¬ ‰Âˆn‰-Ïk ²¨ § ¦ © ¨ ˙‡ ¯¥ EÈϤÀ ‡¥ ‰¯a„‡Â ´¨ § © £ © ¼È„nÚ ¦¨ ¦ eNÚ ´ ¨ § Ì„nÏz ®¥ § © § ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌÈËtLn‰Â −¦ ¨ § ¦ © § ÌÈwÁ‰Â ¬¦ ª © § :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡· ¤ ¨½ ¨ ½ £ © Ìz¯ÓLe ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‰eˆ ²¨ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © ˙BNÚÏ ´¤ § © § 29 Ÿ « § ÔÈÓÈ Ÿ ¬ ÌÎ˙‡ :χÓNe ¬ ¦ ¨ e¯Ò˙ −ª ¨ ‡Ï ®¤ § ¤ ÌÎÈ‰Ï −¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ 30 ¹¨ ¦ ¯L ÌÎÈ‰Ï ²¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § ‰eˆ ¤¸ ‡ £ C¯c‰-ÏÎa ¤ À¤ © ¨ § ¤½ ¨ ·BË ´ § ÆÔeÈÁz § « ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ³© § eÎÏz ®¥ ¥ ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ NAHMANIDES language. [J] Accord- ÌÎÏ ing to the True interpretation, this ``fear'' is :ÔeL¯Èz ½¦ ¨ Ìzί‡‰Â « ¨ « ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡a ¤ −¨ ¨ ÌÈÓÈ ´¤ § © £ © § 29

Be careful, then, to do as the L ORD

your

God

has

turn

aside

to

commanded

you.

Do

not

I give them to possess it.'' 29

Ye shall observe to do therefore as the

left:

L ORD your God hath commanded you; ye

30

follow only the path that the L ORD your

shall not turn aside to the right hand or

God has enjoined upon you, so that you

to the left.

30

may thrive and that it may go well with

which

L ORD

you, and that you may long endure in the

manded you, that ye may live, and that it

land you are to possess.

may

the

right

or

to

the

like that in the verse, ``See! Fear of the Lord is wisdom; to shun evil is understanding'' ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F (Job 28:28). Indeed, this is what the Sages said (on B. Men. 29b) about the reward for ful®lling the commandments: God showed Moses a vision of R. Akiva's torn ¯esh being sold in the marketplace. He cried out, ``Lord of the universe! Is this the reward for such learning?'' The Holy One replied, ``Silence! This is what I have decided.'' You will understand more about this from God's telling Moses, ``You remain here with Me'' (v. 28). 28 To observe in the land. See my second comment to 4:5. 29 Be careful, then, to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. This refers to the Ten Commandments, which the Israelites were directly commanded by the mouth of God. The corresponding instruction about the commandments they heard from the mouth of Moses is found in 6:1±3. For the Holy One agreed to their request and told Moses to teach them all the rest of the Torah. 30 So that you may thrive. Literally, so that you may ``live'' (OJPS), that is, live out the full number of your days. And that it may go well with you. That you may receive all the good promised you in such passages as Leviticus 26. And that you may long endure in the land. That you may leave it as an inheritance to your offspring forever. Having warned the

Israelites

``to

do

as

the

L ORD

your

God

has

com-

manded you'' (v. 29), why did Moses go on in ch. 6 to repeat this warning so many times?

the

be

prolong

Ye shall walk in all the way

well your

with days

your

you, in

God

and

hath

that

the land

ye

com-

may

which ye

shall possess.

RASHBAM 28 But you remain here with Me, and I will give you the whole InstructionÐthe laws and the rulesÐ that you shall impart to them, for them to observe in the land that I am giving them to possess. This is what Moses was referring to in 4:14.

IBN EZRA applies to all the movements of the stars, from day to day and even from moment to momentÐfor the world is in a constant state of ¯ux, as is explained in Sefer Yetzirah. Each of the particulars is affected by the general according to its nature. It is due to the potential of these upper forces that individuals can exert some control over their own fate. This explains how the text can tell us that ``the LORD had stiffened the heart of Pharaoh'' (Exod. 11:10) and also that he himself ``became [J] See the comment of Ibn Ezra. stubborn'' (Exod. 9:34). Both are true; that is why we read, ``I know, O LORD, that man's road is not his to choose, that man, as he walks, cannot direct his own steps'' (Jer. 10:23) and ``Why, LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways?'' (Isa. 63:17). Moses told us, ``Choose life'' (30:19), so this must in fact be possible. God would certainly not prevent the good from happening; in fact, He loves to do good. In short, the text speaks here in human language. Instead of decreeing, ``They will always be of such mind,'' God expresses a pious wish: ``May someone grant that they always be.'' 27 Go, say to them. Go down and say to them. 28 But you remain here with Me. After you have gone down to them, return to Me. I will give you the whole InstructionÐthe laws and the rules. Most of the Torah was in fact given to Moses on Mount Sinai, though Moses in turn gave it to the people in the wilderness of SinaiÐduring the 11-day journey ``from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea'' (1:2), if you ask me. 29 Be careful, then, to do. This repetition serves to introduce the following additional command: Do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 30 Follow only the path that the LORD your God has enjoined upon you. This explains the metaphor of ``Do not turn aside to the right or to the left'' (v. 29). ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 27 Return to your tents. Having disengaged from the holiness of Sinai, they were once again permitted contact with their wives (Gersonides). 28 But you remain here with Me. That is, ``come back and remain with Me'' (Hizkuni). The Israelites were permitted to return to their wives, but Moses, who remained in contact with the holy, was not (Gersonides). The whole InstructionÐthe laws and the rules. Obviously a single commandment can have both ``laws'' and ``rules''; see (e.g.) Num. 9:3 and Num. 9:14, though the same words are translated there as ``rules'' and ``rites'' (Gersonides). 29 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left. That is, do not add or subtract. One who adds to the Torah often has good intentions, thinking he is doing what God wants and more. But in fact he detracts from the intent of the Torah (Gersonides). 30 So that you may thrive and that it may go well with you. This refers to the life of the soul, which is the true good of humankind (Gersonides). That you may long endure in the land. This refers to physical well-being, which paves the way for spiritual well-being (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 6:1±4 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

6

And

this

is

the

G OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

InstructionÐthe

laws

and

the

OJPS

6

Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and

rulesÐthat the L ORD your God has commanded [me] to impart

the ordinances, which the L ORD your God commanded to teach

to you, to be observed in the land that you are about to cross into

you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to

and

occupy,

2

so

that

you,

your

children,

and

your

children's

possess itÐ

2

that thou mightest fear the L ORD thy God, to keep

children may revere the L ORD your God

all His statutes and His commandments,

Â

and follow, as long as you live, all His laws and

commandments

that

I

enjoin

upon

you, to the end that you may long endure. 3

Obey,

O

Israel,

willingly

and

faithfully,

that it may go well with you and that you may with

increase milk

greatly

and

[in]

honey,

as

a

land

the

¯owing

L ORD,

the

God of your fathers, spoke to you. 4

Hear, O Israel! The L ORD is our God,

RASHI 6:4 The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. The Lord, who is now our

NAHMANIDES 6:2 So that you, your children, and your children's children may revere the LORD your God. Ibn Ezra

and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

3

Hear

therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the

God

of

thy

fathers,

hath

L ORD,

promised

the

unto

theeÐa land ¯owing with milk and honey. 4

HEAR,

F [[K

God and not the God of the other nationsÐ He alone will in the future be God: ``For then I will make the peoples pure of speech, so

which I command thee, thou, and thy son,

Ÿ´ § ½¦ ¨ § ¦ © § ÆÌÈwÁ‰ À¨ § ¦ © ˙‡Ê ÌÈËtLn‰Â ¦ ª «© ‰Âˆn‰ Ÿ ÌÎ˙‡ ®¤ § ¤ „nÏÏ ´¥ © § ÌÎÈ‰Ï −¤ ¥ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‰eˆ ²¨ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰nL ¨ −¨ Ìȯ·Ú ¬ ¦ § Ÿ Ìz‡ ²¤ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡a ¤ ¨½ ¨ ˙BNÚÏ ´ £© ¹¨ ¦ ÔÚÓÏ EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ‡¯Èz © ©¸ § 2 :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § Ÿ § ¦Â ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ »ÂÈ˙ˆÓe ¨ Ÿ § ¦ ÂÈ˙wÁ-Ïk ´¨ Ÿ ª ¨ -˙‡¤ ¯ÓLÏ Ÿ − Ea ½ § ¦ -Ô·e ÈÓÈ ´¥ § Ïk ¤ E·e ´ § ¦ Ɖz‡ ¨ © ¼EeˆÓ ¤ © § ÈÎ‡ ´¦ Ÿ ¨ 3 zÚÓL ³¨ § © ¨ § :EÈÓÈ «¤ ¨ Ôί‡È ¬ª ¦ £ © ÔÚÓÏe © −© § EÈiÁ ®¤ © ½Eϧ ·ËÈÈ Æ ½ Æ ´© ¦ ¯L ¤‡ £ ˙BNÚÏ £ © z¯ÓL ´¨ § © ¨ § χ¯NÈ ¥ ¨ § ¦ RASHBAM 6:4 The LORD is our God, Ÿ ® § Ôea¯z ¹¨ § ¯ac È‰Ï ³¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¤¸ ¦ Á¯L ¤ ‡k £ © „‡Ó − § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡Â £ © the LORD alone. NJPS translates correctly; the Lord alone is our God. We have no other Ƥ Ÿ £ Ù :L·„e «¨ § ·ÏÁ −¨ ¨ ˙·Ê ¬© ¨ ı¯‡ ¤ ²¤ CϨ½ ÆEÈ˙·‡ God but Him. Him alone do we serve; we do | ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § eÈ‰Ï −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § χ¯NÈ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ ÚÓL −© § 4 not associate any other god with Him even

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Once

Moses

has

repeated the Ten Commandments, why does ch. 6 go on to refer to a few of the commandments speci®cally? Wouldn't it make more sense for these passages to be

F thinks the essential purpose of all the commandments is fear of the Lord. But in my F view it is not correct to read vv. 1±2 to say that fear of the Lord is the purpose of the commandments and long life the reward for them. What Moses is saying is that by obF serving the commandments and fearing the Lord, you will have children who will also fear the Lord and observe the commandments. They will thus be able to remain in the land, keeping your seed and your name before Him forever. To the end that you may long endure. That you may long endure on the land that is the inheritance of the Lord. The Instruction, therefore, is entirely for your own bene®t. For the Lord wishes to vindicate and reward you. included somewhere in chs. 12±26?

Isn't the unity

of God that is so emphasized in vv. 4±9 already implied in ``I the L ORD am your God'' of 5:6?

What is

it about these versesÐwith their emphasis on ``love'' and on remembering these words at all timesÐthat makes them, as Jewish tradition has it, ``acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven''?

While we are

wondering about all this . . . what is the meaning of the

phrase that follows v. 4 in the Jewish liturgy, ``Blessed is

the

glorious

name

of

His

kingdom

forever

and

ever''? (We recite it in an undertone, by the way, because Moses himself did not actually say it.)

O

ISRAEL:

THE

L ORD

OUR

IBN EZRA 6:1 And this is the InstructionÐthe laws and the rules. The essential purpose of the commandments is what is stated in v. 2.

2 So that you, your children, and your children's children may revere the LORD your God. The essential purpose of all the

commandments is to instill faith. When you revere the Lord, ``this is the whole man'' (Eccles. 12:13). As Kohelet [N] explains, this is what man was created for, ``that you may long endure'' (5:30)Ðfor the collective, here on earth; for the individual, in the World to Come.

3 Obey, O Israel, willingly and faithfully. I am, after all, giving you these commandments so that it may go well with you. In a land ¯owing with milk and 3 Obey, O Israel, willingly and faithfully that it may go well with you...in a honey. ``In'' does not occur in the Hebrew land ¯owing with milk and honey. Ibn Ezra's suggestion to read the word ``in'' into the text; the phrase is simply added on to the Hebrew text is far from solving all the grammatical dif®culties in the verse. First, we must assume that ``to the end that'' (v. 2) applies equally here: ``to the end that it may go well with you.'' Or perhaps ``that'' of our verseÐordinarily the relative pronounÐcan indeed sometimes mean ``so that.'' We certainly ®nd it in the sense ``on account of'': ``because she had made an abominable thing for the goddess Asherah'' (1 Kings 15:13); ``since you are his wife'' (Gen. 39:9). (The same would apply to ``that it may go well with you'' of 4:40.) As for Ibn Ezra's suggestion, see my next comment. As the LORD, the God of your fathers, spoke to you. Rather, as He ``promised you.'' And what did He promise you? ``A land ¯owing with milk and honey.'' (See 1 Kings 11:18 for another example where a verb of speaking refers to giving something to someone.) The point is that you must obey if His giving you a land ¯owing with milk and honey is to work out well for you; see similarly v. 18. 4 The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. Rather, ``the LORD is One'' (OJPS). This too is an explanation of one of the commandmentsÐthe ®rst, ``I the LORD am your God'' (5:6). As R. Nathan says in the Mekilta, ``This is a refutation of the heretics who claim there are two divine powers. When the Holy One stood at Mount Sinai and proclaimed, `I the LORD

end of the verse (see OJPS) in apposition to ``the land that you are about to cross into and occupy'' (v. 1). But it is quite far away to be in apposition, so perhaps NJPS does understand correctly. There are other cases where ``in'' is not written but is implicit in the text, e.g., ``the money accumulated [in] the House of the LORD'' (2 Kings 12:11).

4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. What our ancient

traditions say about the recitation of this verse as the introduction to the Shema prayer is completely true and there is no need to inquire further. The syntax of the verse, however, does require discussion: [N] This is the Hebrew name of Ecclesiastes.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6:2 So that you, your children, and your children's children may revere the LORD your God.

Such reverenceÐor rather ``fear'' (OJPS)Ðwill ensure that you keep the commandments, which in their turn will ensure that you continue to fear the Lord (Abarbanel). 3 A land ¯owing with milk and honey. So that you can support yourselves without trouble and will be free for study and action, as well as to be fertile and increase (Sforno). 4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. The oversized T and E in this verse are the only places where either of these two letters is written larger than normal (Masorah). The three divine names imply that God has existed for all time past, exists now,

46

47 DEUTERONOMY 6:4±5 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN 5

the L ORD alone.

You shall love the L ORD your God

with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your

RASHI name

that they all invoke the L ORD by

and

serve

Him

with

one

OJPS

-ÏÎa ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ˙‡ −¥ z·‰‡Â ¨½ § © ´¨ § 5 * :„Á‡ «¨ ¤

accord''

5

GOD, THE L ORD IS ONE.

And thou shalt love the

L ORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with

(Zeph. 3:9); ``in that day there shall be one

K \ CZ ' E ' T

L ORD with one name'' (Zech. 14:9).

5 You shall love.

G OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

v. 4.

RASHBAM

for magical purposes. (See

my comment to 5:7.) Compare the following: ``You are a great multitude and possess the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods . . . As for us, the L ORD is our God,

Follow His instruc-

tions out of love for Him. Obeying out of love is completely different than obeying out of

and we have not forsaken Him'' (2 Chron.

fear. If one obeys his master out of fear, when the master puts too heav y a task on him, he

13:8, 10). That is to say, you have golden

simply abandons his master and goes off. And what is the nature of this ``love''? See my

calves, but as for us, the Lord is our God.

Cs rather than (as

We have not forsaken Him as has the House

®rst comment to v. 6.

With all your heart.

``Heart'' is spelled with two

sometimes) with one to indicate that this means, ``with your good impulse and your evil impulse alike.'' Another reading: ``With hearted with God, not of two minds.

all

your heart'' means that you must be whole-

With all your soul.

Even if He should take your soul

of Jeroboam.

5 With all your soul.

The straightfor-

ward sense of the verse is that this means ``with all your life,'' that is, even if they

NAHMANIDES

am your God,' did anyone object?'' Moses begins his exposition of

should

take

your

life.

Complete,

whole-

the commandments with this one, immediately after the repetition of the Ten Com-

hearted love has already been expressed by

mandments, because it is the root of faith. Anyone who does not accept this statement is

the phrase ``with all your heart.''

rejecting God just as surely as if he worshiped idols. Look carefully at what Rashi says. Moses includes himself here by saying not ``your God'' (as elsewhere in Deuteronomy,

IBN EZRA

even right away in v. 5) but ``our God.'' For it was with Moses that He performed the

maton, which we represent as ``L ORD,'' is a

marvelous, awesome deeds with which He won for Himself a glorious name. Note that

proper noun, a name. You might wonder,

the

E of

the word

EIB is written extremely large, to allude to the fact

that He ``divided the

waters before them to make Himself a name for all time'' (Isa. 63:12).

[K] That is why

Know

that

the

Tetragram-

therefore, how it can be repeated a second time; the natural way to read the Hebrew

the line ``Blessed be His glorious name'' was inserted in between vv. 4 and 5 in the litur-

words would be ``Hear, O Israel! The L ORD

gical recitation of the Shema. (On the reason for reciting it silently, see the parable on

our God is one L ORD''Ða strange expression

B. Pes. 56a.)

[L] Moses simply alluded to this line by means of the extra-large E and then

resumed the use of the standard Deuteronomic phrase with v. 5.

5 You shall love the LORD your God.

if ``L ORD'' is really a name. But think of ``Adam,'' which is both a proper noun and,

The Sages explain that one must observe the

in Hebrew, also a common noun that refers

commandments not for the sake of reward but out of the love of God. Moses' continual

to a human being, one who was created

promises to the Israelites that they should observe the commandments ``so that'' good

from

things would happen to them (e.g., v. 18 and 4:40) do not contradict this; he was trying to

is the same, as is clearly demonstrated by

adamah, ``earth.'' The Tetragrammaton

instill in them the fear of losing these good things if they should sin. Or perhaps the point

the expression ``the L ORD of Hosts''; the

is, as the Sages observe, that the pious person must serve God by acting both out of love

syntax of that phrase shows it being used as

and out of fear.

a noun, not a name. It is, of course, possible

With all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

According to the midrash, ``heart'' here refers to the vegetative soul:

[M]

`` You have

to understand the verse as containing two

granted him the desire of his heart'' (Ps. 21:3); ``Do not lust in your heart for her beauty''

sentences:

(Prov. 6:25). ``Soul'' would therefore refer to the rational soul, which is the sense it bears in

(2) ``T he Lord is One,'' that is, He alone is

``the soul of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life in the care of the L ORD'' (1 Sam.

God. There are innumerable proofs that this

25:29). The Sages derive from this phrase that in certain circumstances one must give up

is indeed the case. When the prophet says,

(1)

``The

Lord

is

our

God'';

one's life rather than transgress, which implies that the verse says ``all'' one's soul simply

``And the L ORD shall be king over all the

to match the phrases with ``heart'' and ``might.'' To ``love'' the Lord with all one's life would

earth; on that day the L ORD

therefore be to give up one's life willingly, lovingly. Or perhaps experiencing severe inju-

His name will be one'' (Zech. 14:9), he is re-

ries and other torments might be considered giving up ``part'' of one's life (by comparison

ferring to what people will think, not to the

[K]

[L]

will be one and

``It is like a king's daughter who smelled some spicy sausage. It would have been

ultimate reality in which the Lord already is

beneath her dignity to ask for some, but it was maddening not to be able to satisfy the craving. So her servants began

One. In my view, however, the expression

T he connection is kabbalistic.

bringing it to her in secret.''

[M]

See Special Topics, ``Medieval Jewish Philosophy.''

simply means that God ``alone'' will be king over all the earth. As far as His name being

``one,'' think of Zeph. 3:9, ``For then I will make the peoples pure of speech, so that they all invoke the L ORD by name and serve Him with one accord.'' T he entire world will return to speaking a single language and everyone will therefore call God by one and the same name.

5 You shall love the LORD your God. With all your heart. skillful With all your soul.

there?

Given that we have no other god but Him alone, we are obligated to love Him. Who else is

``Heart'' refers to the mind; it is a metaphor for the rational soul, for which it serves as the vehicle. It is a

frequent metaphor: ``all who are acquires heart'').

'' (Exod. 31:6; literally, ``wise of heart''); ``He who acquires

wisdom''

(Prov. 19:8; literally, ``who

``Soul'' refers to the spirit of the body, the vegetative soul with its appetites, a phenomenon of the

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

and will exist in®nitely into the future (Hizkuni). ``Hear'' in this context means, ``Believe and obey'' and

(not for the masses, but for those individuals who are capable) ``understand.'' But the last phrase is more correctly ``the Lord is One'' (OJPS); just as no other God can be named by the Tetragrammaton, so no other God shares the name ``One'' (Gersonides). He is ``One'' in the sense of being integral and complete (Abarbanel). The oversized speculate (

ayyen)

profoundly about this verse; the

E

T (ayin)

hints that one should open one's eye (also

ayin)

and

(the fourth letter of the alphabet) implies that God is alone in the fourth level of

reality (Sforno).

5 The LORD your God. love the LORD your God. all your heart.

The use of two divine names here proves that the number of names has nothing to do with the nature of

GodÐthus belying those who claim the use of three divine names in v. 4 indicates some sort of triune divinity (Bekhor Shor).

You shall With

As Aristotle pointed out, there are three kinds of love: love of the good, love of the pleasurable, and love of the

useful. All three are alluded to in the following phrases (Abarbanel). You should be happy to do whatever will please Him (Sforno).

This is not the kind of thing about which one may be ``of two minds'' (Bekhor Shor). One cannot love somethingÐat all,

DEUTERONOMY 6:5±8 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

might.

6

Take

I charge you this day.

to

7

heart

these

instructions

with

which

Impress them upon your children. Recite

OJPS

are

away,

when

when you get up.

you

lie

down

and

8

Bind them as a sign on

your hand and let them serve as a symbol

RASHI

from you.

With all your might.

T hat is, with all your wealth. For there are people whose money means more to them than

their

own

bodies.

Another

6

all thy might.

And these words, which I command thee

this day, shall be upon thy heart;

them when you stay at home and when you

G OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

7

and thou shalt teach them

diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk

º ¨ § 6 :E„‡Ó eȉ «¤Ÿ § -Ïηe ¨ § ELÙ-Ïηe − § § © ¨ § E··Ï ¬ § ¨§ ÌBi‰ − © EeˆÓ ² § © § ÈÎ‡ ¯¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥À ¨ Ìȯ·c‰ ´¦ ¨ § © Ìa ®¨ z¯a„ −¨ § © ¦ § EÈ·Ï ¤½ ¨ § ÌzpL ´¨ § © ¦ § 7 :E··Ï-ÏÚ «¤ ¨ § © Ƥ ¥ § Ez·La EaÎL·e − § § ¨ § « C¯c· ¤ ½¤ © EzÎÏ·e ´ § § ¤ § ÆE˙È·a ³ § § ¦ § 8 eȉ ¬ ¨ § E„È-ÏÚ ®¤ ¨ © ˙B‡Ï − § Ìz¯L˜e ¬¨ § © § :EÓe˜·e «¤ §

reading:

of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon

thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets

RASHBAM 7 Impress them.

Rather,

``sharpen them,'' that is, explain them pre-

``With all your measure''Ðwhatever He metes out to you, whether good or bad. And so said David: ``I raise the cup of deliverance and invoke the name of the L ORD . . . I came

cisely. T he same verb is used in ``who

whet

their tongues like swords'' (Ps. 64:4).

upon trouble and sorrow and I invoked the name of the L ORD'' (Ps. 116:13, 3±4).

6 Take to heart these instructions. charge you this day.

EZRA With which I IBN might.

T his is the ``love'' of v. 5. By taking these in-

structions to heart, you will know the Holy One and cleave to His ways.

Do not take them as an antiquated edict, to which no one pays any

mind, but as a brand-new one, of the kind that people run to receive. Ð An ``edict'' is a written decree from the king.

7 Impress them.

Make them ``sharp'' (the Hebrew verb is related to ``tooth'') and

precise, so that if someone should ask you something you need not hem and haw but can answer him right away.

Upon your children.

T hat is, your students. We regularly

®nd students being called ``children'': `` You are children of the L ORD your God'' (14:1);

Disciples

``

of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha'' (2 Kings 2:3). Hezekiah taught

Torah to all Israel and called them his children: ``Now, my

sons

, do not be slack, for the

L ORD chose you to attend upon Him'' (2 Chron. 29:11). And just as the students can be called children, the master can be called a father, as when Elisha called out to Elijah, ``Oh, father, father!'' (2 Kings 2:12).

Simply, ``talk of them'' (OJPS). Make them the

Even if one lies down in the middle of the day or gets up in the middle of the night? No; the phrase is explaining ``when you stay at home and when you are away.'' T he Torah is

you possibly can, the result will be complete love in the heartÐthe rational soulÐas well.

6 These instructions.

tradition

8 Bind them as a sign on your hand. serve as a symbol on your forehead.

T his refers to the arm phylacteries.

T his refers to the phylacteries of the head. T he

T he deniers of

take ``these instructions'' (and

therefore what

you are to ``inscribe,'' ac-

cording to v. 9) to be the Ten Commandments. Of course the truth is that it refers to

all

the commandments.

7 Impress them.

``a

sharpened

For the verb, compare

arrow'' (Prov. 25:18). It is ob-

vious what it takes to ``sharpen'' the arrow. T he essential purpose of man is obvi-

ously to serve God, and the service of God consists in comprehending His works.

Re-

T his refers either to oral reci-

tation or to ``reciting'' them silently, in the mind. Note that

the Hebrew

punctuation

links ``recite them'' with ``impress them upon with ``all,'' which would refer to actual death). Ibn Ezra's comment

makes clear that he takes ``soul,'' not ``heart,'' to refer to the vegetative soulÐas in ``you may eat as many grapes as your soul desires'' (23:25) or ``A sated soul disdains honey, but to a hungr y soul anything bitter seems sweet'' (Prov. 27:7)Ðand ``heart'' to the mind, the rational soul. With regard to ``heart,'' at least, the continuation here in v. 6 makes this interpretation quite plausible. ``Might'' is simply the word ordinarily used for ``very''; you must love Him very, very much, as much as you possibly can. T he Sages take it to refer to one's material wealth, for various other Hebrew words that refer in general to a large amount of something take on the colloquial meaning of ``money.''

your children.'' But the sense really follows the

regard to King Josiah: ``T here was no king like him before who turned back to the L ORD

[N]

7 Impress them upon your children.

which the Torah has already alluded. W hen we are told that a commandment is to be observed ``throughout the ages,'' or that the Sabbath ``shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel'' (Exod. 31:17), or that circumcision ``shall be the covenant

the

translations.

Our Sages have passed down

to be recited, and we all rely on them. I would

when

just

point

out

that

it

is

obviously

you lie down to sleep,'' not ``

while

you

are lying down''; the commandments do not apply to one who is actually asleep.

8 Bind them as a sign on your hand. A symbol.

See my comment to Exod. 13:9. T he

Vv. 7±9 too are an elaboration of things to

in

the traditions explaining when the Shema is

with all his heart and soul and might'' (2 Kings 23:25). T his is because of his undertaking the expense of clearing idolatr y out of Judah and offering the passover sacri®ce as pre-

punctuation used

When you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. ``

T he only other place in the Bible where this same combination of words occurs is with

scribed in the Torah.

[P]

Let them cite them.

speaking of ordinar y life hereÐthe time during which one normally lies down and gets up.

NAHMANIDES

If you exert yourself to love Him as much as

Recite them. When you lie down and when you get up. [Q ]

essence of your talk, not an afterthought.

[O] With all your

liver.

Literally, ``with all your maximum.''

[O] [P]

Hebrew

See

Special

T he

Karaites.

word Topics,

[Q ]

is

not

``Medieval Ibn

Ezra

et ymologically Jewish does

not

Philosophy.'' make

clear

whether he is referring to the back-and-forth motion involved or to the constant repetition of it.

between Me and you and your offspring to follow'' (Gen. 17:10), we are clearly commanded to make sure that our children know the commandments. How could they know if we do not teach them?

8 Bind them as a sign on your hand.

Exod. 13:9 says merely that they should be ``as'' a sign; our verse adds that they are to be

``bound'' as a sign, on the hand and head. According to B. Men. 35b, it also alludes to the symbolic details of the knots, which were given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

[N]

``Now the passover sacri®ce had not been offered in that manner in the days of the chieftains who ruled Israel, or during the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. Only in the

eighteenth year of King Josiah was such a passover sacri®ce offered in that manner to the L ORD in Jerusalem'' (2 Kings 23:22±23).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. 7 Impress them.

let alone with all one's heartÐthat one cannot apprehend. T his is therefore a command to attempt as

best we can to apprehend Him, that we might awaken love for Him within ourselves (Gersonides). V. 5 told us to ``love the L ORD your God''Ðbut how? V. 6

explains: By keeping these instructions constantly in our hearts, we will know God and love Him (Hizkuni). Rather, ``repeat them.'' I am telling them to you; you must repeat them to your children; and they to their children ad

in®nitum (Bekhor Shor).

48

49 DEUTERONOMY 6:8±13 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

on your forehead;

9

inscribe them on the doorposts of

your house and on your gates. 10

OJPS

between thine eyes.

When the L ORD your God brings you into the land that He

build,

11

houses

full

of

all

good

things that you did not ®ll, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plantÐand you eat your ®ll,

12

take heed that you do not forget

the L ORD who freed you from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. the

L ORD

your

God

and

13

Revere only

worship

RASHI word translated ``symbol,''

And it shall be, when the L ORD thy God shall bring thee

into the land which He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to

Him

tota-

Isaac, and to Jacob, to give theeÐgreat and

Ÿ¬ § -ÏÚ© Ìz·˙Îe Ÿ− ¨Ÿ § ˙ÊeÊÓ ²¨ § © § 9 :EÈÈÚ «¤ ¥ ÔÈa ¬¥ ˙ÙËËÏ Ò :EȯÚL·e «¤ ¨ § ¦ E˙Èa −¤ ¥ º¨ ¨ § 10 -χ¤ EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § | E‡È·È ´ £ ¦ § Èk ¬ ¦ ‰È‰Â ̉¯·‡Ï ²¨ ¨ § © § EÈ˙·‡Ï ²¤ Ÿ £ © ÚaL ¯© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨¹ ¨ Ÿ ¬ Ÿ § ÌÈ¯Ú Ÿ − £ © § « ˜ÁˆÈÏ ˙Ï„b ² ¦ ¨ CÏ ®¨ ˙˙Ï ¤ ´¨ ·˜ÚÈÏe ¬¨ § ¦ § 11 Ÿ ¯L Ÿ−Ÿ § ¹¦ ¨¸ ÌȇÏÓ ´ ¦ ¥ § ÌÈz·e :˙È· ¨ « ¦ ¨ -‡Ï ¬¤ ‡ £ ˙·Ë Ÿ ³Ÿ ¼˙‡lÓ Ÿ ¯L ÆÌÈ·eˆÁ ¦ £ ˙¯·e ¨ ¥ ¦ -‡Ï ´¤ ‡ £ »·eË-Ïk¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌÈ˙ÈÊ −¦ ¥ § ÌÈÓ¯k ¬ ¦ ¨ § z·ˆÁ-‡Ï ¨ § ©½ ¨ Ÿ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ½ § ¯ÓM‰ ¤ ´¨ ¦ 12 :zÚ·N ¨ § «¨ ¨ § zÏ· −¨ § © ¨ § zÚË-‡Ï ¨ § ®¨ ¨ Ÿ EÏ E‡ÈˆB‰ ² £ «¦ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ®¨ § ¤ ÁkLz-Ôt −© § ¦ ¤ -˙‡¤ 13 :ÌÈ„·Ú « ¦ ¨ £ ˙ÈaÓ ¬¥ ¦ ÌȯˆÓ ¦ −© § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ¬¤ ¥ Ÿ ® £ © B˙‡Â „·Ú˙ ´ Ÿ § ‡¯Èz −¨ ¦ EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ §

, indicates the number of biblical passages that are to be used, four (not ®ve or three). Tot means ``two'' in Coptic, and fot means ``two'' in Tunisian. 9 The doorposts of your house. The consonants could be read as the singular, ``doorpost''; it is not necessary to put them on both. On your gates. ``Gates,'' on the other hand, is de®nitely plural, indicating that this applies not merely to the gate of one's house but also to the gates of the neighborhood, the town, and even the province. 11 Hewn cisterns. They had to be hewn because the ground there was rugged and rocky. 12 The house of bondage. Literally, ``the house of slaves''; the translations, correctly, follow Onkelos. ``The house of slaves'' means ``the place where you were slaves.'' 13 Swear only by His name. Rather, ``and you may swear by His name.'' If you have these other qualitiesÐrevering the Lord and worshiping HimÐthen your reverence for His fot

And thou shalt write them upon

10

youÐgreat and ¯ourishing cities that you not

9

the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.

swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to assign to

did

G OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

NAHMANIDES 9 Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house. This was

not

goodly cities, which thou didst not build, 11

and houses full of all good things, which

thou didst not ®ll, and cisterns hewn out, which thou didst not hew, vineyards and olive-trees, which thou didst not plant, and thou

shalt

beware

lest

eat

and

thou

be

forget

satis®edÐ the

12

L ORD,

then who

brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. fear

the

L ORD

thy

God;

13

and

Thou shalt Him

shalt

IBN EZRA related to any other word in

the Bible. The deniers of tradition claim that it is related to the similar-sounding verb in ``proclaim to Darom'' (Ezek. 21:2), but that cannot possibly be true; the root of that verb is UJR, while our word has no R and the J is doubled. 9 Inscribe them. ``Those people'' claim that this too is simply metaphoric, explaining both verbs as in ``Bind them about your throat, write them on the tablet of your mind'' of Prov. 3:3. But since our ancestral tradition is true, let us abandon these people to their notionsÐwhich are mere ®gments of their imagination. 11 All good things. The word ``good'' is tuv here and not the more usual tov, but u and o vowels are completely interchangeable. 12 The house of bondage. Where you did not have ``houses full of all good things'' (v. 11), let alone ``cities'' (v. 10). 13 Revere only the LORD. That is, ``fear'' Him (OJPS); do not do the things that He has prohibited. Worship Him. Rather,

mentioned earlier, but it may in fact also have been subtly alluded to in Exod. 13:9, in the phrase ``in order that the Teaching of the LORD may be in your mouth.'' [O] That would make this, too, an exposition of the rules given earlier. On your gates. The rest of your gatesÐthose that are not on your house, e.g., the gates of the city or the gates at the border. Note that Deuteronomy four times uses the expression ``in one of your gates'' to mean ``in any of your settlements'' (15:7; and see also 16:5, 17:2, and 23:17). 10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land. The point of vv. 10±12 is that when the Israelites receive God's blessings in the land, they must recall their days of woe and sorrow as slaves in Egypt and not forget that it was the Lord who brought them out of slavery to this land full of good things. They must remember His kindness, revere Him, and serve Him as a slave serves his master. 11 Hewn cisterns that you did not hew. The rabbinic interpretation of all these verses is that they would ®nd all kinds of things when they entered the land that are ordinarily forbidden by the TorahÐpork, forbidden fruit, even something forbidden that might have been plastered into a cistern when it was ®rst hewnÐand that all such things that they found would in fact be permitted to them. (It could be that the cisterns are simply a metaphor for the wealth of blessing that they would ®nd there.) Still, everything they might ®nd would be permitted to them, whether normally permitted or forbidden, except for idol worship (see 7:5 and 7:25). Anything to do with idolatry must be utterly destroyed, but everything else that they might take in spoil from their enemies would be permitted them. Some, however, think this rule applied only during the seven years it took to conquer the land; see B. Hul. 17a. Maimonides, in the Mishneh Torah, takes our passage to mean that soldiers during wartime may always eat forbidden foods if they can ®nd nothing else, but this is incorrect. Here, it is clearly not a matter of saving life or satisfying hunger while ®ghting, but of what they would do after the conquest, when they settled in the ``great and ¯ourishing cities that you did not build'' (v. 10). And this applies not only to the soldiers but throughout ``the land that He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to assign to you.'' He actually adds that they may drink libation wine, but this is not true under any circumstances. Everything associated with idolatry is completely forbidden: ``You must reject it as abominable and abhorrent'' (7:26). (If Maimonides meant simply ordinary non-Jewish wine, why would he need to tell us this? If things forbidden by the Torah are permitted to us, could we imagine that rabbinic prohibitions would continue to be in force? 13 Revere only the LORD your God. Having commanded us to love the Lord (v. 5), the text now commands that we revere or ``fear'' Him (OJPS), so that we do not sin and face punishment. Worship Him alone. Rather, ``serve'' Him (OJPS) by doing what He commands, [O] B. Shab. 108a explains that te®llin must be written on parchment made from an animal that is permissible for ``your mouth'' to eat. Presumably this applies to the mezuzah as well.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 10 Great and ¯ourishing cities that you did not build. Vv. 10±11 list these various good things

precisely in their order of signi®cance: the city walls must go up before people begin to build houses; cisterns, for water, precede vineyards for wine, which in turn takes precedence over oil (Gersonides). This paragraph, vv. 10±15, is an expansion of the second and third commandments (Abarbanel). 13 Swear only by His name. When it is necessary to swear at all (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 6:13±18 VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

NJPS

alone, and swear only by His name.

14

other gods, any gods of the peoples about youÐ

Do not follow

15

for the L ORD

OJPS

G OKZCE

thou serve, and by His name shalt thou swear.

14

Ye shall

not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round 15

your God in your midst is an impassioned GodÐlest the anger

about you;

of the L ORD your God blaze forth against you and He wipe you

midst of thee; lest the anger of the L ORD thy God be kindled

off the face of the earth.

against thee, and He destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

16

Do

not

try

the

you did at Massah.

L ORD

your

God,

for a jealous God, even the L ORD thy God, is in the

16

as

17

Be sure to keep the

commandments, decrees, and laws that the L ORD your God has enjoined upon you. 18

Do what is right and good in the sight of

the L ORD, that it may go well with you

RASHI

name will ensure that you are careful to ful®ll what you have sworn to do. If you do not have such reverence, you may not swear by His name.

14 Any gods of the peoples about you. Or of those farther away either. But it

Ye shall not try the L ORD your God, as

Ÿ ´ 14 :Ú·Mz ½ § «¥ ‡Ï ȯÁ‡ −¥ £ © ÔeÎÏ˙ © «¥ ¨ ¦ BÓL·e − § ¦ ½¦ © «¨ ÆÈ‰Ï ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰ ¥ Ÿ ‡Ó ¡ ¥ ÌȯÁ‡ ®¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ 15 EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‡p˜ ²¨ © Ϭ‡¥ Èk ´ ¦ :ÌÎÈ˙B·È·Ò «¤ ¥ ¦ § Ÿ Ca¨½ ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-Û‡ ³¨ § © ‰¯ÁÈ-Ôt ¤ ¡ ¤Â ¤ Ea¯˜a ®¤ § ¦ § ½ § ´¦ § ¦ § Ò :‰Ó„‡‰ «¨ ¨ £ ¨ Èt ¬¥ § ÏÚÓ −© ¥ E„ÈÓL‰Â Ÿ ´ 16 ½ © § ‡Ï ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © ÌÎÈ‰Ï ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ −¨ § ¤ eq˙ IBN EZRA ``serve'' Him (OJPS) by doing ½ § § ¦ ¯BÓL -˙‡¤ Ôe¯ÓLz ´ ¨ 17 :‰qna «¨ © © Ì˙Èq −¤ ¦ ¦ the things that He has commanded. Swear Ÿ − § ¦ only by His name. Not by the names of ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÂÈwÁ −¨ ª § ÂÈ˙„Ú ¬¨ Ÿ ¥ § ÌÎÈ‰Ï ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ˙ÂˆÓ other gods. Swear to ful®ll His word and ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ÈÈÚa ´¥ ¥ § ·Bh‰Â − © § ¯Li‰ ¬¨ ¨ © ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ² ¦ ¨ § 18 :Ceˆ «¨ ¦ accept His covenant. As we see from ``By ye

gently

Him

keep

in

the

Massah.

17

Ye

shall

commandments

of

dili-

the

L ORD your God, and His testimonies, and

His statutes, which He hath commanded thee.

18

And

thou

shalt

do

that

which

is

right and good in the sight of the L ORD;

was necessary to warn them more strictly about those close by them, whom they would regularly see straying after these gods. 16 At Massah. When they tested Him about the water after they left Egypt: ``The place was named Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and because they tried the LORD, saying, `Is the LORD present among us or not?''' (Exod. 17:7). 18 What is right and good. This refers to a willingness to forgo what might be permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

NAHMANIDES

tried

Myself have I sworn, from My mouth has issued truth'' (Isa. 45:23), ``swear'' implies swearing to the truth. ``Only'' and ``alone'' are not literally in the Hebrew of this verse, but they are clearly implied by what follows in v. 14. 16 Do not try the LORD your God. By saying, as the Israelites did at Massah, ``Is the LORD present among us or not?'' (Exod. 17:7)Ðas if to say, ``If He is, then we will serve Him.'' But there is no need to do anything but keep His commandments; see vv. 18±19. At Massah. The Hebrew has the vowel indicating the de®nite article, so it would literally seem to be saying, ``at the test.'' But Exod. 17:7 tells us clearly that ``the place was named Massah.'' We do indeed ®nd this pseudoarticle occasionally in place names: ``Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor '' (Judg. 8:10); ``Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim'' (1 Sam. 15:4). See my comments to those verses. [R] [R] We do not have Ibn Ezra's commentaries to those books.

like a slave obeying his master's orders. But it might after all refer to worship in the form of the sacri®cial ``service''; the Sifrei takes it this way. Ibn Ezra's explanation of these two phrases is not correct, for we see in 13:5 that ``observe His commandments'' is explicitly added to ``revere none but Him'' and ``worship none but Him.'' Swear only by His name. ``Only'' is not in the Hebrew (see OJPS), but clearly this is not a commandment to swear but (as the continuation in v. 14 shows) a warning not to swear in the name of any other god, and not to revere or worship any other. There are, to be sure, rabbinic sources that understand this phrase to permit one who reveres and worships God to swear to the truth in His name. Since even physical needs should be attended to speci®cally in order to serve God, the Sages suggest that one should always keep Ps. 146:2 in mind at such times. And this is indeed a correct explanation. 16 Do not try the LORD your God, as you did at Massah. You must not ask, ``Is the LORD present among us or not?'' (Exod. 17:7). Nor may you say, ``If we ®nd that by serving Him we have plenty to eat and are well-off, then we will keep His Torah.'' For this was their intention at Massah. If the Lord miraculously gave them water, they would follow Him through the wilderness; if He did not, they would abandon Him. This was regarded as a great transgression on their part. Once signs and portents had demonstrated conclusively that Moses was the Lord's prophet and that the word of the Lord was truly in his mouth, it was not proper to make any further trial of the matter. Anyone who did so was not trying the prophet, but the Holy One HimselfÐto ®nd out whether there was ``a limit to the LORD's power'' (Num. 11:23). That is why future generations were forbidden to test the Torah or the prophets. It is not proper to serve the Holy One in doubt, or contingent on trials and miracles. It is not God's will to perform miracles for everyone at all times. One ought not serve God in order to receive reward. In fact, one who serves God might ®nd suffering, even disaster, on his path; it is nonetheless proper for him to accept it all as just and not say, as do some of the fools among our people, ``It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His charge and walking in abject awe of the LORD of Hosts?'' (Mal. 3:14). See further my next comment. 17 Be sure to keep the commandments, decrees, and laws that the LORD your God has enjoined upon you. The second of these three is not ``decrees'' but ``testimonies'' (OJPS). The miracles He has already performed for you should serve you as testimony. These are symbolized by such commandments as the passover offering, the commandment to eat unleavened bread, and the commandment to dwell in booths. You must keep the ``laws'' even though you do not understand the reasons for them; they will undoubtedly end up proving bene®cial to you. In sum, there is no need to ``try'' the Torah and the commandments once you know that they came to you from the Holy One. The same goes for everyone who is con®rmed as a true prophet by signs and portents, as explained in the Torah itself. So do not try a prophet no matter what he may promise or threatenÐit is the same as questioning the capability of the Holy One. Just believe in His Torah, believe in His prophets, and prosperÐfor reward will come in the end. (That is why vv. 18±19 promise that if the Jews do what is right they will ``be able to possess the good land'' and defeat their enemies. That is the good thing that was most necessary for that generation. Then vv. 20±25 explain that future generations too will not need to try the Lord, but can simply ask their elders, who will con®rm for them the truth of the Torah and the commandments. 18 Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD. The straightforward sense of these words is that you must keep His commandments, doing so for no other reason than that you wish to do what He ®nds good. That it may go well with you. This is a

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 Do not try the LORD your God. mandment, the observance of the Sabbath (Abarbanel).

This paragraph, vv. 16±19, is an expansion of the fourth com-

50

51 DEUTERONOMY 6:18±25 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

and that you may be able to possess the good land that

the L ORD your God promised on oath to your fathers,

19

and that

OJPS

G OK ZCE

that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in

and possess the good land which the L ORD swore unto thy fa19

to thrust out all thine enemies from

all your enemies may be driven out before

thers,

you, as the L ORD has spoken.

before thee, as the L ORD hath spoken.

ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ´¨ ¨ ¤ ÆzL¯È ¨ § © «¨ § ˙‡·e ¨ ¨À CϨ½ ·ËÈÈ © ´ ¦ ÆÔÚÓÏ © Æ© § :EÈ˙·‡Ï «¤ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È −¨ § ÚaL-¯L ¬© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ‰·h‰ ¨½ Ÿ © Ÿ Ÿ ¯L −¤ ‡k £ © EÈtÓ ®¤ ¨ ¦ Eȷȇ-Ïk −¤ § ¨ -˙‡¤ Û„‰Ï ¬ £ © 19 Ò :‰Â‰È «¨ § ¯ac ¬¤ ¦ Ÿ À ¥ ¨ ‰Ó Ÿ ® ¥ ¯ÁÓ ˙„Ú‰ ´¨ ¯Ó‡Ï −¨ ¨ E· ² § ¦ EÏ ¬ § ‡LÈ-Èk ¨ § ¦ « ¦ 20 ½¦ ¨ § ¦ © § ÆÌÈwÁ‰Â ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‰eˆ ²¨ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌÈËtLn‰Â ¦ ª «© § 21 ½ § ¦ § z¯Ó‡Â ÌÈ„·Ú ² ¦ ¨ £ E·Ï ´¨ § © ¨ § :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ eÈ‰Ï −¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ÿ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § e‡ÈˆBi ¯¥ ¦ © ÌȯˆÓa ¦ ®¨ § ¦ § ‰Ú¯ÙÏ − § © § eÈȉ ¬¦ ¨ Ÿ´ ¿¨ § Ôzi ˙˙B‡ ‰Â‰È ´¥ ¦ © 22 :‰˜ÊÁ «¨ ¨ £ „Èa ¬¨ § ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ −© § ¦ ¦ Ÿ ¬ § © § ÌȯˆÓa ¦ ²© § ¦ § | ÌÈگ ¯¦ ¨ § ÌÈÏ„b ¦¸ Ÿ § ÌÈ˙ÙÓe ¦ §Ÿ  ‰Ú¯Ùa ‡ÈˆB‰ ´¦ e˙B‡Â −¨ § 23 :eÈÈÚÏ «¥ ¥ § B˙Èa − ¥ -Ïηe ¨ § -˙‡¤ Æe쬮 ˙˙Ï ¤ ³¨ e˙‡ ¨½ Ÿ ‡È·‰ ´ ¦ ¨ ÆÔÚÓÏ © Æ© § ÌMÓ ®¨ ¦ 24 eeˆÈ ´¥ © § © :eÈ˙·‡Ï «¥ Ÿ £ © ÚaL −© § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ À¨ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ ÌÈwÁ‰-Ïk ¦´ ª © ¨ -˙‡¤ Æ˙BNÚÏ £ © ‰Â‰È ¬ § eÈ‰Ï ®¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ‰‡¯ÈÏ −¨ § ¦ § RASHI 19 As the LORD has spoken. -Ïk¨ Æe쬮 ·BËÏ And where did He speak this? ``I will throw ‰˜„ˆe ½¦ ¨ © −¨ ¨ § 25 :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBi‰k ¬ © § e˙iÁÏ −¥ Ÿ © § ÌÈÓi‰ 20

ask

When, in time to come, your children

you,

``What

mean

decrees,

When thy son asketh thee in time to

laws,

come, saying: ``What mean the testimonies,

and rules that the L ORD our God has en-

and the statutes, and the ordinances, which

joined upon you?''

the

20

21

you shall say to your

the

L ORD 21

our

God

you?''

Egypt and the L ORD freed us from Egypt

``We were Pharaoh's

with a mighty hand.

22

The L ORD wrought

hath

commanded

then thou shalt say unto thy son:

children, ``We were slaves to Pharaoh in

bondmen in

Egypt;

and the L ORD brought us out of Egypt with 22

And the L ORD showed

before our eyes marvelous and destructive

a mighty hand.

signs and portents in Egypt, against Pha-

signs and wonders, great and sore, upon

raoh and all his household;

23

and us He

Egypt,

upon

Pharaoh,

and

upon

all

his

23

freed from there, that He might take us

house, before our eyes.

and give us the land that He had promised

us out from thence, that He might bring

on oath to our fathers.

24

Then the L ORD

And He brought

us in, to give us the land which He swore 24

commanded us to observe all these laws, to

unto our

revere the L ORD our God, for our lasting

manded us to do all these statutes, to fear

good and for our survival, as is now the

the L ORD our God, for our good always,

case.

25

It

will

be

therefore

to

our

merit

into panic all the people among whom you come'' (Exod. 23:27). 20 In time to come. Literally, ``tomorrow''; but the word can also be used metaphorically. What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the LORD our God has enjoined upon you? This is the question of the wise son in the Passover haggadah. He includes himself by saying ``our God''; by saying ``you,'' he asks: What caused God to claim you of all the nations, and what made you accept?

NAHMANIDES

promise that, if you do what is right in the sight of the Lord, He will treat you well, as He does ``to the good, to the upright in heart'' (Ps. 125:4). The Sages have a lovely approach to this, saying that it means one should keep well within the strict letter of the law. V. 17, after all, has already told us to obey the commandments; now the text is telling us, ``Even outside the realm of the commandments, make sure to do what is right and good, for God loves the right and the good.'' This is in fact something of major importance. It is impossible for the Torah to include every potential human interaction, social, commercial, and political. But once it has mentioned a number of them (such as those described in Leviticus 19), it repeats the instruction to do what is right and good, encouraging people to voluntarily yield some of their prerogatives. There are many examples in rabbinic literature showing that one must do ``what is right and good'' in every aspect of behavior, so that one is known as someone of honesty and integrity.

fathers.

And

the

L ORD com-

that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this

day.

25

And

it

shall

be

righteousness

IBN EZRA 20 What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the LORD our God has enjoined upon you? The point of

this question is not ``what do they mean?'' but ``why does their yoke apply only to us, of all humanity?'' 21 You shall say. Since the Lord did us the favor of freeing us from the house of bondage, we are obligated to fear His name. We recognize that He has not only done good for us in the past, but that He will continue to do good for us and ``preserve us alive'' (v. 24, OJPS). For the commandments ``are life to those who ®nd them'' (Prov. 4:22).

25 It will be therefore to our merit.

Some read this as an allusion to reward for the commandments in the World to Come. But the straightforward sense of the phrase is simply that obeying the commandments

20 When, in time to come, your children ask you, ``What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the LORD our God has enjoined upon you?'' They will ®rst ask about the ``decrees''Ðwhich are really ``testimonies'' (OJPS). Those are a reminder of the mira-

cles to which they bear witness. This refers to such commandments as the unleavened bread, the booths, the passover offering, the Sabbath, the phylacteries, and the mezuzah. Next, they will ask about the ``laws,'' those for which no reason is given in the Torah, and then about the ``rules,'' those things ordained for enforcing the commandments, which anyone can see is for the good of society. The response we are commanded to give when our children ask this question is to recount the story of the exodus from Egypt. For the same reason, the Ten Commandments begin by saying, ``I the LORD am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt'' (5:6). The intent is for us to explain that God is the Creator, whose will and power determine all things, which we realized when ``the LORD wrought before our eyes marvelous and destructive signs and portents in Egypt'' (v. 22). Having seen all this, we are witnesses ``that the LORD alone is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other'' (4:39). (See my comment to Exod. 20:2.) We must give respect to His name, for He is our Creator and has shown great loyalty to us. 24 The LORD commanded us to observe all these laws. Of all three kinds, ``decrees, laws, and rules'' (v. 20). To revere the LORD our God. By observing the decrees that testify to His miracles. For our lasting good. This refers to the laws whose explanation we do not know; they are nevertheless unquestionably good. There is no evil in them. For our survival. This refers to the rules that are obviously just. We are in any case obligated to ful®ll the will of the Creator; ``He is our God, and we are the people He tends, the ¯ock in His care'' (Ps. 95:7). There is nothing but good in anything that He commands. 25 It will be therefore to our merit before the LORD our God to observe faithfully this whole Instruction. He will therefore give us a good reward for observing the commandments. The text really calls this ``merit'' that we earn ``charity,'' for when a master gives

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 20 When, in time to come, your children ask you. This paragraph, vv. 20±25, expands the ®fth commandment, honoring one's father and mother (Abarbanel). 24 For our lasting good and for our survival. He did not command us to observe them for His own bene®t (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 6:25±7:6 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

before

the

L ORD

our

God

to

observe

faithfully

this

OJPS

unto us, if

we observe

to

do all this

commandment

before the L ORD our God, as He hath commanded us.''

whole Instruction, as He has commanded us.''

7

H OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

When the L ORD your God brings you to the land that you

7

When the L ORD thy God shall bring thee into the land

are about to enter and possess, and He dislodges many nations

whither thou goest to possess it, and shall cast out many nations

before

before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and

youÐthe

Perizzites, nations

Hittites,

Hivites,

much

and

larger

Girgashites,

Jebusites, 2

youÐ and

than

Amorites,

the

L ORD your God delivers them to you and you defeat them, you must doom them to destruction: grant them no terms and give them no quarter.

3

You shall not intermarry

with them: do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your 4

For

sons.

they

will

turn

your

children

away from Me to worship other gods, and the L ORD`s anger will blaze forth against you and He will promptly wipe you out. 5

Instead, this is what you shall do to them:

you

shall

tear

down

their

altars,

smash

their pillars, cut down their sacred posts, and consign their images to the ®re. 6

For you are a people consecrated to the

L ORD

your

God:

of

all

RASHI 7:1 Dislodges.

the

Canaanites,

seven

peoples

on

That is, ``casts them out'' (OJPS). It is the causative form of the same verb used in ``the ax-head ¯ies off the handle'' (19:5). 2 Give them no quarter. One must literally not ``show them favor [h. en]'' (compare OJPS). It is forbidden to say, ``What a ®ne-looking man this gentile is!'' Another reading: one must give them no h. aniyah, no place to ``camp,'' in the land.

the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the

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Ê

Hivite,

and

the

Jebusite,

seven

greater and mightier than thou;

nations

2

and when

the L ORD thy God shall deliver them up before

thee,

and

thou

shalt

smite

them;

then thou shalt utterly destroy them; thou shalt

make

no

covenant

show mercy unto them;

with

them,

nor

3

neither shalt thou

make marriages with them: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his 4

For

daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

he will turn away thy son from following Me, that they may serve other gods; so will the anger of the L ORD be kindled against you, and He will destroy thee quickly.

5

But

thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with ®re. 6

For

thou

art

a

holy

people

unto

the

L ORD thy God: the L ORD thy God hath

RASHBAM 7:1 Dislodges.

Compare ``casts out'' of OJPS. The sense of the verb is removal of something from a place in which it is ®xed. Compare its use in 19:5 and 28:40, and see my comments to those verses. 5 Instead. This is the correct translation. Cut down their sacred posts. The 4 For they will turn your children verb translated ``cut down'' is used speciaway from Me. Literally, ``he'' will turn ``your son'' away from Me: When a gentile ®cally with trees and other long objects: marries your daughter, he will turn your children, whom she bears to him, away from Me. ``All the horns of the wicked I will cut'' Ð We learn, though, that a child whom your daughter bears to a gentile is still considered (Ps. 75:11). ``your'' child. But the child born to your son by a gentile woman is not ``your'' child but hers. For it is ``your son'' only when ``he'' turns him aside; when ``she'' does so, when you IBN EZRA is ``righteous'' behavior ``take their daughters for your sons'' (v. 3), there is no mention of ``your son.'' OJPS). We are obligated to follow 5 Their altars. Constructed of multiple stones. Their pillars. Even a single stone. (compare His will, for He is our Lord. Personally, I Their sacred posts. Wooden posts that they worshiped. Their images. Idols. think the phrase also points to the fact that we will appear righteous and meritorious to NAHMANIDES a reward to a slave who is obligated in any case to serve him, he is all the other nations if we observe God's treating him charitably. laws and rules, which are themselves righ7:1 The Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and teous and meritorious (see 4:8 in the transJebusites. Note that Canaan is both a generalized name for all the inhabitants of Canaan lation of OJPS). and the name of a speci®c people descended from the original Canaan of Gen. 10:6. 7:1 Dislodges. Compare ``your olives 6 The LORD your God chose you to be His treasured people. You have no of®cer in shall drop off '' (28:40). charge of you among the angels, but are the Lord's treasure, directly under His authority, 4 For they will turn your children away from Me. ``They'' is masculine, referring to ``their sons''; you should therefore ``not give your daughters to their sons.'' But since the masculine form is used when both genders are combined, it may mean that you must not ``take their daughters for your sons'' either. 5 Instead. Rather, ``nothing but'' this shall you do to them, ``for you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God'' (v. 6). So do not de®le yourselves with the ways of the gentile women, who are painted like pillars and sacred posts. [S] 6 His treasured people. As I explained in my comment to Exod. 19:5, the Hebrew word implies a ``treasure'' so desirable that nothing like it can be found elsewhere: ``treasures of kings and provinces'' (Eccles. 2:8). [S] Ibn Ezra's original comment here has been obscured by confusion in the various manuscript versions. This translation assumes that he is trying to understand v. 5 as continuing the intermarriage theme of vv. 3±4.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7:1 When the LORD your God brings you to the land. This paragraph, vv. 1±5, was to make sure the Israelites did not think the ®nal ®ve commandments fully applied during the conquest of the land (Abarbanel).

52

53 DEUTERONOMY 7:6±9 NJPS

VA-`ETHANNAN

QRI\BG

.

earth the L ORD your God chose you to be His treasured

people.

7

It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples

that the L ORD set His heart on you and chose youÐindeed, you are the smallest of peoples;

8

but it was because the L ORD favored

OJPS

chosen thee to be His own treasure, out of all peoples

that are upon the face of the earth.

mighty

that

the

hand

L ORD

and

freed

rescued

you

you

with

from

a

the

of

bondage,

from

the

power

8

because the L ORD loved you, and because

Ÿ ¦ ½¦ © «¨ ÆÏkÓ Ò :‰Ó„‡‰ «¨ ¨ £ ¨ Èt-ÏÚ ¬¥ § © ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰

of

Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9

Know, therefore, that only the L ORD

your

God

is

God,

the

steadfast

The L ORD did not set His

ber than any peopleÐfor ye were the fewest of all peoplesÐ but

Ÿ´ 7 À¦ © «¨ ¨ ¦ ÌÎa¯Ó º¤ § ª «¥ ‡Ï ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ˜LÁ ¯© ¨ ÌÈnÚ‰-ÏkÓ -ÏkÓ ¨ ¦ ËÚÓ‰ −© § © Ìz‡-Èk ¬¤ © « ¦ ÌÎa ®¤ ¨ ¯Á·i ´© § ¦ © ÌÎa −¤ ¨ ¹¨ § ˙·‰‡Ó ÌÎ˙‡ ¤À § ¤ ‰Â‰È ©¸ £ © «¥ ÁÈk¦ 8 :ÌÈnÚ‰ «¦ © ¨ ÆÚaL © § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ƉڷM‰-˙‡ ¨ª § © ¤ B¯ÓMÓe ³§ ¨ ¦ ‰˜ÊÁ ´¨ § ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ‡ÈˆB‰ ¯¦ ÌÎÈ˙·‡Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ´ £ © ®¨ ¨ £ „Èa Ÿ ¬ § © „iÓ ½ ¦ ¨ £ ˙ÈaÓ -CÏÓ ¤ «¤ ‰Ú¯t −© ¦ ÌÈ„·Ú ´¥ ¦ ÆEcÙi § § ¦ «© RASHI 7 It is not because you are the ZKJVP :ÌȯˆÓ ¦ «¨ § ¦ most numerous of peoples. The straight®¦ Ÿ ‡‰ ¡ «¨ ‡e‰´ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-Èk ¬¨ § « ¦ zÚ„È ¨½ § © ´¨ § 9 forward sense is clear. Midrashically, the ÌÈ‰Ï phrase can also be read to mean, ``It is be- „ÒÁ‰Â ¤ ¤À © § ˙ȯa‰ ´ ¦ § © ¯ÓL ¯¥ Ÿ ÔÓ‡p‰ ¨½ ¡ ¤ «© Æχ‰ ¥ ¨ house

7

love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in num-

you and kept the oath He made to your fathers

H OK ZCE

God

He would keep the oath which He swore unto your fathers, hath the L ORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9

Know therefore that the L ORD thy God,

who keeps His covenant faithfully to the

He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth

thousandth generation of those who love

covenant and mercy with them that love

cause you do not make yourselves out to be great'' that God chose you. Indeed. NJPS ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F translates correctly. You are the smallest of peoples. You are the ones who minimize yourselves, like Abraham, who said, ``I who F am but dust and ashes'' (Gen. 18:27), or Moses and Aaron, who said, ``What are we?'' (Exod. 16:8). Contrast Nebuchad- F F nezzar, who said, ``I will match the Most High'' (Isa. 14:14); Sennacherib, who said, do ``Which among all the gods of those countries saved their countries from me, that the LORD should save Jerusalem from me?'' (Isa. 36:20), or Hiram, who said, ``I am a god; I sit enthroned like a god in the heart of the seas'' (Ezek. 28:2). Ð Here again the straightforward sense is clear: The Israelites were the smallest of peoples. You will not ®nd a people anywhere consisting of less than 600,000. 8 It was because the LORD favored you. The same word translated ``indeed'' in v. 7 is used here to mean ``but'' (OJPS) or ``rather.'' And kept the oath He made to your fathers. Both because He favored you and because He intended to keep the oath. 9 To the thousandth generation. But in 5:10, despite the English translations, the Hebrew word is plural. Here, next to ``keeping His commandments'' (see OJPS, which ``It is not because

you are the most numerous of peoples that the L ORD

set His heart on you and chose you'' (v. 7). True, but why would it even have occurred to anyone to think so?

What sense does it make to say that ``the L ORD

set His heart on you'' (v. 7) ``because the L ORD favored you'' (v. 8)? Don't these mean the same thing? What does this love have to do with keeping the

oath to free them from Egyptian bondage?

therefore,

that

(v. 9)Ðwell, we

only

the

L ORD

your

God

``Know,

is

God''

know this already from ch. 5, the

Ten Commandments; why mention it here?

Him and keep His commandments to a

RASHBAM 7 It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that the LORD set His heart on you. People who

examine this thoughtfully will have to wonder: Could Moses possibly have imagined that the Israelites would make the mistake of thinking they were the most numerous of peoples, or that this would be a reason for God to ``set His heart'' on them? But here is the explanation. V. 1 has already told them that God would dislodge before them many nations ``much larger than you.'' Now Moses is reminding them: Do not think, ``At least we are bigger than those seven nations, and we can expel them from the land by our own power.'' You are not more numerous than those nations. Indeed, you are the smallest of peoples. Smaller than any of the seven nations. It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that the Lord set His heart on having you defeat them, but ``because the LORD favored you'' and because He ``kept the oath He made to your fathers'' (v. 8) that He intends to dislodge them before you.

NAHMANIDES so you must not go astray by committing idolatry with any of the 9 Know, therefore, that only the LORD your God is God. You might think, ``Since other peoples' gods. I have already mentioned this to you many times. 7 It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples. Normally it would be the most numerous people that would be assigned directly to the ruler: ``A numerous IBN EZRA 7 The LORD set His heart people is the glory of a king'' (Prov. 14:28); he would assign the other peoples to the on you and chose you. He did not choose various army commanders. But the Lord chose you even though you are the smallest. The anyone else. LORD set His heart on you. He is so strongly connected with you that He will never part 8 Kept the oath. Literally, ``from His from you. The Hebrew expression is a single verb, related to the noun used in ``the hooks keeping the oath''; it is a gerund. and bands of the posts to be of silver'' (Exod. 27:10). Chose you. He chose you from 9 Only the LORD your God is God. He among all the nations to be His treasured possession. ``Choosing'' always implies selection is the only true God. The steadfast God. from a wider range of possibilities. 8 It was because the LORD favored you. Rather, it was because He ``loved'' you (OJPS) that He chose you. He found you worthy of

His love, worthier of His choice than any of the other peoples. This explains the choice, though it does not explain the reason the Lord ``set His heart'' on Israel. But the one a lover chooses is the one who best knows how to put up with him. Israel was ®tter for this than any other people. As the Sages say, ``Israel is the most indomitable of the nations, for they stood by Him through every testÐ``Judaism or death!'' And why did God ``set His heart'' on you? On account of your forefathers. For His relationship with them grew to such an extent that He swore to them that their descendants' sins would never cause Him to renege on His promise. That is why He freed you from Egypt with a mighty hand. And rescued you. Rather, ``redeemed you'' (OJPS). This is a hint that God actually smote the Egyptians instead of the Israelites, as we see in ``I give Egypt as a ransom for you, Ethiopia and Saba in exchange for you'' (Isa. 43:3). 9 Know, therefore. Know it on account of the exodus. That only the LORD your God is God. The One who created the heavens and the earthÐas I explained in my comment to 5:15. The steadfast God. You must also know on account of the exodus that He is

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 The LORD set His heart on you. The only other place in the Bible where the Lord ``set His heart'' on 9 The steadfast God who keeps His covenant faithfully. Moses did not want them to think that, because so much time had passed, the merit of the Patriarchs was no longer of any use to them (Abarbanel). To the thousandth generation. This is not meant to be something is in 10:15 (Masorah).

DEUTERONOMY 7:9±10 VA-`ETHANNAN

NJPS

Him and keep His commandments,

requites

with destruction

those who

reject

10

OJPS

but who instantly

HimÐnever

slow

thousand

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follows the Hebrew syntax), the

who

love

Me,''

it

is

more:

``thou-

Those who love Him. Keep His commandments. 10 Who instantly requites with destruction those who reject Him. sands.''

and

repayeth

them

that

hate

Him to their face, to destroy them; He will not be slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his

text has a single thousand; in 5:10, next to ``those

10

generations;

with those who reject Him, but requiting

RASHI

H OKZCE

QRI\BG

.

T hose who

act out of love.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

T hose who do so out of fear.

who reject Him'' are indeed plural, but the Hebrew goes on to say that God requites ``him'' with destruc-

stantly'' is literally ``to their face'' (OJPS). He

tion, in the singular?

F

He swore to our fathers to

give us this land, why do we need to observe the commandments? He will do what He promised anyway!'' To this I respond that if you do not observe the commandments, you

How should we ex-

plain the grammatical confusion in v. 10, where ``those

``In-

RASHBAM

Why does the verse go on to

requites them with whatever reward they

repeat that God is ``never slow with those who reject

may have earned during their lifetimes in

Him, but requiting them instantly''Ðthis time (in the

order to be able to wipe them out of the

Hebrew) all in the singular?

will

not

get possession of the land. He will

nonetheless not be violating His oath. For

keeps His covenant faithfully to the thousandth generation who love Him and keep His commandments. this is His nature: He

that He swore to the Patriarchs, and will at last ful®ll His promise must

keep

, even if He

waiting

, when there ®nally is a genera-

World to Come.

tion

NAHMANIDES The thousandth generation. Those who love Him and keep His commandments. 10 But who instantly requites with destruction those who reject Him. reliableÐHe

does

not

make

empt y

promises.

T heir descendants to the thousandth generation. T hey can rely on the cove-

nant He makes with you just as you rely on the covenant He made with your ancestors. T hose who fear His name.

He re-

quites their evil directly ``to their face'' (OJPS). He did this, for example, with the Eg yptians, destroying them immediately and not waiting for a future generation. T his aspect of God is eternally reliable. No matter that ``sometimes a wicked one endures in spite of his wickedness'' (Eccles. 7:15); remember that God's rewarding aspect is also reliable, and

V. 12 explains quite clearly

that ``if you do obey these rules and observe them

carefully,

the

L ORD

your

God

will

maintain faithfully for you the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers.'' He will keep the promise for you and will not have to wait for a thousand generations.

10 Who instantly requites with destruction those who reject Him.

He re-

quites

them

by

punishing

them

for

their

know that this wicked man must have done something good for which he also needs to be

sinsÐnot

requited. We see, therefore, that these two aspects of God are enough to explain every-

(OJPS), that is, during their lives and the

thingÐHe requites good with good and evil with evil. It could be, however, that those who

lives of their descendants up to the fourth

``instantly''

but

``to

[E] Never slow.

their

face''

reject Him de®nitively deny His divinit y and therefore have no right whatsoever to any

generation.

reward. As we read in Ecclesiastes Rabbah, ``R. Josiah said: T here are three reasons why

punished in the sinner's lifetime or at the

the Holy One is patient in this world with the wicked. T hey might repent; they might have

very latest during

ful®lled some commandments that must be rewarded in this world; or it might be that they

generation of his descendants. All this is the

are yet to produce righteous descendants. God was patient with the wicked King Ahaz,

straightforward sense of the verse. Notice

whose son was Hezekiah, and with Amon, whose son was Josiah. Even Shimei son of

that God's rewarding side is much greater

Gera, who rebelled against King David, had Mordecai as his descendant.'' T hese, then,

than His punishing side. Sins are not re-

cannot be included among ``those who reject Him.'' In any case, requiting such a person

quited

``to

good deeds are rewarded even if the sub-

his face'' (as the Hebrew literally says), rather than ``their'' face, is part of the religious

myster y involved in the problem of good things happening to bad people.

[P]

[P]

el],

Rather, ``His is the Power [

fourth

the fourth

generation,

but

a full thousand generations before there is a generation that is blameless. He is steadfast.'' T his is about God's

``keeping the oath'' (v. 8). One might be steadfast but not have the power to ful®ll one's oathÐor powerful, but not reliable.

the lives of

sequent generations should sin and it takes

Some think Nahmanides is alluding here to reincarnation.

IBN EZRA

beyond the

Sins will be

To the thousandth generation.

[E]

See Exod. 34:7.

T hose who think the

heavens make one complete revolution every 36,000 years are mistaken. T hat would mean a rotation of one degree every 100 years, but we ®nd that it takes but 70 years. In any case, ``to the thousandth generation'' does not refer to the end of time; it simply means

Those who love Him. And keep His commandments. 10 But who instantly requites with destruction those who reject Him.

``in®nitely.''

T hey are of the highest rank.

T hey come next. Or perhaps ``love''

refers to a qualit y of the mind and heart that leads one to ``keep the commandments'' in word and deed. Literally, ``those who hate Him.'' He requites them with

destruction for their hatred of the truth. After this phrase the text switches to referring to ``those'' with a singular pronoun; God requites with destruction

each of those who reject Him. For another example of a similar switch from plural to singular, see Prov. 28:1. Never slow Some think this means that He rewards the wicked in this world for the good they do, rather than ``later''

with those who reject Him.

(as the word translated ``slow'' literally means) in the World to Come. Personally I think the phrase is meant as a contrast with those who love God, who will last ``to the thousandth generation'' while the wicked perish. God will not be ``slow'' to punish those who hate him, as they might imagine from Exod. 34:7, which says that God ``visits the iniquit y of parents upon children and children's children, upon the third and fourth generations.'' T he wicked man might imagine his punishment will be visited only on his children or grandchildrenÐbut God is not that ``slow.''

Instantly.

Rather, ``to his face'' (OJPS), personally; though some read the word as a reference to God's own

``face,'' that is (idiomatically), His anger.

[T]

[T]

See Ibn Ezra's comment to 4:37.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

taken as a precise number; Exod. 20:6 says ``to thousands of generations,'' using the plural. He will keep

His covenant inde®nitely as long as the generations continue to keep his commandments. After all, He continued his faithfulness to Abraham even many generations later (Bekhor Shor).

10 Who instantly requites with destruction those who reject HimÐnever slow with those who reject Him, but requiting them instantly. ``Instantly,'' in both cases, is really ``to his face'' (OJPS, in the second case). T he ®rst ``to His face'' refers to God, who is

requiting them with destruction because of His anger; the second ``to his face'' refers to the one who rejects Him, meaning that God will requite him with destruction in his (own) lifetime (Abarbanel).

54

55 DEUTERONOMY 7:10±11 NJPS

them instantly.

structionÐthe

laws

and

VA-`ETHANNAN 11

Therefore, observe faithfully the In-

the

rulesÐwith

H OK ZCE

QRI\BG

.

which

I

charge

today.

you

OJPS

face.

11

Thou shalt therefore keep the commandment,

and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command thee this day, to do them.

RASHI 11 Observe faithfully.

``Faith-

fully'' is a free translation of the last Hebrew word of the verse, which literally means ``to do them'' (OJPS). But read the entire end of the verse as one phrase: ``this day, to do them,'' and tomorrow, in the World to Come, to receive your reward for doing them.

¹¨ § ¦ © -˙‡Â ¤ § ‰Âˆn‰-˙‡ ¤ z¯ÓL ¨¸ § © ¨ § 11 :BÏ-ÌlLÈ « ¤ © § À¦ ¨ § ¦ © ÈÎ‡ ¯¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÌÈËtLn‰-˙‡Â ¤ § ÌÈwÁ‰ ´¦ ª «© Ù :Ì˙BNÚÏ «¨ £ © ÌBi‰ − © EeˆÓ ² §© §

s

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Isn't

v. 11

some-

thing of an anticlimax, being yet another repetition of

NAHMANIDES 11 Therefore, observe faithfully the InstructionÐthe laws and the rulesÐwith which I charge you today.

the same idea?

RASHBAM 11 Therefore, observe faithfully the InstructionÐthe laws and the rulesÐwith which I charge you today. For

the

reasons

that

I

have

just

explained.

IBN EZRA

11 Observe.

Literally,

``keep'' it (OJPS). Keep His commandments as He keeps the covenant with you.

In order not to be among ``those

who reject Him,'' who are doomed to destruction. Rather, be one of ``those who love Him and keep His commandments'' (v. 9), who are destined for good and for life.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 11 Therefore, observe faithfully the InstructionÐthe laws and the rulesÐwith which I charge you today. Do not despair if you ®nd that you are not rewarded for them in this world (Sforno).

C YT

`EKEV

NJPS

if you do obey these rules and observe them OJPS 12And it shall come to pass, because ye hearken to these carefully, the LORD your God will maintain faithfully for you the ordinances, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall covenant that He made on oath with your keep with thee the covenant and the mercy fathers: 13He will favor you and bless you which He swore unto thy fathers, 13and He À § § ¦ ·˜Ú ÆÌÈËtLn‰ ¦ ¨ § ¦ © ˙‡ ³¥ ÔeÚÓLz ¤ ´¥ | ‰È‰Â ´¨ ¨ § 12 and multiply you; He will bless the issue will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply © ¨ § Ì˙‡ ®¨ Ÿ Ì˙ÈNÚ −¤ ¦ £ © Ìz¯ÓLe ¬¤ § © § ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ thee; He will also bless the fruit of thy of your womb and the produce of your Á¯ÓL soil, your new grain and wine and oil, the „ÒÁ‰-˙‡Â À § EÈ‰Ï ¸¨ § body and the fruit of thy land, thy corn and ¤ ¤½ © ¤ § Æ˙ȯa‰-˙‡ ¦ § © «¤ EÏ ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È 13 ½ § ´¥ £ © :EÈ˙·‡Ï − § © ¥ E·‰‡Â «¤ Ÿ £ © ÚaL −© § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ thy wine and thine oil, the increase of thy RASHI 12 And if you do obey. Liter- Eί·e ¤ ¨ § ©  « ¦ § EË· ´ § § ¦ -ȯt « ¦ § C¯·e ´© ¥ Ea¯‰Â ®¤ § ¦ § RASHBAM 12 The LORD your God ally, ``if you obey the heel.'' If you obey the E˙Ó„‡-ȯÙe trivial commandments, which a man is ÆEÈÙÏ À¤ ¨ § ¦ § EL¯È˙ ¹ § ¨¸ § will maintain faithfully for you the ¤Æ ¨ ‡-¯‚L £ ©§ E¯‰ˆÈ ´ § Ÿ « ¦ § E‚c tempted to dash under his heels. The LORD covenant that He made on oath with your God will maintain faithfully. Lit- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why is reward your fathers. More precisely, He will erally, He will ``keep'' (OJPS)ÐHis promise promised for obeying ``these rules'' (v. 12) but not for ``keep'' itÐfor a generation that deserves it. obeying ``the Instruction'' and ``the laws,'' which are If you do not observe the commandments, to you. 13 The calving of your herd. Both of both mentioned in v. 11 along with ``the rules''? He will not observe the covenant, but will the Hebrew nouns here are uncommon F Why do vv. 13±15 describe the resulting reward so keep it for another generation. Normally (e.g., Exod. 15:26) it is the conditions ones; ``calving'' comes from a root that fully? that are elaborated, while the reward is mentioned 12And

NAHMANIDES 12 And if you do obey. Rather, ``because'' you obey: ``In-

brie¯y.

IBN EZRA 12 And if you do obey.

Rather, ``as a result'' of your obeying. The Hebrew word implies something that will happen ``ultimately,'' at the far end of a situation or process; compare ``I am resolved to follow Your laws to the utmost forever'' (Ps. 119:112). The point is simple: You can rely on the fact that the Lord ``keeps His covenant'' (v. 9). He has kept His covenant with Abraham, and if you remain among those who love Him He will keep the covenant with you as well.

as Abraham obeyed Me'' (Gen. 26:5). And see Rashi's comment, based on the literal meaning of the word ekev (``heel''). Perhaps the intent was to emphasize that the less consequential rules, such as technical rules about ®nancial transactions, are not to be disdained. The commentators say that the Hebrew word implies something that will happen as an ultimate reward: ``Your servant pays them heed; in obeying them there is much reward'' (Ps. 19:12). This is to say that God's maintaining the covenant would be a consequence of your obeying the rules. It is certainly true that Hebrew refers to the beginning of something as the ``head'': ``Your word is true from the beginning '' (Ps. 119:160); the same idiom is used for something that is ®rst in rank or quality. Similarly, the end of something can be called the ``heel''; both metaphors take their sense from the image of a 13 He will favor you and bless you human body, which begins at the head and ends at the heel. (``The LORD will make you and multiply you. This of course is conthe head, not the tail'' of 28:13 uses a comparable image but based on an animal body.) tingent on the ``if'' of v. 12; it explains what Onkelos translates ``in recompense'' for your obedience, using a word that essentially it means to ``maintain faithfully . . . the coveimplies that such recompense is a ``result'' of the obedience. And this explains it well; ``in nant.'' The issue of your womb. Really, return the LORD your God will bless you'' (15:10) says much the same thing. Our word too ``of your belly''Ðthat is, children. The verse refers to getting something ``in return'' or to how things will ``turn'' out; in my opinion, is framed in the masculine singular, so every word from this root implies ``twisting'' or ``turning'' or ``circling.'' Notice how 33:5 ``womb'' is a euphemism here. The produce turns Jacob (from our ekev root) into Jeshurun (from yashar, ``straight''): ``the crooked of your soil. Epitomized by the grain, wine, [akov] shall be made straight [mishor]'' (Isa. 40:4). Even the meaning ``heel'' comes from this (because it is curved). These rules. Better, ``rulings.'' It was simply impossible to expect that such a numerous people would obey all the commandments and never sin at all. But court rulings establish the Torah, as in the case of the son who is a glutton and a drunkard; when he is punished, ``all Israel will hear and be afraid'' (21:21). People would often be reluctant to stone a sinner to death and thereby ``sweep out evil from your midst'' (again 21:21), so Deuteronomy frequently warns us to ``show no pity'' (e.g., v. 16 of this chapter). Similarly, people are likely to be afraid of the powerful or of those who lead the masses astray. So the Torah warns with regard to the mighty, ``Hear out low and high alike. Fear no man, for judgment is God's'' (1:17), and with regard to the false prophet, ``do not stand in dread of him'' (18:22). The paragraph about the enticer, 13:7±12, uses all these expressions. 13 He will favor you. Literally, He will ``love'' you (see OJPS). When you follow the rules out of love for God, He will love you in return. But the NJPS translation may also be implied here, the sense being that God will cause you, the judge, to be loved even by the families of those you must condemn, rather than being hated by them. Bless you. No evil will befall you on account of any judgment you make. Multiply you. You will not be diminished by the destruction of the transgressors, even if there are a multitude of them (as when an entire town is subverted). [A] asmuch

[A] See 13:13±19.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 If you do obey these rules. Remember that ``the LORD favored you''Ðliterally, ``loved'' you (OJPS)Ð``and kept the oath He made to your fathers'' (v. 8) even before giving you these rules (Bekhor Shor). This verse is obviously a continuation of what precedes it, but our Sages wished to begin the weekly portion with this blessing. As far as calling them ``rules,'' this indeed can be a general word for all the commandments in the Torah, standing here for all three terms in v. 11. Alternatively, Moses was sure that the Israelites would respect the divine laws but thought they might take the sensible rules lightly, assuming that they were no better than those of any other nation (Abarbanel). The LORD your God will maintain faithfully for you the covenant. Rather, He will maintain ``the covenant and the kindness'' (compare OJPS). The good things that God does for the righteous in this world are acts of kindness, not rewards for their deeds (Sforno). 13 He will favor you. Literally, He will ``love'' you (OJPS), increasing the love for you already mentioned in v. 8 (Bekhor Shor). In the land. Literally ``upon'' the land, in the sense of ``above.'' You will receive all the things mentioned so far, over and above the gift of the land (Abarbanel). DEUTERONOMY 7:12±13

`EKEV

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56

57 DEUTERONOMY 7:13±17

`EKEV

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NJPS calving of your herd and the lambing of your ¯ock, in OJPS kine and the young of thy ¯ock, in the land which He the land that He swore to your fathers to assign to you. 14You swore unto thy fathers to give thee. 14Thou shalt be blessed shall be blessed above all other peoples: above all peoples; there shall not be male there shall be no sterile male or female ÚaL-¯L Ÿ ´ § § © § or female barren among you, or among ¬© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ «¨ ÏÚ© μ E‡ˆ ¤½ Ÿ ˙¯zLÚ among you or among your livestock. 15The your cattle. 15And the L ORD will take away -ÏkÓ ¨ ¦ ‰È‰z −¤ § « ¦ Ce¯a ¬ ¨ 14 :CÏ «¨ ˙˙Ï ¤ ¬¨ EÈ˙·‡Ï −¤ Ÿ £ © LORD will ward off from you all sickness; from thee all sickness; and He will put −¨ ¨ £ «© ¯˜Ú ² § ‰È‰È-‡Ï ¬¤ § ¦ Ÿ ÌÈnÚ‰ ®¦ © ¨ none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which ¬¨ ¨ E· He will not bring upon you any of the ‰¯˜Ú dreadful diseases of Egypt, about which ÈÏÁ-Ïk thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay ¦ Ÿ ® ¨ EnÓ − § ¦ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ¯È҉ ¯¦ ¥ § 15 :EzÓ‰··e «¤ § ¤ § ¦ you know, but will in¯ict them upon all ‡Ï Ÿ ³ zÚ„È ¹¦ ¨ ¨ ÌȯˆÓ ¨ § À© ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌÈÚ¯‰ ¦ ¸© § ¦ ÁÈÂ„Ó ¥ § © -ÏΠ¨ § them upon all them that hate thee. 16And thou shalt consume all the peoyour enemies. :EȇN-ÏÎa «¤ § Ÿ ¨ § Ì˙e −¨ ¨ § Ca¨½ ÆÌÓÈNÈ ¨ ¦ § 16You shall destroy all the peoples that ples that the LORD thy God shall deliver À¦ © «¨ ¨ -˙‡¤ zÏ· ³¨ § ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰-Ïk ´¨ § © ¨ § 16 unto thee; thine eye shall not pity them; the LORD your God delivers to you, show- ‰Â‰È ing them no pity. And you shall not wor- ̉ÈÏÚ ®¤ ¥ £ EÈÚ − § «¥ ÒŸÁ˙-‡Ï ¬ ¨ Ÿ CϨ½ Ô˙ ´¥ Ÿ ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that 17 ship their gods, for that would be a snare ‡e‰− L˜BÓ Ÿ £ © ‡Ï Ÿ ³ § will be a snare unto thee. If thou shalt say ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ´ ‡-˙‡ ¡ ¤ Æ„·Ú˙ ¬¥ -Èk« ¦ Ì‰È‰Ï 17 in thy heart: ``These nations are more than to you. Should you say to yourselves, ½ § ´¨ § ¦ ƯӇ˙ ² ¦ © E··Ïa © Ÿ Èk ³¦ 17 Ò :CÏ «¨ ``These nations are more numerous than ÌÈa¯ ÏÎe‡ −© ‰Îȇ ¬¨ ¥ ÈpnÓ ¦ ®¤ ¦ ‰l¤ ‡‰ −¥ ¨ ÌÈBb‰ ¬ ¦ © RASHBAM 14 No sterile male or fe-

RASHI means ``¯ow.'' The female causes her offspring to ¯ow out from within her. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can v. 14 sugthat Israel will be receiving more blessing than And the lambing of your ¯ock. The unu- gest peoples, when we see from v. 16 that the other sual word here is ashterot. Menahem ex- other peoples receive no blessing at all, but on the contrary plains it as he does the ``mighty ones of Ba- are to be destroyed? F What is ``You shall destroy all shan'' (Ps. 22:13)Ðthe choicest of the ¯ock. the peoples that the LORD your God delivers to you'' We know that ashterot refers to ``might'' (v. 16)Ðwhich is apparently a commandmentÐdoing from Ashteroth-karnaim of Gen. 14:5. in the midst of this promise of reward? F What are vv. Onkelos, however, understands it simply to 17±24, which promise the Israelites that they will take of the land, doing in a passage that begins mean, ``the ¯ocks of your sheep.'' The Sages possession say: Why are they called ashterot? Because with the promise of reward for observing the rules? they enrich (ma'ashirot) their owners. 17 Should you say to yourselves. Literally, ``if'' you say. The Hebrew word has a number of other possible meanings, such as ``when'' or ``because.'' But v. 18 forces you to NAHMANIDES 15 The LORD will ward off from you all sickness. Of the natural kind. The Egyptian diseases are mentioned only to promise that God will in¯ict them on their enemies. Or perhaps the verse implies that He will ward off sickness if they follow the rules, but that if they fail to do so disease will come upon them the way it did upon the Egyptians, as a rebuke: ``He will bring back upon you all the sicknesses of Egypt that you dreaded so, and they shall cling to you'' (28:60). I have explained this at greater length in my comment to ``I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians'' of Exod. 15:26. 16 You shall destroy all the peoples that the LORD your God delivers to you. This is the ®rst of the ``rules'' that the Israelites were to follow: to completely destroy the idolaters. The Hebrew literally says ``eat'' them, a common biblical idiom for destruction: ``Have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our bread'' (Num. 14:9); ``they have devoured Jacob and desolated his home'' (Ps. 79:7); and many more such expressions. Showing them no pity. See my comment to v. 12. Judges who are too compassionate end up destroying all justice.

male. The feminine form of the Hebrew word is common, but this is the only appearance of the masculine form. Nonetheless, the same grammatical pattern appears in other pairs; compare the ``wise woman'' of 2 Sam. 14:2 and ``lower'' of Lev. 13:21 with the masculine forms (which are commoner in those cases). Note that the correct pointing of the masculine word in our verse is with kamatz under both letters; I have found this pointing in all the texts in Spain. [A]

[A] Our texts have this pointing as well; it would seem that (as in Rashbam's comment to Exod. 23:24) there were French texts with a different pointing.

IBN EZRA and oil that are subsequently mentioned. The calving of your herd. Rather, ``your herds of cattle''; for the latter word, see ``our cattle are well cared for'' (Ps. 144:14). The lambing of your ¯ock. Rather, ``your ¯ocks of sheep.'' A great Spanish commentator has explained that the Hebrews derived the words for ``cattle'' and ``¯ocks'' in this verse from the astrological terms for ``the rising sign'' and ``the 10th house''; see similarly ``the Ashtaroth'' of Judg. 10:6. 14 There shall be no sterile male or female among you. He will not only ``bless the issue of your womb'' (v. 13), but will make sure that your issue (and that of your livestock) is fertile as well. 15 The LORD will ward off from you all sickness. Of the natural kind. He will not bring upon you any of the dreadful diseases of Egypt. Which were outside the natural order of things. 16 You shall destroy all the peoples that the LORD your God delivers to you. Literally, you shall ``consume'' them (OJPS) as one consumes a meal. And this is not a statement but a commandment: you must ®nish them off. Showing them no pity. This is the proof that the ®rst part of the verse is a commandment, not a statement. For that would be a snare to you. Rather, ``for he''Ðeach one of their godsÐ``would be a snare to you.'' ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 14 You shall be blessed. This is not a commandment or an invocation of blessing, but an announcement of it (Bekhor Shor). There shall be no sterile male or female among you. The Hebrew word translated ``sterile'' comes from a root meaning ``to tear out''; perhaps the sense is that something has been removed from them, which prevents them from reproducing (Kimhi). In such a large population this would be quite extraordinary (Gersonides). 15 The LORD will ward off from you all sickness. The Israelites thought at ®rst that God's custom was to invent evils, not good things, so they are told here that He would not merely prevent evil but would actually (as OJPS more literally translates) ``take it away'' from them. In ancient times there were some who thought that there were two gods, one to do good and the other to do evil (Gersonides). The dreadful diseases of Egypt. The word translated ``diseases'' occurs only one other place in the Bible, 28:60, and there it is also connected with Egypt (Masorah). They are ``dreadful'' or ``evil'' (OJPS) because they are contagious (Sforno). But will in¯ict them upon all your enemies. These diseases are a necessary part of life, since without plagues of this kind the earth could not support all the people who are born on it. The verse promises that the required deaths will come not from the Israelites but from their enemies (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 7:17±23

NJPS

CYT

`EKEV

we; how can we dispossess them?''

18

You need have no

fear of them. You have but to bear in mind what the L ORD your God did to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians:

19

the wondrous acts

that you saw with your own eyes, the signs and the portents, the

OJPS

I; how can I dispossess them?''

18

H OKZCE

thou shalt not be afraid

of them; thou shalt well remember what the L ORD thy God did 19

unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt:

the great trials which thine

eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand,

mighty hand, and the outstretched arm by

and

which the L ORD your God liberated you.

L ORD thy God brought thee out; so shall

Thus will the L ORD your God do to all the

the L ORD thy God do unto all the peoples

Ÿ À § ¦ ¯ÎÊ Ÿ ´ ¨ Ì‰Ó Ÿ ¬ 18 :ÌLȯB‰Ï ¯kÊz ®¤ ¥ ‡¯È˙ −¨ ¦ ‡Ï «¨ ¦ § Ÿ − § © § EÈ‰Ï ‰Ú¯ÙÏ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƉNÚ-¯L ¨ ¨ ¤‡ £ ˙‡ ³¥ Ÿ ¹ Ÿ § © ˙qn‰ Ÿ ¸ © © 19 :ÌȯˆÓ -¯L¤ ‡£ ˙Ï„b‰ ¦ «¨ § ¦ -ÏÎÏe ¨§ Ÿ ³ Ÿ ¨ § EÈÈÚ „i‰Â ³¨ © § ÆÌÈ˙Ùn‰Â ¦ § Ÿ « © § ˙˙‡‰Â ¤À ¥ e‡¯ ´ ¨ E‡ˆB‰ − £ «¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰ÈeËp‰ ¨½ § © Ú¯f‰Â ©Ÿ ´ § © § Ɖ˜ÊÁ‰ ¨¨ £ © Ÿ ÆEÈ‰Ï Æ¤ Ÿ ‡ º ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ‰NÚÈ-Ôk ¤ £ © «¥ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ½¦ © ´¨ ¨ § :̉ÈtÓ «¤ ¥ § ¦ ‡¯È −¥ ¨ ‰z‡-¯L ¬¨ © ¤ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰-ÏÎÏ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÁlLÈ ²© © § ‰Ú¯v‰-˙‡ ¨½ § ¦ © ¤ ÆÌ‚Â © § 20 Ÿ À £ © Ìa ÌȯzÒp‰Â −¦ ¨ § ¦ © § Ìȯ‡Lp‰ ² ¦ ¨ § ¦ © „·‡-„Ú ®¨ 21 Ÿ − £ © ‡Ï Ÿ¬ ‰Â‰È-Èk ³¨ § « ¦ ̉ÈtÓ ®¤ ¥ § ¦ ı¯Ú˙ :EÈtÓ «¤ ¨ ¦ :‡¯B «¨ § ÏB„b − ¨ Ϭ‡¥ Ea¯˜a ¤½ § ¦ § ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ¸¨ § ÁÏL ϲ‡‰ ¥ ¨ ÌÈBb‰-˙‡ ¬¦ © ¤ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È © ¨ § 22 Ÿ ³ ËÚÓ ¥½ © Ì˙lk ´¨ Ÿ © ÆÏÎe˙ © ‡Ï ®¨ § ËÚÓ ´© § EÈtÓ −¤ ¨ ¦ RASHI understand it here as ``if.'' ``If ¯‰Ó ²¨ ¨ § 23 :‰„O‰ «¤ ¨ © ˙iÁ ¬© © EÈÏÚ −¤ ¨ ‰a¯z-Ôt ¬¤ § ¦ ¤ you think you cannot dispossess them be- Ì˙e cause they are too numerousÐdo not say ‰Ï„‚ ¨½ Ÿ § ‰Óe‰Ó ´¨ § ÆÌӉ ¨ ¨ § EÈÙÏ ®¤ ¨ § EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ §

peoples you now fear.

20

The L ORD your

the

outstretched

arm,

of whom thou art afraid.

20

whereby

the

Moreover the

God will also send a plague against them,

L ORD thy God will send the hornet among

until those who are left in hiding perish

them, until they that are left, and they that

before

you.

21

Do

not

stand

in

dread

of

hide themselves, perish from before thee.

them, for the L ORD your God is in your

21

midst, a great and awesome God.

the L ORD thy God is in the midst of thee, a

22

The

those

L ORD

peoples

your

before

God

you

will

little

dislodge

by

little;

Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for

God great and awful. 22

And the L ORD thy God will cast out

you will not be able to put an end to them

those nations before thee by little and lit-

at once, else the wild beasts would mul-

tle;

tiply to your hurt.

will

deliver

them

23

The L ORD your God

up

to

you,

throwing

them into utter panic until they are wiped

so. You need have no fear.''

19 The wondrous acts. Rather, ``the great trials'' (OJPS). The signs. As when Moses' staff became a snake or the Nile turned to blood. The portents. The miraculous plagues. The mighty hand. The pestilence. The outstretched arm. The sword that struck down all the ®rstborn. 20 A plague. Rather, ``the hornet'' (OJPS). These ¯ying insects would inject a poison into them that would emasculate them and blind them, no matter where they were hidden. 22 Else the wild beasts would multiply to your hurt. Of course, if they would obey

God's will, they would have nothing to fear from wild beasts: ``You will have a pact with the rocks in the ®eld, and the beasts of the ®eld will be your allies'' (Job 5:23). But it was already quite evident to Him that they would end up sinning. 23 Throwing them into utter panic. Notice that the second vowel of the verb hamam is a kamatz, indicating the object suf®x ``them''; compare the same-sounding verb in ``the wheel of his sledge and his horses overwhelm it'' (Isa. 28:28), where the vowel is a patah. so there is no suf®x.

NAHMANIDES 22 You will not be able to put an end to them at once.

The Lord promises that He will destroy them all, sending the hornets (see OJPS to v. 20) to ®nish off the ones who remain in hiding. They will indeed all perishÐbut not by being killed in battle on a single day or expelled from the land in the course of a single year ``lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply to your hurt'' (Exod. 23:29). 23 Throwing them into utter panic until they are wiped out. The implication is that a minority will in fact remain for a while. As 9:3 makes clear, the Israelites would dispossess and destroy most of them right away, but would not completely ®nish them off ``until you have increased and possess the land'' (Exod. 23:30).

thou

mayest

not

consume

them

quickly, lest the beasts of the ®eld increase upon thee. deliver

23

But the L ORD thy God shall

them

up

before

thee,

and

shall

discom®t them with a great discom®ture,

RASHBAM 22 You will not be able to put an end to them at once. Rather, ``you

may not'' (see OJPS), you will not be permitted to do so. (See my comment to 9:3.) See similarly 12:17 and 17:15, where the same Hebrew verb refers not to ability, but to permission. 23 Throwing them into utter panic. It is impossible to understand the verb hamam except as a geminate verb, where both Ps are part of the root. (For other examples, see 1 Sam. 7:16 andÐwith PÐLam. 5:18.) God will thunder so loudly in the battle that they will be wiped out. If the ±am ending were the pronominal suf®x ``them,'' the word would have to be not hamam but hamamam, with a composite sheva under the F. In order for the verb to be spelled as in our verse and have the suf®x ``them,'' it would have to come not from OPF but from FPF. But that is not a transitive verb (see, e.g., Isa. 16:11 and Ps. 46:4), so it is impossible for it to have a suf®x. One would have to repoint the vowels to turn it into a Piel verb, which could be transitive. [B] [B] But FPF never occurs in that form. On Piel, see Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

IBN EZRA 20 A plague. NJPS translates correctly. The Hebrew word is related to the word translated ``leprosy'' in Leviticus. 21 Do not stand in dread of them. Stand in dread of no one but the Lord, who is a great and awesome God. 22 Else the wild beasts would multiply to your hurt. Saadia understands the ``multiplication'' of the wild beasts to signal the moment when the Israelites will be able to ``put an end'' to the seven nations. But there is no need for this. See my comment to Exod. 23:29. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 20 The LORD your God will also send a plague against them. Not a ``plague,'' but ``diminishment''; FTZX is a metathesis of FZTX. It is not uncommon in the Bible to ®nd two words with the same meaning and reversed letters (Bekhor Shor). 22 You will not be able to put an end to them at once. Rather, ``you should not put an end to them at once''; it would be a bad idea (Bekhor Shor). The wild beasts would multiply to your hurt. ``The wild beasts'' are a metaphor for the surrounding nations, who would run to the aid of the Canaanites out of self-protection if they saw the Israelites conquering the whole country at once. But if they were to conquer a city here and a city there, the outlying nations would not necessarily notice. It is not that ``the Lord's hand is too short,'' but that He generally prefers to work by means of the ordinary course of things (Gersonides).

58

59 DEUTERONOMY 7:23±8:1

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out. 24He will deliver their kings into your hand, and OJPS until they be destroyed. 24And He shall deliver their you shall obliterate their name from under the heavens; no man kings into thy hand, and thou shalt make their name to perish shall stand up to you, until you have wiped them out. from under heaven; there shall no man be able to stand against 25You shall consign the images of their gods to the ®re; you thee, until thou have destroyed them. 25The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with ®re; thou shall not covet the silver and gold on them and keep it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared thereby; for that is abhorrent to shalt not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it the LORD your God. 26You must not bring an abhorrent thing unto thee, lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to into your house, or you will be proscribed the LORD thy God. 26And thou shalt not like it; you must reject it as abominable E„Èa ½¤ ¨ § Æ̉ÈÎÏÓ ¤ ¥ § © Ô˙ ³© ¨ § 24 :Ì„ÓM‰ «¨ § ¨ ¦ „Ú −© bring an abomination into thy house, and be accursed like unto it; thou shalt utterly and abhorrent, for it is proscribed. Ÿ « ÌÈÓM‰ -‡Ï ¦ ®¨ ¨ © ˙ÁzÓ © −© ¦ ÌÓL-˙‡ ¨½ § ¤ z„·‡‰Â ´¨ § © £ © § detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for :Ì˙‡ «¨ Ÿ E„ÓL‰ − § « ¦ § ¦ „Ú ¬© EÈÙa ¤½ ¨ § ÆLȇ¦ ·vÈ˙È ¬¥ © § ¦ it is a devoted thing. You shall faithfully observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today, -‡Ï Ÿ « L‡a ®¥ ¨ ÔeÙ¯Nz ´ § § ¦ Ì‰È‰Ï −¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÈÏÈÒt ¬¥ ¦ § 25 All the commandment which I comthat you may thrive and increase and be Ôt¤μ CϨ½ zÁ˜Ï Ÿ § © ´¨ § © ¨ § Æ̉ÈÏÚ ¤ ¥ £ ·‰Ê ³¨ ¨ § ÛÒk ¤ ¤¸ Á„ÓÁ˙ mand thee this day shall ye observe to do, able to possess the land that the LORD −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙·ÚB˙ ²© £ Èk ¯¦ Ba½ L˜ez :‡e‰« EÈ‰Ï ´¥ ¨ ¦ that ye may live, and multiply, and go in promised on oath to your fathers. ˙Èȉ ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ § E˙Èa ¤½ ¥ -χ¤ Ɖ·ÚB˙ ¨ ¥ « ‡È·˙-‡Ï ³¦ ¨ Ÿ § 26 and possess the land which the LORD RASHI 8:1 You shall faithfully ob- | ·Ú˙ Ÿ ® ¨ ̯Á ¬¥ © § epˆwLz ²¤ § © § | ıwL ¤ −¥ swore unto your fathers. ¯¥ © e‰Ók

NJPS

8

8

serve all the Instruction.

NJPS gives the

Ù :‡e‰« ̯Á-Èk ¤ ¬¥ ¦ ep·Ú˙z −¤ £ © « §

straightforward sense. But the text literally says

``all

the

commandment''

(OJPS)

or

perhaps better ``the whole commandment.'' The midrash interprets as follows: Once you have begun a commandment, ®nish it, for it is the person who ®nishes it that will be identi®ed as having done it. Josh. 24:32 speaks of ``the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt''; in fact it was Moses, all by himself, who took the trouble of bringing them up.

[A] Since he

did not manage to bring them all the way

Á

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ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

What does ``the long way that the LORD your God has made you travel in the wilderness'' (v. 2) have to do with ``faithfully observing all the Instruction'' (v. 1)?

into the land, the Israelites had to complete the task, and the text gives them credit for the entire task.

[A] See Exod. 13:19.

IBN EZRA 24 Until you have wiped them out. The ®rst vowel of the Hebrew

verb is unusual; see Num. 21:35 for a similar case.

25 You shall not covet the silver and gold on them. Another possible meaning would be, ``you shall not covet silver and

gold with regard to them,'' that is, you should not be willing to be paid off to leave them alone.

NAHMANIDES 24 He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall obliterate their name. As indeed happened: ``For it was the L ORD's doing to stiffen their hearts to give battle to Israel, in order

that they might be proscribed without quarter and wiped out, as the L ORD had commanded Moses'' ( Josh. 11:20); not a single king was left in the country.

[B] You can see from Rashi's comment to v. 22 (which is taken from rabbinic literature) that even though this passage

is presented as a promise, Moses nevertheless (as I said in my comment to 4:25) deliberately framed things ambiguously. Here he hints that the promise of Lev. 26:6, ``I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone; I will give the land respite from vicious beasts, and no sword shall cross your land,'' will not in fact be completely ful®lled. Rather, as stated here, (and their kings) would perish right away, but the rest would perish only later.

25 You shall not covet the silver and gold on them.

most of the Canaanites

The translations understand correctly, despite the relative pronoun that is

missing in the Hebrew. The gold and silver were used to ornament the idols. The ®rst part of the verse commands the burning of the images, that is, of the idols themselves; in this phrase their ornamentation is also forbidden.

26 You must not bring an abhorrent thing into your house, or you will be proscribed like it.

This forbids using any aspect of

idolatry for pleasure or pro®tÐneither the idols, nor their ornamentation, nor their furnishings, nor anything that has been offered to them.

8:1 All the Instruction.

Having speci®cally emphasized that the ``rules'' (7:12) must be obeyed, the text now warns them about all

the other ``commandments'' (as the Hebrew word literally means; see OJPS). Observing these, too, would ensure the blessings described in 7:13±14.

[B] See Joshua 11±12.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 24 You shall obliterate their name from under the heavens.

If you do not, the descendants of the

kings will be your adversaries forever; see 1 Kings 11:14±22, where Hadad, scion of the Edomite king, proves to be such an enemy to Solomon (Sforno).

25 You shall not covet the silver and gold on them.

If you keep them in order to take the silver and gold with which they are

plated, you might end up worshiping them. Also: you shall not covet silver and gold ``above'' them, but must consign them to the ®re before taking the opportunity to seek silver and gold. Also: you must not let an idolater redeem them from you by offering you silver and gold. All these are straightforward meanings of the text (Bekhor Shor). An idol worshiped by an Israelite cannot be annulled simply by selling itÐand all the idols the Israelites found in Canaan were presumed to fall into this category. For at the time of the Golden Calf, when they said, ``These are your gods, O Israel'' (as Exod. 32:4 literally says), they wanted to have many ``gods,'' and since Canaan was as if being held in trust for the Israelites, all the idols there were included (Hizkuni). Should you prosper as a result of having this silver and gold, you might attribute this to the idol they came off of (Sforno).

26 You must reject it as abominable and abhorrent. The silver and gold (Hizkuni). 8:1 All the Instruction. All the commandments make up a single, integral, complete Instruction (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 8:2±4

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the long way that the LORD your God has OJPS 2And thou shalt remember all the way which the L ORD made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years, that He thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: might af¯ict thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3He sub- whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. 3And jected you to the hardship of hunger and He af¯icted thee, and suffered thee to then gave you manna to eat, which neither hunger, and fed thee with manna, which ¹ £ « ¦ Ÿ ¯L ¯¨ § EÎÈω ¤¸ ‡ £ C¯c‰-Ïk ¤ À¤ © ¨ -˙‡¤ z¯ÎÊ ´¨ § © ¨ § 2 thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers you nor your fathers had ever known, in ‰Â‰È © ©¸ § ¯a„na ®¨ § ¦ © ‰L −¨ ¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ¬ ¦ ¨ § © ‰Ê²¤ EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ know; that He might make thee know that order to teach you that man does not live ÔÚÓÏ on bread alone, but that man may live on E··Ïa À § Ÿ « © § E˙pÚ ¹ § Ÿ « © man doth not live by bread only, but by ² § ¨ § « ¦ ¯L ¯¤ ‡-˙‡ £ ¤ ˙Ú„Ï © ¹© ¨ E˙qÏ anything that the LORD decrees. 4The every thing that proceedeth out of the Ÿ« Ÿ¬ § ¦ £ »EpÚÈ § © § «© 3 :‡Ï-̇ ¦ ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ −¨ Ÿ § ¦ Â˙ÂˆÓ ¯ÓL˙‰ clothes upon you did not wear out, nor did mouth of the L ORD doth man live. 4Thy zÚ„È-‡Ï ¨ § ½© ¨ Ÿ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆÔn‰-˙‡ ¨ © ¤ EÏ·i ³ § « ¦ £ «© © ¼E·Ú¯i ¤ ¦ § © © raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither RASHI 2 Whether you would keep ‡ÏŸ ´ Èk¦  EÚ„B‰ Ÿ¬ § À £ «¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ´© § EÈ˙·‡ ®¤ Ÿ £ ÔeÚ„È − § ¨ ‡Ï His commandments. The commandments -Ïk¨ -ÏÚ© Èk²¦ Ì„‡‰ Æ ½¨ ¨ «¨ ‰ÈÁÈ ´¤ § ¦ Bc·Ï © § ÌÁl‰-ÏÚ ¤ ³¤ © © RASHBAM 8:2 That He might test

NJPS

2Remember

not to test Him or question Him.

¹ § ¨¸ § ¦ 4 :Ì„‡‰ «¨ ¨ ¨ ‰ÈÁÈ ¬¤ § ¦ ‰Â‰È-ÈÙ −¨ § « ¦ ‡ˆBÓ ¬¨ 4 The clothes upon you did not wear E˙ÏÓN out. The clouds of glory kept them clean ‰Ê−¤ ‰˜ˆ· Ÿ ´ EÏ‚¯Â Ÿ³ ¨ ®¥ ¨ ‡Ï − § § © § EÈÏÚÓ ¤½ ¨ «¥ Ɖ˙Ï· ¨ § «¨ ‡Ï

and pressed. Even the clothes of the little children grew along with them, like the shell of a snail. Nor did your feet swell these forty years. Literally, they did not ``dough'' up. For the feet of those who must walk barefoot puff up like dough.

NAHMANIDES 2 Remember the long way that the LORD your God has made you travel in the wilderness. By remembering what happened on this journey, you can

you by hardships.

It is a hardship not to know where your next meal is coming from, so that your life is dependent on heaven day in and day out.

IBN EZRA 8:2 Remember the long way that the LORD your God has made you travel in the wilderness. The sense

of vv. 1±2 is this: if you wish to observe all the Instruction, that you may thrive (and so know for certain that observing the commandments is completely good; no righteous man forth), you must remember what happened will be abandoned or have to seek bread. The Lord supplied all your wants in the wilder- on your journey through the wilderness. ness by means of great miracles because you followed His commandments. That He That He might test you by hardships to might test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: whether you would learn what was in your hearts. With rekeep His commandments or not. See my comment to ``whether they will follow My gard to God's testing, see my comment to instructions'' of Exod. 16:4. This was indeed a severe test, for they had no idea how to Gen. 22:1. 3 He subjected you. On that journey. keep themselves alive, having entered a great wilderness where there was no food. They had nothing but manna, and only enough of that to last the day, ``for when the sun grew To the hardship of hunger. This refers to hot, it would melt'' (Exod. 16:21). So they did indeed hunger for it. But they did all this to the period before the giving of the manna. keep the commandments of the Lord and follow what He had commanded. God could One might think it perhaps refers to the have led them by way of the cities in their vicinity, but instead He put them to this testÐ manna itself, which the Israelites referred to as ``this miserable food'' in Num. 21:5Ðbut which would make manifest that they would follow His commandments forever. 3 He subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat. that cannot be. Perhaps this refers to other The Hebrew (see OJPS) makes it sound as if the manna was part of the ``hardship of hungers. Bread. That is, one's regular food. hunger''; see my previous and next comments. But (see again OJPS) it is possible to read Anything that the LORD decrees. Literall three elements of this phrase separately: He subjected you to hardship, ``He drained my ally, ``anything that comes out of the Lord's strength on the journey'' (Ps. 102:24); He subjected you (at ®rst) to hunger, ``to starve this mouth'' (compare OJPS). But this is indeed whole congregation to death'' (Exod. 16:3); and then (as NJPS explains it) gave you manna an idiom for a decree: ``No sooner did these to eat (see further v. 16 of our chapter and my comment there). Which neither you nor words leave the king's mouth'' (Esther 7:8). your fathers had ever known. You did not know that one could survive for long periods In fact, the verse is saying that it is not food on manna, nor had any such tradition come down to you from your fathers. Or perhaps the that supports life but the energy one gets mention of the ``fathers'' is to suggest that God had done them a kindness greater than from it, or at least that it does so along with even their holy Patriarchs had ever received. Even though they too had followed whatever the energy that comes from the higher (and wherever) He had commanded themÐ``Go forth from your native land and from your spheres by commandment of the Lord father's house'' (Gen. 12:1)Ðthey had nonetheless never reached the level at which God (which is what ``anything that the LORD would ``give them heavenly grain'' (Ps. 78:24) as He did you. (Numbers Rabbah explains decrees'' really refers to). The proof, of that this was due to the merit of Moses.) Man may live on anything that the LORD course, is that you did not eat bread in the wilderness, and yet you survived. decrees. So keep His commandments and live. 4 The clothes upon you did not wear out. See Rashi's (midrashic) comment. Ibn 4 The clothes upon you did not wear Ezra's explanations to both parts of this verse are simply not correct. Moses is telling them out. Some say this was a miracle; others,

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 2 Remember the long way that the LORD your God has made you travel in the wilderness.

Should you ®nd yourself tempted by the ``silver and gold'' (7:25) on the idols, remember that you had no need of silver and gold on that long journey (Bekhor Shor). That He might test you. The ``long way'' was itself the test; as Prov. 13:12 has it, ``Hope deferred sickens the heart.'' In this case, the hope that was deferred was their hope of taking possession of the land (Gersonides). To learn what was in your hearts. To have what was in your hearts express itself in action, so that the ministering angels could learn that you indeed deserve to rank above them (Sforno). 3 He subjected you to the hardship of hunger. No one really deserves the Torah who cannot bear to refrain from eating and drinking; as v. 7 implies, this sort of restraint ultimately leads one to the good (Bekhor Shor). Bread. ``Bread'' is the food mentioned most often in Hebrew because it is the essential food; in fact, the Hebrew word refers to food in general (Kimhi). 4 The clothes upon you did not wear out. So you have no reason to ``covet the silver and gold'' (7:25) (Hizkuni). Nor did your feet swell. Rather, ``nor were your feet bare'' (Kimhi).

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61 DEUTERONOMY 8:4±9

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your feet swell these forty years. 5Bear in mind that the OJPS did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5And thou shalt LORD your God disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son. consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the 6Therefore keep the commandments of the L ORD your God: LORD thy God chasteneth thee. 6And thou shalt keep the walk in His ways and revere Him. commandments of the LORD thy God, to 7For the L ORD your God is bringing walk in His ways, and to fear Him. ®¤ ¨ § ¦ zÚ„È −¨ § © ¨ § 5 :‰L «¨ ¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ¬¦ ¨ § © 7For the L ORD thy God bringeth thee you into a good land, a land with streams ÈkÀ¦ E··Ï-ÌÚ Ÿ ½ Æ EÈ‰Ï − ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬ ¨ § Ba § -˙‡ ¤ Lȇ ¦ ¯qÈÈ ¬ ¥ © § ¯L ¤¸ ‡k £ © into a good land, a land of brooks of water, and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill; 8a land of wheat and barley, ‰Â‰È Ÿ − § ¦ -˙‡¤ z¯ÓL ´¨ § ˙ÂˆÓ ¨½ § © ´¨ § 6 :j¯qÈÓ ¨ «¤ § © § of fountains and depths, springing forth in of vines, ®gs, and pomegranates, a land of valleys and hills; 8a land of wheat and :B˙‡ « Ÿ ‰‡¯ÈÏe ¬¨ § ¦ § ÂÈί„a −¨ ¨ § ¦ ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ¬¤ ¨ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ 9 barley, and vines and ®g-trees and pomeolive trees and honey; a land where you ®¨ ı¯‡-Ï ¤ ´¤ ‡¤ E‡È·Ó − £ « ¦ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Èk¦ μ7 granates; a land of olive-trees and honey; may eat food without stint, where you will ‰·BË Ÿ ½ Ÿ § Æ˙ÈÚ Ÿ ¨ £ ÌÈÓ lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron ÌȇˆÈ ¬ ¦ § Ÿ ˙Ó‰˙e ¦ ¨½ ÈÏÁ ¥ £ ´© ı¯‡ ¤ ¤ μ 9a land wherein thou shalt eat bread ½¨Ÿ § ƉhÁ ÔÙ‚Â ¤¬¤ § ‰¯ÚNe ¨ ¦ ı¯‡ ¤ ³¤ 8 :¯‰·e «¨ ¨ ‰Ú˜aa −¨ § ¦ © without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any RASHI 8 Olive trees. thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, :L·„e «¨ § ÔÓL ¤ −¤ ˙ÈÊ-ı¯‡ ¬¥ ¤ «¤ ÔBn¯Â ® ¦ § ‰‡˙e −¨ ¥ § Ÿ ³ ¯L ÌÁÏ ¤ ¤½ da ´¨ -Ï·z © Ÿ « Æ˙kÒÓ· ª ¥ § ¦ § ‡Ï ¤¸ ‡ £ ı¯‡ ¤ ¤À 9 RASHBAM 7 For the LORD your God Ÿ − ¯ÒÁ˙-‡Ï Ïʯ· ¤½ § © ‰È·‡ ¨ ´¤ ¨ £ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡ ¤ ¤ μ da ®¨ Ïk ¬© § ¤ Ÿ « is bringing you into a good land.

NJPS

More precisely, of ``oil-olive trees.'' The point is not the trees but the oil they produce. This NAHMANIDES all this speci®cally to and all that follows will potentially lead to point out the miraculous nature of what the situation of v. 14. That is why I am happened to them in the wilderness. You could put clothes on a block of wood and they commanding you to remember your journey would be worn out after 40 years, even though wood does not ``sweat.'' through the wilderness, when all your needs 5 The LORD your God disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son. That is, were supplied by heavenÐso that you will He puts the yoke of discipline on you for your own good: ``Discipline your son while there realize that ``not by strength shall man preis still hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction'' (Prov. 19:18). He disciplined vail'' (1 Sam. 2:9). you at ®rst by putting you through the hardships described in vv. 2±3, so that you would 9 Where you may eat food without appreciate the goodness of the land of Israel and its fruits described in vv. 7±10. stint. Rather, ``without poverty.'' You shall 7 A land with streams and springs and fountains. Like a watered garden, where not eat dry bread, as the poor and the needy one never needs to carry water on foot as you did in Egypt (see 11:10); rather, it is a land do, for besides wheat and barley for bread that ``soaks up its water from the rains of heaven'' (11:11). Issuing from plain and hill. you will also have sweet things: ``vines, Whence the streams ¯ow. Note, however, that ``springs and fountains'' of NJPS is a ®gs, and pomegranates...olive trees and mistranslation; the Hebrew expression is essentially the same as that used in ``When He honey'' (v. 8). (The ``honey'' referred to is made the heavens above ®rm, and the fountains of the deep gushed forth'' (Prov. 8:28) and date honey.) ``All the fountains of the great deep burst apart'' (Gen. 7:11). There are indeed fountains that are ``springs'' ¯owing from the mountains, stemming from the rainwater they absorb IBN EZRA that they brought many and the mists that cover them. These are ``the springs of water'' described in 1 Kings 18:5. clothes out of Egypt with them. It may But there are also fountains whose source is in the great deep. Our verse says that both simply be that it is not in the nature of kinds of spring are to be found in the land of Israel, issuing from both plain and hill. manna to make one sweat. Nor did your 9 A land whose rocks are iron. Where you think there is merely rock, there is in fact feet swell. For the verb, compare ``they iron, which ``is taken out of the earth'' (Job 28:2). He is informing them that the land of baked unleavened cakes of the dough'' Israel has mines of iron and copper, both of which are greatly needed by the inhabitants of (Exod. 12:39). For it is customary for a any land. They will therefore lack nothing. Our verse does not say that ``there is a mine traveler's feet to puff up when he has tramped for a long way. Here too it could be either that God gave them miraculous strength or that He led them along slowly. 5 Bear in mind. More precisely, ``know it'' faithfully ``in your heart.'' That is the most important thing. 7 The LORD your God is bringing you into a good land. Because of your obedience to the God who ``disciplines you'' (v. 5), even though ``He subjected you to the hardship of hunger'' (v. 3) and thirst, your reward is that He will bring you into a good land. 8 A land of wheat and barley, of vines, ®gs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey. The products mentioned in this verse are those that increase the blood supply. As for ``honey,'' see my comment to Lev. 2:11. 9 Without stint. Without poverty: ``Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king'' (Eccles. 4:13). ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5 Bear in mind that the LORD your God disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son. When they ask us, ``If your religion is so good, why is it that you have been in this shameful exile for so long?'' we reply that it is for our own good. As Ps. 94:12 puts it, ``Happy is the man whom You discipline, O LORD'' (Kimhi). Literally, ``know in your heart''Ðwithout asking a prophet, sage, or seer (Abarbanel). 7 A good land. With a complete assortment of good things such as no other region has, in ®ve categories, each introduced by the words ``a land'' (Sforno). A land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill. So the hill dwellers need not climb down to the plain, and the dwellers in the plain need not climb up the hills (Hizkuni). 8 A land of wheat and barley, of vines, ®gs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey. These are not seven varieties, but seven categories that include various varieties; ``honey'' refers to sweet foods of all kinds (Bekhor Shor). The honey must be date honey; bee honey cannot be brought as one of the ®rst fruits, as the foods in this verse must be (Kimhi). From ``wheat'' to ``pomegranates'' they are listed in declining order of signi®cance. The repetition of ``a land'' breaks the sequence, after which olive oil and honey are again in declining order of signi®cance. It must be date honey, because bee honey does not come from ``the land'' but from bees (Gersonides). Olive oil and honey are royal foods (Sforno). 9 A land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you can mine copper. Most lands that are fertile lack metals; often the wealthiest placesÐVenice, Genoa, and Barcelona, for exampleÐmust import food. But you will eat your ®ll and have wealth too (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 8:9±18

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OJPS

and from whose hills you can mine copper. 10When you and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. 10And have eaten your ®ll, give thanks to the LORD your God for the thou shalt eat and be satis®ed, and bless the L ORD thy God for good land which He has given you. the good land which He hath given thee. 11 11 Take care lest you forget the L ORD your God and fail to keep Beware lest thou forget the L ORD thy God, in not keeping His commandments, His rules, and His laws, which I enjoin His commandments, and His ordinances, and His statutes, which upon you today. 12When you have eaten your ®ll, and have built I command thee this day; 12lest when thou hast eaten and art ®ne houses to live in, 13and your herds and ¯ocks have multi- satis®ed, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13and plied, and your silver and gold have inwhen thy herds and thy ¯ocks multiply, creased, and everything you own has pros- zÏ· and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, 10 −¨ § © ¨ § :˙LÁ ¤ Ÿ « § ·ŸˆÁz ¬ § © ‰È¯¯‰Óe ¨ −¤ ¨ £ ¥ pered, 14beware lest your heart grow and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14then Ÿ ½ Æ -ÏÚ © EÈ‰Ï ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´ ¨ § ¤ zί·e ¨ § © « ¥ zÚ·N ¨ § ® ¨ ¨ § haughty and you forget the LORD your thy heart be lifted up, and thou forget the :CÏ-Ô˙ «¨ © «¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰·h‰ −¨ Ÿ © ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¬¨ ¨ LORD thy God, who brought thee forth out GodÐwho freed you from the land of KR[ Egypt, the house of bondage; 15who led you EÈ‰Ï ½ § ¯ÓM‰ ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ÁkLz-Ôt −© § ¦ ¤ EÏ ¤ ´¨ ¦ 11 of the land of Egypt, out of the house of 15 through the great and terrible wilderness Ÿ ³ § ÈzÏ·Ï ¸¦ § ¦ § bondage; who led thee through the great ÂÈ˙wÁ ¨½ Ÿ ª § ÂÈËtLÓe ´¨ ¨ § ¦ ÆÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¨ Ÿ § ¦ ¯ÓL and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serwith its seraph serpents and scorpions, a −© Ÿ ¤ 12 :ÌBi‰ « © EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ pents, ®ery serpents, and scorpions, and parched land with no water in it, who Ï·z-Ôt brought forth water for you from the ¯inty :z·LÈ ¨ § «¨ ¨ § ‰·z −¤ § ¦ ÌÈ·Ë ² ¦ Ÿ ÌÈz·e ¬ ¦ ¨ zÚ·N ¨ § ®¨ ¨ § thirsty ground where was no water; who 16 rock; who fed you in the wilderness with -‰a¯È ¤ § ¦ ·‰Ê −¨ ¨ § ÛÒΠ¤ ¬¤ § ÔÈa¯È ª½ § § ¦ ÆE‡ˆÂ § Ÿ « § E¯˜·e ³ § «¨ § 13 brought thee forth water out of the rock of manna, which your fathers had never ¯int; 16who fed thee in the wilderness with Ÿ ¬ § Cl E··Ï ®¤ ¨ § ̯ −¨ § 14 :‰a¯È «¤ § ¦ EÏ-¯L − § ¤‡ £ ÏΠ®¨ manna, which thy fathers knew not, that known, in order to test you by hardships ² £ ¦ © EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ÆzÁÎL ¨ § © «¨ § He might af¯ict thee, and that He might only to bene®t you in the endÐ17and you E‡ÈˆBn‰ say to yourselves, ``My own power and the EÎÈÏBn‰ ¹ £ ¦¸ © 15 :ÌÈ„·Ú « ¦ ¨ £ ˙ÈaÓ ¬¥ ¦ ÌȯˆÓ ¦ −© § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ¬¤ ¥ prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter 17 might of my own hand have won this Ÿ ´ ¨ © | ¯a„na ÆÛ¯N À¨ © § Ï„b‰ ¨ ¨ | LÁ ³¨ ¨ ‡¯Bp‰Â ´¨ § ¦ © end; and thou say in thy heart: ``My power and the might of my hand hath wealth for me.'' 18Remember that it is the ½¨ § © § gotten me this wealth.'' 18But thou shalt ³¦ © ÌÈÓ ¦ ®¨ -Ôȇ «¥ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÔB‡nˆÂ − ¨ ¦ § ·¯˜Ú LORD your God who gives you the power ‡ÈˆBn‰ ÆÔÓ¨ EÏ·n‰ ¬ § ¸¦ £ «© © 16 :LÈÓlÁ‰ « ¦ ¨ © «© ¯evÓ − ¦ ÌÈÓ ¦ ©½ ÆEϧ remember the LORD thy God, for it is He

NAHMANIDES for silver, and a place ÔÚÓÏ © ´© § EÈ˙·‡ ®¤ Ÿ £ ÔeÚ„È-‡Ï − § ¨ Ÿ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ¯a„na ¨½ § ¦ ©

IBN EZRA 13 Multiplied. From the where gold is re®ned'' (Job 28:1), since the :E˙ȯÁ‡a À § Ÿ « © root FCZ, with K replacing the F (though − § « ¦ ¥ § E˙q ¤½ Ÿ © ÆÔÚÓÏe © Æ© § E˙pÚ absence of these is no lack in a country. «¤ ¦ £ © § E·ËÈ‰Ï ½ ¦ ¨ ̈Ú ¨ ¬¨ È„È ¤ Ÿ ´ § ÆÈÁk ¦ Ÿ E··Ïa ®¤ ¨ § ¦ z¯Ó‡Â −¨ § © ¨ § 17 Moses Gikatilla would disagree). The Jerusalem Targum presents our verse ‰NÚ 14 Beware lest your heart grow as praising the land for its quarries, provid- ‰Â‰È-˙‡ 18 ´¨ § ¤ Æz¯ÎÊ ¨ § © «¨ § :‰f‰ «¤ © ÏÈÁ‰-˙‡ ¦ ¬© © ¤ ÈÏ −¦ haughty. And you forget that you were a ing stone of all kinds for building houses, ÏÈÁ ´ £ © Ák ©Ÿ − EÏ ² § Ô˙p‰ ¬¥ Ÿ © ‡e‰À Èk ´ ¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ slave and that your heart was lowly, and walls, and towersÐunlike Egypt and many ¦ ®¨ ˙BNÚÏ other countries, where such things are built ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F you likewise forget the hardships, the hunger, and the thirst that you suffered in the of clay and sometimes become their inhabwildernessÐthough God supplied your itants' graves. needs nonetheless. 10 When you have eaten your ®ll, 15 With its seraph serpents and scorgive thanks. Rather, when you have eaten your ®ll, remembering what you suffered in Egypt and in the wilderness, you will give pions. ``With its'' does not appear in the thanks to the Lord for the good land He has given you. Admittedly, the Sages have a Hebrew; the translations correctly undertradition that this is one of the commandments; the syntax is certainly similar to (e.g.) stand that grammatically ``the wilderness'' 16:1, 22:8, 26:2 and many similar commandments. For the good land which He has must also be read with this phrase. The given you. The Hebrew might be mistaken to mean ``on'' the good land, that is, you must ¯inty rock. ``Flinty'' in strength. do this when you are living in the land. But the translations understand the sense cor- 17 This wealth. Literally, ``this power''; rectly: You must thank God at all times, both for having eaten your ®ll and for the land that but the word is often used for money, which He gave you as an eternal possession, to eat your ®ll of all the good things there. The one gains by the power of one's exertions: commandment to thank Him for this is an obligation no matter where you are. ``The foolish and ignorant both perish, 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers had never leaving their wealth to others'' (Ps. 49:11). known, in order to test you by hardships. If the reading suggested in my ®rst comment 18 Remember that it is the LORD your to v. 3 is correct, then the ®rst part of this phrase and the end of v. 15 are parenthetical, God who gives you the power to get and ``in order to test you'' resumes the ®rst half of v. 15, about leading them through a wealth. That is, remember this should it parched land. But the test described in Exodus 16 was to see whether, when given what they asked for in abundance, the Israelites would continue to obey God's commandments. That is indeed the straightforward sense of the story. But the idea that the manna itself was a hardship (see my comments to vv. 2±3) is also true and correct. 18 Remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to get wealth. The word translated ``wealth'' here literally means ``power.'' It is well known that the Israelites were powerful ®ghters, being described as lions or as ``a ravenous wolf'' (Gen. 49:27); ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 10 When you have eaten your ®ll, give thanks. More literally, ``you shall eat and be satis®ed, and bless the LORD your God'' (compare OJPS). Each of these three verbs is the source of one of the three blessings in the Grace after Meals. The brief blessing before one eats is derived logically from this source; if one thanks God for one's food when one is satis®ed, how much more should one thank Him when one is actually hungry for it (Bekhor Shor). 11 Take care lest you forget the LORD your God and fail to keep His commandments. God ®gured that this would eventually happen and tried as best He could to save them from their fate (Gersonides). 14 Beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the LORD your God. As v. 11 commanded you not to do (Hizkuni). 16 To bene®t you in the end. As you deserve after being tested in this way (Sforno). What is the warning

to ``beware lest your heart grow haughty'' (v. 14), which essentially repeats 6:10±12, doing here?

62

63 DEUTERONOMY 8:18±9:3 NJPS

CYT

`EKEV

to get wealth, in ful®llment of the covenant that He

made on oath with your fathers, as is still the case. 19

that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may estab-

lish His covenant which He swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 19

If you do forget the L ORD your God

and follow other gods to serve them or bow down to them, I warn you this day that you shall certainly perish;

20

like the

nations that the L ORD will cause to perish before you, so shall you perishÐbecause you did not heed the L ORD your God.

9

OJPS

Hear, O Israel! You are about to cross

the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and more populous than you: great cities with walls sky-high;

2

a people great

and tall, the Anakites, of whom you have knowledge; for you have heard it said, ``Who can stand up to the children of Anak?''

3

Know then this day that none

other than the L ORD your God is crossing

J OK ZCE

And it shall be, if thou shalt forget the

ÚaL-¯L ¬© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ B˙ȯa ² ¦ § -˙‡¤ ÌȘ‰ © ©¸ § ¯¦ ¨ ÔÚÓÏ Ù :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBik ¬ © EÈ˙·‡Ï −¤ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ÆÁkLz © § ¦ ÁÎL-̇ ©Ÿ ³ ¨ ¦ ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 19 ½ ¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ÌȯÁ‡ ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÆȯÁ‡ ¥ £ © zÎω ¨À § © «¨ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÆÌη ¤ ¨ È˙„Ú‰ ¦ Ÿ ³ ¦ © Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ ˙ÈÂÁzL‰Â ¨ ´ ¦ £ © § ¦ § Ìz„·Ú −¨ § © £ © 20 Ÿ − ¨ Ȭk¦ ÌBi‰ À¦ © ½© ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌÈBbk :Ôe„·‡z « ¥ Ÿ „·‡ ·˜Ú ¤ ¥ μ Ôe„·‡˙ ® ¥ Ÿ Ôk −¥ ÌÎÈtÓ ¤½ ¥ § ¦ „È·‡Ó ´ ¦ £ © Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § Ÿ´ ½ § § ¦ ‡Ï Ù :ÌÎÈ‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÏB˜a − § ÔeÚÓL˙

Ë

ÆÌBi‰© ¯·Ú ³¥ Ÿ ‰z‡ ¨¸ © χ¯NÈ ¥À ¨ § ¦ ÚÓL ´© § Ÿ ¨ Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ½¦ ½¥ § © © ÌÈÏ„b ¬ ¦ Ÿ § ÌÈBb ˙L¯Ï ¤ ´¤ ¨ Ƈ·Ï ¤ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ˙¯ˆ·e −ª § ˙Ï„b ¬ § ÌÈ¯Ú ² ¦ ¨ jnÓ ¨ ®¤ ¦ ÌÈÓˆÚ −¦ ª £ ©

¯L¤¸ ‡£ ÌȘÚ ´¥ § ̯ −¨ ¨ ÏB„b-ÌÚ ¬ ¨ «© 2 :ÌÈÓMa ¦ «¨ ¨ © ®¦ ¨ £ Èa at your head, a devouring ®re; it is He who ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦ ·vÈ˙È ¥½ © § ¦ ÈÓ ´ ¦ zÚÓL ¨ § ©½ ¨ ‰z‡Â ´¨ © § ÆzÚ„È ¨ § Æ© ¨ ‰z‡ ³¨ © will wipe them out. He will subdue them before you, that you may quickly dispossess ¸¨ § ÁÈk¦ ÌBi‰ À © zÚ„È EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § © ¨ § 3 :˜Ú «¨ £ Èa ¬¥ § ‡e‰¯ ‰Ï· ¨½ § Ÿ « L‡ ´¥ ÆEÈÙÏ ¤Æ ¨ § ¯·Ú‰-‡e‰ ³¥ Ÿ ¨ « RASHI 19 If you do forget the LORD ÌzL¯B‰Â ®¤ ¨ § ÌÚÈÎÈ −¥ ¦ § © ‡e‰Â ¬ § Ì„ÈÓLÈ ²¥ ¦ § © your God. The Hebrew verb has a double ³¨ § © « § EÈÙÏ

L ORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I forewarn

you

perish.

this

day

that

ye

shall

surely

20

As the nations that the L ORD

maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish; because ye would not hearken unto the voice of the L ORD your God.

9

Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over

the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and forti®ed up to heaven, people

great

Anakim, whom

and

whom

thou

hast

tall, thou

the

sons

knowest,

heard

say:

of and

``Who

stand before the sons of Anak?''

2

a

the of can

3

Know

therefore this day, that the L ORD thy God is He who goeth over before thee as a devouring ®re; He will destroy them, and He will bring them down before thee; so shalt thou drive them out, and make them to

form: If you begin to forget, you will forget RASHBAM 20 Because you did not entirely. As the scroll [B] tells us, ``If you abandon Me for a day, I will abandon you for heed. This is the conclusion of the section two days.'' that began in 7:12 with ``if you do obey.'' The Hebrew uses the same syntax for both: 9:1 Greater and more populous than you. You are great, but they are greater. [B] Manuscripts of Rashi and of his rabbinic sources give this mysterious scroll various names, some of which suggest that it ``If you hearken . . . because you did not hearken'' (compare OJPS). was an Essene text.

NAHMANIDES

they indeed defeated the kings of Canaan in battle, which is why they might think, ``My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me'' (v. 17). But in Egypt, from which God took you out, you had no power or might. In the wilderness you did not even have the power to keep yourselves aliveÐHe took care of all your needs. So this power too, by which you gained your wealth, was a gift to you from the Lord. If you forget Him, He will put an end to your power and to your very ¯esh, and you will certainly perish just as the Canaanites did. For all ``those who forsake the LORD shall perish'' (Isa. 1:28).

9:3 That you may quickly dispossess and destroy them. You will win every

battle quickly, without having to trouble yourselves with the ramps and forti®cations of a long siege. You will nevertheless not be permitted to completely wipe them out so quickly, ``else the wild beasts would multiply to your hurt'' (7:22; see my comment there). So I will not let you ®ght them all within the space of a single year.

9:1 Nations greater and more populous than you. This is yet another reason that the Israelites must not think, ``My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me'' (8:17). How could you possibly defeat such great nations on your own? IBN EZRA occur to you to say, ``My own power and the might of my own hand'' Great cities with walls sky-high. How could you possibly capture them? 2 The Anakites, of whom you have knowledge. From the spies, who saw them. (v. 17) and so forth. 20 Because. Literally, ``as a result of.'' You have heard it said. Long ago. 3 The LORD your God is crossing at your head, a devouring ®re. You must know In 7:10 this refers to reward, but the word in your heart that it is He who will subdue themÐnot your own power and the might of itself is neutral, referring to either reward or your own hand, but the power of God's hand: ``The LORD hurled huge stones on them from punishment. the sky . . . Neither before nor since has there ever been such a day, when the LORD acted 9:1 You are about to cross the Jordan. on words spoken by a man'' (Josh. 10:11, 14). ``Great cities'' of v. 1 is actually an allusion The Hebrew literally says ``this day'' (OJPS), to what would happen at Jericho: ``It was not by their sword that they took the land, their but NJPS understands the idiom correctly. arm did not give them victory, but Your right hand, Your arm, and Your goodwill, for You Or it may have been intended to make them favored them'' (Ps. 44:4); ``I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose stature was like the treat his words with the same importance as cedar's and who was stout as the oak, destroying his boughs above and his trunk below!'' if they were indeed crossing ``this day.'' (Amos 2:9). He speci®es the Amorites because they were the mightiest of themÐyet He de3 A devouring ®re. The point of the stroyed them. It is He who will wipe them out. He will subdue them before you. image is the speed with which ®re destroys He will do bothÐnot speci®cally in that order. The point is that those nations will be so what it devours; as the verse goes on to say, fearful of Israel that they will essentially be crippled even before they march out to do the Canaanites will be dispossessed quickly. battle: ``When all the kings of the Amorites on the western side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites near the Sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the sake of the Israelites until they crossed over, they lost heart, and no spirit was left in them because of the Israelites'' (Josh. 5:1). But it may mean that He will ``wipe out'' the great and populous nations and ``subdue'' the Anakites. The latter, in fact, despite their great size and strength, were more fearful than the others; they did not come out to ®ght at all, but hid in the mountains and the

DEUTERONOMY 9:3±8

CYT

`EKEV

J OKZCE

and destroy them, as the LORD promised you. 4And OJPS perish quickly, as the LORD hath spoken unto thee. when the LORD your God has thrust them from your path, say 4Speak not thou in thy heart, after that the LORD thy God hath not to yourselves, ``The LORD has enabled us to possess this land thrust them out from before thee, saying: ``For my righteousness because of our virtues''; it is rather because the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land''; whereas for the wickedness of of the wickedness of those nations that the :CÏ ½ Æ «¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯ac ¬¤ ¦ ¯L ²¤ ‡k £ © ¯‰Ó ¥ © Ìz„·‡‰Â ¨ § © © «© § these nations the LORD doth drive them LORD is dispossessing them before you. Ÿ ´ £ © E··Ïa À § ¨ § ¦ ¯Ó‡z-Ï EÈ‰Ï ¤¸ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Á‰Â‰È ¨ § Û„‰a ´© Ÿ ‡© 4 out from before thee. 5Not for thy righ5It is not because of your virtues and your Ÿ ¥ »EÈÙlÓ ¦ ´© ¦ ¡ ÆÈ˙˜„ˆa ¦ ¨ § ¦ § ¼¯Ó‡Ï ¤ ¨ § ¦ | Ì˙‡ ¬¨ Ÿ rectitude that you will be able to possess È‡È·‰ teousness, or for the uprightness of thy their country; but it is because of their Æ˙ÚL¯·e Ÿ® © ı¯‡‰-˙‡ © § ¦ § ˙‡f‰ ¤ ´¨ ¨ ¤ ˙L¯Ï ¤ −¤ ¨ ‰Â‰È ¨½ § heart, dost thou go in to possess their land; wickedness that the LORD your God is ‡Ï Ÿ ´ 5 :EÈtÓ «¤ ¨ ¦ ÌLȯBÓ ¬¨ ¦ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ ÌÈBb‰ ´ ¦ © but for the wickedness of these nations the dispossessing those nations before you, LORD thy God doth drive them out from À § ¨ § ¦ § before thee, and that He may establish the ½ § ´¨ § ƯLÈ·e ¤ ´¤ ¨ ‡· −¨ ‰z‡ ¬¨ © E··Ï ¤ ŸÆ § E˙˜„ˆ· and in order to ful®ll the oath that the ˙L¯Ï ¥À ¨ ÌÈBb‰ ´ ¦ © | ˙ÚL¯a ´© § ¦ § Èkº¦ ̈¯‡-˙‡ ®¨ § © ¤ word which the LORD swore unto thy faLORD made to your fathers, Abraham, ‰l¤ ‡‰ Isaac, and Jacob. ÆEÈ‰Ï ÔÚÓÏe © ©¹ § EÈtÓ ¤½ ¨ ¦ ÌLȯBÓ ´¨ ¦ ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § thers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 6Know, then, that it is not for any virtue 6Know therefore that it is not for thy Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÚaL ³© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ¯·c‰-˙‡ ¨À ¨ © ¤ ÌȘ‰ ¦¨ ´ of yours that the LORD your God is giving righteousness that the LORD thy God Ÿ « £ © § « ˜ÁˆÈÏ :·˜ÚÈÏe −¨ § ¦ § ̉¯·‡Ï ¬¨ ¨ § © § EÈ˙·‡Ï ¤½ Ÿ £ © giveth thee this good land to possess it; for you this good land to possess; for you are a stiffnecked people. 7Remember, never for- EÈ‰Ï Ÿ ³ Èk¦  zÚ„È ¤Ÿ ‡ ¡Â ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆE˙˜„ˆ· § «¨ § ¦ § ‡Ï ¨À § © ¨ § 6 thou art a stiffnecked people. 7Remember, get, how you provoked the LORD your ˙‡f‰ Ÿ− © ‰·Bh‰ ¹ § Ô˙ ²¨ © ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¯¨ ¨ ¤ EÏ ¥¸ Ÿ forget thou not, how thou didst make the God to anger in the wilderness: from the LORD thy God wroth in the wilderness; Ÿ § 7 :‰z‡ ¨ «¨ Û¯Ú-‰L˜-ÌÚ ¤Ÿ − ¥ § © Èk ¬ ¦ dzL¯Ï ®¨ § ¦ § from the day that thou didst go forth out day that you left the land of Egypt until ƯÎÊ ¬¨ § ¤ zÙˆ˜‰-¯L ¨ § ²© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ˙‡ ¯¥ ÁkLz-Ï ©½ § ¦ ‡© of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto you reached this place, you have continued ‰Â‰È-˙‡ de®ant toward the LORD. º © ¦ § ¯a„na | ˙‡ˆÈ-¯L ¨ ´¨ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ÌBi‰-ÔÓÏ ®¨ § ¦ © EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ this place, ye have been rebellious against 8At Horeb you so provoked the L ORD the LORD. ÌB˜n‰-„Ú ´ ¨ © © ÆÌ·a ¤ £ Ÿ « -„Ú© ÌȯˆÓ ¦ À© § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ´¤ ¥ 8Also in Horeb ye made the L ORD that the LORD was angry enough with you :‰Â‰È-ÌÚ «¨ § ¦ Ì˙Èȉ −¤ ¦ ¡ ÌȯÓÓ ¬ ¦ § © ‰f‰ ¤½ © wroth, and the LORD was angered with ®¨ § ¤ ÌzÙˆ˜‰ −¤ § © § ¦ ·¯Á·e ¬¥Ÿ § 8 ¯© © § ¦ © ‰Â‰È-˙‡ RASHI 4 Say not to yourselves, ``The Ûp‡˙iÂ

NJPS

F [NK[K

LORD has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues.'' Both be-

cause of our virtues and because of their wickedness.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why must v. 6 repeat the statement of v. 5 that the Israelites' taking possession of Canaan ``is not because of your virtues''?

5 But it is because of their wickedness. The same word that meant ``if'' in 7:17 is used here to mean ``but rather.'' NAHMANIDES forti®ed cities, where Joshua eventually found them and destroyed them (see Josh. 11:21). According to Judg. 1:10, the Judites too defeated them ``in'' Hebron. 4 Say not to yourselves. The Israelites were warned in 8:17 not to think that their

own power achieved victoryÐit was done by the power of God. This explains how those nations were destroyed, but not why the Israelites were entitled to take possession of their land. Now, therefore, they are further warned not to think that their possessing the land was a result of their virtues. (Rashi's comment is not correct.)

5 It is not because of your virtues and your rectitude that you will be able to possess their country. One might well ask: Since God loves the Israelites (see 7:8), and

RASHBAM 4 When the LORD your God has thrust them from your path. Do

not say: Two things caused this to happen: (1) these nations earned expulsion by their wickedness; and (2) the reason we are replacing them rather than some other nation is because of our virtues. But ``it is not because of your virtues and your rectitude that you will be able to possess their country . . . Remember, never forget, how you provoked the LORD your God to anger'' (vv. 5, 7). Only the ®rst of the two reasons is true: It is...because of the wickedness of those nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you. You are being given their land only ``in order to ful®ll the oath that the LORD made to your fathers'' (v. 5).

He loves only virtuous people (``The LORD seeks out the righteous man, but loathes the wicked one who loves injustice,'' Ps. 11:5), was the Israelites' possession of the land not also partly based on their virtues? The answer is that 7:8 speaks of Israel in general, while our passage is reproaching that particular generation, who had been de®ant since the day IBN EZRA 7 In the wilderness. After they entered the wilderness (see v. 7). To ful®ll the oath that the LORD made to your leaving Horeb. From the day. The Hebrew fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ``Know well that your offspring shall be strangers phrase is preceded by an extraneous N, in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years . . . and ``with regard to''; this is common in Biblical they shall return here in the fourth generation'' (Gen. 15:13, 16). Even the Israelites' sinful Hebrew. de®ance could not cancel the gift given to the Patriarchs, for it was given with an unbreakable oath. 8 At Horeb you so provoked the LORD. Before beginning his exposition of the Torah, Moses reproached the Israelites for the unforgivable sins that caused them so much harm, the spies and the waters of Meribah. He then expounded the Ten Commandments and the passage on the oneness of God, and warned the Israelites over and over again about idolatry. He then described the commandments in general, showing the Israelites that they were good and would bring them good things. Now, in ch. 12, he is about to begin the detailed

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9:4 Say not to yourselves, ``The LORD has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues.'' People tend to attribute their successes to themselves (Abarbanel). It is rather because of the wickedness of those nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you. Were it not for their wickedness, He would not have given them this punishment; after all, as Job 34:19 reminds us, ``all of them are the work of His hands'' (Gersonides). 6 You are a stiffnecked people. It is hard to get you to change direction because of the faults that grew up among you in Egypt (Gersonides). 7 You have continued de®ant. Time after time, like (in the image of Prov. 26:11) a dog returning to his vomit (Sforno).

64

65 DEUTERONOMY 9:8±16 NJPS

CYT

`EKEV

to have destroyed you. 9I had ascended the mountain to

OJPS

you to have destroyed you.

J OK ZCE

9

When I was gone up into

receive the tablets of stone, the Tablets of the Covenant that the

the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the

L ORD had made with you, and I stayed on the mountain forty

covenant which the L ORD made with you, then I abode in the

days and forty nights, eating no bread and drinking no water.

mount forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor

10

drink water.

stone inscribed by the ®nger of God, with

unto me the two tables of stone written

the exact words that the L ORD had ad-

with the ®nger of God; and on them was

And the L ORD gave me the two tablets of

È˙ÏÚa ´ ¦ Ÿ £ © 9 :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ „ÈÓL‰Ï ¬ ¦ § © § ÌÎa −¤ ¨ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § Ÿ´ Ÿ³ ÆÌÈ·‡‰ ˙ÁeÏ ¦ ¨ £ «¨ ˙ÁeÏ ˙Á˜Ï © ¹© ¨ ‰¯‰‰ ¨ ¨À ¨ dressed to you on the mountain out of the ®re on the day of the Assembly. ½¦ § © ·L ´¥ ‡Â ¥ ¨ ÌÎnÚ ®¤ ¨ ¦ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ˙¯k ¬© ¨ -¯L ¤‡ £ ˙ȯa‰ At the end of those forty days and ÌÁÏ ¤ ¤ μ ‰ÏÈÏ ¨ § ©½ ÌÈÚa¯‡Â ´ ¦ ¨ § © § ÆÌBÈ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ¬ ¦ ¨ § © ¯‰a ¨À ¨ gave me the two forty nights, the L 10 Ÿ ¬ ÌÈÓe Ÿ´ Ôzi ¥¸ ¦ © :È˙È˙L ¦ « ¦ ¨ ‡Ï ¦ −© ÈzÏ· ¦ § ©½ ¨ ‡Ï tablets of stone, the Tablets of the CoveŸ ½ Æ ¹ ÌÈ·‡‰ ¦ ¨ £ « ¨ ˙ÁeÏ ´ ÈL-˙‡ ¥ § ¤ ÈÏ ©À ‡ ¥ ‰Â‰È ¨ § And the L said to me, ``Hurry, nant. go down from here at once, for the peo-ÏÎk ¨ « § ̉ÈÏÚ ¤À ¥ £ © ÌÈ‰Ï ®¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Úaˆ‡a ´© § ¤ § ÌÈ·˙k −¦ ª § ple whom you brought out of Egypt have ¸¨ § Á¯ac ¿¦ ¨ § © ¯‰a ²¨ ¨ ÌÎnÚ ¬¤ ¨ ¦ ‰Â‰È ¤ ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ Ìȯ·c‰ acted wickedly; they have been quick to :ωw‰ «¨ ¨ © ÌBÈa ¬ § L‡‰ −¥ ¨ CBzÓ ¬ ¦ stray from the path that I enjoined upon them; they have made themselves a molten À¦ § © 11 ‰ÏÈÏ ¨ § ®¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡Â −¦ ¨ § © § ÌBȽ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ´ ¦ ¨ § © ÆıwÓ ¥ ¦ ȉÈ The L further said to me, image.'' Ÿ ¬ ª ÈL-˙‡ ¹¨ § Ô˙ ÌÈ·‡‰ −¦ ¨ £ ¨ ˙ÁÏ ²¥ § ¤ ÈÏ©À ‡¥ ‰Â‰È ©¸ ¨ ``I see that this is a stiffnecked people. Let 12 :˙ȯa‰ Ÿ ¹ ¸ ´ ©À ¥ ¨ § ¤ Ìe˜ ÈÏ ‡ ‰Â‰È ¯Ó‡i © « ¦ § © ˙BÁÏ ¬ ª Me alone and I will destroy them and blot ½ § © ˙ÁL ˙‡ˆB‰ ¨ −¥ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EnÚ ´¥ ¦ Èk¦ μ ‰fÓ ¤½ ¦ Ư‰Ó ¥ © „¯³¥ out their name from under heaven, and I will make you a nation far more numerous ½¦ ¦ ¦ ¯L Ì˙Èeˆ ´¤ ‡ £ ÆC¯c‰-ÔÓ ¤ Ƥ © ¦ ¯‰Ó ¥À © e¯Ò ´¨ ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ ®¨ § ¦ ¦ than they.'' 13 ÈÏ´© ‡¥ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ¬ © :‰ÎqÓ «¨ ¥ © Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ eNÚ ¬ ¨ I started down the mountain, a mounŸ® ¥ -ÌÚ© ‰p‰Â ¬¥ ¦ § ‰f‰ ¤½ © ÌÚ‰-˙‡ ´¨ ¨ ¤ ÆÈ˙ȇ¯ ¦ Ʀ ¨ ¯Ó‡Ï tain ablaze with ®re, the two Tablets of the 14 Ÿ I saw how Covenant in my two hands. ½ Æ Æ Ì„ÈÓL ¥ ¦ § ‡Â © § ÈpnÓ ¦ ¤ ¦ Û¯‰ ¤ ³¤ :‡e‰« Û¯Ú-‰L˜ ¤− ¥ § your you had sinned against the L ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ ®¨ ¨ © ˙ÁzÓ © −© ¦ ÌÓL-˙‡ ¨½ § ¤ ‰ÁӇ ´¤ § ¤ § God: you had made yourselves a molten ½ § « ƉNڇ :epnÓ «¤ ¦ ·¯Â −¨ ¨ ÌeˆÚ-ÈB‚Ï ¬ ¨ § E˙B‡ ¤ ¡ «¤ § calf; you had been quick to stray from the L‡a ®¥ ¨ ¯Úa ´¥ Ÿ ¯‰‰Â −¨ ¨ § ¯‰‰-ÔÓ ¨½ ¨ ¦ Æ„¯‡Â ¥ ¥ «¨ Ôه ¤ ¥À ¨ 15 had enjoined upon path that the L 16 Ÿ ´ ÆÈLe ½ ¦ § © ˙ÁeÏ ‡¯‡Â ¤ ¥À ¨ :È„È «¨ ¨ ÈzL ¬¥ § ÏÚ −© ˙ȯa‰ ¥§ RASHI 9 I stayed on the mountain. Ì˙ÈNÚ ´¤ ¦ £ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © ÆÌ˙‡ËÁ ¤ ¨ £ ‰p‰Â ³¥ ¦ § NJPS translates correctly. ¾ ½ C¯c‰-ÔÓ ¤ ¤ © ¦ ¯‰Ó ¥ © Ìz¯Ò ´ ¤ § © ‰ÎqÓ ® ¨ ¥ © Ï‚Ú ¤ − ¥ ÌÎÏ ¤½ ¨ 10 The two tablets of stone. ``Tablets'' 11

ORD

12

ORD

13

ORD

14

15

16

ORD

ORD

is spelled without the that makes the plural obvious, indicating that both tablets were of equal stature. G

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why must we be

told that ``the L ORD gave me the two tablets of stone'' in both v. 10 and v. 11?

10

And the L ORD delivered

written according to all the words, which the L ORD spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the ®re in the day of the assembly. 11

And it came to pass at the end of forty

days and forty nights, that the L ORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.

12

And the L ORD said unto

me: ``Arise, get thee down quickly from hence;

for

thy

people

that

thou

hast

brought forth out of Egypt have dealt corruptly; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.''

13

Fur-

thermore the L ORD spoke unto me, saying: ``I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people;

14

let Me alone,

that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.'' 15

So I turned and came down from the

mount, and the mount burned with ®re; and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.

16

And I looked, and, behold,

ye had sinned against the L ORD your God; ye had made you a molten calf; ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which

IBN EZRA 10 The ®nger of God. See my comment to Exod. 31:18. 11 At the end. The Hebrew noun can refer to either end of something, the start or the ®nishÐhere, of the 40th day. 12 Go down from here at once. This demonstrates that the Golden Calf was made on the same day that the tablets were given to Moses.

NAHMANIDES exposition of the laws. But before the speci®cs of even the very ®rst of them, he once more rebukes the Israelites and reproaches them for the transgressions that they had committed ever since receiving the Torah. He does not mention the Israelites complaining before they received the Torah, at the sea, at Marah, and at Alush, [C] since they were under a much greater obligation to the Lord after He gave them the Torah and made a covenant with them. The reproof here, therefore, begins ``at Horeb'' with the sin of the Golden Calf (on which, see my various comments to Exodus 32). 15 I started down the mountain. As I explained in my comment to Exod. 32:11, Moses prayed for the Israelites before starting down the mountain. His prayer was successfulÐ``The LORD renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon His people'' (Exod. 32:14)Ðbut he does not mention it yet because he wishes to lay out for them the great trouble he took for them (and for Aaron), as described in vv. 17±21. The contents of the prayer, which took place before he started down the mountain, are eventually given here in vv. 26±29. [C] See Nahmanides' comment to Exod. 16:1.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 I had ascended the mountain. On Sunday, the 7th of Sivan (Hizkuni). I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Until dawn on Friday, the 17th of Tammuz (Hizkuni). 11 At the end of those forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone. We see how special they were from the fact that Moses had to spend a full 40 days in seclusion preparing to receive them (Abarbanel). 12 The people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted wickedly. The Hebrew verb is speci®cally connected with making an idol in 4:16, where the Israelites are told ``not to act wickedly and make for yourselves a sculptured image'' (Bekhor Shor). 13 This is a stiffnecked people. They are unwilling to bend their heads and let the yoke be put on their necks, but keep their heads straight up as if their necks were stiff and had no joints (Bekhor Shor). 14 Let Me alone. The Hebrew imperative here occurs also only in 1 Sam. 11:3 and 15:16, 2 Sam. 24:16, Ps. 37:8, and 1 Chron. 21:15 (Masorah). 15 A mountain ablaze with ®re. You sinned while the king was still on his wedding couch (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 9:16±20

NJPS

you.

CYT

`EKEV

17

Thereupon I gripped the two tablets and ¯ung

them away with both my hands, smashing them before your eyes.

18

I threw myself down before the L ORDÐeating no bread

OJPS

the L ORD had commanded you.

17

J OKZCE

And I took hold of

the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes.

18

And I fell down before the L ORD, as at

and drinking no water forty days and forty nights, as beforeÐ

the ®rst, forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor

because of the great wrong you had committed, doing what

drink water; because of all your sin which ye sinned, in doing

displeased

the

L ORD

and

vexing

Him.

19

For I was in dread of the L ORD`s ®erce

anger against you, which moved Him to wipe you out. And that time, too, the L ORD gave heed to me.Ð20Moreover, the L ORD was angry enough with Aaron to have destroyed him; so I also interceded

RASHI 18 I threw myself down before the LORDÐeating no bread and drinking no water forty days and forty nights, as before. ``As before'' was at the

time when he told them, ``I will now go up to the L ORD; perhaps I may win forgiveness'' (Exod.

32:30).

Since

second time on the 18

he th

went

up

for

of Tammuz, th

40 days ended on the 29

[C]

the the

of Av. It was on

that day that God began to reconcile with Israel and told Moses, ``Carve t wo tablets of stone like the ®rst'' (Exod. 34:1). Moses then spent another 40 days, which ended on the Day of Atonement. On that day

that which was evil in the sight of the

Ÿ § ¤ ¨ 17 :ÌÎ˙‡ ÈLa «¤ § ¤ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ‰eˆ-¯L ¬¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ´¥ § ¦ ÆNt˙‡Â Ÿ½ ª © −¥ § © ‡Â £ ¨ È„È ®¨ ¨ ÈzL ´¥ § ÏÚÓ −© ¥ ÌÎÏL ¥½ ¦ § ‡Â © «¨ ˙Ál‰ ̯aL ¹¨ § ÈÙÏ ‰L ¨ÀŸ ‡¯k ¦ ¨ ‰Â‰È ¥¸ § ¦ ÁÏt˙‡Â © © § ¤ «¨ 18 :ÌÎÈÈÚÏ «¤ ¥ ¥ § Ÿ ´ ÌÁÏ ‡Ï ¤ ¤ μ ‰ÏÈÏ ¨ § ©½ ÌÈÚa¯‡Â ´ ¦ ¨ § © § ÆÌBÈ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ¬¦ ¨ § © Ÿ ´ ÌÈÓe -Ïk¨ ÏÚ ³© È˙È˙L ¦ ®¦ ¨ ‡Ï ¦ −© ÈzÏ· ¦ § ©½ ¨ Ú¯‰ ²© ¨ ˙BNÚÏ ¬ £ © Ì˙‡ËÁ ¤½ ¨ £ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆÌÎ˙‡hÁ ¤ § © © 19 Ÿ ³¥ § ¦ Èz¯‚È ¦ § À ¨ Èk ÈtÓ ´ ¦ :BÒÈÚÎ‰Ï « ¦ § © § ‰Â‰È −¨ § ÈÈÚa ¬¥ ¥ § ÌÎÈÏÚ −¤ ¥ £ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § Ûˆ˜ ¯© ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰ÓÁ‰Â ¨½ ¥ ´© § ÆÛ‡‰ © ¨ Ìb−© ÈÏ©½ ‡¥ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÚÓLi ³© § ¦ © ÌÎ˙‡ ®¤ § ¤ „ÈÓL‰Ï ´¦ § © § Ÿ À £ © § « 20 :‡Â‰‰ ²¨ § Ûp‡˙‰ ‰Â‰È « ¦ © ÌÚta © ¬© © ¯© © § ¦ Ô¯‰‡·e Ÿ − £ © „Úa Ÿ− § Ô¯‰‡ ¬© § -Ìb© Ïlt˙‡Â ²¥ © § ¤ «¨ B„ÈÓL‰Ï ® ¦ § © § „‡Ó

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Doesn't

incident (v. 20) simply highlight the fact that after the ``waters of Meribah'' incident (Num. 20:24) he was able to save him?

ened unto me that time also.

20

Moreover

the L ORD was very angry with Aaron to have

destroyed

him;

and

I

prayed

Rather, I ``cast them out of my t wo

hands'' (OJPS). I no longer had the strength to hold them. (See my comment to Exod. 32:19.)

19 That time, too.

T his teaches us that

IBN EZRA 18 I threw myself down. To the ground, on my face. Ð T his is the described

in

Exod.

32:30,

when

Moses said to the people, `` You have been

of pardon and forgiveness. How do we know that Israel was completely forgiven? ``I had stayed on the mountain, as I did the ®rst time, fort y days and fort y nights'' (10:10). If ever ything was really ``as at the ®rst time'' (see OJPS there), then God was reconciled with Israel this time just ``as at the ®rst time.'' I can therefore deduce that during the middle set of 40 days God was angr y at Israel.

20 The LORD was angry enough with Aaron. have destroyed him. Destroying interceded for Aaron.

To So I also

Because he had listened to you.

By killing off his children. Amos uses the verb this same way, but his boughs above and his trunk below!'' (Amos 2:9).

guilt y of a great sin. Yet I will now go up to the L ORD; perhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin.''

19 And that time, too.

For Moses had

already prayed for them when they were at the sea: `` T he L ORD said to Moses, ` W hy do you

cr y

out

to

Me?' ''

(Exod.

14:15);

[D]

``he

cried out to the L ORD'' (Exod. 15:25).

And my prayer managed to atone half way. For only t wo of his sons died, leaving the remaining two alive.

But see Rashi's comment to Exod. 33:11.

for

RASHBAM 17 I gripped the two tablets and ¯ung them away with both my hands.

occasion

the Holy

``I pardon, as you have asked'' (Num. 14:20), which is why this day was assigned as a day

[C]

wherewith the L ORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the L ORD heark-

Moses'

One gladly forgave Israel and said to Moses,

metaphorically: ``

For I was in

dread of the anger and hot displeasure,

he prayed for them a number of times.

intercession to save Aaron's life after the Golden Calf

not

19

L ORD, to provoke Him.

[D]

See Leviticus 10.

NAHMANIDES 17 I gripped the two tablets.

Your sin was too great for me to bear, so great that when I saw you dancing before

the calf, I could not restrain myself, and I smashed the tablets. Ð He had to mention this so that they would understand about the second set of tablets, which he will describe in ch. 10. Perhaps he was also tr ying to make them aware of the great favor he did for them, endangering his own life by shattering God's tablets before the Israelites could be committed to obeying them. As the Sages put it, commenting in Exodus Rabbah on Exod. 32:11, ``Better to face judgment as a single woman than as a man's wife.''

19 I was in dread of the LORD's ®erce anger against you. the LORD gave heed to me

Even though God had ``renounced the punishment'' (Exod. 32:14), He

was still angr y enough to destroy you for the wrong you had done Him. I therefore went back to pray for you for 40 days and 40 nights, until

as He had originally, before I came down the mountain. T his time, I prayed for Aaron as well. Ð For

until he got rid of the calf, Moses paid no attention to anything but preventing the Lord from annihilating the entire people in an instant.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 Smashing them before your eyes.

I had no desire to give them to people who were violating what

was written on them (Bekhor Shor). Speci®cally Exod. 20:3, `` You shall have no other gods besides Me'' (Hizkuni). Many have wondered at how easy it was to break these stone tablets. But they were extremely thin, and incising the letters upon them weakened them still further. Remember also that Moses was a man of extraordinar y strength (Abarbanel).

18 I threw myself down before the LORD. Eating no bread.

He had agreed not to punish you but had not yet forgiven your sin; that was what I was

now praying for (Bekhor Shor).

T hat is, no food. It would be no great marvel not to eat bread for 40 days; the Israelites

were not eating bread anyway, but manna. We can be certain that Moses actually went without eating for 40 days since we see from 1 Kings 19:8 that Elijah did the same thing (Gersonides). th

Wednesday night, the beginning of the 29

Forty days and forty nights.

th

From Saturday night, the 18

of Tammuz, to

of Av. During these 40 days, he did not go up the mountain, but prayed within the tent that,

according to Exod. 33:7, he had pitched ``outside the camp'' (Hizkuni).

19 For I was in dread of the LORD's ®erce anger against you. 20 Moreover, the LORD was angry enough with Aaron to have destroyed him; so I also interceded for Aaron at that time. His anger was so ®erce that I was sure He would not completely

forgive you, but would think, ``It is enough that I refrain from destroying them'' (Bekhor Shor).

We learn that Aaron did in fact die for his role in the Golden Calf incident, but (on account of Moses' prayer) only in the 40 immediately (Abarbanel).

th

year, not

66

67 DEUTERONOMY 9:20±25

CYT

`EKEV

J OK ZCE

NJPS for Aaron at that time.Ð21As for that sinful thing you OJPS Aaron also the same time. 21And I took your sin, the calf

had made, the calf, I took it and put it to the ®re; I broke it to bits which ye had made, and burnt it with ®re, and beat it in pieces, and ground it thoroughly until it was ®ne as dust, and I threw its grinding it very small, until it was as ®ne as dust; and I cast the dust into the brook that comes down from the mountain. dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.Ð 22Again you provoked the L ORD at Taberah, and at Massah, 22And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah, ye and at Kibroth-hattaavah. made the LORD wroth. 23And when the L ORD sent you on 23And when the L ORD sent you from from Kadesh-barnea, saying, ``Go up and -¯L¤ ‡£ ÌÎ˙‡hÁ-˙‡Â Kadesh-barnea, saying: ``Go up and possess º¤ § © © ¤ « § 21 :‡Â‰‰ « ¦ © ˙Úa ¬¥ ¨ take possession of the land that I am giving the land which I have given you''; then ye Ÿ ´ § ¤ ¨ »ÈzÁ˜Ï ´ Ÿ Û¯N‡Â ¦ § © ¨ Ï‚Ú‰-˙‡ ¤ ¥À ¨ ¤ Ì˙ÈNÚ ´¤ ¦ £ rebelled against the commandment of the you,'' you ¯outed the command of the | B˙‡ Ÿ ¸ ¤ ¨ ¼L‡a LORD your God; you did not put your ˜c-¯L −© ¤ ‡ £ „Ú ¬© ·Ëȉ ¥½ ¥ ÆÔBÁ˨ B˙‡ ³ Ÿ ˙k‡Â ¥ ¨ LORD your God, and ye believed Him not, trust in Him and did not obey Him. Ÿ ½ Æ „¯i‰ ¬¥ © ÏÁp‰-Ï © −© © ‡¤ B¯ÙÚ-˙‡ ¨ £ ¤ CÏL ¦ § ‡Â © «¨ ¯ÙÚÏ ®¨ ¨ § nor hearkened to His voice. 24As long as I have known you, you have 24Ye have been rebellious against the :¯‰‰-ÔÓ « ¨ ¨ ¦ been de®ant toward the LORD. LORD from the day that I knew you.Ð 25When I lay prostrate before the L ORD ‰Â‡z‰ 25So I fell down before the L ORD the Ÿ − § ¦ § ‰qÓ·e ®¨ £ © «© ˙¯·˜·e ¨½ © § Ɖ¯Ú·˙·e ¨ ¥ § © § 22 those forty days and forty nights, because :‰Â‰È-˙‡ «¨ § ¤ Ì˙Èȉ −¤ ¦ ¡ ÌÈÙˆ˜Ó ¬ ¦ ¦ § © forty days and forty nights that I fell down; the LORD was determined to destroy you, ÆÚ¯a ¹¨ § ÁÏL·e © ¥Æ § © L„wÓ ³¥ ¨ ¦ ÌÎ˙‡ ¤À § ¤ ‰Â‰È ©Ÿ ¸ § ¦ 23 because the LORD had said He would Ÿ½ ¥ ¦ −© ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ eL¯e ´ § ÆeÏÚ£ ¯Ó‡Ï RASHI 21 And ground it thoroughly. Èz˙ RASHBAM 25±26 When I lay prosŸ Ÿ ½ Æ À ‡Ï ³ § ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤ ¥ ´ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¨ § Èt-˙‡ ³ ¦ ¤ e¯Óz § © © ÌÎÏ ®¤ ¨ trate before the LORD those forty days Rather, ``grinding it'' thoroughly (OJPS). The grammatical form used here indicates the Ÿ ¬ § BϽ ÆÌzÓ‡‰ :BϘa « Ÿ § ÌzÚÓL −¤ § © § ‡Ï ¤ § © ¡ «¤ and forty nights...I prayed to the progressive tense, the ±ing form of English. ÈzÚc LORD. ``He who is wise will consider'' (Hos. − ¦ ‰Â‰È-ÌÚ ®¨ § ¦ Ì˙Èȉ −¤ ¦ ¡ * ÌÈ¯Ó ¬ ¦ § Ó© 24 14:10) and comprehend why this matter of See (e.g.) the Hebrew texts of 28:32 and ¬¦ § © ÌBiÓ Gen. 26:13. :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ 25 Those forty days and forty nights. ÌBi‰ À¨ § ÈÙÏ º© © § ¤ «¨ 25 IBN EZRA 21 That sinful thing. Lit¬ ¦ ¨ § © ˙‡ ´¥ ‰Â‰È ´¥ § ¦ Ït˙‡Â The ones mentioned in v. 18. The repetition ² © ÌÈÚa¯‡ erally, ``your sin'' (OJPS)Ðwhich is why the is because Moses wished to insert the text of ÈzÏt˙‰ ¦ § ®¨ © § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‰ÏÈl‰ ¨ § −© © ÌÈÚa¯‡-˙‡Â ¬¦ ¨ § © ¤ § text must go on to explain that this was rehis prayer here (see vv. 26±29). :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ „ÈÓL‰Ï ¬¦ § © § ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯Ó‡-Èk ¬© ¨ « ¦ ferring to the calf.

NAHMANIDES 21 I threw its dust into the brook that comes down from the mountain. Out of respect for them, he does

B Z KTH 'P

v. 24.

22 At Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah. Taberah might be the

nameof aplace wheretheycampedfor just a single day (which would explain why it is not ``at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth- mentioned in Numbers 33). It would simply not mention that he also made them drink it. cations (v. 22) inserted into Moses' account of the be another of the 30 marches that it took the He did not want to tell them that he had put hattaavah'' aftermath of the Golden Calf incident, which will them through the same procedure that is resume in v. 25? F Why is the episode of the spies Israelites to get from Mount Sinai to Kibrothprescribed for the woman suspected of recounted here in v. 23, when Moses has already de- hattaavah; see my comment to Num. 10:33. adultery. [D] voted all of 1:22±45 to it? F Why does Moses say here The reason it is connected here with Massah 22 At Taberah, and at Massah, and at that he ``lay prostrate before the LORD'' (v. 25) he isthat when``thepeople took tocomplaining Kibroth-hattaavah. Ibn Ezra has ex- broke the calf to bits and ground it thoroughly, when bitterly before the LORD'' (Num. 11:1) at 32 shows him praying in this way de- Taberah, that was essentially the same as plained this verse very well. Note that the Exodus stroying the calf? F Why are the ``forty days and forty testing Him, as they did at Massah. [A] It is sin of testing God is a great sin indeed. nights'' of v. 18 repeated again in v. 25? Moses warned them against it in 6:16, and mentioned ®rst, out of chronological order, he does so again here. because the people did not actually suffer 23 When the LORD sent you on from Kadesh-barnea. He similarly rebukes them any consequences for the testing at Massah. (brie¯y) once more about the episode of the spies, since ``¯outing the command of the Admittedly, some say that the battle with Lord'' is such a great sin. Amalek (which immediately follows the inci24 As long as I have known you, you have been de®ant toward the LORD. Here dent at Massah) was a consequence of their he alludes to the Israelites' complaints before they received the Torah, [E] which brings his testing the Lord. If so, then the three places rebuke to an end. named in our verse would be listed in order 25 I lay prostrate before the LORD. Moses is emphasizing to them that he had to do of decreasing severity: after the complaining this (see OJPS), because the LORD was determined to destroy you. at Taberah, ``a ®re of the LORD broke out against them, ravaging the outskirts of the [D] See Nahmanides' comment to Exod. 32:30. [E] See Nahmanides' comment to v. 8. camp'' (Num. 11:4); after Massah, Amalek ``cut down all the stragglers in your rear'' (Deut. 25:18, in Moses' retelling); whereas at Kibroth-hattaavah only ``the people who had the craving'' (Num. 11:34) died. Others say that Taberah was Massah; ``the peak of Senir and Hermon'' (Song 4:8) con®rms that the same place may have two different names. But the way I explained it is the correct one. 23 You did not put your trust in Him. In thought. And did not obey Him. In deed. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are the provo-

after

before

[A] See Exodus 17.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 21 I threw its dust into the brook that comes down from the mountain. Where they had been drinking in the divine words of Torah, they drank the remains of the calf they had made instead (Abarbanel). 24 You have been de®ant toward the LORD. The ®rst P of the Hebrew word translated ``de®ant'' is to be written small (Masorah). 25 I lay prostrate before the LORD those forty days and forty nights. He spent the whole 40 days in prayerÐunlike the ®rst 40

days, when he prayed just at the very end (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 9:26±10:1

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prayed to the LORD and said, ``O Lord GOD, do not OJPS destroy you. 26And I prayed unto the LORD, and said: annihilate Your very own people, whom You redeemed in Your ``O Lord GOD, destroy not Thy people and Thine inheritance, majesty and whom You freed from Egypt with a mighty hand. that Thou hast redeemed through Thy greatness, that Thou hast 27Give thought to Your servants, Abraham, brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty Isaac, and Jacob, and pay no heed to the ‰Â‰È À¦ § È´„‡ ¨Ÿ £ ¼¯Ó‡Â © Ÿ ¨ »‰Â‰È-Ï ¨ § ‡¤ Ïlt˙‡Â ´¥ © § ¤ ¨ 26 hand. 27Remember Thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, its wicked½ § ´¨ £ © § ÆEnÚ ˙È„t ¨ −¦ ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ E˙ÏÁ § © ˙ÁLz-Ï ³¥ § © ‡© stubbornness of this people, nor to their ness, and its sinfulness. 28Else the country ¬¨ § ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ −© § ¦ ¦ ˙‡ˆB‰-¯L ¨ ¬¥ ¤‡ £ EÏ„‚a ®¤ § ¨ § wickedness, nor to their sin; 28lest the land from which You freed us will say, `It was „Èa Ÿ § 27 :‰˜ÊÁ because the LORD was powerless to bring ˜ÁˆÈÏ ½¤ ¨ £ © ƯÎÊ −¨ § ¦ § ̉¯·‡Ï ¬¨ ¨ § © § EÈ„·ÚÏ «¨ ¨ £ whence Thou broughtest us out say: Bethem into the land that He had promised ‰f‰ Ÿ ½¤ © ÌÚ‰ Æ À ´¨ ¨ ÈL˜-Ï ¦ § ‡¤ ÔÙz-Ï ¤ ¥ ‡© ·˜ÚÈÏe ® £ © § « cause the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which He promised unto them, and because He rejected them, that À § Ÿ ¤ 28 :B˙‡hÁ-Ï « ¨ © ‡Â ¤ § BÚL¯-Ï − § ¦ ‡Â ¤ § them, and because He hated them, He He brought them out to have them die in e¯Ó‡È-Ôt ¦ § ¦ ¼ÌMÓ ¨ ¦ e˙‡ˆB‰ ´¨ ¥ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ »ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨ ¨ hath brought them out to slay them in the the wilderness.' 29Yet they are Your very ÆÈÏaÓ own people, whom You freed with Your -¯L ¤‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ −¨ ¨ ‡¤ ̇ȷ‰Ï ¨¾ ¦ £ © ‰Â‰È ¨½ § ˙ÏÎÈ ¤ Ÿ ´ § wilderness. 29Yet they are Thy people and great might and Your outstretched arm.'' ̇ȈB‰ −¨ ¦ Ì˙B‡ ¨½ B˙‡OÓe ´ ¨ § ¦ ¦ Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ ¯ac ´¤ ¦ Thine inheritance, that Thou didst bring out by Thy great power and by Thy out®¤ ¨ £ © § EnÚ − § © ̉ ¬¥ § 29 :¯a„na «¨ § ¦ © Ì˙Ó‰Ï ¬¨ ¦ £ © stretched arm.'' Thereupon the LORD said to me, E˙ÏÁ Ÿ ½ ¨ © EÁÎa − £Ÿ § « ¦ Ï„b‰ ´ £ Ÿ § Æ˙‡ˆB‰ ¨ ¥Æ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ``Carve out two tablets of stone like the Eگʷe At that time the LORD said unto Ù :‰ÈeËp‰ «¨ § © RASHI 10:1 Thereupon. At the end of KTKCZ me: ``Hew thee two tables of stone like º§ ¨ § ÈÏ©À ‡¥ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ¯Ó‡ ¯© ¨ ‡Â‰‰ ¦¹ © ˙Úa ¥¸ ¨ that 40-day period. He was reconciled with EÏ-ÏÒt me and told me, Carve out two tablets of ÈÏ−© ‡¥ ‰ÏÚ Ÿ³ ½¦ Ÿ ‡¯k ¬¥ £ © ÌÈL ´ ¦ ¨ ÆÌÈ·‡ ¦ ¨ £ ˙ÁeÏ-ÈL «¥ § RASHBAM laying prostrate for 40 days

NJPS

26I

10

È

NAHMANIDES 26 O Lord GOD, do not annihilate Your very own people.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Aren't the two things that Moses imagines the Egyptians saying in v. 28, that ``the LORD was powerless'' and that He ``rejected'' the Israelites, contradictory? F Why does v. 29 repeat Moses' words of v. 26, that the Israelites are ``Your very own people''? F What is the point of Moses' recounting that God told him to carve two new tablets (v. 1) and especially of his describing how he built an Ark and deposited the tablets there (vv. 3±5) in the midst of his rebuke of the Israelites?

Again, this is the prayer that was offered before he came down the mountain. God's renunciation of punishment in Exod. 32:14 was the response to this prayer. The prayer Moses offered during the subsequent 40 days and 40 nights is not recorded here, being ``longer than the earth and broader than the sea'' (Job 11:9). As to the names ``Lord GOD,'' see my comment to 3:24. 28 It was because the LORD was powerless to bring them into the land that He had promised them. Moses puts essentially the same words into the mouths of the Egyptians in Num. 14:16, but here he adds: Because He rejected them. The Numbers verse made sense because they were quite close to Canaan at the time; the Egyptians would therefore presume that God was powerless to bring them into the land. But the Golden Calf incident took place much closer to Egypt. They could only imagine that God ``hated'' the Israelites (see OJPS) already while they were still enslaved in Egypt, and deliberately brought them out to the wilderness to die. He realized already then (the Egyptians would imagine) that He was powerless to bring the Israelites into Canaan, and, having publicly said that He would do so, He hated them the more: ``For it was before their eyes that I had made Myself known to Israel to bring them out of the land of Egypt'' (Ezek. 20:9). If He brought them into the wilderness to die, no one would know what had happened to them. See similarly ``Let not the Egyptians say, `It was with evil intent that He delivered them, only to kill them off in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth''' (Exod. 32:12), in ``a land no man had traversed, where no human being had dwelt'' (Jer. 2:6). The point of all these imagined arguments is that the other nations would put the Lord on the same level as their own gods; see my comment to 4:19. 10:1 Thereupon. After I had prayed during the 40 days and nights. Carve out two tablets of stone like the ®rst. The ®rst tablets, of course, ``were God's work, and the

10

is repeated here. Is it normal for the text to repeat itself and say, ``When I prayed, what I said was such-and-such''? He should have said it the ®rst time! But in fact it shows great wisdom for Moses to repeat himself here, to warn them: ``You might think, `Since Moses' prayer was suf®cient to rescue the Israelites after so great a sin as that of the Golden Calf, even if we do sin once we are in the land, the prayers of the prophets will save us.' But if you look at my prayer carefully, you will realize your sin was atoned for only to protect God's reputation.''

28 Else the country from which You freed us will say, ``It was because the LORD was powerless to bring them into the land that He had promised them, and because He rejected them, that He brought them out to have them die in the wilderness.'' That is the only reason you

were not given the punishment of death while you were in the wilderness. But once He has killed 31 kings before you and given you possession of the land, He will be perfectly able to expel you without losing face. The nations will simply say, ``The Israelites have sinned against Him.'' Ð This is all as explained in 29:23±27.

IBN EZRA 26 I prayed to the LORD.

This is the prayer already mentioned, whose text is now given. 29 Your very own people. Literally, ``Your people and Your inheritance'' (see OJPS). They are ``Your inheritance'' on account of the Patriarchs, and they are known to be Your people because You took them out of Egypt by Your great might, which You displayed to all the world. 10:1 Thereupon. Rather, ``at that time'' (OJPS), during those 40 days. An ark of wood. Those who transmitted our tradition say that this ark made by Moses at ®rst is a different one. Their proof of this is that in v. 3 he explains that he made the ark and only then carved

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 28 The LORD was powerless. The word translated ``powerless'' also occurs only in Num. 14:16 (Masorah). And because He rejected them. Rather, ``or'' because He rejected them; the conjunction is frequently used this way, e.g., in G

Exod. 12:5 and Exod. 21:15 and 17 (Hizkuni). 10:1 Thereupon. ``At that time'' (OJPS)Ðthe night of the 29th of Av (Hizkuni). Carve out two tablets of stone like the ®rst. More literally, ``carve yourself two tablets of stone like the ®rst''ÐI do not want the Israelites to be able to complain against you that you

68

69 DEUTERONOMY 10:1±3

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NJPS ®rst, and come up to Me on the mountain; and make an OJPS unto the ®rst, and come up unto Me into the mount; ark of wood. 2I will inscribe on the tablets the commandments and make thee an ark of wood. 2And I will write on the tables the that were on the ®rst tablets that you smashed, and you shall words that were on the ®rst tables which thou didst break, and deposit them in the ark.'' thou shalt put them in the ark.'' 3I made an ark of acacia wood and 3So I made an ark of acacia-wood, and 2 :ıÚ Ÿ Æ ·z· § ¤ § « ¥ ÔB¯‡ ¬ £ El − § ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ § ‰¯‰‰ ¨ ® ¨ ¨ carved out two tablets of stone like the hewed two tables of stone like unto the Ÿ ½ ª © © ®rst, and went up into the mount, having ½¦ ¨ § © ² ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ìȯ·c‰-˙‡ ¤ ˙Ál‰-ÏÚ ®rst; I took the two tablets with me and -ÏÚ© eȉ Ÿ¬ ª © ÌzÓN −¨ § © § z¯aL ¨ § ®© ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌÈL −¦ Ÿ ‡¯‰ ¦ ¨ ˙Ál‰

RASHI stone like the ®rst, and come :ÔB¯‡a « ¨ ¨ IBN EZRA the tablets, after which ``I deposited the tablets in the ark that I had up to Me on the mountain; and make an Ÿ ² § ¤ ¨ ÌÈhL ½¦ ¦ ÈˆÚ ¥ § ÏÒه ´¥ £ ÆÔB¯‡ £ Nڇ © ³© ¨ 3 made'' (v. 5). [B] Their knowledge was ark of wood. But when I actually did this, I -ÈL made the ark ®rst. Ÿ ¬ ª broader than ours, but it would seem to us ÈLe ¬¥ § ‰¯‰‰ ¨ ¨½ ¨ Ïڇ © ´© ¨ ÌÈL ®¦ Ÿ ‡¯k ¦ ¨ ÌÈ·‡ −¦ ¨ £ ˙ÁÏ that Exodus 24 leaves it quite unclear as to 3 I made an ark of acacia wood and when exactly Moses went up the mountain carved out two tablets of stone like the ®rst. Otherwise, I would be holding the tablets in my hand and have nowhere to put to begin the 40 days. A straightforward them. Ð Note that this is not the Ark made by Bezalel; the Israelites did not begin to work on the Tabernacle until after the Day of Atonement, for Moses did not give them the command to do so until after he had come down from the mountain. Bezalel, of course, made the Tabernacle ®rst, and only then the Ark and the other furnishings. So this ark made by Moses must have been a different one. This was the one that went out with the Israelites to war. The one made by Bezalel did not go out to war until the days of Eli, when they were punished for taking it out by having it captured. [E] [E] See 1 Samuel 4.

NAHMANIDES writing was God's writing'' (Exod. 32:16). Though I was to carve this second set myself, the writing would still be ``inscribed by the ®nger of God'' (9:10). Make an ark of wood. To put the tablets in when you go down with them. Ð Both this ark and

reading would seem to suggest that Moses spent no more than 80 days fasting on Mount Sinai; v. 10 simply repeats, as NJPS correctly translates, that Moses ``had'' stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. ``Up, resume the march'' (v. 11) is the same command given to him in Exod. 32:34, ``Go now, lead the people where I told you.'' In any case, what Moses means by saying that he ``made'' an ark is that he had it made. This is the Ark made by Bezalel. 3 I made an ark. I had it made. Ð See my comment to v. 1. One must therefore understand Exod. 35:1 to say not that ``Moses then convoked the whole Israelite community'' to give them the instructions for making the Tabernacle (as NJPS translates) but that ``Moses had convoked the whole Israelite community'' for that purpose before getting the second set of tablets. I have shown you many cases where the same grammatical form must be interpreted in this manner. All this is necessitated by what Moses says about depositing the tablets in the Ark ``as the LORD had commanded me'' (v. 5), which must refer to God's command to him to ``deposit in the Ark [the tablets of]

its cover were made entirely of wood, as is standard for such containers. The tablets remained in it until the Tabernacle was made, at which time they made the Ark overlaid with pure gold described in Exodus 25, and its cover. God did not tell Moses to make an ark for the ®rst set of tablets because it was clear to Him that Moses was going to break them. Moses does not say in v. 5 that the tablets ``still are'' there, but that they ``were'' there until the Tabernacle was made, as the Lord commanded in Exod. 25:21. That is the best, most correct explanation of these verses. As far as Rashi's comment (which he found in the Tanhuma), one must ask what happened to this ark, and why they would take it out to war with them once it was emptied of the tablets. There is a midrash that says the broken pieces of the original tablets were in it, but this is simply one man's suggestion. The standard view is that both the whole tablets and the broken ones were kept in the same ark. Besides, where was this original ark kept the whole time they were in the wilderness? There certainly were not two arks inside the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. Even in the Temple, Solomon did not put two arks in the Holy of Holies. What happened is that this original ark of Moses was hidden away when the Ark was made by Bezalel, just as would be done with any other sacred object that was no longer [B] See Rashi's comment to v. 3. used. That at least is correct according to the opinion of our Sages. For in a straightforward reading of the verse, ``make an ark of wood'' could refer to the Ark made by Bezalel. This would presume that the commandments regarding the Tabernacle and its furnishings had already been given to Moses. Notice that the ®rst of the details commanded there was ``They shall make an ark of acacia wood'' (Exod. 25:10), for the whole point of the Tabernacle was for the Lord to be enthroned there on the cherubim. After these commandments were given, they made the calf. When God was reconciled with Moses and told him that He would write these second tablets ``like the ®rst,'' He told him in abbreviated fashion to ``make an ark of wood,'' as a means of reminding him of the ®rst and most important of all the commandments regarding the TabernacleÐthe one on which all others depended. From this Moses understood that he was to have the entire Tabernacle made just as originally commanded. In v. 5, then, Moses is saying that the tablets were to remain in the Ark forever, just as the Lord had originally commanded in Exodus 25. Once he came down the mountain, Moses put the tablets in the Tent of Meeting until the Ark and the Tabernacle were made. This is exactly what would have been done with the ®rst set of tablets had he not broken them. We are forced to assume that the broken tablets were there also; he certainly did not bring them back up the mountain with him! The proof of all this is that Moses makes no mention of a commandment to ``make an ark of wood'' in Exodus 25 and no mention of the Tabernacle and its furnishings here. The Israelites, after all, were looking right at it, so there was no need to go on at length about it. 3 I made an ark of acacia wood. The making of the ark is mentioned ®rst simply because it is mentioned at the end of v. 2, and Moses wished to ®nish discussing it before speaking of the tablets. V. 1 says clearly that he was commanded to carve the tablets ®rst. Even the mention of the tablets in v. 2 is to show that this second set of tablets was as worthy as the ®rst of being kept in the ark, where,

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

deprived them of something valuable (Bekhor Shor). You broke the ®rst onesÐyou can carve these yourself (Abarbanel). Despite my prayers, the original situation was not fully restored, since this time I had to carve the tablets myself (Sforno). 2 You shall deposit them in the ark. I do not want you holding them in your hands; you will just break them again (Bekhor Shor). 3 I took the two tablets with me and went up the mountain. At dawn on Thursday, the 29th of Av (Hizkuni).

DEUTERONOMY 10:3±6

NJPS

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went up the mountain.

4

The L ORD inscribed on the

OJPS

K OKZCE

the two tables in my hand. 4And He wrote on the tables

tablets the same text as on the ®rst, the Ten Commandments that

according to the ®rst writing, the ten words, which the L ORD

He addressed to you on the mountain out of the ®re on the day

spoke unto you in the mount out of the midst of the ®re in the

of the Assembly; and the L ORD gave them to me.

5

Then I left and went down from

the mountain, and I deposited the tablets in the ark that I had made, where they still are, as the L ORD had commanded me. 6

From Beeroth-bene-jaakan the Israel-

ites marched to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried there; and his son Eleazar

RASHI 6 From Beeroth-bene-jaakan the Israelites marched to Moserah.

day of the assembly; and the L ORD gave

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What is this paragraph doing here? And is it even correct? According to Numbers, ``They ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F set out from Moseroth and encamped at Bene-jaakan'' (Num. 33:31)! Aaron died F there. Didn't he really die at Mount Hor? [F] According to Numbers 33, there were eight F stations of the journey from Moseroth to (and including) Mount Hor. But what Moses F is saying here is part of his rebuke of the Israelites: ``As if that were not enough, you caused Aaron's death just at the end of the 40 years. Then the clouds of glory [G] withdrew, you were afraid of the coming battle with the king of Arad, and you chose a new head to take you back to Egypt. You went eight What does ``from

them unto me.

5

And I turned and came

down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the L ORD commanded me.Ð 6

And the children of Israel journeyed

from

Beeroth-benejaakan

to

Moserah;

there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and

Eleazar

his

son

ministered

in

the

RASHBAM 10:6 From Beeroth-benejaakan the Israelites marched to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried there. This is Moses' response to a po-

tential challenge from the Israelites: ``You said that you prayed for AaronÐyet he died anyway, so what good was your prayer?'' Moses is reminding them that Aaron died at the end of the 40 years, on the journey described in Numbers 33, and not at the beginning of the 40 years because of the calf. His son Eleazar became priest in his stead. He donned his father's vestments. This too is part of the description of Aaron's [F] See Num. 33:38. [G] See Rashi's comments to Num. 20:29. IBN EZRA the Pact which I will give NAHMANIDES after all, ``I will meet with the Israelites, and it shall be sancti®ed by you'' (Exod. 25:15); presumably it refers My Presence'' (Exod. 29:43). And carved out two tablets of stone like the ®rst. Having also to our v. 1. But our tradition trumps this ®nished with the ark, Moses can now speak of the earlier subject, the tablets, at length. explanation. 5 I deposited the tablets in the ark that I had made. That I had made when I came 6 From Beeroth-bene-jaakan the Israelites marched to Moserah. Vv. 6±7 are down the mountain. See my comments to vv. 1 and 3. 6 From Beeroth-bene-jaakan the Israelites marched to Moserah. See Rashi's inserted here on account of Moses' mencomment, which is taken from rabbinic literature. Ibn Ezra's comment is full of hot air. tioning that he had ``interceded for Aaron'' notes that Aaron did not Can it really be possible that none of these places was mentioned in Numbers 33, and that (9:20). He therefore they are all brand new? Keep in mind that the text makes a practice of altering names die until the 40th year. The setting apart of slightly when they are repeated, place names and personal names alikeÐall the more so the Levites ``at that time'' (v. 8) marks these here, where the differences between the names are negligible. (In fact, Jotbath is exactly two verses as an insertion, for the Levites the same here and in Num. 33:33.) With regard to Eleazar becoming High Priest, from a were set apart while the Israelites were at technical standpoint he did so immediately upon donning his father's vestments; this was Mount Sinai, as I explained in my comment to Num. 3:1. Our tradition says that this the rule for High Priests throughout the ages. In my opinion, Mount Hor, where Aaron is said in Numbers 20 to have died, must have verse means the Israelites reversed course, been many leagues in extent. Its name, which literally means ``Mount Mountain,'' would but what are we supposed to do with Aaron suggest as much; our Sages understood the name to refer to a mountain with another died there and was buried there, which mountain on top of it. It was so large that one end of it was on the Edomite border and the says in plain Hebrew that Aaron died at other reached to Heshmon, the station before Moseroth. [F] In the plain in front of this Moserah? The late Isaac ibn Ghayyat of mountain were cities (or locales) named Moseroth, Bene-jaakan, Hor-haggidgad, Jotbath, blessed memory explained that we should Abronah, Ezion-geber, and Kadesh. [G] There was no great distance between these places, understand the Hebrew word used here not for so great a camp could not travel more than about one league per day, or less. When the spatially but temporally: not ``there'' but Israelites ``set out from Kadesh and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of ``then'' (he ®nds a second such example in Edom'' (Num. 33:37), they entered the plain at the foot of the mountain. That is when God Gen. 49:24). But there is no need for this. In commanded Moses to bring Aaron and Eleazar up to the top of the mountain (which was all the way back at the beginning of the mountain, opposite Moseroth), ``and Aaron died there on the summit of the mountain'' (Num. 20:28). I suppose it might be that each place on the plain had a corresponding place on the summit named for itÐa Moserah on the plain and a Moserah on the mountain itself, making two Moseroth. As for Beeroth-bene-jaakan, these were at Hashmonah; as the name implies, they were the beeroth, the wells, used by the people of Bene-jaakan, who had found fresh water there and used the wells to water Beeroth-bene-jaakan the Israelites marched to Mo-

serah'' (v. 6) have to do with anything Moses is saying here?

How is it even possible to say this, when

Num. 33:31 tells us that they marched in exactly the opposite direction?

How can v. 6 say that Aaron

died at Moserah, when we know from Num. 20:28 that he died on Mount Hor?

What does ``his son

Eleazar became priest in his stead'' have to do with Moses' rebuke of the Israelites?

[F] See Num. 33:30.

[G] See Num. 33:30±36.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 4 The LORD gave them to me. On Tuesday, the 10th of Tishrei (Hizkuni). 5 Then I left and went down from the mountain. On that same day, Tuesday, the 10th of Tishrei; this is the event described in Exod. 32:15, ``Thereupon Moses turned and went down from the mountain.'' Our verse too says that he ``turned''; see OJPS (Hizkuni). 6 The Israelites marched to Moserah. Though they had seen that the righteous man's prayer protects the whole generation, some

of the Israelites, perhaps even a majority of them, went off with their ¯ocks to Moserah to ®nd water and pasture for the sheep. While they were still there, Aaron died, and they did not even bother to come back and mourn him (Sforno).

70

71 DEUTERONOMY 10:6±8

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became priest in his stead. 7From there they marched OJPS priest's of®ce in his stead. 7From thence they journeyed to Gudgod, and from Gudgod to Jotbath, a region of running unto Gudgod; and from Gudgod to Jotbah, a land of brooks brooks. of water.Ð 8At that time the L ORD set apart the 8At that time the L ORD separated the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the LORD's ‰„b„b‰ ¨Ÿ ® § ª © eÚÒ − § ¨ ÌMÓ ¬¨ ¦ 7 :ÂÈzÁz «¨ § © Ba − § ¯ÊÚÏ ¬¨ ¨ § ‡¤ tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant

NJPS

RASHI

:ÌÈÓ ¦ «¨ ÈÏÁ ¥ £ «© ı¯‡ ¤ −¤ ‰˙·ËÈ ¨ ¨½ § ¨ ‰„b„b‰-ÔÓe ¨Ÿ ´ § ª © ¦ stations backward, as far as Bene-jaakan and on to Moserah, where the ÈÂl‰ ½¦ ¥ © Ë·L-˙‡ À¦ © ˙Úa ¤ ´¥ ¤ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÏÈc·‰ ³¦ § ¦ ‡Â‰‰ ´¥ ¨ 8 Levites fought you. They killed some of you ÈÙÏ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È-˙ȯa ¥¸ § ¦ Á„ÓÚÏ ®¨ § ¦ § ÔB¯‡-˙‡ ´£ ¤ ˙‡NÏ −¥ ¨ and you killed some of them, but in the end they brought you back along the same route ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why on earth that you had retreated on. At Moserah, you should we care that the region from Gudgod to Jotbath mourned so profoundly for Aaron (whose is ``a region of running brooks'' (v. 7)? F Again, what death had led to all of this) that you felt as if does ``the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi'' (v. 8) have he had died there.'' Moses attached this re- to do with Moses' rebuke? F For that matter, how buke to his description of breaking the ®rst can Moses say that the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi ``at that time,'' after the death of Aaron? tablets to say that the death of the righteous is as dif®cult for the Holy One as the day when the tablets were broken, and to let you know that the day when they said, ``Let us appoint a head'' (Num. 14:4), splitting up from Him, was as dif®cult for Him as the day when they made the Golden Calf. 7 From there they marched to Gudgod. This continues the journey back to the point from which the Israelites had ¯ed. ``Gudgod'' is the same as ``Hor-haggidgad'' of Num. 33:32. 8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi. ``That time'' being the time during the ®rst year after the exodus when the IsraelitesÐbut not the LevitesÐerred with the calf. [H] That is when the Lord set them apart from you. Ð Juxtaposing this to the description of the reverse march to Bene-jaakan points out that then, too, the Levites did not participate, but stood ®rm in their faith. To carry the Ark. This applies to the Levites, the [H] See the end of Rashi's comment to v. 6.

NAHMANIDES

RASHBAM

death as one of great dignity (see Num. 33:38). All this is the straightforward explanation of the verse. Note that it does not say that the Israelites camped at Moserah; see my comment to the comparable expression in Num. 11:35. As in that verse, our verse is to be understood as follows: ``The Israelites marched on from Beeroth-bene-jaakan, [which is at] Moserah.'' Or it might be possible to take another tack and understand the verse to mean, ``The Israelites marched on from Beeroth-bene-jaakan, [after arriving from] Moserah.'' But the Sages explain the difference between our passage and that in Numbers in their own fashion.

8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi. ``At the time'' of the Golden Calf incident, when the Levites found favor

IBN EZRA

my opinion, Beeroth-benejaakan is just not the same place as Benejaakan of Num. 33:31, and Moserah is not Moseroth (in that same verse). In fact, Beeroth-bene-jaakan of our verse is another name for Kadesh, just as the wilderness around Mount Hor was called Moserah; as I have said before, there are many places in the Bible with two names. Another example would be ``the wilderness of Shur'' (Exod. 15:22), which is later referred to as ``the wilderness of Etham'' (Num. 33:8). The upshot is that our verse is saying the same thing as Num. 33:37, ``They set out from Kadesh and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.''

their ¯ocks. From there ``the Israelites marched to Moserah'' (i.e., Moseroth), after which they went on to Bene-jaakan itself (see Num. 33:31). We are told that ``from there they marched to Gudgod, and from Gudgod to Jotbath, a region of running brooks'' (v. 7) because they spent a fair amount of time there on account of the brooks. The other journeys are mentioned just brie¯y, having already been recounted in Numbers 33; all the places mentioned in v. 7 were in the well-watered region described there. Alternatively, the Israelites actually may have gone back to where Aaron had died so that they could mourn at the grave of the man of God. The most important of them would have climbed up the mountain during the period when ``the house of Israel bewailed Aaron thirty days'' (Num. 20:29) to mourn there for ``Aaron, the holy one of the LORD'' (Ps. 106:16), after which they would have climbed back down to return to the camp at Moserah. 7 From there they marched to GudAfter the 30 days were up, the Israelites traveled on as described in v. 7. Having been through that country before (if this suggestion is correct), they were able to move quickly: god. This is not Hor-haggidgad of Num. from Moserah on to Gudgod and Jotbath without stopping again at Bene-jaakan. And this 33:32, but a general name for the region where Zalmonah, Punon, and Oboth of explanation does a solid job of resolving the dif®culties posed by these two verses. 7 From there they marched to Gudgod, and from Gudgod to Jotbath, a region of Num. 33:41±43 are located. Jotbath. This is running brooks. Moses says ``they'' marched rather than ``you'' marched as elsewhere in the place called Beer, ``the well'' of Num. the passage because this is not a rebuke of the Israelites, merely a description of their 21:16. That is why it is identi®ed as a region journey. According to the second explanation given in my previous comment, Jotbath is of running brooks. It was there that the described as ``a region of running brooks'' as an explanation of its name, which derives nobles dug with their staffs and water came from tob, ``good''; the rest of this wilderness was ``a parched land with no water in it'' out. [C] This took place (see v. 6) after Aa(8:15). As to why Aaron's death had to be mentioned here at all, this was to demonstrate ron's son Eleazar took his place as priest. As that, as a result of Moses' prayer in 9:20, no punishment had come to him, either in person I explained in my comment to Exod. 29:42, or through his offspring; instead, he did not die until the 40th year, at a ripe old age, and his the Israelites did not offer sacri®ces after they left Mount Sinai. But perhaps they did son succeeded him. 8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi. For Rashi's comment to be do so once they got to Zalmonah and Punon; correct, Moses must mean that the Lord considered them set apart from that time; He did we might conclude that Eleazar's service as not actually set them apart until the second month of the second year. [H] Or the setting High Priest began there, at the time of the new year. He would therefore have of®ciated [H] See Numbers 1. at Beer on the Day of Atonement. 8 The LORD set apart the tribe of Levi. It was because He had done so, at the time of the Golden Calf incident, that Eleazar acted in his father Aaron's place as priest. Our passage is saying that he did so when the Israelites reached such-and-such a place on their [C] See Num. 21:18 and Ibn Ezra's comment there.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi.

This sort of work is very technical, and it demands that the training for it be passed down from father to son; the ®rstborn in every family would just mess up if they tried to do it, so

DEUTERONOMY 10:8±11

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Covenant, to stand in attendance upon the LORD, and OJPS of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto to bless in His name, as is still the case. 9That is why the Levites Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day. 9Wherefore Levi have received no hereditary portion along with their kinsmen: hath no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his the LORD is their portion, as the LORD your God spoke con- inheritance, according as the LORD thy God spoke unto him.Ð 10Now I stayed in the mount, as at the cerning them. 10I had stayed on the mountain, as I did ®rst time, forty days and forty nights; and ½ § ¦ C¯·Ïe ¬ © „Ú −© BÓLa ´¥ ¨ § ÆB˙¯LÏ § «¨ § ‰Â‰È ³¨ § the LORD hearkened unto me that time the ®rst time, forty days and forty nights; ÌBi‰ −¨ £ © § ˜ÏÁ ¤ ¬¥ ÈÂÏÏ ² ¦ ¥ § ‰È‰-‡Ï ¯¨ ¨ Ÿ « Ôkº¥ -ÏÚ© 9 :‰f‰ «¤ © also; the LORD would not destroy thee. and the LORD heeded me once again: the ‰ÏÁ 11 LORD agreed not to destroy you. And the ¯ac ½ ¨ £ © ‡e‰´ Æ‰Â‰È ²¤ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © B˙ÏÁ ¨ § ÂÈÁ‡-ÌÚ ®¨ ¤ ¦ 11And the LORD said unto me: ``Arise, go LORD said to me, ``Up, resume the march before the people, causing them to set for:BÏ« EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § at the head of the people, that they may go ward, that they may go in and possess the ½¦ Ÿ ‡¯‰ º¦ Ÿ ¨ § 10 land, which I swore unto their fathers to ´ ¦ ¨ ÆÌÈÓik ¦ ¨ © ¯‰· ¨À ¨ Èz„ÓÚ ¦ § ´© ¨ ÈÎ‡Â in and possess the land that I swore to their ÌÈL ÚÓLi ©¸ § ¦ © ‰ÏÈÏ ¨ § ®¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡Â −¦ ¨ § © § ÌBȽ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ´ ¦ ¨ § © give unto them.'' fathers to give them.'' ¹¨ § ‰·‡-‡Ï ¬¨ ¨ Ÿ ‡Â‰‰ ¦½ © ÌÚta © ´© © Ìb©μ ÈÏ©½ ‡¥ ‰Â‰È RASHBAM in the eyes of the Holy One: RASHI non-priestly members of the Ìe˜² ÈÏ©½ ‡¥ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ³ © 11 :E˙ÈÁL‰ «¤ ¦ § © ‰Â‰È −¨ § ``And all the Levites rallied to him'' (Exod. tribe. To stand in attendance upon the Ÿ Æ ¨ § ÌÚ‰ ®¨ ¨ ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ ÚqÓÏ −© © § CÏ ¬¥ 32:26). To bless in His name. He set apart ´ § « ¦ § Æe‡·È LORD, and to bless in His name. This ap- -˙‡¤ eL¯È plies to the priests; ``blessing in His name'' is ˙˙Ï ¬¥ ¨ Ì˙·‡Ï −¨ Ÿ £ © ÈzÚaL-¯L ¦ § ¬© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ the priests to bless Israel in His name. the lifting of the hands to recite the Priestly Ù :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¨ Benediction of Num. 6:24±26. IBN EZRA journey. To carry the Ark

NJPS

9 That is why the Levites have received no hereditary portion. Having

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

In vv. 10±11 we are once again back to the Golden Calf incident, which took place before the Levites were set apart. Why? F What is the point of Moses' repeated insistence that he had stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights?

been set apart for the service of the Tabernacle, they have no free time for tilling and planting. The LORD is their portion. They draw their rations directly from the Palace. 10 I had stayed on the mountain. To receive the second set of tablets. In the earlier passage Moses did not spell out how long he had stayed there, which this repeated description of that event will now do. As I did the ®rst time. The ``®rst'' time being the time of the ®rst set of tablets. Just as those 40 days were a time of favor in the relationship between God and Israel, these were as well. But the intermediate set of 40 days, when I stayed on the mountain to pray for you, were a time of anger. 11 Up, resume the march. Despite the fact that you had turned away from Him and erred with the calf, He told me, ``Go now, lead the people where I told you'' (Exod. 32:34).

of the LORD's Covenant, to stand in attendance upon the LORD. The two phrases together include both Levites and priests. To bless in His name. It was Eleazar, not the

Levites, who would lift his hands to offer this blessing. 9 The LORD is their portion. ``The LORD is my allotted share and portion'' (Ps. 16:5). Just as the others would do agricultural work on their portion, the work of the Levites and priests was to teach God's ways. 10 I had stayed on the mountain. See my comment to v. 1. 11 The march. In fact this word is an in®nitive: ``to set forward'' (OJPS).

NAHMANIDES

apart may be a reference to Moses' telling them, ``Dedicate yourselves to the LORD this day'' (Exod. 32:29), saying that this was their dedication to the priestly and levitical service. But I think ``that time'' refers to the same time as in v. 1. When God told Moses to carve a new set of tablets, He was reconciled with Israel and Moses was given the commandments about the Tabernacle. The Lord was reconciled with Aaron too at that time, for Moses was commanded to ``make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons, for priestly service to Me'' (Exod. 28:4). That is why we are told here about Eleazar's succeeding his father, for their anointing was to ``serve them for everlasting priesthood'' (Exod. 40:15). Again, Moses has simply assembled all the material regarding the special status of the tribe of Levi in a single place. It was indeed already God's intent ``at that time'' for the tribe of Levi to be assigned to Him from among the Israelites for service in the performance of tasks for the Tabernacle. It might be, however, that the setting apart refers speci®cally to the decision that the priests would come exclusively from that tribe; they, like their fellow Levites, do indeed sometimes carry the Ark: ``Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant'' (31:9). It is the priests, of course, who serve God and bless in His name. As is still the case. By this Moses meant that it was still the case even though Aaron had died and been replaced as priest by Eleazar. 9 That is why the Levites have received no hereditary portion along with their kinsmen. They are all serving and helping the priests in their ministrations. For everything that is done in the sanctuary is for the sake of the offerings: as Aaron is told, ``You shall also associate with yourself your kinsmen the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, to be attached to you and to minister to you'' (Num. 18:2). 10 I had stayed on the mountain. Our Sages understand Moses to be saying here that he stayed a third time on the mountain, holding the tablets for another 40 days and nights, before the Lord heeded him. For when the Lord passed before him calling out the 13 attributes, Moses asked Him, ``Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!'' (Exod. 34:8), and was given the answer recorded here in v. 11, essentially matching what he was told in Exod. 34:10±11. The LORD agreed not to destroy you. That is, not to ``destroy'' your chance of possessing the land: ``If you turn away from Him and He abandons them once more in the wilderness, you will bring calamity upon all this people'' (Num. 32:15, using the same verbal root). But He did not want to let this happen to you. Ð The True explanation is that He did not want them to suffer the calamity of not having His great Name with them. I have already alluded to this in my comment to Exod. 32:11.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS the Lord determined to select one of the tribes for the purpose. When the Levites stood by Him during the Golden Calf incident, they earned the selection (Bekhor Shor). ``That time'' was the time of the giving of the Torah (Gersonides). 10 Forty days and forty nights. It did not take 40 days either to inscribe the tablets, which were made miraculously, or to teach their

contents to Moses, for God had the power to teach them to him ``on one foot.'' But there are 10 categories in each of the four branches of knowledge, on each of which Moses spent a day. And just as the form of the embryo takes 40 days to assume a human shape, so too it takes 40 days to assume its spiritual form. It took Moses 40 days to overcome his materiality, 10 days for each of the humors (Abarbanel).

72

73 DEUTERONOMY 10:12±16 NJPS

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now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God OJPS 12And now, Israel, what doth the L ORD thy God require demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to of thee, but to fear the L ORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, walk only in His paths, to love Him, and and to love Him, and to serve the L ORD thy God with all thy heart and with all to serve the LORD your God with all your K[KPI −¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ‰Ó¨ μ χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ƉzÚ ¨ © § 12 thy soul; 13to keep for thy good the comheart and soul, 13keeping the LORD`s com- χL mandments and laws, which I enjoin upon EÈ‰Ï ¸¨ § ¤ ‰‡¯ÈÏ-̇ ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ¨ § ¦ §  ¦ Èk ´ ¦ CnÚÓ ®¨ ¦ ¥ mandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command thee this day? you today, for your good. 14Mark, the Ÿ £ «© § B˙‡ ½ Ÿ ‰·‰‡Ïe Æ„·ÚÏ ´¨ £ © § ÆÂÈίc-ÏÎa ¨ ¨ § ¨ § ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ³¤ ¨ 14 Behold, unto the LORD thy God beheavens to their uttermost reaches belong ¨ § E··Ï-ÏÎa − § ¨ § ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ longeth the heaven, and the heaven of to the LORD your God, the earth and all -Ïηe that is on it! 15Yet it was to your fathers that -˙‡Â Ÿ ³ § ¦ -˙‡¤ ¯ÓLÏ Ÿ º § ¦ 13 :ELÙ ¤ § Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ˙ÂˆÓ «¤ § © heavens, the earth, with all that therein is. 15Only the L ORD had a delight in thy fathe LORD was drawn in His love for them, ·BËÏ − § ÌBi‰ ® © EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ÂÈ˙wÁ ¨½ Ÿ ª so that He chose you, their lineal descenthers to love them, and He chose their ´¥ § ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ −© ¨ © EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © Ô‰¥ μ14 :CÏ «¨ seed after them, even you, above all peodants, from among all peoplesÐas is now ÈÓLe «¨ -¯L ¤ ‡-ÏΠ£ ¨ § ı¯‡‰ ¤ −¨ ¨ ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ ®¨ ¨ © ples, as it is this day. 16Circumcise therethe case. 16Cut away, therefore, the thick- ˜¯¯© 15 :da ening about your hearts and stiffen your Ì˙B‡ ®¨ ‰·‰‡Ï ´¨ £ © § ‰Â‰È −¨ § ˜LÁ ¬© ¨ EÈ˙·‡a ²¤ Ÿ £ © fore the foreskin of your heart, and be no 12And

RASHI 12 And now, O Israel.

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Even IBN EZRA 15 He chose you, their ´© § ¨ ˙‡ −¥ ÌzÏÓe ¤¾ § © 16 :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBik ¬ © ÌÈnÚ‰ −¦ © ¨ lineal descendants. Literally, ``He chose though you did all that, He still feels love ˙Ï¯Ú and compassion for you. Despite all your ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F When Moses be- their seed after them'' (OJPS). And who is sins, He demands nothing of you but only gins his answer to the question ``And now, O Israel, that? ``Even you'' (OJPS). this: to revere the LORD your GodÐthat what does the LORD your God demand of you?'' 16 Cut away, therefore, the thickis, ``fear'' Him (OJPS)Ðand so forth. It is (v. 12) by saying ``Only this,'' he would seem to be ening about your hearts. Distance yourfrom this verse that our Sages derived the minimizing the demandÐyet the things he demands selves from the appetites that are as coarse and thick as a foreskin. (It may also allude saying, ``Everything is in the hands of are overwhelmingly great! to puri®cation of the heart so that they might heaven except the fear of heaven.'' 13 Keeping the LORD's commandments. Even this is not for no reason; it is for understand the truth.) Your necks. See my comment to Exod. 32:9. Note that Moses your good, since you will be rewarded for doing so. 15 It was to your fathers that the LORD was drawn. Even though ``the heavens to has just referred to the Israelites as ``a stifftheir uttermost reaches . . . the earth and all that is on it'' (v. 14), belong to HimÐthat is, necked people'' (9:6). everything. He chose you. For now it is you in whom He ``has delight'' (see OJPS), you of all peoples. As is now the case. As you can see with your own eyes. 16 The thickening about your hearts. Literally, its ``foreskin'' (OJPS), the covering that obstructs it.

NAHMANIDES 12 What does the LORD your God demand of you? All of it ``for your good'' (v. 13). That is, He is not demanding something that He needs but something that you need. ``If you are righteous, what do you give Him; what does He receive from your hand?'' (Job 35:7). 14 Mark, the heavens to their uttermost reaches belong to the LORD your God, the earth and all that is on it! And they all give glory to His name. He does not need you; ``yet it was to your fathers that the LORD was drawn in His love for them'' (v. 15). The ``uttermost'' heavens are the spheres of the four elements, which are in the realm of the heavens that are below them, [I] just as the next phrase describes the realm of the earth and all that is above it. Notice the upward progression in Ps. 148:1±4: ``Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him on high . . . all His angels . . . all His hosts . . . sun and moon . . . all bright stars'' and ®nally ``highest heavens,'' using the same phrase (literally ``the heaven of heavens,'' OJPS) that is used in our verse. 15 He chose you, their lineal descendants, from among all peoples. Rather, ``He chose their seed after them, even you'' (OJPS) from among all the peoples. You are the choicest of their descendants. He did not choose Ishmael or Esau. As is now the case. Moses means that the choice was permanent; ``it will always remain just as it is now.'' I have already explained this love, and this choice, in my comments to 7:7±8. 16 Cut away, therefore, the thickening about your hearts. So that your heart can be open to know the truth, and not as you have done up to this day when ``the LORD has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear'' (29:3). Stiffen your necks no more. And do not be like your fathers, ``a wayward and de®ant generation'' (Ps. 78:8), who lived with the Egyptians and learned their habits. It was hard for them to abandon that way of life, which is why in Exod. 32:9, after the making of the calf, God calls them ``a stiffnecked people.'' [J] They would not turn back from the error that had entered their hearts, which was to think that there might be some bene®t in serving the angels or the heavenly host. But you must be wise enough to know and believe that . . . [I] See Special Topics, ``Medieval Jewish Philosophy.''

[J] ``Hard'' and ``stiff'' are the same word in Hebrew.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 And now, O Israel. The phrase occurs also only in 4:1 (Masorah). What does the LORD your God demand of you? Our Sages read FP (mah, ``what'') as FBP (me'ah, ``hundred''), understanding the verse to mean that God demands

100 blessings from us every day; note that adding the B increases the number of letters in the verse to precisely 100 (Bekhor Shor). The question is phrased in a way that shows the demand is not meant to be burdensomeÐjust to follow His commandments, which are good for you in any case (Gersonides). You can see that He is not asking for anything because He Himself needs it (Sforno). To serve the LORD your God. That is, to pray to Him (Gersonides). 14 Mark, the heavens to their uttermost reaches belong to the LORD your God, the earth and all that is on it! Had He wanted to choose another nation, He could have done soÐwho would have been able to stop Him? (Bekhor Shor). 15 Yet it was to your fathers that the LORD was drawn. God is the subject of this verb also only in 7:7 (Masorah). 16 Cut away, therefore, the thickening about your hearts. That is, ``your minds''Ðmeaning that they must remove all of the error that produces false beliefs (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 10:16±20

CYT

`EKEV

K OKZCE

NJPS necks no more. 17For the LORD your God is God OJPS more stiffnecked. 17For the LORD your God, He is God

supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, 18but awful, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward. 18He upholds the cause of the fatherless and the doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and befriends the stranger, pro- Èk¦ μ17 :„BÚ« eL˜˙ Ÿ ¬ ÌÎt¯Ú − § © ‡Ï ¤½ § § ¨¸ § Ìη ®¤ § ·Ï © § widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving viding him with food and clothing.Ð19You È„‡Â him food and raiment. 19Love ye therefore −¥Ÿ £ © ÌÈ‰Ï ¦½ Ÿ ‡‰ ¡ «¨ È‰Ï ´¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‡e‰μ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § too must befriend the stranger, for you the stranger; for ye were strangers in the Ÿ ¦ © Ï„b‰ Ÿ ³ ¨ © χ‰ ƯL ½¨ © § Ưab‰ ¥¸ ¨ ÌÈ„‡‰ ®¦ Ÿ £ ¨ land of Egypt. ¤‡ £ ‡¯Bp‰Â were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20You must revere the LORD your God: ‰NÚ 20Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Ÿ ¬ § ÌÈÙ ½¦ ¨ ‡OÈ-‡Ï ²¤ Ÿ 18 :„ÁL © Ÿ « ÁwÈ −© ¦ ‡Ï ´¨ ¦ Ÿ only Him shall you worship, to Him shall BÏ− ˙˙Ï ¤ ¬¨ ¯b¥½ ·‰‡Â ´¥ Ÿ § ‰ÓÏ ®¨ ¨ § ‡Â © § ÌB˙È − ¨ ËtLÓ ¬© § ¦ Him shalt thou serve; and to Him shalt you hold fast, and by His name shall you -Èk«¦ ¯b‰-˙‡ thou cleave, and by His name shalt thou ®¥ © ¤ Ìz·‰‡Â −¤ § © £ © 19 :‰ÏÓN «¨ § ¦ § ÌÁÏ ¤ ¬¤ RASHI 17 Lord supreme.

IBN EZRA 17 God supreme.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Doesn't the statement that ``the LORD your God is God supreme and Lord supreme'' (v. 17) really belong with v. 14? Why 18 Upholds the cause of the fatherless must vv. 15±16 interrupt them? F How does the and the widow. You ®nd His power in- command ``You too must befriend the stranger'' (v. 19) timately connected with His humility. Be- make sense in the context, when what comes before friends the stranger, providing him with and after it has nothing to do with ``strangers''?

Literally, ``God of gods'' (OJPS), but see my comment to the word ``God'' in Gen. 1:1. Lord supreme. Again, this is literally ``Lord of lords'' (OJPS). There are many levels, ``for one who is high is watched by a higher one, and both of them by still higher ones'' (Eccles. 5:7). [D] One who recognizes these different aspects of divinity is regarded as being of circumcised heart.

NAHMANIDES 17 The LORD your God is God supreme and Lord supreme.

He upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, who have no one else to help them: ``A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation'' (Ps. 68:6). He is the same toward the stranger, and provides for him when he leans on Him.

Literally, ``Lord of lords'' (OJPS). There is no other lord who can deliver you from His hand. Who shows no favor. Should you cast off His yoke. And takes no bribe. Do not think money will pacify Him.

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food and clothing.

You will realize how important this is when you recall that our father Jacob prayed with all his might for just this: ``If God . . . gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear'' (Gen. 28:20). 19 For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Do not call attention to another's blemish when it is one that you too share. 20 You must revere the LORD your God. By worshiping Him and holding fast to Him. Only if these qualities are found in you may you swear by His name.

18 Upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow. Despite His being so lofty,

Literally the phrase is ``God of gods, and Lord of lords'' (OJPS) By ``gods'' is meant the 19 You too must befriend the stranangels on high; by ``lords,'' all the heavenly host who have dominion over those below. For ger. Since God Himself does so. He is the Lord who permits them to impose their authority on earth; greatness and might 20 You must revere the LORD your are His, He is awesome in His glorious strength. Who shows no favor. To any of these God. You must not transgress by doing the gods or lords, by protecting those who worship them. And takes no bribe. From any things you are forbidden to do. Only Him human being. Even a completely pious personÐshould he commit a transgression, God shall you worship. Rather, ``only Him shall will not take one of the commandments he has observed as a bribe to atone for it, but will you serve'' (compare OJPS)Ðby performing punish him for his sins in addition to giving him what he has earned for his good deeds. those things that you are commanded to do. The translation of Onkelos shows that he is among those who believe in praising God in To Him shall you hold fast. In thought. By negative terms: showing favor and taking bribes are things that simply do not exist for His name shall you swear. Aloud, as exGod; indeed, ``everything is as naught in His sight; He accounts it as less than nothing'' pressed in Lev. 5:4. [E] (to paraphrase Isa. 40:17), so it makes no sense to imagine Him taking money from a [D] See Ibn Ezra's comment to 4:35. [E] Ibn Ezra person as a bribe the way kings and judges do. But I think these two phrases do refer to merely says ``as expressed.'' Alternatively, his comment may God's refusal to show favor to the powerful or take a bribe from the rich among human mean that one swears by means of a verbal ``expression.'' beings when they quarrel with the lowly and the poor. For He ``upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow'' (v. 18) against the mighty. Indeed, He will ``take up their cause and despoil those who despoil them of life'' (Prov. 22:23). And He ``befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing'' (also v. 18), that is, with all that one needs. So He supports the poor who have no friend or ally. 19 For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You will ®nd my response to Rashi's comment in my comment to this same phrase in Exod. 22:20.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 The LORD your God is God supreme and Lord supreme.

Literally, ``God of gods, and Lord of lords'' (OJPS), since, as we are told in 4:19, He interacts with the other nations only through the divinities allotted to them; but these expressions are never used in connection with Israel, for God's relationship with Israel is without intermediary (Abarbanel). The great, the mighty, and the awesome God. ``Great'' in the world below, ``mighty'' in the divine realm, and ``awesome'' in the world of the intellect (Abarbanel). ``Great'' because He has no equal in existence; ``mighty'' in that His existence maintains everything else in existence; and ``awesome'' in that His providence in rewarding and punishing demands awe (Sforno). 18 Upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger. He does this, I believe, through a general providence, as when He ``gives food to all ¯esh'' (Ps. 136:25)Ðeven if the person is one who does not deserve God's individual attention (Gersonides). 19 You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. And strangers should stick together. Befriending the stranger means that you must befriend each other as well, having all been strangers. The same applies (e.g.) when the rich are told to be generous to the poor; they might be poor themselves someday (Bekhor Shor).

20 You must revere the LORD your God: only Him shall you worship, to Him shall you hold fast, and by His name shall you swear. The four phrases here match, respectively, the three clauses of v. 17 and the ®rst clause of v. 18; it is even possible to understand them matching in reverse order, but I believe the passage holds together better the ®rst way (Abarbanel).

74

75 DEUTERONOMY 10:20±11:4 NJPS

swear.

21

CYT

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He is your glory and He is your God, who

wrought for you those marvelous, awesome deeds that you saw with your own eyes.

22

Your ancestors went down to Egypt sev-

OJPS

swear.

21

BK OK ZCE

He is thy glory, and He is thy God, that hath

done for thee these great and tremendous things, which thine eyes have seen.

22

Thy fathers went down into Egypt with

enty persons in all; and now the L ORD your God has made you

threescore and ten persons; and now the L ORD thy God hath

as numerous as the stars of heaven.

made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11

Love, therefore, the L ORD your

God, and always keep His charge, His laws, His rules, and His commandments. 2

Take thought this day that it was not

your children, who neither experienced nor witnessed the lesson of the L ORD your GodÐ His majesty, His mighty hand, His

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outstretched arm; 3the signs and the deeds that He performed in Egypt against Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land; 4what He did to Egypt's army, its horses and

RASHI 11:2 Take thought this day. [I] You must know, understand, and accept my rebuke. It was not your children. Ra-

ther (see OJPS), ``It is not with your children,'' who could say, ``We did not see or know any of this,'' that I am speaking today. [I] OJPS translates literally; NJPS has used the ®rst words of Rashi's Hebrew comment as their translation.

NAHMANIDES 21 He is your glory.

‡È

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11

Therefore thou shalt love the L ORD

thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His ordinances, and His commandments, always. 2

And know ye this day; for I speak not

with your children that have not known, and that have not seen the chastisement of the L ORD your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm, 3and His signs, and His works, which He did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land; 4and what He did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and

RASHBAM 11:2 The lesson.

Rather, ``the discipline'': ``Bear in mind that the LORD your God disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son'' (8:5).

IBN EZRA 21 He is your glory.

You should glory in Him, for He worked wonders with you. 22 Seventy persons. See my comments to Gen. 46:27 and Exod. 1:5. 11:1 Therefore. Since He ``has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven'' (10:22). Always. This is added to the commandment ``to love Him'' of 10:12. 2 It was not your children. This thought will be continued with ``it was you'' of v. 7. All the wondrous deeds about to be mentioned are not something that will occur one day in the future for your descendants to see; you yourselves saw them. His maj-

More literally, ``He is your praise''Ðthe One to whom you must give all your praise. Praise Him always, and do not give His ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Having called upon ``glory'' to another, nor His renown to idols, the Israelites in 10:12 to ``revere the L your God,'' nor to the other ``gods'' and ``lords'' (v. 17). why does Moses now turn to a description calculated inspire actual fear of God's power, a much lower But ``He is your praise'' might mean that He to spiritual level? is the reason you are praised above all other nations: ``For You are their strength in which they glory'' (Ps. 89:18); ``O LORD, my strength and my stronghold'' (Jer. 16:19). He is your God. He united His name with you, for you to be His people and Him to be your God. This is not so with the rest of the nations, for whom He is not their God but the God of the gods He has allotted to them; see again my comment to 4:19. He performed great and wondrous deeds for you, so that you would recognize that you are His own allotment and esty, His mighty hand, His outstretched that His eyes are always on you, for your own good. With all of which He brought you forth 11:1 Always keep His charge. By fearing HimÐthat is, by keeping from sinning arm. from Egypt. against Him. A command to love Him, at the beginning of the verse, is naturally followed 3 Against Pharaoh. Mentioned here as by a command to fear Him, and then by a command to observe the laws. But the Hebrew representative of the Egyptians in general. phrase could be interpreted literally to mean ``protect what He protects.'' For He protects the stranger, is generous to the poor and needy, and ``upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow'' (10:18). Presumably this is what David meant when he told Solomon, ``Keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in His ways'' (1 Kings 2:3). As the Sages put it, ``As He is generous and compassionate, so too must you be generous and compassionate.'' 2 His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm. Ibn Ezra says this refers to the exodus from Egypt and v. 5 to the manna, but I do not think he is correct. The topic of this paragraph is how God teaches a lesson to those who contravene His will. His ``majesty'' is literally ``His greatness'' (OJPS), which He demonstrated (e.g.) in the way He treated Pharaoh with the plagues, with the purpose (as Moses tells him) ``that you may know that the earth is the LORD's'' (Exod. 9:29). The ``mighty hand'' is re¯ected in ``I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt'' (Exod. 3:20); ``Israel saw the mighty hand which the LORD had wielded against the Egyptians'' (Exod. 14:31). The ``outstretched arm'' means that He did not give the Egyptians any respite from the moment His hand was stretched out against them and He did not draw it back from engul®ng them until He had completely destroyed them. As to the manna, see my comment to v. 5. ORD

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 The LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. This is hyperbole; it is not meant as a precise number (Bekhor Shor). Starting from ``seventy persons,'' this is one of the greatest miracles ever. Remember that this happened in Egypt, where government policy was to prevent them from increasing in numberÐand that they were there for no longer than 210 years (Gersonides). 11:1 Always. We learn that the Torah is eternal (Gersonides). 2 His outstretched arm. Ready to strike anyone who returns to sin (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 11:4±8

NJPS

CYT

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chariots; how the L ORD rolled back upon them the

waters of the Sea of Reeds when they were pursuing you, thus destroying them once and for all;

5

what He did for you in the

wilderness before you arrived in this place;

6

and what He did to

OJPS

BK OKZCE

to their chariots; how He made the water of the Red Sea

to over¯ow them as they pursued after you, and how the L ORD hath destroyed them unto this day; 5and what He did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came unto this place;

6

and what He did

Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab son of Reuben, when the earth

unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben;

opened her mouth and swallowed them, along with their house-

how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and

holds, their tents, and every living thing in their train, from amidst all IsraelÐ 7

but that it was you who saw with your

own eyes all the marvelous deeds that the L ORD performed. 8

Keep,

therefore,

all

the

Instruction

that I enjoin upon you today, so that you may have the strength to enter and take

RASHI 6 Every living thing in their train. Rather, ``everything standing at their

their households, and their tents, and every

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feet.'' The reference is to their wealth, for it is wealth that stands a man on his feet. From amidst all Israel. Wherever any of them might ¯ee, the earth split open beneath him and swallowed him up; these are the words of R. Judah. Said R. Nehemiah, ``But Num. 16:32 says, `The earth opened its mouth'Ðnot `its mouths'!'' Said R. Judah, ``All right, then how am I supposed to understand `from amidst all Israel'?'' R. Nehemiah ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F replied, ``The earth sloped down like a funnel, and no matter where one of them might ¯ee, he would roll down to the place where the earth opened its mouth.'' 7 But that it was you who saw with your own eyes. The contrast is with v. 2; see my comment there. ``It is not with your children that I am speaking today, but with you, who saw with your own eyes.''

living substance that followed them, in the midst of all Israel; 7

but your eyes have seen all the great

work of the L ORD which He did. 8

Therefore shall ye keep all the com-

mandment which I command thee this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and

IBN EZRA 4 Rolled back. For the unusual verb, compare ``Waters over my head'' (Lam. 3:54). Destroying them once and for all. No descendants arose to take their place and go on acting this way. 5 What He did for you in the wilderness. This refers to the manna. 6 Their households. The Hebrew says ¯owed

literally ``their houses,'' but the implication is that their wives and children were also swallowed up. Every living thing. This is a catchall term for everything else of theirs. In their train. The Hebrew says: everything ``that was at their feet.'' This might be taken literally, or it might be a metaphor saying that all this happened ``on account of them.'' 8 Therefore. Since ``it was you who saw with your own eyes all the marvelous deeds that the LORD performed'' (v. 7). Take possession. Note the unusual h. ireq under NAHMANIDES 4 Once and for all. This is the same phrase that NJPS usually the Z instead of patah. , a result of assimilatranslates ``as is still the case'' (e.g., 10:8); the Hebrew literally means ``up to this day.'' This tion to the h. ireq under the G. makes no sense to me in connection with the destruction of Pharaoh's army. Are all those who died at the sea perishing eternally? Perhaps the point is that the destruction of the chariots and horses brought Egypt so low that the kingdom has never recovered. Ibn Ezra suggests that our phrase means the descendants of those who pursued the Israelites never did so again; the implication is that the Lord did not merely drown them in the sea but also killed their offspring back in Egypt, leaving them no name or remnant. For those who pursued the Israelites after the Lord had redeemed them acted with more evil than anyone else in Egypt. But none of this is recorded in the Torah. 5 What He did for you in the wilderness. As I pointed out in my comment to v. 2, Ibn Ezra has misunderstood this phrase; it really means ``what He did to you'' (see OJPS). He sent a plague upon them after the Golden Calf incident, and a ®re against them at Taberah; then there were the seraph serpents, the plagues at Kibroth-hattaavah and Shittim, and the decree after the spies episode. [K] ``Indeed, the hand of the LORD struck them'' (2:15) right up to this very place. Moses is speaking elliptically of these punishments. That is why the Israelites must keep the commandments: ``so that you may have the strength'' (v. 8). For His strong hand strengthens those who keep the commandments, but ``He gives no strength to evildoers'' (Job 8:20). 6 What He did to Dathan and Abiram. Moses does not mention Korah and all his company, who were killed at the same time, by a ®re that ``went forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and ®fty men offering the incense'' (Num. 16:35), because they had explicitly violated the prohibition against a non-priest offering incense. This was punished throughout the ages. As with Korah, so with Uzziah: ``Uzziah, holding the censer and ready to burn incense, got angry; but as he got angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in the House of the LORD beside the incense altar'' (2 Chron. 26:19). So it is not listed here with the punishments that were speci®c to the wilderness. How can v. 6 men-

tion ``what He did to Dathan and Abiram'' without saying a word about Korah?

[K] See Exodus 32, Numbers 11, Numbers 21, Numbers 25, Numbers 11 again, and Numbers 14, respectively.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 4 Once and for all. Rather, ``unto this day'' (OJPS). The Egyptian army was so ravaged that even now, 40 years later, they still feel the loss of those troops, who have not yet been replaced (Sforno). 6 What He did to Dathan and Abiram. Since Korah's dispute was directed speci®cally at Moses' brother, Aaron, he did not want to mention Korah here lest the Israelites think he was complaining about being personally disrespected (Abarbanel). The earth opened her mouth and swallowed them...from amidst all Israel. Even a needle that belonged to one of them but had been borrowed by another Israelite rolled down and was swallowed up with them (Bekhor Shor). 8 All the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today. About the 12 stones of Joshua 4 (Sforno). So that you may have the strength. Rather, ``for the sake of keeping the Instruction you will have the strength'' (and similarly v. 9). Otherwise, these verses would be suggesting that you observe the commandments for the sake of a reward (Bekhor Shor).

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possession of the land that you are about to cross into OJPS possess the land, whither ye go over to possess it; 9and and possess, 9and that you may long endure upon the soil that that ye may prolong your days upon the land, which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give unto them the LORD swore to your fathers to assign to them and to their heirs, a land ¯owing and to their seed, a land ¯owing with milk Ìȯ·Ú ¬ ¦ § Ÿ Ìz‡ ²¤ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ ÌzL¯È ´¤ § ¦ « ¦ and honey. with milk and honey. 10For the land that you are about to 10For the land, whither thou goest in ÆÌÈÓÈ ¦ ¨ eÎȯ‡z ³¦ £ © ÔÚÓÏe © ©¸ § 9 :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰nL ¨ −¨ enter and possess is not like the land of ÌÎÈ˙·‡Ï ²¤ ¥ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § ÚaL ©¸ § ¦ Á¯L ¤‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰-ÏÚ ¨½ ¨ £ ´¨ © to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, Egypt from which you have come. There ·ÏÁ from whence ye came out, where thou −¨ ¨ ˙·Ê ¬© ¨ ı¯‡ ¤ ²¤ ÌÚ¯ÊÏe ®¨ § © § Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ ˙˙Ï ¬¥ ¨ the grain you sowed had to be watered by didst sow thy seed, and didst water it with Ò :L·„e «¨ § thy foot, as a garden of herbs; 11but the your own labors, like a vegetable garden; K[[ 11but the land you are about to cross into ƉnL-‡· ¨ ƨ ¨ ‰z‡ ³¨ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨À ¨ Èk ´ ¦ 10 land, whither ye go over to possess it, is a and possess, a land of hills and valleys, ¯L Ÿ ´ dzL¯Ï ¬¤ ‡ £ ‡Â‰¦½ ÆÌȯˆÓ ¦ Æ© § ¦ ı¯‡Î ¤ ³¤ § ‡Ï ¨½ § ¦ § land of hills and valleys, and drinketh soaks up its water from the rains of heaven. water as the rain of heaven cometh down; ½ £ § © «¤ ÆÚ¯Êz EÚ¯Ê-˙‡ © § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌMÓ ®¨ ¦ Ì˙‡ˆÈ −¤ ¨ § ¤ ¨À ¨ § 11 :˜¯i‰ «¨ ¨ © Ô‚k − § § © § ˙ȘL‰Â ¨ ¬¦ § ¦ § RASHBAM 10±17 For the land that ¬© § EÏ‚¯· RASHI 9 Flowing with milk and ı¯‡‰Â ¤ ¬¤ dzL¯Ï ¨½ § ¦ § ƉnL ¨ ƨ Ìȯ·Ú ¬ ¦ § Ÿ Ìz‡ ı¯‡ ¤¹ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ you are about to enter and possess is not honey. Ÿ ® ¨ § Ìȯ‰ -‰zLz ¤ § ¦ ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ −© ¨ © ¯ËÓÏ ¬© § ¦ ˙Ú˜·e −¦ ¨ like the land of Egypt.

NJPS

Milk ¯ows from the goats, honey from the dates and ®gs.

The sense of this

passage is as follows: You must keep the 10 For the land that you are about to commandments of the Lord your God, for enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt. It is better. Ð This promise was made to Israel as soon as they left Egypt. For this land is better than the land of Egypt for

they thought, ``Perhaps we will never get to a land as ®ne as this one.'' The plain wording those who obey the commandments, but of the verse might be thought to imply, ``It is not like the land of Egypt, but worse.'' worse than any other land on earth for those Remember, though, that ``Hebron was founded seven years before Zoan of Egypt'' (Num. who do not obey them. Egypt is not de13:22). Now, the same man, Ham, built both cities, Zoan for his son Mizraim (``Egypt'') pendent on rain, so the good and the wicked and Hebron for his son Canaan. The way of the world is that the ®rst one built is nicer alike get their water by toil and can eat their (since the second is built of what is left over from the ®rst) and also that the one men- ®ll. But the land of IsraelÐif you keep the tioned ®rst is presumed to be the best. You therefore learn that Hebron was nicer than Zoan. Yet no country was more praiseworthy than Egypt: ``like the garden of the LORD, IBN EZRA 10 The land that you are like the land of Egypt'' (Gen. 13:10). And no place in Egypt was more praiseworthy than about to enter. This passage provides Zoan, which was the royal capital: ``Though [Pharaoh's] of®cers are present in Zoan, another reason why you must keep His and his messengers reach as far as Hanes'' (Isa. 30:4). Yet Hebron was merely what was commandments. Is not like the land of left over from the rest of the land of IsraelÐthat is why it was set aside for burying Egypt. Instead, God must look after it all the dead. Even so, it was nicer than Zoan. B. Ket. 112a comes to a similar conclusion year long. somewhat differently. [J] From which you have come. Even the part of Egypt from which the Israelites came, which was ``in the choicest part of the land of Egypt, in the region of Rameses'' (Gen. 47:11), was not as good as the land of Israel. There the grain you sowed had to be watered by your own labors. Literally, ``with your foot'' (compare OJPS). In Egypt, the ®elds had to be irrigated by carrying water from the Nile on foot. You had to stir yourselves from sleep in order to toil. The lower ground got the most water, for you had to carry water up from the lower ground to the higher. But ``the land you are about to cross into...soaks up its water from the rains of heaven'' (v. 11). While you are asleep in bed, the Holy One irrigates the low ground and the high ground alike, whether it is open or not. Like a vegetable garden. For even where there is rain, that is not enough for a vegetable garden, which requires so much water that one must still carry water there by foot, on one's shoulders. 11 A land of hills and valleys. Hills are better than ¯at ground, for in the same amount of territory where you could harvest a single kor on ¯at ground, you would get ®ve on a hillÐone on each of its four sides, and one on top. (The ``valleys'' of our phrase are the ¯at ground.) [J] See Rashi's comment to Num. 13:22.

NAHMANIDES 10 For the land that you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt. Rashi's comment is

taken from the Sifrei. The straightforward sense of the passage is as follows: Keep the commandments and you will possess a land ¯owing with milk and honey, for God will grant the rain for your land in season. But you must know that your land is not like Egypt, which could be irrigated by carrying water from the Nile and the other water sources. It gets its water ``from the rains of heaven'' (v. 11) and in no other way. It needs God to look after it because it is an extraordinarily parched land and needs rain all year long. If you contravene His will and He ceases to provide rain, it is a terrible land, ``beyond sowing and producing, no grass growing in it'' (29:22). All this is explained again in the next paragraph. Our paragraph is simply explaining some basic geographical facts. We learn from it that, even though everything is under God's control, and He can dry up the rivers of Egypt as easily as He can stop the rain in Canaan, Canaan would perish much more quickly. The sick man needs to pray for health more than the healthy man needs to pray not to become sick. (The same is true of the poor and the rich.) ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 That you may long endure upon the soil. Literally, ``that you may prolong your days upon the

land'' (compare OJPS). When it is a matter of remaining in the same place ``upon the land,'' it is you who have the power to prolong your days; when it comes to prolonging life itself, this is in God's hands, not in ours (Kimhi). 10 The land that you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt. As is well known, it never rains in Egypt (Gersonides). 11 The land you are about to cross into and possess, a land of hills and valleys, soaks up its water from the rains of heaven. Rainwater is sweet, unlike river water, which cannot help but be somewhat brackish (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 11:12±14

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is a land which the L ORD your God looks after, on OJPS 12a land which the LORD thy God careth for; the eyes of which the LORD your God always keeps His eye, from year's the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the beginning to year's end. year even unto the end of the year. 13If, then, you obey the commandments 13And it shall come to pass, if ye shall 12 that I enjoin upon you this day, loving the L¯c ´¥Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡ ¤ ¤¾ :ÌÈn ¦ «¨ hearken diligently unto My commandLORD your God and serving Him with all da¨½ ÆEÈ‰Ï ments which I command you this day, to Ÿ¤Æ ‡ À¦ ¨ d˙‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ÈÈÚ ¥¸ ¥ „ÈÓz ®¨ Ÿ your heart and soul, 14I will grant the rain love the LORD your God, and to serve Ò :‰L «¨ ¨ ˙ȯÁ‡ ¬ ¦ £ © „Ú −© § ‰M‰ ¨½ ¨ © Æ˙ÈL¯Ó ¦ ¥ «¥ Him with all your heart and with all your for your land in season, the early rain and ©½ Ÿ § ¦ -χ¤ ÆeÚÓLz § § ¦ ÚÓL-̇ ©Ÿ ³ ¨ ¦ ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 13 soul, 14that I will give the rain of your land the late. You shall gather in your new grain È˙ÂˆÓ º¨ £ © § ÌBi‰ ‰·‰‡Ï ® © ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ in its season, the former rain and the latter RASHI 12 It is a land which the LORD Ìη·Ï-ÏÎa ½ § ¨ § ÆÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤ ¥Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ³¨ § ¤ rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, your God looks after. He looks after all −¤ § © § ¨ § B„·ÚÏe 12It

*

²¤ § § © «© § Èz˙ ¯¦ © ¨ § 14 :ÌÎLÙ-Ï «¤ § § © ηe ¨ § lands, doesn't He? ``Who cut a channel for ÌΈ¯‡-¯ËÓ RASHBAM commandments, it is a the torrents and a path for the thunder- E‚„ ½¤ ¨ § zÙ҇ ´¨ § © ¨ § LB˜ÏÓe ®§ © ‰¯BÈ ´¤ BzÚa − ¦ § land...on which the LORD your God storms, to rain down on uninhabited land, always keeps His eye to water it with rain 'B ZSI v. 12. on the wilderness where no man is'' (Job from heaven from year's beginning to 38:25±26). But it is as if He looks after it year's end, giving it rain when rain is alone, and His care for it takes care of all the other lands as well. On which the LORD needed. If, then, you obey the commandyour God always keeps His eye. To see what it needs, and to keep issuing decrees with ments...I will grant the rain for your regard to itÐsometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse (see B. RH 17b). From land in season and you will eat your ®ll year's beginning. When judgment is made about how the year will end. without toil. If not . . . He will shut up the 13 If, then, you obey. ``If'' here logically follows v. 11. The land soaks up its water skies so that there will be no rain. ``if you obey.'' The double form of the verb ``obey'' in Hebrew indicates: If you ``hearken'' (OJPS) to the original commandments, then you will hearken to later ones as well. See IBN EZRA 12 On which the LORD similarly my comment to 8:19. The commandments that I enjoin upon you this day. your God always keeps His eye. This is They should seem to you as fresh as if I were giving them to you for the ®rst time today. metaphoric, of course. The image is that of Loving the LORD your God. You must not say, ``I am studying God's law in order to someone who is always looking to see what become rich'' or ``to become a rabbi'' or ``to get a reward''; rather, everything you do you the land needs so he can provide it in good must do out of love, and in the end reward will come. Serving Him with all your heart time. Vv. 13±14 describe the obvious conseand soul. The ``service of the heart'' is prayer. Remember that the king said to Daniel, quence. Beginning. Note that B is missing ``Your God, whom you serve so regularly'' (Dan. 6:17). Now, was there a Jewish Temple in from the Hebrew word; this is a frequent Babylonia? He was referring to Daniel's praying: ``Daniel . . . went to his house, in whose occurrence. upper chamber he had had windows made facing Jerusalem, and three times a day he 14 The early rain. Literally, the ``indiknelt down, prayed, and made confession to his God'' (Dan. 6:11). We learn the same cating'' rain, the rain that indicates the year from the example of David, who said, ``Take my prayer as an offering of incense'' (Ps. will be a good one. The late. Since the ®rst 141:2). Note that ``your'' is plural here, in contrast to ``your'' of ``You shall love the LORD word refers to the early rain, this must obviyour God with all your heart and with all your soul'' (6:5), which is singular. But that verse ously refer to the late rain. was addressed to individuals and this one to the collective. 14 I will grant the rain for your land. Once you have ful®lled your obligation, I will ful®ll Mine. In season. Literally, ``in its time''Ðthe nighttime, so that it does not get in your way. Another reading: ``its time'' is Friday nights, when everyone is at home observing the Sabbath. The early rain. The Hebrew word is related to the verb ``moisten.'' This is the rain that falls after the crop is sown, to moisten the earth and the seeds. The late. This is the rain that falls close to harvest time, to make the stalks ®ll out; the Hebrew term for this rain, malkosh, sounds like ``®ll-stalk.'' (It is actually connected with an Aramaic word meaning ``late.'') Another reading: it is an acronym for melilot and kashin, ``grain'' and ``straw.'' You shall gather in your new grain. You shall gather it in, not your enemiesÐas in ``Nevermore will I give your new grain to your enemies for food'' (Isa. 62:8), and not as in ``After the Israelites had done their sowing, Midian, Amalek, and the Kedemites would come up and raid them; they would attack them, destroy the produce of the land all the way to Gaza, and leave no means of sustenance in Israel, not a sheep or an ox or an ass'' (Judg. 6:3±4).

NAHMANIDES 12 It is a land which the LORD your God looks after. Since this phrase does not connect God's ``looking after'' the land with rain, the midrash quoted by Rashi would seem to be implied in the text. On which the LORD your God always keeps His eye. The talmudic comment cited by Rashi [L] conceals a profound mystery. This land is looked after by All, it is All, and all the other lands are in Truth supported by it. [M] 13 With all your heart and soul. Rashi's comment, which comes from the Sifrei, is to be explained as follows. God does not miraculously provide the rain and do all the other things described here, except on the basis of how the majority of the people are acting. But individuals will live by their own merits or die for their own sins. What our text is saying is that, if the Israelites observe all the commandments out of perfect love, He will do all these miracles for them; if they worship idols, He will do the opposite. You must know that special miracles are not performed, whether for good or ill, except for those who are completely righteous or completely evil. God treats ordinary people with good or ill that appears to occur in the normal way of the world, according to their behavior. [L] Both here and in the previous comment, Nahmanides quotes directly without mentioning Rashi. comment to Gen. 24:1.

[M] ``All'' is being used here by Nahmanides to name an aspect of God; see his

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 It is a land which the LORD your God looks after. Keeping tabs on it and on its inhabitants (Bekhor Shor). On which the LORD your God always keeps His eye. Precisely judging its inhabitants' deeds (Bekhor Shor). Beginning. This is the only occurrence of this Hebrew word (out of 51) that is missing the B (Masorah). 14 In season. Literally, ``in its time''Ðon Tuesday and Friday nights (Bekhor Shor). You shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil. Since I might take Josh. 1:8 literally when it says, ``Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night,'' this verse tells us, ``You have permission to work at your occupations'' (Hizkuni).

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and wine and oilÐ15I will also provide grass in the and thy wine, and thine oil. 15And I will give grass in thy 16 ®elds for your cattleÐand thus you shall eat your ®ll. Take care ®elds for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satis®ed. 16Take not to be lured away to serve other gods heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deand bow to them. 17For the L ORD`s anger ceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other E„Na − § ¨ § ·NÚ ¤ ¬¥ Èz˙ ² ¦ © ¨ § 15 :E¯‰ˆÈ «¤ ¨ § ¦ § EL¯È˙ − § Ÿ « ¦ § gods, and worship them; 17and the anger of will ¯are up against you, and He will shut ´ § «¨ ¦ 16 :zÚ·N ¨ § «¨ ¨ § zÏ· −¨ § © ¨ § EzÓ‰·Ï ®¤ § ¤ § ¦ the LORD be kindled against you, and He up the skies so that there will be no rain e¯ÓM‰ and the ground will not yield its produce; ÆÌz„·Ú ¤ § © £ © Ìz¯Ò ¤À § © § Ìη·Ï ®¤ § © § ‰zÙÈ −¤ § ¦ Ôt ¬¤ ÌÎÏ ¤½ ¨ shut up the heaven, so that there shall be and you will soon perish from the good ½ ¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¨ Ì˙ÈÂÁzL‰Â −¤ ¦ £ © § ¦ § ÌȯÁ‡ ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the land that the L ORD is assigning to you. ¹¨ § © ‰¯Á ¸¨ ¨ § 17 good land which the LORD giveth you. ¤ ¯ˆÚ ³© ¨ § ÌÎa ¤À ¨ ‰Â‰È-Û‡ 18 Therefore impress these My words -˙‡ 18 Ÿ ¬ ‰Ó„‡‰Â ¨½ ¨ £ ´¨ § ¯ËÓ ¨½ ¨ ‰È‰È-‡Ï ´¤ § ¦ Ÿ « § ÆÌÈÓM‰ ¦ Æ© ¨ © Therefore shall ye lay up these My upon your very heart: bind them as a sign ‡Ï on your hand and let them serve as a ÆÏÚÓ À¨ ¥ § Ìz„·‡Â © ¥ ‰¯‰Ó ´¤ § © £ © dÏe·È-˙‡ ®¨ § ¤ Ôz˙ −¥ ¦ words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon :ÌÎÏ «¤ ¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰·h‰ ¨½ Ÿ © ı¯‡‰ ¤ ´¨ ¨ your hand, and they shall be for frontlets

RASHI 15 I will also provide grass in Ìη·Ï-ÏÚ ´© ¨ § ¤ ÆÌzÓN ¤ § © § 18 the ®elds. You will not need to lead your −¤ § © § © ‰l¤ ‡¥½ ȯ·c-˙‡

³¨ Ÿ Ìz¯L˜e ¤¸ § © § ÌÎLÙ-ÏÚ ®¤ § § © «© § IBN EZRA 15 Thus you shall eat cattle to pasture. Another reading: You will -ÏÚ© Æ˙B‡Ï§ Ì˙‡ shear your crop all through the rainy season :ÌÎÈÈÚ Ÿ − ¨ § eȉ «¤ ¥ ¥ ÔÈa ¬¥ ˙ÙËBËÏ ¬ ¨ § ÌÎ„È ¤½ § ¤ your ®ll. As the punctuation of NJPS and toss what you cut in front of your cattle. makes clear, ``thus'' refers to the ``new grain Just stop doing that 30 days before harvest and wine and oil'' of v. 14, not the grass time, and your crop will not be diminished at all from its full amount. You shall eat your mentioned in the ®rst part of our verse. ®ll. This is a separate blessingÐthat your bread will be so ®lled with goodness that even a 17 Its produce. I explained this in my bit of it will ®ll your bellies and leave you satis®ed. comment to Lev. 26:4. You will soon per16 Take care. Once you have eaten your ®ll. For it is not want, but satiety, that causes ish. You will be exiled from it by starvation. people to rebel against the Holy One: ``When you have eaten your ®ll . . . beware lest your 18 Therefore impress these My words heart grow haughty and you forget the LORD your God'' (8:12, 14). Not to be lured away. upon your very heart. Since the land is ``Away'' from the Torah. To serve other gods. Once a man goes away from the Torah, he good, if you fail to impress these words on goes and holds fast to idolatry, just as David said: ``For they have driven me out today, so your heart and end up perishing from hunthat I cannot have a share in the LORD's possession, but am told, `Go and worship other ger, it is your own responsibility. A symbol. gods''' (1 Sam. 26:19). Now who told him this? What he meant was, ``Having been driven See my comment to 6:8. away from the Torah, I am on the point of worshiping other gods''Ðor rather, ``different'' gods. For they are different to those who worship them than the Lord is to those who worship Him. One cries out to them and they do not answer, treating their worshipers as something ``other.'' 17 The ground will not yield its produce. Not even what you yourselves originally ``produced'' when you came to sow it: ``You have sowed much and brought in little'' (Hag. 1:6). You will soon perish. On top of all the other punishments, I will exile you from the land that caused you to sin. A parable: A king sent his son to a feast, warning him, ``Do not eat more than you need to, so that you may keep yourself clean enough to come home.'' But the son paid no attention. He ate and drank far too much, and vomited all over the other guests. They took him by the arms and legs and tossed him out of the palace. Ð And this will happen to you soon. ``I will not give you any leeway.'' You might argue that He did give leeway to the generation of the Flood: ``Let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years'' (Gen. 6:3). But they had no one to learn from, and you do have someone to learn from. 18 Therefore impress these My words upon your very heart. Even after you are exiled, you must mark yourselves by observance of the commandments. Don te®llin and make mezuzot, so that they are not new to you when at last you return: ``Erect markers, set up signposts; keep in mind the highway, the road that you traveled. Return, Maiden Israel! Return to these towns of yours!'' (Jer. 31:21).

NAHMANIDES 15 You shall eat your ®ll.

See the comments of Rashi and Ibn Ezra. In my view, the ®rst half of the verse is not parenthetical, as Ibn Ezra thinks; your sheep and cattle will also be able to eat their ®ll. As the Sifrei points out, when your animals eat their ®ll they can work the land for you: ``A rich harvest comes through the strength of the ox'' (Prov. 14:4). Another possible reading is that ``your cattle'' are provided with grass so that you may ``eat your ®ll'' of their young. This interpretation is made plausible by Jer. 31:12, ``They shall come and shout on the heights of Zion, radiant over the bounty of the LORDÐover new grain and wine and oil, and over sheep and cattle.'' And this is the correct interpretation. 18 Impress these My words upon your very heart. See Rashi's comment. Though te®llin and mezuzot are personal obligations, which one is required to observe every place on earth just as one would in the land of Israel, the midrash quoted by Rashi conceals a profound mystery, to which I have already alluded in my comments to Lev. 18:25. Note that this paragraph repeats the commandments of 6:7±9, implying that we are still obligated to ful®ll them even after being exiled, outside the land. It is in fact from this that we learn that all the commandments that are personal obligations are obligatory everywhere. We are exempt outside the land only from the commandments that directly apply to the soilÐe.g., the tithes and the priestly gifts. This is how the Sifrei explains it. The point of the midrash is that ``impress these My words'' follows immediately upon ``you will soon perish'' of the previous verse. But this particular passage is actually focused on doing these things ``in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to assign to them'' (v. 21). Perhaps, though, it is saying that you must do these things so that you may endure in the land foreverÐafter you return from exile. According to the straightforward sense of the passage, it could be that the purpose of the repetition was the differences in the section about ``reciting them'' (v. 19); see my next comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 Other gods. They are sometimes literally made into something ``other''Ðif the idol is made of gold and the owner needs the gold, he will replace it with one of silver; if of silver, he may replace it with one of copper (Hizkuni). 17 You will soon perish. The only other occurrence of the phrase is in Josh. 23:16 (Masorah). Rather, ``you will soon be exiled.'' The Hebrew word is used this way in Isa. 27:13, ``the strayed who are in the land of Assyria'' (Hizkuni).

DEUTERONOMY 11:19±22

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symbol on your forehead, 19and teach them to your OJPS between your eyes. 19And ye shall teach them to your childrenÐreciting them when you stay at home and when you children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and are away, when you lie down and when you get up; 20and inscribe when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and them on the doorposts of your house and when thou risest up. 20And thou shalt 21 write them upon the door-posts of thy on your gatesÐ to the end that you and ®¨ ¯a„Ï ´¥ © § ÌÎÈa −¤ ¥ § -˙‡¤ Ì˙‡ ²¨ Ÿ Ìz„nÏ ¬¤ § © ¦ § 19 house, and upon thy gates; 21that your days your children may endure, in the land that Ìa the LORD swore to your fathers to assign EaÎL·e Ƥ ¥ § Ez·La − § § ¨ § « C¯c· ¤ ½¤ © EzÎÏ·e ´ § § ¤ § ÆE˙È·a ³ § § ¦ § may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD to them, as long as there is a heaven over E˙Èa −¤ ¥ ˙BÊeÊÓ ¬ § -ÏÚ© Ìz·˙Îe ²¨ § © § 20 :EÓe˜·e «¤ § swore unto your fathers to give them, as the earth. ÈÓÈ ´¥ ¦ ÆÌÎÈÓÈ ¤ ¥ § ea¯È ³ § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ©¸ § 21 :EȯÚL·e «¤ ¨ § ¦ 22If, then, you faithfully keep all this the days of the heavens above the earth. 22For if ye shall diligently keep all this ²¨ § ÚaL ¯© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ «¨ ÏÚ© μ ÌÎÈ· ¤½ ¥ § Instruction that I command you, loving ‰Â‰È the LORD your God, walking in all His ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ −© ¨ © ÈÓÈk ¬¥ ¦ Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ ˙˙Ï ´¥ ¨ ÌÎÈ˙·‡Ï −¤ ¥ Ÿ £ © commandment which I command you, to do it, to love the LORD your God, to walk Ò :ı¯‡‰-ÏÚ ¤ «¨ ¨ © ZKJVPG KTKC[ RASHI 19 Reciting them. From the ‰Âˆn‰-Ïk Ÿ¸ ¨ ¹ § § ¦ ¯ÓL-̇ ´¨ § ¦ © ¨ -˙‡¤ Ôe¯ÓLz ¦ ÁÈk¦ 22 moment your children know how to speak, RASHBAM 21 As long as there is a ŸÀ © ®¨ Ÿ £ © ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ˙‡f‰ you must teach them, ``Moses commanded d˙NÚÏ heaven over the earth. For from that us a law'' (33:4), so that this is how they -ÏÎa º¨ £ © § heaven I will grant the rain, and the ground ¨ § ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ¬¤ ¨ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ²¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ¯¨ § ¤ ‰·‰‡Ï learn to speak. Our Sages derived from this will yield its produce. verse that as soon as a child begins to speak his father must converse with him in Hebrew and teach him Torah, and that if he does not he as good as buries him, since the purpose of the recitation is ``that your days may be IBN EZRA 21 As long as there is a multiplied, and the days of your children'' (as v. 21 really says; see OJPS). If you do so, heaven over the earth. If you do impress your days will be multiplied; if you don't, they won't. For with regard to words of Torah, these words on your heart, you will not positive statements imply the corresponding negative, and negative statements imply the perish from the land, but will live there as long as there is a heaven over the earth. corresponding positive. 21 The land that the LORD swore to your fathers to assign to them. He did not 22 If, then, you faithfully keep all this swear to give it to ``you,'' but to ``them.'' We thus ®nd that the doctrine of resurrection of Instruction. This is not merely a condition of remaining on the landÐyou will not enter the dead can be derived from the Torah. 22 If, then, you faithfully keep. Again the Torah uses two forms of the Hebrew verb. the land in the ®rst place, let alone conquer The Torah requires multiple ``keepings'' if one is to learn and not forget. Walking in all it, if you do not faithfully keep all the comHis ways. As He is compassionate, so must you be compassionate; as He does acts of mandments of the Lord. Loving the LORD kindness, so must you do acts of kindness. Holding fast to Him. Can one really say this? your God. In your heart. Walking in all After all, He is ``a devouring ®re'' (9:3). Rather, you must hold fast to the Sages and their His ways. Never changing course or backsliding. Holding fast to Him. As a consedisciples, and I will regard you as having held fast to Him. quence of loving the Lord and walking in all His ways. This ``holding fast to Him'' is a NAHMANIDES 19 Teach them to your childrenÐreciting them. Rather, ``teach profound religious mystery. your children to speak of them.'' In 6:7 it is we who are to ``recite them,'' but here we are told that we must teach our children to do so. ``Impress them upon your children'' of 6:7 uses a different Hebrew verb than does our verse; the meaning there is really just to ``repeat'' the commandments, while here we are instructed to ``teach'' them so that they will understand them and can discuss them. 21 As long as there is a heaven over the earth. This too is an addition to the Deuteronomy 6 passage, invoking it throughout the generations. Or our phrase, which literally says ``as the days of the heavens above the earth'' (OJPS), may be a reference to the primordial heaven and earth of Gen. 1:1. One who is enlightened will understand. 22 Holding fast to Him. Ibn Ezra calls this ``a profound religious mystery,'' but that mystery is not derived from this text. He is perhaps saying that one must love the Lord and walk in His ways in order to be worthy of holding fast to Him at last. But Josh. 23:7±8, ``Do not utter the names of their gods or swear by them; do not serve them or bow down to them. But hold fast to the LORD your God as you have done to this day,'' shows that the Israelites had already been ``holding fast'' to the Lord on a regular basis. So it seems that our verse is simply another of the warnings not to commit idolatry by transferring one's thoughts from the Lord to other gods and not to imagine that there is any substance to idolatry: ``Worship none but Him, and hold fast to Him'' (13:5). One must not worship God along with some other god, but only Him alone, in both thought and deed. It could be that ``holding fast'' includes remembering God and loving Him always, never letting your thoughts leave Him ``when you lie down and when you get up'' (v. 19), to the extent that even when speaking with other people one's thoughts remain before God. It could be that the lives of people who are on that level are ``bound up in the bundle of life'' (1 Sam. 25:29) even while they are still alive, being themselves a habitation for the Shekhinah, as the Kuzari hints. I have already discussed this in my comment to Lev. 18:5. Joshua tells them to hold fast to God ``as you have done to this day'' because while they were in the wilderness, eating manna, drinking from the well, and all in all completely dependent on miracles, their thoughts and deeds were continuously on God. Now, in the land, once these miracles had disappeared, he warns them not to let their attention stray from the glorious and awesome Lord.

NJPS

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19 When you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.

Literally, ``when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you stand up'' (compare OJPS); walking, sitting, lying, and standing are the four human postures (Bekhor Shor). 22 Walking in all His ways. Running your affairs in the same way that He runs His worldÐwith righteousness and justice (Sforno). Holding fast to Him. Perhaps, as Ibn Ezra writes, this refers to the soul's holding fast to Him after its separation from the body (Abarbanel).

80

81 DEUTERONOMY 11:22±25 NJPS

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ways, and holding fast to Him,

23

the L ORD will dislodge

before you all these nations: you will dispossess nations greater and more numerous than you.

24

Every spot on which your foot

treads shall be yours; your territory shall extend from the wilder-

OJPS

in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him,

25

No

man shall stand up to you: the L ORD your God will put the dread and the fear of you over the whole land in which you set foot, as He promised you.

RASHI 23 The LORD will dislodge before you all these nations. When you ful®ll your obligation, I will ful®ll Mine. Greater and more numerous than you.

23

then will the

L ORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.

24

Every

place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours:

ness to the Lebanon and from the RiverÐ the EuphratesÐto the Western Sea.

BK OK ZCE

from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from

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the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall be your border.

25

There

shall no man be able to stand against you: the L ORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as He hath spoken unto you.

RASHBAM 24 Every spot on which your foot treads. To engage in battle with the seven nations. From the wilderness. The south. From the RiverÐthe Euphrates. In the north. To the Western Sea.

Rather, ``mightier'' (OJPS). You are mighty, but they are mightier. Ð For if the Israelites themselves were not mighty, it would be faint praise to call the Amorites mightier. where you are standing now, at the ``You are mightier than all the other nations, but the Amorites are mightier even than you.'' From southeasternmost point of the land of Israel, 25 No man shall stand up to you. ``No man''Ðbut how do I know that this also to ``the hinder sea'' (OJPS) in the west. includes ``no nation, no clan, no woman expert in sorcery''? Even without the word ``man,'' 25 No man shall stand up to you. the Hebrew would mean ``no one.'' How then must I interpret the use of the word ``man''? Within those territories. ``Not even a man like King Og of Bashan.'' [K] The dread and the fear of you. Is ``dread'' not ``fear''? The use of both words implies: The dread of you will fall on those close by, and the fear of you on those far off. In fact the ®rst Hebrew word implies sudden panic, and the second refers to longstanding worry. As He promised you. And where did He promise this? ``I will send forth My terror before you, and I will throw into panic all the people among whom you come'' (Exod. 23:27). [K] See Rashi's comment to 3:11.

NAHMANIDES 24 Every spot on which your foot treads shall be yours; your territory shall extend from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the RiverÐthe EuphratesÐto the Western Sea. According to our Sages, these are two separate promises:

(1) Every place they might wish to conquer in Shinar, Assyria, and the like would be theirs, and the commandments would all apply throughout these countries, for they all are part of the land of Israel; (2) but from the wilderness to the Lebanon as far as the Western Sea was the territory that they were obligated to conquer and (as v. 23 says) to dispossess the nations from there, and to eradicate idolatry and idolaters from it, as commanded in 7:25. In both cases, v. 25 promises, ``No man shall stand up to you.'' It is from this verse that the rabbinic controversy over the status of Syria in Jewish law derives. David conquered Syria because he felt like doing so; he did not inquire of the Urim and Thummim or of the Sanhedrin. But he was obligated ®rst to dispossess the seven nations of Canaan and only after that go ®ght some other country (if he wished to). Since he did not follow the commandment of the Torah and achieve that conquest, some of the Sages say that his taking Syria is not technically a conquest under the rules given here, and it is treated as being outside the land of Israel; at least, that is how it is taught in the Sifrei. But others, on B. Git. 8, say that it is considered to be within the land. Even though he did not do things in the right order, since he did go there and conquer it, the promise of ``Every spot on which your foot treads shall be yours'' does apply, and it is part of the land of Israel. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 23 The LORD will dislodge before you all these nations. He will give you a place where you can support yourselves without dif®culty, so that you will be able to do His will (Sforno). 25 The dread and the fear of you. Some take these to represent two aspects of fear: dread and reverence. How is it that they do not ®nd two aspects to the love of God as well? But ``fear'' refers to keeping the commandmentsÐnot because you are afraid of punishment, but because you are afraid of disappointing God. One might also say that one loves to perform the things we are commanded to do and fears to do the things that are prohibited (Abarbanel).

s

RE'EH NJPS

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this day I set before you blessing and curse: OJPS 26Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a if you obey the commandments of the LORD your curse: 27the blessing, if ye shall hearken unto the commandments God that I enjoin upon you this day; 28and of the LORD your God, which I command curse, if you do not obey the commandyou this day; 28and the curse, if ye shall not −¨ ¨ § ÌBi‰ ® © ÌÎÈÙÏ −¤ ¥ § ¦ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ‰‡¯ ¥À § 26 hearken unto the commandments of the ments of the LORD your God, but turn ‰Î¯a À § § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‰Î¯a‰-˙‡ ®¨ ¨ § © «¤ 27 :‰ÏϘe «¨ ¨ § LORD your God, but turn aside out of the away from the path that I enjoin upon you eÚÓLz this day and follow other gods, whom you ÈÎ‡ Ÿ § ¦ -χ¤ way which I command you this day, to go ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Æ˙ÂˆÓ after other gods, which ye have not known. have not experienced. 29When the LORD Ÿ³ ‡Ï-̇ ¦ ‰ÏÏw‰Â ¨À ¨ § © § 28 :ÌBi‰ « © ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § 29 your God brings you into the land that And it shall come to pass, when the Ÿ § ¦ -χ¤ ÆeÚÓL˙ § § ¦ LORD thy God shall bring thee into the ´¤ § © § ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Æ˙ÂˆÓ you are about to enter and possess, you Ìz¯Ò shall pronounce the blessing at Mount ÌBi‰ ® © ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ C¯c‰-ÔÓ ¤ ½¤ © ¦ land whither thou goest to possess it, that Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.Ð -‡Ï Ÿ « ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌȯÁ‡ −¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ¬¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ȯÁ‡ ²¥ £ © ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ¤À ¨ thou shalt set the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. ´¨ § ÆE‡È·È £ « ¦ § Èk ³¦ ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 29 Ò :ÌzÚ„È «¤ § © § RASHI 26 See, this day I set before ‰Â‰È 26See,

27blessing,

you blessing and curse.

‰nL-‡· ¨ −¨ ¨ ‰z‡-¯L ¬¨ © ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ‡¤ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ RASHBAM 26 See, this day I set be¯‰-ÏÚ ´© © Ɖίa‰-˙‡ ¨ ¨§ © ¤ ‰z˙ ³¨ © ¨ § dzL¯Ï ®¨ § ¦ § fore you the commandment to pronounce blessing and curse. These are the blessing ½¦ ¦ § and curse referred to in v. 29. :Ï·ÈÚ «¨ ¥ ¯‰-ÏÚ ¬© © ‰ÏÏw‰-˙‡Â −¨ ¨ § © ¤ § ÌÈʯb

28 But turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods. You learn that one who com-

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

The blessing and curse to be pronounced at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. 27 Blessing, if you obey. Rather, ``blessing, in order that you may obey.''

mits idolatry turns completely away from the path that Israel was commanded to follow. This is why the Sages said, ``One who acknowledges an idol denies the entire Torah.''

29 You shall pronounce the blessing.

How can Moses claim to set the blessing and curse before them ``this day'' (v. 26), when Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal are on the other side of the Jordan? F Why the difference (according to the Hebrew text) between the blessing ``that'' you will obey (v. 27) and the curse ``if '' you will not obey (v. 28)? F Why does v. 28 add a second condition for the curse, that the Israelites ``turn away from the path''? F Why are ``the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal'' (v. 29) mentioned here at all, when they are not going to be presented in full until chs. 27±28?

Rather, you shall ``set'' the blessing (see OJPS); that is, as Onkelos translates, those who pronounce the blessing. At Mount Gerizim. Not literally ``upon'' it, as OJPS translates. They were to face Mount Gerizim and recite: ``Blessed be everyone who does not make a sculptured or molten image''Ðthe opposite of 27:15, for each of the curses given there was ®rst to be recited the opposite way, in blessing form. Then they would turn to face Mount Ebal and recite the curse.

NAHMANIDES 29 You shall pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim.

27 Blessing. The syntax of the verse is dif®cult; the point is that the blessing will take place at Mount Gerizim on condition that you obey the commandments of the LORD.

IBN EZRA 26 See.

The Hebrew verb is in the singular, being directed at each individual.

27 Blessing, if you obey the commandments. Rather, ``blessing, that you

obey the commandments.'' If you obey them, you are blessed. ``Blessing'' intrinsically refers to some additional good. 28 Curse. ``Curse'' is a deprivation of good. The Hebrew word comes from the root FNY, indicating diminution.

29 You shall pronounce the blessing.

Rashi's Literally, you shall ``give'' the blessing; but comment is not correct as a straightforward understanding of the text; we have not yet NJPS understands the idiom correctly. been told anything about those who are to pronounce the blessing. Rather, in v. 26 Moses Compare the scapegoat ritual, where ``Aaron is setting before them two paths, one of blessing and one of cursingÐthat is, he is offering shall lay both his hands upon the head of them a choice: ``I am letting you know that you will have a blessing if you obey the com- the live goat and confess over it all the inimandments and a curse if you do not.'' He says the same in 30:15±20. In our verse, Moses quities and transgressions of the Israelites'' goes on to command that they pronounce the blessing he is going to say to them at Mount (Lev. 16:21), which goes on to refer to the Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal. The blessing is ``set before them'' by Moses pro- confession of sins as ``giving them over the nouncing it, as Ibn Ezra explains. Just so, the sins of the Israelites are ``set'' on the head of head of the goat.'' the goat in Lev. 16:21 by Aaron's pronouncing them. What Moses is saying in our verse is that the blessing of those who obey is to be pronounced at Mount Gerizim and the curse of those who don't is to be pronounced at Mount Ebal. At this point, the possibility is open that all the tribes will pronounce both the blessing and the curse, or that the Levites will pronounce both, or that a single person will pronounce the blessing and the curse to all the rest of them. Only in 27:12±14 are the details of how this is to be carried out explained. Our paragraph is just a preliminary mention of it. And the curse at Mount Ebal. It could be that Mount Gerizim got the blessing because it was on the south or right-hand side, [A] and Mount Ebal got the curse because it was on the north, and ``Out of the north, evil shall come forth'' (Jer. 1:14). [A] In Biblical Hebrew, the forward direction is east, not north; so south is to the right and north to the left.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 26 See, this day I set before you blessing and curse. Rather, ``See this day that I have set blessing and curse before you''Ðfor it is your choice whether to obey or not (Gersonides). It is the commandments that he is about to give them that are the ``blessing and curse''; as Hosea 14:10 tells us, ``The righteous can walk on them, while sinners stumble on them.'' Compare also 30:15 and 30:19 (Abarbanel). You are not to follow the middle path, as do the other nations (Sforno). 27 Blessing, if you obey the commandments. It is the curse of v. 28 that says ``if''; the blessing says ``that,'' not ``if.'' If you obey, the blessing is certain; even if you disobey, the curse is merely potential (Abarbanel). 29 When the LORD your God brings you into the land. Unlike most of the commandments, which do not apply until ``you have occupied it and are settled in it'' (v. 31), this one applies as soon as you enter (Gersonides). You shall pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal. We have no idea why the blessing is at Gerizim and the curse at Ebal, but the use of two mountains is to demonstrate how profound is the gulf between those who observe the Torah and those who violate it (Gersonides). DEUTERONOMY 11:26±29 RE'EH

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82

83 DEUTERONOMY 11:30±12:2

RE'EH

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CK OK ZCE

are on the other side of the Jordan, beyond the OJPS 30Are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the west road that is in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in ArabahÐnear Gilgal, by the terebinths of Moreh. the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the terebinths of Moreh? 31For you are about to cross the Jordan 31For ye are to pass over the Jordan to go to enter and possess the land that the C¯c À¥ § © © ¯·Úa ¤ ¤μ ÆȯÁ‡ ¥ £ «© Ôc¯i‰ ¤ ´¥ § ‰n‰-‡Ï‰ ¨ ¥¹ Ÿ £ 30 in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess LORD your God is assigning to you. When ½¦ £ © § «© Æı¯‡a ·Li‰ −¥ Ÿ © ÈÚk‰ ¤ Ƥ § LÓM‰ ¤ ¤½ © ‡B·Ó ´ § you have occupied it and are settled in it, it, and dwell therein. 32And ye shall ob32take care to observe all the laws and rules :‰¯Ó «¤Ÿ ÈBÏ ¬¥ ‡¥ ψ‡ ¤ −¥ ÏbÏb‰ ¨½ § ¦ © ÏeÓμ ‰·¯Úa ®¨ ¨ £ ¨ serve to do all the statutes and the ordithat I have set before you this day. Ÿ ¨ Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ½¥ § © © Ƈ·Ï ¤ Ìȯ·Ú ´ ¦ § Ÿ ÆÌz‡ ¤ © Èk ³¦ 31 nances which I set before you this day.

NJPS

30Both

12

These are the laws and rules that you must carefully observe in the land that the LORD, God of your fathers, is giving you to possess, as long as you live on earth. 2You must destroy all the sites at which

RASHI 30 Both are on the other side of the Jordan. Moses explained to them how they were to recognize these mountains. Beyond. Literally, ``after.'' But this form of the word implies not merely being across the river, but far beyond it. The west road. The Hebrew expression really just

ÌÎÈ‰Ï −¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ ˙L¯Ï ¤ ´¤ ¨ Ÿ ¤ § © « ¦ d˙‡ −¨ ÌzL¯È ¬¤ § ¦ « ¦ ÌÎÏ ®¤ ¨ Ô˙ ´¥ Ÿ :da«¨ -Ìz·LÈ ½ £ © Ìz¯ÓLe ÌÈwÁ‰-Ïk −¦ ª «© ¨ ˙‡ ¬¥ ˙BNÚÏ ´¤ § © § 32 ÌÎÈÙÏ −¤ ¥ § ¦ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ ÈÎ‡ ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ÌÈËtLn‰-˙‡Â ®¦ ¨ § ¦ © ¤§ :ÌBi‰ «©

12

These are the statutes and the ordinances, which ye shall observe to do in the land which the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath given thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. 2Ye shall surely destroy all the places,

·È RASHBAM road.

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30 Beyond the west

``Beyond'' and ``road'' occur in sequence in the Hebrew (compare ``behind the way'' of OJPS). Both Hebrew words are punctuated in the same way, with a pashta, but since the accent of the second word is on the ®rst syllable, the pashta takes the form of a yetiv. [A] ``West'' is indeed the sense of the next Hebrew phrase, which literally says ``the coming of the sun'' (again, compare OJPS), that is, its coming to the far horizon, its setting.

means ``in the direction of sunset'' (compare OJPS), that is, across the Jordan on the west ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why must the laws side. The Hebrew punctuation shows that begin with a command (v. 2) to destroy idolatryÐa ``beyond'' (or ``behind'' in OJPS) is some- command that has been given twice already in 7:5 and thing separate from the phrase that follows: 7:25? The unity of God is mentioned (in 6:4) just ``far beyond, toward the west.'' Near Gilgal. once! Rather, ``over against Gilgal'' (OJPS), that is, 12:2 All the sites at which the nations opposite it, but far past it. The terebinths of Moreh. This is Shechem: ``Abram passed you are to dispossess worshiped their through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh'' (Gen. 12:6). gods. The translations understand correctly. 31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and possess the land. The miracles [A] The punctuation marks also serve as cantillation signs that will attend your crossing of the Jordan [A] will be a sign to you that you are going to and accent marks. Certain combinations of accents may enter and possess the land. change the marking without changing the punctuation. 12:2 You must destroy. The Hebrew uses a double verb form, ``destroy'' and again ``you shall destroy.'' We deduce that one who is destroying idolatry must utterly tear it out IBN EZRA 30 On the other side of the Jordan. From the perspective of Moses, [A] See Joshua 3. the speaker. Beyond the west road. When follow the road west, you will ®nd them. NAHMANIDES 32 Take care to observe all the laws and rules. Here again (see you The land of the Canaanites who dwell in my comment to 4:5) Moses sets forth the laws and the rules before beginning to list the rest the Arabah. That is, the steppe; for there of the commandments, beginning with the rules about idolatry and then going on to those were also Canaanites who dwelt in the hills. about the false prophet, the subverted town, and so forth. Among the laws, he begins with Near Gilgal. Rather, ``opposite'' Gilgal instructions about the temple sacri®ces and the forbidden foods, and then goes on to dis(compare OJPS). The mountains went on for cuss all the rest of the commandments. a long way, so Moses is commanding them which part of the mountains to use. Gilgal (like Dan of Gen. 14:14) does not receive that name until after the conquest. Either it is called Gilgal here prophetically, or Gilgal was actually an older name of the site by which the city came to be called once again in the days of Joshua. [A] The terebinths of Moreh. This is the same place mentioned in the Abraham stories. The actual contents of the blessing and the curse will be given later in the book. 31 For you are about to cross. Moses' point is: If you begin by observing the commandments, the land will be your possession in perpetuity. 12:2 You must destroy all the sites at which the nations you are to dispossess worshiped their gods. According to Jonah ibn Janah, there is an understood conjunction here: ``You must destroy all the sites at which the nations you are to dispossess worshiped, and [A] Some think Ibn Ezra simply means that Moses is talking about a different place, also named Gilgal.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 30 Both are on the other side of the Jordan.

You must demonstrate as soon as you cross that your settlement in the land will not just be ``good enough'' (Sforno). 12:1 As long as you live on earth. I would have thought that these laws need only be observed ``in the land''; from this phrase I understand that they apply everywhere. But they would be more capable of observing them in their own land (Bekhor Shor). Idolatry must be uprooted not only as soon as you enter the land, but whenever you ®nd it afterward (Gersonides). Just as a vineyard needs good vines, good land, and good care, so it is with nations. The Israelites, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, come of good stock; they are to be settled in the choicest of lands; and must follow the commandments (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 12:2±5 RE'EH

FB Z

CK OKZCE

NJPS the nations you are to dispossess worshiped their gods, OJPS wherein the nations that ye are to dispossess served whether on lofty mountains and on hills or under any luxuriant their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, tree. 3Tear down their altars, smash their pillars, put their sacred and under every leafy tree. 3And ye shall break down their posts to the ®re, and cut down the images altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and of their gods, obliterating their name from burn their Asherim with ®re; and ye shall À¦ © ÌL-e„·Ú Ì˙‡ −¨ Ÿ ÌÈL¯È ¬ ¦ §Ÿ Ìz‡ ²¤ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌÈBb‰ ´¨ § «¨ hew down the graven images of their gods; that site. 4Do not worship the L ORD your God -ÏÚ © § ÆÌÈÓ¯‰ ¦ ¨ «¨ Ìȯ‰‰-ÏÚ ³¦ ¨ ¤ © Ì‰È‰Ï ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡-˙‡ ¡ ¤ and ye shall destroy their name out of in like manner, 5but look only to the site Ìzˆz 3 ½ ¨ § © that place. ´¤ § © ¦ § :ÔÚ¯ ¨ £ © ıÚ-Ïk ¬¥ ¨ ˙Á˙ © −© § ˙BÚ·b‰ 4Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your that the LORD your God will choose Ÿ Ÿ ½ Æ À Ì˙·vÓ ¨ ´ ¥ © -˙‡ ¤ Ìz¯aL ¤ § © ¦ § Ì˙ÁaÊÓ ¨ § § ¦ -˙‡ ¤ amidst all your tribes as His habitation, to God. 5But unto the place which the LORD ½ Æ ÈÏÈÒÙe ¬ ¥ ¦ § L ‡a ¥ ¨ ÔeÙ¯Nz ´ § § ¦ ̉ȯL ¤ ¥ « ¥ ‡Â £ © your God shall choose out of all your establish His name there. There you are ÌÓL-˙‡ ¨½ § ¤ Ìz„a‡Â ´¤ § © ¦ § ÔeÚc‚z ® ¥ © § Ì‰È‰Ï −¤ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither RASHI by the roots. All the sites at :‡e‰‰ « © ÌB˜n‰-ÔÓ −¨ © ¦ which the nations you are to dispossess Èk¦ Â5 :ÌÎÈ‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © Ôk¥½ ÔeNÚ˙-‡Ï ´ £ © Ÿ« 4 worshiped their gods. Rather, ``from all the RASHBAM 4 Do not worship the º ¨ © ‡-̇ ³¨ § ¯Á·È-¯L ©¸ § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰-Ï ¤ « ¦ LORD your God in like manner. By offersites at which the nations you are to dis- ‰Â‰È possess worshiped, you must destroy their gods.'' 3 Altars. Constructed of many stones. Pillars. Each consisting of a single stone. This is the bimus of M. Av. Zar. 3:7, a stone set up as a pedestal for an idol. Sacred posts. This refers to trees that are worshiped. Obliterating their name. By replacing them with disparaging nicknames. One turns Beth Galia, ``Exalted House,'' into Beth Karia, ``Ditch House,'' or Ein Kol, ``Eye of All,'' into Ein Kotz, ``Eye of the Thorn.''

BÓL-˙‡ − § ¤ ÌeNÏ ¬ ¨ ÌÎÈË·L-ÏkÓ ¤½ ¥ § ¦ ¨ ¦ ÆÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤ ¥Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ing sacri®ce to Him anywhere you like. :‰nL ¨ «¨ ˙‡·e ¨ ¬¨ eL¯„˙ − § § ¦ BÎLÏ ¬ § ¦ § ÌL ®¨

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why must our chapter provide ®ve separate commands invoking ``the site that the LORD will choose,'' in vv. 4±7, 10±12, 13± 14, 17±18, and 26±27? F Why are the Levites not mentioned in connection with ``the site that the LORD your God will choose'' (v. 5) as they are everywhere else this is mentioned?

IBN EZRA their gods.'' But forget what he says; the translations understand correctly. Any luxuriant tree. The Hebrew

word translated ``luxuriant'' or ``leafy'' (OJPS) really refers to being moist and fresh. Note that, as in QRB[, the third radical of this root is always doubled: QRTZ. 3 Their sacred posts. These were trees. Obliterating their name. So that no mem4 Do not worship the LORD your God in like manner. By offering sacri®ce in any ory of them remains. 4 Do not worship the LORD your God place but the one He will choose. Another reading: You must not ``obliterate'' God's name in like manner. By offering sacri®ces ``on as you do those of the idols, or remove a stone from the altar or from the temple courtyard. lofty mountains and on hills'' (v. 2) or anyR. Ishmael said: Could it possibly enter your mind that Jews would tear down God's own altar? It means this: ``Do not act in such a manner that your transgressions cause the where but the site He will choose to establish His name. sanctuary of your ancestors to be destroyed.'' 5 To establish His name. That is, 5 His habitation. This is the Tabernacle at Shiloh. [B] ``where I cause My name to be mentioned'' [B] See Josh. 18:1 and 1 Samuel 1±3. (Exod. 20:21). His habitation. The land of Israel, which contains the dwelling place NAHMANIDES 12:4 Do not worship the LORD your God in like manner. See of His glory. Rashi's comment. The words of R. Ishmael that he quotes smack of midrash; what our Sages say about this verse is that it refers to obliterating God's name (see B. Mak. 22a). R. Ishmael's words (which come from the Sifrei) are not in disagreement; his point is that erasing a letter from God's name is like tearing a stone out of the altar. Our verse would therefore mean: ``Do not tear down God's altar or obliterate His name'' as I have instructed you to do to the gods of the other nations. Instead, give honor to His name and His altar, and bring your offerings to the place where He will choose to have His altar and establish His name. 5 Look only to the site that the LORD your God will choose amidst all your tribes as His habitation. The words meaning ``look only to . . . His habitation'' are a phrase in the Hebrew (compare OJPS, which follows the Hebrew syntax much more closely). You must come even from a distant land to ask the way to the House of the Lord and say to each other, ``Come, let us go up to the Mount of the LORD, to the House of the God of Jacob'' (Isa. 2:3). As we read in Jeremiah, ``They shall inquire for Zion; in that direction their faces shall turn'' (Jer. 50:5). The Sifrei explains that you might think to ``seek'' (OJPS) the place for God's habitation by waiting for a prophet to tell you where it should be, so our verse says simply: There you are to go. Seek it, and ®nd it, and the prophet will con®rm it to you afterward (see further my comment to 17:15). This is just what David did: ``I will not enter my house, nor will I mount my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids until I ®nd a place for the LORD, an abode for the Mighty One of Jacob'' (Ps. 132:3±5). But the True way of understanding the verse is that seeking ``His habitation'' means seeking His Presence. You are simply to go there, to ``appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel'' (Exod. 34:23). The Hebrew word used here for ``habitation'' is the word from which our Sages derived the term ``Shekhinah.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 3 Obliterating their name. As we saw in Num. 32:38, ``they gave [their own] names to towns that they rebuilt'' (Hizkuni). 4 Do not worship the LORD your God in like manner. Their manner was (1) to have many places of worship, (2) each chosen by themselves, and (3) to serve as their own priests (Abarbanel). 5 The site that the LORD your God will choose. The name of the site is not given here; the Shekhinah will rest in several different placesÐGilgal, Shiloh, Nob, and GibeonÐbefore settling on its permanent home in Jerusalem (Hizkuni). To establish His name there. That is, to rest His Presence there; or perhaps, as Num. 6:27 says, to have the priests ``link My name with the people of Israel'' there. For the Name is pronounced only at that site; ``Lord'' is used instead wherever else the Priestly Blessing is uttered (Gersonides). There you are to go. Rather than, as the idolaters do, make God come to you (Sforno).

84

85 DEUTERONOMY 12:6±8 NJPS

to go,

RE'EH

FB Z

6

and there you are to bring your burnt offerings

OJPS

CK OK ZCE

thou shalt come; 6and thither ye shall bring your burnt-

and other sacri®ces, your tithes and contributions, your votive

offerings, and your sacri®ces, and your tithes, and the offering of

and freewill offerings, and the ®rstlings of your herds and ¯ocks.

your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the

7

Together with your households, you shall

feast there before the L ORD your God, happy in all the undertakings in which the L ORD your God has blessed you. 8

You shall not act at all as we now act

RASHI 6 Other sacri®ces. Obligatory peace offerings. Tithes. Animal tithes as well as the second tithe, which must be eaten at the holy site. Contributions. Lit-

®rstlings of your herd and of your ¯ock;

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erally, ``the offering of your hand'' (OJPS), that is, the ®rst fruits, of which we are told, ``The priest shall take the basket '' (26:4). The ®rstlings of your herds and ¯ocks. You are to bring them there to give them to the priest so that he can offer them there. 7 In which the LORD your God has blessed you. You are to bring all of these in accordance with the amount of blessing God has given you. 8 You shall not act at all as we now act here. Once you cross the Jordan. After you cross the Jordan, you are immediately permitted to offer sacri®ce anywhere you likeÐfor the 14 years it will take to conquer and apportion the land. But in such places you cannot offer everything that you offer here now, in the anointed Tabernacle, where it is appropriate to bring sin and guilt offerings, as well as votive and freewill offerings. Only the latter two may be offered at these private shrines. Every man as he pleases. That is, the verse is saying, ``You shall not act at all as we now act here, but rather every man only as he himself pleases.'' The votive and freewill offerings that it pleases you to bring, those from your hand

NAHMANIDES 6 Your tithes. Rashi's comment comes from rabbinic literature. The

7

and there ye shall eat before the L ORD

your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the L ORD thy God hath blessed thee. 8

Ye shall not do after all that we do here

RASHBAM 8 Every man as he pleases. Wherever we camp in the wilderness we offer sacri®ceÐat the Tabernacle, which moves from place to place.

IBN EZRA 7 You shall feast there. You priests and Levites. 8 You shall not act at all as we now act here. They were constantly moving from place to place. Every man as he pleases. Once Aaron had died, anyone might suddenly decide that he wanted to offer a sacri®ce. One person might be perfectly willing to offer ``the ®rstling of his ¯ock'' and another person might not. For the commandment to do so did not come into effect until they entered the land. But my personal opinion is quite different: Moses is saying that they were not all in fact people who feared the Lord. But since he included himself and said ``as now act,'' it is clear that there were in fact many commandments with regard to the offerings that did not come into effect until they entered the land. Numbers 15 says as much.

straightforward sense of the text is that our verse is discussing those offerings that must be eaten ``before the Lord,'' that is, inside the walls of Jerusalem. As long as you are coming to do that, you might as well bring along what you owe to the priests and Levites who perform the temple services, so that they can rejoice along with you: ``Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, and let there be food in My House, and thus put Me to the testÐsaid the LORD of Hosts. I will surely open the ¯oodgates of the sky for you and pour down blessings on you'' (Mal. 3:10). Just thisÐfor people to bring their tithes and so forth directly to the sanctuaryÐwas the way it was done in the Second Temple period: ``We will bring to the storerooms of the House of our God the ®rst part of our dough, and our gifts [of grain], and of the fruit of every tree, wine and oil for the priests'' (Neh. 10:38). Contributions. Literally, ``the offering of your hand'' (OJPS)Ðfor the Torah did not specify an amount for these other than whatever you would wish to contribute. (Our verse speaks in general terms of bringing tithes and contributions to Jerusalem because the details of these matters are discussed elsewhere; see my comments to vv. 17±18.) The straightforward sense of the text, I believe, is that these ``contributions'' are the funds that a man spends on these sacri®ces. Three different kinds of offerings are mentioned: votive offerings, where one vows to bring (say) an ox; freewill offerings, where one decides to offer a particular animal; and contributions, which may be silver or gold or a (nonconsecrated) animal, any of which one might bring to the Temple and announce to the priests, ``I am contributing this to the Lord.'' We ®nd contributions of this kind mentioned in a number of places, e.g., Exod. 35:24, Num. 18:19, Exod. 30:13, Exod. 25:2, Num. 31:29, and so on. If you look at these verses, you will ®nd that these ``contributions'' can be used for offerings, for the upkeep of the Temple, or simply as nonsacred gifts for the priests: ``I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, the contribution to the House of our God which the king, his counselors and of®cers, and all Israel who were present had made'' (Ezra 8:25). Our verse therefore does not say ``your offerings,'' which is a technical term referring to the priestly gifts, but ``the offering of your hand,'' implying a voluntary gift of whatever comes to hand. Note, though, that everything mentioned in this verse must be eaten in Jerusalem. The ``tithes,'' therefore, are the animal tithes and the second tithe, for the ®rst tithe belongs to the Levites, and the poor tithe belongs to the poor, both to be used at their own discretion. 8 You shall not act at all as we now act here, every man as he pleases. Ibn Ezra's comment is not correct. This is not a passage of rebuke. How could our master Moses possibly be saying that ``we'' (God forbid) are all transgressing? He would have said ``you'' if that was what he meant. And why con¯ate a rebuke of this kind with a discussion of commandments that would come into effect when they entered the land? What the text is saying is this: In the wilderness, any animal they wished to eat had to be sacri®ced as an offering of well-being; but this could be done wherever the Tabernacle happened to be. Anyone who did not want to eat meat did not have to bring an offering at all. The various tithes and ®rstlings of v. 6 were also not yet obligatory; there was not even an obligation to appear at the Tabernacle on the pilgrimage festivals. If one did bring an offering, once the blood was dashed on the altar and the sacri®cial fats were burned, the meat could be eaten anywhere without restriction, inside the camp or out. They were under absolutely no obligation; every man could act as he pleased. So our verse is commanding that once they are settled safely in the land they must no longer act that way. They will be obligated to come to a particular, special site chosen by the Lord, bring these offerings, and eat them ``before the Lord,'' at we

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 You shall not act at all as we now act here, every man as he pleases. Evidently offerings at private shrines were permissible at this time (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 12:8±14 RE'EH

NJPS

FB Z

here, every man as he pleases, 9because you have not yet

come to the allotted haven that the L ORD your God is giving you.

10

When you cross the Jordan and settle in the land that the

L ORD your God is allotting to you, and He grants you safety

OJPS

this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes;

9

for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance,

which the L ORD your God giveth thee.

rything that I command you to the site where the L ORD your God will choose to establish His name: your burnt offerings and other sacri®ces, your tithes and contributions, and all the choice votive offerings that you vow to the L ORD.

12

And you

shall rejoice before the L ORD your God

your male and female slaves, along with the Levite in your settlements, for he has no territorial allotment among you. 13

Take care not to sacri®ce your burnt

offerings in any place you like,

14

but only

in the place that the L ORD will choose in

RASHI

you may still bring at private shrinesÐbut not the offerings that you are obligated to bring.

9 Because you have not yet come. To the allotted haven.

Rather, ``you will not have come'' during those ®rst 14 years. More precisely, ``to the resting place and to the inheritance'' (compare OJPS). The ``resting place'' is Shiloh, and ``the inheritance'' is Jerusalem.

10 When you cross the Jordan and settle in the land. Once it is apportioned, so that everyone knows his portion and his tribe. He grants you safety. Rather, ``He

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F [RK

with your sons and daughters and with

But when ye go over

causeth you to inherit, and He giveth you

11

then you must bring eve-

10

the Jordan, and dwell in the land which the L ORD your God

from all your enemies around you and you live in security,

CK OKZCE

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why are we told to

``take care not to sacri®ce your burnt offerings in any place you like'' (v. 13) without mention of all the other offerings listed (e.g.) in vv. 6 and 11?

rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

11

then it shall come

to pass that the place which the L ORD your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacri®ces, your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the L ORD.

12

And ye

shall rejoice before the L ORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your

men-servants,

and

your

maid-ser-

vants, and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no portion nor inheritance with you. 13

Take heed to thyself that thou offer

not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest;

14

but in the place which the

L ORD shall choose in one of thy tribes,

IBN EZRA 9 Because you have not yet come to the allotted haven. But when they do, they and their children will cease to wander. ``The allotted haven'' is more literally ``the rest'' and ``the inheritance'' (OJPS), references to ``He grants you safety'' and ``you live in security'' (both in v. 10), respectively.

11 The choice votive offerings that you vow. They are commanded to bring

lets you alone.'' Once you have conquered their votive offerings from the choicest of the land, apportioned it, and achieved setheir possessions. curity from the nations whom God left to test Israel. This would not occur until the time This is repeated of David. from v. 7 to add the instructions about the ORD Once Levite. You must you are safe, you are to build the permanent Temple at this site, God's chosen place, give him reason to rejoice, for he has no JerusalemÐand that is just what happened: ``When the king was settled in his palace and inheritance as you do. the LORD had granted him safety from all the enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan: `Here I am dwelling in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the LORD abides in a tent!''' (2 Sam. 7:1±2). The comparable This point is repeated in order to explain list in v. 6 refers to Shiloh; this list refers to Jerusalem. The separation indicates that, in that ordinary meat can be eaten anyplace. between the two, a wider range of permissibility was established. Once Shiloh was destroyed, even though the main religious site moved to Nob and then to Gibeon, private shrines were permitted until the main religious site was moved to Jerusalem. Your votive offerings must be the choicest that you have. The effect is to add a prohibition to the original positive commandment of v. 11. Literally, ``any place you see'' (compare OJPS)Ðany place that occurs to you. But you may sacri®ce burnt offerings elsewhere than at the of®cial site if you are authorized to do so by a prophet, as for instance by Elijah at Mount Carmel. [C]

11 The site where the L

your God will choose to establish His name.

13 Take care not to sacri®ce your burnt offerings in any place you like.

Your burnt offerings and other sacri®ces.

13 Take care not to.

12 You shall rejoice. Along with the Levite.

The choice votive offerings. Any place you like.

[C] See 1 Kings 18.

NAHMANIDES ones,

the holy site. What our Sages said about bringing only votive and freewill offerings to the high places, not obligatory

[B] is a midrash, based (as such things are) on apparently super¯uous language in the text; see B. Zev. 117b.

[B] See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 To the allotted haven.

Rather, ``to the resting place and to the inheritance'' (compare OJPS). The ``resting place'' is Shiloh, for the Shekhinah will merely rest there for a time; ``the inheritance'' is Jerusalem, the permanent inheritance of the Shekhinah (Bekhor Shor). The text is very severe about this because the local altars kept the Israelites from participating in the pilgrimages. From there it was a short step to offering sacri®ces and incense to the golden calves at Bethel and at Dan that we read about in 2 Kings 10:29 (Hizkuni).

13 Take care not to sacri®ce your burnt offerings in any place you like.

86

87 DEUTERONOMY 12:14±18 NJPS

RE'EH

FB Z

one of your tribal territories. There you shall sacri®ce

your burnt offerings and there you shall observe all that I enjoin upon you.

15

But whenever you desire, you may slaughter and eat

OJPS

there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there

thou shalt do all that I command thee.

has

granted

you.

The

unclean

and

the

clean alike may partake of it, as of the gazelle and the deer.

16

But you must not

partake of the blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. 17

You may not partake in your settle-

ments of the tithes of your new grain or wine or oil, or of the ®rstlings of your herds and ¯ocks, or of any of the votive offerings that you vow, or of your freewill offerings, or of your contributions.

18

These

you must consume before the L ORD your God in the place that the L ORD your God

15

Notwithstanding thou

mayest kill and eat ¯esh within all thy gates, after all the desire of

meat in any of your settlements, according to the blessing that the L ORD your God

CK OK ZCE

thy soul, according to the blessing of the

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L ORD thy God which He hath given thee; the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart.

16

Only

ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water. 17

Thou mayest not eat within thy gates

the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thine oil, or the ®rstlings of thy herd or of thy ¯ock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the offering of thy hand;

18

but thou shalt eat

them before the L ORD thy God in the place which the L ORD thy God shall choose,

RASHBAM 15 You may slaughter RASHI 14 In one of your tribal terriand eat meat in any of your settlements. tories. The territory of Benjamin. How does this jibe with v. 5, which says that the site is Outside Jerusalem, where there is no place to be chosen from ``amidst all your tribes''? When David bought ``the threshing ¯oor of to offer sacri®ce. Araunah the Jebusite'' (2 Sam. 24:18), he raised the money from all the tribes. Still, the threshing ¯oor itself was located in the territory of Benjamin.

15 But whenever you desire, you may slaughter and eat meat in any of your IBN EZRA 15 The unclean and the settlements. What can this verse be talking about? If it is simply about eating meat clean alike may partake of it. Previously,

without burning the sacri®cial parts on the altar, well, that is discussed starting in v. 20. Our verse, then, must be referring to sacri®cial meat that has acquired a blemish, telling us that it is to be redeemed [D] and may then be eaten anywhere. ``But'' there is a restriction: [E] This does not apply if the blemish is a temporary one. And the wool and the milk are not permitted to you; ``only'' (as the Hebrew word really means) the meatÐas long as the animal is properly slaughtered. The unclean and the clean. Since Lev. 7:19 has told us that ``[sacri®cial] ¯esh that touches anything unclean shall not be eaten,'' our verse must make clear that both the unclean and the clean may now eat this formerly sacri®cial ¯esh from the same pot. As of the gazelle and the deer. From which no sacri®cial offerings come. The redeemed animals discussed in this verse are therefore free even from the obligation to ``give the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach to the priest'' (18:3). 16 But you must not partake of the blood. Even though you do not need to dash it against the altar, you still may not eat it. You shall pour it out on the ground like water. You need not cover it up. Another reading: like water, it makes seeds susceptible to uncleanness. [F] 17 You may not partake. Again, this adds a prohibition to the positive commandment that follows. Note that the Hebrew literally reads ``you can not partake.'' R. Joshua b. Korha says: You ``can,'' but you ``may not.'' Just the same way, Josh. 15:63 does not mean that ``the Judites could not dispossess the Jebusites,'' but that they were not permitted to, since Abraham had made a covenant with them when he purchased the cave of Machpelah. [G] (As Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer explains, they were not Jebusites but Hittites; still, they were called Jebusites because they had conquered Jebus by that time.) The ®rstlings of your herds. This is addressed to the priests, the only ones permitted to eat ®rstlings. Your contributions. These are the ®rst fruits. 18 Before the LORD. Inside the walls of Jerusalem. The Levite in your settlements. If you have nothing to give him that is rightfully hisÐlike the ®rst titheÐthen give him something from the poor tithe, or at least invite him to share in your peace offering. [D] Once it is replaced by meat that is ritually ®t, it loses its sacred status. Law.'' [F] See Lev. 11:38. [G] See Genesis 23.

[E] See Special Topics, ``Interpreting Biblical

NAHMANIDES 17 You may not partake in your settlements. You must eat these tithes in Jerusalem. 18 The Levite in your settlements. But the Levite may eat the tithe you give him outside Jerusalem: ``You and your households may eat it anywhere, for it is your recompense for your services in the Tent of Meeting'' (Num. 18:31).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 14 In one of your tribal territories.

when the only meat an ordinary person could eat was from a sacri®ce of well-being, an unclean person who ate would be ``cut off.'' But this nonsacred meat could be eaten by the unclean and the clean alike. As of the gazelle and the deer. Which are never offered on the altar. Even the h. elev, the fat that in a sacri®cial animal is prohibited for consumption, is permissible to eat when it comes from a gazelle or deer. This point con®rms my comments to Lev. 7:23 and 7:26 (though of course we in fact rely on our ancestral tradition).

17 You may not partake in your settlements of the tithes of your new grain.

You, the Levites to whom these tithes are given, may not do so. Ð Many people, however, are of the opinion that this prohibition is directed to all Israel and refers to the second tithe. [B] The ®rstlings of your herds and ¯ocks. This is directed to the priests, who are the only ones allowed to eat these ®rstlings. Note that a commandment directed to Israel can apply perfectly well to the priests or Levites, who are subgroups of Israel; see my comments to 3:18 and to Num. 18:17. Obviously ``you must consume'' of v. 18 here can only be addressed to those who are permitted to consume them. The deniers [C] claim that this verse refers not to the ®rstborn of each female animal, but to the ®rst animal born into a particular herd or ¯ock, but there is no point in responding to such nonsense. Still others think that these ®rstlings and tithes could be eaten by ordinary Israelites as long as they are at the chosen site. But that is the opposite of what the text says.

Even though the site belongs to one of the tribes, all the others must bring their offerings to that same place [B] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.'' [C] The Karaites, who denied the validity of rabbinic tradition. (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 12:18±21 RE'EH

NJPS

CK OKZCE

FB Z

will chooseÐyou and your sons and your daughters,

OJPS

thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-ser-

your male and female slaves, and the Levite in your settle-

vant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy

mentsÐhappy before the L ORD your God in all your under-

gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the L ORD thy God in all that

takings.

19

Be sure not to neglect the Levite

thou puttest thy hand unto.

as long as you live in your land.

Ƥ ¦ E·e ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÈÂl‰Â −¦ ¥ © § E˙Ӈ ¤½ ¨ £ © Ec·Ú ´ § § © § ÆEz·e ³§¦ Ÿ − § EÈ‰Ï ÏÎa ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÈÙÏ ¥ § ¦ zÁÓN ¨À § © ¨ § EȯÚLa ®¤ ¨ § ¦ ritory, as He has promised you, and you say, ``I shall eat some meat,'' for you have Ÿ− £ © «¤ EÏ ½ § ¯ÓM‰ -˙‡¤ ·ÊÚz-Ôt ¤ ´¨ ¦ 19 :E„È «¤ ¨ ÁÏLÓ ¬© § ¦ the urge to eat meat, you may eat meat Ò :E˙Ó„‡-ÏÚ «¤ ¨ § © © EÈÓÈ-Ïk −¤ ¨ ¨ ÈÂl‰ ®¦ ¥ © If the place where whenever you wish. »EÏe·b-˙‡ ¸¨ § Á·ÈÁ¯È-Èk § « § «¤ EÈ‰Ï ¬¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¦ § © « ¦ 20 has chosen to establish His the L name is too far from you, you may slaugh-Èk«¦ ¯N· ¨½ ¨ ‰Ï· ´¨ § Ÿ Æz¯Ó‡Â ¨ § © ¨ § ¼CÏ-¯ac ¨ ¤ ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡k £© ter any of the cattle or sheep that the L Ÿ ´ ¡ ¤ ELÙ ELÙ − § § © ˙e‡-ÏÎa ¬© © ¨ § ¯Na ®¨ ¨ ÏÎ‡Ï − § § © ‰e‡˙ ¬¤ © § gives you, as I have instructed you; and À ¨ © EnÓ ¹ § ¦ ˜Á¯È-Èk ©¸ § ¦ « ¦ 21 :¯Na «¨ ¨ Ï·z ¬© Ÿ ÌB˜n‰ you may eat to your heart's content in your ¼ÌL ¨ BÓL ´ § ÌeNÏ ´ ¨ »EÈ‰Ï ¤Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ¯Á·È ©¹ § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ RASHI 19 Be sure not to. Again, the Æ‰Â‰È À § Ÿ « ¦ E¯˜aÓ º¨ § © ¨ § ¨ § Ô˙ ³© ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ E‡vÓe ´ § ¨ § ¦ zÁ·Ê Hebrew phrase (the same one that is used in Ÿ − § EȯÚLa ½¤ ¨ § ¦ ÆzÏ· ½§ ¨ § © «¨ § * E˙Èeˆ ®¦ ¦ ¦ ¯L −¤ ‡k £ © EÏ v. 13) has the effect of strengthening the ÏÎa 20

When the L ORD enlarges your ter-

21

ORD

ORD

Levite commandment of v. 18 by adding a ' K ZS I prohibition to it. As long as you live in your land. But in the Diaspora you have no ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F more responsibility to the Levite than you F do to any poor Jew. 20 When the LORD enlarges your

v. 21.

Once v. 18 has in-

cluded ``the Levite,'' why must v. 19 warn us once more ``not to neglect the Levite''?

territory, as He has promised you, and you say, ``I shall eat some meat.'' The

Torah teaches proper behavior here. One should not eat meat except in a situation of ``enlargement,'' that is, of wealth and generosity. You may eat meat whenever you wish. You see by contrast that in the wilderness they were forbidden to eat any nonsacri®cial meat. Anyone who wanted to eat meat had to bring a peace offering. 21 If the place where the LORD has

Why must vv. 20±

25 repeat the permission given in v. 15 to eat meat ``whenever you desire'' as long as the blood is poured out on the ground?

F

Given the meaning of ``when

the L ORD your God enlarges your territory'' in 19:8, doesn't the permission given in v. 20 to eat meat ``when the L ORD enlarges your territory'' not apply until all the nations of Canaan are conquered, something the Israelites never managed to do?

F

Shouldn't the

condition that ``the place where the L ORD has chosen to establish His name is too far from you'' (v. 21) mean that people who live near Jerusalem, let alone in it, are

not

permitted to eat meat except from sacri®ces?

19

Take heed to

thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon thy land. 20

When the L ORD thy God shall enlarge

thy border, as He hath promised thee, and thou shalt say: ``I will eat ¯esh,'' because thy soul desireth to eat ¯esh; thou mayest eat ¯esh, after all the desire of thy soul.

21

If

the place which the L ORD thy God shall choose to put His name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy ¯ock, which the L ORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat within thy gates, after all the

RASHBAM 19 As long as you live in your land. Literally, ``all your days on your

land.'' But it means the same as 31:13, ``as long as you live, in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.'' 20 When the LORD enlarges your territory. And you ®nd yourself far from the sanctuary.

IBN EZRA 20 When...you have the urge to eat meat. That is, ``if'' you do. This

essentially repeats v. 15 in order to introduce the phrase about ``enlarging your territory,'' which refers to places outside the land of Canaan. The same rules apply there as ``in any of your settlements.''

chosen to establish His name is too far from you. And you cannot go there every day to bring a peace offering as you can now, while the Tabernacle travels with you. You may slaughter any of the cattle or sheep that the LORD gives you, as I have instructed you.

We learn from this that the speci®c instructions about how to slaughter animals for meat were given to Moses at Sinai.

NAHMANIDES 20 When the LORD enlarges your territory, as He has promised you. As distinct from the similar-sounding promise in 19:8Ðwhich refers to the territories of all the 10 nations that were to be given to Abraham, [C] a later stage of conquestÐthis refers to the promise made to ``you,'' that you would be able to conquer the land of the seven nations of Canaan. If not, the permission to eat nonsacred meat would not have come into effect (as it did) as soon as they had conquered and apportioned the land. 21 If the place where the LORD has chosen to establish His name is too far from you, you may slaughter any of the cattle or sheep that the LORD gives you. It is not mere distance that puts this permission into effect. If it were, the inhabitants of Jerusalem would be forbidden ever to eat nonsacri®cial meat. But once the Lord has enlarged their territory, all Israel will no longer be dwelling around the Tabernacle as they are in the wilderness. It would no longer be possible to require everyone to come all that way and sacri®ce an animal each time they wanted to eat meat. So at that point a general permission to eat nonsacral meat will be granted. As I have instructed you. In the opinion of our Sages, the technical instructions about how animals are to be slaughtered for meat were all given to Moses at Sinai, though they are not recorded in the text. In fact, the verb JI[ (``slaughter,'' used, e.g., in Exod. 12:6 and Lev. 1:5) has a technical meaning in Biblical Hebrew: ``to cut the trachea and the esophagus.'' In a verse like Num. 14:16, ``It must be because the LORD was powerless to bring that people into the land He had promised them on oath that He slaughtered them in the wilderness,'' the verb is being used metaphorically. Since meat was originally to come only from offerings of well-being, Moses has indeed ``instructed'' them how [C] See Rashi's comment to ``as a possession to Esau'' (2:5).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19 Be sure not to neglect the Levite.

Literally, not to ``forsake'' him (OJPS), that is, not to leave him behind; let him come to Jerusalem with you and rejoice with you there (Abarbanel). As long as you live in your land. Rashi's point is that the Levite, unlike you, has no share in the land; but in the Diaspora you have no more share than he does (Bekhor Shor). Literally, ``all your days''Ðeven during the sabbatical and jubilee years (Hizkuni). 20 When the LORD enlarges your territory, as He has promised you, and you say, ``I shall eat some meat.'' This is taught several times in the text because these rules will eventually become a matter of common practice, and it was important that everyone become accustomed to them and pro®cient in them (Hizkuni). It is not ``when'' He enlarges your territory; the correct translation is ``since the Lord will enlarge your territory'' (Abarbanel). 21 If the place where the LORD has chosen to establish His name is too far from you. Secular slaughter, simply for eating meat, is not permitted within the temple courtyard (Bekhor Shor).

88

89 DEUTERONOMY 12:21±23

RE'EH

FB Z

CK OK ZCE

settlements. 22Eat it, however, as the gazelle and the OJPS desire of thy soul. 22Howbeit as the gazelle and as the deer are eaten: the unclean may eat it together with the clean. hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat thereof; the unclean and the clean 23But make sure that you do not partake may eat thereof alike. 23Only be steadfast of the blood; for the blood is the life, and ÆÈ·v‰-˙‡ ¦ § © «¤ ÏÎ‡È ³¥ ¨ ¥ ¯L ¤¸ ‡k £ © C‡©À 22 :ELÙ «¤ § © ˙e‡ ¬© © in not eating the blood; for the blood is the ½ ¨ © § ƇÓh‰ ¥ ¨ © epÏ·z ®¤ § Ÿ Ôk −¥ Ïi‡‰-˙‡Â ¨½ © ´¨ ¤ § RASHBAM 23 But make sure that RASHI 22 Eat it, however, as the ga- ¯B‰h‰Â zelle and the deer are eaten. You need Ï· Ÿ ´ £ ÆÈzÏ·Ï ¦ § ¦ § ˜ÊÁ ©À £ ˜¯´© 23 :epÏÎ‡È «¤ § Ÿ ÂcÁÈ −¨ § © you do not partake of the blood. Since not be in a state of ritual cleanness to eat Ï·˙-‡Ï Ÿ § LÙp‰ ½¨ © there is blood in every part of the animal, ¬© Ÿ ¤®¨ © ‡e‰´ Ìc‰ −¨ © Èk ¬ ¦ Ìc‰

NJPS

them. One might think that, just as the fats that are forbidden on a sacri®cial animal are ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why does one have permitted for a gazelle or a deer, they are to ``be strong'' (as v. 23 more literally says; compare permitted as well for nonsacred meat. OJPS) so as not to eat blood? This is language that The word ``however'' serves to restrict this applies to ®ghting a battle, not to eating. F When v. 23 tells us that ``the blood is the life,'' how does this jibe possibility. with ``the life of the ¯esh is the blood'' of Lev.

23 But make sure that you do not partake of the blood. Literally, ``be

in

17:11? (Admittedly, Lev. 17:14 shows that that passage itself is somewhat mixed up.) F Further complicating matters, what v. 23 literally says is that ``the blood is the soul, and you must not consume the soul with the ¯esh.'' Assuming it were even possible to ``consume'' the soul, what is the point of prohibiting it from being consumed ``with'' the ¯esh?

one must ``be steadfast'' (OJPS) or literally ``be strong'' and take great care to remove it.

IBN EZRA 23 The blood is the life. See my comments to Gen. 9:4 and Lev. 17:14.

NAHMANIDES

to slaughter meat. Now that nonsacri®cial meat is permitted, our verse says that they may ``kill'' (not ``slaughter''; see OJPS) animals for meat as long as they do it in just the same way as when they were offering them as sacri®ces. That is the correct, straightforward explanation of the text, and it may be what the Sages too intended by their remarks in the Sifrei. The Israelites, therefore, have indeed been instructed about the rules for proper slaughtering of animals; the details are expounded by the Sages, in accordance with tradition. 22 Eat it, however, as the gazelle and the deer are eaten. As the rest of the verse explains: The unclean may eat it together with the clean. In the wilderness, all meat came from sacri®ces of well-being, and ``the person who, in a state of uncleanness, eats ¯esh from the LORD's sacri®ces of well-being, that person shall be cut off from his kin'' (Lev. 7:20). But gazelle and deer were not sacri®cial animals. Our verse is not saying anything about eating prohibited fat, because it is not discussing what can be eaten but how nonsacri®cial meat can be eaten. There is no need for the clean to eat this kind of meat separately from the unclean; 15:22 says this as well. Eating ``as the gazelle and the deer are eaten'' is never mentioned by itself, which might suggest that the h. elev (the prohibited suet) could be eaten; the phrase about the unclean and the clean is always present. The word ``however'' or ``howbeit'' (OJPS) in our verse adds a restriction to the rule: [D] One might have thought that if meat could be eaten in local settlements, then the blood might be dashed and the fat burnt on a local altar, as they previously were at the Tabernacle. ``However,'' this meat must not at all be treated as if it were something sacredÐno fat or blood is to be offered from it, and those who are unclean should not be kept away from it. 23 But make sure that you do not partake of the blood. There are many reasons for this statement. Originally the Israelites were told, ``I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your lives upon the altar; it is the blood, as life, that effects expiation'' (Lev. 17:11), from which it might appear that blood not used for expiation would not be forbidden. The prohibition is therefore made explicit here. Notice that there is no such mention here of the suet; see the remarks on this subject in my comment to Lev. 3:9. Since we have just been told that we are to eat nonsacred meat in the same way as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, we might assume that we are to ``pour out its blood and cover it with earth'' (Lev. 17:13). V. 24 therefore clari®es that we are to pour it out ``like water,'' that is, without covering itÐwe pour it ``on'' the ground, not ``into'' the ground (covered up). There might be some worry, too, that the blood had to be used in some ritual way or else concealedÐimplying that it would be better to kill the animal without slitting its throat, or perhaps even to actually consume the blood, to prevent it from looking as if they were offering sacri®ce ``to the goat-demons after whom they stray'' (Lev. 17:7). This is another reason why we are told here that we need not worry about simply pouring out the blood. But it may certainly not be eaten, neither by itself nor as part of the meat. This is why the warning to pour out the blood ``like water'' is repeated in 15:23, in the case of an animal with a defect, which otherwise actually would have been offered on the altar. I see the matter this way. At ®rst, when the Israelites were in ``an empty howling waste'' (32:10) where ``satyrs dance'' (Isa. 13:21), when they had all just left Egypt and were accustomed to Egyptian ways, they were forbidden to leave animal blood on the surface of the ground where it could be seen or to slaughter any animal anywhere but before the Tabernacle. It was important to distance them from this sin. But when they came to the land and the great distances made it necessary to permit slaughtering animals for meat, there was no need to worry about simply pouring out the blood of domestic animals that were slaughtered at home. But with wild animals that were trapped in ®eld or forest, where it was the custom to slaughter them on the spot and bring them home already slaughtered, the commandment to cover up the blood with dirt was left in place so as to not offer the blood to the demons. The midrash that the Israelites ardently desired to eat blood and that is why they had to be warned so strongly against partaking of it ®ts the text beautifully. All the more reason that this should be mentioned even though the prohibition of suet is not mentioned at all. The midrash certainly explains why this warning is written so many times, but the speci®c language here, ``be strong'' (as it literally says), does not sit well with me. What ``strength'' exactly is needed to avoid eating blood? The normal language would be ``take care not to'' (v. 13; the same Hebrew words are translated ``be sure not to'' in v. 19). We do ®nd exhortations to ``be strong'' in connection with the commandments: ``But you must be very strong and resolute to observe faithfully all the Teaching'' (Josh. 1:7); ``But be most resolute to strong'' (compare OJPS). From the necessity of stating this so forcefully, you learn that they were steeped in the eating of blood; these are the words of R. Judah. R. Simeon b. Azzai says: The point of the verse is to teach you how steadfast you must be in observing the commandments. If one needs strength to avoid eating bloodÐan easy commandment to observe, since people do not really have an appetite for itÐhow much

[D] See Special Topics, ``Interpreting Biblical Law.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 The unclean may eat it together with the clean. Both may eat it, not necessarily from the same dish (Hizkuni). 23 But make sure that you do not partake of the blood. It is astounding that Nahmanides accepts the explanation of Maimonides about this, considering that he himself refuted it in his comment to Lev. 17:11 (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 12:23±28 RE'EH

NJPS

FB Z

you must not consume the life with the ¯esh.

24

You

must not partake of it; you must pour it out on the ground like water:

25

you must not partake of it, in order that it may go well

OJPS

life;

and

thou

shalt

not

eat

the

life

CK OKZCE

with

the

¯esh.

24

Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as

water.

25

Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and

with you and with your descendants to come, for you will be

with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is

doing what is right in the sight of the L ORD.

right in the eyes of the L ORD.

26

But such sacred and votive donations as you may have shall

be taken by you to the site that the L ORD will choose.

27

You shall

26

Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou

shalt take, and go unto the place which the L ORD shall choose;

offer your burnt offerings, both the ¯esh

27

and the blood, on the altar of the L ORD

the ¯esh and the blood, upon the altar of

your God; and of your other sacri®ces, the blood shall be poured out on the altar of the L ORD your God, and you shall eat the ¯esh. 28

Be careful to heed all these command-

ments that I enjoin upon you; thus it will go well with you and with your descendants after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the L ORD your God.

and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings,

Ÿ − 24 :¯Na‰-ÌÚ -ÏÚ© epÏ·z ®¤ § Ÿ ‡Ï «¨ ¨ © ¦ LÙp‰ ¤ −¤ © Ÿ − 25 :ÌÈnk epÏ·z ®¤ § Ÿ ‡Ï ¦ «¨ © epÎtLz −¤ § § ¦ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¬¨ ¨ ½¤ £ © EÈ·Ïe ‰NÚ˙-Èk ¬¤ £ © « ¦ EȯÁ‡ ´¤ ¨ § ÆEϧ ·ËÈÈ ³© ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ©¸ § :‰Â‰È «¨ § ÈÈÚa ¬¥ ¥ § ¯Li‰ −¨ ¨ © ‡Oz ´¨ ¦ Eȯ„e ®¤ ¨ § EÏ − § eȉÈ-¯L ¬ § ¦ ¤‡ £ EÈL„˜ ²¤ ¨ «¨ ˜¯¯© 26 :‰Â‰È «¨ § ¯Á·È-¯L ¬© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰-Ï − ¨ © ‡¤ ˙‡·e ¨ ¨½ ½¨ © § ¯Na‰ Ƥ Ÿ Ÿ ˙ÈNÚ ÁaÊÓ −© § ¦ -ÏÚ© Ìc‰Â ´¨ ¨ © ÆEÈ˙ÏÚ ¨ ³¦ ¨ § 27 ÆÁaÊÓ © § ¦ -ÏÚ© ÆCÙMÈ ¥ ¨ ¦ EÈÁ·Ê-Ì„Â ¤À ¨ § © § EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Ÿ Ÿ :Ï·z «¥ ¯Na‰Â −¨ ¨ © § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Ÿ ´ § 28 ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ Ìȯ·c‰-Ïk ´ ¦ ¨ § © ¨ ˙‡¥ μ zÚÓL ¨À § © ¨ § ¯ÓL ¹ § ·ËÈÈ EÈ·Ïe ³¤ ¨ § EÏ ©¸ ¦ ÁÔÚÓÏ © © § jeˆÓ ¨ ®¤ © § ÈÎ‡ −¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ƥ £ © ¯Li‰Â ¨½ ¨ © § ·Bh‰ ´ © ƉNÚ˙ ¤ £ © Èk ³¦ ÌÏBÚ-„Ú ¨½ © ÆEȯÁ‡ Ò :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÈÈÚa −¥ ¥ §

the L ORD thy God; and the blood of thy sacri®ces shall be poured out against the altar of the L ORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the ¯esh. 28

Observe

and

hear

all

these

words

which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the eyes of the L ORD thy God.

RASHI more strength does one need for the commandments that are much harder to IBN EZRA 25 In order that it may go observe. You must not consume the life well with you. The blood is the essence of with the ¯esh. This is the commandment the animal; you do not want its essence to not to eat the ¯esh of a living animal. get mixed up with your own. Since you pass 24 You must not partake of it. This is your essence (and your form) down to your the commandment not to eat the blood left offspring, another reason for avoiding the in the animal after it is slaughtered. blood is so that it may go well with your 25 You must not partake of it. This is the commandment not to eat the blood from descendants to come. the organs that in sacri®cial animals would be burnt on the altar. In order that it may go 26 Sacred and votive donations. The well with you and with your descendants to come. Come and learn the great reward sacred donations would include both burnt that comes from obeying the commandments. If things go well not only for you but for offerings and sacri®ces of well-being. Shall your descendants to come simply on account of not eating blood (which is disgusting be taken by you. More literally, ``shall be anyway), how much greater will the reward be for avoiding things like theft and forbidden carried,'' but the point is simply that they sexual relations, which one might actually desire. must be brought. 26 But such sacred and votive donations as you may have. Though you are 27 And you shall eat the ¯esh. If the permitted to eat nonsacred meat, you are nonetheless not permitted to slaughter con- ¯esh is from a ®rstling, a sin offering, or a secrated animals and eat the meat in your own towns without offering them as sacri®ces; guilt offering, or if it is the breast or thigh, you must bring them to the Temple. Our Sages further expounded the ``sacred'' donations this expression is of course directed at the of this verse to refer to animals consecrated outside the land, substitute animals, and priests; if it is simply a sacri®ce of well-being, animals born of a consecrated animal. the mass of ordinary Israelites may also eat. 27 You shall offer your burnt offerings, both the ¯esh and the blood, on the 28 Be careful to heed all these comaltar. If they are meant as burnt offerings, you must put both the ¯esh and the blood on mandments. About pouring out the blood the altar. Your other sacri®ces. If they are peace offerings, you must pour out the blood onto the altar. on the altar but then you may eat the ¯esh. 28 Be careful to heed. More literally, ``keep and obey''; by ``keeping'' is meant retaining them by careful study. You must keep them in your gut so that you do not forget them: ``It is good that you store them inside you'' (Prov. 22:18). If you have studied them, you have the possibility of heeding and ful®lling them; one who does not study the commandments is not going to ful®ll them. All these commandments. You must treasure a commandment that seems trivial to you as much as you do one that seems profound. You will be doing what is good and right. ``Good'' in the sight of heaven, ``right'' in the sight of humanity. NAHMANIDES observe faithfully all that is written in the Book of the Teaching of Moses'' (Josh. 23:6). But these both apply to the commandments as a whole; we do not ®nd this wording elsewhere in connection with a single commandment. And one might well do something resolutely, but how does one resolutely refrain from doing something? In my opinion it is all about how they held fast to the blood in Egypt, where (as we know from Lev. 17:7) they sacri®ced to the goat demons. ``They sacri®ced to demons, no-gods'' (32:17), and this worship was performed by partaking of blood or by eating meat over the blood as if sharing a table with the demons. (Maimonides has described this; see Guide 3:46.) It is not that this was the main reason for prohibiting the consumption of blood; that is because the blood is the life. But they had been so besotted with blood and so ardent for it that extreme emphasis on this prohibition was necessary. Since eating with the blood was also involved in fortune-telling and the like, they were warned to hold on strongly to their integrity and their faith in God, and by no means either to participate in such idolatrous ``blood prophecy'' nor to cover it up. 28 Be careful to heed all these commandments. The Hebrew says merely ``all these words'' (OJPS). There is no speci®c mention of laws, rules, injunctions, or commandments, because the verse wished to include something more general: what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. See my comment to 6:18. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 28 Be careful to heed all these commandments that I enjoin upon you. Moses realized that he had begun to explain the logic behind some of the commandments and the bene®ts accruing from observing themÐwhich one should not really do; he therefore added this remark to say, ``These commandments come from God, and you must obey them whether or not you

90

91 DEUTERONOMY 12:29±31

RE'EH

CK OK ZCE

FB Z

the LORD your God has cut down before you OJPS 29When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations the nations that you are about to enter and dispossess, and you from before thee, whither thou goest in to dispossess them, and have dispossessed them and settled in their land, 30beware of thou dispossessest them, and dwellest in their land; 30take heed being lured into their ways after they have been wiped out before to thyself that thou be not ensnared to follow them, after that you! Do not inquire about their gods, they are destroyed from before thee; and K[KN[ saying, ``How did those nations worship that thou inquire not after their gods, sayÀ¦ © ¸¨ § Á˙ȯÎÈ-Èk ÌÈBb‰-˙‡ ¤ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¦ § © « ¦ 29 their gods? I too will follow those pracing: ``How used these nations to serve their −¨ ˙L¯Ï ¤ ¬¤ ¨ ‰nL-‡· ¨ ²¨ ¨ ‰z‡ ¬¨ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ gods? even so will I do likewise.'' 31Thou tices.'' 31You shall not act thus toward the Ì˙B‡ LORD your God, for they perform for their :̈¯‡a «¨ § © § z·LÈ −¨ § © ¨ § Ì˙‡ ¨½ Ÿ zL¯È ´¨ § © ¨ § EÈtÓ ®¤ ¨ ¦ shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God; gods every abhorrent act that the LORD ȯÁ‡ À § ¯ÓM‰ −¥ £ © ̉ȯÁ‡ ¤½ ¥ £ © ÆL˜pz-Ôt ¥ ¨ ¦ ¤ EÏ ¤ ´¨ ¦ 30 for every abomination to the LORD, which detests; they even offer up their sons and He hateth, have they done unto their gods; Ÿ ¸ § ¦ ¤ EÈtÓ Ì‰È‰Ï ¤¹ ¥ Ÿ ‡Ï «¥ L¯„z-ÔÙe ®¤ ¨ ¦ Ì„ÓM‰ ´¨ § ¨ ¦ for even their sons and their daughters do daughters in ®re to their gods. Ÿ ¸ ¥ they burn in the ®re to their gods. Æ¥ ¨ ÌÈBb‰ ¹ § © © ‰Îȇ ³¦ © e„·ÚÈ ¨¸ ¥ ¯Ó‡Ï -˙‡¤ Ɖl¤ ‡‰ Ÿ 31 :È‡-Ìb -‡Ï ¦ «¨ © Ôk −¥ -‰Nڇ ¤ ¡ ¤ § Ì‰È‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ´ ‡ ¡

NJPS

29When

RASHI 30 Beware of being lured into ˙·ÚBz-Ïk ©¸ £ ¨ ÁÈk¦ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ÔÎ¥½ ‰NÚ˙ ´¤ £ © RASHBAM 30 Beware of being their ways. ¹¨ § lured. Ì‚³© Èk´¦ Ì‰È‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ´ ‡Ï¥ ÆeNÚ¨ ‡N ¥À ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‰Â‰È ``Lured'' or ``ensnared'' (OJPS)

follows the translation of Onkelos; but the words with that meaning do not have as a root letter the

R

found in our word, which

As in Dan. 5:6 and Ps. 109:11, the

L‡· −¥ ¨ eÙ¯NÈ ¬ § § ¦ ̉È˙a ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ´ § -˙‡Â ¤ § Æ̉Èa ¤ ¥ § -˙‡¤

really means not ``lured'' but ``seized'': ``the joints of his loins were loosened and his knees creditor

seize

knocked together ''

heed to

why

verb

means

``moved''Ð``Do not let

not

``lured''

yourself

but

be moved,

do not follow them.'' (Dan. 5:6); ``May his

all his possessions'' (Ps. 109:11). Here too the meaning is that you must

beware not to be seized by the desire to act as they did.

before you.

Hebrew

After they have been wiped out IBN EZRA 29 When the LORD your God has cut down before you the nations. How did those nations

W hen you see that I have destroyed them from before you, you must pay they were destroyedÐbecause of their foul deeds. You must certainly not

behave the same way, lest others come along and destroy you.

worship their gods?

Up to this point the Israelites have been warned only not to sacri®ce,

burn incense, pour libations, or bow down to idols or to any god ``other than the L ORD alone'' (Exod. 22:19). For these are the ways in which the One on high is legitimately worshiped. Here the text teaches you that it is forbidden to serve idols in any way at allÐfor example, by mooning Peor or throwing a stone at a roadside Hermes. Since those happen to be the ways in which these ``gods'' are worshiped, such actions are forbidden. But sacri®ce, incense, libations, and prostration are forbidden whether or not the idol is normally worshiped in those ways.

31 They even offer up their sons and daughters in ®re to their gods.

T his follows naturally from `` W hen

the

L ORD

enlarges

your

territor y''

(v.

20),

since there could be no enlargement of territor y until the nations within Canaan itself were vanquished.

30 Do not inquire. I too will follow those practices. T his

is

short

for

``Beware not to inquire.''

Do not say, ``I will worship

the Lord in those same ways,'' and think you are doing the right thing.

``Even''

because they also offer up their fathers and mothers. Said R. Akiva, ``I saw one gentile who tied up his father in front of his dog, which ate him.''

31 You shall not act thus. they even offer up their sons and daughters. God detests

all of their

practicesÐ

So ``be careful

to observe only

that

which I enjoin upon

NAHMANIDES 30 Beware of being lured into their ways after they have been wiped out before you. 31 You shall not act thus toward the LORD your God. not They perform for their gods every abhorrent act that the LORD detests. you'' (13:1).

If Rashi is correct, this is a warning not to commit idolatr y. T he

rest of his comment to the verse expands on this, but v. 31 shows that he is wrong.

T his passage is therefore not about worshiping other gods, but about

worshiping the Lord in the ways those other gods were worshiped, for a simple reason:

Up to this point He has commanded over and over again that when we come to the land we must uproot the

idols and those who worship them, and obliterate their name. It must be done immediately, just as soon as we dispossess them. Now we are told that we must not think this is a matter of jealousyÐas when human kings condemn to death someone who wears royal garb or puts a crown on his head. ``T he Lord will be pleased when I perform for Him all the acts that those nations mistakenly performed for their false gods.'' NoÐ`` You shall not act thus toward the L ORD your God.'' For He abhors what they did. W hat was wrong with their actions was not merely that they were performed for the wrong gods, but the idea that this was how any god should be worshiped.

offer up their sons and daughters in ®re to their gods!

They even

An act that is absolutely abhorrent to HimÐspilling innocent blood, showing

no pit y to infants. T hat is why 13:1 is so emphatic about observing ``only that which I enjoin upon you.'' T hat is the real message of this whole section. In fact, the Sages understand that worshiping these gods the wrong way (e.g., throwing a stone at Peor) or even taking care of their shrines is not a capital offense. T he straightforward sense of our chapter is that we are prohibited from offering sacri®ce to the Lord ``whether on loft y mountains and on hills or under any luxuriant tree'' (v. 3), and also from worshiping Him in His proper sanctuar y in any of the improper ways that those nations did.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

understand them or think that they are good'' (Abarbanel).

What is good and right.

T he phrase occurs

three more times in the Bible, in 2 Kings 10:3, 2 Chron. 14:1, and 2 Chron. 31:20 (Masorah). ``Good'' refers to the good one can do for one's fellow man; but God has no need of ``good''ÐHe wants you to do what is ``right'' (Bekhor Shor).

29 When the LORD your God has cut down before you the nations that you are about to enter and dispossess, and you have dispossessed them and settled in their land.

If the translations are correct in taking ``from before you'' (as it literally says; see OJPS) as

going with ``cut down,'' rather than with ``dispossess'' (where it appears in the Hebrew) then it means not ``dispossess'' but ``inherit.'' T he Hebrew verb means ``dispossess'' only when followed by ``from,'' so if ``from'' really goes with ``cut off '' here, we ®nd that the meaning ``dispossess'' never occurs in the Qal (Kimhi).

DEUTERONOMY 13:1±2 RE'EH

13

FB Z

DK OKZCE

13

Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin OJPS All this word which I command you, that shall ye upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it. observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. 2If there appears among you a prophet 2If there arise in the midst of thee a or a dream-diviner and he gives you a sign ¯L prophet, or a dreamer of dreamsÐand he ³¤ ‡ £ ¯·c‰-Ïk ¨À ¨ © ¨ ˙‡ ´¥ 1 :Ì‰È‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡Ï «¥ − § § ¦ B˙‡ ¬ Ÿ ÌÎ˙‡ ¤½ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ´¤ © § ÆÈÎ‡ ¦Ÿ ¨ RASHI 13:1 Be careful to observe. As e¯ÓL˙ IBN EZRA 13:2 If there appears Ÿ ¬ § ÂÈÏÚ Ÿ −© § ¦ ‡Ï ¨½ ¨ ÛÒ˙-‡Ï ´¥ Ÿ ˙BNÚÏ ® £ © among you a prophet. ``Among you'' bebefore, ``be careful'' serves to add prohibi- Ú¯‚˙ tions to the positive commandments given Ù :epnÓ «¤ ¦ cause a prophet would have to be an Israin this section. The idiom is that you are elite. What connects this with the preceding ½¦ ¨ ÆEa¯˜a ® £ ÌÏÁ ´¥ Ÿ B‡− ‡È· § § ¦ § Ìe˜È-Èk ³ ¨ « ¦ 2 chapter is of course idolatry, which is what supposed to ``be careful'' not to do a thingÐ ÌBÏÁ

NJPS

‚È

except one is not whipped for violating a positive commandment that is turned into ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If the prophet here a false prophet, how could he give ``a sign or a pora prohibition as one is for violating a istent'' (v. 2), and how could God be ``testing you'' (v. 4) straightforward prohibition. [H] Only that by means of him? which I enjoin upon you. The Hebrew says not ``only'' but ``all'' (see OJPS)Ðthe trivial commandments as well as the serious ones. Neither add to it nor take away from it. Do not add a ®fth text to the four of the phylacteries, a ®fth species to the four used on the Feast of Booths, or a fourth blessing to the three of Num. 6:24±26. 2 He gives you a sign. In the heavens: ``Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs'' (Gen. 1:14). A portent. On the earth, like the one Gideon asked for: ``Let the ¯eece alone be dry, while there is dew all over the ground'' (Judg. 6:39). [I] Do not heed him in either case. And if you are wondering why God gave a person like that the power to do such a thing, see v. 4.

[H] See Special Topics, ``Interpreting Biblical Law.'' used the version given in his source, the Sifrei.

[I] The standard version of Rashi's comment is dif®cult here; I have

NAHMANIDES 13:2 If there appears among you a prophet or a dream-diviner.

burning their sons and daughters was for. The person described here is not a real prophet but is merely called so to indicate that he claims that the Lord (or His emissary) spoke with him, whether in a waking state or in a dream. Some say that this ``prophet'' could perhaps be one of ``the prophets . . . who steal My words from one another'' (Jer. 23:30). This would mean that a real prophet announced a sign that would con®rm his words, but someone who heard him say so also announced the sign, as if it were his own. Still others think that even if the ``prophet's'' sign should occur he is not to be believed, since after all what he is proposing de®es reason. In my opinion, the verse is not speaking about anything miraculous, but merely about the prophet's announcing something symbolic, as when the fact that Isaiah ``has gone naked and barefoot for three years'' is ``a sign and a portent for Egypt and Nubia'' (Isa. 20:3). Similarly, Isaiah describes his children as ``signs and portents in Israel'' (Isa. 8:18), as indicated by their names: ``Immanuel'' (Isa. 7:14), ``Maher-shalal-hash-baz'' (Isa. 8:3),

The text calls him a prophet because that he is what he is calling himself: ``The Lord has spoken with me while I was wide awake! I am His prophet, sent to you for you to do what I say.'' But the text may also be alluding to something with a modicum of truth. For there is a prophetic power in the souls of some people such that they can foretell the future. The person himself does not know where he gets this knowledge, but he can meditate and then a spirit comes to him and says, ``This is what is going to happen in such-and-such a circumstance.'' The philosophers call such a person a kahin. No one knows what causes this phenomenon, but it has been con®rmed by observation. Perhaps when the soul is sharply focused it cleaves to the separate intelligence and is directed by it. [E] Such a person is called a prophet, for he does indeed prophesy. So the sign or portent he gives you will indeed come to pass. He gives you a sign or a portent. A ``sign'' refers to something symbolic: ``The Israelites shall camp each with his standard, under the banners of their ancestral house'' (Num. 2:2); ``Assuredly, my Lord will give you a sign of His own accord! Look, the young woman is with child and about to give birth to a son. Let her name him Immanuel'' (Isa. 7:14). This word ot is derived from the verb atah (``come''); the prophet names a certain (natural) event and says that it will ``come'' to pass. A ``portent'' refers to an event that is outside the ordinary course of nature: ``the wonder that was in the land, when God forsook him in order to test him'' (2 Chron. 32:31); ``Before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes, I will set portents in the sky and on earth: Blood and ®re and pillars of smoke'' (Joel 3:3). The Hebrew word mofet is a shortened form of mu¯a'at (``marvelous''), which the language borrowed to indicate anything so out of the ordinary that one would marvel at it whether it was supernatural or not: ``Ezekiel shall become a portent for you . . . On that day your mouth shall be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and no longer be dumb. So you shall be a portent for them, and they shall know that I am the LORD'' (Ezek. 24:24, 27). With regard to the exodus, the ``signs'' were the things that Moses announced before they occurredÐ``Tomorrow this sign shall come to pass'' (Exod. 8:19)Ðand the portents were the miraculous events that took place without advance warning. Again, etymologically a ``sign'' is what the prophet said in advance was coming; a ``portent'' causes those who see it to marvel because it is something out of the ordinary. So the prophet might give a ``sign'' on the order of ``tomorrow the locusts will arrive''; or he might give a ``portent'' by changing his staff into a serpent. The Sifrei, however, understands the two Hebrew words to be synonymous. Perhaps they meant that technically there is no difference which of them the prophet performs and that the Torah wished to emphasize that no matter what kind of sign he gave he was to be treated the same. The straightforward sense of the text is that this person is a prophet of the particular idolatrous religion he urges you to observe: ``The idol Peor sent me to you, for he is God, and he commands you to worship him in such-and-such a way.'' That is, he is a prophet ``who speaks in the name of other gods'' (18:20). Such a person is lumped in here with the other false prophets. Rabbinic literature, though, understands this prophet to be someone who is claiming to speak in the name of God: ``The Lord has sent me to tell you to worship Peor, His partner in creation,'' or ``He is the greatest of all the lesser gods, and the Lord wants you to worship him.'' The Sages insist that even if he said, ``Worship PeorÐtoday only!Ðand you will be successful in such-and-such an endeavor, for that is what the Lord wishes,'' still he has committed a capital crime; this would seem to be included in the straightforward sense of the text. But the text commands us not to heed a prophet who commands us in the name of the Lord to worship an idol, and to pay no attention to his signs and portents. V. 6 explains the reason: We know from the exodus, which was a real event, not a dream or a vision, that the earth is the [E] See Special Topics, ``Medieval Jewish Philosophy.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 13:1 Neither add to it nor take away from it.

Do not add your sons and daughters to the permissible sacri®ces, and do not neglect to offer any of the animals that I do require you to offer (Hizkuni).

92

93 DEUTERONOMY 13:2±5 NJPS

RE'EH

FBZ

DK OK ZCE

OJPS

or a portent, 3saying, ``Let us follow and worship another give thee a sign or a wonder, 3and the sign or the wonder god''Ðwhom you have not experiencedÐeven if the sign or come to pass, whereof he spoke unto theeÐsaying: ``Let us go portent that he named to you comes true, after other gods, which thou hast not 4do not heed the words of that prophet or known, and let us serve them''; 4thou shalt that dream-diviner. For the LORD your Æ˙B‡‰ ¨ ‡·e ³¨ 3 :˙ÙBÓ «¥ B‡¬ ˙B‡− EÈϲ¤ ‡¥ Ô˙ ¬© ¨ § not hearken unto the words of that God is testing you to see whether you prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams; Ÿ ® ¥ EÈÏ º¨ § «¥ ¯Ó‡Ï −¤ ‡¥ ¯ac-¯L ¬¤ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ˙ÙBn‰Â ¥½ © § for the LORD your God putteth you to really love the LORD your God with all ‰ÎÏ ¸¥ £ © proof, to know whether ye do love the −¨ § © § Ÿ « ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌȯÁ‡ ² ¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ¯¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ȯÁ‡ your heart and soul. 5Follow none but the ÌzÚ„È-‡Ï LORD your God, and revere none but ‡È·p‰ Ÿ ´ 4 :Ì„·Ú ´ ¦ ¨ © Æȯ·c-Ï ¥ § ¦ ‡¤ ÚÓL˙ ©À § ¦ ‡Ï «¥ § ¨ «¨ § LORD your God with all your heart and Him; observe His commandments alone, with all your soul. 5After the L ORD your ½ © Èk´¦ ‡e‰‰ ® © ÌBÏÁ‰ − £ © ÌÏBÁ-Ï ¬¥ ‡¤ B‡² ‡e‰‰ God shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear, º¤ © § and His commandments shall ye keep, and ˙Ú„Ï © À© ¨ ÌÎ˙‡ ¤½ § ¤ ÆÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤ ¥Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ‰qÓ

RASHI 5 Observe His command¨ § ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ÆÌÈ·‰‡ ¦ £ Ÿ « ÌÎLȉ ³¤ § ¦ £ ments alone. The Torah of Moses. Heed -ÏÎa only His orders. Literally, ``His voice'' ‰Â‰È 5 ¸¥ £ © ¯¨ § ȯÁ‡ :ÌÎLÙ-Ïηe «¤ § § © ¨ § Ìη·Ï −¤ § © § RASHBAM 13:3 Even if the sign or (OJPS), that is, the voice of His prophets. portent that he named to you comes ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ³¨ Ÿ § ¦ -˙‡Â ¤ § e‡¯È˙ ®¨ ¦ B˙‡Â ´ Ÿ § eÎÏz −¥ ¥ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ²¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ true. Because the diviner happens to know the future by means of an unclean spirit, NAHMANIDES Lord's. It is He who magic images, ghosts, or familiar spirits. creates, who wills, who is able; there is none 4 For the LORD your God is testing besides Him. We also know, from direct experience at Mount Sinai, that He commanded us ``face to face'' (5:4) not to worship anyone but Him; He will not yield His glory to you. He has given this kind of magic the

power to discover what is going to happen, another. This is ``the path that the LORD your God commanded you to follow'' (v. 6). 4 For the LORD your God is testing you. The purpose of the portent that the Holy in order to test Israel and enable them to One showed him (in a dream or a kahin state) [F] was that it was God's will to test the earn reward. For 18:10±13 prohibits them constancy of your love for Him. As I explained in my comment to Gen. 22:1, this is a test from having such people among them. They only from the perspective of the one being tested. To see. Literally, ``to know'' (OJPS). would earn reward for not believing in the Your action makes ``known'' what was already revealed (in potential) before Him. Again, signs named by these prophets. this whole section is about a prophet who urges you to commit idolatry, but our Sages apply it as well to one who claims to be a prophet of the Lord, but who urges you to uproot IBN EZRA and ``Shear-jashub'' (Isa. a prohibition from the TorahÐe.g., eating pork, or one of the forbidden sexual relation- 7:3). The curses that are threatened to befall ships. Everything written here applies to such a person as well. But if he does not uproot a the Israelites are also said to ``serve as signs prohibition but suspends it temporarily (like Elijah on Mount Carmel) [G] we are obligated and proofs against you'' (28:46). There are to heed him and to do everything he commands us. It would seem, though, that if he many similar examples. prophesies in the name of the Lord to create a new positive commandment, such as 4 For the LORD your God is testing reading the book of Esther on Purim, [H] he does not deserve death. But neither should we you. By not killing such a prophet but heed him. After all, ``These are the commandments'' (Lev. 27:34; Num. 36:13). From this leaving him alone. Remember that the purpoint on, no prophet is permitted to add anything to them. But perhaps, since we are not pose of God's ``testing'' someone is to demto believe him, he is a false prophet after all, and must be put to death by strangling. onstrate the righteousness of the person 5 Follow none but the LORD your God. This is a commandment to follow His coun- being tested. sel and to seek guidance about the future from Him alone, as when Rebekah ``went to 5 Follow none but the LORD your inquire of the LORD'' (Gen. 25:22) or as Moses explained to Jethro, ``the people come to me God. Imitate His own actions, to the extent to inquire of God'' (Exod. 18:15). We are to inquire in this way only from prophets of that you can, and pursue His ways. Revere the Lord, as did JehoshaphatÐ``Isn't there a prophet of the LORD here, through whom we none but Him. Rather, ``fear'' Him (see may inquire of the LORD?'' (2 Kings 3:11)Ðand the army of®cers who came to JeremiahÐ OJPS)Ðbe afraid of asking, ``Why?'' Ob``Let the LORD your God tell us where we should go and what we should do'' (Jer. 42:3). serve His commandments. The essential The Sifrei takes it to mean literally ``following'' the cloud through the wilderness, but this beliefs. Heed only His orders. Those that is essentially a metaphor for what we have explained. Revere none but Him. This means remind us of the essential beliefs. Worship to believe that it is He ``In whose hand is every living soul and the breath of all mankind'' (Job 12:10), ``to deal death or give life'' (2 Kings 5:7), punishing and rewarding. Observe His commandments alone. The Torah of Moses. Heed only His orders. Doing everything else He commands us. For, as Moses told us, ``The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet from among your own people, like myself; him you shall heed . . . and if anybody fails to heed the words he speaks in My name, I myself will call him to account'' (18:15, 19). It is Saul's failure to do this for which Samuel rebukes him in 1 Sam. 13:13. Being ``called to account'' means that one who fails to heed the words of such a prophet earns death at the hands of heaven. (You will ®nd such a case in 1 Kings 20:35±36.) Thus, the Sifrei reads our phrase as ``Heed only his''Ðthe [F] See Nahmanides' ®rst comment to v. 2. [G] See 1 Kings 18, where Elijah offers sacri®ce on Mount Carmel instead of at the Temple in Jerusalem. [H] See Nahmanides' comment to 4:2.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 3 ``Let us follow and worship another god''Ðwhom you have not experienced. People are always interested in novel experiences (Abarbanel). Even if the sign or portent that he named to you comes true. God would never let this

happen for someone who had transgressed His word; the situation must refer to a prophet like Hananiah son of Azzur in Jeremiah 28, who started out as a true prophet and only later became a false prophet (Bekhor Shor). A ``sign'' is the same thing as a ``portent,'' but weaker (Abarbanel). 4 Do not heed the words of that prophet. It would be illogical to conclude that his sign overrides My commandment (Hizkuni). For the LORD your God is testing you. By treating someone who speaks against Him as your enemy, you show that you are proven friends of His (Sforno). Whether. The F of this word is not interrogativeÐit is the de®nite article: He wants to see ``that'' you really love the Lord your God (Abarbanel). 5 Hold fast to Him. One possibility for understanding this phrase is that it sums up the previous ®ve phrases (Abarbanel).

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NJPS and heed only His orders; worship none but Him, and OJPS unto His voice shall ye hearken, and Him shall ye serve, hold fast to Him. 6As for that prophet or dream-diviner, he shall and unto Him shall ye cleave. 6And that prophet, or that dreamer be put to death; for he urged disloyalty to the LORD your GodÐ of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken perverwho freed you from the land of Egypt and who redeemed you sion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of from the house of bondageÐto make you the house of bondage, to draw thee aside stray from the path that the LORD your Ÿ Æ § ¦ out of the way which the Lord thy God Ÿ − £ © B˙‡Â ¬ e„·Ú˙ ¬ Ÿ § eÚÓL˙ ¨½ § ¦ BϘ·e ´ Ÿ § Æe¯ÓLz God commanded you to follow. Thus you B·e will sweep out evil from your midst. ÁÌÏÁ ¿ © ‡È·p‰Â ¥Ÿ B‡´ ‡e‰‰ ´ ¦ ¨ © § 6 :Ôe˜a„˙ « ¨ § ¦ commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou 7If your brother, your own mother's put away the evil from the midst of thee. ¹ © ÌBÏÁ‰ ¸£© -ÏÚ© ‰¯Ò-¯a„ ¨ ¨  ¤ ¦ Èk ´ ¦ ˙ÓeÈ ¨À ‡e‰‰ 7If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or son, or your son or daughter, or the wife of Ÿ ¹ ¸ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ´ ¤ ¥ | ÌÎ˙‡ ´ ¤ § ¤ ‡ÈˆBn‰ ¬ ¦ © ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤ ¥ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¨ § thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy your bosom, or your closest friend entices you in secret, saying, ``Come let us worship ÆEÁÈc‰Ï ½ ¦ ¨ £ ˙ÈaÓ £ « ¦ © § ÌÈ„·Ú ´¥ ¦ ÆE„t‰Â §Ÿ « © § ÌȯˆÓ ¦ À© § ¦ bosom, or thy friend, that is as thine own other gods''Ðwhom neither you nor your ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ´¤ ¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Eeˆ ² § ¦ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ C¯c‰-ÔÓ ¤ ½¤ © ¦ soul, entice thee secretly, saying: ``Let us go and serve other gods,'' which thou hast not fathers have experiencedÐ8from among :Ea¯wÓ «¤ § ¦ ¦ Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ da ®¨ known, thou, nor thy fathers; 8of the gods the gods of the peoples around you, either ¸ § ¦ -B‡« En‡-Ô· ¿ § « ¦ § Èk ¤ ¦  ¤ EÈÁ‡ ´ ¦ ¨ E˙ÈÒÈ ´ ¦ 7 of the peoples that are round about you, near to you or distant, anywhere from one -B‡« E· À¤ ¥ ˙L ¹ § ¦ nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÚ¯ ² £ «¥ B‡¯ E˜ÈÁ ¤‡ ´¥ | B‡´ Ez· the one end of the earth even unto the RASHI Worship none but Him. In His Ɖ„·Ú Ÿ ® ¥ ¯˙qa ¨ § © «© § ‰ÎÏ ¨À § «¥ ¯Ó‡Ï ¤ ´¥ © ELÙk − § §©§ Temple. And hold fast to Him. Hold fast to Ÿ ´ ƯL ½ ¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï −¨ © zÚ„È ¨ § ½© ¨ ‡Ï ¤‡ £ ÌȯÁ‡ ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ His ways: bestowing kindness, burying the ‰z‡ dead, and visiting the sick, all as the Holy ƯL À¦ © «¨ ¤‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰ È‰Ï ´¥ Ÿ ‡Ó ¡ ¥ 8 :EÈ˙·‡Â «¤ Ÿ £ © One Himself did. [J] ´ ¦ Ÿ § © ÌÎÈ˙·È·Ò ¤½ ¥ Ÿ ´ ¦ § ´¦ Ÿ § ¨ B‡− EÈϤ½ ‡¥ ÌÈ·¯w‰ 6 He urged disloyalty. More literally, ÌȘÁ¯‰ ``he spoke divergence'' in the sense that he :ı¯‡‰ ¤ «¨ ¨ ‰ˆ˜-„Ú ¬¥ § © § ı¯‡‰ ¤ −¨ ¨ ‰ˆ˜Ó ¬¥ § ¦ jnÓ ¨ ®¤ ¦ spoke things that diverged from realityÐ they never existed; they are things I never ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F But if he is a true commanded him to say. Who redeemed prophet, why is he compared to a ``dream-diviner'' you from the house of bondage. Even if (v. 6), and why must he be put to death? He had no claim on you other than this, it would be enough. 7 Your brother. From your father. Your own mother's son. Your brother from your mother. The wife of your bosom. The wife who lies in your h. ek, your ``embrace,'' who is meh . ukah, ``dug in'' to you. Compare ``From the trench in the ground'' (Ezek. 43:14). Your closest friend. Literally, ``your companion who is as your own soul'' (compare OJPS). This is your father. Our verse describes for you only those most beloved to him; obviously those who are less beloved are included as well. Entices you. ``Enticement'' means instigation: ``If the LORD has incited you against me'' (1 Sam. 26:19). The point is that he is luring you into doing it. In secret. This is not a condition; the verse is merely speaking about what is more likely to happen. Those who entice people to do something wrong do so in secret, as Solomon says: ``In the dusk of evening, in the dark hours of night'' (Prov. 7:9). Whom neither you nor your fathers have experienced. This would be a tremendous disgrace to you. Even the other nations do not give up the traditions their fathers have passed down to them, yet this person is telling you, ``Abandon your ancestral tradition!'' 8 Either near to you or distant. What is the point of separating them into ``near'' and ``distant''? What the text is saying is this: From the nature of those who are near to you, you can learn the nature of those who are distant. Just as there is no reality to the ones nearby, there is no reality to the ones far off. Anywhere from one end of the earth to the other. This refers to the sun, moon, and stars, which travel from one end of the earth to the other.

RASHBAM 7 Entices you.

Any advice that leads to a bad end is called ``enticement'': ``You have incited Me against him to destroy him for no good reason'' (Job 2:3); ``at the instigation of his wife Jezebel'' (1 Kings 21:25); ``Ahab . . . persuaded him to march against Ramoth-gilead'' (2 Chron. 18:2).

IBN EZRA none but Him. Rather, ``serve'' Him (see OJPS), by your actions. Hold fast to Him. In your heart, in this world and in the World to Come. 6 He urged disloyalty. Rather, he has

``spoken about'' disloyalty (though the word that would indicate ``about'' is omitted, as often happens). The noun ``disloyalty'' could be related to the verb ``turn aside,'' used frequently in connection with idolatry; more likely, it is related to the ``wayward and de®ant son'' of 21:18. (The Z in our word should therefore be doubled except that this is phonetically impossible in Hebrew.) Who

freed you from the land of Egypt and who redeemed you from the house of bondage. The double expression here is for emphasis. Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst. For some other examples

of the use of this verb, see Num. 24:22 and my comment there. [J] Jewish tradition depicts God as having buried Moses and visited Abraham when he was recovering from his circumcision. 7 Your brother. Even if it is your own brother who entices you. Your own mother's son. Who came from the same womb as you. Remember that it is the mother who represents the material aspects of the child, the father who represents its form. And the nature of the form is understood by very, very few.

NAHMANIDES

prophet'sÐ``orders.'' Worship none but Him. See my comment to this phrase in 6:13. In that verse, of course, we have already been told, ``Revere''Ðliterally, ``fear'' (OJPS)Ð``only the LORD your God, and worship Him alone.'' The repetition here (besides adding ``heed only His orders'') serves to reassure us that we need not fear the false prophet because of his signs and portents; we are to fear no one but the Lord alone. Hold fast to Him. See my comment to 11:22. 6 He urged disloyalty to the LORD your God. His disloyalty consists either in the fact that he spoke something the Lord had never commanded him to say, or in his betrayal of God's honor in urging you to worship someone else.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 He shall be put to death. By stoning (Bekhor Shor). 7 Your own mother's son. The same applies, of course, to your father's son; but you are likelier to be close to your mother's son, having no dispute with him over your father's inheritance (Hizkuni). The wife of your bosom. The woman who sleeps in your embrace (Bekhor Shor).

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end of the earth to the other: 9do not assent or give heed other end of the earth; 9thou shalt not consent unto him, to him. Show him no pity or compassion, and do not shield him; nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither 10but take his life. Let your hand be the ®rst against him to put shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him; 10but thou shalt him to death, and the hand of the rest of the people thereafter. surely kill him; thy hand shall be ®rst upon him to put him to 11Stone him to death, for he sought to make you stray from the death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 11And thou shalt LORD your God, who brought you out of stone him with stones, that he die; because the land of Egypt, out of the house of he hath sought to draw thee away from the Ÿ § ÂÈÏ Ÿ ¬ § BϽ ‰·‡˙-‡Ï Ÿ 9 LORD thy God, who brought thee out ®¨ ‡¥ ÚÓL˙ −© § ¦ ‡Ï ´¤ Ÿ bondage. 12Thus all Israel will hear and be -‡Ï Ÿ ¬ § © Ÿ « § ÂÈÏÚ −¤ © § Ÿ « § ÏÓÁ˙-‡Ï ¨½ ¨ ÆEÈÚ § «¥ ÒBÁ˙ ³ ¨ of the land of Egypt, out of the house of afraid, and such evil things will not be ‰qÎ˙-‡Ï 12 done again in your midst. Ÿ ¨ Èk -‰È‰z ³¦ 10 :ÂÈÏÚ «¨ ¨ bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and ¤ § « ¦ E„È ² § «¨ ep‚¯‰z ¤½ § © «© Æ‚¯‰ 13If you hear it said, of one of the towns fear, and shall do no more any such wickÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ „È ¬© § B˙ÈÓ‰Ï ® ¦ £ © ‰BL −¨ ‡¯· « ¦ ¨ Ba¬ that the LORD your God is giving you edness as this is in the midst of thee. 13If thou shalt hear tell concerning ´ ¦ ˙Ó ®¥ ¨ ÌÈ·‡· −¦ ¨ £ ¨ BzϘÒe ¬ § © § 11 :‰¯Á‡a «¨ Ÿ £ © ¨ to dwell in, 14that some scoundrels from Èk among you have gone and subverted EÈ‰Ï À¥ ¦ one of thy cities, which the LORD thy ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÏÚÓ © ¥ ÆEÁÈc‰Ï £ « ¦ © § Lw· God giveth thee to dwell there, saying: the inhabitants of their town, saying, :ÌÈ„·Ú « ¦ ¨ £ ˙ÈaÓ ¬¥ ¦ ÌȯˆÓ ¦ −© § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ¬¤ ¥ E‡ÈˆBn‰ ² £ ¦ © 14 ``Certain base fellows are gone out from ``Come let us worship other gods''Ðwhom Ÿ « § Ôe‡¯È ´¦ ® ¨ « ¦ § eÚÓLÈ − § § ¦ χ¯NÈ-ÏΠ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ¨ § 12 the midst of thee, and have drawn away you have not experiencedÐ15you shall eÙÒBÈ-‡Ï À £ © the inhabitants of their city, saying: Let Ò :Ea¯˜a «¤ § ¦ § ‰f‰ −¤ © Ú¯‰ ²¨ ¨ ¯·ck ¬¨ ¨ © ˙BNÚÏ investigate and inquire and interrogate ¸¨ § Á¯L À¤ ¨ ˙Á‡a º© § ¦ « ¦ 13 us go and serve other gods, which ye have ‰Â‰È ¤‡ £ EÈ¯Ú ´© © § ÚÓL˙-Èk toveh not known''; 15then shalt thou inquire, Ÿ « ¥ ÌL −¨ ˙·LÏ ¤ ¬¤ ¨ EÏ ² § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï :¯Ó‡Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ and make search, and ask diligently; and,

RASHI 9 Do not assent. Do not

to himÐhave no appetite for what he offers you ( ); do not love him ( ). eÁÈci º § ¨ 14 ² ¦ © © Ea¯wÓ ¤½ § ¦ ¦ ÆÏÚiÏ· © Æ© ¦ § -Èa «¥ § ÌÈL‡ ³¦ ¨ £ e‡ˆÈ Even though you have been told to ``love ‰„·Ú Ÿ ® ¥ ̯ÈÚ ¨À § ¥ ¯Ó‡Ï −¨ ¦ È·LÈ-˙‡ ¬¥ § Ÿ ¤ IBN EZRA 9 Do not assent. Mentally. your fellow as yourself'' (Lev. 19:18), do not ²¨ § © © § ‰ÎÏ Or give heed to him. By acting as he «¤ § © § Ÿ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌȯÁ‡ −¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ¬¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ suggests. Show him no pity. But kill him. love this fellow. Or give heed to him. :ÌzÚ„È-‡Ï When he pleads to be forgiven and begs for ‰p‰Â ³¥ ¦ § ·Ëȉ ®¥ ¥ zÏ −¨ § ‡L © ¨ § z¯˜Á ¯¨ § © ¨ § zL¯„ ¯¨ § © ¨ § 15 Do not shield him. Literally, do not ``conhis life. Even though you have been told, ceal'' him (OJPS), thereby permitting him to ``When you see the ass of your enemy lying continue his dirty work. Instead, you must under its burden and would refrain from assisting him, you must assist him nevertheless'' uncover the matter, so that the witnesses (Exod. 23:5), do not assist this fellow. Show him no pity. Though you have been told, (see 17:6) hear his incitement directly, and ``Do not stand idly by the blood of your fellow'' (Lev. 19:16), you must show this fellow no then you can take his life. pity. Or compassion. Do not look for grounds to acquit him. Do not shield him. If you 10 Let your hand be the ®rst against have evidence that would convict him, you are not permitted to remain silent. him. It would seem that ``the hands of the 10 But take his life. More literally, ``you shall kill, kill him!'' The double verb in- witnesses [should] be the ®rst against him'' dicates: if he is acquitted by a court, you can put him back on trial if there is new evidence; (17:7) if our tradition did not teach otherwise. but if he is convicted, you cannot retry him for the purpose of acquittal. Let your hand be 11 Stone him to death. The command the ®rst against him to put him to death. The person who was incited is personally to kill him has already been given; this verse commanded to put him to death. And the hand of the rest of the people thereafter. If explains the mode of execution. he does not die at the hand of the one who was incited, he must die at the hands of others. 15 You shall investigate and inquire 13 Of one of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you to dwell in. But not and interrogate. These words are thorof Jerusalem, which was not given you for dwelling in. oughly analyzed in the rabbinic sources. 14 Some scoundrels. Literally, ``some men who are scoundrels.'' Women are excluded. The word translated ``scoundrels'' ( ) implies that they are , ``without yoke.'' They have cast off God's yoke. The inhabitants of their town. But not the inhabitants of some other town. The Sages derive from these details that the rules of the ``subverted town'' do not apply unless the subversion was carried out by males who are from that same town. Note that this whole verse is really a direct quotation (see OJPS); it is what you ``hear . . . said'' (v. 13). 15 You shall investigate and inquire and interrogate thoroughly. This is one of the verses from which the seven questions of ta'av lo

tohavennu

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NAHMANIDES 9 Do not assent. Rashi's comment is taken from the Sifrei. But B. Sanh. 61b shows clearly that the verb means that

he assents, literally that he ``is willing'' to do what the prophet requests. That is how the verb is used in Biblical Hebrew: ``The LORD your God to heed Balaam'' (23:6), that is, He was unwilling to heed him; ``My husband's brother to establish a name in Israel for his brother'' (25:7, following the explicit statement that he ``does not want'' to do it). So ``assent'' here is not to be taken as an expression of speech; it refers to the person's internal acceptance of the enticement. Or give heed to him. It is this verb that indicates a verbal assent or consent: ``Yes, I will do it. I will go and serve the idol that you have suggested.'' Even mere consent earns the death penalty. The translation of Onkelos clearly follows this understanding as well. The same situation applies here as in ``You shall not covet. . . You shall not crave'' (5:18). They are two separate prohibitions. If he covets, he violates the ®rst prohibition; if he goes ahead and acts on his covetous desire, he violates the second. Show him no pity or compassion. To ``show pity'' means to keep him from being killed; to ``show compassion'' means to have the feelings one would otherwise naturally have for the kinds of people mentioned in v. 7: ``I will be toward them as a man is toward a son who ministers to him'' (Mal. 3:17). Do not shield him. Do not avoid testifying against him in court. The Sifrei reads it as follows: Do not show him compassion by testifying on his behalf; do not shield him by keeping silent if you have testimony proving his guilt. ``Shield him'' is literally ``cover him,'' clearly meaning ``cover up for him.'' As we see from ``He who his faults will not succeed'' (Prov. 28:13) and ``A fool's vexation is known at once, but a clever man his humiliation'' (Prov. 12:16), ``covering'' in this sense means refusing to talk. 12 Such evil things will not be done again. Enticing someone to commit idolatry is fairly common and would be likely to occur over and over without some such law as this. The phenomenon described in vv. 2±6 is much rarer. 15 You shall investigate and inquire and interrogate thoroughly. The nature of the investigation and inquiry is explained in refused

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NJPS thoroughly. If it is true, the fact is establishedÐthat OJPS behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abhorrent thing was perpetrated in your midstÐ16put the inhab- abomination is wrought in the midst of thee; 16thou shalt surely itants of that town to the sword and put its cattle to the sword. smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, Doom it and all that is in it to destruction: destroying it utterly, and all that is therein 17gather all its spoil into the open square, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the and burn the town and all its spoil as a ˙‡f‰ Ÿ− © ‰·ÚBz‰ ¬¨ ¥ © ‰˙NÚ ²¨ § ¤ ¤ ¯·c‰ ¨½ ¨ © ÔBÎ ´ ¨ Æ˙Ó‡ ¤ ¡ sword. 17And thou shalt gather all the spoil holocaust to the LORD your God. And it ¯ÈÚ‰ ¬ ¦ ¨ È·LÈ-˙‡ ²¥ § Ÿ « ¤ ‰k˙ ¤À © ‰k‰ ´¥ © 16 :Ea¯˜a «¤ § ¦ § of it into the midst of the broad place thereof, and shall burn with ®re the city, shall remain an everlasting ruin, never to ¸¥ £ © ·¯Á-ÈÙÏ ¤ § d˙‡ ¯¨ Ÿ ̯Á‰ ¤ ®¨ ¦ § ‡È‰‰ −¦ © ‡Â‰‰ and all the spoil thereof every whit, unto be rebuilt. 18Let nothing that has been -˙‡Â ¤ «¨ ¦ § dzÓ‰a −¨ § ¤ § -˙‡Â ¤ § da ²¨ -¯L ¤ ‡-Ïk £ ¨ the LORD thy God; and it shall be a heap doomed stick to your hand, in order that :·¯Á-ÈÙÏ 18 the LORD may turn from His blazing an- ¼d·Á¯ Ÿ § ¦ dÏÏL-Ïk ¨À ¨ § ¨ -˙‡Â ¤ § 17 for ever; it shall not be built again. And ¨ Ÿ § CBz-Ï ´ ‡¤ »ıa˜z ger and show you compassion, and in His there shall cleave nought of the devoted ÆdÏÏL-Ïk ¨¨ § ¨ -˙‡Â ¤ § ¯ÈÚ‰-˙‡ ³¦ ¨ ¤ L‡· ¥¹ ¨ zÙ¯N ¨¸ § © ¨ § compassion increase you as He promised thing to thy hand, that the LORD may ¨½ Ïz ´¥ Ɖ˙ȉ ¨ § ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ÏÈÏk ¦½ ¨ turn from the ®erceness of His anger, and your fathers on oathÐ19for you will be ÌÏBÚ heeding the LORD your God, obeying all E„Èa Ÿ ¬ show thee mercy, and have compassion ² § ¨ § ˜a„È-‡Ï ¯© § ¦ Ÿ « § 18 :„BÚ« ‰a˙ −¤ ¨ ¦ ‡Ï His commandments that I enjoin upon ‰Â‰È ¹¨ § ·eLÈ ¸ ¨ ÁÔÚÓÏ © © § ̯Á‰-ÔÓ ¤ ®¥ © ¦ ‰Óe‡Ó ¨ − § upon thee, and multiply19thee, as He hath you this day, doing what is right in the sworn unto thy fathers; when thou shalt À © ÔB¯ÁÓ EÓÁ¯Â ´ § © « ¦ § ÆÌÈÓÁ¯ ¦ £ © EÏ-Ô˙ ³ § © «¨ § Bt‡ ´ £ ¥ hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, sight of the LORD your God. Èk´¦ 19 :EÈ˙·‡Ï «¤ Ÿ £ © ÚaL −© § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © Ea¯‰Â ¤½ § ¦ § to keep all His commandments which I Ÿ § ¦ EÈ‰Ï RASHI judicial interrogation [K] are de- -˙‡¤ ƯÓLÏ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÏB˜a§ ÚÓL˙ ©À § ¦ command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God. rived. In addition to ``interrogate'' itself, ÌBi‰ ® © EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¨½ Ÿ § ¦ -Ïk¨ which applies to questioning of a more genÒ :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÈÈÚa −¥ ¥ § ¯Li‰ ¨½ ¨ © Æ˙BNÚÏ £ © IBN EZRA 17 Burn the town and all eral nature, we have ``investigate,'' ``inquire,''

and

``thoroughly,''

making

three.

In addition we have 19:18, ``the magistrates shall make a

thorough investigation,''

thorough inquiry,''

adding

``Ever y whit'' (OJPS) of it belongs to

t wo more, and 17:4, ``you shall make a

adding two more for a total of seven. T he word ``thorough,'' which is

precisely the same in the Hebrew of all three verses, shows that the three are to be connected in this way.

16 Put the inhabitants of that town to the sword.

God, and in His honor

it

must be wholly

burnt.

Et ymologically

the word does not mean ``ruin'' but ``heap'' (OJPS): ``I will plant it on a tall,

Again the Hebrew idiom repeats

the verb ``smite'' (see OJPS) twice, indicating that if you are unable to kill them in the prescribed way, you must kill them in whatever way you can.

17 To the LORD your God. 18 In order that the LORD may turn from His blazing anger.

towering

mountain'' (Ezek. 17:22).

18 In order that the LORD may turn from His blazing anger. 19 For you will be heeding.

And not destroy

To His name and for His sake.

you for the cit y's transgression. T his does not follow

the beginning of v. 18, but of v. 16: Put them to the sword in order that the Lord may turn from His anger. For there is anger in the world as long as there is idolatr y in the world.

[K]

its spoil as a holocaust to the LORD your God. An everlasting ruin.

Rather,

``if

you

would

should do if

According to M. Sanh. 5:1, these are: In which seven-year period of the jubilee did it occur? W hat year? W hat month?

heed.''

T hat

you are tr ying

is

what

you

to do what is

right in His sight.

W hat day of the month? W hat day of the week? W hat hour of the day? In which place?

NAHMANIDES

rabbinic literature. T he expression is used here in the case of enticing an entire town (and with the idolater of 17:4),

but not with the false prophet or the enticement of an individual. T he prophet proclaims himself with his signs and portents, and the enticer is directly known to the individual whom he tried to entice and who must ``take his life'' (v. 10). But ``if you hear it said'' (v. 13) that such a thing went on in one of the other towns, by de®nition investigation and inquir y are required. (T here was no need to state this in every such case, as it could be derived

a fortiori

from this one.) Note that in the case of witnesses who falsely impugn the testimony of

other witnesses ``a thorough investigation'' is explicitly required (19:18), since otherwise it would be impossible to know which set of witnesses is the true one and which the false. T he rabbinic sources link the various passages together by verbal analog y and derive the necessar y details in that way.

[I]

16 Doom it and all that is in it to destruction.

``It'' being all the men who were subverted, and ``all that is in it'' being the women

who were drawn after them. But the minor children, male or female, are not put to death. In the Sifrei, Hanan applies 24:16 to this situation, but in T. Sanh. 14:3 there is a dispute on this subject. R. Eliezer maintains that they

are

killed. R. Akiva challenges him: How am

I to understand ``in order that the L ORD may . . . show you compassion, and in His compassion increase you'' (v. 18) if the children too are killed? Ð Note that this entire chapter is an ampli®cation of `` W hoever sacri®ces to a god other than the L ORD alone shall be proscribed'' (Exod. 22:19), explicating how the proscription is to be carried out.

[I]

See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 Put the inhabitants of that town to the sword.

T hough an individual idolater would be stoned,

the inhabitants of a whole town will not simply turn themselves over to be stoned; they would ®ght back (Bekhor Shor). But this applies only to a town, not to a group as big as an entire tribe nor to one as small as a village or even a suburb (Gersonides).

17 Gather all its spoil into the open square. and all its spoil. Never to be rebuilt. 18 Let nothing that has been doomed stick to your hand.

Literally, ``into the open square

thereof ''

(see OJPS). If the square is outside the town,

we build a wall around it to include it in the townÐfor one purpose of the burning is to publicize the matter (Gersonides).

Burn the town

T his is to prevent them from rushing to judgment about such a town in anticipation of getting the spoil for themselves

(Abarbanel).

But it can be used for agricultural purposes (Gersonides). It would look as if your intent was simply to plunder the cit y. If you

take nothing, it will be clear that you were acting for the sake of heaven (Bekhor Shor). up for the loss of an entire town (Hizkuni).

And in His compassion increase you.

To make

96

97 DEUTERONOMY 14:1±4

RE'EH

FB Z

14

NJPS You are children of the LORD your God. You shall not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads because of the dead. 2For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God: the LORD your God chose you from among all other peoples on earth to be His treasured people. 3You shall not eat anything abhorrent. 4These are the animals

OJPS

14

Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 2For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be His own treasure out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. 3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. 4These are the

RASHI 14:1 You shall not gash your- KTKCZ selves. You shall not gash your ¯esh in ÌÎÈ‰Ï ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ «© Ìz‡ ¤½ © ÌÈa ´¦ ¨ mourning for the dead, as the Amorites have

„È

Ÿ´ À §Ÿ « § ¦ ‡Ï ¬¥ ‰Á¯˜ ²¨ § ¨ eÓÈN˙-‡Ï ¯¦ ¨ Ÿ « § e„„b˙˙ been doing. You are the children of the Holy ÔÈa One and must look nice, not gashed or ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ‰z‡ ¨½ © ÆLB„˜¨ ÌÚ ³© Èk ´ ¦ 2 :˙ÓÏ «¥ ¨ ÌÎÈÈÚ −¤ ¥ ¥ shaven. Shave the front of your heads. ÆBÏ ˙BÈ‰Ï À¨ § ¯Áa º§ ¬ § « ¦ ‰Â‰È ´© ¨ E·e EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Literally, ``between your eyes,'' above the Ÿ forehead. But elsewhere it says, ``They shall Èt-ÏÚ ½ Æ ¨½ ª § ÌÚÏ ´© § ¬¥ § © ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰ ¦ © «¨ ÏkÓ¦ ‰l‚Ò not shave smooth any part of their heads'' Ò :‰Ó„‡‰ «¨ ¨ £ ¨ (Lev. 21:5), which applies this rule to the Ÿ¬ 3 −¨ ¥ § © ˙‡ÊŸ¬ 4 :‰·ÚBz-Ïk «¨ ¥ ¨ Ï·˙ −© Ÿ ‡Ï entire head, not just the front of the scalp. ‰Ó‰a‰

2 For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God. On account of the consecration of your ancestors. The LORD your God chose you. Personally. 3 Anything abhorrent. Anything that

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why did Moses have to repeat the food rules of Leviticus 11 here? There is no clari®cationÐin fact this version is abridged!

I have declared abhorrent for you. If someone mutilates the ear of a ®rstborn animal in order to be able to slaughter it for meat outside of Jerusalem, be aware that I have declared this abhorrent for you: ``There must be no defect in it'' (Lev. 22:21). Come and learn that one is not permitted to slaughter and eat such an animal. I have declared cooking meat with milk abhorrent to you, and this verse therefore prohibits eating it. 4 These are the animals. The word is often applied to farm animals, but we learn from ``the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck'' and so forth of v. 5 that wild animals are also included

NAHMANIDES 14:1 You are children of the LORD your God.

EK OK ZCE

This too is an explication of a law given earlier: ``They shall not shave smooth any part of their heads, or cut the side-growth of their beards, or make gashes in their ¯esh'' (Lev. 21:5). Now we learn that this rule is not just for the priests, who ``offer the LORD's offerings by ®re, the food of their God, and so must be holy'' (Lev. 21:6). Rather, ``all the community are holy, all of them'' (Num. 16:3), and you are all as much children of the Lord as the priests are. So you too must observe this commandment just as they do. Because of the dead. The Sages understand the Leviticus 21 version also to involve doing these actions for the dead. We might have thought that this was forbidden for the priests simply because any ritual they performed in this condition would not be valid; we now learn that the same actions are forbidden for Israelites, who do not carry out the rituals. So both texts are necessary. Rashi's comment that children of the Lord ``must look nice'' is not correct; if it were so, this would be equally forbidden even when it had nothing to do with the dead. 2 For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God. In my opinion there is more to this than Ibn Ezra's comment allows for. Being ``a holy people'' (as OJPS more literally translates) is a promise that the soul continues to exist permanently after death, in the presence of the Holy One. Given that He treasures you and ``will not take away the life of one who makes plans so that no one may be kept banished'' (2 Sam. 14:14), gashing yourselves in mourning is not right, even if the one who died was still young. V. 1 certainly does not forbid mourning, a natural reaction when loved ones must part, even if they both remain alive. But it does support the rabbinic prohibition against mourning excessively. 3 You shall not eat anything abhorrent. This is a further explication of the list of prohibited foods in Leviticus 11. Our verse points out that all these foods are repugnant to the pure soul, that is, hateful and disgusting: ``All food was loathsome to them; they

RASHBAM 14:1 You shall not gash yourselves. Like the prophets of Baal, who ``gashed themselves with knives and spears, according to their practice'' (1 Kings 18:28). In Aramaic the word is used for cutting down trees; see Dan. 4:11.

IBN EZRA 14:1 You are children of the LORD your God. So you are forbidden

even to mourn for the brother or son or father who incited you to worship other gods, let alone to gash yourselves, which is always forbidden no matter who it is that has died. You shall not gash yourselves. As in ``You shall not make gashes in your ¯esh for the dead'' (Lev. 19:28)Ðthough that verse uses a different Hebrew word. The noun form of our word is found in ``For every head is bald and every beard is shorn; on all hands there are gashes, and on the loins sackcloth'' (Jer. 48:37). Or shave the front of your heads. As the gentiles do to this day. Because of the dead. Knowing that you are children of the Lord, and that He loves you more than a father loves his son, do not gash yourselves because of anything He does. Everything He does is for the best, whether or not you understand it. Little children do not necessarily understand what their father is doing, but they trust him. You should do the same.

2 For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God. You are not like all

the rest of the CanaanitesÐso do not behave like them.

3 You shall not eat anything abhorrent. Since you are ``a holy people'' (OJPS,

v. 2), it logically follows that your mouths must be as consecrated as your hearts. You must distinguish yourselves from the other nations so that all who see you will recognize that you do not shave your heads for the dead or eat every animal in existence. If you are indeed a holy people, it is wrong for you to eat something unclean and thus de®le your essential nature. By ``abhorrent'' is meant anything that is abhorrent to a pure soul, like creatures that swarm on the ground.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 14:1 You are children of the LORD your God. So if your father dies you have a greater father who is still living and there is no need to mourn too much. But a non-Jew whose father dies is indeed orphaned, for ``They said to wood, `You are my father,' to stone, `You gave birth to me''' (Jer. 2:27), so they really had better start gashing themselves. Ð This is from Joseph Kara (Bekhor Shor). Gashing of this kind would be a terrible thing to require of youÐbut you are children of the Lord. He loves you and would not burden you with such a requirement; in fact, He wishes to protect you from such a thing (Gersonides). It is rude to mourn excessively when your Father is still alive (Abarbanel). As children of the Lord, you are destined for eternal life in the World to Come, so there is no need for excessive grief about the suffering of the dead (Sforno). 3 You shall not eat anything abhorrent. Since others eat them, we see that they are not intrinsically abhorrent to people; it is God to whom they are abhorrent, because they are all connected in one way or another with idolatry (Abarbanel). We know from God's instructions to Noah in Genesis 7 that the difference between the clean and unclean animals was revealed long before the Torah was given (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 14:4±12 RE'EH

FB Z

EK OKZCE

that you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat; 5the OJPS beasts which ye may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, 5the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the mountain sheep, 6and any other animal that has true hoofs the pygarg, and the antelope, and the mountain-sheep. 6And which are cleft in two and brings up the cudÐsuch you may eat. every beast that parteth the hoof, and hath the hoof wholly 7But the following, which do bring up the cud or have true hoofs cloven in two, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that ye which are cleft through, you may not eat: may eat. 7Nevertheless these ye shall not the camel, the hare, and the damanÐfor :ÌÈfÚ « ¦ ¦ ‰N ¬¥ § ÌÈ·NÎ −¦ ¨ § ‰N ¬¥ ¯BL¾ eÏ·z ®¥ Ÿ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ eat of them that only chew the cud, or of them that only have the hoof cloven: the although they bring up the cud, they have Ÿ − ¦ § Bw‡Â ¬ § ÔLÈ„Â ¬ © § ¯eÓÁÈ ® § © § È·ˆe −¦ § Ïi‡ ¬¨ © 5 camel, and the hare, and the rock-badger, no true hoofsÐthey are unclean for you; B‡˙e 8also the swineÐfor although it has true À¨ § © ˙Ò¯ÙÓ º¨ ¥ § -ÏΠ‰Ò¯t ¤ ´¤ § © ‰Ó‰a ¨ § 6 :¯ÓÊ ¤ «¨ ¨ because they chew the cud but part not the hoofs, it does not bring up the cudÐis un- ‰¯b ½ ¨ § ÈzL −¨ ¥ ˙¬ÏÚÓ © £ © ˙BÒ¯Ù ´¥ § ÆÚÒL © Ƥ ˙ÚÒL © ³© Ÿ § hoof, they are unclean unto you; 8and the swine, because he parteth the hoof but clean for you. You shall not eat of their Ÿ ³ ‰Ê-˙‡ º¤ ¤ C‡ ‡Ï ´© 7 :eÏ·z «¥ Ÿ d˙‡ −¨ Ÿ ‰Ó‰aa ®¨ ¥ § © cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto ¯esh or touch their carcasses. ½¨ ¥ © ÈÏÚnÓ ‰Ò¯t‰ −¨ § © © ÈÒȯÙnÓe ¬¥ ¦ § © ¦ ‰¯b‰ ´¥ £ «© ¦ ÆeÏ·˙ § Ÿ « you; of their ¯esh ye shall not eat, and 9These you may eat of all that live in water: you may eat anything that has ®ns -˙‡Â ¤ § ˙·¯‡‰-˙‡Â ¤ ¤¸ § © ¨ ¤ § ÏÓb‰-˙‡ ¨ ¨ ©  «¤ ‰ÚeÒM‰ ®¨ § © their carcasses ye shall not touch. 9These ye may eat of all that are in the and scales. 10But you may not eat anything ‡Ï Ÿ ´ ƉүÙe À ¨ § © ‰n‰ ¨ ¥ ‰¯‚ ´¨ ¥ ‰ÏÚÓ ¯¥ £ © -Èk« ¦ ÔÙM‰ ¨¹ ¨ © that has no ®ns and scales: it is unclean waters: whatsoever hath ®ns and scales ½ ¦ § ¦ may ye eat; 10and whatsoever hath not ®ns ¯ÈÊÁ‰-˙‡Â ¦ £ ©  ¤ § 8 :ÌÎÏ «¤ ¨ ̉ −¥ ÌȇÓË ¬ ¦ ¥ § eÒȯى for you. 11You may eat any clean bird. 12The Ÿ ´ § Ƈe‰ ‰Ò¯t ½¨ ¥ ‡Ï ¸¦ § © -Èk« ¦ and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean ‡ÓË ¬¥ ¨ ‰¯‚ ¬¨ § © ÒȯÙÓ following you may not eat: the eagle, the Ì˙Ï··e Ÿ ´ Æ̯NaÓ −¨ ¨ § ¦ § eÏ·˙ ¥½ Ÿ ‡Ï ¨ ¨ § ¦ ÌÎÏ ®¤ ¨ ‡e‰− unto you. 11Of all clean birds ye may eat. 12But Ÿ¬ Ò :eÚb˙ «¨ ¦ ‡Ï these are they of which ye shall not eat: the RASHI in the term. We learn further that ÏkŸ ¯ ÌÈna 9 Ÿ Ÿ ½ Æ ¦ ® ¨ © ¯L ´ ¤ ‡ £ ÏkÓ − ¦ eÏ·z § « ‰Ê-˙‡ ¤ ¤ great vulture, and the bearded vulture, and there are more unclean animals than clean Ÿ ¸ § 10 :eÏ·z ones; the ones that are speci®cally listed can ÏΠ«¥ Ÿ ˙N˜N˜Â ¤ −¤ § © § ¯ÈtÒ ¬ ¦ © § BÏ-¯L ² ¤‡ £ always be presumed to be the minorit y. Ÿ ´ ˙N˜N˜Â ®¥ Ÿ ‡Ï ¤ −¤ § © § ¯ÈtÒ ¬ ¦ © § BÏ-Ôȇ ² «¥ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ IBN EZRA 4 The ox, the sheep, and 5 The wild goat. Onkelos understands eÏ·˙ the goat. Ordinarily in Hebrew we would Ò :ÌÎÏ «¤ ¨ ‡e‰− ‡ÓË ¬¥ ¨ this animal to be one of ``the mountain expect ``the ox and the sheep and the goat,'' goats'' of Job 39:1, the steinbock. The ante¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰Ê ¤¾ § 12 :eÏ·z «¥ Ÿ ‰¯‰Ë −¨Ÿ § ¯Btˆ-Ïk ¬ ¦ ¨ 11 but the ®rst and is omitted here. Notice too lope. Rather, again following Onkelos, ``the :‰iÊډ Ÿ « that both sheep and goats can be identi®ed «¨ ¦ § ¨ «¨ § Ò¯t‰Â ¤ −¤ © § ¯Lp‰ ¤ ¬¤ © Ì‰Ó ®¤ ¥ eÏ·˙-‡Ï − § Ÿ forest ox.''

NJPS

6 True hoofs which are cleft in two. eat.

by the word seh.

If

it has true hoofs and they are cleft but not completely in t wo, it is unclean.

5 The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, Such you may the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep.

Our verse literally ends with the words ``in the animals, such you may eat'' (compare

OJPS). From this the Sages derive that a live embr yo found in the womb of a slaughtered animal is considered permissible to eat if the mother was slaughtered properly.

7 Which are cleft through.

explain that this animal and the kite of v. 13, neither of which is mentioned in Leviticus, are the reason for the repetition of these rules here in Deuteronomy.

these

8 It does not bring up the cud.

``Bring

up'' is not in the text; compare v. 6. Another possible understanding of the terse Hebrew phrase is ``it has no cud.''

9 Fins and scales. [D] 11 You may eat any clean bird.

Our Sages interpret this speci®c phrase as referring to the

time of the pilgrimage festivals, when one must be sure to be ritually clean. But might it not

See my comment to

Lev. 11:9.

refer to the entire year? No, for we read, ``Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall de®le himself for any [dead] person among his kin'' (Lev. 21:1). Since only priests and not Israelites are warned against becoming unclean through a human corpseÐa much more serious kind of uncleannessÐit is obvious that the less serious uncleanness of an animal carcass could not apply to ordinar y Israelites all year round.

11 You may eat any clean bird. 12 The following you may not eat.

two of

identi®ed only by tradition.

T he Hebrew word, ha-shesuah (``the cleft''), is actually

the name of another animal, one that has two backs and t wo spinal cords. Our Sages

8 Or touch their carcasses.

T he ®rst

animals are well known; the last ®ve can be

``Bird''

is a general term; see my comment to Gen. 15:10.

[D]

Ibn Ezra's comment to that verse does not make his

point clear.

T his general phrase adds to the permissible birds

``the live bird [that is] set free in the open countr y'' (Lev. 14:7) by the leper. T his too is a general phrase, forbidding the leper's other bird, the one that was ``slaughtered over

fresh water'' (Lev. 14:5).

NAHMANIDES

reached the gates of death'' (Ps. 107:18). T he forbidden foods are coarse, engendering thickness and sluggishness;

see further my comments to Leviticus 11. Animals and birds that are found (after slaughter) to be fatally diseased are not mentioned here, since they do not seem abhorrent; they are forbidden for health reasons. T here are many midrashim that expound on the differences between the Deuteronomy and Leviticus chapters.

11 You may eat any clean bird.

All the coarse, abhorrent ones are listed in vv. 12±18, but all those not listed are clean and not

repugnant to the pure soul. Again the midrashim have more to say about this.

[J]

[J]

From a technical perspective, the midrashim are based

See Rashi's comments to vv. 11±12.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5 The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep. T he antelope is the same animal as in ``Like an antelope caught in a net'' (Isa. 51:20), but with the last two consonants switched around (Kimhi). Only the last of these seven animals remains unidenti®ed (Hizkuni).

6 Any other animal that has true hoofs which are cleft in two and brings up the cud.

T he Hebrew does not say ``other.'' Since

you may not recognize the names (even though they are listed), the characteristics that differentiate the clean animals from the unclean ones are explained (Hizkuni).

98

99 DEUTERONOMY 14:13±21 NJPS

RE'EH

FB Z

vulture, and the black vulture;

the buzzard of any variety;

13

the kite, the falcon, and

14

every variety of raven;

15

the ostrich,

the nighthawk, the sea gull, and the hawk of any variety;

16

the

OJPS

the osprey;

after its kinds;

EK OK ZCE

13

and the glede, and the falcon, and the kite

14

and every raven after its kinds;

15

and the ostrich,

and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its 16

the little owl, and the great owl,

little owl, the great owl, and the white owl;

kinds;

:dÈÓÏ «¨ ¦ § ‰ic‰Â −¨ © © § ‰i‡‰-˙‡Â ¨½ © ´¨ ¤ § Ɖ‡¯‰Â ¨ ¨ ¨ § 13 the stork, any variety of heron, the rant; ˙a´© Æ˙‡Â ¥ § 15 :BÈÓÏ « ¦ § ·¯Ú-Ïk −¥Ÿ ¨ ˙‡Â ¬¥ § 14 hoopoe, and the bat. -˙‡Â ¤ § ÛÁM‰-˙‡Â © ®¨ © ¤ § ÒÓÁz‰-˙‡Â −¨ § © © ¤ § ‰Úi‰ ¨½ £ © «© All winged swarming things are un16 clean for you: they may not be eaten. You ÛeLi‰-˙‡Â − §© © ¤ § ÒBk‰-˙‡ ¬© ¤ :e‰ÈÓÏ «¥ ¦ § ıp‰ −¥ © may eat only clean winged creatures. 17 ‰ÓÁ¯‰-˙‡Â ¨ −¨ ¨ ¨ «¤ § ˙‡w‰Â ¬¨ ¨ © § :˙ÓLz‰Â ¤ «¨ § ¦ © § You shall not eat anything that has ½¨ ¦ £ ´© § 18 :CÏM‰-˙‡Â dÈÓÏ ® ¨ ¦ § ‰Ù‡‰Â − ¨ ¨ £ ¨ § ‰„ÈÒÁ‰Â « ¨ ¨ © ¤§ died a natural death; give it to the stranger :ÛlËډ «¥ © £ ¨ § ˙ÙÈÎe −© ¦ c‰Â ©§ in your community to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people conŸ − ÌÎÏ Ÿ § 19 ½ ¨ ı¯¤ L ‡Ï ®¤ ¨ ‡e‰− ‡ÓË ¬¥ ¨ ÛBÚ‰ ´¤ ÆÏΠyour God. secrated to the L 20 :eÏ·z «¥ Ÿ ¯B‰Ë − ¨ ÛBÚ-Ïk ¬ ¨ :eÏÎ‡È «¥ ¨ ¥ You shall not boil a kid in its mother's Ÿ ´ 21 -¯L¤ ‡£ ¯bÏ ¥¸ © ‰Ï·-ÏÎ ¨ ¥ §  ¨ eÏ·˙ ´ § Ÿ ‡Ï milk. Ÿ ¨ B‡³ dÏ· ½ ¦ § ¨ § ƯÎÓ ¹¤ ¨ § ¦ ȯÎÏ ¨À ¨ £ © ‰pzz ¨´¤ § ¦ EȯÚLa RASHI 13 The kite, the falcon, and EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ‰z‡ ¨½ © ÆLB„˜¨ ÌÚ ³© Èk ´¦ the buzzard. These threeÐthe ra'ah, the Ù :Bn‡ « ¦ ·ÏÁa ¬¥ £ © È„b −¦ § ÏM·˙-‡Ï ¬¥ © § Ÿ « ayyah, and the dayyahÐare all actually the

and the horned owl;

17

the pelican, the bustard, and the cormo18

19

the carrion-vulture,

ORD

same bird. Why is it called ra'ah? Because it sees (ro'eh) so well. [L] Why then must it be forbidden under all three of its names? To provide no room for contention. One might say, ``that bird is forbidden, it is a ra'ah,'' and someone else would counter, ``No, that's a dayyah [or ``an ayyah''], and it's not forbidden at all.'' Ð Notice that with birds, it is the forbidden ones that are listed, teaching us that the permitted birds are more plentiful. (It is always easier to list the less numerous.) 16 The white owl. Rather, it is a species of bat. 17 The cormorant. This is a bird that pulls ®sh out of the sea, as is hinted by the Hebrew name. 18 The hoopoe. This is a wild fowl with a double crest. 19 Winged swarming things. Insects, small creatures that crawl around. Flies, hornets, and the unclean varieties of grasshopper are all referred to as ``swarming.'' 20 You may eat only clean winged creatures. And not the unclean ones. This phrase adds a positive commandment to the prohibition of v. 19. See similarly v. 6, for animals. 21 The stranger in your community. This refers not to a convert (which the Hebrew word can mean elsewhere) but to a resident alien, who has agreed not to worship idols but may eat animals that have died a natural death. For you are a people consecrated to the LORD. So consecrate yourselves even when eating things that are permitted you. If others are accustomed to forbid them, do not eat such things in front of them. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. With Exod. 23:19 and Exod. 34:26, this makes three times the same phrase has been repeatedÐ``a kid,'' but not a wild animal; ``a kid,'' but not a bird; ``a kid,'' but not a permissible animal that happens to be unclean. And see my next comment. [L] Compare Lev. 11:14, which lists only the da'ah and the ayyah, and see Rashi's comment to v. 7.

and the pelican, and

and the cormorant;

18

and the stork, and the heron after its

kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

20

21

17

19

And all winged swarming things are

unclean unto you; they shall not be eaten. 20

Of all clean winged things ye may eat. 21

Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth

of

itself;

thou

mayest

give

it

unto

the

stranger that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner; for thou art a holy people unto the L ORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk.

RASHBAM 21 You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death. [B]

[B] See Rashbam's comment to ``its ¯esh shall not be eaten'' of Exod. 21:28.

IBN EZRA 13 The falcon, and the buzzard. These are varieties of ``the kite'' of Lev. 11:14, as is now clari®ed. 20 You may eat only clean winged creatures. Such as the locusts and so forth of Lev. 11:22. 21 You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death. This refers to animals and birds, not to ®sh. Give it to the stranger in your community. Though the

same Hebrew word can be used for a convert, our verse refers to a ``stranger'' who has not become a Jew; see my comment to Lev. 17:15. Or you may sell it to a foreigner. Who does not live in your land. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. The kid, of course, is made of meat, which is the subject under discussion. See further my comment to Exod. 23:19.

NAHMANIDES

on the fact that live animals and birds cannot acquire ritual uncleanness by contact with the dead or with creeping things, but once a bird is slaughtered it can acquire uncleanness from the miasma of the leper. Being unclean, it falls into the category of those things that are repulsive to eat.

19±20 All winged swarming things are unclean for you: they may not be eaten. You may eat only clean winged creatures.

R. Simeon in the Sifrei says that these verses distinguish between the clean locusts and the unclean ones, which is nicely put. The more technical details are given in Lev. 11:20±23; our text is simply a brief reminder of the general principle. Having been reminded in v. 11 that the unclean foods are repugnant to the pure soul, it was not necessary to name all the forbidden insects. Clearly any pure-minded person would be repulsed by them. 21 For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. This is not an intrinsically abhorrent food; it is forbidden to us because we are ``a holy people'' (OJPS) and must eat in a holy fashion. Or perhaps, being holy, we must not be cruel and merciless, milking the mother of the very substance that nourished her child. Even though meat and milk of all kinds are included in the rule, symbolizing them as a kid and its mother shows that this method of cooking is intrinsically a cruel one. Rashi's comment on the three occurrences of this latter phrase are a midrash based on the word ``kid,'' but the technical meaning of the three repetitions is that it is forbidden to cook, eat, or derive any bene®t whatsoever from food prepared in this way. Rashi says so himself in his comment to Exod. 23:19.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 The ostrich. Literally, ``the daughter of the ostrich''; the ostrich itself is equally forbidden, but no one would try to eat an adult ostrich, whose meat is as tough as wood (Hizkuni). 21 You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. In addition to the kind of animal and the way it dies, there is a third aspect to

forbidding certain foods: the way they are prepared and served. Since the Israelites are ``children of the Lord,'' they must eat foods proper for royalty (Abarbanel). The other nations do this as a ritual meant to increase their ¯ocks (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 14:22±23 RE'EH

FB Z

EK OK ZCE

shall set aside every year a tenth part of all the OJPS 22Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that yield of your sowing that is brought from the ®eld. 23You shall which is brought forth in the ®eld year by year. 23And thou shalt consume the tithes of your new grain and wine and oil, and the eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which He shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, the tithe ®rstlings of your herds and ¯ocks, in the K[KPI of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, presence of the LORD your God, in the EÚ¯Ê ®¤ § © ˙‡e·z-Ïk ´© § ¨ ˙‡ −¥ ¯OÚz ¥½ © § ¯OÚ ´¥ © 22 place where He will choose to establish and the ®rstlings of thy herd and of thy º¨ § © ¨ § 23 :‰L ´¥ § ¦ zÏ· «¨ ¨ ‰L ¬¨ ¨ ‰„O‰ −¤ ¨ © ‡ˆi‰ ¬¥ Ÿ © ¯ock; that thou mayest learn to fear the His name, so that you may learn to revere | ÈÙÏ ÔkLÏ ´¥ © § »¯Á·È-¯L © § ¦ ¤‡ £ ÌB˜na ´ ¨ © EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ §

NJPS

22You

RASHI 22 You shall set aside every E¯‰ˆÈ ½¤ ¨ § ¦ § EL¯Èz ´ § Ÿ « ¦ ÆE‚c § «¨ § ¯NÚÓ ³© § © ¼ÌL ¨ BÓL ´ § RASHBAM 23 So that you may learn year a tenth part of all the yield of your ‰‡¯ÈÏ to revere the LORD your God forever. Ÿ ¬Ÿ § ©À § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ´© § E‡ˆÂ − § ¨ § ˙¯Î·e ®¤ Ÿ § E¯˜a sowing that is brought from the ®eld. ²¨ § ¦ § „ÓÏz When you see the place of the Shekhinah,

Since this must be done ``every year,'' you cannot bring last year's tithe from this year's ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why do vv. 22±26 mention the second tithe without discussing the tithes crop. But what does this have to do with not and priestly gifts described in Numbers 18? boiling a kid in its mother's milk? The Hebrew word for ``cook'' means ``ripen'' when it is applied to plants. The Holy One said to Israel: Don't make Me ``cook'' the ``kids'' of your produce while they are still in their mothers' bellies. If you do not tithe your crops as you are supposed to, when they are just about to ripen I will bring forth a sirocco to scorch them, as in ``Their inhabitants are helpless, dismayed and shamed. They were but grass of the ®eld and green herbage, grass of the roofs that is scorched before the standing grain'' (2 Kings 19:26). Ð Notice that the Exodus verses about the kid in its mother's milk both mention the ®rst fruits; the same logic given here applies there. 23 You shall consume the tithes...in the presence of the LORD. This passage refers to the ``second tithe,'' since we have already learned about the ®rst tithe when the

NAHMANIDES 22 You shall set aside every year. Literally, ``a year, a year''Ðfor two years, one after the other. Such is the tradition of our Sages. V. 28 explains what is to be done in the ``third year''; that is the ``poor tithe.'' A tenth part of all the yield of your sowing. This too is an explication of an earlier commandment: ``All tithes from the land,

IBN EZRA 22 You shall set aside every year a tenth part. Now the text

moves from foods that are forbidden because they are unclean to foods whose consumption is restricted because they are consecrated. Our Sages, of course, identify this ``tenth part'' as the second tithe. Naturally, you can count up from 1 or down from 10; the religious mystery of the ®rstling and the tithe is based on this. It is impossible to count ``up'' to 1, and 10 matches 1 in this respect, being the ``1'' of the 10s column as well as the culmination of the 1s column. The other numbers can all be described by their relationship to 10. Logically it should be 5 and 6, the central numbers between 1 and 10, that are the ``round'' numbers. In any case, the letters that may be silent are these four, the 1st (B), 5th (F), 6th (G), and 10th (K), and the Ineffable Name is made from them. [E] All

whether seed from the ground or fruit from the tree, are the LORD's; they are holy to the LORD. If anyone wishes to redeem any of his tithes, he must add one-®fth to them'' (Lev. 27:30±31). This is not the Levites' tithe, for they were told, ``You and your households may the yield of your sowing that is brought eat it anywhere'' (Num. 18:31), so what point would there be in ``redeeming'' it? That is from the ®eld. The preposition ``from'' is not brought from the ®eld. It is not ``the yield of your sowing that is brought from the ®eld,'' found in the Hebrew. Judah Halevi (may he as the NJPS syntax has it, but all that is brought from the ®eld, ``whether seed from the rest in Paradise!) understands the phrase to ground or fruit from the tree'' (Lev. 27:30). Moreover, it is not just the increase that one mean ``the yield of your seed that you must tithe. The full measure must be faithfully tithedÐnot just the increase over the brought out to the ®eld.'' In my opinion it amount that was sown. But ``all'' this needs to be tithed only for species that require tith- reads more naturally without the preposition: ing: ``new grain and wine and oil'' (v. 23; see also 12:17 and Num. 18:12). The ``seed from ``the yield of your sowing, which the ®eld the ground'' of Lev. 27:30 (as Rashi points out in his comment to that verse) refers to the brings forth.'' Should you argue that the verb ``new grain,'' and the ``fruit from the tree'' of that verse refers to the ``wine and oil.'' The is a Qal and not a Hiphil [F] and must text was brief there because that is not the source of the commandment to tithe, merely of therefore mean ``go forth'' rather than ``bring the obligation to add one-®fth when they are redeemed. But there too, as everywhere else forth,'' I would point to the use of the Qal verb in the Torah, tithing applies only to new grain, wine, and oil. The Sages read the double in Amos 5:3, ``The town that marches out a Hebrew verb form of our verse midrashically: ``Tithe [aser] so that you may become rich thousand''; note that the verb is used parallel [titasher]; tithe [aser] so that you may lack nothing [tith. aser].'' By this they allude to those to a Hiphil in the next phrase of that verse. 23 You shall consume...the ®rstlings who do not farm but engage in commerce, urging them to give 10 percent of their income of your herds and ¯ocks. See my comto those who labor in the ®elds of Torah. 23 New grain. Of the ®ve standard types. [K] Wine. This too is a word that refers to ment to 12:17. So that you may learn to the ``new'' wine, when ``the vats over¯ow'' (Joel 2:24). Oil. Again the Hebrew word refers revere the LORD your God forever. You only to ``new'' oil, when the vats ®rst ``over¯ow.'' There is no Torah commandment to tithe [E] The Tetragrammaton ordinarily begins with a K, but when anything, whether grain or fruit, but these seven species. There are a few rabbinic sources God speaks it in the ®rst person in Exod. 3:14 it begins with an B. [F] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.'' that can be interpreted otherwise, but as the matter is explained in both the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds and in the straightforward sense of the Bible itself, there is no biblical commandment for even grapes and olives to be tithed until they are turned into ``new wine'' and ``new oil.'' You should note this carefully, for some great writers have erred in this matter. So that you may learn to revere the LORD your God forever. The priests

[K] Wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 Every year. The Hebrew phrase, which literally repeats ``year, year,'' is unique (Masorah). One cannot pay this year's tithe out of last year's crop or last year's out of this year's (Bekhor Shor). 23 You shall consume the tithes. Since you must spend money anyway to go on the pilgrimage, the extra amount you spend will not bother you as much (Bekhor Shor). In the presence of the LORD your God. The poor will likewise be encouraged to come on pilgrimage in the hope of sharing a meal with you (Bekhor Shor). But not once the Temple is destroyed, when you can no longer eat ``in the presence of the Lord'' (Gersonides). So that you may learn to revere the LORD your God forever. So that you may become accustomed to fear the Lord (Hizkuni).

100

101 DEUTERONOMY 14:23±28

RE'EH

FB Z

EK OK ZCE

the LORD your God forever. 24Should the distance be OJPS LORD thy God always. 24And if the way be too long for too great for you, should you be unable to transport them, be- thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too cause the place where the LORD your God has chosen to estab- far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set His lish His name is far from you and because the LORD your God name there, when the LORD thy God shall bless thee; 25then has blessed you, 25you may convert them shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up into money. Wrap up the money and take it -ÈΠ24 «¦ § :ÌÈÓi‰-Ïk « ¦ ¨ © ¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ¬¨ § ¤ the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto with you to the place that the LORD your the place which the LORD thy God shall ¼ ¥ § ÏÎe˙ Ÿ ´ Èk ¹ § ¦ ‰a¯È © ‡Ï ´ ¦ C¯c‰ ¤ À¤ © EnÓ ¤¸ § ¦ choose. 26And thou shalt bestow the money God has chosen, 26and spend the money B˙‡N ½ ¨ © ÆEnÓ ´¨ § ƯÁ·È © § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰ § ¦ ˜Á¯È-Èk ³© § ¦ « ¦ for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, on anything you wantÐcattle, sheep, wine, ‰Â‰È or other intoxicant, or anything you may ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Eί·È − § ¤ ¨ § Èk ¬ ¦ ÌL ®¨ BÓL − § ÌeNÏ ¬ ¨ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong desire. And you shall feast there, in the ÆÛÒk‰ drink, or for whatsoever thy soul asketh of ¤ ¤Æ © z¯ˆÂ ³¨ § © § ÛÒka ¤ ®¨ © ‰z˙ −¨ © ¨ § 25 :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ presence of the LORD your God, and rethee; and thou shalt eat there before the ½ ¨ © ‡¤ ÆzÎω ½ §´¨ § LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, ¯Á·È ²© § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰-Ï ¨ § © «¨ § E„Èa joice with your household. 27But do not neglect the Levite in your ÁÏÎa Ÿ § ÛÒk‰ ¤ ¤¿ © ‰z˙ ´¨ © ¨ § 26 :Ba« EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § thou and thy household. 27And the Levite that is within thy gates, community, for he has no hereditary por- ÆÔÈi·e Ÿ À © ¯˜aa ¹ § § © ‰e‡z-¯L ¦ Æ© © Ô‡v·e ¨´ ¨ © ELÙ ¤¸ © § ¤ ‡ £ 28 tion as you have. Every third year you thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no Ÿ ² § ¯ÎM·e zÏ· ¨ § ´© ¨ § ELÙ ®¤ § © EÏ − § ‡Lz ¨ § « ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ïηe ¨½ ¥ © portion nor inheritance with thee. 28At the

NJPS

RASHI Levites were told, ``When you ‰z‡ ¬¨ © zÁÓN −¨ § © ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÈÙÏ ¥ § ¦ ÌM ¨À

receive from the Israelites their tithes'' :E˙È·e «¤ ¥ (Num. 18:26). Since Num. 18:31 tells them, Ÿ ´ EȯÚLa ®¤ § © «© ‡Ï −¤ ¨ § ¦ -¯L ¤‡ £ ÈÂl‰Â ¬ ¦ ¥ © § 27 ``You and your households may eat it any- Èk´¦ ep·ÊÚ˙ where,'' we are forced to the conclusion that | ‰ˆ˜Ó ´¥ § ¦ 28 Ò :CnÚ «¨ ¦ ‰ÏÁ −¨ £ © § ˜ÏÁ ¤ ¬¥ Bϲ Ôȇ ¬¥ the tithe here in our chapter, which can only ƯNÚÓ Ÿ´ ¨ À¦ ¨ ¦ ÌÈL LÏL be eaten in Jerusalem, is a different one. © § © -Ïk¨ -˙‡¤ ƇȈBz [M] Since the tithes are the Lord's automatically, He requires that you eat them in His presenceÐfrom His own table. 24 Because the LORD your God has blessed you. With so much produce that the tithe is too heavy to carry. 26 Anything you want. This is a general statement. Cattle, sheep, wine, or other intoxicant. These are speci®c details. Anything you may desire. Here the text returns to a general statement. According to the sixth interpretive rule of R. Ishmael, [N] the general terms of such a statement may only be interpreted in accordance with the detailsÐin this case, anything that ultimately derives its sustenance from the earth and is ®t to eat. 27 Do not neglect the Levite. Even though this passage is about the second tithe, do not neglect to give the ®rst tithe to the Levite. For he has no hereditary portion as you have. He does have a portion in the gleanings of the harvest, the edges of the ®eld, and the overlooked sheaves [O] just as you do, so they (like abandoned property of any kind) are not included in what must be tithed. 28 Every third year. Come and learn: if someone failed to bring the tithes of the ®rst [M] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.''

[N] See Special Topics, ``Interpreting Biblical Law.'' sheaves,'' see 24:19; for the ``gleanings'' and the ``edges,'' see Lev. 19:9 and Lev. 23:22.

[O] For the ``overlooked

NAHMANIDES and magistrates, who teach Torah, are at the chosen place, in at-

RASHBAM with the priests at their ser-

vice, the Levites offering song, and the representatives of the Israelites at their stations.

27 But do not neglect the Levite in your community. But let him rejoice with you; that will be good both for you and for him. [C] 28 Every third year. This is the year in which the second tithe is a poor tithe.

[C] According to Rashbam's 19th-century editor, ``for you'' was in one of his manuscripts but not the other.

IBN EZRA must eat them at the holy

site because that is where they will teach you to revere the Lord. But a second sense would be ``so that you may be trained'' to revere the Lord; the verb is used this way in ``Ephraim became a trained heifer'' (Hosea 10:11). I ®nd this meaning the more likely.

25 You may convert them into money. ``Them'' being the tithes of v. 23Ð not the ®rstlings. Wrap up the money and take it with you. OJPS translates more literally, but NJPS gives the sense. 26 Other intoxicant. Made not from grapes but from honey, dates, wheat, or barley. Anything you may desire. A catchall term for fruits and vegetables, which have not yet been mentioned. You shall feast there...and rejoice with your household. You and your sons must do so;

tendance before the Lord. They will teach you to revere Him, and will instruct you about the commandments. 24 Should the distance be too great for you. This explains the ``redemption'' of Lev. 27:31. Sometimes the Lord will bless you so much that even one-tenth of it is more than you can carry for such a great distance. It is therefore preferable to redeem it with silver and carry the silver to the chosen place. The additional ``one-®fth,'' being already noted in the Leviticus verse, did not have to be mentioned again here. your ``household''Ða euphemism for ``your 28 You shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year, but leave it within wife''Ðis permitted but not obligated to do your settlements. This ``bringing out'' will be further clari®ed in 26:12. so. For it is the males who are required to appear before the Lord three times a year. A woman who visits the chosen site (like the wives of Elkanah in 1 Samuel 1) certainly is rewarded for doing so. 27 Do not neglect the Levite. And the priests, who are also Levites, as well. You are rewarded for not neglecting him but giving him whatever you can afford. It seems reasonable to presume that this refers to the ®rst tithe. [G] Having mentioned the second tithe, the text continues as if to say, ``Do not think that you are going to get away just with that.'' In your community. The ®rst tithe must be given to one who is in your community. You should not say, ``I will hang on to it and give it to some other Levite''Ðlet alone ``I have already given it to some other Levite.'' 28 Every third year. This is a third kind of tithe, replacing (every third year) the second tithe (though some say the second tithe must also be brought out in the third year). The deniers of tradition, however, say that v. 22 refers to the ®rst, Levite, tithe, and that it is the [G] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 26 Cattle, sheep, wine, or other intoxicant. Obviously the cattle and sheep must be bought in order

to eat their meat, not for the sake of their hides; but no harm is done if one purchases the wine along with the containers it comes in (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 14:28±15:2 RE'EH

NJPS

FB Z

shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year, but leave it within your settlements. 29Then the Levite, who has no hereditary portion as you have, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your settlements shall come and eat their ®ll, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the enterprises you undertake.

15

Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts. 2This shall be the

GJ OK ZCE

OJPS

end of every three years, even in the same year, thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase, and shalt lay it up within thy gates. 29And the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satis®ed; ½ § ´¨ § that the LORD thy God may bless thee in :EȯÚLa «¤ ¨ § ¦ zÁp‰Â −¨ § © ¦ § ‡Â‰‰ ®¦ © ‰Ma −¨ ¨ © E˙‡e·z ¿¦ ¥ © ‡·e CnÚ ¨À ¦ ‰ÏÁ ¨¹ £ © § ˜ÏÁ ¤ ¥¸ ÁBÏ-Ôȇ «¥ Èk ´ ¦ ÈÂl‰ ´¨ 29 all the work of thy hand which thou doest.

½¤ ¨ § ¦ ¯L EȯÚLa ´¤ ‡ £ ƉÓÏ ¨ ¨ § ‡‰Â © «¨ § ÌB˙i‰Â ³ ¨ © § ¯b‰Â ¥ © §Â EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆEί·È § ¤ ¨ § ÔÚÓÏ © ³© § eÚ·N ®¥ ¨ § eÏ· − § ¨§ RASHI and second year of a sabbatical Ò :‰NÚz «¤ £ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ E„È − § ¨ ‰NÚÓ ¬¥ £ © -ÏÎa ¨ § cycle and they remain in his possession, they must be removed in the third year. [P] K[[ 29 Then the Levite...shall come. :‰hÓL «¨ ¦ § ‰NÚz ¬¤ £ © ÌÈL-Ú·L −¦ ¨ © «¤ ıwÓ ¬¥ ¦ And take his tithe, the ®rst tithe. The À ¨ ¼‰hÓM‰ ´¥ © ÆÏÚa © ©Æ -Ïk¨ ËBÓL ¨ ¦ § © ¯·c ´© § »‰Ê ¤§ 2 stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. ‰MÓ

15

At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2And this is the

ÂË IBN EZRA

They shall take their tithe, the second tithe, which belongs to the poor every third year. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How could Moses call for remission of debts ``every seventh year'' (v. 1) You do not eat it in Jerusalem the way you without mentioning the sabbatical and jubilee years of were supposed to have done during years Leviticus 25? one and two. And eat their ®ll. Give them enough so that they can eat their ®ll. The Sages derive from this that one cannot give a poor person less than half a kav of wheat or a kav of barley. When you have done this, you can take your next year-one and year-two tithes to Jerusalem and honestly say to the priest, ``I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house; and I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, just as You commanded me'' (26:13).

15:1 Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts.

One might think this refers to the seventh year of the loan; v. 9 makes clear that this cannot be so. Hence it must refer to the sabbatical year.

[P] See 26:12.

NAHMANIDES 15:1 Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts.

Levite who is supposed to ``wrap up the money and take it'' (v. 25). Similarly, they take all of v. 23 to be addressing the priests, which means they think there is no ``second'' titheÐjust this poor tithe every third year. But we will rely on our ancestral tradition. The Hebrew phrase ``every third year'' literally means ``at an end of every three years'' (compare OJPS), which would seem to refer to the front ``end,'' that is, the beginning, of each three-year period as the time for the poor tithe.

15:1 Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts. As in 14:28,

it is understood more correctly as ``at the [front] end of every seven years'' (compare OJPS)Ðat the beginning of the seventh year. The proof is 31:10, ``Every seventh year, the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths.'' As for the remission, the discussion follows logically from the previous discussion of the tithes that support the various categories of poor people (see 14:29). The word itself is related to a verb used in 2 Kings 9:33 with the meaning ``to let someone fall.'' The implication is that you are supposed to simply ``drop'' your claim to be repaid.

In my view, this is the same calendar year as the sabbatical year: ``Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but in the seventh you shall let it rest and lie fallow'' (Exod. 23:10±11); the verb ``let it rest'' of Exodus uses the same root as ``remission'' of our verse. To ``practice remission,'' therefore, essentially means to ``leave it alone.'' Literally, you ``make'' a remission, just as one ``makes'' Sabbath (as the Hebrew of 5:15 literally says). The agricultural aspects of the year are not emphasized here, as they have already been explained at greater length in Leviticus 25; the extra information given here is about the ®nancial aspects of the sabbatical year, which is ``of the LORD'' (v. 2; cf. Lev. 25:2). All activity is to cease for the year. I have already explained the religious implications of this remission in my comment to Lev. 25:2. Ibn Ezra's explanation that the ``end'' of the year is the front end, that is, the beginning, follows the unanimous opinion of the grammarians about this word; you will indeed ®nd the noun used this way (for example) throughout the chapters on the construction of the Tabernacle. But I do not ®nd their explanation convincing. Our text does not say ``the `end' of the seventh year'' but ``the `end' of seven years,'' which would be the beginning of the ®rst year, not the beginning of the seventh. Our Sages understand the phrase to indicate the very end of the seventh year. This, of course, applies not to the agricultural rules set forth elsewhere but only to the remission of debts mentioned here. The phrase ``Every seventh year, the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths'' (31:10), therefore, means the Feast of Booths that takes place just after the end of the seventh year. The remission takes place immediately at the conclusion of the seventh year, after which, when all Israel gathers for the Feast of Booths, ``you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel'' (31:11). So it appears to me that our text uses the word ``end'' in quite a straightforward way. In telling or recounting anything, you start at the beginning and ®nish at the end. In counting from one to ten, one is the beginning, not another ``end.'' With regard to the agricultural aspects, the entire seventh year is the ``end,'' the ®nal year of the cycle. Jer. 34:14 (referring to Exod. 21:2 and to v. 12 below) demonstrates the same understanding: ``In the seventh year each of you must let go any fellow Hebrew who may be sold to you; when he has served you six years, you must set him free.'' But the beginning phrase uses the same Hebrew phrase as in our verse, ``at the end of seven years,'' meaning ``at the end of the seven-year cycle, during the seventh year.'' (Rabbinic tradition makes clear that we cannot interpret the phrase in 31:10 this way.) In short, ``the end'' may refer to the period just before the conclusion of something or other or just after. [L] It could be that the rabbinic rule is relying on an extremely precise interpretation of our phrase: at the very end of the seventh year, which would mean that one could still try to collect a debt on the last day of the year right up until nightfall. T. Shev. 8:10 does in fact refer to writing a prosbul [M] on the afternoon before New Year's of the eighth year.

[L] We omit Nahmanides' extensive discussion of the use of ``end'' in Biblical Hebrew. See his comment to 31:10 for his further analysis of that verse.

[M] A prosbul is a legal document that transfers the power to collect the debt from the creditor to a court, which is not subject to remission of debts and can collect on his behalf even after the remission.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15:2 This shall be the nature of the remission.

Literally, the ``word'' of the remission; even if a man has sworn that he will do something for someone else, the seventh year remits his promise (Bekhor Shor). That is, this too is an aspect of

102

103 DEUTERONOMY 15:2±6

RE'EH

FB Z

GJ OK ZCE

NJPS nature of the remission: every creditor shall remit the OJPS manner of the release: every creditor shall release that due that he claims from his fellow; he shall not dun his fellow or which he hath lent unto his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his kinsman, for the remission proclaimed is of the LORD. 3You may neighbor and his brother; because the LORD`s release hath been dun the foreigner; but you must remit proclaimed. 3Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it; but whatsoever of thine is with thy whatever is due you from your kinsmen. Æe‰Ú¯-˙‡ Ÿ ³ ¦ Ÿ « e‰Ú¯a ½¨ ¥Æ ¥ ¤ NbÈ-‡Ï ®¥ ¥ § ‰MÈ −¤ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ B„È 4There shall be no needy among youÐ brother thy hand shall release. 4Howbeit there shall be no needy ½¦ ¨ «¨ «© ‰hÓL −¨ ¦ § ‡¯˜-Èk ¬¨ ¨ « ¦ ÂÈÁ‡-˙‡Â ¤§ since the LORD your God will bless you in -˙‡¤ 3 :‰Â‰ÈÏ the land that the LORD your God is giving EÈÁ‡-˙‡ Ÿ ® ¦ ȯÎp‰ −¦ ¨ ¤ EÏ ² § ‰È‰È ¬¤ § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡Â £ © Nbz −¦ § ¨ © among youÐfor the LORD will surely bless you as a hereditary portionÐ5if only you :E„È «¤ ¨ ËÓLz ¬¥ § © thee in the land which the LORD thy God heed the LORD your God and take care to C¯· giveth thee for an inheritance to possess Ÿ ¬ Èk ® § ¤ Ea − § -‰È‰È ¤ § « ¦ ‡Ï ² ¦ ÒÙ‡ ¤ ¤¾ 4 itÐ 5if only thou diligently hearken unto keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon ³¥ ¨ -Èk«¦ ÔBÈ·‡ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ ı¯‡a ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ‰Â‰È ¨½ § ÆEί·È § ¤ «¨ § the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe you this day. 6For the LORD your God will EÈ‰Ï bless you as He has promised you: you will ÚBÓL-̇ © ´ ¨ ¦ ˜¯© μ5 :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰ÏÁ −¨ £ © EÏ-Ô˙ ¬ § ¥ Ÿ « to do all this commandment which I comextend loans to many nations, but require Æ˙BNÚÏ mand thee this day. 6For the LORD thy Ÿ ³ § ¦ EÈ‰Ï £ © ¯ÓLÏ ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÏB˜a − § ÚÓLz ©½ § ¦ God will bless thee, as He promised thee; Ÿ ½ © ‰Âˆn‰-Ïk − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ˙‡f‰ ´¨ § ¦ © ¨ -˙‡¤ and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but RASHI 2 Every creditor shall remit EeˆÓ the due.

Literally, ``each creditor's hand ¯L ½ § © «¥ ÆEÈ‰Ï −¤ ‡k £ © Eίa ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-Èk ³¨ § « ¦ 6 :ÌBi‰ «© shall remit,'' just as in v. 3 it is ``your hand Ÿ Æ À º ‡Ï´ ‰z‡Â ¨ © § ÌÈa¯ ¦ © ÌÈBb ´ ¦ z˷ډ ¨ § © £ «© § CÏ-¯ac ®¨ ¤ ¦ must remit'' (see OJPS there). 3 You may dun the foreigner. Rather, you ``shall'' dun him; this is a com- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How are we to explain the contradiction between ``there shall be no mandment. needy among you'' (v. 4) and ``there will never cease to

4 There shall be no needy among be needy ones in your land'' (v. 11)? you. Yet v. 11 says, ``there will never cease

RASHBAM 15:2 The remission proclaimed is of the LORD. Rather, ``the

LORD's remission has been proclaimed'' (compare OJPS), that is, ``scheduled'': ``These are My ®xed times, the ®xed times of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions'' (Lev. 23:2); ``He has proclaimed a set time against me'' (Lam. 1:15); ``all the people in Jerusalem and all the people coming from Judah proclaimed a fast'' (Jer. 36:9).

to be needy ones.'' When you do God's will, these needy ones will be among others, not among you. When you do not do God's will, they will be among you. (A ``needy'' person is poorer than a ``poor'' person; he is in need of everything.) 5 If only you heed. Then there will be no needy among you. The double verb form of 4 There shall be no needy among the Hebrew implies: the more willing you are to ``hearken'' (OJPS), the more you will be you. If you remit debts, the Holy One will given to hearken to. repay you. 6 As He has promised you. Where is this promise given? ``Blessed shall you be in the 6 For the LORD your God will bless city and blessed shall you be in the country'' (28:3). You will extend loans to many you. If only you heed Him. You will exnations, but require none yourself. One might think that if we are extending loans to tend loans to many nations. Literally, many nations that we would be lending to some and borrowing from others; the verse ``you will make many nations give deposits reassures us that we will not require loans. Note that, with all verbs of borrowing and to you.'' You will take securities from them against their will for the loans you make to NAHMANIDES 3 You may dun the foreigner. Rashi (quoting the Sifrei) says that them. this is a ``commandment,'' but what they meant was that it is a commandment that any such dunning be done to a foreigner, not to one's kinsman. It is not that one ``must'' dun a IBN EZRA 2 Every creditor shall foreigner. Technically, our verse combines with the prohibition of v. 2 to make dunning a remit the due that he claims. In my opinkinsman a violation both of a prohibition and of a positive commandment. You will ®nd ion, a more literal translation would be the same thing happening in 23:21, as Rashi himself explains in his comment there; see ``every possessor of a claim in his hand that further B. BM 70b. Maimonides, who thinks (in both places) that these are explicit he claims.'' But many people think the ®rst commandments to ``dun'' the foreigner, has erred in his understanding of the Sifrei, which ``claim'' is also a verb. For ``possessor,'' see regularly uses this language in the way that I explain. When they call 14:20 a positive ``wisdom preserves the life of him who commandment, are they saying that it means ``You must eat clean winged creatures''? possesses it'' (Eccles. 7:12) and ``It takes the Obviously not. life of its possessor'' (Prov. 1:19), in both of which the same word is used. He shall not dun his fellow. That is, he shall not ``pressure'' him: ``Because on your fast day you see to your business and oppress all your laborers!'' (Isa. 58:3). Note that in the latter verse the R of the root actually appears in the imperfect formÐfor the one and only time in the Bible. For the remission proclaimed is of the LORD. It is in honor ``of the Lord,'' who gave the creditor the money to lend. Notice that the sabbatical nature of the seventh year is also described as being a sabbath ``of the LORD'' (Lev. 25:2, 4). 3 You may dun the foreigner. The translations note correctly that the verse is saying you ``may'' do so, not that you ``shall'' do so, which the Hebrew might also be taken to mean. 4 There shall be no needy among you. So what I commanded you in vv. 1±3 will be totally unnecessaryÐas long as all Israel, or at least the majority of them, heed the Lord. No ``needy'' means no one who ``needs'' you to loan him money. Instead, you will all be loaning money to the other nations. The commandment of vv. 1±3 applies only when there are needy people among you (see v. 11). 6 You will extend loans to many nations. More literally, ``you will cause them to give you deposits'' as a pledge to repay the money

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS the remission of work during the sabbatical year (Abarbanel). He shall not dun his fellow or kinsman. But if the borrower wishes to pay back the money anyway, one is not forbidden to accept it (Abarbanel). 3 You may dun the foreigner. The Israelite cannot farm during the seventh year, but the foreigner continues to do so and will be

able to pay you (Bekhor Shor). This is indeed a commandment; one should not be giving gifts to idolaters. But with a ``stranger'' who does not worship idols, you may dun him or not, as you wish (Gersonides). 6 You will dominate many nations. So you will be able to compel them to repay the loans that you extend to them (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 15:6±10 RE'EH

NJPS

none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but

they will not dominate you. 7

If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your

kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the L ORD

FB Z

OJPS

GJ OK ZCE

thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many

nations, but they shall not rule over thee. 7

If there be among you a needy man, one of thy brethren,

within any of thy gates, in thy land which the L ORD thy God

your God is giving you, do not harden

giveth

your heart and shut your hand against your

heart, nor shut thy hand from thy needy

thee,

thou

shalt

not

harden

thy

Ÿ ¬ E·e Ÿ½ £ © ½¦ © ÌÈB‚a − § ÌÈa¯ ´ ¦ § ÆzÏLÓe ¨ § © «¨ Ë·Ú˙ ‡Ï brother; but thou shalt surely open thy Ÿ « § ¦ hand unto him, and shalt surely lend him Ò :eÏLÓÈ your hand and lend him suf®cient for whatever he needs. Beware lest you harƤ © „Á‡Ó ¹ § ¤ E· ¸ § Á‰È‰È-Èk „Á‡a ´© © § ÆEÈÁ‡ ³© © ¥ ÔBÈ·‡ ¤ § ¦ « ¦ 7 suf®cient for his need in that which he bor the base thought, ``The seventh year, ½ § § ©¸ § EȯÚL ½¤ ¨ § wanteth. Beware that there be not a base Ô˙ ´¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ Eˆ¯‡a thought in thy heart, saying: ``The seventh the year of remission, is approaching,'' so Ÿ § ¦ ‡Ï Ÿ ³ § E··Ï-˙‡ Ÿ ¯ CÏ Æıt˜˙ À § ¨§ ¤ ın‡˙ ´¥ © § ‡Ï ®¨ year, the year of release, is at hand''; and that you are mean to your needy kinsman ½ §´¨ ¤ thine eye be evil against thy needy brother, Á˙Ù-Èk ©Ÿ ¯ ¨ « ¦ 8 :ÔBÈ·‡‰ « § ¤ ¨ EÈÁ‡Ó −¦ ¨ ¥ E„È-˙‡ and give him nothing. He will cry out to against you, and you will incur the L Èc¥μ epËÈ·Úz ¤½ ¦ £ © Æ˷ډ ¥ £ © § BÏ® E„È-˙‡ − § ¨ ¤ ÁzÙz ²© § ¦ and thou give him nought; and he cry unto guilt. Give to him readily and have no against thee, and it be sin in the L ¿ § ¯ÓM‰ ½Ÿ § © EÏ ¤ ´¨ ¦ 9 :BÏ« ¯ÒÁÈ −© § ¤ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ B¯ÒÁÓ regrets when you do so, for in return the thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thy Ÿ À ¥ ÏÚiÏ· ¸ § ¨§ ¯Ó‡Ï © ©¹ ¦ § E··Ï-ÌÚ ¦ Á¯·„ ¨ ¨ ‰È‰È-Ôt ´¤ § ¦ ¤ heart shall not be grieved when thou givest RASHI lending, one ``borrows'' in the ‰Ú¯Â ´¨ ¨ § ¼‰hÓM‰ ¨ ¦ § © ˙L ´© § »Ú·M‰-˙L © ¤ © «© § ‰·¯˜ ´¨ § «¨ Qal, the simple conjugation, but ``lends'' in Ÿ ¬ § ÔBÈ·‡‰ ½ § ¤ «¨ ÆEÈÁ‡a Ʀ ¨ § EÈÚ À § «¥ RASHBAM 9 Beware lest you harbor ‡¯˜Â ³¨ ¨ § BÏ® Ôz˙ −¥ ¦ ‡Ï the Hiphil, the causative conjugation, [Q ] in the base thought. ``Base'' in the sense of ³ ¨ 10 :‡ËÁ § «¥ E· − § ‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ § ‰Â‰È-Ï ¨½ § ‡¤ ÆEÈÏÚ ¤Æ ¨ ``bad'': ``Something baneful has settled in effect ``causing'' them to borrow. You will ÔB˙ dominate many nations, but they will Èkº¦ BÏ® Ez˙a ´ § ¦ § E··Ï − § ¨ § Ú¯È-‡Ï ¬© ¥ Ÿ § BϽ ÆÔzz ¥ ¦ him; he'll not rise from his bed again'' needy kinsman.

8

8

Rather, you must open

9

9

ORD 10

ORD

10

not dominate you. Again the ®rst clause

leaves open that we would dominate many nations but nonetheless be dominated by others; the second clause reassures us that this is not so. 7 If, however, there is a needy person among you. The neediest takes precedence. One of your kinsmen. Literally, ``one of your brothers''; your paternal brother takes precedence over your maternal brother. In any of your settlements. The poor of your own town take precedence over the poor of another town. Do not harden your heart and shut your hand. Some people agonize over whether to give or not, so the text tells them not to harden their hearts. Some people stretch forth their hand as if to give but then shut it, so the text tells them not to shut their hand. Against your needy kinsman. If you do not give to him, you will end up being his ``brother'' (OJPS) in poverty. 8 You must open your hand. The double Hebrew verb form implies: you must do so multiple times. Lend him. If he is not willing to accept an openhanded gift, give it to him as a loan. Suf®cient. You are not commanded to go so far as to make him rich. For whatever he needs. Even if he needs a horse to ride on and a slave to run before him. The Hebrew literally says, ``what is lacking for him,'' and the use of ``for him'' indicates that you must lend to him even if what he lacks is a wife: ``It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a ®tting helper for him'' (Gen. 2:18). 9 He will cry out to the LORD against you. He is not commanded to do so, as the Hebrew might be taken to read; the Hebrew of 24:15, ``else he will cry to the LORD against you,'' makes clear that he may do so, not that he must do so. You will incur guilt. Whether or not he cries out. Then why does the verse suggest that he will do so? Because, says the Lord, ``I am quicker to settle accounts for one who cries out than for one who does not.'' 10 Give to him readily. ``Readily'' is NJPS's way of indicating another doubled Hebrew verb. You must give to him even if you have to do so 100 times. And you must give [Q ] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

(Ps. 41:9).

IBN EZRA you will lend them so that they can do business. You will dominate many nations. As long as you are honest,

you will not merely ``extend loans'' to them, you will actually dominate them. 7 Do not harden your heart. Do not refrain from speaking kindly to him. Shut your hand. The verb is not the usual one meaning ``shut,'' but see ``Has He in anger sti¯ed His compassion?'' (Ps. 77:10); ``the mouth of all wrongdoers is stopped'' (Ps. 107:42 and Job 5:16); ``Kings shall be silenced because of him'' (Isa. 52:15). Your needy kinsman. Some say ``needy'' is related to the verb in ``Pharaoh did not want to let them go'' (Exod. 10:27); it is common for F"N verbs to have derived nouns with the QGKsuf®x. The point of the word would be that he is ``in need'' of absolutely everything because his lack is so complete. 8 You must open your hand. The ®nite verb is preceded by the in®nitive absolute. Sometimes the in®nitive is used by itself; in such cases the ®nite verb must be understood. The midrashic explanation of the double verb form is nice, too. [H] Lend. As in v. 6, the verb means to take a pledge from someone ensuring that he will repay the money you give him. By contrast, ``opening your hand'' means giving to one who has nothing to pledge. 9 The base thought. The word translated ``base'' is really a noun, not an adjective. Some take it to be a compound word, interjecting a kind of prayer that the person who harbors such a thought should neither thrive nor survive. 10 Give to him readily. Literally, ``giving shall you give.'' The more you give to him, the more wealth God will give to you. In [H] See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 If, however, there is a needy person among you. There is no rule, even that of v. 4, without its exceptions (Bekhor Shor). 8 You must open your hand. The purpose of the repetitionÐboth in the language and in what is commandedÐis to make the person charitable; such qualities are developed by doing them over and over (Abarbanel). Lend him suf®cient for whatever he needs. Rather, as in 24:13, you must return ``his lack'' to himÐany pledge he might have given you for a loan (Bekhor Shor). 9 Beware lest you harbor the base thought, ``The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,'' so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing. Note that the ``scoundrels'' of 13:14 are more literally ``base fellows'' (OJPS). The Sages therefore understand refusing to give to the poor as equivalent to idolatry (Bekhor Shor). ``The seventh year,'' when I told you not to do agricultural work, so you are thinking about tightening your belt (Hizkuni).

104

105 DEUTERONOMY 15:10±14

RE'EH

GJ OK ZCE

FB Z

LORD your God will bless you in all your efforts and in OJPS unto him; because that for this thing the LORD thy God all your undertakings. 11For there will never cease to be needy will bless thee in all thy work, and in all that thou puttest thy hand ones in your land, which is why I comunto. 11For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying: mand you: open your hand to the poor and EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆEί·È § ¤ ¨ § ‰f‰ ¤À © ¯·c‰ ´¨ ¨ © | ÏÏ‚a ´© § ¦ ``Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy needy kinsman in your land. 12If a fellow Hebrew, man or woman, is Ÿ − § ENÚÓ Èk²¦ 11 :E„È «¤ ¨ ÁÏLÓ ¬© § ¦ Ïηe ¤½ £ © -ÏÎa «¨ § poor and needy brother, in thy land.'' 12If thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a sold to you, he shall serve you six years, Ôkº¥ -ÏÚ© ı¯‡‰ ¤ ®¨ ¨ ·¯wÓ ¤ ´¤ ¦ ÔBÈ·‡ − § ¤ ÏcÁÈ-‡Ï ¬© § ¤ Ÿ and in the seventh year you shall set him E„È-˙‡ Ÿ ½ ¥ ÆEeˆÓ ¹ § ¨ ¤ ÁzÙz ©¸ § ¦ Á˙t ©Ÿ ¨  ¯Ó‡Ï § © § ÈÎ‡ ³¦ Ÿ ¨ Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, he free. 13When you set him free, do not let shall serve thee six years; and in the sevÒ :Eˆ¯‡a «¤ § © § EÈ·‡Ïe − § Ÿ § ¤ § EiÚÏ ¯¦ ¨ § enth year thou shalt let him go free from ²¤ ¦ £ © EÈÁ‡Ï him go empty-handed: 14Furnish him out À¦ § ¦ «¨ EÈÁ‡ ¹ § ¯ÎnÈ-Èk ¨½ ¦ § ¦ «¨ B‡μ ȯ·Ú‰ ´ ¦ ¨ EÏ ¥¸ ¨ ¦ « ¦ 12 thee. 13And when thou lettest him go free of the ¯ock, threshing ¯oor, and vat, with ‰i¯·Ú‰ ½¦ ¦ § © ƉM·e ˙ÚÈ·M‰ ¨ ¨ © ÌÈL ®¦ ¨ LL ´¥ E„·Ú − § «¨ £ © from thee, thou shalt not let him go empty; 14thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy RASHI it directly ``to him''Ðin private, epÁlL˙-ÈΠ¬¤ § © § « ¦ § 13 :CnÚÓ «¨ ¦ ¥ ÈLÙÁ −¦ § ¨ epÁlLz ¬¤ § © § just between the two of you. For in return. ¯ock, and out of thy threshing-¯oor, and Ÿ ¬ CnÚÓ :̘ȯ «¨ ¥ epÁlL˙ −¤ § © § ‡Ï ®¨ ¦ «¥ ÈLÙÁ −¦ § ¨ out of thy winepress; of that wherewith Literally, ``in return for this word''Ðyou get a

NJPS

reward both for the intention to give and for the actual giving.

½ § Ÿ ´ ¦ BϽ ƘÈÚz E¯bÓe − § § ¨ «¦ E‡vÓ ¦ £ © ˜ÈÚ‰ ³¥ £ © 14

11 I command you. poor and needy kinsman. 12 If a fellow Hebrew, man or woman, is sold to you. Literally, ``I com-

mand you, saying.'' I'm just sayingÐfor your own goodÐthat you ought to do this.

RASHBAM 11 For there will never To the cease to be needy ones in your land.

T he Hebrew literally reads, ``To your brother.'' And which

brother? `` Your poor one.''

``For there is not one good man on earth who does what is best and doesn't err'' (Eccles. 7:20).

12 A fellow Hebrew, man or woman.

By others. T he verse is

talking about the situation where a court has sold him into slaver y for theft. T he same situation has already been mentioned in ``W hen you acquire a Hebrew slave'' (Exod. 21:2), but there are two new items included here: the provisions of vv. 13±14 to furnish the freed slave with a stake, and the fact that a woman too is to be freed after six years.

A man, for his theft; a woman, sold into slavery as a minor by her fatherÐas long as she does not reach pubert y before the six years have expired.

A female, however, is not sold into slaver y by the court, since the text emphasizes that the thief ``shall be sold for

his theft'' (Exod. 22:2). T he woman here must be a minor who was

sold by her father. T he verse tells us that, if six years pass before she reaches pubert y, she is to be freed.

14 Furnish him.

T he Hebrew verb means something more like ``ornament him,'' as

IBN EZRA return.

found in the parts, which are really all parts of the All, which is the body.

[I]

11 There will never cease to be needy ones in your land. The ¯ock, threshing ¯oor,

with a necklace. You must provide for him at a high level, and conspicuously, in such a way that everyone will recognize how well you have treated him. Some literally understand the verb to mean that you must pile things on his neck.

More precisely, ``in

response.'' You must realize that the All is

For God knew that a

generation would one day arise in which the

NAHMANIDES 11 There will never cease to be needy ones.

majorit y were no longer worthy of the situT he commentators

say that the Holy One knew that the conditions under which ``T here shall be no needy among you'' (v. 4) would never be ful®lled. But I do not think this is correct. T he Torah indeed alludes to what would happen to them in the future, but it never prophesies explicitly that they would not ful®ll the Torah, nor (God forbid) does it issue commandments based on their disobedience; it mentions this simply as a warning. Our verse does not mean that there will always be needy people, but that povert y and need can never be completely eliminated. T hough there would be no needy among them when they observe the commandments, He is saying, ``I know that not every generation throughout the ages will keep the commandments so perfectly that there is no need to issue this commandment to take care of the poor. T here might sometimes be needy people; I am issuing this commandment just in case there are.''

In your land.

T his ®rst occurrence of ``in your land'' is a

different Hebrew phrase than the second; it is better translated ``there will never cease to be needy ones on earth'' (compare OJPS). Just as there might be a needy person at some time, there might be one somewhere (for ``in any of your settlements'' of v. 7 really implies, as in Exod. 12:20, anywhere, inside the land of Israel or out).

poor and needy kinsman in your land.

Open your hand to the

ation described in v. 4 (see my comment

The poor and needy kinsman in your land. there).

Literally,

[N]

12 He shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall set him free.

Here too there is a ``remission'' like that of v. 1, but it applies to the slave's own seventh year of service. All of these sevens allude to the days of the world itself; see my comment to ``he shall then remain his slave for life'' (Exod. 21:6). T hat verse implies that ``in perpetuit y'' of our v. 17 is to be taken at face value. T he current paragraph is not about the slave's freedom per se but about furnishing him with the wherewithal to live once you set him free.

[N]

See Ibn Ezra's comment.

brother,

to

the other poor members of your clan. T he needy of

your own land take precedence

over those of some other place.

12 If a fellow Hebrew, man or woman, is sold to you.

As v. 14 shows, this para-

graph is another example of giving to the poor. With regard to your ``fellow Hebrew,'' see my comment to Exod. 21:2. As far as its application to a woman, that

would be a

case of ``W hen a man sells his daughter as a slave'' (Exod. 21:7).

13 Empty-handed. 14 Furnish him.

See my comment to

Gen. 31:42.

land'' ( Jews anywhere in the world, whether or not they are your immediate kin). Midrashically, the words are understood to be arranged in order of priorit y.

your

You nearest relative takes precedence, then

T he implication of the Hebrew expression is that

this applies to your poor kinsman (wherever he may be) and to all the needy ``in your

``to

your poor, and to your needy, in your land.''

T he Hebrew verb ap-

parently means to furnish him ``splendidly,'' since the same root is used for jewelr y: ``A

necklace

about

your

throat''

(Prov.

1:9).

Otherwise, we must translate based on the context and give the root a meaning it has nowhere else in the Bible.

[I]

Ibn Ezra is speaking half philosophically and half mys-

tically here.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 11 For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land.

Riches are not guaranteed; today's

rich man is tomorrow's poor man, so it is good to be generous. W hat goes around, comes around (Abarbanel). Moses tells them quite explicitly in 31:29, ``I know that, when I am dead, you will act wickedly'' (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 15:14±18 RE'EH

NJPS

FB Z

which the L ORD your God has blessed you.

15

Bear in

OJPS

GJ OK ZCE

the L ORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto

15

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the

mind that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and the L ORD

him.

your God redeemed you; therefore I enjoin this commandment

land of Egypt, and the L ORD thy God redeemed thee; therefore

upon you today. 16

I command thee this thing to-day.

But should he say to you, ``I do not

want to leave you''Ðfor he loves you and your household and is happy with youÐ 17

you shall take an awl and put it through

his ear into the door, and he shall become your slave in perpetuity. Do the same with your female slave.

18

When you do set him

free, do not feel aggrieved; for in the six years he has given you double the service of a hired man. Moreover, the L ORD your God will bless you in all you do.

RASHI and vat. And, perhaps, from these three alone? With which the LORD your God has blessed you. No, you must

-Ôzz ¤ ¦ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Eίa ² § © ¥ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ E·˜iÓe ®¤ § ¦ ¦ ÌȯˆÓ ¦ ½© § ¦ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § Æ˙Èȉ ¨ Ʀ ¨ „·Ú ¤ ³¤ Èk ´ ¦ z¯ÎÊ ¨À § © ¨ § 15 :BÏ« EeˆÓ ² § © § ÈÎ‡ ¯¦ Ÿ ¨ Ôkº¥ -ÏÚ© EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § EcÙi − § § ¦ «© :ÌBi‰ « © ‰f‰ −¤ © ¯·c‰-˙‡ ¬¨ ¨ © ¤ Ÿ ¬ EÈϤ½ ‡¥ ¯Ó‡È-Èk CnÚÓ ®¨ ¦ ¥ ‡ˆ‡ −¥ ¥ ‡Ï ´© Ÿ « ¦ Ɖȉ ¨ ¨ § 16 :CnÚ «¨ ¦ BÏ− ·BË-Èk ¬ ¦ E˙Èa ¤½ ¥ -˙‡Â ¤ § ÆE·‰‡ § «¥ £ Èk ³¦ 17 ÆBʇ· § ¨ § ‰z˙ ³¨ © ¨ § Úˆ¯n‰-˙‡ © ¥À § © © ¤ zÁ˜Ï ´¨ § © ¨ § E˙Ó‡Ï − § ¨ £ © ۇ ¬© § ÌÏBÚ ®¨ „·Ú ¤ ´¤ EÏ − § ‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ § ˙Ïc·e ¤ ½¤ © ÆEÁlLa £ «¥ © § EÈÚ· ¤À ¥ § ‰L˜È-‡Ï ´¤ § ¦ Ÿ 18 :Ôk «¥ -‰NÚz ¤ £© ½¦ ¨ ¯ÎN ´© § ƉLÓ ¤ § ¦ ÈkÀ¦ CnÚÓ ¨½ ¦ «¥ ÆÈLÙÁ ¦ § ¨ B˙‡ ³Ÿ ¯ÈÎN EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆEί·e § © «¥ ÌÈL ®¦ ¨ LL ´¥ E„·Ú − § «¨ £ Ÿ− § Ù :‰NÚz «¤ £ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÏÎa

furnish him with something from everything the Lord has blessed you with. Why then are these three mentioned in particular? You know that the ``natural'' increase you receive from them is due to God's blessing; similarly, you must furnish the freed slave out of everything that increases naturallyÐmeaning that mules are excluded. See B. Kid. 17a for a discussion of just how much of each he must be given. 15 Bear in mind that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. And I furnished you with twice the amount you needed, with the plunder you took from the Egyptians and the plunder you took from Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea. So you too must furnish your freed slave with twice the amount he needs. Ð The Hebrew verb of v. 14 (``furnish'') appears in a double form, implying ``twice'' the amount. 17 In perpetuity. But ``perpetuity'' does not mean what it sounds like. ``You shall hallow the ®ftieth year. You shall proclaim release throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you shall return to his holding and each of you shall return to his family'' (Lev. 25:10). So he remains your slave only for the ``perpetuity'' of the jubilee period. Do the same with your female slave. That is, furnish her with goods when you free her. But the rule about piercing the slave's ear does not apply to a female: ``But if the slave declares, `I love my master, and my wife and children: I do not wish to go free''' (Exod. 21:5). 18 Double the service of a hired man. From this verse the Sages derive that a Hebrew slave may be asked to serve his master both during the day and at night; that is ``double'' what one may require of a hired man. What kind of ``service'' does he do at night? His master provides him with one of his Canaanite slave women; whatever offspring they produce belong to the owner.

16

And it shall be, if he say unto thee:

``I will not go out from thee''; because he loveth thee and thy house, because he fareth well with thee;

17

then thou shalt take

an awl, and thrust it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be thy bondman for ever. And also unto thy bondwoman thou shalt do likewise.

18

It shall not seem

hard unto thee, when thou lettest him go free from thee; for to the double of the hire of a hireling hath he served thee six years; and the L ORD thy God will bless thee in all that thou doest.

RASHBAM 15 Bear in mind that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. And God brought you forth with great wealth. 17 Through his ear into the door. [D] 18 Do not feel aggrieved; for in the six years he has given you double the service of a hired man. Rather, ``do not feel ag-

grieved at giving him double the pay of a hired man.'' For besides the six years of service that you purchased from him, you are furnishing him out of your ¯ock and so forth. But do not feel aggrieved; you are doing this so that the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. The Hebrew idiom translated ``aggrieved'' describes something that is ``hard for the eye''; compare ``have no regrets'' (v. 10) and see also 28:56. Having a ``hard heart'' or a ``bad eye'' always has reference to giving money to others. The NJPS translation is idiotic. When the owner ®rst bought the slave, he understood perfectly well that he was buying him for a period of six years and no more. And the Hebrew does not say ``double the service'' but ``double the hire'' (see OJPS). Some do explain the phrase to mean ``double the service'' of a hired man, based on the verse ``In three years, ®xed like the years of a hired laborer'' (Isa. 16:14), but that is nonsense too, for a second verse reads, ``In another year, ®xed like the years of a hired laborer'' (Isa. 21:16). Both phrases really mean no more than ``for a [particular] limited time.'' [D] See Rashbam's comment to ``the door or the doorpost'' of Exod. 21:6.

IBN EZRA 17 Through his ear into the door. See my comments to Exod. 21:6. It is mentioned again here because you owe the man something when it is time for him to go free. You can only pierce his ear if he does not want freedom. Do the same with your female slave. That is, furnish her out of the ¯ock and so forth, as instructed by v. 14. The connection is admittedly distant, but the same phenomenon occurs (e.g.) in Exod. 22:2, where the middle of the verse logically follows Exod. 21:37. This is de®nitely correct, because the ear-piercing procedure does not apply to females. 18 In the six years he has given you double the service of a hired man. ``In three years, ®xed like the years of a hired laborer'' (Isa. 16:14) makes clear that neither the employer nor the worker is permitted to establish a term of hired labor longer than three years; that is how the six years of the slave amount to ``double the service of a hired man.'' ``Double'' is clearly the meaning here; we ®nd the same word used this way in ``double the amount'' (Exod. 16:5). It can, of course, mean ``second,'' as in ``For Mordecai the Jew ranked next to King Ahasuerus'' (Esther 10:3); after all, it is etymologically related to the Hebrew word for ``two'' (see my comment to Gen. 41:43). Our verse makes clear that ``in the seventh year he shall go free'' (Exod. 21:2) must mean ``at the beginning of the seventh year.'' The sabbatical year and the Sabbath itself make the same point. The LORD your God will bless you. Context shows that the verb is indeed future; from the form of the verb alone there is no way to tell. [J] [J] This is an idiosyncratic remark; the verb is clearly future according to Hebrew grammar as it is now understood.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 You shall take an awl and put it through his ear into the door. The ``doorpost'' of Exod. 21:6 might be made of stone, but the door will be made of wood and therefore easier to pierce (Bekhor Shor). Your slave in perpetuity. The Hebrew phrase, literally ``a slave for ever'' (compare OJPS), occurs only twice more in the Bible, in 1 Sam. 27:12 and Job 40:28 (Masorah).

106

107 DEUTERONOMY 15:19±16:1 NJPS

RE'EH

FB Z

HJ OK ZCE

shall consecrate to the LORD your God all male OJPS 19All the ®rstling males that are born of thy herd and of ®rstlings that are born in your herd and in your ¯ock: you must thy ¯ock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God; thou shalt not work your ®rstling ox or shear your ®rstling sheep. 20You and do no work with the ®rstling of thine ox, nor shear the ®rstling your household shall eat it annually before the LORD your God of thy ¯ock. 20Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by in the place that the LORD will choose. 21But if it has a defect, year in the place which the L ORD shall choose, thou and thy lameness or blindness, any serious defect, KTKC[ household. 21And if there be any blemish you shall not sacri®ce it to the L ORD your ÆE‡ˆ·e ¿ § © «¨ 19 therein, lameness, or blindness, any ill § Ÿ « § E¯˜·a ³ § ¨ § ¦ „ÏeÈ ¥¸ ¨ ¦ Á¯L ¤‡ £ ¯BÎa‰-Ïk blemish whatsoever, thou shalt not sacriGod. 22Eat it in your settlements, the unŸ £ © ‡Ï Ÿ ³ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © LÈc˜z −¦ § © ¯Îf‰ ¨½ ¨ © ®ce it unto the LORD thy God. 22Thou clean among you no less than the clean, Æ„·Ú˙ Ÿ − ¨ ‡Ï Ÿ ¬ § E¯BL Ÿ ´ § ¦ shalt eat it within thy gates; the unclean ½¤ ¯Î·a ¥ § ¦ 20 :E‡ˆ «¤ Ÿ ¯BÎa ¬ § Ê‚˙ just like the gazelle and the deer. 23Only ÁÈÙÏ you must not partake of its blood; you ÌB˜na ¸¨ § and the clean may eat it alike, as the ga− ¨ © ‰L· ¨½ ¨ § ‰L ´¨ ¨ ÆepÏ·˙ ¤Æ £ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï ³¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È shall pour it out on the ground like water. zelle, and as the hart. 23Only thou shalt not -ÈΠ« ¦ § 21 :E˙È·e «¤ ¥ ‰z‡ −¨ © ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ¯Á·È-¯L ´© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it Ÿ − ¯eÚ ¥½ ¦ B‡´ ÆÁqt © Æ¥ ¦ ÌeÓÀ B·¹ ‰È‰È ¤¸ § ¦ out upon the ground as water. Observe the month of Abib and Ú¯®¨ ÌeÓ´ Ïk offer a passover sacri®ce to the L ORD your EȯÚLa Ÿ´ −¤ ¨ § ¦ 22 :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © epÁaÊ˙ ¤½ ¨ § ¦ ‡Ï Observe the month of Abib, and Ÿ ½ Æ −¦ § © ÂcÁÈ ¨ § © ¯B‰h‰Â ¨ © § ‡Óh‰ ³¥ ¨ © epÏ·z ®¤ £ RASHI 19 You shall consecrate to the È·vk keep the passover unto the LORD thy God; Ÿ ´ BÓc-˙‡ ®¥ Ÿ ‡Ï − ¨ ¤ ˜¯¬© 23 :Ïi‡Î «¨ © ¨ § LORD your God all male ®rstlings. Else- -ÏÚ© Ï·˙ 19You

16

16

where we read, ``A ®rstling of animals, howÙ :ÌÈnk ¦ «¨ © epÎtLz −¤ § § ¦ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¬¨ ¨ ever, whichÐas a ®rstlingÐis the LORD's, cannot be consecrated by anybody'' (Lev. ½¦ ¨ ¨ L„Á-˙‡ ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ § ·È·‡‰ ¤Ÿ ´ ¤ ƯBÓL ¨ 27:26). How are we to explain this? The Le- ˙ÈNÚ viticus verse is saying that no one can con- ·È·‡‰ À¦ ¨ «¨ L„Áa ¤Ÿ ´ § Èkº¦ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ÁÒt © ¤½ secrate a ®rstling for the purpose of making some other offering; here, we learn that there ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can v. 1 claim is an obligation to proclaim the animal's that ``it was in the month of Abib, at night, that the status verbally: ``You are consecrated as a LORD your God freed you from Egypt'' when the ®rstling.'' Another reading: one may ``con- Israelites were speci®cally told in Exod. 12:22, ``None secrate'' an amount of money equal to the of you shall go outside the door of his house until and in Num. 33:3 that ``It was on the morrow animal's value. You must not work your morning,'' of the passover offering that the Israelites started out de®-

RASHBAM 19 You shall consecrate to the LORD your God all male ®rstlings.

Our Sages derive that it is also forbidden to work your ®rstling sheep or shear your ®rstling ox. The verse has simply described the likelier scenario. 20 You and your household shall eat it. This is addressed to the priests; as we learn elsewhere, ``the ®rstlings of cattle, sheep, or goats may not be redeemed; they are consecrated. You [priests] shall dash their blood against the altar, and turn their fat into smoke as an offering by ®re for a pleasing odor to the LORD. But their meat shall be yours'' (Num. 18:17±18)Ðwhether they are blemished or not. Annually. So one cannot delay offering a ®rstborn beyond its ®rst year of life. One might think this means that, if one does delay until the ®rstling is more than a year old, it is disquali®ed as an offering. But like the second tithe, which also must be eaten ``in the presence of the LORD'' (14:23), the ®rstling must still be offered even if it is too old. The obligation, though, is to offer it during its ®rst year. Since our verse literally says that it is to be offered ``year by year'' (OJPS), if the priest slaughters it on the last day of its ®rst year, it can also be eaten on the ®rst day of its second year. We therefore learn that the meat of a ®rstling can be eaten on the day it is offered, that night, and on the day afterÐtwo days and a night. 21 A defect. This is a general statement. Lameness or blindness. This is a speci®cation. Any serious defect. The verse returns to a general statement. Since the speci®c defects mentioned are evident and incurable, we learn that this rule applies to any defect that is evident and incurable. 23 Only you must not partake of its blood. You might think, ``Since this was a ®rstling that was to be consecrated to the Lord, it falls into the category of `the permissible that was originally forbidden.' I can slaughter it outside of Jerusalem without redeeming it and then go ahead and eat it. Perhaps its blood is permissible too!'' NoÐ``you must not partake of its blood.'' 16:1 Observe the month of Abib. Literally, you must ``observe'' (in advance) whether the month will be suitable for abib, ``new ears'' (Lev. 2:14), from which ``the ®rst sheaf''

hold''; see my comments to 14:26 and (once again) 12:17. The repetition is due to the added detail of v. 21 about a ®rstling with a defect. 21 Any serious defect. Among those just detailed. 22 Eat it in your settlements. Some say this means that the priest can eat such an animal outside of the sanctuary. Others think that, on account of the defect, any Israelite can eat it, which I ®nd highly implausible. The unclean among you no less than the clean. These are vocatives: ``You unclean one or you clean one, either of you may eat it.'' Had it been offered as a sacri®ce, an unclean person who ate of it would be punished by being ``cut off.''

ÊË

®rstling ox or shear your ®rstling sheep.

antly, in plain view of all the Egyptians''?

That is, you must treat them as consecrated, not working them or shearing them. With regard to Lev. 27:26, see my comment there.

IBN EZRA 19 You must not work your ®rstling ox or shear your ®rstling sheep. The consecration of the ®rstlings is repeated here in order to provide this new detail.

20 You and your household shall eat it. The reference is to the priest's ``house-

Chapter 16

The instruction to eat ``annually before the LORD your God in the place that the LORD will choose'' (15:20) leads naturally into a chapter about the annual pilgrimage festivals; see v. 16. The ®rstling, which like the passover offering must be eaten in the holy place, provides another connection. The ``sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts'' (Lev. 23:24) on the 1st of Tishrei and ``the tenth day of this seventh month'' (Lev. 23:27) are not mentioned in this chapter, since those are not days on which the public gathers at the Temple. 1 Observe the month of Abib. As I explained in my comment to Exod. 13:4, the abib or ``®rst growth'' had appeared when they left

NAHMANIDES 23 Only you must not partake of its blood. [O] 16:1 Observe the month of Abib. Our chapter further explicates the commandments (already given) about observing the pilgrimage [O] See Nahmanides' comment to ``make sure that you do not partake of the blood'' of 12:23.

DEUTERONOMY 16:1±3 RE'EH

NJPS

God, for it was in the month of Abib, at night, that the

L ORD your God freed you from Egypt.

2

You shall slaughter the

OJPS

108

HJ OK ZCE

FB Z

for in the month of Abib the L ORD thy God brought

thee forth out of Egypt by night.

2

And thou shalt sacri®ce the

passover sacri®ce for the L ORD your God, from the ¯ock and the

passover-offering unto the L ORD thy God, of the ¯ock and the

herd, in the place where the L ORD will choose to establish His

herd, in the place which the L ORD shall choose to cause His

name. 3You shall not eat anything leavened

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with it; for seven days thereafter you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distressÐ

RASHI

(Lev. 23:10) can be brought. If

not, you must add a leap month.

At night.

But they left in broad daylight! ``It was on the morrow of the passover offering that the Israelites started out de®antly, in plain view of all the Eg yptians'' (Num. 33:3). However,

3

Thou shalt eat no

name to dwell there.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

How can v. 2 tell us

leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of af¯iction; for in haste didst

RASHBAM 16:2 From the ¯ock and the herd. T he Sages explain this as does

the Targum: the passover offering from the ¯ock, and the other sacred offerings from the

to slaughter the passover sacri®ce ``from the ¯ock and

herd.

Pharaoh had given them permission to leave

the herd,'' when Exod. 12:5 tells us it must come

22:27±28 and of Num. 29:39 is that votive

on the previous night: ``He summoned Mo-

``from the sheep or from the goats,'' that is, from ``the

and freewill offerings (which could be either

ses and Aaron in the night and said, `Up,

¯ock'' but

depart from among my people, you and the

from ``the herd''?

F Why are the com-

mandments about the passover sacri®ce and the unleavened bread all mixed up together?

Israelites with you!' '' (Exod. 12:31).

2 From the ¯ock and the herd.

not

T he

T he

straightforward

sense

of

Lev.

from the herd or from the ¯ock) were regularly brought on the pilgrimage festivals.

IBN EZRA

Eg ypt.

T he

deniers

claim

¯ock is for the passover offering, of which Exod. 12:5 says, ``you may take it from the

that if the ®rst growth has not appeared we

sheep or from the goats''; the ``herd'' animal is the one you slaughter for the festival offer-

are not

ing. For if too large a group signs up for a single paschal lamb, they bring along a festival

offering.

offering so there will be enough for all the participants to eat a satisf ying amount before

their stupid arguments about the solar cal-

tasting the passover offering. Our Sages derive a great many more things from this verse.

endar and whatnot in my comment to Exod.

Bread that reminds us of the distress and ``af¯iction'' (OJPS) that

12:2. In any case, we too admit that the rab-

3 Bread of distress. NAHMANIDES

permitted to present But

I

have

already

the passover responded

to

binical court setting the calendar looks for

festivals. T he sacri®ces to be offered on them, which are commanded

the

®rst

growth,

among

other

things.

You

in Leviticus 23, are not mentioned here at all. Instead, the emphasis here is on com-

should know that there are no names for the

manding the Israelites to come to the place that the Lord will choose and to rejoice before

months in Biblical Hebrew; the names we do

Him. After commanding that the second tithe (14:22±29) and the ®rstling (15:19±20) be

®nd mentioned in the Bible are Aramaic, ex-

eaten there, it was natural to add that the Israelites must also come there on the three

cept for Ziv, the second month (1 Kings 6:1),

pilgrimage festivals and rejoice in the offerings of well-being they will present to Him. T he

Ethanim, the seventh month (1 Kings 8:2),

speci®c dates of the festivals need not be mentioned here, having already been given; they

and Bul, the eighth month (1 Kings 6:38).

are indicated by brief allusions to the months in which they occur.

2 You shall slaughter the passover sacri®ce for the LORD your God, from the ¯ock and the herd.

W hen the

``From'' isÐdeliberatelyÐnot in the Hebrew text, as it is in so many

it now. It makes no difference whether the

other places (e.g., Lev. 1:2, Lev. 1:10, Lev. 3:1). T he straightforward explanation is that

previous year had 12 months or was a leap

this is a list of three things: the passover sacri®ce, the ¯ock, and the herd; for similar

year

syntax, see (e.g.) 14:4, Exod. 1:2, and Ezek. 45:21. T he passover sacri®ce, according to

Nisan is always ®rst. But our predecessors

Exod. 12:3, must be a lamb; the other animals are festival offerings: ``your freewill con-

of blessed memor y have passed down to us

tribution'' (v. 10, with regard to the Feast of Weeks; v. 15, with regard to the Feast of

other signs besides the

Booths;

whether or not it is time for the ®rst month,

[P]

v. 16 concludes by mentioning all three festivals together). All this is clear from

the Passover of Josiah, where he ``donated to the people small cattleÐlambs and goats, all for

passover sacri®ces for all presentÐto the sum of 30,000, and large cattle, 3,000''

(2 Chron. 35:7), after which `` T hey roasted the passover sacri®ce in ®re, as prescribed,

abib, the ®rst growth, occurs, that

is always the ®rst monthÐNisan, as we call

and

had

13

months;

abib

we

don't

care.

that determine

It was...at night that the LORD your God freed you from Egypt. and

all their

words are true.

It

was

at

night

that

He

re-

while the sacred offerings they cooked in pots, cauldrons, and pans'' (2 Chron. 35:13; but

leased you from Pharaoh's authorit y. And it

see my comment to v. 7 of our chapter). T he ``small cattle''Ðlambs and kidsÐwere for the

is very plausible that . . . well, I will explain

passover offering (of which we read in Exod. 12:5, ``you may take it from the sheep or from

about this later.

the goats''), and the older goats and the cattle were for the people to eat their ®ll, as our Sages explain with regard to the festival offerings.

[Q ]

[K]

2 The ¯ock and the herd.

T he ¯ock,

T he translation of Onkelos does not

for the passover offering, and the herd, for

really ®t the Hebrew text; the correct solution is as we have explained. See further my

the sacri®ces of well-being that accompany

comment to ``what you slaughter'' (v. 4).

it. T his is clearly proved by 2 Chron. 35:7,

3 Bread of distress.

Recalling the meager bread and scant water that they had in

``Josiah donated to the people small cattleÐ

Eg ypt and the haste with which they had to leave. It may also be implying, as our Sages

lambs and goats, all for passover sacri®ces

[P]

See Ibn Ezra's comment to `` You shall hold a festival'' of v. 15.

[Q ]

See Rashi's comment.

for all presentÐto the sum of 30,000, and large cattle, 3,000Ðthese from the propert y

of the king,'' where the ¯ock animals for passover sacri®ces are clearly distinguished from the ``large cattle,'' that is, the herd animals. (2 Chron. 35:9 is to be explained the same way.) `` You and your household'' (15:20) is a similar example of t wo things in different categories being paired together (see my comment there). Some think the original instruction (sheep or goats) was for the passover offered in Eg ypt itself, and that now God is saying that they can offer cattle if they are able. But the ®rst explanation is the correct one.

3 You shall not eat anything leavened with it. Bread of distress.

leavened found in your houses.

[K]

By the time the passover offering is slaughtered, there must already not be anything As a reminder.

As long as you live.

Annually for as long as you live.

T his last sentence is puzzling and may be a copyist's error.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16:3 Bread of distress.

``Poor man's bread.'' For when a poor man gets his hands on some ¯our, he

has no utensil in which to heat up water for the dough and no patience to let it rise. He simply mixes it with a bit of cold water and tosses it

109 DEUTERONOMY 16:3±7 NJPS

RE'EH

FB Z

for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedlyÐso

that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live.

4

For seven days no leaven shall be

OJPS

thou come forth out of the land of Egypt; that thou

mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

found with you in all your territory, and none of the ¯esh of what you slaughter on the evening of the ®rst day shall be left until morning. 5

You are not permitted to slaughter the

passover sacri®ce in any of the settlements that the L ORD your God is giving you; 6

but at the place where the L ORD your

God will choose to establish His name, there alone shall you slaughter the passover sacri®ce, in the evening, at sundown, the time of day when you departed from Egypt.

7

You shall cook and eat it at the

RASHI we underwent in Egypt. For you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly. And the dough did not have time to leaven. This shall be a remembrance of it for you. The ``hurry'' was not on your part, but on that of the Egyptians: ``The Egyptians urged the people on, impatient to have them leave the country'' (Exod. 12:33). So that

HJ OK ZCE

4

And there shall be no

leaven seen with thee in all thy borders

Ÿ À § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ ³ ¤ ¯kÊz ÌBÈ-˙‡ © ´© § ÌȯˆÓ ¦ ½© § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ´¤ ¥ Æ˙‡ˆÈ ¨ ¨Æ ¨ Ÿ − ÌȯˆÓ :EÈiÁ «¤ © ÈÓÈ ¬¥ § Ïk ¦ ½© § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ´¤ ¥ ÆE˙‡ˆ § «¥ Ÿ ² § EÏ ˙Ú·L ´© § ¦ EÏ·b-ÏÎa − § ª § ¨ § ¯‡N ¬ § ‰‡¯È-‡Ï ¤¸ ¨ ¥ Ÿ « § 4 ÁaÊz ¬© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ¯Na‰-ÔÓ ¨À ¨ © ¦ ÔÈÏÈ-‡Ï ´ ¦ ¨ Ÿ § ÌÈÓÈ ®¦ ¨ :¯˜aÏ ¤ Ÿ « © ÔBL − ‡¯‰ ¦ ¨ ÌBia ¬ © ·¯Úa ¤ ²¤ ¨ Ÿ¬ 5 „Á‡a ´© © § ÁÒt‰-˙‡ © ®¨ © ¤ ÁaÊÏ ©Ÿ ´ § ¦ ÏÎe˙ −© ‡Ï ½¤ ¨ § Èk¦ Â6 :CÏ«¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ EȯÚL ÆEÈ‰Ï º ¨ © ‡-̇ ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ¯Á·È-¯L ©¸ § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰-Ï ¤ «¦ ½ § ÔkLÏ ·¯Úa ¤ ®¨ ¨ ÁÒt‰-˙‡ © −¤ © ¤ ÁaÊz ¬© § ¦ ÌL ²¨ BÓL ´¥ © § :ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ «¨ § ¦ ¦ E˙‡ˆ ¬ § «¥ „ÚBÓ −¥ LÓM‰ ¤ ¤½ © ‡B·k ´ § ¾ ¨ © zÏ· ¯Á·È ²© § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜na ¨½ § © ´¨ § ÆzÏM·e ¨ § © ¦ 7

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

How can v. 4 tell us

that the passover sacri®ce is offered ``on the ®rst day'' (compare OJPS), when it is really offered the day th

before, on the 14

of Nisan?

F

V. 6 is obviously a

repetition of v. 2 (and, in essence, of v. 5 as well)Ð why? (Vv. 7±8 are repetitive too.)

F

After having

cooked and eaten the passover offering, how could the

seven days; neither shall any of the ¯esh, which thou sacri®cest the ®rst day at even, remain all night until the morning. 5

Thou mayest not sacri®ce the passover-

offering within any of thy gates, which the L ORD thy God giveth thee; 6but at the place which the L ORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell in, there thou shalt

sacri®ce

the

passover-offering

at

even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. 7

And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place

RASHBAM 7 You shall cook and eat it. That is, you shall roast it and eat it. In the morning you may start back. You IBN EZRA 4 What you slaughter on the evening of the ®rst day. This refers speci®cally to the passover offering. 6 In the evening, at sundown. See my comment to ``at twilight'' of Exod. 12:6. The time of day when you departed from Egypt. Rather, ``the season'' when you de-

you may remember the day of your departure. By eating the passover offering and the unleavened bread. 4 None of the ¯esh of what you slaughter on the evening of the ®rst day shall be parted (OJPS)Ðthe month of Abib. This left until morning. This refers to the passover offering throughout the generations. For phrase is not connected with ``sundown.'' Exod. 12:10 applied this rule only to the meat of the passover offering that was brought in 7 Cook. Though ordinarily used for th Israelites start back on the journey home ``in the morning'' (v. 7) of the ®rst day of Passover?

Egypt itself. The ``®rst day'' of our verse is the 14 of Nisan, as in Exod. 12:15, ``on the boiling, this word can also mean to ``cook'' very ®rst day you shall remove leaven from your houses.'' Since a discussion of unleavened bread has intervened between v. 2 and here, our verse was forced to specify that it was discussing ``what you slaughter on the evening of the ®rst day.'' Otherwise I might have applied this rule to the peace offerings that can be brought throughout all seven days of the festival. Another reading: our verse could be saying that the festival offering of the 14th can be eaten for two days and a night: on the 14th, ``on the evening of the ®rst day,'' and then on the ``®rst day'' of the festival itself, but not ``until the morning'' after that, the 16th. This indeed seems to be what the text is saying in straightforward Hebrew, and that is how it is taught on B. Pes. 71b. 6 Slaughter the passover sacri®ce, in the evening, at sundown, the time of day when you departed from Egypt. These are three separate times. You slaughter it at any time in ``the evening,'' which halakhically means from noon on; you eat it ``at sundown''; and ®rst thing in the morning, at ``the time of day when you departed from Egypt,'' you ``burn'' it, which is to say that at that point it begins to be considered ``left over'' and must be taken away to be burnt after the festival day. 7 Cook. ``Roasting'' (see OJPS) falls within the term that is actually used in the verse, ``cooking.'' In the morning you may start back on your journey home. On the morning of the second day. Even though the ®rst, sacred day of the festival is over the previous

NAHMANIDES interpret it, that it must be ``bread of af¯iction'' (OJPS) and not bread that is unleavened but nonetheless rich. 4 For seven days no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory. The explication of the laws of unleavened bread continues by expanding the area in which it applies to ``all your territory.'' Previously we were told only that ``no leaven shall be found in your houses'' (Exod. 12:19). What you slaughter on the evening of the ®rst day. That is, the evening beforeÐmeaning, the night

beforeÐthe ®rst of the seven days. For ``it was . . . at night that the LORD your God freed you from Egypt'' (v. 1). Neither the 14th of Nisan nor the passover sacri®ce is mentioned here at all. What v. 2 really means is not ``You shall slaughter the passover sacri®ce,'' but ``You shall make the passover sacri®ce an offering.'' The same applies to ``slaughter'' of v. 6. Our passage is not about slaughtering the animal at all, but about ``making'' the passover sacri®ce (as v. 1 literally says)Ðthat is, eating it with unleavened bread. The instructions for the slaughter of the passover sacri®ce (which takes place on the 14th of Nisan, before the evening of the 15th that our verse is discussing), like those for the offerings of all the pilgrimage festivals, have been given previously and are not mentioned here. Our passage is about eating the passover offering with unleavened bread. V. 6, too, does not refer to ``slaughtering'' the passover, but to ``making it an offering'' by cooking and eating it as described in v. 7. See further my comment to Exod. 12:6. But perhaps it would be better to read the dif®cult Hebrew of this verse to say, ``none of the ¯esh of what you slaughter in the evening'' (the afternoon of the 14th) ``shall be left until morning'' (of the ®rst day, the 15th). 7 You shall cook and eat it at the place that the LORD your God will choose. The method of cooking has already been given in Exod. 12:8Ð``roasted over the ®re.'' It must not be ``cooked in any way with water, but roasted . . . over the ®re'' (Exod. 12:9). That is why,

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS into an oven or a pot (Hizkuni). Hurriedly. The Hebrew word occurs also only in Exod. 12:11 and Isa. 52:12 (Masorah). The Holy One could certainly have kept them in Egypt long enough for them to let their dough rise and get some provisions together; He wanted this to be the way they would remember the exodus (Hizkuni). 7 Cook. The Hebrew word is simply a verb that refers to preparing a meal (Hizkuni).

DEUTERONOMY 16:7±8 RE'EH

FB Z

HJ OK ZCE

NJPS place that the LORD your God will choose; and in the OJPS which the LORD thy God shall choose; and thou shalt morning you may start back on your journey home. 8After eating turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents. 8Six days thou shalt unleavened bread six days, you shall hold a eat unleavened bread; and on the seventh solemn gathering for the LORD your God zÎω −¨ § © ¨ § ¯˜a· ¤ Ÿ ½ © ˙ÈÙe ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ Ba® EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God; thou shalt do no work therein. on the seventh day: you shall do no work. 8 Ÿ Ÿ ˙BvÓ ® © Ï·z ´© ÌÈÓÈ −¦ ¨ ˙LL ¤ ¬¥ :EÈω‡Ï «¤ ¨ § Ÿ ¬ EÈ‰Ï À¦ ¦ § © ÌBi·e ‡Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © Æ˙¯ˆÚ ¤ ¤Æ £ ÈÚÈ·M‰ ´© RASHI night, you must stay in Jerusalem Ò :‰Î‡ÏÓ «¨ ¨ § ‰NÚ˙ −¤ £ © till the next morning.

8 After eating unleavened bread six days. The text literally says, ``Six days you

RASHBAM

need not remain there for all seven days of the festival.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can the Israelites be told to eat ``unleavened bread [for] six days'' (v. 8) when v. 3 has told them to eat it ``for seven IBN EZRA with ®re by roasting; see days''? F Why does the text warn that ``you shall do also ``They cooked the passover sacri®ce in no work'' on the seventh day, without having said so ®re, as prescribed'' (2 Chron. 35:13). The about the ®rst day?

shall eat unleavened bread'' (OJPS), but elsewhere we are told, ``Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread'' (Exod. 12:15). You may eat the old grain for all seven days, but the new crop only for the last six. [R] Another reading: We learn that on the seventh day it is not obligatory to eat unleavened bread. But according to the eighth interpretive rule of R. Ishmael, a detail that emerges from a general statement applies to the whole statement. Consequently we learn that it is not obligatory for any of the daysÐonly for the very ®rst night, which the text explicitly speci®es: ``On the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread'' (Exod. 12:18; see OJPS there). A solemn gathering for the LORD. More precisely, ``a cessation''; you must cease from work. Another reading: a ``remaining behind'' for a gathering with food and drink: ``Let us detain you and prepare a kid for you'' (Judg. 13:15). [R] See Lev. 23:14.

NAHMANIDES in Josiah's time, ``They cooked the passover sacri®ce in ®re, as prescribed'' (as 2 Chron. 35:13 literally says). 8 You shall hold a solemn gathering for the LORD your God on the seventh day: you shall do no work. The prohibition of work on the ®rst day is not recorded here;

neither are we told that work is prohibited on the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Booths. We learn nothing about the four species, nor about the festivals of the 1st and the 10th of Tishrei. But, as I explained in my comment to v. 1, we have already been given this information. This passage is about appearing before the Lord and rejoicing in His presence on the three pilgrimage festivals when all Israel is obligated to go to the place that the Lord will choose, bringing a gift ``according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you'' (v. 17). We must joyfully acknowledge all the good He has done for us in His mercy and His great kindness. What then is the purpose of mentioning a ``solemn gathering'' on the seventh day? It would be better translated as ``a day of restraint,'' since the purpose is to indicate that we are still restricted on the seventh day, as on the previous six, to eating unleavened bread. Since one might think that this is the only restriction of the day, the prohibition of work is speci®cally mentioned. (You will ®nd a similar phenomenon when the same Hebrew word is used for ``the eighth day'' of Lev. 23:36.) But the True interpretation is that this word Atzeret is the Assembly of Israel. It is written here to teach us the religious mystery of this particular day. It is not, however, the equivalent of Shemini Atzeret, the ``eighth day'' of Lev. 23:36, for that is a separate festival of its own. On that day, the offering is that of the Assembly of Israel; it is not like the offerings of the preceding seven days. But the seventh day of Passover is part of the festival. Just as ``remembering'' and ``observing'' the Sabbath includes honoring both the day and the night, the word atzeret can be used in both circumstancesÐit is sometimes the eighth and sometimes the last of the seventh. Lev. 23:36 literally says, ``You shall observe a sacred occasion and bring an offering by ®re to the LORD; it is an atzeret''Ðthat is, it is the ®re offering that is the atzeret. It is a little festive meal. One who is enlightened will understand. [R] In any case, our chapter does not bother to repeat anything about the festival of Lev. 23:36, since we are under no obligation to return on pilgrimage yet again on that day. [R] See Nahmanides' comment to Lev. 1:9.

point of the verb is not to describe the method of preparation, but to emphasize that it must not be eaten raw. In the morning you may start back. The deniers claim that he may start back home, even back to another country, on the festival day itself. But when it comes to the commandments, we do not rely on our own interpretations but on those who transmitted the Torah to us. This is not the only such occurrence. Of Solomon we ®nd that ``On the eighth day he let the people go'' (1 Kings 8:66), though this was the sacred ``eighth day'' mentioned in Lev. 23:36 and Num. 29:35; but we learn from 2 Chron. 7:10 that it was actually ``on the twenty-third day of the seventh month [that] he dismissed the people to their homes''Ðnot the 22nd, which is the festival day. Some think that when ``they bade the king good-bye and went to their tents'' (as the Kings verse continues) they went to where they were staying, but they did not leave for their own homes until after the festival was over. On your journey home. This phrase too really says no more than ``go back to your tents'' (compare OJPS)Ðin the vicinity of Jerusalem. From there they would start on the journey home after the festival was over.

8 After eating unleavened bread six days. The ancients said that these six days

begin ``when the sickle is ®rst put to the standing grain'' (v. 9), on the second day of Passover. But perhaps on the seventh day (which in Hebrew comes at the beginning of the second half of the verse; see OJPS) was actually meant to be read in both halves: ``After eating unleavened bread six days and on the seventh day, on the seventh day you shall hold a solemn gathering'' and so forth. Presumably it is mentioned separately because the prohibition of work applies only then, not for the whole festival. You shall do no work. It does not say ``no work at all,'' indicating that the sense of the phrase is ``you shall not work at your occupations'' (as frequently in Leviticus 23). Though Exod. 12:16 does say ``no work at all,'' the expression is quali®ed there by adding, ``only what every person is to eat, that alone may be prepared for you.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 You shall hold a solemn gathering for the LORD your God on the seventh day. The Hebrew word refers not to ``a solemn gathering'' but to ``reigning,'' as in 1 Sam. 9:17, ``This is the man that I told you would govern My people.'' This is the day on which the Holy One is acknowledged as His people's king, which of course is more sacred than the previous six days (Abarbanel).

110

111 DEUTERONOMY 16:9±13

RE'EH

FB Z

HJ OK ZCE

shall count off seven weeks; start to count the OJPS 9Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee; from the seven weeks when the sickle is ®rst put to the standing grain. time the sickle is ®rst put to the standing corn shalt thou begin to 10Then you shall observe the Feast of Weeks for the L ORD your number seven weeks. 10And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks God, offering your freewill contribution according as the LORD unto the LORD thy God after the measure of the freewill-offering your God has blessed you. 11You shall rejoice before the of thy hand, which thou shalt give, according as the LORD thy LORD your God with your son and daughGod blesseth thee. 11And thou shalt rejoice ter, your male and female slave, the Levite before the L ORD thy God, thou, and thy Ÿ − ª ¨ ‰Ú·L ¥ § ¤ ÏÁ‰Ó ³¥ ¨ ¥ CÏ-¯tÒz ®¨ ¨ § ¦ ˙Ú·L ¬¨ § ¦ 9 son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, in your communities, and the stranger, the ÆLÓ¯Á Ÿ ½ § ¦ ÏÁz « ª ¨ ‰Ú·L −¨ § ¦ ¯tÒÏ ´¥ ¨ ‰Ówa ¨½ ¨ © and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is fatherless, and the widow in your midst, at :˙BÚ·L the place where the LORD your God will ˙qÓ ²© ¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © Æ˙BÚ·L ª ¨ ‚Á ³© ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ¦¹ ¨ § 10 within thy gates, and the stranger, and the choose to establish His name. 12Bear in fatherless, and the widow, that are in the ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Eί·È − § ¤ ¨ § ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © Ôzz ®¥ ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ E„È − § ¨ ˙·„ ¬© § ¦ mind that you were slaves in Egypt, and midst of thee, in the place which the L ORD º¨ § © ¨ § 11 :EÈ‰Ï EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § | ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ zÁÓN «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ thy God shall choose to cause His name to take care to obey these laws. 13After the ingathering from your ÆÈÂl‰Â ¦ ¥ © § ¼E˙Ӈ ¤ ¨ £ © Ec·Ú ´ § § © § »Ez·e ¤ ¦ E·e ´ § ¦ ‰z‡ ¨¸ © dwell there. 12And thou shalt remember threshing ¯oor and your vat, you shall ‰ÓÏ ½¤ ¨ § ¦ ¯L −¨ ¨ § ‡‰Â © ¨ § ÌB˙i‰Â ¬ ¨ © § ¯b‰Â ²¥ © § EȯÚLa ´¤ ‡ £ that thou wast a bondman in Egypt; and thou shalt observe and do these statutes. À ¨ © Ea¯˜a ´¨ § ƯÁ·È © § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜na ®¤ § ¦ § ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ 13Thou shalt keep the feast of tabernaRASHI 9 When the sickle is ®rst put ‰Â‰È ¤ ¬¤ ¦ z¯ÎÊ ¨½ § © ´¨ § 12 :ÌL «¨ BÓL − § ÔkLÏ ¬¥ © § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ cles seven days, after that thou hast gathered to the standing grain. That is, when ``the „·Ú-Èk ®rst sheaf'' (Lev. 23:10), which inaugurates -˙‡¤ ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ¦½ ¨ § z¯ÓL ´¨ § © ¨ § ÌȯˆÓa ¦ ®¨ § ¦ § ˙Èȉ ¨ −¦ ¨

NJPS

9You

RASHBAM 9 When the sickle is ®rst Ù :‰l¤ ‡‰ «¥ ¨ ÌÈwÁ‰ −¦ ª «© 10 Your freewill contribution accord- ZKJVP put to the standing grain. This is to be ing as the LORD your God has blessed ÌÈÓÈ Ÿ ² ª © ‚Á ®¦ ¨ ˙Ú·L ´© § ¦ EÏ − § ‰NÚz ¬¤ £ © ˙kq‰ ¯© 13 understood as does Onkelos: ``when the you. Your generosity should match the sickle begins to harvest the sheaf for the the harvest, is cut.

Lord's generosity in blessing you. Bring ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why is the prohibi- elevation offering.'' For that is ``the ®rst sheaf peace offerings joyfully and invite guests to tion of work not mentioned in connection with the of your harvest'' (Lev. 23:10). Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Booths? F While we eat with you. 10 Offering your freewill contribuon the subjectÐwhy are we told (in v. 1) the 11 You shall rejoice before the LORD are tion. Rather, ``enough'' of a freewill contriof this festival, but not on which days of the your God with your son and daughter, month month it is observed? And for the Feast of Booths we bution, that is, as much as the spirit moves your male and female slave, the Levite in are told neither the month nor the days! F Why is a you to give. This is how Dunash takes it. As your communities, and the stranger, the ``freewill contribution'' (v. 10) appropriate for the he explains, this word missah has nothing to fatherless, and the widow in your midst. Feast of Weeks, but not for the Feast of Unleavened do with missim, a word that implies comWith My four categories of guestsÐthe Le- Bread or the Feast of Booths, especially since vv. 16± pulsory toil or tribute. vite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the 17 say that a ``gift'' is appropriate for all three festivals? 13 After the ingathering from your widowÐmatching your four. If you give joy F Why are we told to ``rejoice'' on the Feast of Weeks threshing ¯oor and your vat, you shall (v. 11) and on the Feast of Booths (v. 14), but not on to My guests, I will give joy to yours! F Doesn't the reminder ``that you were hold the Feast of Booths. See my com12 Bear in mind that you were slaves Passover? slaves in Egypt'' (v. 12) belong with Passover more ment to Lev. 23:43. in Egypt. This is why I redeemed youÐso than it does with the Feast of Weeks? that you would take care to obey these IBN EZRA 10 Offering your freewill laws. The ``measure'' of OJPS's 13 After the ingathering. Literally, ``at'' (the time of) ``the ingathering,'' that is, when contribution. more literal translation has a dagesh in the you have brought indoors all the produce of the summer. Another reading: ``with'' the S, indicating a missing R. This word missat is ingathering, teaching that one roofs the booth with the straw and branches left over from in fact derived from nes (``banner''), indithe threshing ¯oor and vat. cating that one is ``raising one's hand'' with this gift. The ``gifts'' of Exod. 25:2 and other NAHMANIDES 9 When the sickle is ®rst put to the standing grain. That is, such sacred ``gifts'' are indicated by a noun when you ®rst put the sickle to the standing grainÐfor we have already been told precisely derived from a similar verb of ``raising'' from when this is to be. The rabbinic interpretation of our verse is that ``the ®rst sheaf of your a different root. The freewill contribution harvest'' (Lev. 23:10) must be harvested by cutting it with a sickle and in no other way. may consist of burnt offerings and/or sacri11 At the place where the LORD your God will choose to establish His name. The ®ces of well-being. phrase is repeated yet again in v. 16. But I do not know why this must be emphasized so 12 Bear in mind that you were often. Perhaps the point is that once the Temple is built we must not gather to offer sacri- slaves. Like your own ``male and female ®ce on the pilgrimage festivals at any other location (as v. 5 says). Or perhaps we are being slave'' of v. 11. told that the requirement to appear before the Lord on the three pilgrimage festivals does 13 After the ingathering. That is why not in fact come into effect until the place is chosen. this festival is also called ``the Feast of In12 Bear in mind that you were slaves in Egypt. Despite what Ibn Ezra says, the gathering'' (Exod. 23:16). straightforward sense is that you must obey the laws given you by the Lord ``who redeemed you from the house of bondage'' (13:6). Note that in the blessing that sancti®es this Feast of Weeks we acknowledge that we are doing so ``in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt.'' Take care to obey these laws. This is especially emphasized here in the case of the Feast of Weeks because the Torah does not explain the reason for counting the seven weeks and the 50 days, nor why only the 50th day is an atzeret. But see my comment to Lev. 23:36, where I explain this mystery.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 Bear in mind that you were slaves in Egypt. Where you had no time for rest or recreation (Bekhor Shor). There is a special need to bear this in mind on the Feast of Weeks because, unlike every other festival, it has no unique observances of its own (Hizkuni). 13 After the ingathering from your threshing ¯oor and your vat, you shall hold the Feast of Booths for seven days. Having dwelt in booths all season to protect your crops, you should now make one for the sake of heaven (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 16:13±17 RE'EH

NJPS

FB Z

hold the Feast of Booths for seven days.

14

You shall

OJPS

HJ OK ZCE

in from thy threshing-¯oor and from thy winepress.

rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male

14

and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the

daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the

widow in your communities.

15

You shall hold a festival for the

And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy

Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that 15

L ORD your God seven days, in the place

are

that the L ORD will choose; for the L ORD

thou keep a feast unto the L ORD thy God

½ § § ¨¸ § EbÁa −¨ § © ¨ § 14 :E·˜iÓe «¤ § ¦ ¦ E¯bÓ − § § ¨ « ¦ EtÒ‡a ®¤ © § zÁÓN À ½ Æ Æ ÈÂl‰Â ¦ ¥ © § E˙Ӈ ¤ ¨ £ © Ec·Ú ´ § § © § Ez·e ¤ ¦ E·e ³ § ¦ ‰z‡ ¨¸ © your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy. :EȯÚLa «¤ ¨ § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰ÓÏ −¨ ¨ § ‡‰Â © ¨ § ÌB˙i‰Â ¬ ¨ © § ¯b‰Â ²¥ © § Three times a yearÐon the Feast of Ÿ ¨ ÌÈÓÈ À¦ ¨ ˙Ú·L EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © Æ‚Áz ´© § ¦ 15 Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, º § ¤ ¨ § Èk ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Eί·È ´ ¦ ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ¯Á·È-¯L ´© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜na −¨ © and on the Feast of BoothsÐall your males your God shall appear before the L Ÿ § ÆE˙‡e·z Ÿ ³ § EÈ‰Ï ½¤ ¨ ‰NÚÓ EÈ„È § «¨ § ÏÎa ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ´¥ £ © ÆÏηe in the place that He will choose. They :ÁÓN © «¥ ¨ C‡ ¬© ˙Èȉ ¨ −¦ ¨ § emptyshall not appear before the L ¹ ¸ ¿ E¯eÎÊ-ÏÎ § § ¨ ‰‡¯È ¤ ¨ ¥ ‰Ma ¨ ¨ © | ÌÈÓÚt ´ ¦ ¨ § LBÏL ´ ¨ 16 but each with his own gift, achanded, ¯Á·È ¨½ § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆÌB˜na ¨ © EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § | Èt-˙‡ ´¥ § ¤ your cording to the blessing that the L God has bestowed upon you. ‚Á·e ´© § ˙BÚ·M‰ − ª ¨ © ‚Á·e ¬© § ˙Bvn‰ ² © © ‚Áa ¯© § Ÿ ¯ § ˙Bkq‰ «¨ ¥ ‰Â‰È −¨ § Èt-˙‡ ¬¥ § ¤ ‰‡¯È ²¤ ¨ ¥ ‡Ï ®ª© RASHI 15 You shall have nothing but :̘ȯ −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙k¯·k ²© § ¦ § B„È ® ¨ ˙zÓk ´© § © § Lȇ −¦ 17 joy. In a straightforward reading of the text, EÈ‰Ï this is not a commandment but a promise. Ò :CÏ-Ô˙ «¨ © «¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ your God will bless all your crops and all

16

ORD

ORD

17

ORD

According to B. Pes. 71a, it is to be interpreted to mean that the night after the last ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F day of the festival, that is, the night before F the festival of ``the eighth day'' (Lev. 23:36, F Num. 29:35), is included in the commandment to rejoice.

within

thy

gates.

Seven

days

shalt

in the place which the L ORD shall choose; because the L ORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the work of thy hands, and thou shalt be

altogether

joyful. 16

Three

times

in

a

year

shall

all

thy

males appear before the L ORD thy God in the place which He shall choose; on the feast of unleavened bread, and on the feast of weeks, and on the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the L ORD empty;

17

every man shall give as he is able,

according to the blessing of the L ORD thy God which He hath given thee.

IBN EZRA 15 You shall hold a festival. To ``hold a festival'' (which is all

a single verb in the Hebrew) is actually a technical term meaning ``to sacri®ce the festival offerings.'' The Hebrew verb is in the singular, perhaps applying to ``the public'' as a whole. But it may refer to the freewill 16 They shall not appear before the offerings brought by individuals. The LORD F LORD empty-handed. But they must bring your God will bless all your crops. LitF ``appearance'' offerings and festival peace erally, He will bless ``you'' (see OJPS)Ðin offerings. the singular: you, the individualÐproving 17 Each with his own gift. One who F that ``you'' of the ®rst phrase also refers to has much property and many mouths to the individual. ``Your crop'' is naturally a feed should bring many offerings. special focus of blessing on the Feast of Ingathering. And all your undertakings. Whether in trade or in the practice of a craft. You shall have nothing but joy. It is in fact a commandment to have joy on the Feast of Booths. But some suggest that the verb is a simply a future tense, marking another result of the Lord's blessingÐthat you will always have nothing but joy. 16 They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. They shall bring their freewill contribution (as described in v. 10). I have explained ``appearing before the Lord'' in my comment to Exod. 23:15. Why must v. 13 and

v. 15 both tell us that we must ``hold'' the Feast of Booths?

of v. 14?

Similarly, why must v. 15 repeat the ``joy''

Since the Passover section tells us about

both the passover offering and the unleavened bread,

why does the section about the Feast of Booths fail to mention the four species of Lev. 23:40?

festival of

Why is the

``the eighth day'' (Lev. 23:39) not men-

tioned here at all?

Why are the Sabbath, the new

year, and the Day of Atonement, all of which are

found in Leviticus 23, not mentioned in our chapter?

Why is there no mention of the various offerings

appropriate to each of these festivals?

s

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 You shall have nothing but joy.

But after the Feast of Unleavened Bread we are told, ``in the morning you may start back on your journey home'' (v. 7); at the beginning of the harvest there is a lot of work to do and no time for joy (Bekhor Shor). Let no grief be mixed in with your joy (Sforno). 16 On the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths. Here, as everywhere, the Torah makes sure to begin with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the ®rst of all the festivals (Gersonides). 17 Each with his own gift, according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you. Your ``own gift'' is for as many whole offerings as you like, in addition to what you must tithe ``according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you'' (Gersonides). Everyone should ``give as he is able'' (OJPS)Ðone must not give away everything one has and demand other people's charity, as some of the fools among the other nations do (Sforno).

112

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM NJPS

shall appoint magistrates and of®cials for your OJPS 18Judges and of®cers shalt thou make thee in all thy tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, tribe by tribe; and you, and they shall govern the people with they shall judge the people with righteous 19 due justice. 19You shall not judge unfairly: EȯÚL-ÏÎa ½¤ ¨ § À¦ § Ÿ « § ÌÈËÙL ¨ § ÆEÏ-Ôzz § ¤ « ¦ ÌȯËL ´ ¦ § Ÿ 18 judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgyou shall show no partiality; you shall not ment; thou shalt not respect persons; neiEÈË·LÏ ®¤ ¨ § ¦ EÏ − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ther shalt thou take a gift; for a gift doth 18You

RASHI 18 Magistrates and of®cials. -‡ÏŸ 19 :˜„ˆ-ËtLÓ ¤ «¤ © § ¦ ÌÚ‰-˙‡ −¨ ¨ ¤ eËÙL ¬ § ¨ §

The ``magistrates'' are the judges who issue Áw˙-‡Ï Ÿ ¬ ËtLÓ ®¦ ¨ ¯Èk˙ −¦ © ‡Ï ¨½ § ¦ ‰h˙ ´¤ © ´© ¦ Ÿ § ÌÈt verdicts; the ``of®cials'' those who compel ½¦ ¨ £ ÈÈÚ −¥ © « ¦ ÌÈÓÎÁ ´¥ ¥ ƯeÚÈ ¥ © § „ÁM‰ © Ÿ À © Èk ´ ¦ „ÁL ©Ÿ ½ the peopleÐby force when necessaryÐto ÛlÒÈ accept the judges' decisions. For your ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are the judges tribes. OJPS follows the literal Hebrew warned three times, in vv. 18, 19, and 20, that they syntax more closely, but NJPS translates must judge fairly? correctly. In all the settlements. Literally, ``in all your gates'' (compare OJPS), that is, in every city. Notice that there are separate judges for each tribe and for each city. They shall govern the people with due justice. You must appoint judges who are both competent enough and righteous enough to govern with due justice. 19 You shall not judge unfairly. More literally, ``you shall not make judgment lean'' in one direction or the other; this refers to the ®nal ruling. You shall show no partiality. Both parties must be treated the same when arguments are being made before the

NAHMANIDES 18 You shall appoint magistrates and of®cials.

RASHBAM 18 Magistrates and of®cials. The of®cials are subordinate to the magistrates; they compel those who refuse to obey the magistrates.

IBN EZRA

Even though each and every commandment stands on its own, there seems to be a way to connect each section of the Torah with the next. In the present case, even though you are obligated to go three times a year to the place where the priests serve in the Temple, [A] and you can ask about the laws and rules when you are there, that is still not enoughÐyou must have ``magistrates and of®cials'' in every town. 18 Magistrates and of®cials. It is the ``of®cials'' who are in charge: ``Without leaders, of®cers, or rulers'' (Prov. 6:7); ``Do you know the laws of heaven or impose its authority on earth?'' (Job 38:33). The magistrates (or ``judges,'' as OJPS translates) may issue their rulings, but it is the of®cials who enforce them against the crooks. For your tribes. In the settlements of each tribe. In all the settlements. Jehoshaphat did just this: ``He appointed judges in the land in all the forti®ed towns of Judah, in each and every town'' (2 Chron. 19:5). They shall govern the people. Rather, ``they shall judge the people'' (OJPS); this refers to the magistrates, not to the of®cers. 19 You shall not judge unfairly. This is phrased in the singular (see ``thou'' of OJPS); it is addressed to each of the judges individually. You shall show no partiality. See my comment to 1:17. [A] As explained in v. 16.

Since the Torah has given the commands ``the case of both parties shall come before the judges'' (Exod. 22:8) and ``the payment to be based on reckoning'' (Exod. 21:22), it is clearly also commanded that Israel have a system to provide for such reckoning. The nature of that system is clari®ed here: After the Holy One gives them the land, they must appoint judges in all their cities. Outside the land there was no requirement to do so. Outside the land, one who was wronged would raise an outcry and the appropriate people would render judgment according to the rules applicable in that landÐor, if it was a time when Jewish courts did exist in Israel, they could simply go there for judgment. The ``of®cials'' mentioned here are those who enforce the judicial rulings. Again, outside the land of Israel (as Maimonides also notes) there is no requirement for Jews to appoint judges of their own. B. Mak. 7b, by contrast, rules that courts should be appointed outside the land as well, but regionally, not city by city. If so, this commandment does indeed apply at all times, even outside the land (at least for civil matters). But in our own time, when ordination directly transmitted from Moses no longer exists, all these rules are essentially canceled from the Torah. In Exod. 21:1 we read, ``These are the rules that you shall set before them''Ðbefore them, judges ordained in direct line from Moses, not before ordinary people, which nowadays we all are. Rabbinic courts outside the land are simply a work-aroundÐ``agents'' of the original, legitimate courtsÐnot in any sense a commandment we must observe. In all the settlements. See Rashi's comment and similarly B. Sanh. 16b. But I do not understand how this is to work. Once courts were established in every city, there would be multiple courts in each tribal territory. Perhaps it means that in cities that were divided between two tribes, such as Jerusalem (which was divided between Judah and Benjamin), there must be two courts. (This situation is discussed on B. Sanh. 111b.) Possibly the sense is that there must be a high court for each tribe and lower courts in each city. Even though these courts would be of the same sizeÐ23 for capital crimes, 3 for civil mattersÐthe wiser judges would be appointed to the tribal courts and lesser ones to the municipal courts. The disputants would have no right to change the jurisdiction to a different city (though if both were in a different city, either could insist on moving the case back to their own town), but they would always have the right to appeal to the higher court. The tribal court itself would always have jurisdiction, just as the Great Sanhedrin would have jurisdiction over all the tribal courts. (These tribal courts are mentioned on B. Hor. 5a.) But the straightforward sense of the text is simply that every tribe must appoint judges in every location throughout its territory.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

After the commandments that apply to everyone, those that apply to the leadership are given. For when they act rightly everything goes right, and when they act wrongly everyone suffers. As Zeph. 3:3 has it, ``The of®cials within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the steppe, they leave no bone until morning'' (Sforno).

18 You shall appoint magistrates and of®cials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving you.

And the tribal magistrates shall appoint the magistrates in each of the settlements (Gersonides). In the kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, and Naples, judges are appointed by the king; but in a few of the kingdoms of Spain and France, and throughout the Maghreb, they are appointed locally on an annual basis, and the king has nothing to do with it. The phrasing here shows that God is giving the appointment of judges to the tribes, not the king. But the text does not specify whether they are appointed for one year, three years, or for life (Abarbanel). They shall govern the people with due justice. If they do not have enough wisdom to do that, they should not be appointed (Gersonides). 19 You shall not judge unfairly. Like v. 18, this entire verse applies to all Israel (Bekhor Shor). Exod. 23:6 says, ``You shall not judge your needy unfairly''; this extends the prohibition more generally (Hizkuni). The judges must not be appointed with the intent that they

113 DEUTERONOMY 16:18±19

SHOFETIM

OKJVG[

HJ OK ZCE

DEUTERONOMY 16:19±21

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

HJ OK ZCE

NJPS take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning OJPS blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the and upset the plea of the just. 20Justice, justice shall you pursue, righteous. 20Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest that you may thrive and occupy the land live, and inherit the land which the LORD that the LORD your God is giving you. Ÿ ® § ¦ ˜„ˆ ÔÚÓÏ © ³© § Ûc¯z ¤ −¤ ˜„ˆ ¤¬¤ 20 :̘Ècˆ « ¦ ¦ © ȯ·c ¬¥ § ¦ thy God giveth thee. 21You shall not set up a sacred postÐany 21Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ zL¯È ´¨ § © ¨ § ƉÈÁz ¤ § «¦ kind of pole beside the altar of the LORD of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Ò :CÏ«¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ RASHI court. The judge must not be ÁaÊÓ ²© § ¦ ψ‡ ¤ ¥À ıÚ-Ïk ®¥ ¨ ‰¯L −¨ ¥ ‡ £ EÏ ² § Úh˙-‡Ï ¬© ¦ Ÿ « 21 RASHBAM 21 You shall not set up a gentle with one and tough on the other, or sacred postÐany kind of pole. Rather, :Cl-‰NÚz «¨ ¤ £ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ``any kind of tree'' (OJPS), so that no one will make one stand and permit the other to sit. Ò When the one who is not being treated fairly ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are they told sees what is going on, his arguments are to pursue justice ``that you may thrive and occupy the silenced. Even land'' (v. 20), as if the judges alone were to occupy the to issue the correct judgment. land? F Why are the prohibitions to ``set up a sacred Once he has taken a bribe, post'' (v. 21) or ``erect a stone pillar'' (v. 22) here in it is psychologically impossible for the judge the section about judges rather than in ch. 12 with the other prohibitions against idols? not to lean in that person's favor. Literally ``the words'' of the just, but indeed it must mean the pleas that argue in favor of those who are truly in the right. Seek out a good court. The appointment of proper judges is suf®cient to make Israel thrive and to establish them on their land. Doing so immediately violates a prohibition, even if he does not worship it. ORD This prohibits planting a tree or building a house on the Temple Mount.

come to worship it there as the gentiles do. This is where they were accustomed to put them, as we see from the time of GideonÐ``Pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred post which is beside it'' (Judg. 6:25)Ðall the way to the time of JeremiahÐ``While their children remember their altars and sacred posts'' (Jer. 17:2).

Beside the altar. You shall not take bribes. For bribes blind the eyes. The plea of the just. 20 Justice, justice shall you pursue. That you may thrive IBN EZRA 20 Justice, justice shall and occupy the land. you pursue. This is addressed to each of the contending parties. The repetition of 21 You shall not set up a sacred post. Any kind of pole beside the altar of the L your ``justice'' implies that they should pursue a just result whether it brings them pro®t or God. loss, or perhaps that they should continue to NAHMANIDES 20 Justice, justice shall you pursue. See Rashi's comment, which pursue justice time after time, as long as they is taken from the Sifrei. The point of the repetition is that not only must the judges rule live. Or it may simply be for emphasis. That justly, but you in turn must pursue justice by leaving your own place for a place where the you may thrive. This is addressed to everySages are superior. That is, you must follow R. Johanan b. Zakkai to Yavneh and R. Judah one who is about to enter the land. And ha-Nasi to Bet She'arim. [A] Ibn Ezra gives several other explanations. But Sefer ha-Bahir occupy the land. Rather, ``and inherit the ®nds a religious mystery in the expression: ``Justice, justice shall you pursue'' refers to the land'' (OJPS); this is addressed to the next dimension of strict justice in the world; adding that you may thrive and occupy the generation. The pursuit of justice is imperaland implies that if you judge yourself you will thriveÐthat is, as OJPS has it, ``live''Ðbut tive if they are to keep their inheritance. 21 You shall not set up a sacred post. if not, ``Justice'' will judge you and uphold its judgment whether you want it to or not. And

why say ``justice'' twice? It is a reference to the twofold justice of ``In the brilliance before The judge's ®rst concern must be to elimiHim blazed ®ery coals'' (2 Sam. 22:13). The ®rst ``justice'' is actual justice, that of the She- nate idolatry, and the text begins with the khinah, ``where righteousness dwelt'' (Isa. 1:21); the second ``justice'' is that which fright- most famous kind: the ``sacred post.'' This ens the just, which Sefer ha-Bahir explains as that of ``He donned justice like a coat of mail, was actually a tree that was planted (see with a helmet of triumph on His head'' (Isa. 59:17). Now, ``head'' refers to truth: ``Truth is OJPS) and worshiped, as described (obthe head of Your word'' (Ps. 119:160); ``truth'' refers to peace, as Hezekiah linked them: ``It liquely) in Isa. 66:17. means that peace and truth are assured for my time'' (2 Kings 20:19). Our verse would therefore be saying, ``Pursue justice in your own courts so that you may live into the World to Come by means of the second, higher, justice''Ðthat great light that is hidden for the righteous to enjoy in the future world, the might of the Holy One. The ``land'' that they would occupy by the ®rst sort of justice is of course the land of Israel. The Hebrew word, asherah, refers to any tree planted at the entrance of a temple; perhaps it is related to the unusual word for ``feet'' in ``My feet have held to Your paths'' (Ps. 17:5), indicating that such a post is meant to show the people the correct path. Our verse prohibits the planting of such a tree near the altar of the Lord even for esthetic reasons; this is forbidden because it was a custom practiced by idolaters. As the Lord told Gideon, ``Pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred post which is beside it'' (Judg. 6:25). If our verse meant that it was forbidden to build a house on the Temple Mount, as Rashi says, it would have to read ``You shall not set up a sacred post or any kind of pole.'' The Sages are not deriving this prohibition from the verse, merely associating it as a memory aid. Nothing is prohibited here but planting.

21 You shall not set up a sacred post.

Any kind of pole.

[A] According to legend, Johanan was the rabbi who escaped the Roman siege of Jerusalem to create a new center of rabbinic learning at Yavneh; Judah ``the Prince'' was the redactor of the Mishnah.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS judge unfairly (Gersonides). You shall show no partiality. In the appointment of judges (Gersonides). You shall not take bribes. Even if you judge fairly (Hizkuni). You must not take bribes to appoint someone as a judge (Gersonides). And upset the plea of the just. The phrase also appears only in Exod. 23:8 (Masorah). All these phrases apply not to the judges but to those who appoint them (Abarbanel). 20 Justice, justice shall you pursue. You must appoint magistrates who will rule justly, even if they are lacking in other leader-

ship qualities, such as physical presence and wealth. As God said to Samuel in 1 Sam. 16:7, ``Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature'' (Sforno). ORD Literally, ``any kind of tree'' (OJPS). This is Rashi's ``building a house''; trees are forbidden whether planted or cut down and turned into wood (Hizkuni). The three phrases of vv. 21±22 are metaphors for the kind of judges that must not be appointed: ``a sacred post,'' that is, a gentile; ``a stone pillar,'' that is, an ignorant person; or one whom ``the LORD your God detests''Ðone who is Jewish and intelligent, but of bad character (Abarbanel). The three forbidden objects of vv. 21±22 and 17:1Ða sacred post, a stone pillar, an animal with a defectÐmay all look pleasing to the senses; they are detestable because of spiritual defects (Sforno).

21 Any kind of pole beside the altar of the L

your God.

114

115 DEUTERONOMY 16:22±17:1

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

NJPS

your God that you may makeÐ22or erect a stone pillar; for such the LORD your God detests.

17

HK OK ZCE

OJPS

LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. 22Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar, which the LORD thy God hateth.

17

You shall not sacri®ce to the LORD ‰Â‰È Thou shalt not sacri®ce unto the ¬¨ § ‡N −¥ ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰·vÓ ®¨ ¥ © EÏ − § ÌȘ˙-‡Ï ¬¦ ¨ Ÿ « § 22 your God an ox or a sheep that has any LORD thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein Ò :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ is a blemish, even any evil thing; for that is defect of a serious kind, for that is abhorrent to the LORD your God. an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

RASHI 22 Or erect a stone pillar.

¸¨ © ÁÁaÊ˙-‡Ï ¤À ¨ ¯BL ´ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ©§ ¦ Ÿ ‰NÂ

ÊÈ RASHBAM

A Ÿ − ÌeÓ½ ÆB· ‰È‰È ¬¤ § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ²© £ Èk ¯¦ Ú¯®¨ ¯·c ´¨ ¨ Ïk pillar of a single stone is forbidden even if ˙·ÚB˙ Ò :‡e‰« EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § one intends to use it as an altar for offerings to heaven. For such the LORD your God ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Since we know detests. He detests it because this was a from Gen. 28:22 that Jacob erected a stone pillar, how Canaanite practice. His own commandment is it possible our v. 22 to say that God ``detests'' was to ``make for Me an altar of earth . . . [or] such things? for F Long after Jacob, the Israelites were an altar of [multiple] stones'' (Exod. 20:21± still offering sacri®ces at the stone altars of the high 22). Even though He was pleased with single placesÐwhat difference is there between these high stone pillars in the days of the Patriarchs, He places and the stone pillars that God ``detests''? detests them now that the Canaanites have F Why must we be told not to offer God ``an ox or a sheep that has any defect'' (v. 1), when this comturned them into a custom of idolatry. mandment has already been given in far more detail in

17:1 You shall not sacri®ce to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect of a serious kind. Literally, ``that has any evil word.'' This is a prohibition

Leviticus 22? F Since the prohibition of offering a sacri®cial animal with a defect is repeated, why not also repeat the prohibition in Leviticus 21 of the offering being made by a priest with a defect?

NAHMANIDES 22 Or erect a stone pillar.

lar.

22 Or erect a stone pil-

Even to worship the Lord, by burning incense on it at a time when private altars are forbidden. Once you have inherited the land, you will have a permanent altar, and ``You shall not act at all as we now act here, every man as he pleases'' (12:8). Ð In fact, ``the shrines did not cease'' (2 Chron. 20:33); yet Chronicles goes on to explain that ``the people continued sacri®cing at the shrines, but only to the LORD their God'' (2 Chron. 33:17). [A] [A] This seems to be the verse that Rashbam means to refer to; he does not quote it.

IBN EZRA 22 Or erect a stone pillar. For idol worship. It is only such that the LORD your God detests. There is no pro-

If Rashi is correct that these verses are hibition against setting up such a pillar as prohibiting the planting of trees and the erection of pillars even for the sake of heaven, it long as it is not for idolatry; this is demonwould have to be because these are Canaanite practices. But I do not understand this law. strated conclusively by the actions of Jacob The Canaanites, after all, used altars as well as stone pillars: ``Tear down their altars, in Genesis 35. smash their pillars, put their sacred posts to the ®re'' (12:3); ``No, you must tear down their 17:1 You shall not sacri®ce to the altars, smash their pillars, and cut down their sacred posts'' (Exod. 34:13). There are many other such verses. We might speculate that the Canaanites had no temple without its stone LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has pillar on which to burn incense and pour libations of oilÐas we see in ``They brought out any defect. Having discussed the forbidthe pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them'' (2 Kings 10:26)Ðbut that only a few of den posts and pillars, the text turns natuthem also had altars on which sacri®ces might be made. But it seems to me that the rally to another kind of sacri®cial prohibiCanaanites, who were steeped in idolatry, must have had in all their temples altars for tion. Of a serious kind. Rather, ``any evil offering sacri®ce, a great stone pillar at the entrance on which their priests would stand, thing'' (OJPS); this is not a limitation on the and a tree planted outside to show the way to the shrine. The Christians do the same thing kind of defect, but an explanation of what a to this very day. For such the LORD your God detests. The Holy One hated all their dis- defect is. For that is abhorrent to the gusting practices, and prohibited the stone pillars and sacred posts, leaving only the altars. LORD your God. Obviously. As the prophet Without these it would be impossible to offer the sacri®ces, which He had commanded to says, ``Just offer it to your governor: Will he be brought (for His pleasure, in that He commanded and His will was done) long before idolatry had entered the world. In Exod. 20:21±22 Moses makes clear that only ``an altar of earth'' or one built of stones ``but not of hewn stones'' would be acceptable, excluding the stone pillars that the Holy One detested as He did all Canaanite practices. Earlier, in Jacob's time, the commandment ``You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws'' (Lev. 18:3) had not yet been given; Jacob therefore used sacred pillars for the sake of heaven, as was the custom of worshipers in those days. Again, Exod. 20:22 is the verse that applies here. Lev. 26:1, ``You shall not make idols for yourselves, or set up for yourselves carved images or pillars,'' refers not to altars but to setting up statues on the pillars for the sake of idolatrous worship, which is the topic being discussed there. (The continuation, ``or place ®gured stones in your land to worship upon,'' does prohibit that even for worshiping God, for one would appear instead to be worshiping the stones.) Technically, an altar is a tall structure of stones with four horns and a base going around it; offerings are made in between the horns. A ``stone pillar'' is a single, great stone, whether erected for burning incense, for offering sacri®ce, or for the priests to stand on. A bamah or ``cult place'' is an arti®cially constructed mound of earth with an altar built atop it. Anything high and lofty may in fact be called by the name bamah: ``He set him atop the highlands'' (32:13). It may even refer to being high on the back: ``you shall tread on their backs'' (33:29), and, metaphorically, ``I will mount the back of a cloud'' (Isa. 14:14). As for the existence of altars at such places, ``The king went to Gibeon to sacri®ce there, for that was the largest shrine; on that altar Solomon presented a thousand burnt offerings'' (1 Kings 3:4). 17:1 You shall not sacri®ce to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect of a serious kind. See Rashi's comment. Since Leviticus 22 has already prohibited offering any animal with a defect, clearly our verse must be referring to the intention to eat the meat of an offering after the permissible time. It seems plausible that the repetition is directed at ordinary Israelites, warning them that they must not have such an intention when slaughtering their sacri®ces. The priests, however, were diligent and obedient, so the original prohibition was quite enough for them. That is why defects in the priests who offer the sacri®ces are not mentioned here as

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 Or erect a stone pillar. Notice that Jacob ``set up'' such pillars as markers; he did not ``erect'' a stone pillar as an altar as the gentiles do (Abarbanel). We see from Exod. 24:4 that there was no objection to these before the giving of the Torah; they were a way to express that one was ``ever mindful of the LORD's presence'' (Ps. 16:8). It was with the Golden Calf incident that they fell from that level (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 17:2±5

NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

2

If there is found among you, in one of the settlements

OJPS

HK OK ZCE

2

If there be found in the midst of thee, within any of thy

that the L ORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who has

gates which the L ORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that

affronted the L ORD your God and transgressed His covenantÐ

doeth that which is evil in the sight of the L ORD thy God, in

3

transgressing His covenant,

bowing down to them, to the sun or the

and

turning to the worship of other gods and

moon or any of the heavenly host, some4

thing I never commandedÐ and you have been informed or have learned of it, then you shall make a thorough inquiry. If it is true, the fact is established, that abhorrent thing was perpetrated in Israel,

5

you shall

take the man or the woman who did that wicked thing out to the public place, and you shall stone them, man or woman, to

RASHI

against turning one's offering into ``an offensive thing'' (Lev. 7:18) by declaring one's intent to eat it after the permissible time. The other things that are derived from this verse can be found in Tractate Zevah. im.

2 Who has affronted the LORD your God and transgressed His covenant. The covenant He made with them that they would not worship idols.

3 Something I never commanded.

Something I never commanded you to worship. 4 The fact is established. Rather, ``the testimony is in agreement.''

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ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why

does

the

paragraph about an individual who commits idolatry specify ``a man or woman'' (v. 2)? The commandment to ``have no other gods beside Me'' (5:7) makes no such speci®cation.

F

Why is ``turning to the worship

of other gods'' (v. 3) mentioned here at all? Shouldn't it be in ch. 13 with the other instances of idolatry?

F

Why are we instructed to ``make a thorough in-

quiry'' (v. 4) in such cases, as if thorough inquiry were not required in other cases?

served

other

gods,

3

and hath gone

and

worshipped

them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the

host

of

manded not;

heaven,

which

I

have

com-

4

and it be told thee, and thou

hear it, then shalt thou inquire diligently, and, behold, if it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel;

5

then shalt thou bring forth that

man or that woman, who have done this evil thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the

woman;

and

thou

shalt

stone

them

IBN EZRA

accept you? Will he show you favor?'' (Mal. 1:8). There is a punishment for sacri®cing such an animal to the Lord, but there is no punishment if you simply don't sacri®ce anything (except of course for the obligatory sacri®ces). 2 If there is found among you. The sacred post of 16:21, being beside the altar, is for public use; now the text turns to cases of individual idolatry. Transgressed His covenant. The Hebrew idiom is to ``cross'' or ``go past'' the covenant, the opposite of ``making it stand up,'' that is, upholding it.

3 Turning to the worship of other 5 You shall take the man or the woman who did that wicked thing out to the gods. That is, of manmade statues. Bowpublic place. Literally, ``out to your gates.'' But the Aramaic translation of this as ``out to ing down. I have discussed this unique verb form in my book Basic Hebrew GramNAHMANIDES they were in Leviticus 22. For that is abhorrent to the LORD your mar. [B] To the sun or the moon or any of God. ``That'' being a sacri®ce of this kind. ``A curse on the cheat who has an [unblem- the heavenly host. Which, by contrast to ished] male in his ¯ock, but for his vow sacri®ces a blemished animal to the Lord! For I am the statues, were made by God. Something a great King'' (Mal. 1:14). The midrash says calling such a sacri®ce ``abhorrent'' associates I never commanded. I never commanded

it with animals that have been used for bestiality or that were purchased with money that the sun, moon, and stars be worshiped, even though it was I who made them. earned through prostitution, all of which are called ``abhorrent.'' 2 If there is found among you. As I explained in my comments to 4:5 and 11:32, the 4 You shall make a thorough inquiry. laws always start with the rules concerning idolatry or idol worshipers. In one of the The Hebrew looks as if it would literally settlements that the LORD your God is giving you. This does not refer to the land of mean ``you shall inquire well,'' but this deriIsrael alone; even outside the land one who worships idols is to be punished by stoning. vation is farfetched. Our form is an adverb The reference here is speci®cally to the more distant cities they would acquire ``when the that means ``very, very much.'' Compare LORD your God enlarges your territory'' (19:8), where the ``thorough inquiry'' of v. 4 is ``Are you very, very grieved about the plant?'' more likely to be necessary. A man or woman. Women are ¯ighty and therefore easily (Jon. 4:9). 5 You shall stone them. Either of them, induced to idolatry by various tricks. Such were the worshipers of the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 44. We ®nd similarly that ``a man or a woman who has a ghost or a familiar spirit man or woman. shall be put to death'' (Lev. 20:27), and note also the command ``You shall not tolerate a [B] Sefer ha-Yesod. sorceress'' (Exod. 22:17); these things are more common among women. The Sifrei explains that since the commandment about the ``base fellows'' of 13:14 who entice others to worship idols applies only to males, it was necessary to clarify here that the law about the worshipers themselves applies both to men and to women. 3 Something I never commanded. I have already explained this. [B] 4 And you have been informed or have learned of it. In the city where you happen to be. That abhorrent thing was perpetrated in Israel. ``In Israel'' here means ``among Jews'' even outside the land. For in the case of the ``subverted city,'' which must be inside the land, the idolatry is described as taking place ``in your midst'' (13:15). 5 Out to the public place. Literally, ``to your gates'' (see OJPS), the place in which he or she performed the idolatrous worship. This of course applies only inside the land of Israel; outside the land, such people are to be stoned at the entrance to the court that convicts

[B] Nahmanides does not say where he explained it. But see his comment to 4:19 and the references there.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17:3 Bowing down.

It is forbidden to bow down to worship idols, but it is perfectly ®ne to bow to God or to honor another person, as Jacob does to Esau in Gen. 33:3, as long as the person is not worshiped idolatrously as Haman was (Bekhor Shor). 4 If it is true. The phrase also appears only in 13:15 (Masorah). 5 Out to the public place. Locally; when it is an individual who does this, not a city, it is not something major (Gersonides). To demonstrate that the foreign god whom he worshiped has no power to save him (Sforno).

116

117 DEUTERONOMY 17:5±8

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

HK OK ZCE

NJPS death.Ð6A person shall be put to death only on the OJPS with stones, that they die. 6At the mouth of two wittestimony of two or more witnesses; he must not be put to death nesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death; on the testimony of a single witness.Ð7Let the hands of the at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. 7The witnesses be the ®rst against him to put hand of the witnesses shall be ®rst upon him to death, and the hands of the rest of :e˙Ó «¥ ¨ ÌÈ·‡a −¦ ¨ £ ¨ ÌzϘÒe ¬¨ § © § ‰M‡‰-˙‡ ®¨ ¦ ¨ ¤ him to put him to death, and afterward the the people thereafter. Thus you will sweep ÌÈ„Ú À¦ ¥ ÌÈL −¦ ¥ ‰LÏL ¬¨ Ÿ § B‡² ÌÈ„Ú ¦´© § | Èt-ÏÚ ´ ¦ © 6 hand of all the people. So thou shalt put out evil from your midst. away the evil from the midst of thee. Ÿ ´ ˙n‰ «¨ ¤ „Ú ¬¥ Èt-ÏÚ −¦ © ˙ÓeÈ ©½ ‡Ï ®¥ © ˙ÓeÈ ´© 8If a case is too baf¯ing for you to de- :„Á‡ 8If there arise a matter too hard for thee 7 ½ ¦ £ © ƉL º¦ ¥ ¨ „È´© ¨Ÿ ‡¯· ¦ ¨ Ba³ -‰È‰z ¤ § « ¦ ÌÈ„Ú‰ cide, be it a controversy over homicide, B˙ÈÓ‰Ï in judgment, between blood and blood, civil law, or assaultÐmatters of dispute in Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ ‰¯Á‡a ®¨Ÿ £ © ¨ ÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ „È ¬© § between plea and plea, and between stroke your courtsÐyou shall promptly repair to and stroke, even matters of controversy Ù :Ea¯wÓ «¤ § ¦ ¦ within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and ¸¨ «¥ ËtLnÏ | Ìc-ÔÈa ¨À § ¦ © ¯·„ ¨¹ ¨ ÆEnÓ § ¦ Á‡ÏtÈ ¥ ¨ ¦ Èk ´¦ 8 RASHI À¦ § ÔÈc-ÔÈa ¹¨ § RASHBAM 17:8 Over homicide. ȯ·c ¬¥ § ¦ Ú‚Ï © ¤½ ¨ ÆÚ‚ © ¤Æ ÔÈ·e ¬¥ ÔÈ„Ï ´ ¦ «¥ Ì„Ï the gates of the courthouse'' is in

error. On B. Ket. 45b we read: ``Your gates''

This

means the gates within which he committed

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is the straightforward sense of the phrase.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why must vv. 8±13 warn us no less than four times to follow the verdict of the court? Are these warnings not redundant? F Are we really supposed to follow the verdict even (as a midrash says) if they tell us that right is left and left is right? And if the case is really ``too baf¯ing'' (v. 8), how are we supposed to know that they are telling us that right is left and left is right? F The famous story of the oven of Akhnai (B. BM 59b) implies that, since the Torah ``is not in the heavens'' (30:12), we must follow what the judges say even if a true prophet (or for that matter even the Urim and Thummim) says the opposite. But why should this be so?

was

idolatry. Ð Or perhaps it means the gates of the courthouse? Ð No, ``your gates'' in v. 2 (see OJPS) refers to the gates within which he committed idolatry, and it means the same thing here.

6 Two or more witnesses.

Literally,

``two witnesses, or three witnesses'' (OJPS). But since two witnesses are suf®cient to establish guilt, why does the verse mention ``three witnesses'' as well? To compare three witnesses to two: Three witnesses establish a single piece of evidence, just as do two. They cannot be punished for giving false testimony unless all three are proven false.

8 Too baf¯ing.

[A]

Over homicide.

Rather, ``between blood

See 19:15±21.

NAHMANIDES

deliberate

or

accidental.

Civil law.

NJPS translates correctly.

IBN EZRA 6 A person shall be put to death only on the testimony of two or more witnesses. Not ``a'' person, but ``the''

person of vv. 1±5. Though ``you have been informed'' of it (privately) ``or have learned of it'' (publicly), you may nonetheless not put the person to death except on the testimony of two witnesses. (T he Torah does not state whether we are to accept testimony from a

The Hebrew root implies separationÐthere is a barrier, a baf¯e, be-

tween you and the correct solution of the case.

[A]

The question would be whether the killing

relative,

from a

woman,

or

from

someone known to be an enemy of the man who is on trial for his life.) With regard to ``two or more,'' the text really says, ``two witnesses, or three witnesses'' (OJPS); ac-

them. Exod. 22:19 states clearly, ``Whoever sacri®ces to a god other

cording to Saadia, this means that there

than the L ORD alone shall be proscribed,'' in any place, at any time; our passage simply

must be a court of three to accept the testi-

provides some necessary additional details. But according to the way of Truth, the dis-

mony of the two witnesses. Others say that,

cussion here may allude to the idolater as having ``transgressed His covenant'' (v. 2).

if two witnesses contradict two other wit-

According to this interpretation, ``in one of the settlements'' (v. 2) applies speci®cally to

nesses, a third single witness can be the

violating the covenant in the land of the covenant. For one who lives outside the land is

deciding factor. Still others say that ``two''

automatically the moral equivalent of an idolater. (See further my comment to Lev. 18:25.)

applies if the witnesses are sages, but that

See Rashi's comment. I would

there must be three if they are not. You see

add that, similarly, if one of the witnesses turns out not to be a valid witness (because he is

once again that, like it or not, we must rely

a relative, or for any other reason) the testimony of all three as a group is invalidated. If

on tradition to explain how the laws work

they are proven false, all three as a group are executed or ®ned. T he point of the expres-

in practice.

6 Only on the testimony of two or more witnesses.

7 The hands of the witnesses.

sion is that three are treated like two in every respect. This is the ruling of the Sages. As far

Liter-

as the straightforward sense, Saadia explains it as saying that there must be a court of

ally, ``the hand'' (OJPS) of each one of them.

three to accept the testimony of the two witnesses. But the verse says nothing about ``ac-

Compare ``the

cepting'' testimony; Saadia would seem to have erred here. For capital crimes, testimony

utter dismay'' ( Josh. 7:5). This is common

cannot be heard other than by a Sanhedrin of 23. The straightforward sense of the verse is

biblical syntax.

actually saying that someone can be put to death on the evidence of as few as two witnesses if that is all there are, but on the evidence of three witnesses if they can be found.

heart

of the troops sank in

Thus you will sweep out evil. 8 If a case is too baf¯ing. wondrous For you See my comment to Num. 24:22.

Compare ``Is

What the text is saying is this: When you have been informed or otherwise learned of a

anything too

crime, you must ``make a thorough inquiry'' (v. 4), questioning all the available witnesses.

18:14) and see my comment there.

If three witnesses saw him transgress, we must send for them and bring them to court so

for the L ORD?'' (Gen.

that all of them can testifyÐand the same goes if there are 100 of them. If we hear testimony from all of them, the truth will out. If there were no more than two, or if some of the witnesses are no longer available, two is enough.

8 Too baf¯ing.

Rashi, following Onkelos, understands ``matters of dispute in your courts'' to refer to matters that are being disputed

by the judges. But this is incorrect. The midrash interprets this verse somewhat differently:

Over homicide.

The phrase literally says

``between blood and blood'' (OJPS), which refers to decisions about menstrual blood, the blood of a woman who has given birth, and the

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 Two or more witnesses. 7 Let the hands of the witnesses be the ®rst against him to put him to death. 8 You shall promptly repair to the place that the LORD your God will have chosen.

Since there must always be an odd number of judges, who decide by

majority vote, the text clari®es that there is no such thing as a majority vote of witnesses (Bekhor Shor). The intent is to give the witnesses extra reason to

take care that they testify truthfully (Gersonides).

T he text does not say how this higher court

is to be chosen. I believe the king must have chosen it (when there was a king). Before there were kings, the ruling judge must have

DEUTERONOMY 17:8±11

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

HK OK ZCE

OJPS

NJPS

the place that the LORD your God will have chosen, get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God appear before the levitical priests, or the magistrate in shall choose. 9And thou shall come unto the priests the Levites, charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have and unto the judge that shall be in those days; and thou shalt announced to you the verdict in the case, inquire; and they shall declare unto thee 10you shall carry out the verdict that is the sentence of judgment. 10And thou shalt ˙‡·e ¨À ¨ 9 :Ba« EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ¯Á·È ²© § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ announced to you from that place that the do according to the tenor of the sentence, ½¦ ¦ § © ÆÌÈ‰k‰-Ï ¬¤ ‡ £ ËÙM‰-Ï ¥½ Ÿ © ‡Â ¤ § ÌiÂω ¦ £ Ÿ © ‡¤ which they shall declare unto thee from LORD chose, observing scrupulously all ¯L their instructions to you. 11You shall act in ˙‡ ½ § e„Èb‰Â −¥ EÏ ´ ¦ ¦ § ÆzL¯„ ¨ § © ¨ § ̉‰ ®¥ ¨ ÌÈÓia ´ ¦ ¨ © ‰È‰È −¤ § ¦ that place which the LORD shall choose; accordance with the instructions given you Ư·c‰ 10 ¨ ¨ © Èt-ÏÚ ³¦ © ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ¦À ¨ § :ËtLn‰ «¨ § ¦ © ¯·c ¬© § and thou shalt observe to do according to and the ruling handed down to you; you all that they shall teach thee. 11According ½ ½ ¯L − ¤ ‡ £ ‡e‰‰ © ÌB˜n‰-ÔÓ ´ ¨ © ¦ EÏ § e„ÈbÈ « ´ ¦ © ¯L ´ ¤ ‡ £ to the law which they shall teach thee, and must not deviate from the verdict that they Ÿ − § ˙BNÚÏ ½ £ © z¯ÓL ¬¤ ‡ £ ÏÎk ´¨ § © ¨ § ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ¯Á·È ´© § ¦ according to the judgment which they announce to you either to the right or to ¯L shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not À ¯L ¹¨ © Èt-ÏÚ ¸¦ © 11 :Ee¯BÈ -ÏÚ © § Ee¯BÈ ´¤ ‡ £ ‰¯Bz‰ « turn aside from the sentence which they and blood'' (OJPS), the distincŸ ´ ‰NÚz ‡Ï ®¤ £ © EÏ − § e¯Ó‡È-¯L ¬§ Ÿ ¤‡ £ ËtLn‰ ²¨ § ¦ © tion between blood that is ritually clean and shall declare unto thee, to the right hand, À ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ EÏ − § e„ÈbÈ-¯L « ¬¦ © ¤ ‡ £ ¯·c‰-ÔÓ ²¨ ¨ © ¦ ¯eÒ˙ blood that is unclean. Literally, ÔÈÓÈ ``between judgment and judgment,'' that is, This is addressed OKYGSVC ZVSF KXI KBCZTPN v. 10. between innocence and guilt. Litspeci®cally to the judge. For there must be erally, ``between stroke and stroke'' (OJPS); evidence from two witnesses in order to put but the ``stroke'' referred to is not an assault but an ``affection'' of the kind named by this someone to death. LitHebrew word in Leviticus 13; it refers to the distinction between a clean affection and an erally, ``between blood and blood'' (OJPS); unclean one. The dispute is between sages within a particular city. but the context shows that it must refer to One declares it clean and another unclean; one ®nds the person guilty and the other ®nds homicide: ``blood'' that is either innocent or him innocent. Literally, you shall ``arise and go guilty. NJPS translates correctly. up'' to it (compare OJPS). This teaches that the Temple, where the Sanhedrin met, was Here too NJPS is correct. higher than any other location. In general. That is, the priests, who come from the tribe of Levi. Literally, ``You shall arise and go up'' Even if he does not match up to the judges who came (compare OJPS); see my comment to Num. before him, you must heed him nonetheless. You have no other magistrate than the one in 16:12. charge at the time. As I explained About what is permitted and what is in my comment to Exod. 19:6, elsewhere we forbidden. The other laws. Even if he tells you ®nd mention of priests who are not Levites. That is, the king; see v. 18. blood of a woman with an abnormal discharge. The literal That is why vv. 14±20, the instructions for ``between judgment and judgment'' refers to civil judgment, capital judgment, and crimi- the magistrate-king, follow this section. nal judgment of lesser severity. The literal ``between stroke and stroke'' (OJPS) Notice that one is to go not to a particular refers to affections of the body, in houses, and on fabric. This is a place, but to the magistrate himself, whercatchall phrase referring to other kinds of decisions: the woman suspected of adultery, an ever he happens to be. unsolved homicide, puri®cation of those who have recovered from a skin affection. [C] The Hebrew idiom of (for example) ``between blood and blood,'' in the Sages' view, does not When the mean to decide whether a particular sample of blood is clean or unclean, but means case is ``too baf¯ing for you'' (v. 8). ``among all the types of cases involving blood.'' Technically, this means reading the preposition l- (``to'') as if it were b- (``among''), something that is in fact quite frequent. Or perhaps they simply understand l- as if it meant ``with regard to'' in a larger sense, as it does in ``When a dispute comes before you from your brothers living in their towns, whether about homicide, or about ritual, or laws or rules'' (2 Chron. 19:10). In fact our verse simply means ``whatever kinds of dispute you might have.'' The kinds of dispute speci®cally mentioned were more common than disputes about other halakhic decisions. (Of course v. 12 applies equally to them all.) Thus v. 11 continues, ``You shall act in accordance with the instructions given you and the ruling handed down to you.'' ``The ruling'' refers to the cases mentioned, while ``the instructions'' (literally, ``the torah'') alludes to any other rulings. See Rashi's comment. Even if you are convinced they have erred, and it is as obvious to you as the difference between right and left, you must still act in accordance with their ruling. You must not think, ``How can I eat this obviously forbidden fat? How can I execute this obviously innocent man?'' Say rather, ``The Lord who gave the commandments has also commanded that I observe all His commandments according to the verdict announced by those who stand in the place that He will choose. He has given me the Torah in accordance with their view of it, even if that is mistaken.'' This accords with the story of Rabban Gamaliel summoning R. Joshua to appear before him on the day R. Joshua had calculated to be the Day of Atonement. [D] There was a tremendous 9and

*

RASHI

Civil law. Assault.

IBN EZRA to decide.

Over homicide.

Matters of dispute. You shall promptly repair to the place.

Civil law. Assault. of dispute. Or the repair.

9 The levitical priests. magistrate in charge at the time.

11 In accordance with the instructions. And the ruling. To the right or to the left.

NAHMANIDES

Civil law.

Assault.

Matters You shall promptly

9 The levitical priests.

The magistrate.

Matters of dispute.

11 You shall act in accordance with the instructions given you.

11 Either to the right or to the left.

[C] See Numbers 5, Deuteronomy 21, and Leviticus 14, respectively.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

[D] See B. RH 25a.

appointed them. He would have ®lled vacancies with their advice and consent. When he died, the Sanhedrin would have chosen one of their number to replace him. Notice, by the way, that it is the place that is determinative, not the judges (Abarbanel). 9 Appear before the levitical priests. This is a response to those who reject the teachings of the Sages. If the written Torah were all there was, why would anyone have to go to Jerusalem? (Hizkuni). Since ``they shall teach Your laws to Jacob and Your instructions to Israel'' (33:10), it is they who should make up the Sanhedrin, if there are enough of them who are quali®ed (Gersonides). Or the magistrate in charge at the time. Even if he is not a priest or Levite, and even if he might not be worthy in another generation, as long as he is worthy ``at the time'' (Gersonides). 10 You shall carry out the verdict. This verse begins the second half of the book, counting by verses (Masorah). 11 In accordance with the instructions. The word torah in Biblical Hebrew always refers to teaching or instructions (Bekhor Shor).

118

119 DEUTERONOMY 17:11±15

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the left. 12Should a man act presumptuously and disre- OJPS nor to the left. 12And the man that doeth presumptugard the priest charged with serving there the LORD your God, ously, in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister or the magistrate, that man shall die. Thus there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and you will sweep out evil from Israel: 13all ÔB„Ê· Ÿ« § À ¨ § ‰NÚÈ-¯L º¦ ¨ § 12 :χÓNe ´¤ £ © ¤ ‡ £ Lȇ‰Â the people will hear and be afraid and will thou shalt exterminate the evil from Israel. º¥ Ÿ ¨ ÆÔ‰k‰-Ï ¸¦ § ¦ § 13And all the people shall hear, and fear, ˙¯LÏ ¤ ³¨ § „ÓÚ‰ ¥ Ÿ © ‡¤ ÚÓL ©Ÿ ³ § ÈzÏ·Ï not act presumptuously again. 14If, after you have entered the land that Æ˙Óe ¥ ËÙM‰-Ï ®¥ Ÿ © ‡¤ B‡− EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ÆÌL ¨ and do no more presumptuously. 14When thou art come unto the land the LORD your God has assigned to you, :χ¯NiÓ ½ © Lȇ‰ «¥ ¨ § ¦ ¦ Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ ‡e‰‰ ´¦ ¨ and taken possession of it and settled in it, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and Ÿ ¬ § e‡¯È Ôe„ÈÊÈ − ¦ § ‡Ï ®¨ ¦ § eÚÓLÈ ´ § § ¦ ÌÚ‰-ÏΠ−¨ ¨ ¨ § 13 shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein; you decide, ``I will set a king over me, as Ò :„BÚ« and shalt say: ``I will set a king over me, do all the nations about me,'' 15you shall be KR[ free to set a king over yourself, one chosen ÆEÈ‰Ï Ÿ ´ ¨ « ¦ 14 like all the nations that are round about ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨À ¨ ‡¤ ‡·˙-Èk 15 by the LORD your God. Be sure to set as z¯Ó‡Â ¨À § © ¨ § da ®¨ ‰z·LÈ ¨ § ´© ¨ § dzL¯È −¨ § ¦ « ¦ CϨ½ Ô˙ ´¥ Ÿ me''; thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall

NJPS

RASHI

that right is left and left is right.

All the more so must you follow his instructions when he tells you that right is right and left is left.

13 All the people will hear.

We derive

from this that we wait to put him to death until the next pilgrimage festival.

NAHMANIDES

need

for

this

com-

mandment, for the Torah was given to us in writing, and it was obvious that there would not be complete agreement on all new developments.

As disputes increased, the

one

Torah might become many. So the text laid down the law for us: We must obey the high court that stands before the Lord in the

¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌÈBb‰-ÏÎk −¦ © ¨ § CÏÓ ¤ ¤½ ÆÈÏÚ © ¨ ‰ÓÈN‡ ¨ ³¦ ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ CÏÓ ¤ ¤½ ÆEÈÏÚ ¤Æ ¨ ÌÈNz ³¦ ¨ ÌBN ´ 15 :È˙·È·Ò «¨ Ÿ ¦ § ÌÈNz ³¦ ¨ EÈÁ‡ ¤À © ·¯wÓ ¤ ´¤ ¦ Ba® EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ¯Á·È ²© § ¦

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why would the Israelites wait to appoint a king until after they have ``taken possession'' of the land and ``settled in it'' (v. 14)? Would it not be smarter to appoint a king as soon as they cross the Jordan, to lead them in battle? F Why is this something that is given them to ``decide''? Why doesn't God simply tell them, ``Appoint a king''? After all, that is what this commandment is about. F Why mention that appointing a king is to act ``as do all the nations about me,'' when we are commanded not to follow their practices? F Don't all the other nations have magistrates? Yet they are not mentioned in connection with the magistrates, but only with the king.

RASHBAM 15 A foreigner. One who is not your kinsman. Whom

you bring in to ®ght in your wars.

And might incite you

to worship idols.

IBN EZRA 12 That man shall die. He shall be put to death by the courtÐso that ``all the people will hear and be afraid'' (v. 13).

15 You shall be free to set a king over yourself. permission One chosen by the LORD your God. NJPS

translates

verse gives the Israelites

correctly;

this

to have

a king.

By means of a prophet or the Urim

place that He would choose, no matter how they explain the Torah to us, whether that explanation comes to us from the mouth of the Almighty by direct transmission that goes back to Moses himself, or whether they declare it on the basis of what is written in the Torah or even merely implied there. He was giving them the Torah to be interpreted by the use of their own intellect, even if

you might think they are reversing right and left. What is more, you are are declaring right to be right and left to be left. For the spirit of the

supposed to give them the bene®t of the doubt and assume that they

Lord rests on those who minister in His sanctuar y, and ``He does not abandon His faithful ones. They are kept forever'' (Ps. 37:28) from error and from stumbling. As the Sifrei puts it, ``Even if they show you to your face that right is left and left is right, you must obey them.''

14 If...you decide, ``I will set a king over me.''

``if you decide,'' but ``you shall say.'' T hat is, this is a

According to our Sages, the Hebrew is rather to be understood as does OJPS: not

commandment,

obligating us, after taking possession of the land and settling it, to

say, ``I will set a king over me.'' T he Hebrew syntax is precisely the same as that in ``When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof '' (22:8) and other such verses. In this case, it is a commandment not merely to appoint a king, but for the people to go before the levitical priests and the ruling judge and say to them, ``It is our will that we set a king over us.''

me.

As do all the nations about

In my opinion, this part of the verse is one of the Torah's many allusions to what would occur in the future. For it did indeed happen

that when they asked for Saul, they said to Samuel, ``Appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations . . . that we may be like all the other nations: Let our king rule over us and go out at our head and ®ght our battles'' (1 Sam. 8:5, 20). Why else would the Torah add this phrase hereÐto command the Jews to be like other nations? The Jews should not be learning from, let alone env ying, wrongdoers. No, this hints at what would one day happen, which is why it is framed in this indirect way rather than more explicitly as a direct commandment. See similarly my comments to 4:25 and 7:24.

15 You shall be free to set a king over yourself.

The Sifrei interprets the Hebrew precisely to indicate that if the king dies you may

appoint anotherÐanother king, not a queenÐto replace him.

One chosen by the LORD your God.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 Should a man act presumptuously. tuously

cause others to act not in accordance with the instructions of

The commentators understand this

The verb is not Qal, but Hiphil: should a man presump-

the court (Bekhor Shor).

Thus you will sweep out evil from Israel.

For quarreling will destroy the Torah if everyone decides according to his own opinion (Gersonides).

13 All the people will hear. 14 I will set a king over me. nations.

The same expression is used not only here, with the one called in rabbinic literature ``the rebellious elder,''

but also with the false prophet of 13:7±12, the scheming witnesses of 19:16±21, and the wayward and de®ant son of 21:18±21 (Bekhor Shor). The king is just another of the judges, albeit the highest ranking of them (Abarbanel).

As do all the

The Hebrew phrase occurs also only in 1 Sam. 8:5 and 20, and Ezek. 25:8 (Masorah). Other nations require a king to ®ght for

them, establish the laws, and punish criminals; but the Jews have no need for one, since for them God performs these functions. So there is no commandment here to have a king; it is a statement of what will happen in the future (Abarbanel). That is, a king like those of the nations, who pass kingship on to their descendants. They were in fact commanded to appoint a king ``who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that the L ORD's community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd'' (Num. 27:17); it is the hereditar y aspect that the Holy One rejected. Once they committed that sin, then, as we learn from Hosea 13:11, ``I give you kings in my ire, and take them away in My wrath'' (Sforno).

15 You shall be free to set a king over yourself.

Rather, ``you shall de®nitely set a king over yourself.'' This is unquestionably a

commandment, not an option, because when there is no king everyone does as he pleases (Bekhor Shor).

Be sure to set as king over

DEUTERONOMY 17:15±16

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OJPS

NJPS

king over yourself one of your own people; you must choose; one from among thy brethren shalt thou set not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your kinsman. king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is 16 Moreover, he shall not keep many horses not thy brother. 16Only he shall not mulor send people back to Egypt to add to his Lȇ Ÿ ´ CÏÓ ´ ¦ ÆEÈÏÚ ¤Æ ¨ ˙˙Ï ³¥ ¨ ÏÎe˙ ©À ‡Ï ¤ ¤½ ÆEÈÏÚ ¤Æ ¨ tiply horses to himself, nor cause the horses, since the LORD has warned you, people to return to Egypt, to the end that Ÿ »˜¯© 16 :‡e‰« EÈÁ‡-‡Ï ½ ¦ § ¨ he should multiply horses; forasmuch as -‡Ï −¦ ¨ Ÿ « ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ȯÎ ``You must not go back that way again.'' ÆÌÚ‰-˙‡ ¨ ¨ ¤ ·ÈLÈ-‡Ï ³¦ ¨ Ÿ « § ¼ÌÈÒeÒ ¦ Bl-‰a¯È ´ ¤ § © the LORD hath said unto you: ``Ye shall ¯Ó‡ ´© ¨ Ɖ‰È ¨ «© ÒeÒ® ˙Ba¯‰ ´ § © ÔÚÓÏ © −© § ‰ÓȯˆÓ ¨ § ½© § ¦ henceforth return no more that way.''

RASHI 16 He shall not keep many horses. Ÿ ´ ÌÎÏ À ¦ Ÿ ‡Ï :„BÚ« ‰f‰ −¤ © C¯ca ¤ ¬¤ © ·eLÏ ² ¨ ÔeÙÒ˙ ¤½ ¨ Or send people back to Egypt. IBN EZRA You must not ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Is the command- set a foreigner over you. ment to appoint a king really a commandment at all? If it is, why is their asking for a king called ``a wicked One who is not thing'' (1 Sam. 12:17) by Samuel, and why did God say, ``it is Me they have rejected as their king'' (1 Sam. your kinsman. 8:7)? F Why are we given the reasons that the king NAHMANIDES Just enough for his chariot corps.

Where the

and

horses come from. In Solomon's day, ``a

Thummim.

But

you

shall not choose him yourself.

chariot imported from Egypt cost 600 she-

This is obviously

kels of silver, and a horse 150'' (1 Kings

the logical translation, though the Hebrew

10:29).

literally says, ``you cannot.''

That is, one who is not from

choice as being made

via a prophet or by the Urim and Thummim. The point, in any case, is that the Holy One, not you, makes the choice.

set a foreigner over you.

You must not

should not keep many horses (v. 16) or have many wives (v. 17), but not the reason that he should not ``amass silver and gold to excess''?

The Holy One

the family of Israel. You must not appoint an Edomite as your king, even though 23:8 states that ``he is your kinsman.''

16 He shall not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt. That is where

would obviously not choose a foreigner as king. But our Sages read the verse as a dis-

horses came from in those days, as we know

guised conditional: `` You shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by the Lord if

from the stor y of Solomon: ``A chariot im-

indeed He has granted you a prophet. If He has not, at least you must never set a foreigner

ported from Egypt cost 600 shekels of silver,

over you.'' The straightforward sense, however, is that you must designate a king of the

and a horse 150'' (1 Kings 10:29). So in

kind that the Holy One would choose, not one whom God would hate. He has chosen

order to keep many horses, the king would

Israel, and obviously their ruler must be one of those He has chosen, not from among the

have to cause the people to sin by going

nations He hates. In my viewÐstill interpreting in straightforward fashionÐGod chooses

back to Egypt. This is quite clear. The Lord

the rulers of every nation: ``The Most High is sovereign over the realm of man and He gives

redeemed them from there, and it would be

it to whom He wishes'' (Dan. 4:29). As the Sages said, ``Even the water commissioner is

[E] Our verse is really to be understood to say, ``You must set a

a desecration of His name for them to return

appointed from heaven.''

there. When Uriah the prophet went there,

king over yourself ''Ðthe one whose rule was decreed by heaven, even if he is ``from the

it was only because his life was in danger:

smallest of the tribes of Israel, and [his] clan is the least of all the clans of the tribe''

``King Jehoiakim and all his warriors and all

(1 Sam. 9:21). But you may never appoint a foreigner. ``The site that the L ORD your God

the of®cials heard about his address, and

will choose amidst all your tribes as His habitation'' (12:5) is to be interpreted similarly:

the king wanted to put him to death. Uriah

wherever they build a Temple for the Lord, it is done in accordance with His will.

heard of this and ¯ed in fear, and came to

16 Moreover.

Rather, ``only'' (OJPS). You shall appoint a king like all the other na-

nations want kings at allÐfor military purposes).

Egypt'' ( Jer. 26:21). Jeremiah himself went

[C] Since the He shall not keep many horses. LORD has warned you, ``You must not go back that way again.''

tions, only he must not keep many horses as their kings do (which is the only reason those

there only against his will.

Rashi's comment implies that it is forbidden to send people back to Egypt, which I ®nd

This earlier ``warn-

dif®cult in light of the statement in the Palestinian Talmud, at the end of Tractate Sanhed-

ing'' was indeed given as a commandment,

rin, ``You may not go back there to settle, but you may go back for commercial purposes or

but it is not written in the text. Some think it

conquest.'' If the king sends someone to Egypt to buy horses, that is certainly a commer-

is in the phrase, ``The Egyptians whom you

cial transaction and should be permitted. Perhaps the verse is saying, ``he shall not keep

see today you will never see again'' (Exod.

many horses even if acquired from the land of Israel or the land of Shinar or in any other

14:13), but that expression serves a different

permissible way.'' The point would be that he must not ``put his trust in abundance of

function.

chariots, in vast numbers of riders'' (Isa. 31:1), but instead in the Lord his God alone.

send people back to Egypt.

Or

That is, he must not send commercial agents to settle there

[C]

See Jeremiah 43.

permanently in order to enable him to keep many horses on a permanent basis, as is said of ``all of Solomon's garrison towns, chariot towns, and cavalry towns . . . Solomon's horses were procured from Egypt and Kue. The king's dealers would buy them from Kue at a ®xed price'' (1 Kings 9:19, 10:28). No one was allowed to export horses from Egypt without the permission of the king of Egypt, who imposed a tariff on this trade. But Pharaoh gave Solomon the right to export horses from Egypt at his own discretion. That is, Solomon licensed whomever he liked to deal in Egyptian horses, and the tariffs went to him. He had dealers stationed there permanently buying horses, sending the ones he wanted to him and selling the others to the rest of the kings of the earth: ``A chariot imported from Egypt cost 600 shekels of silver, and a horse 150; these in turn were exported by them''Ðby Solomon's dealersÐ ``to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans'' (1 Kings 10:29).

The LORD has warned you.

The past tense verb is really

to be understood as a present tense: ``The Lord hereby warns you,'' that is, commands you (see similarly my comment to ``the L ORD your God has commanded you'' of 5:15). Or perhaps Moses means, ``The Lord warned me to command you,'' as in ``Moses said, `Thus says the L ORD' '' (Exod. 11:4), where the Hebrew really has Moses saying, ``Thus

said

the Lord.'' Our Sages, however, take ``the Egyptians whom

you see today you will never see again'' (Exod. 14:13) as the commandment never to return to Egypt, of which Moses is reminding them here; but see my comment to that verse. The point of the prohibition is that the Egyptians, like the Canaanites, were extraordinarily

[E]

B. Ber. 58a.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS yourself one of your own people.

This is the commandment in the passage, not v. 14. Even this, like

the rule about the beautiful captive of 21:10±14, is merely a concession to human weakness (Abarbanel). T his ``concession'' is bound to end badly, just as one who marries a ``beautiful captive'' will end by producing the ``wayward and de®ant son'' of 21:18±21Ðas happened to David with Absalom (Sforno).

One who is not your kinsman.

Shor). Lest he entice you to follow his religion (Hizkuni).

At all; but as long as his mother was Jewish, it is permitted (Bekhor

120

121 DEUTERONOMY 17:17±20

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he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go OJPS 17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself 18When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy silver and gold. 18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingof this Teaching written for him on a scroll by the levitical 19 priests. Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, dom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of so that he may learn to revere the LORD that which is before the priests the Levites. 19And it shall be with him, and he shall his God, to observe faithfully every word B··Ï 17 Æ Ÿ ¬ § ÌÈL Ÿ³ § ® ¨ § ¯eÒÈ − ¨ ‡Ï ¦½ ¨ Bl-‰a¯È ¤ § © ‡Ï of this Teaching as well as these laws. read therein all the days of his life; that he Ÿ Ÿ ½ :„‡Ó « § Bl-‰a¯È − ¤ § © ‡Ï ¬ ·‰Ê ¨ ¨ § ÛÒΠ¤ ´¤ § may learn to fear the LORD his God, to 20Thus he will not act haughtily toward ½ § ¦ § ‰È‰Â ·˙Π© ¨¸ § BzÎÏÓÓ ® § © § © ‡qk ´¥ ¦ ÏÚ −© Bz·LÎ ´¨ ¨ § 18 keep all the words of this law and these RASHI 17 He shall not have many ¯ÙÒ-ÏÚ Ÿ © ‰¯Bz‰ ³¨ © ‰LÓ ¥¸ § ¦ -˙‡¤ BϹ statutes, to do them; 20that his heart be not ¤ ¥½ © Æ˙‡f‰

NJPS

wives.

17And

No more than 18. For we ®nd that David had six wives, [B] and as God told him (through Nathan the prophet), ``I gave you your master's house and possession of your master's wives; and I gave you the House of Israel and Judah; and if that were not enough, I would give you twice as much more'' (2 Sam. 12:8). Nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. Just enough to fund the army.

½ ¦ ‰˙ȉ BnÚ ´¨ § ¨ § 19 :ÌiÂω « ¦ ¦ § © ÌÈ‰k‰ −¦ £ Ÿ © ÈÙlÓ ¬¥ § ¦ ¦ Ɖ‡¯ÈÏ ¨ § ¦ § „ÓÏÈ ©À § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ´© § ÂÈiÁ ®¨ © ÈÓÈ-Ïk ´¥ § ¨ B·− ‡¯˜Â ¨ ¬¨ § Ÿ § ¦  ÂÈ‰Ï º¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡ ȯ·c-Ïk «¤ ¯ÓLÏ ¨½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ Ÿ² © ‰¯Bz‰ ‰l¤ ‡‰ −¥ ¨ ÌÈwÁ‰-˙‡Â ¦¬ ª © ¤ § ˙‡f‰ ¬¨ © ÂÈÁ‡Ó ¨½ ¤ «¥ ÆB··Ï-Ìe¯ ¨§ ÈzÏ·Ï ³¦ § ¦ § 20 :Ì˙NÚÏ «¨ Ÿ £ ©

RASHBAM 18 A copy of this Teaching. My grandfather explained this in accordance with rabbinic tradition. [B] Despite Onkelos, mishneh has nothing to do with ``teach them diligently [shinantem] to

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Don't the commandments to ``not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left'' (v. 20) apply just as much to all the other Israelites as they do to the king?

commentary,'' a slight difference in Hebrew.

your children'' (6:7).

[B] Our text of Rashbam mistakenly says ``in his Chronicles

18 When he is seated on his royal IBN EZRA 17 Lest his heart go throne. As long as he ful®lls the three conastray. When he follows his desires. Nor ditions of vv. 16±17, he will remain securely shall he amass silver and gold to excess. seated on his throne. A copy of this TeachAnd punish the nation in doing so. Notice ing. That is, he must have two Torah scrolls, one in storage and one that accompanies him how the Israelites complained to Rehoboam on his travels. But Onkelos understands the word mishneh not as ``copy'' but (as in ``teach about his father Solomon, who ``made silver them diligently [shinantem] to your children,'' 6:7) as ``a discussion of this Teaching.'' plentiful in Jerusalem as stones'' (1 Kings 19 Every word of this Teaching. This is meant straightforwardly; but see further in as 10:27) because of his excessive love of it: v. 20. father made our yoke heavy'' (1 Kings 20 Act haughtily toward his fellows. Rather, ``act more haughtily than his fellows''Ð ``Your 12:10). Note too that when Rehoboam sent

toward his Creator. He is certainly allowed to rule his fellows, though not to oppress them, Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced [B] See 2 Sam. 3:2±5. labor, to the Israelites, ``all Israel pelted him to death with stones'' (1 Kings 12:18). Some NAHMANIDES sinful: ``You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where say they were complaining about Solomon's you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you'' (Lev. 18:3). The Holy One building projects, but that is not true; it was did not want Israel to learn their practices. He simply wiped out the Canaanites (``They non-Israelites who built the Temple: ``All the shall not remain in your land,'' Exod. 23:33) and warned us that we must not settle there people that were left of the Amorites, Hitamong the Egyptians in their land. tites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who 19 Let it remain with him. ``It'' being the Teaching, not the scroll, as is shown by the were not of the Israelite stockÐthose of their feminine forms in the Hebrew. Let him read in it all his life. Here, grammatically, ``it'' descendants who remained in the land and refers to the scroll. According to the way of Truth, the attribute of Torah itself is to remain whom the Israelites were not able to annihiwith him, as when ``The LORD gave Solomon Wisdom'' (1 Kings 5:26), [F] after which he lateÐof these Solomon made a slave force, ``successfully took over the throne of the LORD as king instead of his father David'' as is still the case. But he did not reduce any (1 Chron. 29:23). Israelites to slavery'' (1 Kings 9:20±22). 20 Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows. This hints to us that haugh- 18 When he is seated on his royal tiness is forbidden by the Torah. If the text curbs the king's haughtiness, how much throne. That is, at the beginning of his more so should this be true for those below him, who can have no pretensions to act reign. A copy of this Teaching. The trans[F] In traditional Jewish interpretation, ``Wisdom'' always refers to ``Torah.'' lations are correct.

19 Let it remain with him and let him read in it. Let ``it,'' the (grammatically feminine) Teaching, remain with him, and let him read in ``it,'' the (grammatically masculine) scroll. To revere the LORD his God. He himself must ``fear'' (OJPS) the Lord. To observe faithfully every word of this Teaching as well as these laws. And he must use his power to correct anyone who deviates from the laws. 20 Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows. As he might if he himself were free of the laws. Or deviate from the ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 He shall not have many wives.

Even if they are all good women, too many wives are certain to distract him; and with bad ones it would not take 18 of them to do so (Bekhor Shor). Nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. Not for his own purposes. But if he does so for the Holy One (as David did to build the Temple) or to wage war or for some other public purpose, there is no sin in that (Gersonides). 18 A copy of this Teaching. This second ``copy'' also alludes to the fact that in Ezra's time the script would change from paleoHebrew to Aramaic characters (Bekhor Shor). He has an extra obligation, beyond that of every Jew to make a copy of the Teaching (Gersonides). This would seem to refer to the book of Deuteronomy, which contains the essentials of the Torah and yet is small enough to serve as an amulet (Abarbanel). On a scroll by the levitical priests. Rather, ``out of that which is before the priests'' (OJPS). His copy is to be made from theirs (Hizkuni). 19 Let him read in it all his life. Even if he has already read it many times (Gersonides). 20 Act haughtily toward his fellows. This explains v. 17, ``nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess'' (Hizkuni). Or deviate from

DEUTERONOMY 17:20±18:2

NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right

OJPS

IK OK ZCE

lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside

or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign

from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the

long in the midst of Israel.

end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his

18

children, in the midst of Israel. The levitical priests, the whole tribe

of Levi, shall have no territorial portion

Ÿ ® § ÔÈÓÈ ´ ¦ ¨ ‰Âˆn‰-ÔÓ −¨ § ¦ © ¦ ¯eÒ¬ ÈzÏ·Ïe ²¦ § ¦ § * χÓNe

¸¦ £ © ÁÔÚÓÏ ‡e‰¬ BzÎÏÓÓ ² § © § © -ÏÚ© ÌÈÓÈ ¯¦ ¨ Cȯ‡È © ©§ Ò :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ ·¯˜a ¤ ¬¤ § ÂÈ·e −¨ ¨ `s offerings by ®re as their portion, L and shall have no portion among their K[KN[ is their portion, brother tribes: the L ¹¦ ¦ § © ÌÈ‰kÏ ¸¦ £ Ÿ © ‰È‰È-‡Ï -Ïk¨ ÌiÂω ¤ § ¦Â Ÿ « as He promised them. ÈM‡ ¯¥ ¦ χ¯NÈ-ÌÚ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ ¦ ‰ÏÁ −¨ £ © § ˜ÏÁ ¤ ¬¥ ÈÂÏ ² ¦ ¥ Ë·L ¤ ¯¥ ¬¨ £ © § 2 :ÔeÏÎ‡È « ¥ Ÿ B˙ÏÁ − ¨ £ © § ‰Â‰È ²¨ § RASHI which would be ``acting haugh- -‡ÏŸ ‰ÏÁ tily'' toward his Creator. Or deviate from B˙ÏÁ ½ ¨ £ © ‡e‰´ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÂÈÁ‡ ®¨ ¤ ·¯˜a ¤ ´¤ § Bl-‰È‰È − ¤ § «¦ the Instruction. Literally, ``from the comÒ :BÏ-¯ac « ¤ ¦ ¯L −¤ ‡k £© mandment'' (OJPS)Ðeven from a trivial with Israel. They shall live only off the ORD

2

ÁÈ

ORD

commandment, issued merely by a prophet.

To the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel.

' G B NP

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

v. 20.

18

The priests the Levites, even all the

tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the L ORD made by ®re, and His inheritance. inheritance L ORD

is

2

And they shall have no

among

their

their

brethren;

inheritance,

as

He

the hath

spoken unto them.

IBN EZRA Instruction to the right or to the left. If he did not study the Teaching, he would not know what the commandments are. To the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel. That is his reward for doing all

From this statement, phrased positively, you can deduce the negative as well. We ®nd these things. this with Saul, to whom Samuel said, ``Wait 18:1 The levitical priests. Following seven days until I come to you'' (1 Sam. the rules about the ``magistrate'' (that is, the 10:8) before offering the sacri®ces. Indeed, ``He waited seven days'' (1 Sam. 13:8). But he did not keep his promise to wait until the king) the text continues with the rules about end of the seventh day, and he had barely managed to present the burnt offering when the priests who teach the Torah to him. Samuel arrived and said to him, ``You acted foolishly in not keeping the commandments that the LORD your God laid upon you! Otherwise the LORD would have established your dynasty over Israel forever. But now your dynasty will not endure'' (1 Sam. 13:13±14). Saul was punished even for such trivial disobedience (and of a command given him merely by a prophet) by losing the opportunity to have his dynasty rule over Israel forever. Note that our verse implicitly assumes that the king's descendants will reign after him. This tells us that, if the king's son is ®t to rule, he takes precedence over anyone else. 18:1 The whole tribe of Levi. Whether or not they have a physical defect. Shall have no territorial portion. Rather, ``shall have no portion nor inheritance'' (OJPS)Ðno portion of military plunder and no territorial inheritance. They shall live only off the LORD's offerings by ®re as their portion. Rather, ``they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by ®re, and His inheritance'' (OJPS). The ``offerings of the LORD made by ®re'' are the temple offerings, and ``His inheritance'' is the offerings that come from outside the TempleÐ the priestly gifts and the tithes. 2 And shall have no portion among their brother tribes. That is, no permanent possession. The Sifrei expounds this way: ```No portion' refers to the portion of the rest; `among their brother tribes' refers to the portion of the ®ve.'' I don't know what this means, but it Why must we be

told yet again that ``the levitical priests, the whole tribe

of Levi, shall have no territorial portion with Israel''

(v. 1)? It is particularly out of place here, where there is no mention of sacri®ces or other priestly rituals.

NAHMANIDES haughtily. In fact, haughtiness is a quality despised by God even in a king, for greatness and exaltation belong to the

Lord alone. Praise too belongs only to Him, and humanity should glory in none but Him: ``Every haughty person is an abomination to the LORD'' (Prov. 16:5); ``Only in this should one glory: in understanding and knowing Me'' (Jer. 9:23). 18:2 And shall have no portion among their brother tribes. See Rashi's lengthy comment. As I explained in my comment to Exod. 13:5, the ®ve nations mentioned in that verseÐ``the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites''Ðare

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS the Instruction. This explains v. 19, ``Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life'' (Hizkuni). Clearly the king is more obligated to follow the Instruction than anyone else: (1) he is the model from whom everyone else learns how to

behave; (2) his status and power call for correspondingly greater efforts in observance of the commandments that lie behind his power; (3) just as he tries continually to expand his power in this world, he must make sure to increase the spiritual powers that will ensure his status in the World to Come (Abarbanel). To the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel. For rulership brings one closer to the grave. To counteract this, he is in need of something that will ``prolong his days'' (OJPS). For the same reason, a coronation is accompanied with shouts of ``Long live the king!'' (Hizkuni). Obviously everything that Samuel (in 1 Sam. 8:11±17) says that the king will do is permitted. I therefore take the liberty of transcribing it here: ``This will be the practice of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and appoint them as his charioteers and horsemen, and they will serve as outrunners for his chariots. He will appoint them as his chiefs of thousands and of ®fties; or they will have to plow his ®elds, reap his harvest, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will seize your choice ®elds, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his courtiers. He will take a tenth part of your grain and vintage and give it to his eunuchs and courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, your choice young men, and your asses, and put them to work for him. He will take a tenth part of your ¯ocks, and you shall become his slaves'' (Gersonides). 18:1 The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no territorial portion with Israel. If they had, they would not be able to tend it, being always busy at the sanctuary. Moreover, if they were to get used to agricultural work, their hands would lose their delicacy and they would no longer be able to play their instruments, which would spoil the music (Hizkuni). 2 And shall have no portion among their brother tribes. The ``®ve'' and ``the rest'' of the Sifrei refer to Levi's ®ve full brothers, Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, versus the other seven, Ephraim and Manasseh, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, and Benjamin. It means that even among their ®ve full brothers they shall have no portion (Bekhor Shor).

122

123 DEUTERONOMY 18:3±4 NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

IK OK ZCE

then shall be the priests' due from the people: OJPS 3And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from Everyone who offers a sacri®ce, whether an ox or a sheep, must them that offer a sacri®ce, whether it be ox or sheep, that they give the shoulder, the cheeks, and the shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and stomach to the priest. 4You shall also give ÌÚ‰ the two cheeks, and the maw. 4The ®rst3 ¹¦ £ Ÿ © ËtLÓ ¨À ¨ ˙‡Ó ´¥ ¥ ÌÈ‰k‰ ©¸ § ¦ Á‰È‰È ¤ § ¦ ‰Ê ¤¿ § him the ®rst fruits of your new grain and fruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine © ¨ § ‰N-̇ ®¤ ¦ ¯BL-̇ ´ ¦ Á·f‰ © −¤ © ÈÁ·Ê ¬¥ § Ÿ ˙‡Ó ²¥ ¥ oil, and the ®rst of the ¯eece of thy sheep, wine and oil, and the ®rst shearing of your ÆÔ˙ ˙ÈL¦¸ ‡¯¥ 4 :‰·w‰Â «¨ ¥ © § ÌÈÈÁl‰Â ¦ −© ¨ § © § Ú¯f‰ ©Ÿ ¬ § © Ô‰kÏ ¥½ Ÿ © 3This

RASHI

IBN EZRA 3 This then shall be the priests' due from the people.

seems to me that Canaan west of − § Ÿ ¬¥ ² ¦ ¥ § À¤ ¨ § ¦ § ´ § Ÿ « ¦ ¹ § «¨ § the Jordan might be called ``the land of the Since they ®ve nations,'' since the land east of the Jor- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F As long as ``the ``have no territorial portion'' (v. 1), this is dan, that of Sihon and Og, belonged to the priests' due from the people'' (v. 3) is to be mentioned, their due from everyone who offers sacri®ce. two other Canaanite nations, the Amorites why is there no further mention of the tithes that go to the Levites or the other priestly gifts? and the Canaanites. ``The portion of the rest'' From the body, the shoulder; from the would refer to the land of the Kenites, the head, the cheeks (since the tongue is beKenizzites, and the Kadmonites. This is how the Sifrei to Numbers takes it. According to tween them); and from the inner organs, the Kalonymus of Rome, however, what the Sifrei says is not ``the rest'' and ``the ®ve'' but ``the stomach. This could be explained to mean ®ve'' and ``the seven.'' For Moses allotted portions to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, that the shoulder goes to the priest in reward for what his own shoulder has done (for and Joshua allotted portions to Judah, Ephraim, and the other half of Manasseh, even with sacri®ces of well-being, it would totaling ®ve; seven tribes got their allotments only after the death of Joshua. ``You shall, however, have no territorial share among them or own any be the priest who performed the slaughter), portion in their midst; I am your portion and your share among the Israelites'' (Num. 18:20). the cheeks reward him for the blessing, and But not from other priests. But not a the stomach for his inspection of the animal. nondomestic animal. From the ®rst joint above the hoof up to the shoulder But the straightforward explanation is simblade. Including the tongue. The exegetes explain these ply that these are the best parts of the meat. three parts with reference to the story of Phinehas: the shoulder in reward for ``taking a spear in his hand'' (Num. 25:7), the cheeks in reward for ``Phinehas stepped forth and spoke up'' (Ps. 106:30), and the stomach because he ``stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly'' (Num. 25:8). These are the priestly gifts. The amount is not speci®ed here, but in rabbinic literature it is: The generous person gives in the proportion of 1 in 40, the stingy person in the proportion of 1 in 60, and the ordinary person in the proportion of 1 in 50. The lower limit of 1 in 60 is based on Ezek. 45:13, ``This is the contribution you shall make: One-sixth of an ephah from every homer of wheat and one-sixth of an ephah from every homer of barley.'' One-sixth of an ephah is half a seah, and half a seah per homer is 1 in 60, since a homer is 30 seahs. The ®rst shearing every year. Again, no amount is speci®ed, but the Sages established a proportion of 1 in 60, as long as it is sheared from a ¯ock of at least ®ve, based on Abigail's preparing ``®ve dressed

E‡ˆ Êb ˙ÈL‡¯Â E¯‰ˆÈ EL¯Èz E‚c

The shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach.

[C]

[D]

promised them. 3 From the people. The shoulder. The cheeks.

[E] [F] As He

Whether an ox or a sheep. And the stomach.

4 The ®rst fruits of your new grain.

The ®rst shearing of your sheep.

[C] See Rashi's comment to 2:5.

[D]

[E]

See Numbers 32. Josh. 18:5 implies that Judah and the two Josephite tribes are already settled on their portions. assigned to them in Joshua 18±19. But Josh. 23:4±5 indicate that they were not able to take possession of them before Joshua's death.

[F] The allotments were

NAHMANIDES

those from whom Israel inherited ``a land ¯owing with milk and honey'' (as the verse itself states). The territory of the other two nations, the Perizzites and the Girgashites, was not ``a land ¯owing with milk and honey,'' and so there was no obligation to bring ®rst fruits from that part of the land. What vv. 1±2 are saying, therefore (according to the Sifrei), is that the Levites shall have no portion either in the good part of the land nor even in the rest of the landÐdespite the fact that the land of the Perizzites and the Girgashites was not particularly good, and the other Israelites did not care much about it. My Exodus comment demonstrates all this clearly. This is a new commandment, not previously mentioned in the Torah. For in the wilderness they did not slaughter these animals simply for meat, and the rule given here does not apply to sacri®cial offerings. But now, when they were about to enter the land, the rule was given. Rather, ``everyone who slaughters an animal.'' The Hebrew verb used here is the same as that of 12:21, ``you may slaughter any of the cattle or sheep that the LORD gives you, as I have instructed you; and you may eat to your heart's content in your settlements.'' Notice that this commandment was not given to Aaron when the Lord spoke to him in Numbers 18, even though the sacred gifts that are mentioned there would also not come into effect until they entered the land. The distinction is that those were sacred gifts, while come from animals slaughtered for meat. They too are commanded to be given to the priests, but there is nothing ``sacred'' about them. You will notice that the thief's repayment to the priests, if he had stolen from a convert who died before he could repay him, is also not mentioned in Numbers 18, though the Sifrei does indeed ®nd allusions to all these gifts in the Numbers passage. If that is correct, then this too is not a new commandment but (like most of those in Deuteronomy) simply adds detail. Another midrash links these gifts speci®cally to the story of Phinehas, where these particular parts of the animal are hinted at: the shoulder by his ``taking a spear in his hand'' (Num. 25:7); the cheeks by the prayer that he uttered (according to Ps. 106:30); and the stomach when he ``stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly'' (Num. 25:8). (The Sifrei's interpretation of Numbers 18 presumes that Phinehas would later acquire the right to these gifts, when he earned his priesthood, for himself and for his entire tribe of fellow priests.) According to Maimonides, the cheeks (more properly, ``the jaws'') are the front of the animal's body, the shoulder is the ®rst of the extremities, and the stomach is the ®rst of the intestines, the point being that the ®rst of everything should be given to those who serve the Most High, for His glory.

3 This then shall be the priests' due from the people.

Everyone who offers a sacri®ce.

the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach [G]

4 New grain and wine and oil. [H]

[G] See Rashi's comment to Num. 5:8.

[H] See Nahmanides' comment to 14:23.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 3 The shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. Representing action, speech, and thought, respectively (Abarbanel). 4 The ®rst fruits of your new grain. No amount is given, but a man cannot empty his entire barn to give ®rst fruits; the Sages say that as little as one grain of wheat satis®es the obligation, but they did characterize those who give various proportions (Bekhor Shor). Notice, however, that ``one in every ®fty'' (Num. 31:30) is described in Num. 31:29 as ``a contribution to the LORD'' (Hizkuni). And the ®rst shearing of your sheep. You must feed and clothe him so that he can ``be in attendance for service'' (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 18:4±10

NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

sheep. 5For the L ORD your God has chosen him and his

OJPS

shalt thou give him.

IK OK ZCE

5

For the L ORD thy God hath

descendants, out of all your tribes, to be in attendance for service

chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name

in the name of the L ORD for all time.

of the L ORD, him and his sons for ever.

6

If a Levite would go, from any of the settlements throughout

6

And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel,

Israel where he has been residing, to the place that the L ORD has

where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul

chosen, he may do so whenever he pleases. 7He may serve in the

unto the place which the L ORD shall choose;

7

then he shall

name of the L ORD his God like all his

minister in the name of the L ORD his God,

fellow Levites who are there in attendance

EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ¯Áa ²© ¨ B·À Èk ´ ¦ 5 :Bl-Ôzz « ¤ ¦ as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the L ORD. They shall Ÿ ¸ £ © EÈË·L-ÏkÓ ²¨ § ¥ § ˙¯LÏ ¯¥ ¨ § „ÓÚÏ ‰Â‰È-ÌLa ®¤ ¨ § ¨ ¦ have like portions to eat, beside that which Ò :ÌÈÓi‰-Ïk « ¦ ¨ © ¨ ÂÈ·e −¨ ¨ ‡e‰¬ is his due according to the fathers' houses. When thou art come into the land Ÿ ¸ ¨ «¦ § 6 Ƥ ¨ § „Á‡Ó ¹¦ ¥ © ‡·È-ÈΠ-ÏkÓ ¨ ¦ ÆEȯÚL ³© © ¥ ÈÂl‰ which the L ORD thy God giveth thee, thou -ÏÎa ¨ § Ƈ·e ¨ ÌL ®¨ ¯b ´¨ ‡e‰-¯L − ¤‡ £ χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ shalt not learn to do after the abominations ½ § © ˙e‡ ¯Á·È-¯L ¬© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰-Ï − ¨ © ‡¤ BLÙ ´© © of those nations. There shall not be found ¾¥ ¥ § 7 :‰Â‰È -ÏÎk ¨ § ÂÈ‰Ï ®¨ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÌLa −¥ § ˙¯L «¨ § ½¦ ¦ § © ÆÂÈÁ‡ :‰Â‰È «¨ § ÈÙÏ ¬¥ § ¦ ÌL −¨ ÌÈ„ÓÚ‰ ¬ ¦ § Ÿ ¨ ÌiÂω ¨ ¤ RASHBAM 18:6 If a Levite would go. The ``Levite'' here must be a priest who is -ÏÚ© ÂȯkÓÓ −¨ ¨ § ¦ „·Ï ¬© § eÏÎ‡È ®¥ Ÿ ˜ÏÁk ¤ −¥ § ˜ÏÁ ¤ ¬¥ 8 not from the watch that is serving that day Ò :˙B·‡‰ « ¨ ¨ in Jerusalem, in the temple court. 8 Without regard to personal gifts or ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨½ ¨ ‡¤ ‡a ´¨ Ɖz‡ ¨ © Èk ³¦ 9 patrimonies. The word mimkar here has ½ £ © „ÓÏ˙-‡Ï ˙BNÚÏ ´© § ¦ Ÿ « CÏ ®¨ Ô˙ ´¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ nothing to do with makar, ``to sell''; read 10 Ÿ − £ § straightforwardly, it must be related to ½ § ‡ˆnÈ-‡Ï E· ´¥ ¨ ¦ Ÿ « :̉‰ «¥ ¨ ÌÈBb‰ ¬ ¦ © ˙·ÚB˙k makkar, ``an acquaintance,'' as in ``let the

before the L ORD. 8They shall receive equal shares of the dues, without regard to personal gifts or patrimonies. When you enter the land that the

L ORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations.

10

Let no one be found

RASHI

sheep'' for David and his men (1 Sam. 25:18). R. Akiva derives that number directly from our text in this way: ``the ®rst shearing,'' two; ``of your sheep,'' two; ``you shall give,'' one more, for a total of ®ve. In any case, ``®rst'' means ®rst in quality.

5 To be in attendance for service.

Literally, ``to stand'' for service, from which we learn that all such service must be performed while standing.

6 If a Levite would go ...to the place that the LORD has chosen. This would

9

F ZCKTK

9

8

10

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

The ``abhorrent

practices'' (v. 9) of the other nations fall clearly into two categories: determining favorable and unfavorable

seem to refer to any Levite, but v. 2, which times, and foretelling the future. God gave the Israelsays that he may ``serve,'' shows that it re- ites a way in which they were permitted to ®nd out fers only to priests, since Levites who are about the futureÐthrough the prophets; why did He not also give them a permitted way to determine fanot priests do not serve. vorable and unfavorable times? A priest is therefore permitted to present his own offerings whenever he pleases, even if the priestly watch on duty is not his. Another reading: it teaches further that priests who come for the pilgrimage festivals may serve in presenting the festival offerings, even if the priestly watch on duty is not their own. This refers to the priests who are not of®cially on duty but have come for the festival. They receive equal shares of both the hides and the meat from the goats of sin offering. One might think this also applies to the offerings that are not part of the festival, such as the regular daily offerings, the Sabbath offerings, and the votive and freewill offerings. The verse therefore continues, ``beside that which is his due according to the fathers' houses'' (OJPS). It refers to the original founders of the priestly ``fathers' houses'' at the time of David and Samuel, when the priestly watches were set up and they wheeled and dealed: ``You take your week and I'll take mine.'' You shall learn instead to understand and to teachÐto understand how misguided their practices are, and to teach your children not to do thus and so, which are the practices of the other nations.

whenever he pleases.

He may do so

8 They shall receive equal shares of the dues.

9 You shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations.

NAHMANIDES 9 You shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. This too adds detail to a commandment given previously, that of Lev. 18:3. Now those practices are detailed, and they are described as ``abhorrent'' to the Lord.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 If a Levite would go. I think the Levites are included here to indicate that they too are divided into ``watches,'' as the priests are (Gersonides). 9 You shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. Lev.

priests receive it, each from his acquaintance'' (2 Kings 12:6). If someone has a relative among the priests who wishes to give him his offering for him to sacri®ce, that priest has a right to offer it even if he is not a member of the watch on duty.

IBN EZRA 6 A Levite.

They too would teach Torah in the various towns: ``With them were the Levites . . . They offered instruction throughout Judah, having with them the Book of the Teaching of the L ORD'' (2 Chron. 17:8±9).

[D]

8 Without regard to personal gifts or patrimonies. Some say the word trans-

lated by NJPS as ``personal gifts'' is related to ``acquaintances'' of 2 Kings 12:8, but this is somewhat farfetched grammatically; our word is related to makar, ``sell.'' The case described in the verse is that of a priest who has sold a house that he inherited from his fatherÐwhich also explains the ``patrimonies.'' (Though Levites cannot own land, they can buy and sell houses, as we know from Lev. 25:33.) The others cannot say to him, ``You already have enough and should not get any more.'' Despite his patrimony, he still receives an equal share. Next after the sections on the magistrate and the priest follows that on the prophet; see my comment to v. 13.

[D] Ibn Ezra says merely, ``Chronicles proves it''; presumably he meant this passage.

18:3 warns against the practices of both the Egyptians and the Canaanites, since that generation knew Egyptian practices and was expected to enter Canaan in the near future. But those who are entering the land now were at most children when they left Egypt and knew nothing of Egyptian culture, so they need only be warned against Canaanite practices (Bekhor Shor). After writing about the king and the priests, whom you must listen to, the text turns to those whom you must not listen to (Hizkuni). Even non-Jews, like the woman in En-dor (of 1 Samuel 28) who consulted ghosts (Sforno). The way one holds a stick to determine his course of action is by grabbing it hand over hand: ``I'll go . . . I won't go.'' Whichever hand gets the end of the stick determines the answer (Hizkuni). As long as there is some obvious reason, there is nothing wrong with

10 Let no one be found among you. An augur.

124

125 DEUTERONOMY 18:10±12 NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

IK OK ZCE

OJPS

among you who consigns his son or daughter to the among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter ®re, or who is an augur, a soothsayer, a diviner, a sorcerer, 11one to pass through the ®re, one that useth divination, a soothsayer, or who casts spells, or one who consults an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11or a charmer, or one that consulteth a ghost or a familiar ghosts or familiar spirits, or one who in½¦ ¨ § ÌÒ˜ ÌÈÓÒ˜ ´¥ Ÿ L‡a ®¥ ¨ Bz·e-Ba − ¦ « § ¯È·ÚÓ ¬¦ £ © spirit, or a necromancer. 12For whosoever quires of the dead. 12For anyone who does 11 Ÿ ¯·Á ¤ ® ¨ ¯·Á − ¥ § :ÛMÎÓe « ¥ © § LÁÓe − ¥ © § ÔBÚÓ ¥ § ¬ such things is abhorrent to the L ORD, and doeth these things is an abomination unto

½¦ Ÿ § ¦ § Æ·B‡ Ϭ‡L :ÌÈ˙n‰-Ï « ¦ ¥ © ‡¤ L¯„ −¥Ÿ § ÈÚcÈ ¥Ÿ §

RASHBAM 11 One who casts spells. RASHI 10 Who consigns his son or ÆÏÏ‚·e ¥ Ÿ ´ ¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ˙·ÚB˙-Èk ¬© £ « ¦ 12 Note that the accent on the Hebrew noun daughter to the ®re. Rather, ``who passes © § ¦ ‰l¤ ‡®¥ ‰NÚ-Ïk should be on the ®rst syllable, showing that his son or daughter through ®re.'' This is how Molech is worshiped. The worshiper ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If such practices are it is a segholate noun like meÂlek (``king'') or ``abhorrent to the L '' (v. 12), how could eÂved (``slave''); it is h. aÂber rather than h. eÂber builds two bon®res, one on this side and one really Abraham's servant (in Genesis 24) and Saul's son Joon that, and passes the child between them. nathan (in 1 Samuel 14) ask for omens of this kind? because it is a pausal form (note the following comma). You will ®nd the plural, An augur. This is someone who holds a ORD

stick to determine, ``Shall I go or shall I not go?'' As the prophet says, ``My people: It consults its stick, its rod directs it!'' (Hosea 4:12). A soothsayer. R. Akiva de®nes a soothsayer (me'onen) as someone who identi®es onot, the proper times and seasons for action: ``Such-and-such a time is a good time to begin a project.'' But the Sages say that they are those who cloud the eyes (einayim), that is, prestidigitators. A diviner. The Hebrew word describes someone who identi®es certain things as good or bad omens: ``His bread fell from his mouth,'' ``a deer crossed his path,'' ``his stick fell from his hand''Ðthat kind of thing. 11 One who casts spells. Rather, ``a charmer,'' one who can summon snakes or scorpions or any other kind of beast. One who consults ghosts. This is a kind of sorcerer called a python, who speaks from his armpit, where he raises a dead person. Or familiar spirits. In this sort of ``consultation,'' he puts the bone of an animal called a yido'a into his mouth, and the bone speaks by magic. Or one who inquires of the dead. By necromancy, or by engaging in converse with a skull. 12 Anyone who does such things. More precisely, ``one who does any such thing,'' even just one of them.

NAHMANIDES 10 Who consigns his son or daughter to the ®re.

following the regular segholate pattern, in Ps. 58:6, ``so as not to hear the voice of charmers.'' With the accent on the second syllable, it would be a different word entirely: ``I am a companion to all who fear You'' (Ps. 119:63); ``O you who linger in the garden, the companions hearken for your voice: Cause me to hear it'' (Song 8:13). After coming to this conclusion, I found the accent on this word marked in the Spanish manuscripts the way I suggested. [C] [C] As it is in our Bibles today.

IBN EZRA 10 Who consigns his son or daughter to the ®re. This was a form of idolatry; we still have among us today many gentiles who are ®re worshipers. An augur.

According to The Hebrew expression may actually be a the straightforward sense of the text, this is a form of sorcery; according to our Sages, it is more general term covering all the other a reference to the worship of Molech, and (as I explained in my comment to Lev. 18:21) categories; it refers to those who declare that this is correct. An augur. The Hebrew uses a general term for one who predicts the future something will ``undoubtedly'' take place at by magical means: ``There is magic on the lips of the king; he cannot err in judgment'' a certain time in the future. You will ®nd its (Prov. 16:10). Balaam is identi®ed by this term in Josh. 13:22, and Num. 24:1 tells us Aramaic equivalent in ``wise men, exorcists, explicitly that he would ``go in search of omens.'' A soothsayer. The etymology of the magicians, and diviners cannot tell to the Hebrew word shows that this refers to someone who foretells the future by observing king'' (Dan. 2:27). But conceivably this too is clouds. A diviner. One who examines the wings of birds or interprets their chirping: ``For a speci®c term for ``the scanners of heaven, a bird of the air may carry the utterance, and a winged creature may report the word'' the star-gazers, who announce, month by (Eccles. 10:20). The Hebrew nih. ush is actually related to h. ush, ``hasten'' (see Ps. 119:60), month, whatever will come upon you'' (Isa. for it refers to anyone who hastens to inform someone of the future before it actually 47:13), based on the primary and secondary occurs, implying ``let's hasten and ®nd out in advance.'' A sorcerer. This latter word is a motions of the stars. A soothsayer, a dicatchall name for all the various kinds of sorcery enumerated in v. 11. viner. See my comment to Lev. 19:26. A 11 One who casts spells, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits. These sorcerer. Ditto, to Exod. 7:11. are varieties of sorcery. It is forbidden not only to perform them but also to consult those 11 One who casts spells. The Hebrew who do. One who inquires of the dead. Whether by consulting ghosts or in any other root of the latter two words means ``to join way. When Saul asked the woman in En-dor to ``divine for me by a ghost'' (1 Sam. 28:8), forces''; our expression refers to those who the verb ``divine'' is the same performed by the ``augur'' in our v. 10. claim they have summoned the demons to 12 For anyone who does such things is abhorrent to the LORD. ``Such'' things join forces with them. Ghosts or familiar because not all of them are abhorrent. Soothsaying by clouds and divining through birds spirits. See my comment to Lev. 19:31. One are not abhorrent to the Lord, and they are not why the Canaanites were dispossessed. It who inquires of the dead. Like those who is natural for people to want to know what is destined to happen to them, and they engage go to the cemetery and steal a bone from a in many sorts of techniques in order to ®nd out. corpse. In their delirium, various images apWith regard to sorcery, you must understand that the Creator put the upper realms pear to them, both in dreams and awake. in charge of those below them. Power over the earth and everything on it was given to the stars and constellations, as we know from the science of astrology. Above the stars and constellations are the various levels of angels that are their souls. All of these, from the moment of their coming into being and on to eternity, act according to the decree of the Most

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS saying that certain times are better than others for certain purposes (Gersonides). A diviner. This is not forbidden; in Gen. 30:27, Laban tells Jacob, ``If you will indulge me, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me on your account,'' and he therefore wanted him to stay with him (Gersonides). ``Eating with the blood'' is not mentioned in connection with divining here, as it is in Lev. 19:26, since that subject has been covered in 12:16, 23±24 (Abarbanel). A sorcerer. Nahmanides says this is a general term, but if so, why would it be in the middle of the list? It is a speci®c designation like the others (Abarbanel). 11 One who inquires of the dead. By going to the cemetery (Abarbanel). 12 Anyone who does such things. All of which are obviously ``abhorrent.'' But what Eliezer did in Genesis 24 or Jonathan did in

DEUTERONOMY 18:12±14

NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

it is because of these abhorrent things that the L ORD

your God is dispossessing them before you.

13

You must be

OJPS

IK OK ZCE

the L ORD; and because of these abominations the L ORD

thy God is driving them out from before thee.

13

Thou shalt be

wholehearted with the L ORD your God.

whole-hearted with the L ORD thy God.

14

14

Those nations that you are about to dis-

Ÿ´ ¥ © LȯBÓ ¬¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ ˙·ÚBz‰ possess do indeed resort to soothsayers and 13 ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÌÚ −¦ ‰È‰z ¤½ § « ¦ ÌÈÓz ´¦ ¨ :EÈtÓ «¤ ¨ ¦ Ì˙B‡ −¨ your augurs; to you, however, the L 14 À ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥ ¨ ÌÈBb‰ ´ ¦ © | Èk ´¦ Ò :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ God has not assigned the like. -χ ¤ § ÌÈÚÓ ¬ ¦ § Ÿ § -χ¤ Ì˙B‡ ¨½ L¯BÈ ´¥ Ɖz‡ ¨ © RASHI 13 You must be wholehearted EÏ Ÿ ´ ‰z‡Â © ¬¨ ÔÎ¥½ ‡Ï ¨¾ © § eÚÓLÈ ®¨ § ¦ ÌÈÓÒ˜ −¦ § Ÿ with the LORD your God. Follow Him − § Ô˙ :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § wholeheartedly and look expectantly to ORD

F IPK[K

him. Do not inquire into the future but accept wholeheartedly whatever comes to you. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are the ``soothThen you will be ``with'' Him, part of His sayers and augurs'' mentioned again in v. 14, and not the other fortune-tellers of v. 10? portion.

For these nations, that thou art to dispos-

sess, hearken unto soothsayers, and unto diviners; but as for thee, the L ORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

RASHBAM 12 It is because of these abhorrent things that the LORD your God is dispossessing them before you. That

is, they do not bother to seek the Lord and the true prophets because they rely on what their abominations tell them by means of an unclean spirit.

14 To you, however, the LORD your 13 You must be wholehearted with God has not assigned the like. To pay attention to soothsayers and augurs. For the the LORD your God. You must inquire of

Him, not of the dead. Ð It was only in order to test them that the Holy One gave the spirit power to speak through the NAHMANIDES High. Nonetheless, one of the great marvels of creation is that, no unclean goat demons. [D] matter whether the aspect of the stars is good or bad for a particular land, people, or [D] See Lev. 17:7. individual, these powers higher than the stars can change that. As the Sages say, [I] oneg (``pleasure'') can turn into nega (``plague''). For it is the Holy One who ``changes times and seasons'' (Dan. 2:21), who ``made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns deep darkness into IBN EZRA 13 You must be wholedawn and darkens day into night'' (Amos 5:8), without in any way diverting the world from hearted with the LORD your God. The its natural course. Under normal circumstances, the stars should determine things as their ``heart'' is a Hebrew metaphor for the mind. Creator naturally desired them to do. [J] That is why the Sages interpret keshef, ``sorcery,'' Anyone who relies on his own wisdom to as a Hebrew acronym that means ``contravening the celestial powers.'' It is therefore right seek the truth, or on anything else outside of that the Torah should forbid practices that prevent the world from following its natural God, is mentally de®cient; his mind is concourse. (The same reason lies behind the prohibition of grafting different plant species fused. For all these other methods are abtogether. As I explained in my comment to Lev. 19:19, such actions are essentially altering horrent to the Lord. Anyone who insists on God's original creation.) Many would claim that there is no such thing as foretelling the trying to ®nd out about the future must seek future; after all, who tells the raven or the crane what is going to happen? But we cannot an answer from God, by way of one of the deny things that have been directly observed. Our Sages admit it too. In fact, it is one of prophets promised to us in v. 15. the profound mysteries of the universe. In any case, observation of natural thingsÐwhich do reveal information about the immediate futureÐis not considered ``abhorrent'' of the other nations. It is rather an aspect of their wisdom: ``Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the Kedemites and than all the wisdom of the Egyptians'' (1 Kings 5:10). What was ``the wisdom of the Kedemites''? Skill in observing birds, and understanding the implications of what they observed. (See also Isa. 2:6.) Solomon learned this along with all the rest of his wisdom. 13 You must be wholehearted with the LORD your God. We must unify our hearts with His, and believe that He alone does all and knows the reality of all that is to come. We must seek to know the future only from His prophets and His ``faithful ones'' (33:8)Ðthat is, the Urim and ThummimÐnot from ``scanners of heaven and star-gazers'' (Isa. 47:13) and the like. If we overhear some such prediction, we are forbidden to take it on trust, but must say, ``Everything is in the hands of heaven.'' The stars do His bidding, and it is He ``who annuls the omens of diviners, and makes fools of the augurs'' (Isa. 44:25). We should believe that whatever happens will correspond to how closely one follows in the service of God. That is what it means to be ``wholehearted'': to fear the Lord, not the soothsayer. Onkelos explains it the same way. We are commanded to worship God wholeheartedly, with unblemished integrity. See my comment to Gen. 17:1. Shekhinah rested on prophets and on the Urim and Thummim.

14 Those nations that you are about to dispossess do indeed resort to soothsayers and augurs; to you, however, the LORD your God has not assigned the like. They do not always report the truth, or at least the whole truth. But the Holy One has ``set you high above all the nations of the earth'' (28:1) by giving prophets to you who will tell you what God wants. You can rely on prophecy. Again, your great gift is to be able to hear God's plans directly, while the other nations have only the stars to guide them. But He assigned the stars to them, not to you; see my comment to 4:19. For since astrology is indeed rooted in reality, the Jews might be thought to have a valid complaint about being prevented from resorting to it.

[I] Nahmanides says merely, ``as they say,'' by which he frequently refers to rabbinic literature; but no such statement is found there. This may be a reference to Sefer Yetzirah. a quotation from a medieval manual of astrology called ``The Book of the Moon.''

[J] We omit

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 1 Samuel 14 was not divination, but applying their intelligence to the problem. Even the charms we read about in rabbinic literature are not magic, merely natural processes we do not yet happen to understand (Abarbanel). 13 You must be wholehearted with the LORD your God. That is, you must not think, ``I will follow another religion as well,'' as did

those whom the Assyrians resettled in Samaria: ``They worshiped the LORD, while serving their own gods according to the practices of the nations from which they had been deported'' (2 Kings 17:33). Rather, as Solomon said in Prov. 3:6, ``In all your ways acknowledge Him'' (Hizkuni).

14 Those nations that you are about to dispossess do indeed resort to soothsayers and augurs; to you, however, the LORD your God has not assigned the like. As we see from Num. 23:23, ``Lo, there is no augury in Jacob, no divining in Israel: Jacob is told at once, yea Israel, what God has planned'' (Gersonides).

126

127 DEUTERONOMY 18:15±20

OKJVG[

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IK OK ZCE

LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet OJPS 15A prophet will the LORD thy God raise up unto thee, from among your own people, like myself; him you shall heed. from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye 16This is just what you asked of the L ORD your God at Horeb, shall hearken; 16according to all that thou didst desire of the L ORD on the day of the Assembly, saying, ``Let me not hear the voice of thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying: ``Let me not hear again the voice of the L ORD my the L ORD my God any longer or see this wondrous ®re any more, lest I die.'' God, neither let me see this great ®re any 17Whereupon the L ORD said to me, ``They Ƥ © ¥ Ea¯wÓ ¸¦ ¨ 15 more, that I die not.'' 17And the LORD said EÏ − § ÌÈ˜È ¦ Ÿ ½ ¨ ÆEÈÁ‡Ó ³ § § ¦ ¦ ‡È· ¬¦ ¨ ÈÓk have done well in speaking thus. 18I will ÏÎk Ÿ ¸ § 16 :ÔeÚÓLz « ¨ § ¦ ÂÈÏ −¨ ‡¥ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § unto me: ``They have well said that which 18 raise up a prophet for them from among ·¯Áa ½¥Ÿ § ÆEÈ‰Ï ¸¦ ¥ zÏ ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ÌÚÓ ¨ § ‡L-¯L ©¹ ¨ ¤‡ £ they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like their own people, like yourself: I will put Ÿ ´ ¯Ó‡Ï Ÿ ® ¥ ωw‰ À¥ Ÿ ‡Ï − ¨ ¨ © ÌBÈa ¬ § unto thee; and I will put My words in his ©Ÿ Æ § ¦ ÛÒ‡ My words in his mouth and he will speak ÆÚÓLÏ ¬¨ Ÿ § © L‡‰-˙‡Â ¥¸ ¨ ¤ § È‰Ï ¨½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÏB˜-˙‡¤ mouth, and he shall speak unto them all to them all that I command him; 19and if ‰Ï„b‰ anybody fails to heed the words he speaks :˙eÓ‡ Ÿ ¬ § „BÚ− ‰‡¯‡-‡Ï Ÿ² © that I shall command him. 19And it shall « ¨ ‡Ï ¬¤ § ¤ Ÿ « ˙‡f‰ come to pass, that whosoever will not in My name, I Myself will call him to ac:e¯ac «¥ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ e·ÈËȉ −¦ ¥ ÈÏ ®¨ ‡¥ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ¬ © 17 hearken unto My words which he shall count. 20But any prophet who presumes to ¸¦ ¨ 18 speak in My name, I will require it of him. ® ¨ ̉ÈÁ‡ −¤ ¥ £ ·¯wÓ ¤ ¬¤ ¦ Ì‰Ï ²¤ ¨ ÌȘ‡ ¬¦ ¨ ‡È· speak in My name an oracle that I did not EBÓk command him to utter, or who speaks in ˙‡ ½¦ § Æȯ·„ −¥ ̉ÈÏ ¤½ ¥ ‡ £ ¯a„ ´¤ ¦ § ÂÈÙa © ¨ § Èz˙ ³¦ © ¨ § 20But the prophet, that shall speak a word ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÆLȇ‰ ¦ ¨ ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 19 :epeˆ‡ «¤ © £ ¯L ¬¤ ‡-Ïk £ ¨ presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall RASHI 15 A prophet from among ÈÓLa ½© ¨ § ‡¤ ÆÚÓLÈ-‡Ï ®¦ § ¦ ¯a„È −¥ © § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ȯ·c-Ï © § ¦ Ÿ«

NJPS

15The

your own people, like myself.

Just as I

am from among you, God will also raise up my successor from among you. And it will

Ÿ ¬ § ¤ ÈÎ‡ ¿¦ ¨ © C‡ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‡È·p‰ ´© 20 :BnÚÓ « ¦ ¥ L¯„‡ −¦ Ÿ ¨ Ÿ « ¯L À¦ § ¦ ¯·c -‡Ï ³¤ ‡ £ ˙‡ ´¥ ÈÓLa ¨¹ ¨ ¯a„Ï ¥¸ © § Á„ÈÊÈ ¦¨

go on this way from prophet to prophet.

20 An oracle that I did not command him to utter. name of other gods.

RASHBAM 15 A prophet from among your own people, like myself. He will tell

you to follow the commandments of the To-

Or who speaks in the

rah, unlike the ``prophet or a dream-diviner''

Even if in his prophecy he does no more than to forbid the forbidden

regard to ``Never again did there arise in

Even if I commanded another prophet to utter it.

(13:2), who tells you to worship idols. With Israel a prophet like Moses'' (34:10), the ex-

NAHMANIDES 15 A prophet from among your own people.

But the verse also

says ``from your midst'' (compare OJPS). This hints that there is no prophecy outside the land of Israel, which (as the Sages say) is therefore called ``the Valley of Vision'' (Isa. 22:1). And prophecy exists only ``among your own people,'' for God has given you higher status than the other nations, and will not let His spirit rest on any but you.

Like myself.

See the

comments of Rashi and Ibn Ezra. But in my opinion ``like myself '' means ``he will be reliable as a prophet of the Lord, and you can believe him just as you believe me.'' Similarly, the fact that he will be ``from among your own people'' also implies that you will be able to trust what he says. (Further explanation follows.)

16 This is just what you asked. Let me not hear the voice of the LORD my God any longer.

In fact, the text does not precisely quote what they

said.

If this was all they

had said, they would not deserve to receive prophecy. But they added, `` You go closer and hear all that the L ORD our God says, and then you tell us everything that the L ORD our God tells you, and we will willingly do it'' (5:24). By saying this, they accepted belief in His

planation

is

given

in

that

same

verse:

``whom the L ORD singled out, face to face.'' But God would indeed raise up for the Israelites such prophets who would believe in the Holy One, as Moses did, and who would speak truth from HimÐunlike the ``prophet'' who would give them a sign or a portent to persuade them to worship idols.

IBN EZRA 15 A prophet from among your own people, like myself. Him you shall heed. In that

they are true prophets and not diviners. T his obviously refers

to Joshua: ``Now Joshua son of Nun was

prophets and agreed willingly to do everything the Lord would command through them.

®lled

That is why they are assured in v. 15 that the Lord will raise up a prophet for them. ``You

Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the

with the

spirit

of

wisdom because

heeded him, doing as the LORD had

asked to hear God's words through me and said you would obey me, so believe the other

Israelites

prophets who will come after me as well, for they are `like myself.' '' That is why the Lord

commanded Moses'' (34:9). There is further

told Moses, ``They did well to speak thus'' (5:25)Ð``I will do the same for them throughout

proof: We do not ®nd that any other prophet

their generations.'' It may even be that the request itself was meant to apply to all future

than Joshua entered the land with the Israel-

generations (see my comment to 5:24).

ites. But the general principle presumably

20 Who speaks in the name of other gods.

See Rashi's comment, which comes

from the Sifrei. But it does not mean that if someone said, ``I had a dream in which

also applies to every prophet that would arise after Moses.

19 I myself will call him to account.

His death is to be at the hands of heaven, as happened to the man who refused to listen to the prophet in 1 Kings 20:35±36.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet.

This is one of only 11 verses in the Bible

that begin and end with the letter R (Masorah). Since 13:1 tells us, ``Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add

to it nor take away from it,'' it is clear that we listen to such a prophet only when he is not changing the law on a permanent basis (Gersonides).

From among your own people, like myself; him you shall heed.

So you will not need to go to some other country

to know the future (Gersonides). ``Like myself '' means that he will be raised up as Moses wasÐnot that his prophecy will be at Moses' level (Abarbanel).

19 If anybody fails to heed the words he speaks in My name. 20 An oracle that I did not command him to utter.

This would include a prophet who fails to heed his own prophecy,

like the man of God in 1 Kings 13, and one who suppresses his prophecy, like Jonah (Bekhor Shor). Like Hananiah son of Azzur, who heard Jeremiah say, ``Thus said the L ORD of

Hosts: I am going to break the bow of Elam'' ( Jer. 49:35), and expanded that prophecy into one of his own in Jer. 28:2, ``Thus said the L ORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: I hereby break the yoke of the king of Babylon'' (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 18:20±22

NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

the name of other godsÐthat prophet shall die.''

21

And

OJPS

IK OK ZCE

speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall

21

And if thou say in thy heart: ``How shall we know the

should you ask yourselves, ``How can we know that the oracle

die.''

was not spoken by the L ORD?''Ð22if the prophet speaks in the

word which the L ORD hath not spoken?''

name of the L ORD and the oracle does not come true, that oracle

speaketh in the name of the L ORD, if the thing follow not, nor

was not spoken by the L ORD; the prophet has uttered it presumptuously: do not stand in dread of him.

RASHI and permit the permitted. That prophet shall die. By strangulation. There

are three such ``prophets'' who are put to death by human courts: one who prophesies something that he never heard, one who prophesies something that was spoken not to him but to a different prophet, and one who prophesies in the name of idolatry. But one who fails to utter a prophecy he has been given and one who transgresses the word of a prophet (even if the prophet is himself) are put to death at the hands of heaven: ``I myself will call him to account'' (v. 19).

21 And should you ask yourselves.

22

When a prophet

come to pass, that is the thing which the

ÌÈ‰Ï ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÌLa −¥ § ¯a„È ¥½ © § ¯L ´¤ ‡Â £ © ¯a„Ï ¥½ © § ÆÂÈ˙Èeˆ ¦ ¦¦ ¯Ó‡˙ −© Ÿ ÈΠ¬ ¦ § 21 :‡e‰‰ « © ‡È·p‰ ¬ ¦ ¨ © ˙Óe −¥ ÌȯÁ‡ ®¦ ¥ £ Ÿ ¯L -‡Ï ¬¤ ‡ £ ¯·c‰-˙‡ ¨½ ¨ © ¤ Ú„ ´© ¥ ƉÎȇ ¨ ¥ E··Ïa ®¤ ¨ § ¦ 22 ¹¦ ¨ © ¯a„È ÌLa ´¥ § ‡È·p‰ ¥¸ © § Á¯L ¤‡ £ :‰Â‰È «¨ § B¯a„ −§ ¦ Ÿ ´ § Ư·c‰ ½ ¨ ‡Ï À¨ § ‡e‰´ ‡B·È ¨ ¨ © ‰È‰È-‡Ï ³¤ § ¦ Ÿ « § ‰Â‰È B¯ac ´ § ¦ ÆÔB„Êa ¨ § ‰Â‰È ®¨ § B¯a„-‡Ï − § ¦ Ÿ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ¯·c‰ ¨½ ¨ © Ÿ ¬ ‡È·p‰ ½¦ ¨ © Ò :epnÓ «¤ ¦ ¯e‚˙ − ¨ ‡Ï ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why is it assumed

that the Israelites will ask, ``How can we know that the oracle was not spoken by the LORD?'' (v. 21), and not ``How can we know that the oracle

was spoken by the

LORD?'' For we are given two commandments here: both to heed the words of a true prophet and to put the false prophet to death. There should be a matching question for each.

F Similarly, v. 22 gives us a method

Rather, ``When you ask yourselves.'' This to determine who is the false prophet who is to die, would be when the prophet Hananiah son of but how are we to determine who is the true prophet Azzur says, ``The vessels of the House of the whom we must heed? (A true prophet's words may LORD shall shortly be brought back from also fail to come true if the person or nation they are Babylon'' (Jer. 27:16), and Jeremiah moans spoken about subsequently sins or repents.) that even the vessels that were not taken when King Jeconiah was exiledÐthe columns and the tank and so forthÐ``shall be brought to Babylon'' (Jer. 27:22) when King Zedekiah is exiled.

L ORD hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

RASHBAM 22 And the oracle does not come true. The assumption is that

there are no intervening good deeds or a change of heart that might lead the Holy One to change His mind. After all, Hezekiah's prayer [E] saved his life, and when God saw that the Ninevites ``were turning back from their evil ways'' He ``renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them'' (Jon. 3:10).

[E] See 2 Kings 20.

IBN EZRA 22 If the prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the oracle does not come true, that oracle was not spoken by the LORD. As Jeremiah put it,

``If a prophet prophesies good fortune, then only when the word of the prophet comes true can it be known that the LORD really sent him'' (Jer. 28:9).

22 If the prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the oracle does not come true. Again the text really says, ``when'' the prophet speaks and you see that the oracle does not come true, that oracle was not spoken by the LORDÐso kill him. But we have already learned about the case where a prophet says, ``I am telling you at the behest of the Holy

One to do such-and-such'' in 13:4. One must not listen to such a prophet except in the case of one who is already established as perfectly righteous. For example, Elijah, who sacri®ced at Mount Carmel at a time when sacri®ces were permitted only in Jerusalem, in order to get Israel under control. It all depends on the needs of the momentÐwhatever it takes to fence in the breach. That is why we are told, ``him

NAHMANIDES

Peor [K] warned me that you must observe the commandment of lulav,'' [L] that he is to be put to death, let alone by strangulation. In fact, that is permissible. But if he tells you to do so in order to worship some abomination, that is a false prophet who is trying to get you to commit idolatry. Even if he says this in the name of the Lord, he must be put to death by stoning. But if he says, ``I saw PeorÐwho is GodÐand he commands you not to eat pork,'' or if he tells you in Peor's name that this or that is going to happen, then (having made the claim that this idol is the One who says and does, decrees and ful®lls his decrees), he must be put to death by strangulation. What is at stake, as Elijah said, is this: ``If the LORD is God, follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!'' (1 Kings 18:21). Similarly, as the Talmud explains, when the 400 prophets told Ahab, ``March, and the LORD will deliver it into Your Majesty's hands'' (1 Kings 22:6), their intent was to say that Baal was ``the Lord'' who would deliver Ramoth-gilead into Ahab's hands. 21 And should you ask yourselves, ``How can we know that the oracle was not spoken by the LORD?'' The explanation of the Sifrei (for which, see Rashi's comment) is based on the fact that the text does not say ``if'' you ask (despite OJPS), but ``when'' you ask. (See similarly my comment to ``should you act wickedly'' of 4:25.) The Torah hints at the future only allusively; the primary meaning of the verse is indeed, ``if'' you should ask how to know whether the prophet is one who must be put to death. But they should also have asked, ``How can we know when an oracle is spoken by the Lord and we must therefore obey it?'' 22 If...the oracle does not come true, that oracle was not spoken by the LORD. And this answers the unspoken second question as well. With any prophet, we expect what he says about the future to come true. If it does not, we know he is a false prophet and must be put to death. We need not ``stand in dread'' of his wisdom or skill in performing a sign. If everything he says does come true, then we know he is ``trustworthy as a prophet of the LORD'' (1 Sam. 3:20), and we must heed him. We must even obey if he tells us to violate the Torah, if the situation calls for it, as with Elijah offering sacri®ce on Mount Carmel. [M] The prophet must con®rm that he is ``like Moses,'' either by performing signs (as Moses did in Exod. 4:30±31) or by accurately predicting the future (which itself is a sign). If he does so, then ``if anybody fails to heed the words he speaks in My name, I myself will call him to account'' (v. 19); see the talmudic discussion on B. Sanh. 89b. I don't think Rashi is correct when he says that such a prophet must be known to be ``perfectly righteous.'' It is

[K] Peor is the rabbinic exemplar of an idolatrous god (see Numbers 25). in Jerusalem.

[L] See Lev. 23:40.

[M] See 1 Kings 18. It was forbidden to offer sacri®ce anywhere but at the Temple

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 21 How can we know that the oracle was not spoken by the LORD? More precisely, ``How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'' (see OJPS). This refers speci®cally to a case where two prophets have spoken and they contradict each other (Abarbanel). It refers to a commandment issued in emergency circumstances. Such a commandment is always con®rmed by a sign, like the ®re that descended from the Lord in 1 Kings 18:38 (Sforno). 22 Uttered it. The Hebrew verb form is the same as that of ``spoken by [the LORD]'' here and in v. 21; it occurs nowhere else but these three places (Masorah).

128

129 DEUTERONOMY 19:1±5

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SHOFETIM

JK OK ZCE

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2

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RASHI you shall heed'' (v. 15). Do not BÏ− ‡N-‡Ï RASHBAM 19:5 The ax-head. LiterŸ ‡e‰Â ¬¥Ÿ ² § ˙Ú„-ÈÏ·a © ½© ¦ § ¦ Æe‰Ú¯-˙‡ ¥Æ ¥ ¤ ally, ``the iron.'' For a similar usage, see ``If stand in dread of him. Do not be afraid of anything he says to frighten you; do not refrain from testifying against him; and do not stand in dread of being punished on his account.

19:3 You shall survey the distances.

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If someone kills anRather, ``you shall indicate the direction.'' other person ``unwittingly'' (v. 4), why must he ¯ee to At each crossroads there was a sign with a city of refuge? Either he is guilty and deserves death, ``Refuge'' written on it. Divide into three or he is not guilty and does not deserve exile! ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

parts the territory of the country. That is,

locate the three cities in such a way as to divide the territory equally. The distance from the border to the ®rst city of refuge should be the same as the distances from the ®rst city of refuge to the second, the second to the third, and the third to the opposite border. Rather, as Onkelos translates, ``his hand slips on the ax'' so that he strikes an awkward blow against the tree.

5 As his hand swings the ax to cut down a tree.

NAHMANIDES

The ax-head

IBN EZRA 19:2 You shall set aside three cities in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. After

explaining that the land must be cleansed of soothsayers and the likeÐall of which are forms of idolatryÐthe text goes on to warn that the land must also not be made unclean by the spilling of innocent blood.

3 You shall survey the distances.

Rather, ``you shall prepare the road'' (compare OJPS). The cities of refuge must be located where prepared roads run through inhabited areas. It is not clear whether the Hebrew verb means to assign various parts of the country to each of the three cities, or to locate each city in onethird of the country. The Hebrew verb is intransitive. [E] This

Divide into three parts the territory of the country.

merely that his prophecies are considered trustworthy because up to now they have proven true. That is as much the ``sign'' by which a prophet proves himself as a sign performed in front of us. Perhaps Rashi meant what Maimonides says in the Mishneh Torah: when a prophet is sent, he is given a sign that will convince the people that God truly sent him. But not everyone who performs a sign is believed, unless he was already known to the people as someone whose wisdom and pious behavior, greater than Ibn Ezra does not say what this implies, but see Rashi's anyone else of his generation, made him worthy of receiving prophecy. If such a person [E] comment. performs a sign, we are commanded to heed him. Admittedly, not every such person really is a prophet; there may be something else going on. Nonetheless, if he is a man worthy of prophecy, we must take him at his word and heed him, just as we decide cases in court on the word of two quali®ed witnesses. They might indeed be lying, but since they are quali®ed witnesses, we give them the bene®t of the doubt. All such matters fall under the category of ``Concealed acts concern the LORD our God'' (29:28) and ``Man sees only what is visible, but the LORD sees into the heart'' (1 Sam. 16:7).

5 His hand swings the ax. The ax-head.

19:2 You shall set aside three cities.

This too is further clari®cation of a commandment that has already been given. [N] According to v. 1, the Israelites are not obligated to ful®ll this commandment until they have conquered the land and settled it. That is in fact what happened; see Joshua 20. Rather, ``you shall prepare the way'' (compare OJPS)Ðthere must be clear roads leading directly to them, and signs at every road crossing marked ``Refuge.'' This too is new. This section provides further clari®cation on determining whether a killing was ``unwitting.'' Our Sages provide many midrashim in explanation of this section.

3 You shall survey the distances. Divide into three parts the territory of the country. 4 Now this is the case of the manslayer who may ¯ee there and live. 5 For instance, a man goes with his neighbor into a grove to cut wood.

[N] See Exod. 21:12±13 and Numbers 35.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19: This chapter issues the commandments directed at the judges; those directed at the king follow in ch. 20; the commandment of 21:1±9 involves the priests along with the judges (Sforno). 3 You shall survey the distances. Rather, ``you shall prepare the road''Ðif there are rivers, they must be bridged; and the road must be wide enough so that no one will get stuck (Gersonides). Divide into three parts the territory of the country. It was 100 leagues from the southern border to Hebron, 100 more to Shechem, 100 more to Kedesh, and 100 more from there to the northern border (Hizkuni). The country is to be divided into three equal parts, with a city of refuge centrally located in each (Gersonides). V. 5 demonstrates that even if he had been his enemy in the past, the circumstances of the death may indicate that it was not premeditated murder (Abarbanel).

4 Without having been his enemy in the past.

DEUTERONOMY 19:5±9

NJPS

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SHOFETIM

handle and strikes the other so that he dies. That man

OJPS

JK OK ZCE

slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor,

shall ¯ee to one of these cities and live.Ð6Otherwise, when the

that he die; he shall ¯ee unto one of these cities and live; 6lest the

distance is great, the blood-avenger, pursuing the manslayer in

avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and

hot anger, may overtake him and kill him; yet he did not incur

overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally;

the death penalty, since he had never been the other's enemy.

7

That is why I com-

mand you: set aside three cities. 8

And when the L ORD your God en-

larges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land that He promised to give your fathersÐ9if you faithfully observe all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day, to love the L ORD your God and to walk in His ways at

RASHI ¯ies off the handle. The same Hebrew word is used for a tree and for a piece of wood. The translations follow the opinion of some of the Sages, but others of the Sages read the verse this way: ``The axhead slices a sliver of wood'' off the tree that is being chopped down, which shoots off and kills him.

6 The blood-avenger, pursuing the manslayer in hot anger, may overtake him. That is why I am telling you to have many such cities and to make sure the directions to them are indicated clearly.

whereas he was not deserving of death,

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Why is the blood

avenger permitted to ``overtake him and kill him'' (v. 6) if ``he did not incur the death penalty''? By doing so, the avenger himself becomes simply a murderer.

inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. 7Wherefore I command thee, saying: ``Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.'' 8

And if the L ORD thy God enlarge thy

border, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathersÐ 9if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love the L ORD thy God, and to walk ever in His waysÐ

RASHBAM

the ax has become dull'' (Eccles. 10:10). Flies off the handle. Rather, it ``chips off a sliver from the tree'' that he is chopping down. For this to kill a man could not possibly be anything but an accident. 6 Otherwise. If there were not at least three such cities, dispersed throughout the country. As NJPS makes clear, this verse picks up from v. 3.

8 When the LORD your God enlarges your territory. By giving you the territory

8 When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers. of all 10 of the nations He promised to To give you the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, ``if you faithfully Abraham in Genesis 15. [F] observe all this Instruction'' (v. 9). [F] See Rashi's comment to this verse and to 2:5.

NAHMANIDES 8 When the LORD your God enlarges your territory. This passage refers not to the original conquest of Canaan, but to a later stage; see my comment to 12:20. Note that our chapter ®rst refers to the time ``When the LORD your God has cut down the nations whose land the LORD your God is assigning to you'' (v. 1) and now to further enlargement. The ``nations'' of v. 1 are the famous seven nations of Canaan referred to in 7:1, 7:22, 9:4, 11:23, 20:16, and many other places. The commandment of vv. 1±7 is ful®lled by setting aside ``three cities'' (v. 7) in Canaan, just as described in Num. 35:13±14; those three plus the three across the Jordan [O] are all that are commanded anywhere in the Torah. For that commandment, like everything else the Israelites were commanded to do after they conquered and settled the land, took effect after the conquest of the original seven nations. The enlargement of territory mentioned here, and the three extra cities of refuge it would necessitate, are not promised to the Israelites (as was the conquest of the seven nations) but are conditional on their obedience. As He swore to your fathers. This is an allusion to the ten nations that were to be given to Abraham. [P] 9 If you faithfully observe all this Instruction. It is clear that the Israelites' failure to observe this so frequently repeated condition (e.g., 4:1, 11:22±23, 27:3) would result in their not dispossessing even the original seven nations. When AchanÐjust one manÐ violated the commandment that the spoils of battle with the Canaanites were to be proscribed, the Lord announced, ``The Israelites will not be able to hold their ground against their enemies; they will have to turn tail'' (Josh. 7:12). So what can it mean to apply this condition only to the three nations of the later stage of ``enlarging your territory''? The explanation is as follows: The Holy One wished them to gain possession of the land of the seven nations, which He had promised them in Egypt and in the wilderness, right [O] Already set up by Moses; see 4:41. [P] See Rashi's comment to ``as a possession to Esau'' (2:5). ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5 That man shall ¯ee to one of these cities and live.

IBN EZRA noun is related to the verb in ``I am from before Your eyes'' (Ps. 31:23). Flies off the handle. The verb is cut off

intransitive, as in ``your olives shall drop off'' (28:40), though the same verb is used transitively in ``He dislodges many nations before you'' (7:1). One great grammarian ®nds a similar example (of a verb that can be either transitive or intransitive) in 5:19 and Jer. 45:3, but I consider both those examples transitive. 6 And kill him. Literally, ``and strike him a life-blow,'' that is, strike a blow at a place where his life can depart.

8 When the LORD your God enlarges your territory. Rather, ``if'' (OJPS) he does so, which is conditional on the behavior described in v. 9.

9 If you faithfully observe all this Instruction. Rather, ``this commandment'' (OJPS), to provide three cities of refuge. To walk in His ways. Keeping all the rest of the commandments. At all times. Without intermission.

The cities of refuge cannot be so big that a blood avenger would not be noticed, nor so small that they could not prevent the avenger from seizing the killer; they must be of average size. Moreover, a student's teacher and a teacher's students are exiled there with himÐfor Torah is life (Hizkuni). But if he was cutting wood in a place where there are usually no other people, and he did not know the other man was there, he need not take refuge (Gersonides). 6 The blood-avenger, pursuing the manslayer in hot anger, may overtake him. This refers to the period before the case has been adjudicated. But once it has been ruled that he need not ¯ee (see my comment to v. 5), if the blood avenger kills him he is put to death for doing so (Gersonides). Yet he did not incur the death penalty. All the punishments in the world cannot prevent inadvertent acts (Abarbanel).

130

131 DEUTERONOMY 19:9±14 NJPS three.

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

all timesÐthen you shall add three more towns to those 10

Thus blood of the innocent will not be shed, bringing

OJPS

JK OK ZCE

then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside

these three;

10

that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy

bloodguilt upon you in the land that the L ORD your God is

land, which the L ORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance,

allotting to you.

and so blood be upon thee.

11

If, however, a person who is the enemy of another lies in

wait for him and sets upon him and strikes him a fatal blow and then ¯ees to one of these towns,

11

But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him,

and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die; and

12

the el-

Ÿ ¬ ¨ © ÏÚ Ÿ ´ ¨ Æ„BÚ EÏ ½ ¦ ¨ LÏL :‰l¤ ‡‰ «¥ ¨ LÏM‰ −© ÌÈ¯Ú ¬§ back from there and shall hand him over Ÿ ³ § 10 ƯL ½ § § © ·¯˜a ½¦ ¨ Ìc´¨ ÆCÙMÈ ¤‡ £ Eˆ¯‡ ¤ ´¤ § Ș ¥ ¨ ¦ ‡Ï to the blood-avenger to be put to death; −¤ ¨ ‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ § ‰ÏÁ ®¨ £ © EÏ − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï EÈÏÚ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § you must show him no pity. Thus you will purge Israel of the blood of the innoÒ :ÌÈÓc «¦ ¨ cent, and it will go well with you. ÆBÏ ·¯‡Â © ³¨ § e‰Ú¯Ï ¥½ ¥ § ‡N ´¥Ÿ ÆLȇ¦ ‰È‰È-ÈΠ¬¤ § ¦ « ¦ § 11 You shall not move your coun˙Á‡-Ï −© © ‡¤ Ò ¨¾ § ˙Ó ®¥ ¨ LÙ ¤ −¤ e‰k‰Â ¬¨ ¦ § ÂÈÏÚ ¨½ ¨ ̘ ´¨ § tryman's landmarks, set up by previous ½ ¦ È˜Ê eÁ˜Ï ¬ § ¨ § B¯ÈÚ ´¥ § ¦ ÆeÁÏL § «¨ § 12 :χ‰ «¥ ¨ Ìȯډ ¬¦ ¨ ¤ RASHI 9 Then you shall add three Ìc‰ À Ÿ e˙ ¥ Ÿ „Èa ²© § B˙‡ ´ § ¨ § ÌMÓ ®¨ ¦ B˙‡ −Ÿ more towns to those three. Making a to- −¨ © Ϭ‡b ¯¨ § © « ¦ ÂÈÏÚ ®¨ ¨ EÈÚ − § «¥ ÒBÁ˙-‡Ï ¬ ¨ Ÿ 13 :˙Ó «¥ ¨ tal of nineÐthree east of the Jordan, [G] z¯Ú·e three in Canaan, and these three to be K[[ Ò :CÏ«¨ ·Bˬ § χ¯NiÓ −¥ ¨ § ¦ ¦ Șp‰-Ì„ «© ²¦ ¨ © added in the future. 14 Ÿ³ ½ £ «¥ Ïe·b ®¦ Ÿ ‡¯¦ eÏ·b − § ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÚ¯ ´ § Æ‚Èq˙ ¦ © ‡Ï 11 A person who is the enemy of an- ÌÈL ders of his town shall have him brought

13

14

he ¯ee into one of these cities;

12

then the

elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13

Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou

shalt put away the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with thee. 14

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's

landmark, which they of old time have set,

RASHBAM 14 You shall not move your countryman's landmarks. More

precisely, you shall not move them ``back,''

IBN EZRA 14 You shall not move your countryman's landmarks. It means

other and, as a result of his enmity, lies in to move them backward, obviously. You will wait for him. It is exactly this that led the Sages to say, ``One who transgresses a minor

commandment will end up transgressing a major one.'' Having violated ``You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart'' (Lev. 19:17), he ends up actually spilling blood. That is why our verse says (as it literally does), ``if any man hate his neighbor'' (OJPS), and not simply, ``If someone lies in wait for his neighbor and sets upon him and strikes him a fatal blow.'' 12 And shall hand him over to the blood-avenger to be put to death. After he is found guilty. 13 You must show him no pity. You must not say, ``One of them has already been killed. Why should we kill this one too? That would only give us dead Jews.'' Thus you will purge Israel of the blood of the innocent. That is, of the murder of innocent people. 14 You shall not move your countryman's landmarks. More precisely, you shall not move them ``backward,'' as in `` two

driven back

[G] Which Moses designated in 4:41.

NAHMANIDES awayÐin the days of Moses and Joshua. For it was clear to Him that they deserved that much. Therefore all the

commandments that would come into effect at this stage, including the six cities of refuge, were made obligatory. But the remaining three were dependent on everyone ful®lling the entire Torah. These extra three cities of refuge are the commandment that depends on this extra condition. To walk in His ways at all times. More literally, ``forever'' (compare OJPS). But who knows what is going to happen ``forever'' into the future? (Ibn Ezra's explanation is not correct.) The sense is this: When you gain the merit, by keeping all the commandments, of achieving complete, everlasting love of GodÐwhen it is clear to Him that you will never again sinÐthen He will enlarge your territory and give you the other nations. But this will not happen until the days when ``the LORD your God will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live'' (30:6). It is ``the hearts of your offspring'' that points to the days to come. This is the time referred to in the words of the prophet, ``I will give them a single heart and a single nature to revere Me for all time, and it shall be well with them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them and that I will treat them graciously; and I will put into their hearts reverence for Me, so that they do not turn away from Me'' (Jer. 32:39±40). Only then, when He makes an everlasting covenant with them, will they set aside these three additional cities. 13 You must show him no pity. The point of Rashi's comment (taken from the Sifrei) is that we must not show the same concern for the life of the living man that we do for the one who was killed. There is actually an af®rmative commandment to do away with him: ``You will sweep out evil from your midst'' (17:7). But crimes of extraordinary danger are strongly deterred by means of a prohibition like the one in our verse, ensuring that we do not refrain from ``sweeping out'' the evilÐwhether from fear or from compassion. See (e.g.) v. 21, with regard to the false witnesses; 13:9, one who entices to idolatry; and even 25:12 (see there), where one might hesitate to cut off the woman's hand either because fools might praise her for helping her husband or because embarrassment is relatively common and no monetary loss is involved. Similarly, we are told, ``You shall not tolerate a sorceress'' (Exod. 22:17), for she is ``laden with iniquity'' (Ezek. 22:5) and ``ensnares [many] with her sorcery'' (Nah. 3:4). It will go well with you. Removing the stain of innocent blood is a commandment, and it is a great bene®t to youÐit saves you from death! For showing compassion to murderers contributes to the spilling of more blood by the murderers and by others who defy social control. 14 You shall not move your countryman's landmarks. That is, one must not change the boundaries of the properties allocated by ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 Then you shall add three more towns to those three. To the three that I have already set aside east of the Jordan (Bekhor Shor). Since God's promise in 1 Kings 11:39 that He ``will chastise David's descendants, '' has still not been ful®lled, it is clear that this verse is speaking about the far future. In the words of Dan. 12:12, ``Happy the one who waits and reaches'' that time! (Gersonides). 11 If, however, a person who is the enemy of another lies in wait for him and sets upon him and strikes him a fatal blow. Rather, ``if he lies in wait for him sets upon him.'' These are two separate circumstances, one premeditated and one stemming from a quarrel that gets out of hand (Abarbanel). 14 You shall not move your countryman's landmarks. More generally, do not push someone out of your way to get what you only

though not forever

or

DEUTERONOMY 19:14±17

NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

generations, in the property that will be allotted to you

in the land that the L ORD your God is giving you to possess. 15

A

single

witness

may

not

offense that may be committed; a case can be valid only on the testimony of two wit-

another false

to

16

If a man appears against

testify

testimony

maliciously

against

him,

and 17

the

gives two

parties to the dispute shall appear before the L ORD, before the priests or magistrates

RASHI

in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the

land that the L ORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 15

validate

against a person any guilt or blame for any

nesses or more.

OJPS

and utterly shamed'' (Isa. 42:17). It means moving the marker that designates the property line back into the neighbor's land in order to increase your own. Now, we have already been told, ``You shall not commit robbery'' (Lev. 19:12), so what need is there of this? To say that someone who moves a landmark is violating two prohibitions, not just one. In the property that

JK OK ZCE

One witness shall not rise up against a

‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ ı¯‡a ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ÏÁz ©½ § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆE˙ÏÁa § «¨ £ © § «¨ § ¦ § EÏ − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï Ò :dzL¯Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ÿ ¨ ¨ § Lȇa À¦ § „Á‡ ÆÔÂÚ-ÏÎÏ ¨¹ ¤ „Ú¥¸ ÁÌe˜È-‡Ï ¨ Ÿ « 15 ‡ËÁÈ ®¨ ¡ «¤ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ‡ËÁ-ÏÎa § −¥ ¨ § ˙‡hÁ-ÏÎÏe ¨½ © ¨ § À¦ ¥ ÈL -‰LÏL «¨ Ÿ § Èt-ÏÚ ¬ ¦ © B‡² ÌÈ„Ú ´¥ § | Èt-ÏÚ ´¦ © ÒÓÁ-„Ú −¨ ¨ ¥ Ìe˜È-Èk ¬ ¨ « ¦ 16 :¯·c «¨ ¨ Ìe˜È ¬ ¨ ÌÈ„Ú −¦ ¥ 17 -ÈL «¥ § e„ÓÚ ¯§ ¨§ :‰¯Ò «¨ ¨ Ba− ˙BÚÏ ¬ £ © Lȇa ®¦ § ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ ·È¯‰ −¦ ¨ ̉Ï-¯L ¬¤ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ÌÈL‡‰ ²¦ ¨ £ ¨ ½¦ § Ÿ ´ © § ÆÌÈ‰k‰ eÈ‰È − § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌÈËÙM‰Â ¦ £ Ÿ « © ÈÙÏ ³¥ § ¦ ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why must we be

told that ``a case can be valid only on the testimony of two witnesses or more'' (v. 15) when we know this already from 17:6?

will be allotted to you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. unrighteous

witness

rise

up

16

against

If an any

man to bear perverted witness against him; 17

then both the men, between whom the

controversy

is,

shall

stand

before

the

L ORD, before the priests and the judges

RASHBAM thereby increasing your own property from what was set up by previous generations. IBN EZRA

®nd almost the same phrase in Proverbs: ``Do not remove the ancient boundary stone that your ancestors set up'' (Prov. 22:28). Moving such a landmark is the moral equivalent of destroying it. And it inevitably leads to quarrels, blows, and even murderÐthe discussion of which follows, along with the two witnesses that the person who claims the landmark has been moved must bring. Set up by previous generations. During the original allocation of the land. 15 For any offense. Whether it is murder, assault and battery, moving a landmark, or anything else. Two. Our verse uses the short form of the word; ``two or more witnesses'' of 17:6 uses the long form. 16 False testimony. The word used here for ``false'' is the same one translated ``disloyalty'' in 13:6.

But this rule applies only in the land of Israel. Outside the land, moving a landmark violates only ``You shall not commit robbery.'' 15 A single witness. This passage establishes a general principle that is applicable throughout the Torah: ``witness'' implies that there must be two witnesses unless it is speci®cally stated that a single witness is suf®cient. Any guilt or blame for any offense. Whether the offender would be subject to physical punishment or ®nancial punishment. But a single witness can subject him to taking an oath. If someone says, ``Give me back the mina that I lent you,'' the other replies, ``I don't owe you a thing,'' and a single witness testi®es that he does, he must swear that he does not. Only on the testimony of two witnesses. Literally, ``at the mouth of two witnesses'' (OJPS). They may not write down their testimony and mail it to the court; nor may an interpreter stand between the witnesses and the court. 16 And gives false testimony against him. Rather, he gives ``removed'' testimony. It is stricken from the record, as if he had never said it. This occurs when others testify, ``You could not have seen what you said you sawÐyou were with us that day in such-andsuch a place.'' 17 The two parties to the dispute shall appear. Literally, ``both the men . . . shall stand'' (OJPS), but in fact this refers to the witnesses. Calling them ``men'' teaches that women may not testify, and it teaches as well that the witnesses must testify standing. But this also applies to those ``between whom the controversy is'' (OJPS), that is, the disputants. Before the LORD. They should feel as if they are speaking before the Holy One Himself: ``Among the judges, He pronounces judgment'' (Ps. 82:1). In authority at the time. Jephthah in his generation was as good as Samuel in his. You must show them equal respect.

NAHMANIDES the chieftains, whether to the tribes as a whole or to individuals within them. Set up by previous generations. ``By the priest Eleazar, by Joshua son of Nun, and by the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes'' (Josh. 14:1). In the property that will be allotted to you in the land. A person should not think, ``The portion allotted to me is not equal to the portion

allotted to my neighborÐthose who apportioned it have made a mistake.'' Or he might criticize the lots that determined the distribution and convince himself that taking some extra land was in no way stealing it. Our verse, therefore, explicitly prohibits any change in the original boundaries, whether done secretly or openly. Again, this is a clari®cation of a commandment previously given: ``Each portion shall be assigned by lot, whether for larger or smaller groups'' (Num. 26:56). Numbers says quite explicitly, ``These are the names of the men through whom the land shall be apportioned for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun'' (Num. 34:17). The Sages, however, take ``you shall not move'' as adding a second violation to the crime of stealing land. They understand our verse to mean that one should not change the ancient boundaries and then claim, ``This is where they always were.'' It is equally forbidden to alter a brand-new boundary, but no one does this, as the crime would be immediately evident; the text speaks only of the more common occurrence. The Sifrei itself agrees that our verse prohibits changing tribal boundaries as well, and this is indeed the straightforward sense of the text.

17 The two parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests or magistrates in authority at the time.

See the comment to v. 19.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

want. As Isa. 5:8 exclaims, ``Ah, those who add house to house and join ®eld to ®eld, till there is room for none but you to dwell in the land!'' (Bekhor Shor). This kind of thing leads to quarrels, blows, and killing (Hizkuni). The territory of the cities of refuge must not be limited. It was necessary to state this because people are more inclined to steal from the public than from other individuals (Abarbanel). Set up by previous generations. But one who moves such a landmark to restore it to its original place does not transgress this commandment (Gersonides).

132

133 DEUTERONOMY 19:17±21 NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

in authority at the time,

18

and the magistrates shall

make a thorough investigation. If the man who testi®ed is a false witness, if he has testi®ed falsely against his fellow,

19

you shall do

OJPS

that shall be in those days.

18

JK OK ZCE

And the judges shall in-

quire diligently; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testi®ed falsely against his brother;

19

then shall ye do

to him as he schemed to do to his fellow.

unto him, as he had purposed to do unto

·Ëȉ ®¥ ¥ ÌÈËÙM‰ −¦ § Ÿ © eL¯„ ¬ § ¨ § 18 :̉‰ «¥ ¨ ÌÈÓia ¬¦ ¨ © :ÂÈÁ‡· « ¦ ¨ § ‰ ¬¨ Ú¨ ¯˜L ¤ −¤ „Ú‰ ¥½ ¨ Ư˜L-„Ú ¤ Ƥ «¥ ‰p‰Â ³¥ ¦ § such evil things will not again be done in ½ ÂÈÁ‡Ï ® ¦ ¨ § ˙BNÚÏ ´ £ © ÌÓÊ − © ¨ ¯L ¬ ¤ ‡k £ © BÏ Ì˙ÈNÚ ¤ ´ ¦ £ © 19 Nor must you show pity: life your midst. for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand Ìȯ‡Lp‰Â −¦ ¨ § ¦ © § 20 :Ea¯wÓ «¤ § ¦ ¦ Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ for hand, foot for foot. ¹ £ © eÙÒÈ-‡Ï ¸¦ Ÿ Ÿ « § e‡¯È „BÚÀ ˙BNÚÏ ®¨ ¦ § eÚÓLÈ ´ § § ¦ 21 Ÿ ¬ § :Ea¯˜a − ¨ ‡Ï «¤ § ¦ § ‰f‰ −¤ © Ú¯‰ ²¨ ¨ ¯·ck ¬¨ ¨ © RASHI 18 The magistrates shall make ÒBÁ˙ ¥½ § ÔL ´¥ ÆÔÈÚa ¦ ©Æ § ÔÈÚ ¦ ³© LÙa ¤ ¤À § LÙ ¤ ´¤ EÈÚ a thorough investigation. Of those who „Ȭ¨ ÔLa ®¤ ¥ testify that the original witnesses could not Ò :Ï‚¯a ¤ «¨ § Ï‚¯ ¤ ¬¤ „Èa −¨ §

his brother; so shalt thou put away the evil

Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst;

20

others will hear and be afraid, and

21

If the man who testi®ed is a false witness. Again, have seen what they claimed.

from the midst of thee. remain

shall

hear,

and

20

And those that

fear,

and

shall

henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee.

21

And thine eye shall

not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

IBN EZRA 18 If he has testi®ed falsely. Notice that ``answer'' (which the verb used here literally means) can also be used for ``testify.''

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F every time the text says ``a witness'' we un19 You shall do to him as he schemed derstand that there must be two witnesses. to do to his fellow. This applies not only 19 As he schemed to do. Not ``as he to the death penalty but also to whipping did,'' but ``as he schemed to do.'' Our Sages and monetary ®nes. derived from this that if he was actually 21 Nor must you show pity. To the killed, the false witnesses are not killed. His false witness. fellow. Literally, ``his brother'' (OJPS)Ðnot ``his sister.'' This implies that if the false witnesses testi®ed that the married daughter of a priest committed adultery, they are not burnt (as she would have been; see Lev. 21:9) but strangled (as the male partner would have been). But in all other cases of the death penalty, there is no distinction between male and female, and the false witnesses are put to death whether they schemed against a man or a woman. That is, if they falsely testify that a woman killed someone or desecrated the Sabbath, they are executed by the death she would have faced. Our verse applies only to the single case where he must be treated like ``his brother'' and not like ``his sister.'' 20 Others will hear and be afraid. From this we learn that the decision must be publicly announced: ``So-and-So and Such-andSuch have been executed for scheming to offer false testimony.'' 21 Eye for eye. That is, the value of an eye for an eye, and the same applies to the tooth and so on. If

the

false

wit-

nesses of v. 18 number two (as of course they must) and the opposing witnesses also number two, how are

we to know which of them are indeed lying? The rabbinic rule that false witnesses are to be put to death only if they ``schemed'' (v. 19) to do so, but not if they

actually succeeded in doing so, is even more puzzling and more troubling.

NAHMANIDES 18 The magistrates shall make a thorough investigation. If the man who testi®ed is a false witness.

The text does not explain how he is to be identi®ed as a false witness. If two witnesses testify to something, then even if 100 others come and refute them, we do not know for certain that they testi®ed falsely. It is not like a case where the presumptive murder victim walks into the courtroom; that would not require the magistrates to ``make a thorough investigation.'' So reliable tradition has explained to us the nature of the false witness described here: It refers to a case where new witnesses say to the original witnesses, ``No, you were with us at the time.'' The point is that they are not contradicting the original testimony but testifying independently that the witnesses could not have seen what they claimed to see. In these circumstances, we do not accept the denial of the original witnesses, any more than we would if they were accused of murder or violating the Sabbath. 19 You shall do to him as he schemed to do to his fellow. See Rashi's comment (which is taken from rabbinic literature). The point is that this law is simply a decree of the Ruler. Even though it is two against two, if two witnesses testify that Reuben killed someone and two others testify that the ®rst two witnesses could not have seen what they claimed, the text commands that the ®rst witnesses be put to death. We assume that Reuben was indeed innocent and the second set came to save him from being executed. Had he indeed been guilty, the Holy One would not have saved him, for ``I will not acquit the wrongdoer'' (Exod. 23:7). But if the execution has already taken place, we assume that he was indeed guilty. Otherwise, ``the LORD will not abandon him to his power; He will not let him be condemned in judgment'' (Ps. 37:33). Nor would the Lord permit the judges to spill innocent blood by executing someone who was not in fact guilty, ``for judgment is God's'' (1:17) and He judges in their midst. The con®dence that the Holy One agrees with their rulings and is with them when they pass judgment marks the judges of Israel as having high stature indeed. That is why v. 17 tells us that the two parties ``appear before the LORD'' when they appear ``before the priests or magistrates.'' The Holy One will lead them on the path of truth. I have already discussed this in my comment to Exod. 21:6. 20 Others will hear and be afraid, and such evil things will not again be done in your midst. See my comment to 21:18.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 18 The magistrates shall make a thorough investigation. This falls within their duties as magistrates, not as priests (Abarbanel). 19 As he schemed to do. It would seem logical that he should all the more so be killed if his scheme succeededÐbut we do not

impose punishments that are merely derived by logic (Bekhor Shor). Whatever punishment he schemed to in¯ict should be in¯icted on him. But if that is not possibleÐfor instance, a layman schemed to disqualify someone from the priesthoodÐthen he is whipped for violating Exod. 20:13 (Gersonides). 20 Such evil things will not again be done in your midst. Some take this as the express commandment to ``commit no more any such evil'' (OJPS) as the false testimony described here; others say that prohibition is expressed in Exod. 20:13, ``You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor'' (Bekhor Shor). If witnesses were to treat such scheming lightly, it would damage the body politic (Gersonides). 21 Nor must you show pity. To one who deserves death. But you must show pity to the potential soldiers of 20:5±8 (Hizkuni). Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. These are clearly injuries that no one can scheme to in¯ict by testifying falselyÐmore proof that monetary payment is meant here. We learn further that the hand is as superior to the foot as the eye is to the tooth (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 20:1±4

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

M OK ZCE

NJPS 20 When you take the ®eld against your enemies, OJPS 20 When thou goest forth to battle against thine and see horses and chariotsÐforces larger than yoursÐhave no enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than fear of them, for the LORD your God, who brought you from the thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God land of Egypt, is with you. 2Before you join battle, the priest shall is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2And come forward and address the troops. 3He it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the shall say to them, ``Hear, O Israel! You are battle, that the priest shall approach and ¤À § Ÿ © ‰ÓÁÏnÏ ¨¹ ¨ § ¦ © ‡ˆ˙-Èk ¥¸ ¥ « ¦ about to join battle with your enemy. Let Eȷȇ-ÏÚ speak unto the people, 3and shall say unto not your courage falter. Do not be in fear, ‡¯È˙ Ÿ ¬ EnÓ ½ § ¦ ·¯´© ÌÚ© μ Ʒί −¨ ¦ ‡Ï ¤ Ƥ ¨ ÒeÒ³ ˙ȇ¯Â ¨ ¹¦ ¨ « § them: ``Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies; let or in panic, or in dread of them. 4For it is EÏÚn‰ ¨½ ¦ ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-Èk ³¨ § « ¦ Ì‰Ó ®¤ ¥ the LORD your God who marches with − § © «© © CnÚ not your heart faint; fear not, nor be −¤ § ¨ «¨ § ‰È‰Â ¨¾ ¨ § :ÌȯˆÓ ¦ «¨ § ¦ ı¯‡Ó ¤ ¬¤ ¥ alarmed, neither be ye affrighted at them; you to do battle for you against your en- -χ¤ Ìη¯˜k emy, to bring you victory.'' :ÌÚ‰-Ï «¨ ¨ ‡¤ ¯a„ ¬¤ ¦ § Ô‰k‰ −¥ Ÿ © Lb ¬© ¦ § ‰ÓÁÏn‰ ®¨ ¨ § ¦ © 4for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to ®ght for you against your eneÌÈ·¯˜ ¬ ¦ ¥ § Ìz‡ ¤¸ © χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ÚÓL ´© § ÆÌ‰Ï ¤ ¥‡ £ ¯Ó‡Â ³© ¨ § RASHI 20:1 When you take the ®eld. C¯È-Ï mies, to save you.'' ´© ¥ ‡© ÌÎȷȇ-ÏÚ ®¤ ¥ § Ÿ © ‰ÓÁÏnÏ −¨ ¨ § ¦ © ÌBi‰ ²©

Î

2

3

Literally, ``when you go forth to battle'' (compare OJPS). We learn from the juxta- -χ © § eÊtÁz-Ï ² § § © ‡Â «© § e‡¯Èz-Ï ¯ § « ¦ ‡© Ìη·Ï ¤À § © § IBN EZRA 20:1 When you take the position with the previous verse that one ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Èk¦ μ4 :̉ÈtÓ «¤ ¥ § ¦ eˆ¯Úz − § © «© ®eld against your enemies. You must also who has lost an eye (or the like) does not go show no pity to those who are obligated to −¤ ¥ § Ÿ ¦ ÌÎÏ ²¤ ¨ ÌÁl‰Ï ¬¥ ¨ ¦ § ÌÎnÚ ®¤ ¨ ¦ Cω‰ −¥ Ÿ © ®ghtÐbut you should show pity to those in forth to battle. Another reading: If the magis- ÌÎȷȇ-ÌÚ trates govern the people with justice, you are :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ ÚÈLB‰Ï © ¬¦ § the categories described in vv. 6±8. guaranteed that when you take the ®eld you 2 The priest. The Priest Anointed for will be victorious. As David said: ``I have ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Don't the words of Battle. done what is just and right; do not abandon the Priest Anointed for Battle in vv. 3±4 contradict 3 Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in me to those who would wrong me'' (Ps. those of the of®cials in vv. 5±8? The Priest reminds dread of them. Do not fear, in your heart; 119:121). Against your enemies. When them to have no fear, since the Lord is marching with do not panic, and run away; do not show you go forth to battle, you must consider them, and the of®cials proceed to suggest that they dread of them, by your actions. your opponents enemies. Show them no might in fact die! mercy, for they would show no mercy to you. Horses and chariots. The Hebrew words are singular. ``In My eyes they are but a single horse and a single chariot.'' We see the same elsewhere. Translating literally, ``For the horse of Pharaoh . . . went into the sea'' (Exod. 15:19); ``I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian like one man'' (Judg. 6:16). Forces larger than yours. Literally, ``from yours'': forces that are larger from your perspectiveÐnot from Mine. 2 Before you join battle. More literally, when you ``draw nigh'' to it (OJPS)Ðwhen you are about to cross the border. The priest shall come forward. The priest who is appointed for this task. This is the priest known in rabbinic literature as the Priest Anointed for Battle. And address the troops. In Hebrew. 3 Hear, O Israel! Even if you have no merit other than the fact that you recite the ``Hear, O Israel'' prayer, that is enough for Him to give you victory. Your enemy. They are not your kinsmen; if you fall into their hands, they will show you no mercy. It is not like the war between Judah and Israel, where they ``proceeded to take the captives in hand, and with the booty they clothed all the naked among themÐthey clothed them and shod them and gave them to eat and drink and anointed them and provided donkeys for all who were failing and brought them to Jericho, the city of palms, back to their kinsmen'' (2 Chron. 28:15). No, you are going forth to face enemies, so ®ght ®ercely. Let not your courage falter. Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in dread of them. These four instructions correspond to the four things that the other nations do. They knock their shields against each other to make a noise that will frighten their opponents into running away; they make their horses stomp and neigh; with their own voices, they yell; and they blow horns and other noisemakers. So: ``Let not your courage falter'' at the sound of their horses. ``Do not be in fear'' of their shields, or ``in panic'' at the horns, ``or in dread'' of their yelling. 4 For it is the LORD your God. That is, the Ark. Who marches with you to do battle for you. They expect victory by means of ¯esh and blood, and you expect victory by means of the Holy One. Remember what happened when the Philistines expected Goliath to bring them victory: he fell and they fell with him.

NAHMANIDES 20:1 When you take the ®eld against your enemies, and see horses and chariotsÐforces larger than yoursÐhave no fear of them. This is a new commandment, since they are now about to go to war. 4 For it is the LORD your God who marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory. That is

why they must ``have no fear'' (v. 1). They must not trust in their own valor and say, ``We are warriors, valiant men for war'' (Jer. 48:14), but must turn their hearts to the Lord and trust that He will give them victory: ``He does not prize the strength of horses, nor value the ¯eetness of men; but the LORD values those who fear Him, those who depend on His faithful care'' (Ps. 147:10±11). The Lord Himself will do battle against their enemies, felling them with the sword. Not only will He ®ght for them, but He will ``save'' them (OJPS)Ðnot a man of them will fall, though under ordinary circumstances even a victorious army might also lose many of its own soldiers. Joshua cried out to the Lord, ``Why did You lead this people across the Jordan only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to be destroyed by them?'' (Josh. 7:7), when the men of Ai killed just 36 Israelites. For in a war that he was commanded by God to ®ght, not a hair of their heads should have fallen: ``For the battle is the LORD's'' (1 Sam. 17:47).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 20:1 Have no fear of them. Fear demonstrates a lack of faith and interferes with clear thinking (Abarbanel). The LORD your God...is with you. That is, His sacred utensils, like the Ark and the trumpets (Hizkuni). 3 He shall say to them. For the troops to heed him, the priest who says this must be high ranking; but such a man would not shout. The words must therefore be repeated and proclaimed by another priest (Gersonides). Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in dread of them. But go ahead and send those in the categories of vv. 5±8 home. Do not worry that you will be left with too few troops (Bekhor Shor).

134

135 DEUTERONOMY 20:5±7

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the of®cials shall address the troops, as follows: OJPS 5And the of®cers shall speak unto the people, saying: ``Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not dedi- ``What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not cated it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the another dedicate it. 6Is there anyone who battle, and another man dedicate it. 6And has planted a vineyard but has never har- -ÈÓ Ÿ ¥ ÌÚ‰-Ï ´¨ ¨ ‡¤ »ÌȯËM‰ ¦ § Ÿ « © e¯a„ ´ § ¦ § 5 what man is there that hath planted a vine« ¦ ¼¯Ó‡Ï vested it? Let him go back to his home, lest Ÿ ´ § ÆL„Á-˙È· ½ ¨ £ ‡Ï º¦ ¨ yard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? BÎÁ ¨ ¨ ¦ «© ‰a ³¨ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ Lȇ‰ he die in battle and another harvest it. 7Is let him go and return unto his house, lest Ÿ ´ ¨ § CÏÈ ¨½ ¨ § ¦ © Æ˙eÓÈ-Ôt ¨ ¤ B˙È·Ï ® ¥ § ·LÈ −¥ ¥ he die in the battle, and another man use there anyone who has paid the bride-price ‰ÓÁÏna º¦ ¨ « ¦ 6 :epÎÁÈ ¤‡ £ Lȇ‰-ÈÓe «¤ § § © ¯Á‡ −¥ © Lȇ ¬ ¦ § the fruit thereof. 7And what man is there for a wife, but who has not yet married her? -¯L Let him go back to his home, lest he die in B˙È·Ï Ÿ ´ ¨ § CÏÈ Ÿ ´ § Æ̯k ½ § ¦ ‡Ï ® ¥ § ·LÈ −¥ ¥ BÏlÁ ¤ ¤Æ ÚË ¬© ¨ that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his «¤ § © § ¯Á‡ −¥ © Lȇ ¬ ¦ § ‰ÓÁÏna ¨½ ¨ § ¦ © Æ˙eÓÈ-Ôt ¨ ¤ house, lest he die in the battle, and another RASHI 5 But has not dedicated it. :epÏlÁÈ Ÿ ´ § ƉM‡ º¦ ¨ « ¦ 7 ¨½ ¨ § ‡Ï ¨ ¦ N¯‡-¯L ³© ¥ ¤ ‡ £ Lȇ‰-ÈÓe That is, has not moved into it. The Hebrew dÁ˜Ï

NJPS

5Then

word translated ``dedicate'' simply refers ‰ÓÁÏna Ÿ ´ ¨ § CÏÈ ¨½ ¨ § ¦ © Æ˙eÓÈ-Ôt ¨ ¤ B˙È·Ï ® ¥ § ·LÈ −¥ ¥ to the beginning of an activity. Lest he die in battle and another dedicate it. This ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why should the categories of men described in vv. 5±7 be more afraid thought would weigh on his mind. 6 But has never harvested it. Rather, than anyone else? ``has never turned it to secular use'' by redeeming its fruit in the fourth year [H] or by selling it for money that he will spend on food to eat in Jerusalem. [I] Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle. He had better go back home, for if he does not heed the words of the priest he deserves to die.

RASHBAM 20:5 Let him go back to his home. If he is ``disheartened'' and

afraid that he is fated to die. For some people would worry, ``I am fated not to dedicate my house'' (or ``marry my wife'' or ``harvest my vineyard'')Ð``and that is why fate is sending me to war now.'' So they would be afraid they were going to die. After specifying the three cases of vv. 5±7, v. 8 is added [H] See Lev. 19:23±25. [I] See 14:22±26. as a catchall, as if to say, ``The three cases we mentioned and anything else.'' EcclesiNAHMANIDES 5 Lest he die in battle. The priest, who is a servant of the Lord, astes uses a similar technique, enumerating warns them to fear none but God, and speaks reassuringly to them. But the of®cials speak three similar things and then summarizing in more down-to-earth fashion. For in ordinary wars, even people on the victorious side them in a general statement: ``What real do die. The three categories mentioned here in vv. 5±7 involve soldiers who are thinking value is there for a man in all the gains he makes beneath the sun?'' (1) ``One generaabout their house, their vineyard, or their wife and might end up running away. 6 But has never harvested it. Because it is not yet four years old. The unusual word tion goes, another comes, but the earth refor harvesting grapes is related to the word for ``¯ute,'' because the custom was that the mains the same forever''; (2) ``The sun rises, ®rst harvest from a vineyard was celebrated with dancing and ¯ute music. The verse and the sun setsÐand glides back to where describing the ®rst harvest of a fruit tree uses a similar word: ``In the fourth year all its fruit it rises''; (3) ``All streams ¯ow into the sea, shall be set aside for jubilation before the LORD'' (Lev. 19:24). Alternatively, the ``harvest'' yet the sea is never full; to the place [from] verb here may imply that the one who planted it has not yet had a chance to redeem it which they ¯ow the streams ¯ow back (as the Sages describe) for secular use. In this case, it would be related to the words used in again''Ðafter which he concludes, ``All such ``that he may not profane his offspring'' (Lev. 21:15) and ``Judah has profaned what is holy things are wearisome'' (Eccles. 1:3±8) and so forthÐnothing has changed since the ®rst to the LORD'' (Mal. 2:11). six days of creation: ``There is nothing new under the sun!'' (Eccles. 1:9). Everything is reminiscent of something earlier, even though there is no real remembrance of the earlier things, since the replacement is not the same as the original. [G] [G] Our text of Rashbam does not mention ``the streams,'' and it is not clear from it precisely what are the ``three'' examples he thought Ecclesiastes was listing.

IBN EZRA 5 Dedicated it.

Rather, ``gotten it ready.'' Compare `` Train a lad in the way he ought to go'' (Prov. 22:6; this is the verse from which the Sages derive their teaching about accustoming children to the commandments before they become obligated). The point is that someone who has just built a new house has no thought for anything but what he must do to get it ready to live in. He will not only ¯ee the battle, he will cause others to ¯ee with him. 6 Harvested it. Literally, ``¯uted'' it, for it was their custom to dance and play music in the vineyards. [F] 7 Married her. OJPS translates literally, but NJPS translates the idiom correctly. This verse, by the way, shows us that, though some people die when their time comes, those who die in battle die before their time. David makes the distinction clearly: ``As the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go down to battle and perish'' (1 Sam. 26:10). [F] See Judg. 21:20±24.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5 Is there anyone who has built a new house?

Anything big enough to require a mezuzah on the doorpost (Bekhor Shor). Obviously this pronouncement would come when they were getting ready to march off; it must have long preceded the priest's statement of v. 3, which did not come until they were ``about to join battle'' (Gersonides). But has not dedicated it. That is, he has not ``inaugurated'' it by eating in it. The custom was to dedicate a new house by having a formal, festive meal (Kimhi). 6 Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard? Even as small as two rows of two plants and a ®fth plant behind them like the tail of a goat (Bekhor Shor). But has never harvested it. The point is that he has not managed to eat of its fruit. Obviously the same would apply to any other fruit tree (Gersonides). 7 Is there anyone who has paid the bride-price for a wife? But she must be a new wife, not one whom he has previously divorced. For anyone who does not precisely ®t the categories of vv. 5±7 may under no circumstances leave the front lines, not even to construct roads or provide the troops with food and water (Bekhor Shor). The Torah teaches proper behavior: ®rst, build a house; then, plant a vineyard; only then take a wife. Notice that Moses uses precisely these three to frighten them in 28:30: ``If you pay the bride-price for a wife, another man shall enjoy her. If you build a house, you shall not live in it. If you plant a vineyard, you shall not harvest it'' (Hizkuni). But who has not yet married her. In fact, 24:5 makes clear that even if he has married her he is exempt from army service for a year

DEUTERONOMY 20:7±9

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NJPS battle and another marry her.'' 8The of®cials shall go on OJPS man take her.'' 8And the of®cers shall speak further

addressing the troops and say, ``Is there anyone afraid and dis- unto the people, and they shall say: ``What man is there that is heartened? Let him go back to his home, lest the courage of his fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, comrades ¯ag like his.'' 9When the of®lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart.'' 9And it shall be, when the of®cers have cials have ®nished addressing the troops, »ÌȯËM‰ ¦ § Ÿ © eÙÒÈ ´ § ¨ § 8 :‰pÁwÈ ¨ «¤ ¨ ¦ ¯Á‡ −¥ © Lȇ ¬¦ § made an end of speaking unto the people, army commanders shall assume command Ƈ¯i‰ À § ¨ § ¼ÌÚ‰-Ï ¥ ¨ © Lȇ‰-ÈÓ ³¦ ¨ ¦ e¯Ó‡Â ¨ ¨ ‡¤ ¯a„Ï ´¥ © § that captains of hosts shall be appointed at of the troops. Ÿ ¬ § B˙È·Ï Ÿ ´ ¨ § CÏÈ ÒnÈ ²© ¦ ‡Ï ® ¥ § ·LÈ −¥ ¥ ··l‰ ¨½ ¥ © C¯Â ´© § the head of the people.

Ÿ ¬ © § ‰È‰Â ²¨ ¨ § 9 :B··Ïk « ¨ § ¦ ÂÈÁ‡ −¨ ¤ ··Ï-˙‡ ¬© § ¤ RASHI 8 The of®cials shall go on ad- ˙lÎk Ÿ ¬¥ ¨ e„˜Ùe ² § «¨ ÌÚ‰-Ï ®¨ ¨ ‡¤ ¯a„Ï ´¥ © § ÌȯËM‰ −¦ § © IBN EZRA 8 Afraid. Of killing somedressing the troops. Literally, they shall ȯN ``add'' on. For they are adding this to the Ÿ ¬ § ˙B‡·ˆ Ò :ÌÚ‰ «¨ ¨ L‡¯a − ¨ § one. Disheartened. Afraid of being killed words of the priest, who not only makes the himself. Lest the courage of his comrades announcement of vv. 3±4, but also speaks ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why do the of®cials ¯ag. Literally, ``lest his comrades' heart

``go on'' addressing the troops in v. 8 with a third announcement rather than simply continuing the previous announcement? F Why do neither the Priest nor words of this verse are both spoken by the the of®cials promise the soldiers that if they die their of®cials and then proclaimed by them. will (as we say of the dead) ``be bound up in the Is there anyone afraid and disheart- souls of life in the care of the LORD'' (1 Sam. 25:19), ened? R. Akiva takes this literally, to refer to inbundle the eternal joy of Paradise? someone who is afraid of combat and canthe words of vv. 5±7, which are then pro-

melt.'' Notice that ``heart,'' though it is the

claimed out loud by the of®cials. But the

grammatical subject of the sentence, is pre-

not stand the sight of a drawn sword. R. Yose the Galilean takes it to refer to someone who is afraid he will die in battle as punishment for his sins. According to this view, returning home on account of a new house,

ceded by

et, which usually marks the object;

see my comment to Exod. 10:8.

NAHMANIDES 8 The of®cials shall go on addressing the troops and say, ``Is there anyone afraid?'' In the opinion of

R. Yose the Galilean, once the priest has

vineyard, or wife is here only to provide cover for those who cannot face combat because

promised that no one will be harmed, the

of their sins. Someone who sees him returning home will think it is because he has just

righteous ones among them ought to trust

built a new house, planted a vineyard, or gotten engaged, and will not understand that he

him. In this verse, therefore, the of®cials are

is a sinner.

chastising those who are afraid because they

9 Army commanders.

The commanders station military police in front of them and

know themselves to be sinners. That is why

behind them, holding iron battle-axes with which they hack at the legs of anyone who tries

vv. 5±7 created opportunities to go home on

to ¯ee. They are stationed around the battle ranks, where they uphold the fallen and

account of a new house, vineyard, or wifeÐ

encourage them: ``Go back into battle! Do not ¯ee, for ¯ight leads to defeat.''

to cover for those who wanted to leave on account of fear based on their awareness of sin. When each of those verses adds the

phrase ``lest he die in battle,'' it really means ``lest he nevertheless fear that he might die in battle'' and therefore (most likely) ¯ee. But R. Akiva takes it straightforwardly: one who remains afraid after the priest's reassurance does not trust in the Lord as he ought, and does risk death, for no miracle will be done for him.

Disheartened. More precisely, ``faint-hearted'' (OJPS). For such a person, it is not natural

to see scenes of sword and slaughter. One who is ``afraid'' turns back because of a lack of trust in God, but one who is ``faint-hearted'' ¯ees

or literally faints because his nature is weak. The Palestinian Talmud explains that soldiers who leave at this point must provide proof of their words: witnesses who will testify to the army commander that they have a new house, vineyard, or wife. Then the commander gives them leave to go home. According to the opinion of R. Yose, sinners would also have to bring proof of their sin. If this were not required, the majority of the army would simply lie and go home. But according to the view of R. Akiva, one who is fainthearted because he cannot

Lest the courage of his comrades ¯ag like his. More literally, ``the courage of his comrades must not ¯ag like his.'' So the author of the Halakhot face the clash of war nor see a drawn sword without panicking need not provide proof; his behavior would testify on his behalf.

Gedolot includes among the 365 prohibitions of the Torah that the fainthearted person must not refuse to go home. If he did so, he would be responsible for ``making the courage of his comrades ¯ag.'' (The Hebrew contains the grammatical marker et, which is super¯uous here; see similarly Exod. 21:28.)

9 Army commanders shall assume command of the troops.

The Torah issues commands in accordance with the ordinary way of

the world; the miracles done for those who fear Him are done in secret. God has no desire to interfere with the natural order in an obvious way unless there is no alternative, or when, occasionally, it is necessary to ``make His name known to His adversaries'' (Isa. 64:1), as in the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the like.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

(Gersonides). Does the man become less jealous once he has married her? Once he is dead, does he

care who harvests his vineyard? Really, these three categories all refer to someone who would be prevented from ful®lling a commandment: building the parapet of 22:8, offering the ®rst fruits, being fruitful and multiplying (Abarbanel).

8 Is there anyone afraid and disheartened?

Such people may indeed construct roads or provide the troops with food and water

(Bekhor Shor). All this refers to discretionary war. But in an obligatory war (to paraphrase Joel 2:6), even the bridegroom must come out of his chamber, and the bride from her canopied couch (Hizkuni). The pronouncement of vv. 3±4 clearly applies to an obligatory war; the Holy One reminds them many times in the Torah not to fear the nations whom they are to dispossess. But this verse cannot apply to that

Lest the courage of his comrades ¯ag like his. It is not clear whether it 9 When the of®cials have ®nished addressing the troops. All these pronouncements will have the effect of assuring the soldiers that (in the words of Ps. 112:7) their commander ``is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is ®rm, he trusts in the L .'' And of course most of them would rather stay and run the risk of death than go home and be jeered at (Abarbanel). Army commanders shall assume command. After everyone who is going to leave has left. If someone who had been appointed a commander were to leave, the courage of situation, in which everyone is obligated to ®ght (Gersonides).

is the of®cials who are saying this, or whether the text is explaining it (Bekhor Shor).

ORD

the entire army would ¯ag (Sforno).

136

137 DEUTERONOMY 20:10±13

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you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer OJPS 10When thou drawest nigh unto a city to ®ght against it, it terms of peace. 11If it responds peaceably and lets you in, all the then proclaim peace unto it. 11And it shall be, if it make thee people present there shall serve you at forced labor. 12If it does answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the not surrender to you, but would join battle people that are found therein shall become KTKC[ with you, you shall lay siege to it; 13and tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee. ½¦ ‡¤ ·¯˜˙-Èk ‰ÈÏÚ ¨ ®¤ ¨ ÌÁl‰Ï −¥ ¨ ¦ § ¯ÈÚ-Ï ´© § ¦ « ¦ 10 12And if it will make no peace with thee, when the LORD your God delivers it into ´ ¨ ¦ Ɖȉ ¨ ¨ § 11 :ÌBÏLÏ « ¨ § ‰ÈÏ ¨ −¤ ‡¥ ˙‡¯˜Â ¨ ¬¨ ¨ § but will make war against thee, then thou your hand, you shall put all its males to the ÌBÏL-̇ º¨ ¨ § CÏ ½ § © «© shalt besiege it. 13And when the LORD thy ÌÚ‰-Ïk ´¨ ¨ ¨ ‰È‰Â ®¨ ‰Á˙Ùe −¨ § ¨ EÚz RASHI 10 When you approach a :Ee„·Ú « ¨ £ © ÒÓÏ −© ¨ EÏ ² § eÈ‰È ¬ § ¦ d·¨À -‡ˆÓp‰ ¨ § ¦ © God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of town to attack it. In a discretionary war, Ÿ³ EnÚ − § ¦ ‰˙NÚ ¬¨ § ¨ § CnÚ ¨½ ¦ ÆÌÈÏL˙ ¦ § © ‡Ï-̇ ¦ § 12 not in the war discussed in vv. 15±18.

NJPS

10When

11 All the people present there shall ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § d˙e ²¨ ¨ § 13 :‰ÈÏÚ ¨ «¤ ¨ z¯ˆÂ −¨ § © § ‰ÓÁÏÓ ®¨ ¨ § ¦ IBN EZRA 10 You shall offer it terms serve you at forced labor. Even if you -ÈÙÏ ¦ § d¯eÎÊ-Ïk −¨ § ¨ -˙‡¤ ˙Èk‰Â ¬¨ ¦ ¦ § E„Èa ®¤ ¨ § EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ of peace. This sounds as if it is an im®nd members of the seven nations of

perative (see OJPS); but the Hebrew might

Canaan there. Though in other circumstances you are commanded to exterminate them, in this case you are nonetheless permitted to let them live as long as they are willing to pay tribute to you (see OJPS) and labor for you.

12 If it does not surrender to you, but would join battle with you.

Rather, it ``will

make war against you'' (compare OJPS). The text is informing you that if they do not

simply mean ``you may offer it terms of peace.''

12 If it does not surrender to you.

Literally, ``if it will not make peace with you'' (see OJPS).

surrender to you, they will ultimately join battle with you if you leave them alone and just

You shall lay siege to it. Even to the extent of causing them to die of starvation, thirst, and disease. 13 When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand. More literally, ``the Lord your God will deliver it.'' For if you do every-

go away.

thing described here, the Lord will ultimately deliver it into your hand.

NAHMANIDES 10 When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace.

Rashi's original source, the

Sifrei, says simply, ``in a discretionary war.'' They just meant that vv. 10±14 deal with discretionary war, and that the chapter would go on later to discuss obligatory war and the distinction between the two. But the offer of peace must be made even in an obligatory war. After all, Moses offered peace to Sihon, king of the Amorites,

[Q ] and he would certainly not violate the commandment to ``proscribe them''

(v. 17), let alone the prohibition, ``you shall not let a soul remain alive'' (v. 16). The difference between the two lies in the situation where you are unable to make peace with them and

must wage war. For distant cities that insist on ®ghting, only the adult males are slain; with

the seven nations, if they insist on ®ghting, the entire population must be slainÐwomen and children as well. As explained in Deuteronomy Rabbah, the Tanhuma, and the Palestinian Talmud, everywhere he went to conquer, Joshua offered three choices: to make peace, to leave, or to ®ght. The Girgashites left, but ``apart from the Hivites who dwelt in Gibeon, not a single city made terms with the Israelites; all were taken in battle'' ( Josh. 11:19±20). We see that had they wished to make terms the Israelites would have done so. There would nevertheless seem to be an additional difference between the two categories. In either case, accepting peace would mean that they must pay taxes and provide labor for us. But the seven nations must also accept that they are forbidden to worship idols. That is not mentioned in this passage because we have already been told, ``They shall not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me; for you will serve their gods'' (Exod. 23:33). It may be that we need not mention this provision to them until they have already accepted our termsÐat which point we can explain that we have rules against idolatry that both individuals and larger groups are expected to obey. With regard to ``lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods'' (v. 18), the Sifrei says quite explicitly that if they repent they are not to be killed, and ``they'' are the seven nations. ``Repentance'' in this context implies not conversion to Judaism but acceptance of the seven Noahide commandments. B. Sot. 32a and 36a say plainly that the text of the Torah they were commanded to set up on stones in the land of Canaan

[R] was written in all 70 languages of the earth. Rashi (in a comment on B. Sot. 35b) claims that this

was only for the bene®t of the nations who lived outside the land of Canaan. But both v. 18 here and Exod. 23:33 make clear that if the seven nations inside the land abandon idolatry there is no reason to kill them. Note that Solomon's building projects were produced by forced labor from ``all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites . . . those of their descendants who remained in the land and whom the Israelites were not able to annihilateÐof these Solomon made a slave force'' (1 Kings 9:20±21). All of this is in accordance with the Torah, for they had accepted the Noahide commandments. (The fact that Solomon compelled them to do this work shows that, though the Israelites had not previously been able ``to annihilate'' them, Solomon could have done so. But, as we have explained, it was perfectly acceptable to keep them alive.)

11 All the people present there shall serve you at forced labor.

More literally, they ``shall become tributary to you, and shall serve

you'' (compare OJPS); see Rashi's comment. The Sifrei makes clear that there is no deal unless they agree both to tribute and to service. Technically, ``tribute'' refers to working on building projects for the king or the government, and ``service'' to the fact that each individual Israelite is entitled to make them hew wood and draw water for himÐthough he must pay them the standard wage for doing so. Again, this is what we ®nd in 1 Kings 9. When the Israelites ``subjected the Canaanites to forced labor; but they did not dispossess them'' ( Judg. 1:28), that had nothing to do with what is being described here; it was more like one king paying a more powerful king not to attack him. As for the Gibeonites,

[S] either they simply did not understand the Israelite rules about offering peace, or they refused to listen at ®rst but

eventually panicked. In any case, Joshua eventually ``made them hewers of wood and drawers of water . . . for the community and for the altar of the L ORD'' ( Josh. 9:27), thus subjecting them both to ``tribute'' and to ``service,'' as we have explained them.

[Q ] See 2:26.

[R] See 27:1±4.

[S] Who tricked the Israelites into making peace with them; see Joshua 9. We omit Nahmanides' detailed analysis of this episode.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 You shall lay siege to it. Even in a discretionary war, once they have refused terms it is obligatory to ®ght them (Abarbanel). 13 You shall put all its males to the sword. Those who ®ght against you (Bekhor Shor). It was they who refused to come to terms and insisted on ®ghting (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 20:13±19

NJPS

sword.

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

14

You may, however, take as your booty the

OJPS

the sword;

M OK ZCE

14

but the women, and the little ones, and the

women, the children, the livestock, and everything in the townÐ

cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt

all its spoilÐand enjoy the use of the spoil of your enemy, which

thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of

the L ORD your God gives you.

thine enemies, which the L ORD thy God hath given thee.

15

Thus you shall deal with all towns that lie very far from you,

towns that do not belong to nations hereabout. the

latter

peoples,

however,

which

you

must

proscribe

themÐthe

17

No,

Hittites

and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the JebusitesÐ as the L ORD your God has commanded you,

18

lest they lead you into doing all the

abhorrent things that they have done for their gods and you stand guilty before the L ORD your God. 19

When in your war against a city you

have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the ®eld human to withdraw

RASHI

In the towns of

15

Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off

from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

the

L ORD your God is giving you as a heritage, you shall not let a soul remain alive.

16

16

Howbeit

of the cities of these peoples, that the L ORD

Ÿ § ÁÏÎÂ

‰Ó‰a‰Â ¨¹ ¥ § © § Ûh‰Â ©¸ © § ÌÈLp‰ ¦ ¨ ©  ˜¯´© 14 :·¯Á ¤ «¨ Ÿ ´ ¨ dÏÏL-Ïk CÏ®¨ Ê·z −¨ ¨ § ¨ ¯ÈÚ· ² ¦ ¨ ‰È‰È ¬¤ § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Ô˙ ²© ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Eȷȇ ¤½ § Ÿ ÏÏL-˙‡ ´© § ¤ ÆzÏ· ¨ § © «¨ § :CÏ«¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ÿ ¬ Ÿ § ¨ Ìȯډ-ÏÎÏ ½ ¦ ¨ ´¤ ¨ § ƉNÚz EnÓ − § ¦ ˙˜Á¯‰ ¤ £ © Ôk ³¥ 15 Ÿ ¯L Ÿ® § :‰p‰ ¨ «¥ ‰l¤ ‡‰-ÌÈBb‰ −¥ ¨ ¦ « © ȯÚÓ ¬¥ ¨ ¥ -‡Ï ²¤ ‡ £ „‡Ó ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ ÆÌÈnÚ‰ ¦ © «¨ ȯÚÓ ³¥ ¨ ¥ ˜¯À© 16 Ÿ ¬ ‰ÏÁ −¤ © § ‡Ï ®¨ £ © EÏ − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï -Ïk¨ ‰iÁ˙ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÈzÁ‰ ³¦ ¦ © ÌÓȯÁz ¥À ¦ £ © ̯Á‰-Èk ´¥ £ © « ¦ 17 :‰ÓL «¨ ¨ § ½¦ ¦ § © § ÈÚk‰ ÈÒe·È‰Â ®¦ § © § ÈeÁ‰ −¦ ¦ © Èf¯t‰Â ´ ¦ £ © § © ÆȯӇ‰Â ¦Ÿ ¡ ¨ § ¯L¤¸ ‡£ ÔÚÓÏ © ©À § 18 :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Eeˆ − § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £© Ÿ § ˙BNÚÏ ½ £ © ÆÌÎ˙‡ Ì˙·ÚBz ¤ § ¤ e„nÏÈ-‡Ï ³ § © § Ÿ« ¨½ Ÿ £ « ÆÏÎk Ÿ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ¬¨ © Ì˙‡ËÁ −¤ ¨ £ © Ì‰È‰Ï ®¤ ¥ ‡Ï «¥ eNÚ − ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ò :ÌÎÈ‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ¹¦ © ÌÈÓÈ ¸¦ ¨ Á¯ÈÚ-Ï ÌÁl‰Ï ¯¥ ¨ ¦ « § ÌÈa¯ ¦ ‡¤ ¯eˆ˙-Èk ´ ¨ « ¦ 19 ÆdˆÚ-˙‡ ¨¥ ¤ ˙ÈÁL˙-‡Ï ³¦ § © Ÿ « dNÙ˙Ï ¨À § ¨ § ‰ÈÏÚ ¨ ´¤ ¨ B˙‡Â − Ÿ § Ï·˙ ¥½ Ÿ epnÓ ´¤ ¦ Èk¦ μ Ôʯb ¤½ § © ÆÂÈÏÚ ¨ ¨ ÁcÏ ©Ÿ ³ § ¦ Ÿ ¬ ¨ ‰„O‰ Ÿ ® § ¦ ‡Ï Ÿ´ ½¤ ¨ © ıÚ ‡·Ï ´¥ ÆÌ„‡‰ ¨ ¨ «¨ Èk ³¦ ˙¯Î˙

14 The children. Even the male children. So v. 13 refers to the adult males. 15 Very far from you. ``Very'' meaning ``far beyond your borders.'' The Holy One knew that the Girgashites would abandon their territory and ¯ee ``very far''; [J] that is why their name was omitted from v. 17. 17 As the LORD your God has commanded you. So the Girgashites of 7:1 are also included.

18 Lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods. But if they repent of their abhorrent ways, you are permitted to accept them as converts. 19 A long time. Literally ``many days.'' ``Days'' indicates at least two days, and

thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth, 17

but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the

Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the L ORD thy God hath commanded thee;

18

that they teach you not to

do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods, and so ye sin against the L ORD your God. 19

When thou shalt besiege a city a long

time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, but thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the ®eld man,

RASHBAM 16 You shall not let a soul remain alive. When you go to attack one

of their towns, you do not ``offer it terms of peace'' (v. 10), as I told you to do with the other nations. But if they come to you of their own accord, offering to be your slaves before you go to attack them (as the Gibeonites did), [H] you can let them live.

19 When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time. And you therefore must chop down trees in order to build battering rams, towers, and siege mounds. You may eat of them. You will need them for food after you take the city

``many'' increases it to at least three. The Sages derive from this that we are not to besiege [H] See Joshua 9. gentile cities if there are less than three days to the Sabbath. It also teaches that we must offer terms of peace for two or three days, as when ``David stayed two days in Ziklag'' IBN EZRA 15 Towns that lie very far (2 Sam. 1:1). Again, the text is discussing a discretionary war, not an obligatory one. Are from you. Which do not belong to the trees of the ®eld human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? As the seven nations of Canaan.

[J] According to Jewish tradition, to Africa.

NAHMANIDES 18 Lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods. Such as offering up your sons and daughters in ®re to the Lord, and ``every abhorrent act that the LORD detests'' (12:31). And you stand guilty before the LORD your God. Who commanded you, ``Do not inquire about their gods,

saying, `How did those nations worship their gods? I too will follow those practices''' (12:30). What this adds to Exod. 23:33 is that not even an individual who worships idols may be left alive in the land. For even a single individual might be enough to lure you into worshiping idols and thus sinning against the Lord. 19 Are trees of the ®eld human? Ibn Ezra explains beautifully how this verse should really be translated. Nonetheless, our Sages do permit cutting down trees that yield food in order to build siege works. V. 20 simply indicates that trees that do not yield food should be the ®rst to be cut down. According to their interpretation, the passage means

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 14 The women, the children.

16 You shall not let a soul remain alive. Literally, ``you shall not keep alive''

one soulÐit is forbidden to provide them with food or drink. The general rule is that in those days it was an obligation to kill them all, if they could.

17 The Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. The verse does

not bother to mention the Girgashites, since they were the smallest of the seven. 19 Are trees of the ®eld human? I have explained in my Basic Hebrew Grammar that it is common in every language to drop

Those who do not participate in combat (Bekhor Shor). Real men do not ®ght those who are weaker than they. As the Sages point out, Alexander the Great (who conquered most of the eastern half of the world) did not think it right for him to ®ght against the Amazons (Abarbanel). 16 You shall not let a soul remain alive. They are so steeped in idolatry that they are bound to cause you to sin against Me (Bekhor Shor). 19 You must not cut them down. You may not even divert the water channel that irrigates them (Gersonides). Are trees of the ®eld human? Rather, ``a tree of the ®eld is as good as a man,'' to help you in your siege. But once the siege is over, as long as you are outside

138

139 DEUTERONOMY 20:19±21:2 NJPS

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

before you into the besieged city?

20

Only trees that you

know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them

OJPS

that it should be besieged of thee?

has been reduced.

21

If, in the land that the L ORD your

God is assigning you to possess, someone

mayest destroy and cut down, that thou

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slain is found lying in the open, the identity of the slayer not being known,

2

your

elders and magistrates shall go out and measure the distances from the corpse to

RASHI

translations make clear,

ki

indi-

cates a question here. Is the tree a human

‡Î

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being, to be besieged by you and af¯icted

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

with the torments of hunger and thirst like

of the ritual described in vv. 1±9?

the inhabitants of the city? Why destroy it?

20 Until it has been reduced.

More

precisely, ``until you make it submit.'' The Hebrew verb comes from FEZ, ``to dominate.''

21:2 Your elders. From the corpse.

mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.

21

If one be found slain in the land

which the L ORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the ®eld, and it be not known who hath smitten him;

2

then thy

elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which

RASHBAM you must not cut them down.

and it becomes yours.

But

More pre-

What is the purpose

cisely, ``them, you must not cut down''Ð

Why should the

those trees that yield food and that do not

``elders and magistrates'' (v. 2) need the priests? After

provide forti®cation for the cit y, being dis-

F

all, ``the L ORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to pronounce blessing in the name of the LORD'' (v. 5), and they cannot be in Jerusalem doing that if they are out here at the crime scene!

Are trees of the ®eld human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? tant from it.

T he translations misunderstand this

sentence. As always after a ``not'' clause,

The Great Sanhedrin.

This is obviously the sense of the verse, but in Hebrew ``the corpse''

NAHMANIDES

Only the trees of

which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou

down for constructing siegeworks against the city that is waging war on you, until it

20

BM OK ZCE

here means

``but

rather'': ``But

the

ki

trees

where a man might hide from you during the siege, those you may cut down.'' T his refers

that trees must not be cut down simply for the sake of destroying

them, as armies often do to wreak havoc on the cit y and its surroundings. Elisha said just this about the Israelite attack on Moab: ``You shall fell every good tree and stop up all wells of water; and every fertile ®eld you shall ruin with stones'' (2 Kings 3:19). But our verse commands, `` You shall not commit wanton destruction, but trust in the Lord to give the cit y into your hands.'' You yourselves will live off those trees once you conquer the city, not to mention while you are encamped before it to besiege it.

20 You may cut them down.

to the trees close to the cit y, where the people who are ¯eeing from you, or those trying to enter the city, might be concealed. The syntax of the phrase is dif®cult, but the verse is to be understood this way: ``You must not cut them down, except for the trees of the ®eld [which could hide] people from

Them you may not only cut down to build the siege

works but may even destroy. For sometimes such destruction is necessary before a cit y will fall. Either people sneak out of the city to gather the wood of such trees, or they hide in the forest to ®ght against you, or the trees themselves protect the city against attack by catapult.

you during the siege.''

[I]

20 Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed. So a non-

fruit-bearing tree, whether near the city or distant from it, may be destroyed for the

purpose of building siege works. But a tree that yields food may only be destroyed if it is so close to the cit y that it prevents the army from getting up to the wall.

been reduced.

Trees that you know do not yield food.

mighty, towering wall in which you trust

[I]

Trees that you recognize as ones that do not yield food.

Until it has

More precisely, ``until it falls'' (compare OJPS), that is, until its walls come down; the verb is from EZK, as in ``until every

has come down'' (28:52).

Rashbam's comment here is dif®cult and may be garbled.

IBN EZRA

words here and there for the sake of brevit y (see, e.g., 1 Sam. 16:20). But the word ``not'' can never be dropped, for that

would change the sentence to the opposite meaning. One great Spanish grammarian thinks our phrase is missing an interrogative F; if it were present, this would indeed be a questionÐbut it is not. In any case, what sense would it make to say, ``Don't destroy a fruit tree, because it is not a person and can't run away from you''? I don't see any need to alter the text. It is really a statement, not a question, and this is how the verse is to be understood: ``Since you eat from it, do not destroy it. For mankind

is the fruit tree''Ðthat is, such a tree is the

moral equivalent of human life. Compare ``A handmill or an upper millstone shall not be taken in pawn, for that would be taking someone's life in pawn'' (24:6).

To withdraw before you into the besieged city.

Rather, ``for it [the cit y] to come under siege from you.''

If it is a fruit tree, you may eat of it, but you may not cut it down as part of your siege preparations. V. 20, describing the trees that

may be

cut down ``for constructing siegeworks,'' proves my point.

20 Until it has been reduced.

Literally, ``until it comes down.'' If the city were not lofty, you would not ``have to besiege it a long

time'' (v. 19).

21:1 If...someone slain is found lying in the open. 2 The elders of the town.

Following the discussion of warfare, we ®nd a discussion of what might

happen when individuals ®ght.

The elders of the nearby towns, and the magistrates.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

the land of Israel, you can cut even fruit trees down, as we see from 2 Kings 3:19 (Bekhor Shor). The

F of ha-adam does indeed indicate that this is a question (Gersonides). War is to be waged against other people, not against trees. You see from 2:34±35 that the trees were neither doomed nor taken as booty (Abarbanel).

20 Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed. reduced. 21:2 Your elders and magistrates.

Even a fruit tree, if it is dried up (Hizkuni).

Until it has been

Even on the Sabbath (Bekhor Shor).

The plurals indicate a minimum of two each, and there must always be an odd number to

prevent ties; so we learn that ®ve members of the Sanhedrin come out to perform this task (Gersonides).

From the corpse.

Some say it

DEUTERONOMY 21:3±7

OKJVG[

SHOFETIM

BM OK ZCE

OJPS

NJPS

the nearby towns. 3The elders of the town nearest to the are round about him that is slain. 3And it shall be, that corpse shall then take a heifer which has never been worked, the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of which has never pulled in a yoke; 4and the elders of that town that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hath not been shall bring the heifer down to an ever¯owing wadi, which is not wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke. 4And the elders of that city shall bring down the tilled or sown. There, in the wadi, they heifer unto a rough valley, which may neishall break the heifer's neck. 5The priests, 3 ¿ § «¨ § ÏÏÁ‰-Ï ½¦ ¨ ‰È‰Â eÁ˜Ï ®¨ ¨ ¤ ‡¤ ‰·¯w‰ −¨ Ÿ § © ¯ÈÚ‰ ´¨ ¨ § sons of Levi, shall come forward; for the ther be plowed nor sown, and shall break Ÿ « ¯L À¨ ¨ ˙Ï‚Ú ¸¦ ¨ ÁÈ˜Ê -‡Ï ³¤ ‡ £ ¯˜a ´© § ¤ ‡Â‰‰ ¦¹ © ¯ÈÚ‰ ¥ § ¦ the heifer's neck there in the valley. 5And L ORD your God has chosen them to Ÿ « § ‰ÎLÓ Ÿ ¯L ¿¦ § 4 :ÏÚa −¨ § ¨ -‡Ï ¬¤ ‡ £ da¨½ Æ„aÚ © ª the priests the sons of Levi shall come minister to Him and to pronounce bless- e„¯B‰Â ing in the name of the L ORD, and every ÏÁ-Ï ¸¦ ¨ ÁÈ˜Ê © ´© ‡¤ Ɖςډ-˙‡ ¨ § ¤ «¨ ¤ ‡Â‰‰ ³¦ © ¯ÈÚ‰ ¥ § ¦ nearÐfor them the LORD thy God hath lawsuit and case of assault is subject to chosen to minister unto Him, and to bless Ÿ ´ § Ba− „·ÚÈ-‡Ï -eÙ¯Ú § «¨ § Ú¯fÈ © ®¥ ¨ ¦ ‡Ï ¬¥ ¨ ¥ Ÿ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ Ô˙ȇ ¨½ ¥ their ruling. 6Then all the elders of the in the name of the L ORD; and according to ¦ £ Ÿ © eLb ´ § ¦ § 5 :ÏÁpa © «¨ © ‰Ï‚Ú‰-˙‡ −¨ § ¤ ¨ ¤ ÌL ¬¨ their word shall every controversy and town nearest to the corpse shall wash their »ÌÈ‰k‰ hands over the heifer whose neck was B˙¯LÏ ½ § ´¨ § ÆEÈ‰Ï º© ¨ Ì·¨À Èk ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ¯Áa ´ ¦ ¼ÈÂÏ ¦ ¥ Èa ´¥ § every stroke be. 6And all the elders of that 7 city, who are nearest unto the slain man, broken in the wadi. And they shall make -Ïk¨ ‰È‰È −¤ § ¦ ̉Èt-ÏÚ ¬¤ ¦ © § ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ÌLa ´¥ § C¯·Ïe −¥ ¨ § shall wash their hands over the heifer this declaration: ``Our hands did not shed Ÿ À § 6 :Ú‚-ÏΠ‡Â‰‰ ¦½ © ¯ÈÚ‰ ´ ¦ ¨ ÆÈ˜Ê ¥ § ¦ ÏΠ© «¨ ¨ § ·È¯¬ ¦ whose neck was broken in the valley. 7And ¤½ ¥ § ¤ ÆeˆÁ¯È £ § ¦ ÏÏÁ‰-Ï ®¨ ¨ ¤ ‡¤ ÌÈ·¯w‰ −¦ Ÿ § © they shall speak and say: ``Our hands have comes at the end of the verse; ̉ȄÈ-˙‡

RASHI

F PVJKZ

To the nearby towns. In every e¯Ó‡Â ® § ¨ § eÚ − ¨ § 7 :ÏÁp· © «¨ © ‰Ùe¯Ú‰ ¬¨ £ ¨ ‰Ï‚Ú‰-ÏÚ −¨ § ¤ ¨ © RASHBAM 21:7 And they shall make Ÿ ³ eÈ„È À¥ ¨ this declaration. It is ``the priests, sons of ¤½ © Ìc‰-˙‡ ´¨ © ¤ ÆeÎÙL § «¨ ‰ÎÙ˘ ‡Ï 4 An ever¯owing wadi. Rather, a ‰f‰ ``rough'' wadi, which (like the heifer) has Levi'' (v. 5), who make this declaration. therefore never been worked. They shall ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why does this ritual ``a heifer'' (v. 3)? F Why must it have ``never break the heifer's neck. They shall chop off require IBN EZRA 3 A heifer which has been worked''? F Why must it be brought down to its head with a hatchet. The Holy One is never been worked. Which has never ``an ever¯owing wadi'' (v. 4)? F Why must the place saying: Let them take a heifer who has not ``neither be plowed nor sown'' (OJPS)? F Why must been used for plowing. Which has never borne fruit and break its neck in a place that they ``break the heifer's neck''? F If they are lying pulled in a yoke. Which has never pulled a bears no fruit in expiation of the killing of when they say, ``Our hands did not shed this blood'' load, e.g., a wagon. this man who was not permitted to bear fruit. (v. 7), how can the ritual ``absolve'' them (v. 8)? But if 4 An ever¯owing wadi. Rather, an have not committed any sin, what need do they 7 Our hands did not shed this blood. they ``intractable'' one. They shall break the Would it even cross anyone's mind that the have for absolution? heifer's neck. Literally, they shall ``neck'' it (by cutting off its head). NAHMANIDES 21:4 An ever¯owing wadi. Rashi explains the Hebrew to mean a 5 The priests, sons of Levi. They must wadi that has never been worked, but our Sages say that it is forbidden to cultivate such a be priests who are de®nitely Levites. [G] location ever afterward. They therefore take the heifer to a location that no one will ever Subject to their ruling. Subject to the puncultivate. (And see the comment to v. 7.) ishment they ordain. 5 The priests, sons of Levi, shall come forward. They come forward to say, ``Ab- 6 All the elders of the town. These are solve, O LORD, Your people Israel whom You redeemed'' (v. 8). The correct understanding the ``elders'' of v. 2. of the passage is as follows: ``The priests . . . shall come forward . . . and all the elders of the 7 They shall make this declaration. see OJPS. direction, to see which is closest.

town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer . . . and [the priests] shall See my comment to ``You shall then recite as make this declaration.'' The priests and the magistrates are each assumed here to be [G] See Ibn Ezra's comment to 17:9. playing their standard role. Compare 14:23, where it is understood (but not stated) that the tithes and ®rstlings are consumed by the different groups entitled to do so. Ibn Ezra explains that this obligation is laid upon the nearest town because a comparable crime must have been committed there. But Maimonides explains (in Guide 3:40) that in most cases the killer is from one of the nearby cities. When the

7 Nor did our eyes see it done.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

was to be measured from the nose, where the breath of life is found; some say, from the neck, where he was transformed into a corpse; and some say, from the navel, the center of the body (Bekhor Shor). It is measured from the place of most life, the headÐmore speci®cally from the nose, where it can be most quickly determined whether or not the person is dead. If there is more than one corpse, each is measured separately (Gersonides). The Hebrew phrase can also mean ``the most plausible town.'' If one town is much bigger, it is more likely to be the source of the murder than the smaller but nearer town. If the two towns are the same size, obviously the geographically nearer one is meant (Gersonides). Symbolizing Israel, as in Hosea 10:11, ``Ephraim became a trained heifer'' (Abarbanel). The unusual Hebrew verb form occurs also only in Isa. 14:3 (Masorah). My father of blessed memory explained the adjective to mean that the wadi is rich and fertile (Kimhi). NJPS translates correctly (Gersonides). A wadi not frequented by people (Sforno). Rather: despite its fertility, ``it may no longer be tilled or sown'' (Kimhi). All this is symbolic: like the innocent calf, which has never done anything, and the virgin soil, so we too are innocent of this murder (Hizkuni). It cannot mean that it has never been tilled or sown, something it would be impossible to know with certainty. But the ¯owing water would clearly not ever have been used for any purpose (Gersonides). From behind; a death invisible to the one who is killed, just as this killing and this killer were hidden from sight (Sforno). It does not say why they do so until v. 8 (Bekhor Shor). They are expert and experienced, and may well recognize the guilty party by his behavior (Sforno). The adjective is plural; it is the elders who are ``nearest,'' that is, from the town more likely to be involved, not the geographically nearest. See my comment to v. 3 (Gersonides). This entire complicated procedure is meant to demonstrate what a fuss the Holy One makes about even a single life (Bekhor Shor).

3 The town nearest to the corpse. A heifer. Which has never been worked. 4 An ever¯owing wadi.

heifer's neck. 5 The priests, sons of Levi, shall come forward. of assault is subject to their ruling. 6 All the elders of the town nearest to the corpse. 7 They shall make this declaration.

Which is not tilled or sown.

They shall break the Every lawsuit and case

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this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8Absolve, O OJPS not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 8ForLORD, Your people Israel whom You redeemed, and do not let give, O LORD, Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast redeemed, guilt for the blood of the innocent remain among Your people and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of Thy Israel.'' And they will be absolved of people Israel.'' And the blood shall be forbloodguilt. 9Thus you will remove from given them. 9So shalt thou put away the 8 Ÿ Æ Á Ï ‡¯NÈ ³ ¥ ¨ § ¦ EnÚÏ § © § ¯tk ¥ © :e‡¯ « ¨ ‡Ï ¬ eÈÈÚ − ¥ ¥ § your midst guilt for the blood of the ininnocent blood from the midst of thee, nocent, for you will be doing what is right ·¯˜a ½¦ ¨ Ìc´¨ ÆÔzz-Ï ¤ −¤ § Ș ¥ ¦ ‡Â © § ‰Â‰È ¨½ § Æ˙È„t-¯L ¨ Ʀ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ when thou shalt do that which is right in in the sight of the LORD. the eyes of the LORD. À 9

NJPS

RASHI

elders were the killers? They are

saying: We did not see him and send him off without feeding him or providing him with

‰z‡Â ¨ © § :Ìc‰ «¨ © Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ ¯tk ¬¥ © ¦ § χ¯NÈ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ EnÚ ´ § © ‰NÚ˙-Èk ¬¤ £ © « ¦ Ea¯wÓ ®¤ § ¦ ¦ Șp‰ −¦ ¨ © Ìc‰ ¬¨ © ¯Ú·z ²¥ © § Ò :‰Â‰È «¨ § ÈÈÚa ¬¥ ¥ § ¯Li‰ −¨ ¨ ©

RASHBAM 9 Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood. Rather, ``You must still remove . . .'' If the mur-

protection.

derer is subsequently found, he must be

Hebrew text does not say ``thus.'' It is adding a further instruction: If the killer is sub-

appearance of a singular verb, not a plural;

8 Absolve, O LORD, Your people Israel whom You redeemed, and do not let guilt killed, for you must do what is right in the for the blood of the innocent remain among Your people Israel. It is the priests who sight of the LORD. say this. And they will be absolved of bloodguilt. The text assures them that they will indeed be absolved of this transgression. IBN EZRA follows'' of 26:5. Our hands 9 Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood of the innocent. The did not shed this blood. ``Shed'' has the

sequently found, you shall remove guilt from your midst by having him killed. That is

what is right in the sight of the LORD. NAHMANIDES

[H]

you will ®nd the same grammatical

phenomenon in ``my steps were nearly led off course'' (Ps. 73:2). Otherwise, it can be

elders come out and busy themselves with measuring (and so forth)

taken to refer to each of their hands indi-

Nor did our eyes see it done. It

to carry out this ritual, declaring before God that it was not caused by any civic neglect,

vidually.

people will begin to talk about the crime. The Sages declare that even if a slave girl an-

could be that God arranged for this to take

nounces, ``So-and-So is the murderer,'' the calf's neck is not broken. For once the matter

place near that town. If they themselves had

becomes generally known, it would be a terrible crime to remain silent if one knew who the

not committed a comparable transgression,

killer was. So he is likely to be identi®ed, at which point he will be killed either by the court,

they would not have had a killing in their

by the king, or by the dead man's blood avenger. The fact that the location could never be

vicinity. God's designs are in®nitely more

cultivated again would only make the matter even more notorious. Now if Maimonides is

subtle than we can comprehend!

correct, it would make even more sense to pick a fertile spot;

[T]

besides which, the

breaking of the heifer's neck would be pointless. In my opinion, the ritual of the heifer is like the rituals of the goat that is sent off to the wilderness

[U] or the red cow, [V] which our [W]

Sages number among the commandments that are simply decreed by heaven.

[T] Maimonides adds that the owner of the land that could no longer be cultivated would make an extra effort to solve the crime. [U] See Leviticus 16. [V] See Numbers 19. [W] For Nahmanides' own view, see his comments to Lev. 16:8 and Num. 19:2.

8 Absolve, O LORD, Your people Israel. Who were negligent about protecting travelers on the dangerous roads. And they will be absolved of bloodguilt. ``Absolved'' here is a fascinating verb form, a combination of

Niphal

and

Hitpael.

[I]

There is another such example in Ezek. 23:48.

Whom You redeemed. As You re-

deemed them from Egypt in Your great kindness, redeem them as well from guilt for the blood that was spilled.

9 Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood of the innocent.

The Hebrew says merely, ``you will remove the

innocent blood'' (see OJPS), but this may be shorthand for ``the blood, i.e., the blood of the innocent.'' Adding ``guilt for,'' as does NJPS, is another way to solve the problem; others think the phrase refers to ``spilling'' innocent blood. But I think, in accordance with my comment

s

to ``nor did our eyes see it done'' (v. 7), that it does indeed refer to ``guilt'' for innocent blood. There would be no innocent blood spilled in your land if you would do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. This accords with the profound religious principle that the recompense for transgression is that you are more likely to commit transgression, and the reward for obeying the commandments is that you draw closer to the commandments.

[H] Ibn Ezra is discussing the written form of the verb, not the alternate reading form.

[I] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 Absolve, O LORD, Your people Israel.

It is obviously the priests who say this, since matters of

absolution always involve them (Bekhor Shor). It is not the Israelite people that is guilty, but its leaders, for failing to lead them in the ways of Torah so that there would be no bloodshed among themÐand of course for failing in their duty to solve the murder (Abarbanel).

9 Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood.

innocent'' by intense investigation. Or it may simply mean that by kind of thing from happening in the future (Gersonides).

Rather, ``You must remove from your midst guilt for the blood of the

doing what is right in the sight of the LORD you will prevent this

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you take the ®eld against your enemies, and the OJPS 10When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, LORD your God delivers them into your power and you take and the L ORD thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou some of them captive, 11and you see among the captives a carriest them away captive, 11and seest among the captives a beautiful woman and you desire her and woman of goodly form, and thou hast a would take her to wife, 12you shall bring desire unto her, and wouldest take her to º ¨ § Eȷȇ-ÏÚ B˙e ®¤ § Ÿ © ‰ÓÁÏnÏ −¨ ¨ § ¦ © ‡ˆ˙-Èk ¬¥ ¥ « ¦ 10 her into your house, and she shall trim her thee to wife; 12then thou shalt bring her Ÿ :BÈ·L « § ¦ ˙È·L ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ § E„Èa − ¤ ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ² ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯ ¨ § 13 home to thy house; and she shall shave her hair, pare her nails, and discard her captive's garb. She shall spend a month's time ¯‡z-˙ÙÈ ©Ÿ® © § ˙L ¤‡ −¥ ‰È·Ma ¨½ § ¦ © Æ˙ȇ¯Â ¨ ¦ ¨ § 11 head, and pare her nails; 13and she shall put «¨ ¦ § EÏ −§ zÁ˜Ï ¬¨ § © ¨ § d·¨½ z˜LÁ ´¨ § © ¨ § the raiment of her captivity from off her, RASHI 10 When you take the ®eld :‰M‡Ï and shall remain in thy house, and bewail ¨ § ¦ § E˙Èa ®¤ ¥ CBz-Ï ´ ‡¤ d˙‡·‰Â −¨ ¥ £ © 12 against your enemies. Literally, ``when -˙‡¤ ƉÁl‚ 10When

you go forth to war against your enemies.'' Á‰¯È҉ Ÿ ¨ Á ¦ ¥ § 13 :‰È¯tˆ-˙‡ ¨ «¤ § ¨ ¦ ¤ ‰˙NÚ −¨ § ¨ § dL ¨½ ‡¯ The text is speaking here of discretionary ¤½ ¥ § Ɖ·LÈ ¨ § «¨ § ‰ÈÏÚÓ ¨ ¤À ¨ ¥ dÈ·L ¨¹ § ¦ ˙ÏÓN-˙‡ ©¸ § ¦ ¤ war, outside the land. There is no ``taking E˙È·a captives'' in a war for the land of Israel: ``You shall not let a soul remain alive'' (20:16). ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Since v. 10 conthe material about war from ch. 20, why does And you take some of them captive. Lit- tinues the passage about the corpse (vv. 1±9) intervene beerally, ``and you capture captives.'' The dou- tween them? bling adds an extra elementÐCanaanites who may happen to be dwelling in those distant cities. You may capture them even though they belong to one of the seven nations. 11 A beautiful woman. The text literally says not ``a beautiful woman'' but ``a woman of beautiful,'' implying that even a ``woman of'' another man can be taken in this way. And would take her to wife. This is a concession to human urges. If the Holy One did not permit him to marry her, he would take her even though it was forbidden. If he does marry her, however, her fate is to become the ``unloved'' wife of v. 15, and his fate is to beget with her the ``wayward and de®ant son'' of v. 18. That is why those passages are connected to this one. 12 She shall...pare her nails. Rather, she shall ``make'' her nails grow out to make herself repulsive. 13 And discard her captive's garb. Which is actually attractive. For the gentiles have their daughters dress up during wartime to entice the enemy soldiers. She shall

NAHMANIDES 11 A beautiful woman.

The same rule applies to any woman. The text understands that, as the Sifrei explains, he is more likely to desire a beautiful one. As Ibn Ezra says, she is beautiful in his eyes; note that you ``see'' her. You desire her. He may not take her unless he is overcome with desire for her. If he just wants to get married to someone, he cannot marry her. And would take her to wife. As the Sifrei explains, he cannot simply allocate these captive women to anyone: ``This one's for my dad, this one's for my brother.'' 12 She shall trim her hair, pare her nails. See the comment of Rashi, following R. Akiva and Onkelos. This view would seem to be based on the meaning of ``do'' in Lev. 25:21, ``it shall yield a crop''Ðthat is, ``doing'' the crop means making it grow. But the Sifrei brings a very powerful proof in R. Eliezer's explanation of 2 Sam. 19:25. [A] So I think these are all part of the mourning that she will do in v. 13. Cutting hair is de®nitely a sign of mourning: ``Then Job arose, tore his robe, cut off his hair, and threw himself on the ground'' (Job 1:20); ``Shear your locks and cast them away, take up a lament on the heights'' (Jer. 7:29). Presumably severely cutting off one's nails is the same. 13 Discard her captive's garb. She exchanges them for mourning garb. She shall spend a month's time in your house. She remains there as if she had been widowed, not [A] See Ibn Ezra's comment.

RASHBAM 13 Discard her captive's garb. In order to make her less attractive. [A]

[A] See Rashi's comment.

IBN EZRA 10 When you take the ®eld against your enemies. This passage

continues ch. 20. The passage about the heifer and the corpse, which intervenes, applies only inside the land of Israel, and not even there when a war is going on. 11 A beautiful woman. One who is beautiful to him. With regard to the unusual grammatical form of ``woman'' here, the Sages have already explained it. [A] You

desire her and would take her to wife.

The translations understand this phrase correctly. ``Taking'' the woman refers to the marriage ceremony, not to intercourse; compare Gen. 12:19, where Pharaoh tells Abram that he ``took'' Sarai as his wife. [B]

12 You shall bring her into your house, and she shall trim her hair. Some say this

implies that he desired her because of her beautiful hair, and that is why she has to trim it; others, that she does so, like the leper, [C] because she was previously unclean. Pare her nails. Rather, ``make'' them grow out, to make her more repulsive to him. The other opinion takes it as do the translations, to ``trim'' them. The Hebrew verb is literally ``do'' them, which is generally used in the Bible for making improvements: ``He had not . . . done his mustache'' (2 Sam. 19:25). It can only refer to the opposite if something negative is stated explicitly after the verbÐin which case you can expect to ®nd the negative thing itself ``perfected'' by that action. 13 Discard her captive's garb. Perhaps he desired her because of her stylish clothing. (The other opinion presumes that this garb would be ®lthy.) A month's time. Perhaps this will cool his desire and remove the pleasure he takes in her. (Notice that the [A] See Rashi's comment. [B] The presumption is that, as in Genesis 20, ``taking'' her does not mean consummating the marriage. [C] See Lev. 14:8±9.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS You will note that this entire weekly portion is organized along the lines of one commandment leading to the opportunity to observe another, and one transgression leading you to another transgression (Abarbanel). 11 And you see among the captives. Literally, ``and you see at the captivity''Ðat the time when she is captured (Bekhor Shor). A beautiful woman. The implication that she may even be a married woman presumes that her husband has ¯ed from the scene of battle; we learn moreover that Jewish law does not recognize marriage among gentiles (Gersonides). And would take her to wife. The Hebrew might be understood as a command: ``you shall take her to wife.'' But in fact the translations are correct, as 20:14 shows (Hizkuni). 12 She shall trim her hair. As with the leper who is to be cleansed and the Levites, this is part of the preparation to become holy (Hizkuni). 13 And discard her captive's garb. In which she worshiped idols; see Gen. 35:2 (Hizkuni). Obviously he must not dress her immediately in ®nery, but in his ®rst wife's castoffs (Abarbanel). A month's time. The Hebrew phrase occurs also only in 2 Kings 15:13 DEUTERONOMY 21:10±13 KI TETSE'

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142

143 DEUTERONOMY 21:13±14

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NJPS in your house lamenting her father and mother; after OJPS her father and her mother a full month; and after that that you may come to her and possess her, and she shall be your thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall wife. 14Then, should you no longer want her, you must release be thy wife. 14And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, her outright. You must not sell her for then thou shalt let her go whither she will; money: since you had your will of her, you ÌÈÓÈ but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, ®¦ ¨ Á¯È ©´¤ dn‡-˙‡Â −¨ ¦ ¤ § ‰È·‡-˙‡ ¨ ¬¦ ¨ ¤ ‰˙ηe ²¨ § « ¨ must not enslave her. ‰˙ȉ ¬¨ § ¨ § dzÏÚ·e ¨½ § © § ƉÈÏ ¨ ¤Æ ‡¥ ‡B·z ³ ¨ Ôk¥¹ ¯Á‡Â © ©¸ § thou shalt not deal with her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her.

Ÿ¯ º¨ ¨ § 14 :‰M‡Ï ¨ § ´© ¨ ‡Ï-̇ ¦ ‰È‰Â «¨ ¦ § EÏ −§ RASHI spend a month's time in your da¨À zˆÙÁ house. In the buildings that he himself uses, ‰p¯kÓ˙-‡Ï Ÿ ¬ ¨ dLÙÏ ¨ −¤ § § ¦ Ÿ ¯ÎÓe ¨½ § © § ÆdzÁlL ¨ § © ¦ § RASHBAM 14 Since you had your so that he has to see her unkempt and weep¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ˙Áz © −© da¨½ ¯nÚ˙˙-‡Ï ´¥ © § ¦ Ÿ ÛÒka ¤ ®¨ © will of her. That is, according to the ing whenever he goes in and out and will get straightforward sense, ``you had intercourse Ò :d˙ÈpÚ «¨ ¦ ¦ with her,'' as described in v. 13. You must sick of her. Lamenting her father and mother. Why does the text go to this not enslave her. Rather, ``you must not length? So that he will see the Jewish girls looking happy and attractive while she looks sad and disheveled. IBN EZRA ``month'' is literally called a 14 Should you no longer want her. The text hints broadly that you will no longer ``moon'' here, since it obviously is based on want her but will end up hating her. You must not enslave her. More precisely, ``you the moon; see further my comment to Gen. 4:3.) Lamenting her father and mother. NAHMANIDES going outside at all. She does all this for ``a month's time,'' as mourn- Presuming they had died recently, in the ers do. Our Sages think all these things are to make her look repulsive to him, since the

war. Some say she is lamenting the fact that

gentilesÐcurse them!Ðdress up their daughters to entice the enemy soldiers. Chopping off

her parents did not become Jews. But in my

her hair would certainly dis®gure her. Women, of course, grow their nails long and paint

opinion it is rational for anyone to honor his

them. ``Doing'' her nails could certainly mean cutting them, since one also cuts them to

parents, living or dead. Having now become

make them grow better. (In 2 Sam. 19:25 I believe the idiom is simply that he did not ``do''

a Jew, she is lamenting them, in accordance

to them what he ordinarily would do.)

with Jewish law, if they were killed when she

Lamenting her father and mother. Because she

is being forced to leave her own religion and convert to Judaism against her will. She is

was taken captive. There was no need to

leaving not only her god, but also her people. (Perhaps this is why the text tries to delay

add that (as with the leper) she must bathe,

this procedure.) Presumably the court only permits this because she is in some sense a

[B] The Sages think this mourning period is to give his desire an opportunity to

since she would have to do this anyway be-

slave.

cause of her impurity: ``Every one among

wane. Ibn Ezra believes her parents must really have died, and Maimonides too points out

you or among your captives who has slain a

that it takes some time for one who is mourning to relieve her feelings (and he may not

person or touched a corpse shall cleanse

force her to have sex with him or leave her religion during this time). In my opinion the

himself on the third and seventh days''

month is not given out of consideration for her, but to uproot idolatry from her lips and her

(Num. 31:19). The Sages say that he must

heart, and to ``quench the last ember'' (2 Sam. 14:7) of her hope to return to her father, her

leave her alone for three months to make

mother, and her people. It certainly is not right to sleep with a woman against her will

sure

when she is silently crying out to her god to restore her to her own people and her own

(though their words need no reinforcement)

god. When they tell her that we are going to force her to become a Jew, and that she will

there is further evidence for this view from

never again see her father or her mother or her homeland, we must give her time to deal

the fact that Judah is not told Tamar is preg-

with her feelings. Bringing her into his house for the month gives her a chance to get used

nant until ``about three months later'' (Gen.

to him. (The Sages explain that if she is willing to convert she may do so immediately, and

38:24). That is when the fetus begins to

she can then be married to anyone.) It may be that this was the fate of all captive women,

move about. It is forbidden to sleep with a

who would decide to convert out of fear.

woman who may be pregnant with a child

After that you may come to her and possess

her, and she shall be your wife. That is, the Sifrei explains, he may ``possess'' her while

she

is

not

already

pregnant,

and

by another man because this would leave the

she is still a gentile and he cannot legally marry her in any way but this. The straight-

child's paternity uncertain. For some babies

forward sense, however, is that he cannot have sex with her at all until the whole process

are born naturally after seven months.

is ®nished. Only ``after that'' can he legally take her to wife. The Babylonian Talmud says

(Some are born even at eleven months, but

that he may indeed ``possess'' herÐonce, and not on the ®eld of battle, but in his homeÐ

these are the exception.)

after which this procedure must take place, but the Palestinian Talmud says he must follow this whole procedure ®rst, and that is indeed what the biblical text says.

14 You must release her outright.

We do not force her to observe Judaism as we do

those who convert voluntarily (even if that ``voluntary'' conversion was done out of fear). The Sifrei takes it to mean that he releases her ``to herself'' (as the Hebrew seems literally to say), not back to her father's house; I do not know whether they mean that we do not let her go back home and abandon Judaism or simply that we do not assist her to do so (for she

[D]

14 You must release her outright. ``what she pleases'' (compare OJPS). You must not sell her for money. Or for anyMore precisely, ``you must release her'' to do

thing else; but money would have been what

[D] According to Jewish tradition, viable births can occur at seven or nine months, but not at eight months.

might ®nd another local man to marry). Apparently if he sleeps with her once and no longer desires her, as in the case of Amnon and Tamar,

[C] she does not require a bill of divorce. But if he goes on sleeping with her and eventually

decides that he does not want her anymore, she does require a bill of divorce like any other married woman.

[B] A slave purchased by a Jew becomes a Jew in certain respects.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

(Masorah).

[C] See 2 Samuel 13.

Since you had your will of

Lamenting her father and mother. This is not a command that she must lament them, but

a presumption that she will want to (Bekhor Shor). She is literally ``bewailing'' them (see OJPS); crying is another factor that diminishes her beauty (Gersonides). For she will never see them again: ``Take heed, lass, and note, incline your ear: forget your people and your father's house'' (Ps. 45:11). They are certainly not dead; since we ``went forth,'' out of the land, to ®ght this battle, we certainly would not have killed

After that you may come to her and possess her, and she shall be your wife. Since his ``possessing'' her is part of 14 You must release her outright. Since idolatry is forbidden in the land of Israel, it is obvious that she cannot be released until she

her mother (Sforno).

the process by which she becomes his wife, we see that even that cannot take place until after she has converted (Gersonides). promises not to worship idols, and to observe the other Noahide commandments (Gersonides).

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a man has two wives, one loved and the other un- OJPS 15If a man have two wives, the one beloved, and the loved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved but the ®rst-born is the son of the unloved oneÐ16when he wills and the hated; and if the ®rstborn son be hers that was hated; 16then it shall be, in the day that he causeth his property to his sons, he may not treat as his sons to inherit that which he hath, that ®rst-born the son of the loved one in dis¹¦ § ¨ÔÈȉ˙-Èk ˙Á‡‰ ³© © ¨ ÌÈL ¦À ¨ ÈzL ´¥ § LÈ‡Ï ¤¸ § ¦ « ¦ 15 he may not make the son of the beloved the regard of the son of the unloved one who ½¦ ¨ BÏ-e„ÏÈ ´ § «¨ § ‰‡eN ¨½ § ˙Á‡‰Â ´© © ¨ § Ɖ·e‰‡ ¨ £ ®rstborn before the son of the hated, who is is older. 17Instead, he must accept the ®rst- ÌÈ· born, the son of the unloved one, and allot ¯BÎa‰ − § © Ôa‰ ¬¥ © ‰È‰Â ²¨ ¨ § ‰‡eO‰Â ®¨ § © § ‰·e‰‡‰ −¨ £ ¨ the ®rstborn; 17but he shall acknowledge to him a double portion of all he possesses; ÂÈa ¨½ ¨ -˙‡¤ BÏÈÁ‰ ´ ¦ § © ÆÌBÈa§ ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 16 :‰‡ÈOÏ «¨ ¦ § © the ®rstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he since he is the ®rst fruit of his vigor, the Ÿ ´ BÏ® ‰È‰È-¯L -˙‡¤ Ưk·Ï ¥ © § ÏÎeÈ ©À ‡Ï −¤ § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ˙‡ ¬¥ hath; for he is the ®rst-fruits of his birthright is his due. Ÿ « § © ‰‡eO‰-Ô· :¯Îa‰ −¨ § © ¤ Èt-ÏÚ ¬¥ § © ‰·e‰‡‰-Ôa ¨½ £ ´¨ ¤ strength, the right of the ®rstborn is his. RASHI shall not deal with her as a ˙˙Ï Ÿ¸ § © À¦ © ‰‡e ¤ ³¨ ¯ÈkÈ ¨¹ O‰-Ôa § © ¤ ¯Îa‰-˙‡ ¤ ÁÈk¦ 17 slave'' (compare OJPS). The unusual verb is Ÿ ¬ § ÌÈL Ƈe‰-Èk¦ BÏ® ‡ˆnÈ-¯L −¥ ¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÏÎa ¦ ©½ § Èt ´ ¦ ÆBÏ RASHBAM traf®c with her.'' This verb

NJPS

15If

related to a Persian word meaning ``to use as a slave.'' (I learned this from the Yesod of Moses ha-Darshan.) Two brothers' worth. We learn from this phrase that the ®rstborn gets a double

17 A double portion. Of all he possesses.

½ Ÿ ˙ÈL Ò :‰¯Îa‰ «¨Ÿ § © ËtLÓ ¬© § ¦ BÏ− B‡ ´ ¦ ‡¯¥

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why should one son inherit ``a double portion'' (v. 17) of his father's goods, just because he is the ®rstborn?

refers to buying and selling human beings for money. See further 24:7. NJPS translates correctly.

17 Instead. Since he is the ®rst fruit of his vigor.

Rather, ``he is [entitled to] the ®rst fruit of his money.'' Compare ``Ah, I have become

NAHMANIDES her. After the single occasion of intercourse permitted him (accord- IBN EZRA was expected. You must not ing to the Sifrei, this is before the month of mourning), he must neither sell nor enslave her; enslave her. The only other example of this see my comment to the next phrase. You must not enslave her. The translations follow verb is in 24:7. We can derive its sense from

the Sifrei; Onkelos takes it to mean ``you must not traf®c with her.'' But it seems to me that this verb hitamer must be related to ``Shall all evildoers vaunt themselves?'' (Ps. 94:4), which uses essentially the same verb, though with B instead of T, an interchange that is quite common. You must not vaunt yourself over herÐwhich of course implies that you may neither enslave her nor traf®c with her. Note that a lord is called in Arabic an emir. What Rashi says about Persian is quite true. I have seen the same thing myself in the Palestinian Talmud. In fact, this expression is found in Aramaic as well, e.g., in the book of Susanna. ``He may not,'' here as elsewhere, is the equivalent of ``do not.'' It is a commandment. Literally the text says that he ``cannot,'' which Onkelos explains to mean that he must not enable himself to do so, a phrase intended to add extra emphasis to the prohibition. Literally, he must not do it ``before'' that son (see OJPS). Apparently these commandments apply only during the lifetime of this son; I have found that the Hebrew phrase used here always and everywhere means ``during the lifetime of'' (see, e.g., Gen. 11:28 and Num. 3:4). If he dies, though according to Jewish law his portion should be transmitted to his own sons, the grandfather can distribute his property as he chooses and does not violate this prohibition.

[D]

[E]

16 He may not treat as ®rstborn the son of the loved one.

In disregard of the son of the

unloved one.

the context when we realize that the same root letters rearranged refer to duplicity: ``You must not act duplicitously with her.''

15 One loved and the other unloved.

By him, not by the Lord! This passage follows naturally from the previous one, where (despite the translations) v. 11 says that he ``desires'' her and v. 14 that he does not ``desire'' her. This last ``unloved'' is an adjective, not a verb form like the previous ones.

The unloved one.

16 When he wills his property to his sons. When, still being healthy, he writes

his will. Or it could literally mean ``on the day'' (compare OJPS) when he divides his property between them, that is, on his deathbed; or it could even refer to a later day, when the court ``causes his sons to inherit'' (again, compare OJPS).

17 He must accept the ®rstborn, the son of the unloved one, and allot to him a He may not double portion. Again, this is a commandment, not a statement. If he simply allots him treat as ®rstborn the son of the loved the same portion as the later-born brothers, he violates two commandments, the positive one. He may not speak of him as the ®rstone in this verse and the prohibition in the previous verse, even though his attempt to do

born or rank him as such. On ``may not,'' see my comment to ``must not'' of 17:15. books that are now found in Catholic Bibles but not in Jewish ones. Literally, he must ``recognize'' him, that is, express that recognition to him; or it may mean that he must ``acknowledge'' (OJPS) to others which one is the ®rstborn (if they were in a place where the family was not known). It may also express that the father is responsible for immediately declaring which son is the ®rstborn in the case of twins. If there were three brothers, everything is divided four ways, and he gets two portions; if there are two brothers, everything is divided three ways, and he gets two; and so on. I believe Elisha's request to Elijah, ``Let a double portion of your spirit pass on to me'' (2 Kings 2:9), is also to be interpreted this way, as I have explained in my comment

[D] We omit Nahmanides' long list of examples.

[E] This is a book of the Apocrypha, a collection of originally Jewish

17 He must accept the ®rstborn.

And allot to him a double portion.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 One loved and the other unloved.

Like Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; Hushai the Archite warned King David that her son Absalom would turn out ``wayward and de®ant'' (Bekhor Shor). It does not necessarily mean that she is ``unloved,'' let alone ``hated'' (as OJPS literally translates). As when Gen. 29:31 calls Leah ``unloved,'' the point is merely that he loves the other wife more (Kimhi). The Hebrew word does not occur anywhere else in the Bible (Masorah). Firstborns are particularly beloved by God, as we see from the ®rst fruits and the ®rstborns of animals. We know from Gen. 48:18 that the ®rstborn's place is at the father's right hand (Abarbanel). He may not do so because of his love of the one or his lack of love for the other, but he may do so if the ®rstborn is wicked; Jacob apparently did this to Reuben, according to 1 Chron. 5:1 (Sforno). Nahmanides thinks, as he does in various places throughout these chapters, that this is a new commandment, but I must disagree. These are all elaborations of commandments previously given (Abarbanel).

The unloved one. 16 He may not treat as ®rstborn the son of the loved one in disregard of the son of the unloved one who is older. 17 He must accept the ®rstborn, the son of the unloved one, and allot to him a double portion.

144

145 DEUTERONOMY 21:18±21

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a man has a wayward and de®ant son, who does not OJPS 18If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, that will heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they not hearken to the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, discipline him, 19his father and mother shall take hold of him and and though they chasten him, will not hearken unto them; bring him out to the elders of his town at the public place of his 19then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and community. 20They shall say to the elders of his town, ``This son of ours is disloyal unto the gate of his place; 20and they shall 18 ½¤ À¦ § ‰È‰È-Èk epȇ ´ ¤ ¥ ‰¯BÓe ¯¯BÒ ´ ¥ Ôa ¥ μ LÈ‡Ï ´ ¤ § ¦ « ¦ say unto the elders of his city: ``This our and de®ant; he does not heed us. He is a ½ Ÿ e¯qÈ ´ § ¦ § Bn‡ ® ¦ ÏB˜·e ´ § ÂÈ·‡ −¦ ¨ ÏB˜a ¬ § ÚÓL © ¥½ Ÿ son is stubborn and rebellious, he doth not glutton and a drunkard.'' 21Thereupon the B˙‡ men of his town shall stone him to death. ÂÈ·‡ Ÿ ¬ § hearken to our voice; he is a glutton, and a ´ ¦ ¨ B·− eNÙ˙ § ¬¨ § 19 :̉ÈÏ «¤ ¥ ‡ £ ÚÓLÈ −© § ¦ ‡Ï 21 Thus you will sweep out evil from your -χ ¤ § B¯ÈÚ − ¦ È˜Ê-Ï ¬¥ § ¦ ‡¤ B˙‡ ² Ÿ e‡ÈˆB‰Â ¯¦ § Bn‡Â ® ¦ § drunkard.'' And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so midst: all Israel will hear and be afraid. À ¦ È˜Ê-Ï º § ¨ § 20 :BÓ˜Ó ea ³¥ § B¯ÈÚ ´¥ § ¦ ‡¤ e¯Ó‡Â « Ÿ § ¯ÚL © ¬© shalt thou put away the evil from the midst RASHI portion of what the father actu- ÏÏBÊ ½¤Ÿ ¯¯BÒ −¥ eϘa ®¥ Ÿ § ÚÓL © −¥ Ÿ epȇ ¬¤ ¥ ‰¯Óe ´¥ Ɖʤ of thee; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. ally possesses but not of anything he has ÆÌÈ·‡· ¦ ¨ £ «¨ B¯ÈÚ ³ ¦ ÈL‡-Ïk ¥¸ § © ¨ e‰Ó‚¯e ª ¨ §  21 :‡·Ò «¥ Ÿ §

NJPS

18If

coming to him after his death. −¥ ¨ § ¦ ¨ § Ea¯wÓ ®¤ § ¦ ¦ Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ ˙Ó ¥½ ¨ 18 Wayward. One who turns aside from χ¯NÈ-ÏΠthe ``way.'' De®ant. Refusing to do what his Ò :e‡¯È «¨ ¦ § eÚÓLÈ ¬ § § ¦ father tells him: ``From the day that you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have continued de®ant toward the LORD'' (9:7). Even after they discipline him. By issuing a warning to him before a court of three and having him ¯ogged. The Sages say that he cannot be called wayward and de®ant until he steals and eats half a mina's weight of meat and drinks half a log of wine, making him ``a glutton and a drunkard'' (v. 20): ``Do not be of those who guzzle wine, or glut themselves on meat'' (Prov. 23:20). The wayward and de®ant son is executed not on account of what he has done, but on account of what he will end up doing, for the Torah has penetrated his ultimate intentions: he will eventually use up his father's money and, wanting what he is used to and not getting it, will wait at a crossroads to rob people. Said the Torah: Let him die an innocent man, not a guilty one. 21 All Israel will hear and be afraid. We learn that there must be an of®cial announcement in court: ``So-and-So has been stoned for being a wayward and de®ant son.''

NAHMANIDES so does not take legal effect. All the more so is this true if he tries to

pretend that this son is not the ®rstborn at all. These, by the way, are new commandments, not elaborations of commandments previously given. 18 A wayward and de®ant son. Our Sages rule that he cannot be a minor, since a child is not subject to any punishment listed in the Torah or the commandments. He must be a boy who has produced two pubic hairs. [F] This son commits two violations: one, cursing his father and mother and rebelling against them; and two, being a glutton and a drunkard, which violates Lev. 19:2, ``You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.'' [G] We are told in 13:5 to ``worship none but Him, and hold fast to Him,'' which (as I explained in my comment to 11:22) means that we must know Him in all our waysÐand a glutton and a drunkard does not know God's way. To be sure, these are not capital crimes; he is being put to death on account of what he will eventually become, as the Sages have said, which explains why ``all Israel will hear and be afraid'' (v. 21). He is not being put to death for the enormity of his crime, but to chasten the multitudes and to prevent him from becoming a danger to others. The text often takes this course. The ``rebellious elder'' of 17:12, for example, has not by his false teaching committed a crime deserving of death; he is executed to remove controversy from the realm of Torah (see my comment to 17:11). The scheming witnesses of 19:16±20, too, are likewise killed even though they have not killed anyone themselves. Again, one who entices someone to commit idolatry is put to death even if his victim has not gone ahead and done so, just to make sure that ``such evil things will not be done again in your midst'' (13:12). With regard to our commandment, it may be a new one, or it may be an elaboration of ``Honor your father and your mother'' (Exod. 20:12) and ``You shall each revere his mother and his father'' (Lev. 19:3). [F] Making him a legally responsible person.

[G] See Nahmanides' comment to that verse.

[F] He must have both a father and a mother in order to be subjected to this. ``a heretic.'' [H] See Ibn Ezra's comment to Exod. 6:23.

RASHBAM rich; I have gotten wealth!'' (Hosea 12:9); ``His own hands must give back his wealth'' (Job 20:10). 18 De®ant. Deliberately provocative: ``I know how wrong I was to disobey'' (Lam. 1:20).

IBN EZRA to that verse. [E] Since heÐthe one who has been acknowledged as the ®rstbornÐis the ®rst fruit of his vigor.

At least if the father is speaking honestly; and a Jew is presumed to be doing so. 18 Wayward and de®ant. Both with respect to the Lord and with respect to his parents, assuming they are God-fearing people. But the Hebrew does not mean ``wayward''; it means ``stubborn'' (OJPS), as in ``Israel has balked like a stubborn cow'' (Hosea 4:16). He ``stubbornly'' refuses to perform the positive commandments, and ``de®antly'' violates the prohibitions. Even after they discipline him. In front of witnesses.

19 His father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out. It is a

commandment for them to do so, and what tradition says about this is true. [F] 20 A glutton. Prov. 23:30 speaks of being gluttonous for meat, but in fact the word can apply to anything one has an appetite for. A drunkard. Not merely a drinker, but actually a drunkard. Someone who is a glutton and a drunkard is literally an Epicurean, [G] for he is not even interested in the life of this world except to indulge hedonistically in food and drink. You see that this passage follows naturally after the one about the ``beautiful captive''; this wayward son is the product of a mixed marriage, like ``the son of the Israelite woman [who] pronounced the Name in blasphemy'' (Lev. 24:11). I alluded to this in my comment about the sons of Aaron. [H]

[E] We do not have Ibn Ezra's commentary to 2 Kings. [G] An apikoros, the Hebrew word derived from Epicurus's name that Ibn Ezra uses here, ordinarily means

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 18 A wayward and de®ant son. Consuming the quantities laid down by the Sages just once does not

make him ``wayward and de®ant,'' any more than healing someone once turns a man with no medical training into a doctor (Gersonides). He is ``wayward'' (really, ``stubborn'') with respect to God, and ``de®ant'' to his parents (Abarbanel). 19 His father and mother shall take hold of him. They must both agree to do so (Gersonides). They are commanded to do so, for compassion toward the wicked is really cruelty (Abarbanel). 21 Thereupon the men of his town shall stone him to death. No witnesses or investigation are required; the mind cannot conceive of parents who would bring this accusation against their son if he were innocent (Abarbanel).

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a man is guilty of a capital offense and is put to death, OJPS 22And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and you impale him on a stake, 23you must not let his corpse and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree; 23his body remain on the stake overnight, but must bury him the same day. shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely For an impaled body is an affront to God: bury him the same day; for he that is you shall not de®le the land that the LORD KR[ hanged is a reproach unto God; that thou À¦ § ‰È‰È-ÈΠ˙ÂÓ ¤ −¨ -ËtLÓ © § ¦ ‡ËÁ § ²¥ Lȇ· ´¤ § ¦ « ¦ § 22 de®le not thy land which the LORD thy your God is giving you to possess. ÔÈÏ˙-‡Ï ¦¸ ¨ Ÿ 23 :ıÚ-ÏÚ «¥ © B˙‡ − Ÿ ˙ÈÏ˙ ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ § ˙Óe‰Â ®¨ § God giveth thee for an inheritance.

NJPS

22If

RASHI 22 If a man is guilty of a capi- ÌBia Ƥ § § ¦ ¯B·˜-Èk ¹¨ §¦ ´ © Æep¯a˜z ³ ¨ « ¦ ıÚ‰-ÏÚ ¥À ¨ © B˙Ï· tal offense. As the wayward and de®ant ƇnË˙ Ÿ ³ § ÈeÏz ½ © RASHBAM 23 For an impaled body ¥ © § ‡Ï ® ¨ ÌÈ‰Ï −¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ˙ÏϘ-Èk ¬© § ¦ « ¦ ‡e‰‰ son will end up being if his father and is an affront to God. Rather, ``a curse on ½ § ´¨ § © − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ E˙Ó„‡-˙‡ ¤ the judges.'' When people see an impaled mother show him pity; this we learn from the EÏ juxtaposition of the two rules. And you Ò :‰ÏÁ «¨ £ © body, they are likely to reproach the judges impale him on a stake. The Sages say that who sentenced him, whether they are rela-

everyone who is stoned to death, like the ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why should diswayward son, is impaled in this way. For playing a criminal's body be ``an affront to God'' (v. only if it is impaled, not if he was strangled or ``an impaled body is a curse'' (as the Hebrew 23) stoned to death? literally says) ``to God'' (v. 23), and one who ``blesses'' [A] God is stoned to death. 23 For an impaled body is an affront to God. It is a denigration of the King. Humankind is made in His likeness and Israel are His children. A parable: There were two brothers, twins who resembled each other. One became king; the other was caught in banditry and impaled. Everyone who saw him said, ``The king has been impaled!'' The king ordered him taken down. Ð The Hebrew word translated ``affront'' or ``reproach'' (OJPS), though used elsewhere to mean ``curse,'' derives from a root meaning ``to make light of,'' and always carries an element of denigration: ``He insulted me outrageously'' (1 Kings 2:8). [A] Rashi is speaking euphemistically; as in Job 1:5, ``bless'' is substituted for ``curse.'' According to Lev. 24:16, this crime is punished by stoning.

NAHMANIDES 22 And you impale him on a stake.

tives of the dead man or not. For sometimes people are put to death for relatively minor offenses, like gathering wood on the Sabbath. The Holy One commanded, ``You shall not revile the judges, nor put a curse upon a chieftain among your people'' (Exod. 22:27, using a verb related to our noun), precisely because people do revile them. You shall not de®le the land. This is another reason ``you must not let his corpse remain on the stake overnight, but must bury him the same day.'' Otherwise those who touch it or ®nd themselves underneath the corpse are de®led with uncleanness.

IBN EZRA 22 And you impale him on

Rashi attributes to the Sages a stake. Our tradition explains all this. [I] the statement that everyone who is stoned to death is impaled in this way, but in fact that 23 For an impaled body is an affront is one individual's assertion. The halakhah follows the Sages, who say that only one who to God. Literally, ``a curse''; it is one who reviles the Lord or commits idolatry is impaled. That is precisely why an impaled body ``blesses'' God who is impaled in this way. represents ``cursing of God'' (as v. 23 really says). Everyone who sees someone impaled But the straightforward sense of the phrase will be saying, ``He `blessed' the Name,'' or ``He worshiped the idol So-and-So.'' Such is really that the body of someone who is words amount by themselves to cursing, or perhaps indeed ``affront'' is the correct sense, impaled is cursed by God, and this curse as Rashi says in his comment to v. 23. spreads everywhere within range of the 23 For an impaled body is an affront to God. The parable about the twins (see body. This involves a scienti®c phenomenon Rashi's comment) is not about Israel; it is deeper than Rashi thinks. But of course the having to do with the breath. You shall not straightforward sense of the verse is simply that displaying a corpse in this wayÐno mat- de®le the land. This passage too is conter how great the man's crimeÐis utterly repugnant, and de®les the land. No such affront nected with the wartime situation envisaged to God should be permitted in the Holy Land, where ``the LORD ordained blessing, ever- in. vv. 10±14, as you can see from Josh. lasting life'' (Ps. 133:3). For the same reason, Joshua ordered the ®ve kings ``taken down 10:26±27 and the impalement of the ®ve from the poles and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden'' (Josh. 10:27). (The kings defeated at Gibeon. The rule that the case of the descendants of Saul who were impaled differs somewhat, since it was not done corpse must not remain on the stake overby a Jewish court.) [H] The Sages say that leaving any corpse on display overnight is ``an night has nothing to do with respect for the affront to God,'' even the corpse of the impaled man, who richly deserved disgrace. (They dead person. It is about respect for the land. make an exception when the burial is delayed out of respect for the dead man.) The After all, Canaanites and Israelites would parable of the twins would certainly suggest that this applies to every corpse, and Ibn not be treated with equal respect. [J] Ezra's explanation of the ``curse'' implies that every house in which someone died would [I] See the comments of Rashi and Nahmanides. [J] Albe cursed in this way. This would certainly explain ``When a person dies in a tent, ternatively: ``Canaanites and Israelites are no different in this whoever enters the tent and whoever is in the tent shall be unclean seven days'' (Num. respect.'' The text of Ibn Ezra's comment is uncertain here. 19:14). You shall not de®le the land. According to the Sages, this is not an explanation of why an impaled body is an affront to God; otherwise the rule against leaving a corpse on the stake overnight would not apply outside ``your land'' (as the verse really says; see OJPS). Instead, this phrase is a commandment on its own. One who displays an impaled man, or for that matter a corpse of any kind, therefore violates two prohibitions and a positive commandment inside the land; one prohibition and one positive commandment outside the land. It is the prohibition stated in this phrase that caused Joshua to bury the ®ve kings on the same day. They did not revile the Lord, but leaving their bodies overnight would nonetheless have de®led the land. Or perhaps Joshua had the parable of the twins in mind. [H] See 2 Samuel 21. We omit Nahmanides' analysis of this incident.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 And you impale him on a stake.

Though the Sages say that everyone who is stoned to death is impaled in this way, the straightforward sense would seem to be that of the translations: if it should happen that you impale him (Bekhor Shor). 23 You must not let his corpse remain on the stake overnight. God has not decreed that he remain impaled permanently or for any length of time, but only that he undergo the procedure of impalement (Abarbanel).

146

147 DEUTERONOMY 22:1±5

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22 If you see your fellow's ox or sheep gone astray, OJPS 22 Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep do not ignore it; you must take it back to your fellow. 2If your driven away, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely bring fellow does not live near you or you do not know who he is, you them back unto thy brother. 2And if thy brother be not nigh unto shall bring it home and it shall remain with you until your fellow thee, and thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it home to claims it; then you shall give it back to him. 3You shall do the thy house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother require it, same with his ass; you shall do the same and thou shalt restore it to him. 3And so shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt with his garment; and so too shall you do thou do with his garment; and so shalt with anything that your fellow loses and B‡³ EÈÁ‡ ¹¦ ¨ ¯BL-˙‡ ¸ ¤ Á‰‡¯˙-‡Ï ¤ § ¦ Ÿ« thou do with every lost thing of thy you ®nd: you must not remain indifferent. ·L‰ ½¦ ¨ ¦ ÆBÈN-˙‡ ¬¥ ¨ Ì‰Ó ®¤ ¥ zÓlÚ˙‰Â −¨ § © © § ¦ § ÌÈÁc ¥ ¤ 4If you see your fellow's ass or ox fallen brother's, which he hath lost, and thou Ÿ¸ ² ¦ ¨ ·B¯˜ ¬ ¨ ‡Ï-̇ ¦ § 2 :EÈÁ‡Ï « ¦ ¨ § Ì·ÈLz −¥ ¦ § hast found; thou mayest not hide thyself. on the road, do not ignore it; you must EÈÁ‡ 4Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or help him raise it. Ÿ ´ § EÈÏ E˙Èa ¤½ ¥ CBz-Ï ´ ‡¤ ÆBzÙ҇ § © £ © BzÚ„È ® § © § ‡Ï −¤ ‡¥ 5A woman must not put on man's apŸ ³ § „Ú ½ Ÿ ÆEÈÁ‡ Ʀ ¨ L¯c À § ¦ ‰È‰Â B˙·L‰Â − Ÿ ¥ £ © B˙‡ ´© EnÚ ´¨ ¨ § his ox fallen down by the way, and hide parel, nor shall a man wear woman's thyself from them; thou shalt surely help »‰NÚz À Ÿ £ © ‰NÚz ¤ £ © ÔΠ´¥ § B¯ÓÁÏ ´¤ £ © ÔΠ¯¥ § 3 :BÏ« him to lift them up again. RASHI 22:1 Do not ignore it. Rather, EÈÁ‡ 5A woman shall not wear that which ² ¦ ¨ ˙„·‡-ÏÎÏ ¬© ¥ £ ¨ § ‰NÚz ¤¹ £ © ÔΠ´¥ § ¼B˙ÏÓNÏ ¨ § ¦ § ``do not disappear yourself from them.'' Do Ÿ ¬ d˙‡ˆÓe ÏÎe˙ −© ‡Ï ®¨ ¨ § epnÓ −¤ ¦ „·‡z-¯L ¬© Ÿ ¤‡ £ pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man NJPS

·Î

not hide your eyes as if you did not see Ò :ÌlÚ˙‰Ï «¥ © § ¦ § them. The straightforward sense of the verse is that you must not see them and pretend ÆB¯BL B‡³ EÈÁ‡ ¹¦ ¨ ¯BÓÁ-˙‡ ¸ £ ¤ Á‰‡¯˙-‡Ï ¤ §¦ Ÿ 4 that you didn't. But since the Hebrew syntax ®¤ ¥ zÓlÚ˙‰Â −¨ § © © § ¦ § C¯ca ¤ ½¤ © ÌÈÏÙ ´¦ § Ÿ ¬¥ ¨ Ì‰Ó of the verse states the second verb posi- ̘‰ tivelyÐ``hide yourself from them'' (compare Ò :BnÚ « ¦ ÌȘz −¦ ¨ OJPS)Ðthe Sages say what they say. [B] ¬© § ¦ Ÿ § ‰M‡-ÏÚ ¨½ ¦ © Ư·‚-ÈÏÎ ¤ ¤Æ ¦ § ‰È‰È-‡Ï ³¤ § ¦ Ÿ 5 2 Until your fellow claims it. Could LaÏÈ-‡Ï you really return it before someone claims it? The Hebrew literally says, ``until the inquiry of your fellow.'' When someone claims it, you must inquire carefully to make sure he is not deceiving you. Then you shall give it back to him. As long as there is some amount to give back. While in your possession, the animal must not eat its own value, which you would have a right to reclaim from the owner. The Sages derive from this that one may work the animal for the value of its fodder; if it eats but does not work, it should be sold. [C] 3 You must not remain indifferent. The verb is the same as in v. 1, and with the same meaning: do not hide your eyes as if you did not see them. 4 You must help him raise it. More precisely, ``you must help him reload it.'' The verb refers not to the animal but to the load that fell off of it. The Hebrew adds that you must do this ``with him,'' that is, with the animal's owner. But if he went and sat down and said, ``You're the one who's commanded to reload itÐso go ahead if you want to,'' then you are not obligated. 5 A woman must not put on man's apparel. As a disguise, so that she can move about among the men; this is obviously for some immoral purpose. Nor shall a man wear woman's clothing. So as to be able to stay with the women. Another reading: he must not

IBN EZRA 22:1 If you see your fellow's ox or sheep gone astray. Even if

you are on your way to war (midrashically, at least). Only oxen and sheep are mentioned, for this rule has already been applied to asses in Exod. 23:4. Obviously the same rule applies to any animal. 2 You shall bring it home. If you yourself are returning there; otherwise, you shall have it brought to your home by someone you trust.

3 You must not remain indifferent.

See again my comment to 17:15. 4 Fallen. The equivalent word in Exod. 23:5 has the ass ``lying'' under its burden; the word used in our verse is a more general term. You must help him raise it. Literally, ``you must raise it with him,'' as in Exod. 23:5.

5 A woman must not put on man's apparel. Again, this is describing a wartime

situation. Women were created for the purpose of producing children, but if a woman puts on a uniform and goes out with the [B] That there are times when you may hide from them. See B. BM 30a. [C] So that there will be something to ``give back men to war, she will end up acting promisto him.'' cuously. Nor shall a man wear woman's NAHMANIDES 22:1 If you see your fellow's ox or sheep gone astray. This is an clothing. This would have to be a man elaboration of ``When you encounter your enemy's ox or ass wandering'' (Exod. 23:4). ``Wandering'' merely implies that they have wandered off and can be returned without much dif®culty; ``gone astray'' implies that they have run away from him. The ox, the sheep (proverbial for getting lost), the ass, and the garment (both v. 3; see there) each represent a different category of ``anything that your fellow loses and you ®nd.'' Do not ignore it; you must take it back to your fellow. The Sages have added many midrashim based on these words, e.g., you ``must'' take it back even 100 times if necessary, and so forth. 2 If your fellow does not live near you or you do not know who he is. NJPS translates correctly; the conjunction is ``or,'' not ``and.'' But the Sifrei understands this as a single condition: if he is not near enoughÐin your same townÐfor you to know who he is. [I] 3 You shall do the same with his ass. Which, unlike the ox and sheep, is an unclean animal. You shall do the same with his garment. Which is worth less than an animal; on the other hand, animals die and garments do not. So too shall you do with anything that your fellow loses and you ®nd. Even something less meaningful than his garment, with which (after all) he covers himself. 4 If you see your fellow's ass or ox fallen on the road. This further expands three of the words in ``When you see the ass of your enemy lying under its burden'' (Exod. 23:5). Note particularly that you must forget your enmity and remember that he is your fellow. Do not ignore it. Again, the text adds a negative commandment to the positive commandment of ``you must nevertheless raise it with him'' (Exod. 23:5). [I] Both Nahmanides' comment and the text of the Sifrei are unclear; this is one possible interpretation of them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22:3 You shall do the same with his garment. People do not generally lose their clothing; nevertheless, you must not presume that this garment was deliberately abandoned (Sforno). 5 A woman must not put on man's apparel, nor shall a man wear woman's clothing. This applies even if there is no element of disguise, as when a woman puts on a man's hat or a man dyes his hair (Gersonides). Obviously it is not the apparel that is the problem, but the sexual misbehavior it would lead to (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 22:5±6 KI TETSE'

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NJPS clothing; for whoever does these things is abhorrent to OJPS put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth these the LORD your God. things is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. 6If, along the road, you chance upon a bird's nest, in any tree 6If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with ¯edglings or eggs and the mother sitting or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting over the ¯edglings or on the eggs, do not upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou take the mother together with her young. EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙·ÚB˙ ²© £ Èk ¯¦ ‰M‡ ®¨ ¦ ˙ÏÓN ´© § ¦ ¯·b ¤ −¤ shalt not take the dam with the young;

Ù :‰l¤ ‡ «¥ ‰NÚ-Ïk ¥ Ÿ ¬ ¨ RASHBAM RASHI remove his pubic hair and the 22:6 If...you chance hair under his arms. For whoever does upon a bird's nest. If you ®nd a nest that 6 C¯ca ¤ ¹¤ © EÈÙÏ ¤¿ ¨ § | ¯Btˆ-Ô˜ ´ ¦ © ‡¯wÈ ´¥ ¨ ¦ Èk ´¦ these things is abhorrent. The Torah does B‡´ ÆÌÈÁ¯Ù‡ happens to be sitting there. Do not take the ¦ Ÿ § ¤ ı¯‡‰-ÏÚ ¤ ¨À ¨ © B‡´ | ıÚ-ÏÎa ´¥ ¨ § mother together with her young. This is not forbid all cross-dressing, only that which ½¦ Ÿ § ¤ «¨ © Æ˙ˆ·¯ ½¦ ¥ simply civilized behavior; see my comment B‡− ÌÈÁ¯Ù‡‰-ÏÚ ¤ ¤Æ Ÿ ̇‰Â ³¥ ¨ § ÌȈȷ leads to something abhorrent. 6 If, along the road, you chance upon :ÌÈa‰-ÏÚ « ¦ ¨ © © ̇‰ −¥ ¨ Áw˙-‡Ï ®¦ ¥ © © to ``You shall not boil a kid in its mother's ¬© ¦ Ÿ ÌȈÈa‰-ÏÚ a bird's nest. This excludes a nest that you milk'' of Exod. 23:19. As I say there, in reyourself set up. Do not take the mother tosponse to criticism by the Christians, the gether with her young. Rather, ``Do not take the mother [who is sitting] over her young.'' same applies to Lev. 22:28. It is gluttonous NAHMANIDES 6 Do not take the mother together with her young. This too is IBN EZRA whose beard has not yet an elaboration of an earlier commandment, ``No animal from the herd or from the ¯ock

®lled out, who is mingling with women in

shall be slaughtered on the same day with its young'' (Lev. 22:28). Both of them tell us that

order to have sex with them without anyone

we must not be cruel and unforgiving. Or perhaps the text is telling us that even though we

knowing. All this teaches us that the Israel-

are permitted to slaughter members of a species, we are not permitted to wipe out the

ite custom, like that of most countries, was

species as a whole. Maimonides, in the

Guide, says the point

is that the mother should not

have to watch her offspring being killed, since animals have as strong feelings about that as humans do. A mother's love and nurturing of her children do not come from the intellect, but from the imaginative faculty, which animals and people alike have. If this were

to have distinctive clothing for men and

For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the LORD your God. Some women.

think this means the verse is talking about

correct, the main point of Lev. 22:28 would be to prohibit slaughtering the young ®rst, and

unnatural intercourse, but there is no need

the prohibition of slaughtering the mother ®rst would just be a precaution. But it is more

to go that far. The Lord ®nds abhorrent any

correct to say that we are being instructed not to inure ourselves to cruelty. Maimonides

alteration to the way He has made things.

points out that, according to M. Ber. 5:3, a prayer leader who addresses God by saying ``Your mercies extend to the bird's nest'' is silenced. This, he says, follows the opinion that the commandments need not have any purpose other than to delineate the will of the

6 If, along the road. As in v. 4. You chance upon a bird's nest. For FZY (to

``chance'' or ``happen'' upon) spelled with an

CreatorÐan opinion he does not share. He believes there is a reason for every command-

B, as it is here, see also 2 Sam. 1:6. It means

ment. The discussion in Genesis Rabbah where the Sages ask, ``What difference does it

``to bump into'' something.

make to Him whether we slaughter an animal at the front of the neck or the back?'' is a further dif®culty for him; they attribute this simply to the fact that the commandments were given to make God's creatures pure by adherence to them: ``Every word of God is pure'' (Prov. 30:5). Yet Maimonides' insistence that the commandments are all useful for humanityÐbesides the reward one gets for observing themÐis quite clear. Moreover, the

Fledglings. The currence, see Jer. 32:21. Do not take the mother together with her young. People word has a pre®xed

B;

for a similar oc-

are indeed capable of this kind of cruelty:

``On a day of battle, when mothers and

Sages assert that one is rewarded for revealing what the Ancient of Days has concealedÐ the reasons for the commandments. Solomon said of the red cow, ``I thought I could fathom it, but it eludes me'' (Eccles. 7:23), yet according to R. Yose b. R. Hanina, the Holy One told Moses, ``To you I will reveal the secret of the red cow, but to others it will remain a `ritual law' [Num. 19:2].'' They further interpret Zech. 14:6 to hint that things that are hidden in this world will be revealed in the World to Come, and they say that ``I will lead the blind by a road they did not know'' (Isa. 42:16) is a reference to the Holy One revealing the reasons for the commandments to R. Akiva. If the reason for the red-cow ritual (the most dif®cult one to understand) has already been revealed, then it is merely our own intellectual blindness that prevents us from understanding the reasons for the commandments. There are many more such statements in rabbinic literature, and many biblical verses (which Maimonides mentions) tell us so. But I think these midrashim that so troubled Maimonides point in a different direction. They are telling us that whatever bene®t results from the commandments does not accrue to the Holy One Himself but to humanity: keeping us from harm, from false beliefs, and from distasteful character traits, and reminding us of the miracles the Holy One has done for us, so that we may know Him. That is what is meant by ``puri®cation.'' We are puri®ed by them as silver is puri®ed, for the puri®cation of silver is certainly not a pointless activity; it is to remove the slag. So too the commandments have as their purpose to remove false beliefs from our hearts, and to inform us of the truth and keep us in mind of Him always. Does which way an animal is slaughtered or anything else about that topic do Him any good or any harm? ``If you are wise, you are wise for yourself '' (Prov. 9:12).

[J] These decrees are for our bene®t. It is not that the Holy One takes pity

on the nest, or on the mother animal and her young. He does not prevent us from doing what we need to do to them. If that was it, He would have outlawed slaughtering them at all. The point is to teach us to be merciful and to prevent us from being cruelÐfor cruelty spreads easily through the human soul. As the saying goes, ``The best of the butchers is still a partner of Amalek.'' All the commandments, positive and negative, are about developing our own good qualities. The Sages have a parable that explains this: When the king entered a province, his of®cials urged him, ``Issue decrees!'' He replied, ``When they accept my kingship, then I will issue decrees to them.'' Just so did the Holy One say, ``Have you accepted My kingship, that `I the L ORD am your God' [Exod. 20:2]? Then accept My decrees: `You shall have no other gods besides Me' [Exod. 20:3]'' (and so forth). But in

[J] We omit most of Nahmanides' long essay on this topic.

The Midrash of R. Nehunya b. ha-Kaneh

he writes that there is a

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 The mother sitting over the ¯edglings. The precise Hebrew form of this unusual verb for ``sitting'' also occurs only in the phrase ``the deep that couches below'' of 33:13 and Gen. 49:25 (Masorah). She is considered to be ``sitting over'' them as long as her wings are touching the nest (Bekhor Shor). Do not take the mother together with her young. The seven days of

the sukkah in

The Midrash of R. Nehunya b. ha-Kaneh

are an allusion to trust in God and His providence (Abarbanel).

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149 DEUTERONOMY 22:7±9

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the mother go, and take only the young, in order OJPS 7thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young that you may fare well and have a long life. thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and 8When you build a new house, you shall that thou mayest prolong thy days. 8When thou buildest a new house, then make a parapet for your roof, so that you 7 ½ Æ ÌÈa‰-˙‡Â − ¦ ¨ © ¤ § ̇‰-˙‡ ¥ ¨ ¤ ÁlLz © © § ÁlL © ³ ¥ © thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof, that do not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it. zί‡‰Â −¨ § © £ © § CϨ½ ·ËÈÈ © ´ ¦ ÆÔÚÓÏ © Æ© § CÏ-Áwz ®¨ «© « ¦ thou bring not blood upon thy house, if 9You shall not sow your vineyard with a any man fall from thence. Ò :ÌÈÓÈ «¦ ¨ K[KN[ 9Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with second kind of seed, else the cropÐfrom 8 ½ Æ Eb‚Ï ¤ © § ‰˜ÚÓ − ¤ £ © ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ § L„Á ¨ ¨ ˙Èa ¦ ´ © ‰·˙ ¤ § ¦ Èk ³ ¦ ® two kinds of seed; lest the fulness of the the seed you have sownÐand the yield of Ÿ ¬ ¦ « ¦ E˙È·a ÏÙp‰ −¥ Ÿ © ÏtÈ-Èk ¤½ ¥ § ÆÌÈÓc ¦ ¨ ÌÈN˙-‡Ï ³¦ ¨ Ÿ « § seed which thou hast sown be forfeited

NJPS

7Let

RASHI 7 In order that you may fare Ò :epnÓ «¤ ¦ well and have a long life. If the Torah Lc˜z-Ôt RASHBAM ¦ ®¨ § ¦ EÓ¯k − § § © Ú¯Ê˙-‡Ï ¬© § ¦ Ÿ 9 says this about a relatively trivial com- À© § ¦ ¤ ÌȇÏk slaughter and

and cruel to take and cook and eat a mother to½¨ § ¦ ¯L mandment (which costs you nothing), how ˙‡e·˙e −© § Ú¯Êz ´¤ ‡ £ ÆÚ¯f‰ ©Æ¤ © ‰‡ÏÓ‰ ³¨ ¥ § «© gether with her young. much the more so are you assured of reward 8 A parapet. This Hebrew word is not for the more signi®cant commandments. found anywhere else in the Bible. The noun 8 When you build a new house. Having ful®lled the commandment of v. 7, you will pattern shows that it derives from FYT, have the opportunity to build a new house and ful®ll this further commandment, to make which is also not found in the Bible; the apa parapet. For ful®lling one commandment leads to another. You will eventually get a vine- parently related words in Ps. 55:4 and Amos yard too; then a ®eld to plow and ®ne clothing. That is why these commandments are 2:13 are from YGT. grouped here. A parapet. A fence around the roof. Onkelos uses an Aramaic word sug- 9 May not be used. They are ``sanctigesting something that ``encases'' what is inside it. If anyone should fall from it. Lit- ®ed,'' that is, as forbidden for use as if they erally, ``if the faller should fall from it.'' The implication is that this is a person who is had been consecrated. destined to fall anyway. But why should his death be charged to your account? Let good things fall to the lot of the innocent and bad things fall to the lot of the guilty. EZRA babes were dashed to death 9 A second kind of seed. More precisely, ``a mixture'' of seedÐwheat, barley, and IBN together'' (Hosea 10:14). The same applies grape seed all with a single toss of the hand. May not be used. Literally, ``be sancti®ed.'' to the prohibition Lev. 22:28. But Onkelos understands correctly that this means ``be forbidden.'' Anything that one 7 In order thatofyou may fare well. For God in turn will have mercy on you. And NAHMANIDES profound mystery in this commandment: Said R. Rahmai, Why does have a long life. When you do not cut off the verse say ``Let the mother go'' (v. 7) and not the father? In honor of that Understanding life entirely from the nest, leaving the most which is called ``Mother of the World'': ``Call to understanding `mother''' (Prov. 2:3). [K] important part of it. And what is ``take only the young'' (v. 7)? Said R. Rahmai, They are the children whom she 8 When you build a new house. After raised. And who are they? The seven days of the sukkah, the laws of the seven days of the ®ghting the wars successfully and settling week...(and so forth). In any case, this commandment hints at something much greater, down in the land, the ®rst thing they would and therefore its reward is very great: ``that you may fare well and have a long life'' (v. 7). do would be to build a house. A parapet. 8 When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof. The rule We understand the word from its context; it about the parapet may be new; or perhaps it elaborates on ``Do not pro®t by the blood of is a hapax legomenon, being found nowhere your fellow'' (Lev. 19:16). else in the Bible. One grammarian relates it 9 You shall not sow your vineyard with a second kind of seed. This and the next to ``the oppression of the wicked'' (Ps. 55:4), two verses are obviously an elaboration of Lev. 19:19, which makes clear that this rule but by doing so he left himself subject to oprefers to any plot that is sowed, not just a vineyard. What is added here is the continu- pression! If anyone should fall from it. ation, else the cropÐfrom the seed you have sownÐand the yield of the vineyard Literally, ``if a faller should fall''; obviously may not be used. The Hebrew, which literally says ``lest the yield be sancti®ed,'' [L] is he is not already falling. The translations using ``lest'' here in the sense of ``since'' or ``because.'' The yield will be sancti®edÐthat is, understand the idiom correctly. Hebrew fre``forfeited'' (OJPS)Ðjust as if it had been declared sacred property. See similarly Lev. 10:7, quently alludes in advance to someone's ulwhere ``do not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die'' really means timate fate; compare ``the dead person shall [K] The verse reads, ``If you call to understanding.'' But the mystical interpretation reads (``if'') as (``mother''). be put to death'' (as 17:6 literally says); ``you [L] See Ibn Ezra's comment. strip off the clothes of the naked'' (Job 22:6); ``the children struggled in her womb'' (Gen. 25:22). In fact, there are innumerable examples like these. We do not always know when this is simply idiomatic and when the words are prophetic, as in ``Abram...went in pursuit as far as Dan'' (Gen. 14:14); ``They reached the wadi Eshcol, and there they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes'' (Num. 13:23); ``a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife'' (Gen. 2:24). [K] 9 You shall not sow your vineyard with a second kind of seed. After the commandment about building a house comes a commandment about sowing crops, the next thing one would naturally do after building a house. May not be used. Rather, ``would [all] become sancti®ed.'' As Menahem ibn Saruq explains in his entry on kilayim (``two kinds of seed,'' OJPS), the problem is that they will ripenÐand thus become subject to ®rst fruits and tithingÐat different times. Because they are mixed together, it will be impossible to im

em

[K] Dan would be so named after Abram's great-grandson; the wadi was named after the eshcol, the ``cluster'' of grapes they found there; Adam had no father or mother.

What you lose by observing the commandment is far outweighed by the reward you gain (Hizkuni). We see that this commandment is designed to preserve a steady food supply for the human beings. It is not for the birds' sake (Abarbanel). 9 You shall not sow your vineyard with a second kind of seed. The difference between this and the ``®eld'' of Lev. 19:19 is that a ``®eld'' may simply refer to open country; a vineyard must be a ®eld planted with vines (Gersonides). May not be used. Rather, ``lest they be mixed together,'' like the ``cult prostitutes'' of 23:18, who are so named (from the same Hebrew root) because they mingle indiscriminately with others (Hizkuni). ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 In order that you may fare well and have a long life.

DEUTERONOMY 22:9±14 KI TETSE'

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the vineyard may not be used.

an ox and an ass together.

BX\ KM 10

You shall not plow with

11

You shall not wear cloth combining

OJPS

together with the increase of the vineyard.

not plow with an ox and an ass together.

wool and linen. 12

CM OK ZCE 10

Thou shalt

11

Thou shalt not wear a

mingled stuff, wool and linen together. 12

You shall make tassels on the four

Thou shalt make thee twisted cords

Ÿ− £ © Ÿ ¬ £ © Ÿ « 10 Ò :̯k‰ ¯ÓÁ·e-¯BLa § L¯Á˙-‡Ï ¤ «¨ © upon the four corners of thy covering, corners of the garment with which you Ÿ ³ 11 Ò :ÂcÁÈ ¯Óˆ ¤ ¬¤ ÊËÚL ¥½ § © «© ÆLaÏ˙ © § ¦ ‡Ï «¨ § © wherewith thou coverest thyself. cover yourself. A man marries a woman and cohabits If any man take a wife, and go in unto Ò :ÂcÁÈ «¨ § © ÌÈzLÙe −¦ § ¦ with her. Then he takes an aversion to her her, and hate her, and lay wanton charges ˙BÙk ¬ § © Úa¯‡-ÏÚ ²© § © © Cl-‰NÚz ®¨ ¤ £ © ÌÈÏ„b −¦ ¦ § 12 and makes up charges against her and against her, and bring up an evil name Ò :da«¨ -‰qÎz ¤ © § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ E˙eÒk − § § «¨ ¥ § ‰ÈÏ ¨ −¤ ‡¥ ‡·e ¬¨ ‰M‡ ®¨ ¦ Lȇ −¦ ÁwÈ-Èk ¬© ¦ « ¦ 13 RASHBAM RASHI recoils from, whether for a posi- :d‡Ne 12 Tassels. That is, tive reason (that it is sacred) or a negative ‰ÈÏÚ Ÿ ´ ¦ £ ÆdϨ ÌN ½ ¦ ¨ § ˙ÏÈÏÚ ¨ −¤ ¨ ‡ÈˆB‰Â ¬ ¦ § Ìȯ·c ¬¨ § 14 ``fringes.'' The Hebrew implies that they are 13

13

14

14

one (that it is prohibited), is referred to in Hebrew as ``sancti®ed'': ``Keep your distance! Don't come closer! I am consecrated with respect to you'' (Isa. 65:5). 10 You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together. Or any two other species in the world. You may also not yoke them together to pull a load. 11 You shall not wear cloth combining wool and linen. The ``cloth'' of NJPS is really ``mingled stuff'' (OJPS), that is, ``a blend''; our Sages explain the word sha'atnez as an acronym for shua tavui va-nuz, ``carded, spun, or woven.''

12 You shall make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself. You ``shall make'' them no matter what, even from sha'atnez; that is why the two verses are next to each other. 14 Makes up charges against her. One transgression leads to another. When he

braided.

IBN EZRA

separate the sacred gifts from one of them. So the entire crop of both kinds ``will become sancti®ed.''

10 You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together. Again, this follows naturally after the previous verse, about sowing crops. The Lord has compassion on all His creatures; an ass does not have the strength of an ox.

11 Cloth combining wool and linen.

``hates her'' (v. 13; compare OJPS), he violates ``You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your These too are agricultural. We have already heart'' (Lev. 19:17). That inevitably brings him to the sin of harmful speechÐmaking up been told, ``you shall not put on cloth from a mixture of two kinds of material'' (Lev. NAHMANIDES ``because you will die,'' and Gen. 3:3, ``You shall not eat of it or touch 19:19); now we learn that this applies only it, lest you die,'' that is, ``because you will die.'' Or it may indeed mean ``lest,'' as in Deut. to a particular mixtureÐwool and linen, not 32:27, ``Lest their adversaries misdeem,'' where the sense is ``perhaps'' they may misdeem. any other combination. That is, you must not sow a second kind of seed because it will ``perhaps'' sprout and 12 You shall make tassels on the four render the entire crop forbidden. For they are not forbidden (according to the Mishnah) corners of the garment with which you until the seed takes root and the grapes grow to the size of a white bean. cover yourself. The deniers of tradition [L] 10 You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together. Or any other two species of claim that ``covering'' yourself implies that animals. What makes this an elaboration of ``You shall not let your cattle mate with a this verse is a commandment about sleeping different kind'' (Lev. 19:19) is that farmers bring their team into a single barn and breed garments matching the commandment in them together. Num. 15:38 to make ``fringes'' for daytime 11 You shall not wear cloth combining wool and linen. Unlike Lev. 19:19, two wear. In fact a different Hebrew word is particular kinds are speci®ed; moreover, we see that what is prohibited is wearing it, not used for these ``tassels,'' which we can unmerely having it ``over'' us as might be implied by that verse. derstand because it also describes the ``fes13 A man marries a woman and cohabits with her. Then he takes an aversion to toons of chainwork'' (1 Kings 7:17) used in her. The Hebrew refers merely to a man who ``takes'' a woman (see OJPS), but the impli- the building of the Temple. (The deniers try cation is that she is legally engaged to him (as in v. 23). The situation being described here to derive it from a word meaning ``big.'') We is that when, eventually, they are married and he ®rst sleeps with her, he takes an aversion rely solely on the words of those who have to her because she does not please him sexually. He gets up in the morning, goes to court, passed down our tradition: The Numbers and announces that he found her not to be a virgin. His intention is to divorce her without commandment is repeated here in order to having to pay the amount he speci®ed in the marriage contract. She became engaged to clarify that the fringes must be added only him under the presumption that she was a virgin, and his claim is that she must have to a garment that has ``four corners.'' It is committed adultery since their engagement. The situation where ``the charge proves true'' permissible to make these out of cloth that (v. 20) will be discussed later. combines wool and linen, which is why the verse occurs at this point. 13 A man marries a woman. The deniers think this passage follows because of the reference in v. 12 to (as they claim) ``covering up'' at night. The truth, at least midrashically, [M] is that one naturally ®rst builds a house, then acquires clothes and other goods, and then takes a wife. 14 Makes up charges. Literally, he ``puts trumped-up things'' on her. (``Things'' can be false as well as true.) I found that she was not a virgin. Literally, ``I did not ®nd virginities with respect to her.'' In Biblical Hebrew, some abstract nouns take the plural and have no

[L] The Karaites.

[M] It is not clear why Ibn Ezra describes this contextual explanation as midrashic.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 10 You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Since vv. 9±11 match the three clauses of Lev. 19:19, we see that this prohibition is about breeding them (Bekhor Shor). The ox is the king of the domestic beasts and the ass is one of the lowliest; this is an inappropriate pairing (Hizkuni). 11 Cloth combining wool and linen. The Hebrew word referring to ``a mixture'' of cloth appears nowhere else but Lev. 19:19 (Masorah). Since the priestly garments are made of this mixture, for anyone else to wear it would be like a commoner wielding the scepter of a king (Bekhor Shor). The combination of wool and linen proved disastrous in Genesis 4, where Cain brought an offering of ¯ax and Abel of sheep (Hizkuni). 14 Makes up charges against her. Rather, ``he puts her to wanton remarks'' about him, for she will curse and defame him because

150

151 DEUTERONOMY 22:14±20

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NJPS defames her, saying, ``I married this woman; but when OJPS upon her, and say: ``I took this woman, and when I came I approached her, I found that she was not a virgin.'' 15In such a nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity''; 15then case, the girl's father and mother shall produce the evidence of shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring the girl's virginity before the elders of the town at the gate. 16And forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the the girl's father shall say to the elders, ``I city in the gate. 16And the damsel's father gave this man my daughter to wife, but he ÈzÁ˜Ï Ÿ © ‰M‡‰-˙‡ ³¨ ¦ ¨ ¤ ¯Ó‡Â ©À ¨ § Ú¯®¨ ÌL ´¥ shall say unto the elders: ``I gave my ¦ § ½© ¨ Æ˙‡f‰ daughter unto this man to wife, and he has taken an aversion to her; 17so he has Ÿ § ‰ÈÏ «¦ § dÏ −¨ È˙‡ˆÓ ¦ ¬¨ ¨ -‡Ï ¨ ¤½ ‡¥ ·¯˜‡Â ´© § ¤ ¨ made up charges, saying, `I did not ®nd :ÌÈÏe˙a hateth her; 17and, lo, he hath laid wanton 15 ¹ e‡ÈˆB‰Â ¦ § dn‡Â ® ¨ ¦ § ‰¯Úp‰ − ¨ £ © « © ¯Ú‰ È·‡ ¬ ¦ £ Á˜Ï © ¨ § ² charges, saying: I found not in thy daughyour daughter a virgin.' But here is the evidence of my daughter's virginity!'' And ¯ÈÚ‰ −¦ ¨ È˜Ê-Ï ¬¥ § ¦ ‡¤ ‰¯Úp‰ ²¨ £ © «© ¯Ú‰ ÈÏe˙a ¯¥ § -˙‡¤ ter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are they shall spread out the cloth before the ‰¯Úp‰ −¨ £ © «© ¯Ú‰ È·‡ ¬ ¦ £ ¯Ó‡Â ²© ¨ § 16 :‰¯ÚM‰ ¨ § «¨ © the tokens of my daughter's virginity.'' And they shall spread the garment before elders of the town. 18The elders of that À¦ ¦ -˙‡¤ ÌÈ˜f‰-Ï ²¤ © LÈ‡Ï ¬ ¦ ¨ Èz˙ ¦ ©¹ ¨ Èza ®¦ ¥ § © ‡¤ the elders of the city. 18And the elders of town shall then take the man and ¯og him, ‰f‰ 19and they shall ®ne him a hundred [shek- ÁÌN ¿ ¥ ¦ § 17 :‰‡Ni ¨ ‡e‰-‰p‰Â ¨ «¤ ¨ § ¦ © ‰M‡Ï −¨ ¦ § that city shall take the man and chastise els of] silver and give it to the girl's father; ÆEz·Ï Ÿ « ¯Ó‡Ï Ÿ À ¥ Ìȯ·c Ÿ ¸ ¦ £ him. 19And they shall ®ne him a hundred ¹¦ ¨ § ˙ÏÈÏÚ § ¦ § È˙‡ˆÓ ¦ ³¨ ¨ -‡Ï for the man has defamed a virgin in Israel. shekels of silver, and give them unto the ÆeN¯Ùe § «¨ Èz· ®¦ ¦ ÈÏe˙a ´¥ § ‰l¤ ‡Â −¥ § ÌÈÏe˙a ¦½ § Moreover, she shall remain his wife; he father of the damsel, because he hath È˜Ê ¬¥ § ¦ eÁ˜Ï ² § «¨ § 18 :¯ÈÚ‰ « ¦ ¨ È˜Ê ¬¥ § ¦ ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦ ‰ÏÓO‰ ¨½ § ¦ © brought up an evil name upon a virgin of shall never have the right to divorce her. 20But if the charge proves true, the girl :B˙‡ «Ÿ e¯qÈ − § ¦ § Lȇ‰-˙‡ ®¦ ¨ ¤ ‡Â‰‰-¯ÈÚ‰ −¦ © ¦ «¨ Israel; and she shall be his wife; he may not Ÿ Æ À ¹ ¸ È·‡Ï ´ ¦ £ © e˙ § ¨ § ÛÒÎ ¤ ¤ ‰‡Ó ¨ ´¥ B˙‡ eLÚ § ¨ § 19 put her away all his days. 20But if this thing be true, that the tokens RASHI these charges. This woman. We learn that accusations can only be leveled in the presence of the accused.

15 The girl's father and mother.

If

they raised her badly, they end up by having to disgrace themselves on her account.

16 The girl's father shall say.

But not

her mother; we learn that a woman is not allowed to speak in front of her husband in public situations.

17 They shall spread out the cloth.

This is metaphoric. They lay out the facts as one might spread a cloth.

18 Flog him. 20 If the charge proves true.

OJPS translates literally,

but NJPS understands the sense correctly.

½¨ £ © «© ˙Ïe˙a ´© § ÏÚ −© Ú¯½¨ ÌL ´¥ ƇȈB‰ ¦ Èk³¦ ‰¯Úp‰ Ÿ ÏÎeÈ-‡Ï ¬© ‰M‡Ï ¨½ ¦ § ‰È‰˙-BÏ ´¤ § ¦ « § χ¯NÈ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ Ò :ÂÈÓÈ-Ïk «¨ ¨ ¨ dÁlLÏ −¨ § © § e‡ˆÓ-‡Ï ¬ § § ¦ Ÿ ‰f‰ ®¤ © ¯·c‰ −¨ ¨ © ‰È‰ ¨½ ¨ ˙Ó‡-̇ ´¤ ¡ ¦ § 20

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

How does displaying a cloth with blood on it (v. 17) prove anything about a woman's virginity? F Why does the rule about the girl who cries for help apply only to ``a virgin who is engaged'' and not to any married woman? F Since adulterers can only be put to death on the testimony of witnesses, the witnesses can say whether or not the girl cried for help! What difference does it make whether they were in the city or in the open country?

If what

he charged really took placeÐif the girl had sex with someone else after becoming engaged to him, and there were witnesses, and she was legally warned.

NAHMANIDES 17 They shall spread out the cloth.

RASHBAM 15 The evidence of the girl's virginity.

The Hebrew simply says

``they shall produce her virginit y,'' but the straightforward sense must be that they are producing a cloth with the bloodstains of her de¯owering.

IBN EZRA

singular form: ``So appreci-

ate your vigor in the days of your

youth'' old

(Eccles. 12:1); ``he was the child of his

age''

(Gen. 37:3); ``you shall forget the re-

proach of your

youth'' (Isa. 54:4). [N]

15 The girl's father and mother shall produce the evidence.

Assuming they are

still alive; if not, it can be done by anyone the court designates.

Rashi's comment (attributed

in the Sifrei and the Mekilta to R. Ishmael) is not really necessar y. The ancient custom in Israel was that they would escort the bride and groom to the wedding chamber and search them. The witnesses would wait outside. When the couple left the room, the witnesses

19 He shall never have the right to divorce her. He is responsible for her until

the day he dies.

[N]

T he Hebrew word here is not the same as in Eccles. 12:1.

would enter and take the cloth on which he had sex with her and see the blood. This is known both from the Talmud and from midrash. The cloth that her parents would spread out was this cloth, which they would have taken from the witnesses.

Here is the evidence of my daughter's virginity!

Obviously they would have to lay out the facts in various ways

that the text does not describe at length. But there is no ``metaphor'' here except in a situation where the man tries to claim that the lack of blood proves she was not a virgin when he in fact did not have sex with her. The straightforward sense of the text, however, presumes that he did. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says on B. Ket. 46a that we are talking about a real clothÐand the

spread out the cloth.

my daughter's

The father alone speaks of ``

halakhah

follows him.

And they shall

virginity,'' for this is a monetar y claim that involves him alone, but

``they'' both spread out the cloth because that sort of thing is a women's affair, in which the mother participates. Women are the ones who have expertise about bloodstains. Since the mother has no standing in the monetary claim, she would not be mentioned here at all unless it was a real cloth, as I have explained.

19 They shall ®ne him a hundred [shekels of] silver.

After the ¯ogging mentioned in v. 18. The custom was that the bride-price

for a virgin was 50 shekels. Since the Torah expects one to ``pay double'' (Exod. 22:3) for violations, the man is ®ned 100 shekels. Even though the marriage contract is strictly rabbinic, and the man could marry her without one, the custom was to write such things down ``in accordance with the bride-price for virgins'' (Exod. 22:16), and most people did so. If this woman had no marriage contract, why ``make up charges against her'' (v. 14)? Let him simply write her a bill of divorcement and be done with her!

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS I married this woman. 15 The girl's father and mother shall produce the evidence. 19 They shall ®ne him a hundred [shekels of] silver and give it to the girl's father. of this allegation (Abarbanel).

Since he says ``this woman,'' we understand that

he must be willing to confront her in open court (Gersonides).

T he shame and the damage are theirs, since it is they who are

expected to discipline her and protect her (Bekhor Shor).

herself (Gersonides).

If she has no father, they give it to the girl

DEUTERONOMY 22:20±24 KI TETSE'

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was found not to have been a virgin, 21then the girl shall OJPS of virginity were not found in the damsel; 21then they be brought out to the entrance of her father's house, and the shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and men of her town shall stone her to death; for she did a shameful the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die; thing in Israel, committing fornication while under her father's because she hath wrought a wanton deed in Israel, to play the authority. Thus you will sweep away evil harlot in her father's house; so shalt thou from your midst. put away the evil from the midst of thee. ¸¦ § 21 :‰¯ÚpÏ 22If a man is found lying with another 22If a man be found lying with a woman -˙‡¤ e‡ÈˆB‰Â «¨ £ © «© ¯ÚÏ ÌÈÏe˙· −¦ § man's wife, both of themÐthe man and ‰È·‡-˙Èa ¹¨ £ © «© ¯Ú‰ married to a husband, then they shall both ¨ À¦ ¨ ¥ Á˙t-Ï © ´¤ ‡¤ ‰¯Úp‰ the woman with whom he layÐshall die. ‰˙Ó of them die, the man that lay with the ¨ ¥½ ¨ ÆÌÈ·‡a ¦ ¨ £ ¨ d¯ÈÚ ³¨ ¦ ÈL‡ ¥¸ § © Á‰eϘÒe ¨ ¨§ Thus you will sweep away evil from Israel. woman, and the woman; so shalt thou put ˙Èa´¥ ˙BÊÏ − § ¦ χ¯NÈa ¥½ ¨ § ¦ § ƉϷ ¨ ¨ § ‰˙NÚ-Èk ³¨ § ¨ « ¦ away the evil from Israel. 23In the case of a virgin who is engaged 23If there be a damsel that is a virgin Ò :Ea¯wÓ «¤ § ¦ ¦ Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ ‰È·‡ ¨ ®¦ ¨ to a manÐif a man comes upon her in 24 town and lies with her, you shall take the -˙ÏÚ· © «ª § ‰M‡-ÌÚ ´¨ ¦ ¦ | ·ÎL ´¥ Ÿ Lȇ¹¦ ‡ˆnÈ-Èk ¥¸ ¨ ¦ « ¦ 22 betrothed unto a man, and a man ®nd her in the city, and lie with her; 24then ye shall Æ¥ ÏÚa ·ÎM‰ ¬¥ Ÿ © Lȇ‰ ² ¦ ¨ ̉ÈL-Ìb ¤½ ¥ § © Æe˙Óe © ©À

NJPS

RASHI 21 To the entrance of her father's house. The men of her town shall stone her to death. [D] Under her father's authority. 22 Both of them...shall die.

Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨

‰M‡‰-ÌÚ −¨ ¦ ¨ ¦ Ò :χ¯NiÓ «¥ ¨ § ¦ ¦ ‰N¯‡Ó −¨ ¨Ÿ § ‰Ïe˙· ¨½ § ‰¯Ú ´¨ £ © ¯Ú Æ‰È‰È ¤ § ¦ Èk ³¦ 23 :dnÚ «¨ ¦ ·ÎL ¬© ¨ § ¯ÈÚa −¦ ¨ Lȇ ² ¦ d‡ˆÓe ¬¨ ¨ § LÈ‡Ï ®¦ § | ¯ÚL-Ï © ´© ‡¤ ̉ÈL-˙‡ ¤¹ ¥ § ¤ Ì˙‡ˆB‰Â ¤¸ ¥ § 24

``See what kind of child you

raised!''

It

must

be

done

in

their

presence.

Literally,

while

``in

her

father's

house'' (OJPS).

z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦

‰M‡‰Â ®¨ ¦ ¨ §

Literally,

``even both of them.'' Since these words are unnecessar y for the straightforward sense, they are open for further explication. T hey are to die only if ``both of them'' participated; if the man rubs himself against her without having vaginal intercourse, the woman gets no pleasure. On the other hand, ``even'' both of them must add someone else to those who dieÐeither those who follow after them

[E]

or

(following another reading) the child she is pregnant with at the time. T hat is, we execute

T hat is why he slept with herÐbecause she

was out and about. An open door invites a thief. Had she stayed home, this would not

``against

her

that

she

committed

fornication

after

be-

coming engaged.

IBN EZRA 21 The men of her town shall stone her to death. For

perhaps

after she became engaged to him some other man slept with her. He would not have betrothed her unless she told him she was a virgin. T hose who have handed down our very

well. In

any case, the presumption of virginit y exists only until a certain age, as part of a girl's natural physical development.

have happened to her.

[D]

Rather,

father's house''Ðwhen there are witnesses

tradition explain this matter

her without waiting for her to give birth.

23 If a man comes upon her in town.

RASHBAM 21 While under her father's authority.

See Rashi's comment to ``let the whole communit y stone him'' of Lev. 24:14.

[E]

It is unclear what this would mean;

see the comment of Nahmanides. Some versions have ``those who enter from behind them'' (a difference of just one letter in Hebrew), taken to refer to anal intercourse; but this is not the standard Hebrew expression for that, and it still does not help us understand ``them.''

22 If a man is found lying with another man's wife. Both of them. T his verse and v v. 23±

27

follow

naturally

section.

NAHMANIDES 21 Then the girl shall be brought out to the entrance of her father's house, and the men of her town shall stone her to death. For she did a shameful thing in Israel. Committing fornication while under her father's authority. If

she

lost

her

virginit y

before

being

engaged,

she

``did

a shameful thing'' by doing so willinglyÐbut she is not punished for it.

Again (see my comment to v. 13), it is

fornication only if she was engaged at the time she lost her virginit y to another man. If she

the

previous

found lying with another man's wife and the man who lies with a girl who is engaged.

23 In the case.

If ``the charge

proves true'' (v. 20), which can only occur if there are two witnesses.

after

Both the man who is

the

following

Literally, ``if it be'' that

occurs.

It

cannot

mean

``if

there be a damsel'' (OJPS), since the verb is

masculine.

T he

text

returns

to

explain

more about the virgin who is engaged to be married.

was not engaged, she did ``a shameful thing'' but did not ``commit fornication'' as does a girl who is engaged and therefore designated for a particular man.

22 Both of themÐthe man and the woman with whom he layÐshall die.

I have no idea what Rashi means about ``adding'' to

those who must die. Is this woman a virgin, so that it would matter whether he is the ®rst, second, or third? Moreover, he should have said ``those who follow after

him.'' According to the Sifrei (in our version of it) what is ``added'' here is unnatural (i.e., anal) intercourse, and we

derive from here that it is equally forbidden in all other illicit relationships. T he straightforward sense of the verse is that both the man and the woman shall die, even though the man, as the initiator and the more active partner, is the greater sinner. T his is how the text generally frames it; see the end of my comment to Lev. 20:17. Some think the words ``the man and the woman with whom he lay'' are simply added for clarit y; there are examples of such additions in Exod. 35:5 and Jer. 27:8. According to the Sifrei, what is ``added'' here by the phrase ``both of them'' is the case where either he or she is a minor. W hichever of the two of them is the adult is still put to death.

23 Because she did not cry for help.

With regard to this ``cr ying for help,'' I must say that if we see that a girl who has been grabbed

by a man ®ghts him with all her strength, cr ying and pulling at his clothes and his hair to tr y to escape his clutches but does not call out to others for help, I do not see why she should be stoned. T he text is simply referring to what commonly happens.

who is engaged to a man.

In the case of a virgin

W hen witnesses at a distance see a man seize a girl and lie with her (in the cit y), and they raise their voices

and warn them that they are committing a sin (in accordance with rabbinic ruling), then the two of them are to be stonedÐthe woman under the presumption that, since she did not cr y out, she fornicated with him willingly. In the cit y, a woman who is being raped will cr y out for help. But if the witnesses see this in the countr y, the presumption is that he has forced her.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 Another man's wife. Both of them...shall die. 20:3 (Masorah).

T his particular phrase for ``another man's wife'' is found also only in Gen.

Rashi's comment that the Hebrew expression adds ``those who follow after them'' is to be ex-

plained as follows: once they are condemned to death, they are considered actually dead for most legal purposes; but if others sleep with them before they are executed, this is nonetheless also considered adulter y and the subsequent adulterers shall also die (Hizkuni).

152

153 DEUTERONOMY 22:24±23:1

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NJPS two of them out to the gate of that town and stone them OJPS bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye to death: the girl because she did not cry for help in the town, shall stone them with stones that they die: the damsel, because and the man because he violated another man's wife. Thus you she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath will sweep away evil from your midst. 25But if the man comes humbled his neighbor's wife; so thou shalt put away the evil upon the engaged girl in the open country, from the midst of thee. 25But if the man and the man lies with her by force, only »ÌÈ·‡a À¦ © ¯ÈÚ‰ ¦ ¨ £ ¨ Ì˙‡ ¬¨ Ÿ ÌzϘÒe ¤¸ § © § ‡Â‰‰ ´ ¦ ¨ ®nd the damsel that is betrothed in the ®eld, and the man take hold of her, and lie the man who lay with her shall die, 26but À¨ £ © «© ¯Ú‰-˙‡¤ ¼e˙Ó ´¤ ‡ £ Ư·c-ÏÚ © § © ‰¯Úp‰ ¥ ¨ with her; then the man only that lay with you shall do nothing to the girl. The girl ¯L ½¦ ¨ ½¦ ¨ ‰˜Úˆ-‡Ï ¬© § © Lȇ‰-˙‡Â ¤¸ § ¯ÈÚ· did not incur the death penalty, for this ¯·c-ÏÚ her shall die. 26But unto the damsel thou ´¨ £ ¨ Ÿ case is like that of a man attacking another Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ e‰Ú¯ ®¥ ¥ ˙L ¤ ‡-˙‡ ´¥ ¤ ‰pÚ-¯L −¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death; for as when a man and murdering him. 27He came upon her À¦ ¨ ‡ˆÓÈ º¤ ¨ © -̇ Lȇ‰ ´¨ § ¦ ‰„Oa ¦ « § 25 Ò :Ea¯wÓ «¤ § ¦ ¦ in the open; though the engaged girl cried riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth da ¬¨ -˜ÈÊÁ‰Â « ¦ ¡ ¤ § ‰N¯‡Ó‰ ¨½ ¨Ÿ ´ § © Ɖ¯Úp‰ ¨ £ © «© ¯Ú‰-˙‡¤ him, even so is this matter. 27For he found for help, there was no one to save her. 28If a man comes upon a virgin who is ·ÎL-¯L ¬© ¨ ¤‡ £ Lȇ‰ ² ¦ ¨ ˙Óe ¥À dnÚ ®¨ ¦ ·ÎL ´© ¨ § Lȇ‰ −¦ ¨ her in the ®eld; the betrothed damsel not engaged and he seizes her and lies with ‰NÚ˙-‡Ï and there was none to save her. 26 ´¤ £ © Ÿ Ɖ¯ÚpÏ ¨ £ © «© § ¯ÚÏ :Bc·Ï « © § dnÚ −¨ ¦ cried, 28If a man ®nd a damsel that is a virgin, her, and they are discovered, 29the man ¤ ‡k £ © Èk¿¦ ˙ÂÓ ¤®¨ ‡ËÁ § ´¥ ‰¯ÚpÏ −¨ £ © «© ¯ÚÏ Ôȇ ¬¥ ¯·„ ¨½ ¨ that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, who lay with her shall pay the girl's father Á¯L ¸ ¨ and lie with her, and they be found; 29then ¬¨ ¨ © Ôk −¥ LÙ ¤ ¤½ BÁˆ¯e ´ ¨ § Æe‰Ú¯-ÏÚ ¥Æ ¥ © Lȇ ³¦ Ìe˜È ®fty [shekels of] silver, and she shall be his ¯·c‰ wife. Because he has violated her, he can ¯Ú‰ ‰˜Úˆ À¨ £ ¨ d‡ˆÓ ®¨ ¨ § ‰„O· −¤ ¨ © Èk ¬ ¦ 27 :‰f‰ «¤ © the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father ®fty shekels of silver, never have the right to divorce her. Ò :dÏ«¨ ÚÈLBÓ © −¦ Ôȇ ¬¥ § ‰N¯‡Ó‰ ¨½ ¨Ÿ ´ § © Ɖ¯Úp‰ ¨ £ © «© and she shall be his wife, because he hath ´¤ ‡ £ ƉÏe˙· ¨ § ‰¯Ú ³¨ £ © ¯Ú LȇÀ¦ ‡ˆÓÈ-Èk ´¨ § ¦ « ¦ 28 humbled her; he may not put her away all No man shall marry his father's ¯L former wife, so as to remove his father's :e‡ˆÓ his days. Ÿ «¨ § ¦ § dnÚ ®¨ ¦ ·ÎL ´© ¨ § dNÙ˙e −¨ ¨ § ‰N¯‡-‡Ï ¨ ½¨Ÿ garment. ¸¦ ¨ Ô˙ ¬ ¦ £ © dnÚ ²¨ ¦ ·ÎM‰ ¬¥ Ÿ © Lȇ‰ © ¨ §Â 29 ¯Ú‰ È·‡Ï A man shall not take his father's À ¦ § ‰È‰˙-BÏ ‰M‡Ï ¨ ´ ¤ § ¦ « § ÛÒk ¤ ® ¨ ÌÈMÓÁ ´ ¦ ¦ £ ‰¯Úp‰ − ¨ £ © « © wife, and shall not uncover his father's RASHI 26 This case is like that of a Ÿ dpÚ −¨ § © ÏÎeÈ-‡Ï ¬© ¨½ ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ˙Áz © © μ skirt. man attacking another and murdering -Ïk¨ dÁlL him. The straightforward sense is this: She Ò :ÂÈÓÈ «¨ ¨

23

23

was raped. He had his will of her by force, RASHBAM 27 The engaged girl cried just like someone who attacks another man for help. She may have cried for help. ®¦ ¨ ˙L ¤ ‡-˙‡ ´¥ ¤ Lȇ −¦ ÁwÈ-‡Ï ¬© ¦ Ÿ with intent to kill him. But the Sages say it is ÂÈ·‡ 23:1 No man shall marry his father's ``like'' the case of a murder in that both the Ÿ ¬ § former wife. This prohibition is repeated Ò :ÂÈ·‡ « ¦ ¨ Ûk −¤ © § ‡Ï ¬© § ‰l‚È potential murderer and the potential rapist may be killed to stop them from sinning. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why is the man here to indicate that any offspring that result are considered ``misbegotten'' (v. 3). (See B. Sanh. 73a.) who ``seizes [a virgin] and lies with her'' (v. 28)

‚Î

23:1 No man shall marry his father's former wife. It is not that he shall not ``take

his father's wife'' (OJPS); he cannot take her. If he marries her, the marriage does not ``take.'' So as to remove his father's garment. This phrase technically refers to a

punished more severely than the man who ``seduces a virgin for whom the bride-price has not been paid'' (Exod. 22:15)? F Why does v. 1 bother to tell us that ``No man shall marry his father's former wife'' but say nothing of all the many other varieties of incest listed in Leviticus 18 and elsewhere?

NAHMANIDES 24 Because he violated another man's wife.

Only rape is called ``violation.'' Here, though he seizes her by force, she is nonetheless considered willing because she might have saved herself from him by crying out. The man is still considered to have ``violated'' her because he did not attempt to seduce herÐhe just grabbed her. 27 The engaged girl cried for help. She is presumed to have done so. Or perhaps it means that even had she cried out there would have been no one to save her. For even if witnesses at a distance could hear that she did not cry out, she is not punished; there was no one close enough to save her. The rule is that if there was someone who could have saved her, she is guilty, and if there was not, she isn'tÐno matter whether they were in the city or in the open country. In describing her as crying for help in town but not in the countryside, the text, as usual, is merely presenting the more common circumstance. In town, the presumption is that she was seduced; in the countryside, that she was raped.

23:1 No man shall marry his father's former wife.

by his father. This explains the context.

IBN EZRA 24 The gate. Where the elders are. Another man's wife. Notice that

she is called this even though she is as yet only engaged to the other man. The biblical text explains nothing about ``engagement''; we can know about it only by means of tradition.

26 This case is like that of a man attacking another and murdering him. For

she may not have agreed to sleep with himÐmay not even have known he was there until suddenly he grabbed her and raped her. That is the sense in which it is ``like'' murder.

27 The engaged girl cried for help. 28 If a man comes upon a virgin who is not engaged and he seizes her and lies with her. This refers speci®cally to rape, It's possible she called for help.

not to seduction. Literally the text just reads ``his father's woman,'' referring to a woman raped

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 26 The girl did not incur the death penalty. Even if by the end she is willingly cooperating. The man lay with her by force, and if eventually she has pleasure from the encounter we rule that her desire has taken control of her (Sforno). 27 The engaged girl cried for help. She is given the bene®t of the doubt (Sforno). 29 Because he has violated her. He has both damaged and shamed her (Bekhor Shor). As with any case of physical assault, he must compensate her for damages, for shaming her, for the emotional pain he caused, and (if the attack injured her physically) for her medical expenses and lost wages (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 23:2±5 KI TETSE'

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one whose testes are crushed or whose member is OJPS 2He that is crushed or maimed in his privy parts shall cut off shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD. not enter into the assembly of the LORD. 3No one misbegotten shall be admitted 3A bastard shall not enter into the asinto the congregation of the LORD; none ‰ÎÙL Ÿ ¯ ¨ Ÿ « 2 sembly of the LORD; even to the tenth −¨ § ¨ ˙e¯Îe ¬§ ‡kc-ÚeˆÙ ²¨ © © « § ‡·È-‡Ï of his descendants, even in the tenth gengeneration shall none of his enter into the Ò :‰Â‰È «¨ § ω˜ ¬© § a¦ assembly of the LORD. eration, shall be admitted into the congre4An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not Ÿ¬ ¨ Ÿ 3 ®¨ § ω˜a ´© § ¦ ¯ÊÓÓ −¥ § © ‡·È-‡Ï ¯Bc´ Ìb©μ ‰Â‰È gation of the LORD. 4No Ammonite or Moabite shall be adŸ ¬¨ Ÿ ȯÈNÚ ½ ¦ ¦ £ enter into the assembly of the LORD; even «¨ § ω˜a ¬© § ¦ BÏ− ‡·È-‡Ï Ò :‰Â‰È mitted into the congregation of the L ORD; to the tenth generation shall none of them Ÿ¯ ¨ Ÿ « 4 Ìb©μ ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ω˜a ´© § ¦ È·‡BÓe −¦ ¨ ÈBnÚ ² ¦ © ‡·È-‡Ï none of their descendants, even in the enter into the assembly of the LORD for Ÿ ¬ ¨ Ÿ ȯÈNÚ ½ ¦ ¦ £ ¯Bc´ ever; 5because they met you not with bread −¨ § ω˜a ¬© § ¦ Ì‰Ï ²¤ ¨ ‡·È-‡Ï tenth generation, shall ever be admitted ‰Â‰È into the congregation of the LORD, 5be- eÓc˜-‡Ï º© § © 5 :ÌÏBÚ-„Ú ³ § ¦ Ÿ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ¯·c-ÏÚ «¨ © cause they did not meet you with food and RASHBAM 2 No one whose testes are

NJPS

2No

RASHI woman who is not yet married to

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can v. 5 say that the Moabites ``did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt'' when Moses says plainly in 2:28±29 that they did?

his father, but who is waiting for his father to ``perform the levir's duty'' (25:5). She is already forbidden to him by ``Do not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother'' (Lev. 18:14); our verse makes him liable to a second violation for the same act. The purpose is to introduce the rule of v. 3 about the ``misbegotten'' child. Such a misbegotten child can only result from a relationship for which the punishment is to be ``cut off.'' [F] Since every case of incest involving the death penalty also entails being cut off, this always applies in such cases. 2 Whose testes are crushed. Rather, ``crushed or maimed'' (OJPS). Or whose member is cut off. So that he can no longer ejaculate and father children. 3 No one misbegotten shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD. That is, he may not marry a Jewish woman.

4 No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD. 5 Because they did not meet you with food and water. More precisely, ``On ac-

He may not marry a Jewish woman.

count of the counsel, and that they did not meet you . . .'' ``The counsel'' is the counsel of [F] That is, by being left childless. See Rashi's comment to Lev. 20:20.

NAHMANIDES 23:3 Misbegotten. The word mamzer refers to someone who is muzar (``estranged'') from his relatives and friends in that he does not know whence he comes: ``And a mongrel people shall settle in Ashdod'' (Zech. 9:6), which is saying that no

one but foreigners will live in Ashdod, for (as that verse continues) ``I will uproot the grandeur of Philistia.'' If a son is born to a man from ``his father's wife'' (v. 1, OJPS), he will distance himself from him and not acknowledge him, out of shame for the wicked deed he did. Even his mother is likely to cast him out by night, like the ``foundling'' of whom we read in Mishnah Kiddushin, who is simply picked up in the street. Such a one is treated as being of unknown origin even though he is in the city of his own birth. The same applies (as the Sages say in Tractate Kiddushin of the Palestinian Talmud) to the offspring of any illicit relationship. Says R. Abbahu, What is mamzer? It is mum zar, ``a blemish of foreignness.''

4 No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD.

crushed or whose member is cut off. These are various kinds of eunuchs; these terms are explicated on B. Yev. 75.

IBN EZRA 2 No one whose testes are crushed. Though the penis remains intact.

[O] Since the Hebrew is in the singular, some grammarians explain that it is the ¯esh of the testes that is crushed, but that is implausible. Whose member. Literally, ``whose spiller''; this is the organ that spills forth urine and semen. Shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD. That is, he is not to be considered a member of the congregation of the LordÐin the sense that he may not marry a Jewish woman. The same is true in v. 4. 3 Misbegotten. The Sages explain this word as referring to a child born of an illicit relationship. You will note that both Ps in the Hebrew word are pre®xes; it is related to ZH, a stranger. (You will ®nd another word with a double P pre®x in Joel 1:17.) Others think that Mamzer is an ethnic name, interpreting its other occurrence, in Zech. 9:6, as ``and Mamzer shall settle in Ashdod,'' for it would be strange to call Israel ``misbegotten,'' most especially in a context of redemption like that one. (The Aramaic translation of that verse is midrashic.) 4 Ammonite or Moabite. But this rule does not apply to an Ammonitess or Moabitess, as the story of Ruth proves conclusively. The women about whom the Lord told the Israelites, ``None of you shall join them and none of them shall join you'' (1 Kings 11:2), are speci®cally those of the seven nations of Canaan. As for the statement of Neh. 13:3 that ``they separated all the alien admixture from Israel'' after they read this verse, that refers to the males, as I have explained in my comment to Nehemiah. [P]

Apparently the text wishes to distance these two related peoples, to whom Abraham had done a kindness by rescuing their father and mother from death and captivity, [M] and who were saved from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah on Abraham's account, because they should in gratitude have treated Israel well. Instead they treated them badly: The Moabites hired Balaam son of Beor to curse them, and the Ammonites failed to meet them with food and water. For when they were ``close to the Ammonites'' they were warned, ``do not harass them or start a ®ght with them'' (2:19), and nonetheless the Ammonites did not meet them with food and water. In 2:29 we are told that ``the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir'' and ``the Moabites who dwell in Ar'' did in fact sell them food and water, and the verse would certainly have mentioned the Ammonites if they also had done so. As far as the ``Ammonitess or Moabitess'' ruling, [N] rabbinic sources explain [O] Another version of Ibn Ezra's comment says merely that word translated ``testes'' is found only here in the Bible. that it would be the Ammonite men, not the women, who would be expected to cross the the [P] In the version of this commentary we now have, Ibn Ezra border to bring them food and water, and the Moabite men, not the women, who hired does not comment on that verse. Balaam. Women do not transact business of this kind. 5 Because they did not meet you with food and water. This, as I explained in my previous comment, refers to the Ammonites. Again, 2:29 tells us that the EdomitesÐthose are ``the descendants of Esau''Ðand the [M] See Gen. 14:16.

[N] See the comment of Ibn Ezra.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 23:2 Whose testes are crushed. Even if just one of them is crushed (Kimhi). 3 Misbegotten. The word mamzer alludes to one who was begotten mi-mi-she-zar, ``of one who is foreign'' to his mother (Bekhor Shor). 5 Because they did not meet you with food and water. The fact that they did eventually sell food and water to the Israelites counts

154

155 DEUTERONOMY 23:5±8

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water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of to curse you.Ð6But the L ORD your God refused to heed Balaam; Beor from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse thee. 6Neverinstead, the L ORD your God turned the theless the L ORD thy God would not curse into a blessing for you, for the L ORD ÌÎ˙‡ˆa ´¤ § ¥ § C¯ca ¤ −¤ © ÌÈn·e ¦ ©½ © ÌÁla ¤ ´¤ © ÆÌÎ˙‡ ¤ § ¤ hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy your God loves you.Ð7You shall never God turned the curse into a blessing unto ÌÚÏa ´¨ § ¦ -˙‡¤ EÈÏÚ ¤¹ ¨ ¯ÎN ©¸ ¨ Á¯L ¤ ‡Â £ © ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ ®¨ § ¦ ¦ concern yourself with their welfare or thee, because the L ORD thy God loved À § -Ôa¤ thee. 7Thou shalt not seek their peace nor :jÏÏ˜Ï ¨ «¤ § «© § Ìȯ‰ ¦ −© £ © ̯‡ ¬© £ ¯B˙tÓ ² § ¦ ¯BÚa bene®t as long as you live. 8 You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he -χ º¨ ¨ Ÿ « § 6 their prosperity all thy days for ever. ¤ ÚÓLÏ ©Ÿ ´ § ¦ ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ‰·‡-‡Ï 8 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for is your kinsman. You shall not abhor an Ÿ £ © © ÌÚÏa ¸¨ § ÁCÙ‰i -˙‡¤ El ¨½ § ¦ ² § EÈ‰Ï ¯¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § E·‰‡ − § «¥ £ Èk ¬ ¦ ‰Î¯·Ï ®¨ ¨ § ¦ ‰ÏÏw‰ −¨ ¨ § © Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in

RASHI

Balaam, which ``induced the Is-

raelites to trespass against the L ORD in the

On your journey. 7 You shall never concern yourself with their welfare. 8 You shall not abhor an Edomite. matter

of

Peor''

(Num.

31:16).

W hen you were stressed.

Ÿ¬ § ¦ Ÿ 7 −¤ ¨ ¨ Ì˙·Ë ®¨ ¨ Ÿ § ÌÓÏL −¨ Ÿ § L¯„˙-‡Ï EÈÓÈ-Ïk Ò :ÌÏBÚÏ «¨ § KTKCZ ½¦ Ÿ £ ·Ú˙˙-‡Ï Ò * ‡e‰® EÈÁ‡ −¦ ¨ Èk ¬ ¦ ÈÓ„‡ ´¥ © § Ÿ « 8 ½ ¦ § ¦ ·Ú˙˙-‡Ï « § © § ˙Èȉ ¨ ¬ ¦ ¨ ¯‚-Èk −¥ ¦ ȯˆÓ ´¥ © § Ÿ :Bˆ¯‡·

T hey are not to be in-

Y G S V T X P BC B YS K V

cluded in the rule of v. 17.

You shall not entirely abhor him, though he

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

v. 8.

IBN EZRA 6 The LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing.

Balaam

intended to curse you, but the Lord would not let him.

NAHMANIDES

Moabites did sell food

By contrast, why

and water to the Israelites. Many insist that

are we told ``You shall not abhor an Edomite'' (v. 8),

they did not ``meet'' Israel with food and

you ``in

when according to Num. 20:19±21 it was they who

water, but that is nonsense. As long as they

heav y force, strongly armed'' (Num. 20:20).

did not meet us with food and water and did not let us

At all,

cross their territory? Are they any more ``your kins-

deserves it for going out against

You shall not abhor an Egyptian. [G]

even though they threw your male chil-

man'' than the Ammonites or the Moabites?

dren into the Nile. W hy not? Because they provided you with a place to stay when you were in a tough spot.

[G]

[H]

sold the camp as much food and water as they

wanted,

that

is

quite

good

enough.

Moreover, Israel merely skirted the land of Moab, and yet the Moabites did bring out

So . . .

food and water to sell them. So why should

Others take Rashi to be saying the same thing about the Eg yptians that he said about the Edomites, though he uses a

different Hebrew phrase. Presumably the Edomites' ``excuse'' would be that explained by Nahmanides.

[H]

During the

famine in Joseph's time.

a Moabite not be ``admitted into the congregation of the L ORD'' (v. 4) when an Edomite is admitted? Ibn Ezra, in his comment to

2:29, says that what the Edomites did was to let the Israelites pass through, keeping ``strictly to the highway'' (2:27)Ðnot to sell them food and water. But that is nonsense too; Num. 20:21 tells us quite plainly that ``Edom would not let Israel cross their territor y,'' and Jephthah says explicitly that ``they never entered Moabite territor y'' ( Judg. 11:18). Had they done so, they certainly would have sold them food and water; the custom was certainly not to

Because they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse you. 7 You shall never concern yourself with their welfare. let an army pass through but not sell it supplies.

Just as the ®rst clause explains the exclusion of the Ammonites, this clause explains the exclusion of the Moabites.

Rashi explains that they are not to be included in the rule about the

runaway slave (v. 17). But in the Sifrei that interpretation is linked to the second part of the phrase, their ``bene®t.'' ``T heir welfare'' of NJPS is literally ``their peace'' (OJPS), which is related in the Sifrei (and the Tanhuma as well) to 20:10, ``W hen you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace.'' Since 2:9 and 2:19 command us against ever going to war with Moab or Ammon, we must be speaking here about a town that has been conquered by Moab or Ammon outside their own territor y (which, according to those verses, has been permanently ``assigned as a possession'' to them). Of course if they should invade our countr y we are perfectly within our rights to pursue them and to kill the inhabitants of the cities that attacked us. T his is exactly what Jephthah did to the Ammonites: ``He utterly routed themÐfrom Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty towns'' ( Judg. 11:33). David did the same ``to all the towns of Ammon'' (2 Sam. 12:31), for they had started it. See also Numbers Rabbah on the war with Moab in 2 Kings 3 and similar references in Genesis Rabbah and the Midrash on Psalms. But the straightforward sense of our verse is simply this: Even though these nations are related to you, and your father Abraham loved their father Lot like a brother, you must not treat them like brothers. For they broke the covenant of brotherhoodÐ now let it remain broken forever. T he fact that the Lord gave them part of Abraham's inheritance means that He did indeed preserve for them their father's reward for accompanying His prophet on the journey on which He sent him, but they were punished by not being allowed to attach themselves to Israel.

8 You shall not abhor an Edomite.

For them too He preserved their ancestral merit, they being also of Abraham's holy seed.

[O]

But

they are pushed off until ``the third generation'' (v. 9) because they threatened to ``go out against you with the sword'' (Num. 20:18), ``ignoring the covenant of brotherhood'' (Amos 1:9).

You shall not abhor an Egyptian.

T hey too are delayed three generations on

account of the many evils and troubles they in¯icted on us. But we may not abhor them forever, since we lived as strangers in their land and managed to escape the famine by means of the honor they paid to our Patriarch Jacob and their installing one of us as their leader and ruler.

[O]

See Nahmanides' comment to 2:4.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS this until the 40

th

for nothing. T he Hebrew verb translated ``meet'' here means ``to act preemptively,'' and they did not do

year of the desert wandering. Withholding food and water when it is needed is the moral equivalent of murder

(Abarbanel).

6 But the LORD your God refused. 8 You shall not abhor an Edomite.

``Refused'' is literally ``did not want''; the same root gives us the word ``needy'' for one who is so

poor that he sees food he wants but cannot eat it (Kimhi). W hy not, since they too ``did not meet you with food and water''? Because they had good

reason: Jacob cheated them out of their blessing. In their case, it is good enough that they did not actually come forth to ®ght against Israel as Amalek did (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 23:9±13 KI TETSE'

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land. 9Children born to them may be admitted into the OJPS his land. 9The children of the third generation that are congregation of the LORD in the third generation. born unto them may enter into the assembly of the LORD. 10When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on 10When thou goest forth in camp against thine enemies, then 11 your guard against anything untoward. If anyone among you thou shalt keep thee from every evil thing. 11If there be among has been rendered unclean by a nocturnal you any man, that is not clean by reason of emission, he must leave the camp, and he ‡·È Ÿ ¬ ¨ ÈLÈÏL ®¦ ¦ § ¯Bc´ Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ e„ÏeÈ-¯L ¬§ ¨¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌÈa ² ¦ ¨ 9 that which chanceth him by night, then must not reenter the camp. 12Toward eveshall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall Ò :‰Â‰È «¨ § ω˜a ¬© § ¦ Ì‰Ï −¤ ¨ ning he shall bathe in water, and at sunnot come within the camp. 12But it shall be, 10 13 Ÿ ½ ¸ z¯ÓL ¨ § © § ¦ § Eȷȇ-ÏÚ ® ¤ § © ‰ÁÓ − ¤ £ © ‡ˆ˙-Èk ¬ ¥ ¥ « ¦ when evening cometh on, he shall bathe down he may reenter the camp. Further, there shall be an area for you outside the ¯L Ÿ − ¦ himself in water; and when the sun is ²¤ ‡ £ Lȇ½¦ ÆE·§ ‰È‰È-Èk ³¤ § ¦ « ¦ 11 :Ú¯«¨ ¯·c ¬¨ ¨ ÏkÓ down, he may come within the camp. ¨ ¨ § ‰ÏÈÏ-‰¯wÓ ¨ § ®¨ ¥ § ¦ ¯B‰Ë − ¨ ‰È‰È-‡Ï ¬¤ § ¦ Ÿ -χ¤ ƇˆÈ 13Thou shalt have a place also without the RASHI 9 Children born to them may Ÿ − ¨ ‡Ï Ÿ ¬ ‰ÁnÏ «¤ £ © «© CBz-Ï ¬ ‡¤ ‡·È ¤½ £ © «© ıeÁÓ ´ ¦ be admitted into the congregation of the :‰Án‰ Ÿ ´ § ÌÈna LORD in the third generation. But any of ‡·Îe ¦ ®¨ © ıÁ¯È ´© § ¦ ·¯Ú-˙BÙÏ ¤ −¤ « § ¦ ‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ § 12 IBN EZRA 10 When you go out as a the other nations besides these four may be Æ„È Ÿ − ¨ LÓM‰ ¨ § 13 :‰Án‰ ¤ £ © «© CBz-Ï ¬ ‡¤ ‡·È ¤ ¤½ © troop. Literally, ``as a camp'' (compare

admitted immediately. You learn from the ½ § ‰È‰z ¨ −¨ ˙‡ˆÈ ¨ ¬¨ ¨ § ‰ÁnÏ ®¤ £ © «© ıeÁ− Ó¦ EÏ ´¤ § ¦ rules in this section that causing someone to ‰nL sin is worse than killing him. One who kills him kills him in this world only, but one who causes him to sin removes him from this world and from the World to Come. You must not abhor an Edomite even though he tried to kill you, nor an Egyptian, though they drowned you. But the Ammonites and Moabites, who led you astray into sin, you must indeed abhor.

10 When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against anything untoward. For the Adversary brings his accusations precisely at moments of great danger. 11 A nocturnal emission. It need not be nocturnal. The text is speaking of the more common occurrence. He must leave the camp, and he must not reenter the camp. That is, he must leave the Israelite camp, and he is forbidden to leave it by entering the camp of the Levites, let alone the camp of the Shekhinah. [I] 12 Toward evening he shall bathe in water. He should immerse himself close to the time of sunset, for he does not become ritually clean until the sun has set. 13 An area. Literally, ``a hand''; the translations follow Onkelos, who takes it as a [I] See Rashi's comment on ``to remove from camp'' of Num. 5:2.

NAHMANIDES 9 Children born to them may be admitted into the congregation of the LORD in the third generation. Rabbinic tradition says this does not refer to the

OJPS). It is called a ``camp'' because the Ark is there, but this is a small camp, not the large, triple ``camp'' of all Israel, where there are separate sections for the Ark, the Levites, and the rest of the nation. When a troop would set out against their enemies, they would all be in a single camp, relatively close to the Ark. Note that the context of this paragraph is the war against Midian, which was just mentioned by means of the reference to Balaam. The Midianites and Israelites were enemies because of the Midianites' ``kinswoman Cozbi'' (Num. 25:18). We know the Ark was with the Israelites in that battle because they were ``equipped with the sacred utensils'' (Num. 31:6). Anything untoward. Whether spiritually or physicallyÐlike a nocturnal emission. 11 By a nocturnal emission. Notice that this is not the word mikreh (``an occurrence''); the P here is a preposition: ``by an occurrence.'' But obviously the ``occurrence'' that makes one unclean in this situation is ejaculation. 12 Toward evening. Literally, ``toward the turning of evening.'' Compare ``Alas for us! for day is declining'' (Jer. 6:4). This, by the way, is strong evidence for the words of the Sages. [Q ] The deniers claim that lifnot is just a variation of lifnei, and they say that he must bathe ``before'' evening, by which they mean before it gets totally dark. But they are wasting their breath. Some take this idiom to refer to the time when day begins to turn toward eveningÐthat is, noon. But since the verse immediately mentions ``sundown,'' presumably this must be a time just before that. Notice that ``the turning of morning'' in Exod. 14:27 clearly refers to daybreak. 13 An area. As in Num. 13:29, ``hand'' can refer to a nearby location. This is another proof that this paragraph refers to a

third generation after Moses, but the third generation after any one of them would convert. Only his grandchildren could ®nally be ``admitted into the congregation of the Lord.'' 10 Be on your guard against anything untoward. See Rashi's comment. I believe the point of this commandment is really that sin is prevalent at such a time. It is well known that troops on their way to war eat all kinds of abominations, steal, commit violence, and shamelessly commit adultery or worse. The most wholesome man alive will clothe himself in cruelty and rage when he is part of a camp marching forth against the enemy. That is why this verse warns them to be on guard against ``every evil thing'' (OJPS), as the Hebrew literally says. The straightforward explanation is that it is warning them against everything that is forbidden. The Sifrei, which midrashically derives a long list of actions that are being forbidden by this verse, in essence follows the explanation we have given. Besides the laws prohibiting the various grave sins that they mention, our verse adds a speci®c law prohibiting these actions in a military camp, lest the Shekhinah depart from Israel. For if they avoid these actions, then (as v. 15 tells us) the Shekhinah would be with them. Otherwise, our enemies would overcome us for doing the same kinds of actions that are supposed to be causing them to be driven out before us. The reason God is with us in the camp is ``to deliver your enemies to you'' (v. 15). Anyone who performs such actions in the camp of the Shekhinah resembles those who ``have set up their abominations in the House which is called by My name, and they have de®led it'' (Jer. 7:30). As for the Sifrei's taking ``anything untoward'' as a reference to harmful speechÐfor ``every evil thing'' is literally ``any evil word''Ðthis is to prevent quarreling among them, which might lead to [Q ] See Rashi's comment. them in¯icting greater blows on each other than the enemy would be able to do.

11 If anyone among you has been rendered unclean by a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp. Again, this is because ``the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you'' (v. 15), which makes the camp holy. Our hearts must turn to the Holy One, and we must expect Him to give us victory and not ``make mere ¯esh our strength'' (Jer. 17:5). He must leave the camp, and he must not reenter the camp. Our Sages understand these two mentions of ``the camp'' to refer to the (priestly) camp of the Shekhinah and the next level outward, the camp of the Levites, assuming that the Ark is with them. But the straightforward sense is that he must leave the military encampment. The Sages understand this to apply to any location where mention is made of God's name, in prayer or in recitation of the Shema. If so, one who has a nocturnal emission while in a military camp has been given a second prohibition on top of the regular one, so that the camp will not be like gentile camps, where anything goes.

156

157 DEUTERONOMY 23:13±18 NJPS

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camp, where you may relieve yourself. 14With your gear camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad. 14And thou you shall have a spike, and when you have squatted you shall dig shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when a hole with it and cover up your excrement. 15Since the LORD thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver back and cover that which cometh from thee. 15For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let Him not ®nd anything unseemly Ɖȉ 14 ¨ ¨ § Eʇ-ÏÚ − § ‰È‰z ¬¤ § ¦ „˙È ²¥ ¨ § :ıeÁ« to deliver thee, and to give up thine ene®¤ ¥ £ © EÏ mies before thee; therefore shall thy camp among you and turn away from you. ˙ÈqΠ¨ ¬ ¦ ¦ § z·L −¨ § © § d·¨½ ‰z¯ÙÁ ´¨ § © ¨ § ıeÁ½ Ez·La ´ § § ¦ § be holy; that He see no unseemly thing in 16You shall not turn over to his master a ¸¨ § ÁÈk¦ 15 :E˙‡ˆ-˙‡ ´¥ © § ¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È «¤ ¨ ¥ ¤ thee, and turn away from thee. slave who seeks refuge with you from his | Cl‰˙Ó 17 16Thou shalt not deliver unto his master master. He shall live with you in any EÈÙÏ ¤½ ¨ § ÆEȷȇ ¤Æ § Ÿ ˙˙Ï ³¥ ¨ § ÆEÏÈv‰Ï § « ¦ © § EÁÓ ¤À £ © ·¯˜a ¤ ´¤ § place he may choose among the settle˙Â¯Ú ´© § ¤ ÆE·§ ‰‡¯È-‡Ï ³¤ § ¦ Ÿ « § LB„˜ ® ¨ EÈÁÓ −¤ £ © ‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ § a bondman17that is escaped from his master ments in your midst, wherever he pleases; unto thee; he shall dwell with thee, in the Ò :EȯÁ‡Ó «¤ £ © ¥ ·L −¨ § ¯·c ¨½ ¨ midst of thee, in the place which he shall you must not ill-treat him. 18 ¬¥ ¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÂÈ„‡-Ï ®¨Ÿ £ ‡¤ „·Ú ¤ −¤ ¯ÈbÒ˙-‡Ï ¬ ¦ § © Ÿ 16 choose within one of thy gates, where it No Israelite woman shall be a cult ψpÈ-¯L À § § ¦ § ·LÈ º § ¦ 17 :ÂÈ„‡ Ea¯˜a ´¥ ¥ EnÚ «¨Ÿ £ ÌÚÓ ¬ ¦ ¥ EÈÏ −¤ ‡¥ liketh him best; thou shalt not wrong him. 18There shall be no harlot of the variation on the idiom of a place

RASHI

´ © EȯÚL −¤ ¨ § „Á‡a ¬© © § ¯Á·È-¯L ²© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜na ¯¨ © that is ``at hand'': ``every man in his place'' ·Bha (Num. 2:17). Outside the camp. Outside Ÿ − BÏ® Ò :epBz «¤ ‡Ï the cloud. [J] Ÿ « § χ¯NÈ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ ˙BaÓ ´ § ¦ ‰L„˜ −¨ ¥ § ‰È‰˙-‡Ï ¬¤ § ¦ Ÿ 18 14 With your gear. Literally, ``on top -‡Ï of,'' that is, ``in addition to'' your other gear, that is, your ``weapons'' (OJPS). The word for ``gear'' is related to a word for ``weaponry.'' 16 You shall not turn over to his master a slave who seeks refuge with you. That is, as Onkelos says, a slave belonging to a gentile. Another reading: even the Canaanite slave of an Israelite master who has ¯ed abroadÐeven him you may not return to the land of Israel. 18 No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute. Literally, ``a sancti®ed one.'' [K] The word means a woman who is speci®cally ``set aside'' to be open to all comers for

[J] Indicating God's Presence (see v. 15). Rashi understands that this cloud covers the entire camp. comment to ``may not be used'' of 22:9.

[K] See Rashi's

NAHMANIDES 14 You shall dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement.

The same reason applies here. The entire camp is a sanctuary of the Lord. We derive from this, by the way, the rules for prayer. One must be located four cubits away from excrement, and there must also be none in his ®eld of vision. Be aware, though, that excrement is not unclean in the ritual sense. It is forbidden, however, to have it in view during prayer or at any time when the heart cleaves to the honored Name, because disgusting things produce negativity in the soul and disturb the concentration of the pure heart. But as long as it is coveredÐout of sight, out of mind. 15 Let Him not ®nd anything unseemly among you. All these rules, as well, are elaborations of laws already given.

16 You shall not turn over to his master a slave who seeks refuge with you from his master. The assumption is that he is seeking refuge in the military camp just mentioned. You must not turn him over to his master, even though the master offers you money. He might reveal the way into the city. A great many places are captured due to the information provided by escaped captives and slaves. (But see also my comment to the next verse.) 17 He shall live with you in any place he may choose. Apparently we are commanded to emancipate him and not enslave him ourselves. He is to serve the Lord alongside us, and not return to his master to serve idols. The Sages apply this rule even to a non-Jewish slave belonging to a Jewish master in a foreign land who ¯ees from him and makes his way to the land of Israel. Let him serve those who dwell in the land of the Lord, and not those who dwell on unclean soil where not all the commandments can be observed.

RASHBAM 14 With your gear. NJPS translates correctly. 15 The LORD your God moves about in your camp. For the Ark containing the

Torah would go forth to war with them: ``With Phinehas son of Eleazar serving as a priest on the campaign, equipped with the sacred utensils and the trumpets for sounding the blasts'' (Num. 31:6). 18 A cult prostitute. The word simply means a ``harlot'' (OJPS), an unmarried

IBN EZRA

small troop, not the entire Israelite ``camp.'' It is not as if anyone (let alone the children) could go outside a camp that big whenever he needed to relieve himself. When the Israelites are instructed ``to remove from camp anyone with an eruption or a discharge and anyone de®led by a corpse'' (Num. 5:2), we see clearly that the kind of single-day uncleanness referred to in our passage is not included. That verse refers only to those who can communicate their uncleanness to others. 14 With your gear. The B of the Hebrew word is a pre®x; this word has to do with weaponryÐand so, by the way, does ``the whores [!] bathed in it'' of 1 Kings 22:38 (a complete mistranslation). Cover up your excrement. Anything repugnant that is left visible generates something spiritually repugnant, too. 15 Anything unseemly. Whether in word or deed. And turn away from you. As Exod. 33:3 has it, ``I will not go in your midst.'' [R]

18 No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any Israelite man be a 16 You shall not turn over to his cult prostitute. Rashi seems to be saying that this verse prohibits a married woman from master a slave. When you are at war, it is making herself regularly available for fornicationÐwhich would mean that a single woman possible that a non-Jewish slave will ¯ee to your camp. From his master. The slave

owner here is also a non-Jew. The whole reason the slave ¯ed to your camp is because of his respect for the God who is called ``God of Israel.'' If a Jew should turn the slave over to his master, that would be a desecration of the Name. So ``you must not ill-treat him'' (v. 17). 18 No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute. This passage follows naturally on that of the escaped slave. [S] Nor shall any Israelite man be a cult prostitute. Jewish tradition says that the word here refers to a man who permits himself to be penetrated by [R] Ibn Ezra does not cite a speci®c verse. Others think he means it is ``written'' that ``the LORD Himself will go before you'' (31:8).

[S] See Rashi's second comment to this verse.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 You shall not turn over to his master a slave who seeks refuge with you. A ``slave'' who is not further identi®ed is always presumed to be a non-Jewish slave (Gersonides). 18 No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute. Not a ``cult'' prostitute, but a military prostitute. For it was the repugnant custom

DEUTERONOMY 23:18±19 KI TETSE'

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NJPS prostitute, nor shall any Israelite man be a cult pros- OJPS daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of titute. 19You shall not bring the fee of a whore or the pay of a the sons of Israel. 19Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or dog into the house of the LORD your God in ful®llment of any the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow, for both are abhorrent to the LORD vow; for even both these are an abominayour God. 19 Á‡È·˙-‡Ï ¦ ¨ Ÿ :χ¯NÈ ¥ ¨ § ¦ ÈaÓ ¬¥ § ¦ L„˜ −¥ ¨ ‰È‰È ¬¤ § ¦ tion unto the LORD thy God.

−¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙Èa ²¥ ·Ïk ¤ ¤À ¯ÈÁÓe ´ ¦ § ‰BÊ ¨¹ Ô˙‡ ©¸ § ¤ RASHBAM woman who is promiscuRASHI sexual relations. Nor shall any EÈ‰Ï Israelite man be a cult prostitute. Making -Ìb© EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙·ÚB˙ ²© £ Èk¯¦ ¯„-ÏÎÏ ¤®¤ ¨ § ous. A cult prostitute. Rather, a man who himself available to another man for sex. «¤ ¥ § But Onkelos interprets both phrases to refer to miscegenation: No Israelite woman shall be married to a male slave, nor shall any Israelite man have a slave wife. In both cases, there is no legal possibility of marriage, so they are simply engaging in promiscuous sex. Slaves are considered chattels, not people, as we learn from Gen. 22:5, where Abraham tells his two slaves, ``Stay here with the donkey.'' Reading am for im, the phrase can also be understood as ``Stay here, donkey people!'' So marriage with a slave does not ``take'' in a legal sense. If he gave her a lamb as her fee, it may not be offered as a sacri®ce. Rather, ``the price of a dog'' (OJPS). A lamb that was exchanged for a dog may also not be offered as sacri®ce. Midrashically, gam shneihem (``both'') can also be read as gam shineihem, ``even [see OJPS] what

:̉ÈL

19 The fee of a whore. Or the pay of a dog.

Both are abhorrent.

NAHMANIDES

has sex with unmarried women without bene®t of clergy, without establishing a permanent relationship of some sort.

IBN EZRA

another man. Saying that there shall be no such person ``of the sons of Israel'' (OJPS) proves this. Elihu says as much in the book of Job: ``They die in their youth, expire among the depraved'' (Job 36:14), where the parallelism shows that the ``depraved'' (the same Hebrew word as in our verse) refers to the ``youth,'' the subservient partner. Note also 1 Kings 14:24, ``There were also male prostitutes in the land. Judah imitated all the abhorrent practices of the nations that the L ORD had dispossessed before the Israelites''; and 2 Kings 23:7, ``He tore down the cubicles of the male prostitutes in the House of the LORD, at the place where the women wove coverings.'' But if this is correct, then I don't understand the meaning of the matching feminine word in the ®rst half of the verse. When we carefully examine the sense of the word, however, we realize it means that she is available to all comers, as in ``Where is the cult prostitute?'' (Gen. 38:21), where the same word is used. If this is so, then the masculine form of the word must also indicate a heterosexual, evidently a reference to the practice of the Egyptians. A word to the wise is suf®cient.

[T]

who chances to have sex, privately, would not be violating this law. The Israelite man as wellÐwhat does it matter if he ``regularly'' makes himself available to another man for sex? Even if he does it completely in secret, he has already been warned that he is subject to being ``cut off'' by heaven or to execution by court order. If Rashi's interpretation were correct, the verse ought to have said, ``There shall be among you no woman who is a cult prostitute, nor shall there be among you a man who is a cult prostitute.'' But our verse is speaking as if ``the Israelites'' were some other group. In my view, this commandment is directed at the Israelite courts, telling them that they must not permit Israelite women to be professional prostitutes displaying themselves for sale and advertising themselves with music, as is done in foreign lands: ``Take a lyre, go about the town, harlot long forgotten; sweetly play, make much music, to bring you back to mind'' (Isa. 23:16). The court must similarly not permit there to be male prostitutes, even if it is women they are sleeping with. It seems to me that what Onkelos is doing is adding the observation that a Jew ``married'' to a slave is essentially engaged in fornication in full public view. The Sifrei too seems to take it as we do, warning the courts not to let Jews set themselves up as prostitutes. As Gen. 38:15 shows, there is a very real possibility of incest in such cases. With regard to the males, 1 Kings 14:24 tells us that this was indeed a problem: ``There were also male prostitutes in the land. Judah imitated all the abhorrent practices of the nations that the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites.'' But again, our verse is not telling the prostitutes to avoid these practices; those prohibitions are found Again, this follows naturally in the elsewhere. It is telling the court system to stop themÐbut only if they are being performed context. The ``fee'' is derived from Q\R, ``to by Israelites. If non-Jews want to engage in prostitution among themselves, that is none of give''; the B is a pre®x, and the ®nal root our business. All we must do is prevent them from worshiping idols. The commentators [T] Ibn Ezra's point is not clear. [U] In Ibn Ezra's comexplain that these are not ``cult'' prostitutes (as NJPS has it) but ``set aside'' specially for ment to Hag. 2:12 he explains that, because of the deleterious effect of living near the Nile, Egyptian men of 40 and over did prostitution. They point to Isa. 13:3, Jer. 6:4, and Zeph. 1:7 as verses where this root need not have the strength to de¯ower virgins, so they would hire not refer to consecration, but to anything speci®cally set aside for a particular purpose. younger men to do it for them; the Hebrew word in our verse But I cannot agree; all those verses do indeed discuss sancti®cation. As for prostitution, we names that profession. see that such behavior is contrasted with sancti®cation: ``They shall not marry a woman de®led by harlotry, nor shall they marry one divorced from her husband. For they are holy to their God'' (Lev. 21:7). The distinction is between kadosh or kedoshah, ``holy,'' which refers to something that is the opposite of harlotry, and kadesh or kedeshah, a noun pattern that implies ``removed from holiness.'' We ®nd something similar in Job 31:12, where the verb ``to root'' takes a form that means the opposite, ``to uproot'': ``A ®re burning down to Abaddon, uprooting all my increase.'' Another example is in Num. 4:13, where Aaron and his sons are told to ``ash'' the altar, that is, to remove the ashes from it. The woman and the man in this verse, then, are completely removed from holiness; they are ``holied out,'' de-sancti®ed. Whores would try to expiate their sins by using their fees for good deeds. As the Sages say in Leviticus Rabbah, ``She would trade sex for apples, and give the apples to the sick.'' So the Torah prohibits any such fee being presented as an offering. Accepting such an offering would only give them more incentive to sin. The same applies here. Hunters, and those who patrolled the city walls, would raise extremely ®erce dogs, who would do great injury to the public. Such people would contribute their fees to make expiation for themselves. There is a custom to this very day among knights who hunt on horseback to

[P]

[U]

19 You shall not bring the fee of a whore.

19 You shall not bring the fee of a whore.

The pay of a dog.

[P] See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS of the other nations to keep women alongside the army who were designated to have sex with the soldiers, and there were males designated in this fashion as well (Abarbanel). 19 Or the pay of a dog. The reason dogs are mentioned in this context, and compared to whores, is that homosexuality is rampant

among them. Moreover, a dog's bond with its master should be as exclusive as a woman's with her husband, and it is not right to use

158

159 DEUTERONOMY 23:20±21

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shall not deduct interest from loans to your coun- OJPS 20Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother: trymen, whether in money or food or anything else that can be interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of any thing that is deducted as interest; 21but you may deduct interest from loans to lent upon interest. 21Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon foreigners. Do not deduct interest from interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt loans to your countrymen, so that the not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy ½¦ ¨ § CÈM˙-‡Ï ¤ Ÿ ® CL ¤ ´¤ ÛÒk ¤ −¤ CL ¤ ¬¤ EÈÁ‡Ï ´ ¦ © Ÿ 20 Ï· God may bless thee in all that thou puttest LORD your God may bless you in all your ¦½ © ȯÎpÏ ´ ¦ § ¨ © 21 :CMÈ «¨ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ¯·c-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ CL ¤ ¤¾ thy hand unto, in the land whither thou undertakings in the land that you are about CÈM˙ to enter and possess. goest in to possess it. Ÿ ´ EÈÁ‡Ïe ¹ § ¤ ¨ § ÔÚÓÏ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Eί·È © ©¸ § CÈM˙ ®¦ © ‡Ï −¦ ¨ §

NJPS

20You

RASHI

Ÿ § EÈ‰Ï ½¤ ¨ ÁÏLÓ -¯L¤ ‡£ ı¯‡‰-ÏÚ ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ¤ ¨¾ ¨ © E„È ´© § ¦ ÆÏÎa Ò :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰nL-‡· ¨ −¨ ¨ ‰z‡ ¬¨ ©

they change into.'' So if she is

paid with wheat and the wheat is ground into ¯our, it is still prohibited.

20 You shall not deduct interest.

In

fact this commandment is directed at the borrower, forbidding him to The commandment against

pay interest. lending at in-

terest is ``Do not lend him your money at

RASHBAM 20 You shall not deduct interest from loans. The straightforward

sense is that this refers to the lender.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

If the holy man is one ``who has never lent money at interest'' (Ps. 15:5), how can it be permitted to ``deduct interest from loans to foreigners'' (v. 21) but not from your countrymen? Either moneylending is legitimate or it isn't!

advance interest'' (Lev. 25:37).

IBN EZRA

letter is doubled, as some-

times happens (see Hosea 2:4 and Prov. 27:15 for other examples). Anything given to this whore by those who whore after her may not be brought into the Temple, be-

21 But you may deduct interest from loans to foreigners. Do not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen. pay dog.

cause whoring is forbidden.

Rather, ``you may

The pay of a

interest to foreigners . . . but not

T his is not the result of a forbidden

to your countr ymen.'' The second statement here is a prohibition that derives from a

action, but it demonstrates contempt for the

abhorrent to the LORD. 20 You shall not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen. sanctuar y. Both of these are

NAHMANIDES

set up wax images of their dogs in front of their idols, hoping that this

will bring them success.

Into the house of the LORD your God. Both are abhorrent to the LORD your God.

The commentators say

that doing so is a show of contempt.

Rashi

By contrast

has quoted the Talmud somewhat selectively; this is a dispute between the House of

with

Shammai and the House of Hillel. The straightforward sense of the verse is that since ``the

``you must not ill-treat him'' (v. 17), you are

fee of a whore'' is a genuine abomination our verse had to make a special point that in this

permitted to take interest from him. The

case both are equally abhorrent: ``To acquit the guilty and convict the innocentÐboth are

verb here, however, is Hiphil, not Qal, which

an abomination to the L ORD'' (Prov. 17:15). The more trivial one is linked to the more

carries a slight difference. It does not mean

serious one. The same applies to 22:22; see my comment there. With our verse, however,

that you are not permitted to take interest

there is another motive. Since 17:1 has already prohibited sacri®cing an animal with a

from him, but that you are not permitted to

physical defect, we are told here that an unblemished animal may nonetheless be abhor-

let him pay interest to you. T hat is, the bor-

rent for other reasons. Similar logic applies to Prov. 20:10 and Prov. 20:12, both of which

rower too violates a commandment when

use the same Hebrew phrase found in our verse and in Prov. 17:15.

interest changes hands. (But there are many

20 You shall not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen.

the

non-Jewish

slave.

Even

though

This too is an

who think there is no difference in meaning

elaboration of an earlier commandment. What is added here is the prohibition forbidding

between the Qal and Hiphil verbs, and there

one to

are quite a number of verbs for which that's

borrow

at interest.

[Q ] This is absolutely singular among the rules for monetary

transactions. Ordinarily, if he wants to put his money at risk, he is permitted to do so. But because the sin of lending at interest was so common, a rule prohibiting it was directed at the borrowers too.

Whether in money or food.

true.)

[V]

[V]

See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

If he borrows a seah of wheat on the

promise to pay back a seah and a half, this absolutely is considered interestÐeven if by the time payment is due the seah and a half is worth less than the seah that he borrowed.

Or anything else.

Even stones used for

building. One might think that ``interest'' applies only to money (which can buy anything) or perhaps also to food (which is essential to life), but with other things we should let them be repaid according to what they are worth at the time of repayment; it is not so.

21 But you may deduct interest from loans to foreigners.

Stealing from them and cheating them (as the Sages point out) is

forbidden, but not lending at interest, which after all is done willingly and with the agreement of both parties. It is forbidden only from the perspective of fraternal kindness: ``Love your fellow as yourself'' (Lev. 19:18). Remember that we have been warned, ``Beware lest you harbor the base thought, `The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,' so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing'' (15:9).

Do not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen. [R] So that the LORD your God may bless you.

Since it is super¯uous to say that one may deduct

interest from loans to foreigners once we are told that we may not do so to our countrymen, the Sages labeled our verse as ``a prohibition that is derived from a positive commandment.''

[Q ]

See Rashi's comment.

[R]

For this extra righteousness in treating

See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 20 You shall not deduct interest.

money earned in violation of such bonds as a means to recognize one's bond with God (Gersonides).

Dogs are among the lowliest of animals (Abarbanel). Lev. 25:36 applies this only to one who is poor; here we see that one may not take interest even

from one who is rich (Hizkuni). These rules follow next because those who wage warÐthe beginning context of this entire weekly portionÐalways need money to pay for weapons and supplies (Abarbanel). Having warned them against various things that would cause the Shekhinah to depart from Israel, the text continues by discussing various acts of kindness that would cause the Shekhinah to rest on Israel (Sforno).

21 But you may deduct interest from loans to foreigners.

Rather, ``you must pay your interest to foreigners.'' For one might think,

``If I must pay interest, it is better to let a Jew pro®t from it than a gentile'' (Bekhor Shor). We see that taking interest from a loan to the non-Jewish slave of vv. 18±19 is not considered ``ill treatment'' (Hizkuni). If you have promised to pay him interest, you must not renege (Sforno).

Do not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen.

You are obligated to be generous with them, and a loan can some-

times be even more generous than a gift, for one who is ashamed to take a gift will be willing to take a loan. I would add that you are equally obligated to treat a foreigner generously if he has treated you that way (Kimhi). I explained to the Christian scholars that what the

DEUTERONOMY 23:22±26 KI TETSE'

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you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not OJPS 22When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, put off ful®lling it, for the LORD your God will require it of you, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for the LORD thy God will and you will have incurred guilt; 23whereas you incur no guilt if surely require it of thee; and it will be sin in thee. 23But if thou you refrain from vowing. 24You must ful®ll what has crossed your shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. 24That which is lips and perform what you have voluntarily gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe and vowed to the LORD your God, having do; according as thou hast vowed freely Ÿ ¬ EÈ‰Ï Ÿ ¬ ¦ « ¦ 22 ¯Á‡˙ −¥ © § ‡Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © Ư„ ¤ ¤Æ ¯c˙-Èk made the promise with your own mouth. unto the LORD thy God, even that which Ÿ ¸ ¨ « ¦ BÓlLÏ ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § epL¯„È ¤¹ § § ¦ L¯c-Èk ® § © § thou hast promised with thy mouth. 25When you enter another man's vine25When thou comest into thy neighyard, you may eat as many grapes as you ¯cÏ Ÿ ® § ¦ ÏcÁ˙ −© § ¤ ÈΠ¬ ¦ § 23 :‡ËÁ § «¥ E· − § ‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ § CnÚÓ ¨½ ¦ «¥ want, until you are full, but you must EÈ˙ÙN −¤ ¨ § ‡ˆBÓ ¬¨ 24 :‡ËÁ § «¥ E· − § ‰¬È‰È-‡Ï ¤ § ¦ Ÿ « bor's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes until thou have enough at thine own pleasnot put any in your vessel. 26When you Ÿ´ § ¦ ³¨ © z¯„ ¨ § ¹© ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡k £ © ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ®¦ ¨ § ¯ÓLz enter another man's ®eld of standing grain, ‰Â‰ÈÏ ure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vesÒ :EÈÙa « ¦ § z¯ac ¨ § −© ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰·„ ¨½ ¨ § ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ sel. 26When thou comest into thy neighyou may pluck ears with your hand; but you must not put a sickle to your neigh- ÌÈ·Ú Ÿ ¨ Èk ³¦ 25 bor's standing corn, then thou mayest ² ¦ ¨ £ zÏ· ¯¨ § © ¨ § EÚ¯ ¤½ ¥ ̯Îa ¤´¤ § Ƈ·˙ pluck ears with thy hand; but thou shalt bor's grain. Ÿ ¬ EÈÏk Ò :Ôz˙ «¥ ¦ ‡Ï − § § ¤ -χ «¤ § EÚ·N ®¤ § ¨ ELÙk − § §©§ not move a sickle unto thy neighbor's Ÿ ¨ Èk Ÿ − ¦ § zÙ˘ ³¦ 26 standing corn. ¬¨ § © ¨ § EÚ¯ ¤½ ¥ ˙Ó˜a ´© ¨ § Ƈ·˙ RASHI positive commandment (the ®rst ˙ÏÈÏÓ statement). One who lends to an Israelite at ˙Ó˜ Ÿ ´ ÆLÓ¯Á ½¦ ¨ ‡Ï ¬© ¨ ÏÚ −© ÛÈ˙ ¥ § ¤ § E„Èa ®¤ ¨ §

NJPS

22When

F IPK[K

interest therefore violates both a positive Ò :EÚ¯ «¤ ¥ commandment (statement one) and two prohibitions (statement two and Lev. 25:37). [L] 22 Do not put off ful®lling it. You have no more than the next three pilgrimage festivals to ful®ll it, as the Sages derived by a close reading of 16:16. [M] 24 You must ful®ll what has crossed your lips. Adding a positive commandment to reinforce the prohibition of v. 22. 25 When you enter another man's vineyard. The text is speaking about someone who is working there. As many...as you want. Literally, ``according to your appetite''; NJPS understands correctly. Until you are full. But not until you are stuffed. But you must not put any in your vessel. From this we understand that the Torah is speaking about harvest time, the season when you are indeed putting the grapes in the vessels belonging to the vineyard's owner. But if you were hired only to hoe or the like, you may not even eat any. 26 When you enter another man's ®eld of standing grain. Again, these are instructions for the workers. [L] The ``positive commandment'' is not that one must pay interest to a foreigner, but that one may pay interest only to a

IBN EZRA 22 When you make a vow. V. 19 has already introduced this subject. The LORD your God will require it of you. Just like a person who demands whatever you vowed to give him. You will have incurred guilt. Punishment. 24 What has crossed your lips. The reference is to any expression in which God's name is invoked. What you have voluntarily vowed. Every vow is voluntary, though obviously not everything voluntary is a vow. [W] Having made the promise with your own mouth. Once the promise has crossed your lips, you cannot retract it. 25 When you enter another man's vineyard. To harvest it for him. In that

case, you are permitted to eat some. The context here is that in v. 24 you are required to give payment for your vow from what NAHMANIDES your countrymen with fraternal affection. We ®nd the same with the belongs to you; you are not permitted to remission of debts every seventh year: The rule ``You may dun the foreigner; but you must take what belongs to others. remit whatever is due you from your kinsmen'' (15:3) is immediately followed by the 26 When you enter another man's promise, ``the LORD your God will bless you'' (15:4). The text always connects blessing ®eld of standing grain. To harvest it for with justice and kindness, not merely with avoiding theft, cheating, or ¯eecing customers. him. You may pluck ears. The verb is 23 You incur no guilt if you refrain from vowing. It is quite clear that those who found also in ``They pluck saltwort and offer sacri®ce to God are rewarded: ``I enter Your house with burnt offerings, I pay my wormwood'' (Job 30:4); the noun occurs vows to You . . . I offer up fatlings to You, with the odor of burning rams; I sacri®ce bulls nowhere else, but the meaning is clear from and he-goats. Selah'' (Ps. 66:13, 15). Even a voluntary offering, we learn, ``may be accept- the context. You must not put a sickle to able in his behalf, in expiation for him'' (Lev. 1:4), and it is ``an offering by ®re of pleasing your neighbor's grain. The Hebrew word odor to the LORD'' (Lev. 1:9). So vows can de®nitely prompt one to ful®ll a commandment: [W] See Ibn Ezra's comment to Lev. 7:16. ``I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people'' (Ps. 116:18). Our verse is warning that, though vows encourage you to bring offerings, if you fail to ful®ll your vow, or even are late in ful®lling it, you incur guilt. But if you make no vow, you incur no guilt, even if you do not bring an offering for your entire life. As Solomon said, ``When you make a vow to God, do not delay to ful®ll it. For He has no pleasure in fools; what you vow, ful®ll. It is better not to vow at all than to vow and not ful®ll'' (Eccles. 5:3±4). Such fools assume that God will reward them for their good intentions. So Solomon continues, ``Don't let your mouth bring you into disfavor, and don't plead before the messenger that it was an error, but fear God; else God may be angered by your talk and the messenger will destroy your possessions'' (Eccles. 5:5). Don't imagine that you can tell the ``messenger'' that is sent against you, ``I was certain I could ful®ll the vowÐI genuinely intended to do it!''

foreigner.

[M] Rashi says only that they derived it ``from Scripture''; his precise point is not clear.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Torah permits is for us to borrow from Christians at interest, not to lend to them. Moreover, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with charging interest; if a man thinks he can make 1,000 by borrowing 200, why shouldn't he give the lender 100 of his pro®t? And since no one is required to give his money to another except as an act of kindness, he can certainly not be required to lend it for nothing. I gave them two other answers as well. But of course the truth is what our tradition teaches us (Abarbanel). Even if you have promised a Jew that you will pay him interest and you are willing to pay it, it is forbidden (Sforno). So that the LORD your God may bless you. For not reneging on your debt to the foreigner and thus desecrating God's name (Sforno). 24 What has crossed your lips. What you have vowed not to do (Hizkuni). What you have voluntarily vowed. What you said you would do (Hizkuni). 26 A sickle. The Hebrew word occurs only here and in 16:9 (Masorah).

160

161 DEUTERONOMY 24:1±4

KI TETSE'

BX\ KM

EM OK ZCE

24 A man takes a wife and possesses her. She fails to OJPS 24 When a man taketh a wife, and marrieth her, please him because he ®nds something obnoxious about her, and then it cometh to pass, if she ®nd no favor in his eyes, because he he writes her a bill of divorcement, hands it to her, and sends her hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he writeth her a bill away from his house; 2she leaves his household and becomes the of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of wife of another man; 3then this latter man his house, 2and she departeth out of his rejects her, writes her a bill of divorcehouse, and goeth and becometh another ment, hands it to her, and sends her away ‰È‰Â man's wife, 3and the latter husband hateth º¨ ¨ § dÏÚ·e ®¨ ¨ § ‰M‡ −¨ ¦ Lȇ ² ¦ ÁwÈ-Èk © ¦ «¦ ¬ her, and writeth her a bill of divorcement, from his house; or the man who married Ÿ¯ ¨ ³¨ -Èk¦ ÂÈÈÚa ¨À ¥ § ÔÁ-‡ˆÓ˙ ´¥ ¨ § ¦ ‡Ï-̇ ¦ and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her her last dies. 4Then the ®rst husband who Æd·¨ ‡ˆÓ divorced her shall not take her to wife Ô˙ ´© ¨ § Æ˙˙ȯk ª ¦ § ¯ÙÒ ¤ ³¥ dϨ¹ ·˙Π© ¨¸ § ¯·c ¨½ ¨ ˙Â¯Ú ´© § ¤ out of his house; or if the latter husband 4 again, since she has been de®ledÐfor that B˙ÈaÓ ½¨ ¨ § die, who took her to be his wife; her for® ¥ ¦ ‰‡ˆÈ −¨ § ¨ § :B˙ÈaÓ « ¥ ¦ dÁlL −¨ § ¦ § d„Èa mer husband, who sent her away, may not would be abhorrent to the LORD. You ¨ ¥ § :¯Á‡-LÈ‡Ï «¥ © ¦ § ‰˙ȉ ¬¨ § ¨ § ‰Îω −¨ § ¨ § take her again to be his wife, after that she must not bring sin upon the land that the »d‡Ne ª ¦ § ¯ÙÒ ¤ ³¥ dϨ¹ ·˙Π© ¨¸ § ¼ÔB¯Á‡‰ £ © ¨ Lȇ‰ ´ ¦ ¨ is de®led; for that is abomination before LORD your God is giving you as a heritage. Æ˙˙ȯk Æ˙eÓȨ ÈÎ ½¨ ¨ § Ô˙ ³¦ B‡´ B˙ÈaÓ ® ¥ ¦ dÁlL −¨ § ¦ § d„Èa ´© ¨ § the LORD; and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God RASHI 24:1 He writes her a bill of :‰M‡Ï ½ £ © ¨ Lȇ‰ «¨ ¦ § BÏ− dÁ˜Ï-¯L ¬¨ ¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ÔB¯Á‡‰ ´¦ ¨ giveth thee for an inheritance. divorcement. Rather, ``if he ®nds someŸ  NJPS

„Î

2

3

4 ¨ § ¦ «¤ ‡ £ ÔBL ´ ‡¯‰ ¦ ¨ dÏÚa ´¨ § © ÏÎeÈ-‡Ï ´© thing obnoxious about her, he shall write her dÁlL-¯L a bill of divorcement.'' Something that is ÆȯÁ‡ ¸ ¨ IBN EZRA for ``sickle'' is a quadriliteral! ¥ £ © ‰M‡Ï ¨À ¦ § BÏ´ ˙BÈ‰Ï ¯ § ¦ dzÁ˜Ï ¨¹ § © § ·eLÏ ``obnoxious'' ought not to please him, so he ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ ‡Â‰ −¦ ‰·ÚB˙-Èk ¬¨ ¥ « ¦ ‰‡nh‰ ¨ ¨½ © ª ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ [X] As far as the verse in general, the deniers is commanded to divorce her. Ÿ ³ § claim that it refers not to harvest workers ´¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ¨½ ¨ ¤ ƇÈËÁ˙ ¦ £ © ‡Ï 2 And becomes the wife of another ‰Â‰È (who must ``put a sickle'' to the grain) but to man. He is de®nitely an ``other'' kind of «¨ £ © EÏ − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï Ò :‰ÏÁ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ anyone who may pass by. man, for the ®rst husband removed evil from 24:1 A man takes a wife. The text now his household and this man has welcomed ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How could the diit in. vine Torah agree to permit two people who have been returns to another aspect of the house/®eld 3 Then this latter man rejects her. The united in holy matrimony to divorce and sleep with discussion: a man and his wife. [Y] She text is warning him in advance that he will others? F Even if divorce were permissible, how fails to please him. Because she is not his end up doing so. If he does not, she will bury could it be allowed for so trivial a reason as that the type. But NJPS ignores the conjunction at ``®nds something obnoxious'' (v. 1) about his beginning of the phrase: ``Either she fails him: The man who married her last dies. husband The natural way is that ``a man leaves his father the to please him . . .'' Because he ®nds some4 Since she has been de®led. These wife? and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become words include in the rule the woman of one ¯esh'' (Gen. 2:24)! How can one ¯esh split into thing obnoxious about her. Or he ``®nds'' Numbers 5 who has gone astray by seclud- two? F Why must the husband write his wife ``a bill something obnoxious about her, that is, of divorcement,'' when there is no such ``bill'' for something he cannot reveal because there ing herself with another man. marriage? (And how can the Sages claim such a ``bill'' are no witnesses. The conjunction (underis required even if the marriage has not been consumto apply here as well) means ``or'' raNAHMANIDES 24:4 Since she has mated, when the Torah says explicitly, ``A man takes a stood ther than as in ``He who strikes his been de®led. See Rashi's comment. But a wife and possesses her''? And why don't they agree, as father or his``and,'' mother'' (Exod. 21:15). the Karaites do, that an apostate is to be considered woman who has secluded herself with an2 She leaves his household. This does other man is not necessarily unclean, and dead and his wife is free to remarry?) F If it is ``ab- not just mean walking out of the door ``of his horrent to the L ORD '' (v. 4) for a woman who has her husband therefore does not violate this been legally married to two different men to remarry house'' (OJPS). It means that she ``leaves'' commandment by having intercourse with her ®rst husband, why is a divorceÂe or a widow al- him, in a way that demonstrates publicly her. (See B. Yev. 11b.) Rashi's explanation lowed to remarry at all? Let all Israel be treated like that she will not return. And becomes the would turn this into two prohibitions, one the High Priest, who may not marry ``a widow, or a wife of another man. Who ``possesses'' against remarrying his divorced wife after divorced woman, or one who is degraded by harlotry'' her as did the ®rst. she has been married to another man and (Lev. 21:14)! But if it is not abhorrent for a woman to 3 A bill of divorcement. Literally, of with two different legal husbands in turn, why one against taking back a wife who has sleep ``cutting,'' since the sexual relationship becan't she remarry her ®rst husband, especially if the committed adultery, which would require divorce was not her idea in the ®rst place? tween them is permanently cut. the verse to be understood as saying that he 4 Since she has been de®led. With may not remarry after he has divorced her or respect to him, by having intercourse with after she has been de®led. But the straightforward sense of the words is that she has been another man. Grammatically, the dagesh in ``de®led'' only with respect to her ®rst husband. The implication is that she is unclean for the J shows that this is a Hitpael form, like him once she has been intimate with another man. (Note that both divorce and the prohi- [X] It has four root letters instead of the standard three. bition of remarrying the divorced wife are new commandments here.) The point of the pro- [Y] An alternative text of Ibn Ezra's comment would mean, hibition is to prevent a man from simply exchanging his wife with someone else, divorcing ``The presumption is that she is wholesome.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 24:1 Because he ®nds something obnoxious about her. If he ®nds nothing obnoxious about her, he is forbidden to divorce her (Bekhor Shor). ``Something obnoxious'' should not be taken to refer to sexual misbehavior; this would hardly be described as ``failing to please him'' (Abarbanel). He writes her a bill of divorcement. Rather, ``a bill of cutting.'' There must be no conditions; the relationship between them must be entirely severed (Bekhor Shor). 3 Then this latter man rejects her, writes her a bill of divorcement. Since v. 3 tells us that she ``became his wife'' but not that he ``possesses her,'' we understand that the marriage ceremony alone establishes the requirement of divorce, regardless of whether the marriage was consummated. Besides, who could possibly know whether it was consummated or not? (Abarbanel).

4 Then the ®rst husband who divorced her shall not take her to wife again, since she has been de®ledÐfor that would be abhorrent to the LORD. As the Lord told Jeremiah in Jer. 3:1, ``If a man divorces his wife, and she leaves him and marries another man, can he ever go back to her? Would not such a land be de®led? Now you have whored with many lovers: can you return to Me?'' (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 24:5±7 KI TETSE'

BX\ KM

EM OK ZCE

a man has taken a bride, he shall not go out with OJPS 5When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out the army or be assigned to it for any purpose; he shall be exempt in the host, neither shall he be charged with any business; he one year for the sake of his household, to give happiness to the shall be free for his house one year, and shall cheer his wife woman he has married. whom he hath taken. 6A handmill or an upper millstone shall 6No man shall take the mill or the upK[[ not be taken in pawn, for that would be per millstone to pledge; for he taketh a Ÿ ³ ‰L„Á ƇˆÈ ¥ ¥ ‡Ï ¨½ ¨ £ ‰M‡ ´¨ ¦ ÆLȇ¦ ÁwÈ-Èk ¬© ¦ « ¦ 5 man's life to pledge. taking someone's life in pawn. 7If a man is found to have kidnapped a 7If a man be found stealing any of his Ÿ ¬ £ © Ÿ § ‡·va º¦ ¨ ¯·c-ÏÎÏ È˜ ®¨ ¨ ¨ § ÂÈÏÚ −¨ ¨ ¯·ÚÈ-‡Ï ¨½ ¨ © fellow Israelite, enslaving him or selling BzL ¬ § ‡-˙‡ ¦ ¤ ÁnN −© ¦ § ˙Á‡ ¨½ ¤ ‰L ´¨ ¨ ÆB˙È·Ï ¥ § ‰È‰È ³¤ § ¦ brethren of the children of Israel, and he Ò :Á˜Ï-¯L «¨ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ deal with him as a slave, and sell him; then

NJPS

RASHI

5When

5 A bride. Literally, ``a new Ÿ¬ £ © Ÿ 6 ¤ −¤ ¦ ·Î¯Â ¤ ®¨ ¨ ÌÈÁ¯ ¦ −© ¥ Ï·ÁÈ-‡Ï wife'' (OJPS)Ðnew to him, even if she is a ‡e‰¬ LÙ-Èk widow. But this obviously excludes the case «¥ Ÿ Ò :Ï·Á where he is remarrying a woman whom he ÈaÓ ´¥ § ¦ ÆÂÈÁ‡Ó ¨ ¤ ¥ LÙ ¤³¤ ·b ¥¸Ÿ LȇÀ¦ ‡ˆnÈ-Èk ´¥ ¨ ¦ ¦ 7 has divorced. Or be assigned to it for any purpose. Rather, ``no military purpose shall be assigned to him,'' neither to provide the soldiers with food and drink nor to repair the roads. But those who leave the ranks at the priest's instructions in 20:5±7 must do these things. He shall be exempt one year for the sake of his household. Rather, for the sake of ``his house'' (OJPS). Even if he has dedicated his house or turned his vineyard to secular use, he is exempt for one year from any military necessity. The unnecessary ``he shall be'' alludes to the vineyard of 20:6; ``his household'' to the house of 20:5; and the rest of the verse, of course, to the wife of 20:7. To give happiness to the woman he has married. The Jerusalem Targum mistranslates here. He is ``to give happiness to the woman he has married,'' not ``to have happiness with the woman.'' The verb is Piel, not Qal. [N] 6 A handmill or an upper millstone. Rather, ``a lower millstone or an upper millstone.'' Shall not be taken in pawn. Rather, ``shall not be taken as a lien.'' One cannot place a judicial lien on things that are used to prepare food. 7 If a man is found to have kidnapped a fellow Israelite. As throughout the Torah, ``found'' means that he is discovered doing so by witnesses who warn him that he is committing a crime. Enslaving him. He is not guilty of kidnapping unless he actually puts the victim to use for some purpose. [N] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

RASHBAM 24:6 That would be taking someone's life in pawn. Onkelos explains, ``food is prepared with them.''

IBN EZRA ``has been washed'' of Lev. 13:55. [Z] You must not bring sin upon the land. Grammatically, this form might

possibly mean ``she must not bring sin upon the land.'' But the translation ``you'' is correct; this is a commandment to Israel. 5 When a man has taken a bride. Literally, ``a new wife'' (OJPS), which some take to mean ``a virgin.'' But most understand that it simply means she is new to him. Since he can remarry his own divorced wife as long as she has not been ``de®led'' in the way described in vv. 1±4, the text must specify that this rule applies only to a ``new'' wife. Or be assigned to it for any purpose. Rather, ``and nothing shall be assigned to him.'' The N that the translations take as a preposition (``for'' in NJPS, ``with'' in OJPS) is simply extraneous, like the N on ``Absalom'' in 1 Chron. 3:2. He shall be

NAHMANIDES her in the evening and remarrying her the next morning. You must not bring sin upon the land. Wife swapping results in great sins. (The Sifrei understands exempt one year for the sake of his this last command to be directed at the courts.) household. Exempt from compulsion by the 5 Or be assigned to it for any purpose. See Rashi's comment, which is taken from government. rabbinic literature. If their understanding is correct, it would seem the Hebrew should be 6 A handmill or an upper millstone taken to mean ``he shall not pass before it'' (the army) for any purposeÐthat is, he shall shall not be taken in pawn. The deniers

not take a command position, neither over the troops nor over the other inhabitants (e.g., assume that this continues ``give happiness to supply the troops with water). He shall pay attention to nothing but to his own hap- to the woman'' of v. 5, taking the ``grinding'' piness. And this interpretation is correct. of the millstones as a metaphor for intercourse. They understand the verb to mean that he must ``give her happiness'' and not refrain from sex. But this is complete nonsense. (They bring proof from ``May my wife grind for another'' of Job 31:10, whichÐas my comment there showsÐI too understand perfectly well.) The truth is that our verse is not metaphorical but literal. There is no argument for the deniers here. Every commandment stands by itself. It is always possible to dream up something midrashic that will link them. The context of this whole passage, from 23:25 right on through to the end of ch. 25, is about various kinds of coercion and oppression. This verse ®ts perfectly well into the sequence: It is forbidden to take a millstone in pawn. The fact that the subject of the verb is missing in Hebrew does not mean it must be taken from the previous verse; see (e.g.) Gen. 48:1, Num. 26:59, and many other such cases. Now to the nouns. ``Handmill'' has a dual ending; this word has no singular form. The second noun is not an ``upper millstone'' but a ``water mill,'' though some think that it refers to the wooden handle of the ``handmill.'' Still others take the ®rst noun as a reference to the lower millstone and the second (as do the translators) to the upper millstone. For that would be taking someone's life in pawn. Given that they are used in order to provide what sustains life. 7 A fellow Israelite. More precisely, ``one of his kin, an Israelite.'' The extra speci®cation is necessary because an Edomite has just been called ``your kin'' in 23:8. Enslaving him. See my comment to 21:14. [Z] But see his comment and the note there. Modern scholars consider both of these to be not Hitpael but Hotpaal, a rare passive form.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5 When a man has taken a bride...he shall be exempt one year for the sake of his household, to give happiness to the woman he has married. This is an elaboration of Exod. 21:10, ``He must not withhold from this one her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.'' He must spend the ®rst year of their marriage winning her heart. By the end of a year, she will have borne a child and the honeymoon will be overÐshe will begin to be busy taking care of the kids (Abarbanel). 6 A handmill or an upper millstone shall not be taken in pawn. The ®rst of these nouns has a dual ending and refers to the entire unit; but of course taking even one of the two renders the whole thing useless (Kimhi). The apparently dual ending serves here simply as a plural, as in the Hebrew words for sky, water, life, tongs, and entrails (Hizkuni). This commandment falls under the heading of Exod. 20:13, ``You shall not murder'' (Abarbanel).

162

163 DEUTERONOMY 24:7±11 NJPS

KI TETSE'

BX\ KM

him, that kidnapper shall die; thus you will sweep out

evil from your midst. 8

OJPS

EM OK ZCE

that thief shall die; so shalt thou put away the evil from

the midst of thee.

In cases of a skin affection be most careful to do exactly as

the levitical priests instruct you. Take care to do as I have com-

8

Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe dili-

gently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall

manded them. 9Remember what the L ORD

teach you, as I commanded them, so ye

your God did to Miriam on the journey

9

shall observe to do. Remember what the ·pb‰ ´¨ © © Æ˙Óe ¥ B¯ÎÓe ® ¨ § Ba− -¯nÚ˙‰Â ¤ © § ¦ § χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ after you left Egypt. L thy God did unto Miriam, by the ½ © way as ye came forth out of Egypt. :Ea¯wÓ «¤ § ¦ ¦ Ú¯‰ −¨ ¨ z¯Ú·e ¬¨ § © « ¦ ‡e‰‰ When you make a loan of any sort Ÿ − § ¯ÓLÏ Ÿ ¬ § ¦ ˙Ú¯v‰-Ú‚a When thou dost lend thy neighbor any to your countryman, you must not enter „‡Ó © ²© ¨ © © «¤ § ¯ÓM‰ ¤ ¯¨ ¦ 8 You must manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his his house to seize his pledge. Ÿ Ÿ ¹ ¸ Á ÌÈ‰k‰ ® £© § ¯¦ £ © ÌÎ˙‡ ¤ § ¤ e¯BÈ-¯L ¤‡ £ ÏÎk§ ˙BNÚÏ Thou shalt remain outside, while the man to whom house to fetch his pledge. Ò :˙BNÚÏ « £ © e¯ÓLz ¬ § § ¦ Ì˙Èeˆ − ¦ ¦ ¦ ¯L ¬ ¤ ‡k £ © ÌiÂω ² ¦ ¦ § © stand without, and the man to whom thou you made the loan brings the pledge out ¾ ¨ 9 dost lend shall bring forth the pledge EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ‰NÚ-¯L ²¨ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ˙‡ ¯¥ ¯BÎÊ Ò :ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ «¨ § ¦ ¦ ÌÎ˙‡ˆa ¬¤ § ¥ § C¯ca ¤ −¤ © ÌȯÓÏ ®¨ § ¦ § RASHI 8 In cases of a skin affection be most careful. Not to uproot the signs of -‡ÏŸ ‰Óe‡Ó ¨ ® § * ˙‡MÓ ´© © EÚ¯· − £ «¥ § ‰M˙-Èk ¬¤ © « ¦ 10 RASHBAM 8 In cases of a skin affecuncleanness or to cut away a discoloration. ıeÁa Ÿ ¬ £ © B˙Èa Ÿ ¬ ¨ tion be most careful to do exactly as the − © 11 :BË·Ú « Ÿ £ Ë·ÚÏ − ¥ -χ¤ ‡·˙ Exactly as the levitical priests instruct levitical priests instruct you. Even if he Ÿ ® £ © is a king like Uzziah, they pay no respect to À¦ ¨ § „ÓÚz ¬ ¦ B·½ ‰L ´¤ Ÿ Ɖz‡ ¨ © ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ Lȇ‰Â you. Whether to isolate it, to decide im- ‡ÈˆBÈ ORD

10

10

11

11

mediately that it is unclean, or to declare it clean. 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam. If you want to ``be most careful'' not to be stricken by a leprous affection, avoid harmful speech about others. Remember what happened to Miriam when she spoke against her brother and was ``stricken with snow-white scales'' (Num. 12:10). 10 When you make a loan of any sort to your countryman. More precisely, a loan ``of any amount.''

F IR ' B

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

v. 10.

Why would Moses

warn the Israelites, ``In cases of a skin affection be most careful to do exactly as the levitical priests instruct you'' (v. 8) without stating any of the commandments concerning them? He does not say ``be most careful to do as I have commanded you'' about any of the other commandments that are not repeated in Deuteronomy.

F

Why must this verse contain four separate,

emphatic warnings: ``be most careful,'' ``to do,'' ``exactly,'' and ``take care to do''? Wouldn't one of these be enough?

F

For that matter, why does the verse use

the unusual language ``be most careful'' with ``the plague of leprosy'' (OJPS)? Ordinarily ``be most care-

his rank but must isolate him and send him off to live in quarantine, as I have commanded them. [B] 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam. Even though she was a prophet and the sister of Moses, he paid no respect to her honor, but had her ``shut out of camp for seven days'' (Num. 12:14). On the journey after you left Egypt. Even though they were under a lot of pressure to go, ``the people did not march on until Miriam was readmitted'' (Num. 12:15). All the more so must you be ``most careful'' to follow the priests' instructions when it comes to ordinary people.

NAHMANIDES 8 In cases of a skin [B] See 2 Kings 15:5 and 2 Chron. 26:16±21. affection be most careful to do exactly as the levitical priests instruct you. This too is an elaboration of an earlier commandment. It is a warning that one must not cut off a discoloration or refrain from showing one's IBN EZRA 8 The levitical priests. skin affection to a priest. Take care to do as I have commanded them. The actual rules The priests, who are Levites. [A] about such affections are not given here, merely the instruction to turn these matters over 9 Remember what the LORD your God to the priests. The priests themselves are diligent and do not need their instructions re- did to Miriam. Her story is great evipeated, as I explained in my introduction to Deuteronomy. dence for the midrash that instructs us to 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam. Rashi takes this as a caution understand metzora (``leper'') as motzi ra to avoid harmful speech, but I believe it is as literal a commandment as ``Remember the (``slanderer''). sabbath day and keep it holy'' (Exod. 20:8) or ``Remember this day, on which you went 10 Of any sort. Notice where the accent free from Egypt'' (Exod. 13:3) or ``Remember what Amalek did to you'' (25:17), all of falls on the Hebrew word; the F is extranewhich are de®nitely commandments; so this is one too. It is a prohibition against harmful ous, as in laÂilah, ``night.'' speech, framed as the positive commandment to remember what God did to Miriam. Even [A] See Ibn Ezra's comment to 17:9. though that righteous prophetess spoke only out of profound love for her brother, did not shame him to his face, did not speak about him publicly but only to her holy brother Aaron in private, and all her actions were for the best, this did her no good. So if you ®nd yourself ``maligning your brother, defaming the son of your mother'' (Ps. 50:20), you will certainly not get away with it. The Sifra takes all these ``remember'' verses as instructions to speak about those things, from which we see that they indeed view them as commandments, not just good advice. How could the prohibition against harmful speechÐwhich the Sages liken to spilling bloodÐnever be recorded in the Torah, or even implied in a prohibition derived from a positive commandment? Our verse is indeed a comprehensive prohibition of harmful speech. It is one of the 613 commandments, even though it was forgotten by the author of the Halakhot Gedolot and all the enumerators of the commandments who followed him. See further my comment to 25:17. ful'' is used with reference to the commandments.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 In cases of a skin affection be most careful to do exactly as the levitical priests instruct you. The Sages understand every occurrence of ``be most careful,'' ``lest,'' and ``let not'' to be as much a prohibition as ``you shall not.'' But the straightforward sense here is to indicate that one should not circumvent the priests' instructions on behalf of the great (Bekhor Shor). A doctor's advice might also be helpful, but there is no commandment to seek medical help; consulting the priests, on the other hand, is not merely advisableÐit is obligatory. If the priest declares you unclean, or healed, it is forbidden to seek a second opinion from a doctor (Abarbanel). 10 You must not enter his house to seize his pledge. For you would embarrass him by seeing his impoverished situation. Moreover, if he were not at home, you might be alone with his wife and either start a quarrel between them or give her a bad reputation (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 24:11±16 KI TETSE'

BX\ KM

EM OK ZCE

NJPS to you. 12If he is a needy man, you shall not go to sleep OJPS without unto thee. 12And if he be a poor man, thou in his pledge; 13you must return the pledge to him at sundown, shalt not sleep with his pledge; 13thou shalt surely restore to him that he may sleep in his cloth and bless you; and it will be to your the pledge when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his merit before the LORD your God. garment, and bless thee; and it shall be righteousness unto thee 14You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a before the LORD thy God. 14Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, fellow countryman or a stranger in one of the communities of 15 your land. You must pay him his wages on the same day, before whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates. 15In the same day the sun sets, for he is needy and urgently depends on it; else he will cry to the LORD Lȇ-̇ ¬¦ ¦ § 12 :‰ˆeÁ‰ ¨ « © ËB·Ú‰-˙‡ − £ © «¤ EÈÏ ²¤ ‡¥ thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall against you and you will incur guilt. the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and Ÿ ¬ ‡e‰® ÈÚ ¥ ¨ 13 :BË·Úa « Ÿ £ © ·kL˙ −© § ¦ ‡Ï −¦ ¨ setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against 16Parents shall not be put to death for Á·L‰ Ÿ ´ § ÆËB·Ú‰-˙‡ ¬© ¨ § LÓM‰ ¤ ¤½ © ‡·k £ © «¤ Bϳ ·ÈLz ¦¸ ¨ thee unto the LORD and it be sin in thee. children, nor children be put to death for ·ÎL 16The fathers shall not be put to death ½¨ ¨ § ‰È‰z −¥ § ¦ ‰˜„ˆ ´¤ § ¦ ÆEÏe § jί·e ¨ ®¤ £«¥ B˙ÓÏNa − ¨§ © § RASHI 12 You shall not go to sleep in ÈÙÏ for the children, neither shall the children Ò :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § his pledge. Rather, ``with his pledge'' KTKC[ (OJPS) in your possession. Ÿ ¬ £ © Ÿ 14 RASHBAM 15 Urgently depends on ¤¾ © ¥ ÔBÈ·‡Â ® § ¤ § ÈÚ ´ ¦ ¨ ¯ÈÎN −¦ ¨ ˜LÚ˙-‡Ï EÈÁ‡Ó 13 At sundown. This is under the as- ÁBÓBÈa§ 15 :EȯÚLa «¤ ¨ § ¦ Eˆ¯‡a − § § © § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ E¯bÓ ² § ¥ ¦ B‡¯ it. Literally, ``he lifts up his appetite for it.''

sumption that it is nightwear. If it is day He hungrily desires to eat what he has ¹ ¨ § Ôz˙ wear, you must return it to him in the morn- Èk³¦ LÓM‰ ¤ ¤À © ÂÈÏÚ ´¨ ¨ ‡B·˙-‡Ï ¯ ¨ Ÿ « § B¯ÎN ¥¸ ¦ earned. Compare Hosea 4:8, where the ing, as Exod. 22:25 has already explained: BLÙ-˙‡ ® § © ¤ ‡N −¥ Ÿ ‡e‰¬ ÂÈϨ¾ ‡Â ¥ § ‡e‰½ ÆÈÚ ¦ ¨ priests ``lift up their appetite'' for Israel's ``If you take your neighbor's garment in E· iniquity because ``they feed on My people's ¬¨ ¨ § ‰Â‰È-Ï ¨½ § ‡¤ ÆEÈÏÚ ¤Æ ¨ ‡¯˜È-‡Ï ³¨ § ¦ Ÿ « § sin offerings.'' pledge, you must return it to him until the − § ‰È‰Â sun sets.'' And bless you. But even if he 16 Nor children be put to death for Ò :‡ËÁ § «¥ does not bless you, it will be to your merit. ÌÈ·e parents. By a court: ``He did not put to Ÿ« ½¦ ¨ -ÏÚ© Æ˙B·‡¨ e˙ÓeÈ-‡Ï ³ § 14 You shall not abuse a needy and −¦ ¨ ÌÈa destitute laborer. Lev. 19:13 has already IBN EZRA 13 The pledge. The gartold us, ``You shall not abuse your fellow.'' That verse applies equally to rich and poor; now ment. See my comments to Exod. 22:25±26. a second violation is added to abuse of the needy. One who is ``needy'' is literally ``in want'' It will be to your merit. Rather, ``you of everything. A stranger. Rather, ``a convert.'' In one of the communities. This phrase should let justice prevail.'' When you weigh adds the ``stranger,'' the resident alien, to the requirement; see my ®rst comment to 14:21. him in the scales of justice, you must conOf your land. And this phrase adds even animals and equipment that you might lease. clude that he should be able to sleep in his 15 Urgently depends on it. Literally, ``he carries his life on it.'' He will climb a ledge pledge. But tradition takes the extra F on or hang from a tree, risking his life for the money he needs. He will cry to the LORD this form of the word to distinguish between against you and you will incur guilt. You will incur guilt no matter what; but if he cries ``justice'' and ``righteousness.'' to the Lord, heaven will rush to his defense. 15 You must pay him his wages on the 16 Parents shall not be put to death for children. That is, ``by the testimony of same day, before the sun sets. The sectheir children.'' It cannot mean they will not be put to death for the sins of their children, ond phrase is actually a commandment, a prohibition: ``neither shall the sun go down NAHMANIDES 12 If he is a needy man. The text calls him ``needy'' to de®ne him upon it'' (OJPS). Its purpose is to strengthen as one who has only a single such pledge. If he has two garments of the same kind, the the positive commandment of the ®rst lender can return one and take the other whether the borrower is poor or as rich as can be. phrase. For he is needy and urgently de14 You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow coun- pends on it. ``It'' being his pay. This is how tryman or a stranger. Not that it is permissible to abuse any laborer. But the text is he supports himself, the whole reason he speaking of the common practice. For it is the needy, the destitute, and the stranger who hires himself out. hire themselves out for day labor. The same logic applies to ``If you lend money to My 16 Parents shall not be put to death people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest for children. A few lost souls have asked from them'' (Exod. 22:24), as well as to v. 19. There are many other places where the text issues a ruling in terms of what we commonly ®nd, e.g., 22:10 and 25:4. The Sifrei asks: Why then specify the needy and the destitute? ``Because I will act more quickly to requite this wrong for them than for anyone else.'' The ``stranger'' here is understood by the Sages to be a convert, who therefore is protected not by one such prohibition, but by two. 15 You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets. The straightforward sense is that this clari®es ``The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning'' (Lev. 19:13). Again, the text speaks of the world as it commonly is, and the custom is to hire this kind of worker by the day. At the end of the day, before sunset, he goes home. The text is saying that such workers must be paid as soon as they ®nish, and that they must not be kept working until sunset. He needs to be able to use the money he has earned to buy himself, his wife, and his children the food they are going to eat that night. For he is needy. As are most day laborers. And urgently depends on it. Literally, ``he holds up his life.'' He needs this money to buy the food that keeps him alive. From all this we learn the real implication of Lev. 19:13: If you do not pay the laborer his wages when he ®nishes his work, but instead they remain with you until morning, he may die of hunger during the night. ``It is his only clothing, the sole covering for his skin. In what else shall he sleep?'' (Exod. 22:26) is to be interpreted the same way. As with most prohibitions, the text explains the reason this is prohibited. The Sages explain that Lev. 19:13 applies to a day laborer and our verse to one who works at night, giving the employer 12 hours to pay in each case, and this is the truth as given in our tradition, and ®ttingly so when understood correctly. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 13 It will be to your merit. We see that the lender acquires legal title to the pledge, for if it were not so, what ``merit'' is there in this? (Bekhor Shor). 15 For he is needy and urgently depends on it. Not ``for'' he is needy but ``when'' (that is, ``if'') he is needy (Hizkuni). 16 Parents shall not be put to death for children. This is an elaboration of Lev. 19:15, ``judge your kinsman fairly'' (Abarbanel). Nor children be put to death for parents. By withholding their father's wage (Abarbanel). Even for rebellion against the king. For kings 16

164

165 DEUTERONOMY 24:16±20

KI TETSE'

BX\ KM

EM OK ZCE

NJPS parents: a person shall be put to death only for his own OJPS be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to crime. death for his own sin. 17You shall not subvert the rights of the stranger or the fa17Thou shalt not pervert the justice due to the stranger, or 18 therless; you shall not take a widow's garment in pawn. Re- to the fatherless; nor take the widow's raiment to pledge. 18But member that you were a slave in Egypt and that the LORD your thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and God redeemed you from there; therefore do I enjoin you to the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence; therefore I command thee to do this thing. observe this commandment. 19When you reap the harvest in your ®eld and overlook a sheaf 19When thou reapest thy harvest in thy ®eld, and hast forgot a in the ®eld, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, sheaf in the ®eld, thou shalt not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the fatherless, and the widowÐin order the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the that the LORD your God may bless you in B‡ËÁa widow; that the LORD thy God may bless Ÿ − § ¤ § Lȇ ¬ ¦ ˙B·‡-ÏÚ ® ¨ © e˙ÓeÈ-‡Ï ´ § all your undertakings. thee in all the work of thy hands. Ò :e˙ÓeÈ «¨ 20When you beat down the fruit of your 20When thou beatest thine olive-tree, 17 Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ½ ½ Ï·Á˙ £ © ‡Ï ´ § ÌB˙È ® ¨ ¯b ´ ¥ ËtLÓ − © § ¦ ‰h˙ ¤ © ‡Ï ´ olive trees, do not go over them again; that thou shalt not go over the boughs again; it shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and Æ˙Èȉ ¨ Ʀ ¨ „·Ú ¤ ³¤ Èk ´ ¦ z¯ÎÊ ¨À § © ¨ § 18 :‰ÓÏ «¨ ¨ § ‡© „‚a ¤ −¤ shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, ®¨ ¦ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § EcÙi ² § § ¦ «© ÌȯˆÓa ¦ ½© § ¦ § RASHBAM death the children of the asRASHI for that is stated here: A person -ÏÚ© ÌMÓ shall be put to death only for his own ¯·c‰-˙‡ ½ £ © ÆEeˆÓ −¨ ¨ © ¤ ˙BNÚÏ § © § ÈÎ‡ ³¦ Ÿ ¨ Ôkº¥ sassins, in accordance with what is written crime. But this rule applies only to a ``man'' Ò :‰f‰ «¤ © in the Book of the Teaching of Moses, where (OJPS); minors may indeed die (at the hands of heaven) on account of their parents' sins.

17 You shall not subvert the rights of the stranger or the fatherless. In the

Ÿ § ¦ Èk ¹¤ ¨ § E¯Èˆ˜ ¸ § « ¦ § Á¯ˆ˜˙ ¯ÓÚ ¤ Ÿ ´ zÁÎL ¯¨ § © «¨ § E„N· ´ ¦ 19 Ÿ ³ ‰„Oa ½ § © § Æ·eL˙¨ ‡Ï À¤ ¨ © ÌB˙iÏ ¬ ¨ © ¯bÏ ²¥ © BzÁ˜Ï Æ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § Eί·È § ¤ ¨ § ÔÚÓÏ © ³© § ‰È‰È ®¤ § ¦ ‰ÓÏ −¨ ¨ § ‡Ï ©¨ § Ÿ − § EÈ‰Ï :EÈ„È «¤ ¨ ‰NÚÓ ¬¥ £ © ÏÎa ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ÿ ¬ E˙ÈÊ Ÿ § © Èk ½ § «¥ ÆËaÁ˙ ¯bÏ ²¥ © EȯÁ‡ ®¤ £ © ¯‡Ù˙ −¥ ¨ § ‡Ï ³¦ 20

case of the rich, 16:19 has already told us, ``You shall not judge unfairly''; the Hebrew phrases are exactly the same. Again a rule previously given that applies to everyone is repeated speci®cally for the powerless, to add a second violation in their case. Obviously it is much easier to subvert the rights of a stranger or an orphan than those of a rich man. You shall not take a widow's garment in pawn. Rather, ``you shall not place a lien on a widow's garment.'' This does not refer to taking collateral at the time of the loan. 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt. This is why I redeemed youÐso that you would have to keep My laws (even when it costs you money). 19 And overlook a sheaf. But not an entire stack of sheaves. The Sages derive from this that a sheaf as big as two seahs does not fall under this rule of ``overlooking.'' In the ®eld. This adds standing grain to the rule, in a case where one overlooked a bit of it and did not harvest it. Do not turn back to get it. The Sages derive from this that what is behind him is considered ``overlooked''; what is still before him is not, since he need not ``turn back to get it.'' In order that the LORD your God may bless you. He will be blessed even if he left some sheaves accidentally, and all the more so if he left them deliberately. So you can see that if a sela falls from his pocket and a poor man picks it up and provides for himself with it, the man who lost the money receives blessing on account of it. 20 Do not go over them. Literally, ``do not `crown' them,'' that is, do not pick all the olives from the crown of the tree. We see that the rule of ``the edges of your ®eld''

NAHMANIDES 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.

See Rashi's comment. But really this is a reinforcement of the rights of the stranger. See my comment to Exod. 22:20.

the LORD commanded, `Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents; a person shall be put to death only for his own crime''' (2 Kings 14:6). But the Holy One certainly ``visits the guilt of the parents upon the children'' (Exod. 20:4) when they persevere in the same behavior: ``Parents have eaten sour grapes and children's teeth are set on edge'' (Jer. 31:29, Ezek. 18:2)Ðbecause they lose their parents' inheritance. But they cannot be put to death by a human court on account of their parents.

IBN EZRA

how the text can say this, when elsewhere we read that God ``visits the guilt of the parents upon the children'' (Exod. 20:5). The question is pointless. Our verse is a commandment to the Israelites. The Exodus verse is telling us how God Himself acts, which I have fully explained in my comments there.

18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt. Not to mention a ``stranger'' (v. 17).

(This is one of the commandments that was given to the generation of those who left Egypt and is now being repeated to their children.)

19 In order that the LORD your God may bless you. You are merely relin-

quishing what you imagine belongs to you; He will give what truly is His. 20 When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees. For the verb, compare ``beating out wheat'' (Judg. 6:11, also in Qal) and ``black cumin is beaten out with a stick'' (Isa. 28:27, in Niphal). Do not go over them again. Literally, do not ``bough'' them: ``it . . .

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ordinarily do kill the children of rebels so as not to leave potential enemies. But our kings are forbidden to do this, and as 2 Chron. 25:1±4 tells us, King Amaziah of Judah obeyed this rule (Sforno). 17 You shall not take a widow's garment in pawn. Even a rich widow's, and even if you intend to return it to her. Since she is unmarried, it might lead to transgression (Hizkuni). 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt. Here and in 16:12 this expression has ``in Egypt''; in v. 22, 5:15, and 15:15 it has ``in Egypt'' (Masorah). When you remember that you yourself were once a slave and needed the help of others, you will act compassionately toward the stranger, the orphan, and the widow (Hizkuni). And that the LORD your God redeemed you from there. Having taken notice of your distressed condition and feeling compassionate toward you (Bekhor Shor). 19 In order that the LORD your God may bless you. And you will thereby lose nothing on the transaction (Hizkuni). For He ``gives food to all ¯esh'' (Ps. 136:25), and has made you an instrument by which He feeds the poor (Gersonides). 20 When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees. If the tree is so tall that the poorÐany of themÐcannot climb it without the land of

danger, the owner must arrange to have what is left behind made accessible to them (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 24:20±25:2 KI TETSE'

BX\ KM

NJPS

the widow. 21When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not pick it over again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22Always remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment.

25

When there is a dispute between men and they go to law, and a decision is rendered declaring the one in the right and the other in the wrongÐ2if the guilty one is to be ¯ogged, the magistrate shall have him lie down and be given lashes in his

OJPS

and for the widow. 21When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after thee; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 22And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Ÿ § ¦ Èk Ưˆ·˙ ³¦ 21 Ò :‰È‰È «¤ § ¦ ‰ÓÏ −¨ ¨ § ‡Ï © ¨ § ÌB˙iÏ ¬ ¨© Ÿ ¬ EÓ¯k ½ § §© ÌB˙iÏ ¬ ¨ © ¯bÏ ²¥ © EȯÁ‡ ®¤ £ © ÏÏBÚ˙ −¥ § ‡Ï ˙Èȉ ¨ −¦ ¨ „·Ú-Èk ¤ ¬¤ ¦ z¯ÎÊ ¨½ § © ´¨ § 22 :‰È‰È «¤ § ¦ ‰ÓÏ −¨ ¨ § ‡Ï ©¨ § ½ £ © ÆEeˆÓ ˙BNÚÏ § © § ÈÎ‡ ³¦ Ÿ ¨ Ôkº¥ -ÏÚ© ÌȯˆÓ ¦ ®¨ § ¦ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § Ò :‰f‰ «¤ © ¯·c‰-˙‡ −¨ ¨ © ¤

RASHI (Lev. 19:9) applies to trees as well. Again. Literally, ``do not go back over eLb ¬ § ¦ § ÌÈL‡ ¦½ ¨ £ ÔÈa ´¥ Ʒȯ¦ ‰È‰È-Èk ¬¤ § ¦ « ¦ them,'' referring to v. 19's rule of ``overlooking.''

21 Do not pick it over again.

do not ``orphan'' it. If

Literally,

you ®nd orphan

bunches on the vine, do not take them.

25

If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, and the judges judge them, by justifying the righteous, and condemning the wicked, 2 then it shall be, if the wicked man deserve to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to the measure of his

‰Î IBN EZRA

Ʀ § ¦ § ÌeËÙLe -˙‡¤ Æe˜Ècˆ‰Â ®¨ § ËtLn‰-Ï −¨ § ¦ © ‡¤ ½¦ © © ‰È‰Â ²¨ ¨ § 2 :ÚL¯‰-˙‡ «¨ ¨ ¨ ¤ eÚÈL¯‰Â −¦ § ¦ § ˜Ècv‰ ÆËÙM‰ ¥ Ÿ © BÏÈt‰Â ³ ¦ ¦ § ÚL¯‰ ®¨ ¨ ¨ ˙Bk‰ − © Ôa ¬ ¦ -̇¦

And what are ``orphan'' bunches? Any that do not yet have either ``prop'' or ``drop.'' If it has either one of them, it belongs to the

sent out

are atop each other on each side. What is ``drop''? Sprigs that hang below each other, dropping down.''

25:1 When there is a dispute between men and they go to law.

produced

branches,

and

boughs'' (Ezek. 17:6). You must not

check the boughs when you have ®nished to make sure you have not left any olives.

22 Always remember that you were a slave. Again, this follows mention of the ``stranger'' (v. 21).

25:1 And a decision is rendered.

owner. I have seen the following in the Palestinian Talmud: ``What is ``prop''? Sprigs that

By

the judges, as OJPS correctly interprets. As in 24:6, the Hebrew verb is lacking a sub-

When there is a

jectÐwhich is normal, as I explained there.

2 If the guilty one is to be ¯ogged.

dispute, they are bound to go to law. Clearly no good can come from a dispute of any kind. What caused Lot to part from the righteous Abraham? It must have been a dispute.

2 If the guilty one is to be ¯ogged.

FM OK ZCE

ben (``son'') of the Hebrew idiom bin also Agur bin Jakeh (Prov. 30:1).

Notice that

One might have thought that everyone who is

is

bin

here, as in the names of Joshua

guilty would be ¯ogged. Here we learn that sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.

Nun and

We learn who is to be ¯ogged from the context of this passage. It is one who violates a

Calling someone a ``son'' of an abstract

rule like that of v. 4, a prohibition that has no associated positive commandment telling

The magistrate shall have him lie down. He is not to be ¯ogged standing or sitting, but bending over. In his presence, by count. Not ``in his [the

noun simply means he is a member of the

you the right thing to do.

group of persons related to it: A man is a

NAHMANIDES 25:2 If the guilty one is to be ¯ogged.

plant is

belia'al,

ben

``a nasty fellow'' (1 Sam. 25:17); a

bin lailah,

an ``overnight'' thing

Rabbinic tradition says

( Jon. 4:10). As for why a person would be

that ¯ogging is the punishment for violating the prohibitions. What then does it have to

``beaten'' (OJPS), in my opinion it must

do with ``a dispute between men'' (v. 1) or with a court decision declaring in favor of one

be because he himself beat another person.

or the other? One who eats meat from an animal that was not slaughtered properly is ¯ogged; so is one who sows his ®eld or his vineyard with a second kind of seed, one who has intercourse with a woman prohibited to him, or one who violates any of the other prohibitions. So the Sages applied this paragraph to a very speci®c situation: When there is a dispute between men, and the court ®nds in favor of one of them on account of the

The magistrate shall have him lie down. He shall have the bailiffs make him lie down; see my next comment. And be given lashes. The Hebrew literally says, ``he shall ¯og him,'' but it cannot mean that the mag-

testimony of two witnesses; those two witnesses are then found to be ``scheming'' wit-

istrate does it, for the verse goes on to say

nesses, and the court reverses its original judgment; but we cannot ``do to him as he

that this is done

schemed to do to his fellow'' (19:19) because they are laymen who schemed to disqualify

the

someone from the priesthood or free men who schemed to prevent someone from marrying

him ¯ogged, just as he has him made to lie

meaning

in his presence. Obviously

is

that

the

magistrate

has

a Jewish woman by having him declared a slave or illegitimate. (Of course, if what they falsely accused him of was violating a prohibition, they would also be ¯ogged.) But it is possible to come up with other scenarios by which a dispute could indeed lead to one of the parties being ¯ogged: causing someone harm valued at less than a perutah;

[S] cursing someone by invoking the name of God; taking utensils used for food preparation as a pledge to

repay a loan; and the likeÐcases where the dispute

arises

from the violation of a prohibition. Again, the text is giving a common oc-

currence as an example: There is a ``dispute between men'' in the sense that the complainant brings the violator to court. He is therefore ¯ogged on his account.

[S] The smallest coin in circulation and the smallest value considered to be of legal signi®cance. Since he cannot be ®ned a smaller amount, he is ¯ogged instead.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 22 Always remember that you were a slave.

And you needed the overlooked fruit and grain

(Sforno).

25:1 When there is a dispute between men and they go to law. When there is a dispute, they are required to go to law and to 2 The magistrate shall have him lie down. He is tied to a pillar (Sforno). As his guilt warrants. He may only be ¯ogged for one

accept the court's decision (Gersonides).

instance of ``guilt'' at a time. Since the Torah does not specify different numbers of lashes for different crimesÐas with the death penalty, where even though some capital crimes are worse than others they are all punished by deathÐwe see that the judges have no discretion to reduce the number of lashes on any basis except whether he is capable of taking the punishment (Gersonides). There must be a set, limited number of lashes for each crime, with a maximum of 40 (Abarbanel).

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OJPS wickedness, by number. 3Forty stripes he may give him, he shall not exceed; lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should be dishonored before thine eyes. 4Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. 5If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not be married abroad unto one not of his kin; her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to «¨ § ¦ § B˙ÚL¯ − ¨ § ¦ È„k ¬¥ § ÂÈÙÏ ¨½ ¨ § e‰k‰Â ´¨ ¦ § wife, and perform the duty of a husband's RASHI magistrate's] presence,'' but ``on :¯tÒÓa Ÿ ´ epkÈ ¸¦ Ÿ ¤ ÛÈÒÈ ³ Ÿ © § ÛÈÒÈ-Ôt ®¦ Ÿ ‡Ï −¤ © ÌÈÚa¯‡ ¬¦ ¨ § © 3 his [the guilty one's] front.'' As his guilt B˙k‰Ï warrants. He is ¯ogged ``according to the EÈÁ‡ Æ¥ © IBN EZRA −¦ ¨ ‰Ï˜ ¬¨ § ¦ § ‰a¯ ¨½ © ‰kÓ ´¨ © Ɖl¤ ‡-ÏÚ down. By count, as his measure of his wickedness, by number'' guilt warrants. That is, he gets the number Ò :EÈÈÚÏ «¤ ¥ § (OJPS): one-third (``his wickedness'') on his of lashes that he deserves. It would seem Ÿ ¬ § © Ÿ 4 that for some crimes he might get just 10 (or front and two-thirds (``by number'') on « ¦ § ¯BL − ÌÒÁ˙-‡Ï Ò :BLÈ„a his back. Moreover, the verse literally says ÆÌ‰Ó À¨ § © ÌÈÁ‡ ¹¦ © e·LÈ-Èk ¸ § ¥ « ¦ 5 even fewer); for others, 20 or moreÐall ``as ³© © ˙Óe ¥¸ ÂcÁÈ ``by number of.'' And what ``number of '' the ¤ ¥ „Á‡ ½ «¥ Ô·e ²¥ © ¤‡ «¥ ‰È‰˙-‡Ï ¯¤ § ¦ Ÿ « BÏ-Ôȇ ´¥ his guilt warrants.'' But 40 is the maximum. ``forty lashes'' of v. 3 is referred to here? ˙n‰-˙L (See, however, my comment to v. 3.) The number that leads to and completes 40, ‰ÈÏÚ Ÿ ´ ¨ ÆdÓ·È ¨ ¤½ ¨ ‡·È ¨ ¨ § ¯Ê®¨ LÈ‡Ï ´ ¦ § ‰ˆeÁ‰ ¨ − © 3 Up to forty lashes. Were it not for our that is, 39. traditionÐwhich is the sole truthÐI would 3 Not more. This is a prohibition: ``he ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why may a guilty think that he might any number of shall not exceed'' (OJPS). Anyone who person be given ``forty lashes, but not more'' (v. 3)? lashes, up to 40. [B] receive Some, therefore, interstrikes an innocent person violates this Can one or two more lashes make a difference at that pret ``as his guilt warrants'' (v. 2) to mean same prohibition. Lest being ¯ogged fur- point? F Why would more than 40 lashes make that he is ¯ogged more lightly or more harshly ``degraded''? Isn't it the mere fact of being ther, to excess, your brother be degraded someone lashed at all that does this? F If the requirement of depending on what he has done, but always before your eyes. All day long he has been levirate marriage not just to the widow's ``hus- with just the ``number of'' 40 lashes. [C] ``the guilty one,'' but now that his ¯ogging is band's brother'' (v.applies 5) but also to her husband's father, Lest...your brother be degraded. This over, he is once again ``your brother.'' as appears from Genesis 38, why is that not mentioned it is known as a decree of the Holy One 4 You shall not muzzle an ox. The text here? (The story of Ruth and Boaz adds an even way, that everyone is ¯ogged receives the refers to a common example; this rule ap- greater level of confusion.) F With regard to levirate same number ofwho lashes, demonstrating that itself, is it supposed to be for the bene®t of plies to any animal or bird that is working marriage he is being punished by will of heaven the dead man, the widow, or the brother? If only with foodstuffs. Why then does our verse someone could explain to me what good this strange and not at the discretion the of the judges. say ``ox'' in particular? Because the rule does practice is supposed to do for any of them! 4 You shall not muzzle an ox while it not apply to people. While it is threshing. is threshing. The deniers understand this Could he muzzle it outside, before it starts to mean that you cannot muzzle it ``while'' threshing? No, ``you shall not muzzle an ox'' at all. What then does ``while it is threshing'' is threshingÐonly ``before.'' Really, whoit add? It describes what type of task is included: any task performed on a product that needs this kind of thing? grows from the ground that does not complete its processing. Milking and making cheese 5 When brothers dwell together. or butter are excluded, since milk does not grow from the ground; kneading and shaping Again, the deniers insist on taking the Hedough are excluded, since these result in ®nishing them to the point where some amount brew to mean ``kinsmen,'' not literally must be set aside as a priestly gift. [O] Pulling dates and ®gs apart is also excluded, since ``brothers''; their proof is from Boaz in the this completes their processing for tithing purposes. of Ruth. But they have missed the 5 When brothers dwell together. That is, when they are alive at the same time. This book point. story is not about levirate marprocedure does not apply to the widow of a brother who died before the other brother was riage atThat allÐit uses the wordÐbut born. ``Together'' also means that they shared an inheritance; it therefore excludes brothers [B] Jewish tradition saysnever that everyone who is punished by from the same mother but different fathers. One of them dies and leaves no son. In ¯ogging receives precisely 39 lashes. [C] See the end of NJPS presence, by count, as his guilt warrants. 3He may be given up to forty lashes, but not more, lest being ¯ogged further, to excess, your brother be degraded before your eyes. 4You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing. 5When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and leaves no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married to a stranger, outside the family. Her husband's brother shall unite with her: he shall take her as his wife and

[O] See Rashi's comments to Num. 15:20±21.

Rashi's comment to v. 2.

NAHMANIDES 3 He may be given up to forty lashes. The midrashic explanation of this number is that he violated the Torah, which was given to Moses during his 40 days on Mount Sinai, and thereby earned death for himself, who was formed as a fetus [T] during 40 days in the womb. Let him therefore be ¯ogged 40 times [U] and be considered punished enough. 5 When brothers dwell together. I have discussed the issue of levirate marriage, its details, the reason for it, and the mystery behind it, in my comment to Gen. 38:8. [T] According to Jewish tradition.

[U] Treating the 40 days it took to form him as a fetus as symbolic of his life.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 3 He may be given up to forty lashes, but not more. He may be given less if they think he cannot bear so much. But he may not be given more than 39 lashes, since if he is to be given one-third of them on his front and two-thirds on his back the number must be divisible by three (Bekhor Shor). Though 4:2 points out that ``You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it,'' we see from our verse that the Sages are permitted to ``take away'' from what God commands, but not to add ``more'' (Hizkuni). Lest being ¯ogged further, to excess, your brother be degraded before your eyes. If he is so weak or simply so fearful that ¯ogging might cause him to soil himself with urine or feces, the punishment is reduced or remitted. The Torah would rather give up the ¯ogging than see him degraded (Gersonides). 4 You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing. The workers who do the milking and so forth cited by Rashi do not eat or drink these products while they are working with them (Hizkuni). 5 Perform the levir's duty. The Hebrew verb is a contronym. He simultaneously ``acts the brother-in-law'' and removes himself from the relationship of brother-in-law, since he instantly acquires her as his legal wife (Hizkuni).

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perform the levir's duty. 6The ®rst son that she bears OJPS brother unto her. 6And it shall be, that the ®rstborn that shall be accounted to the dead brother, that his name may not be she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead, blotted out in Israel. 7But if the man does that his name be not blotted out of Israel. 7And if the man like not to take his not want to marry his brother's widow, his ƯBÎa‰ 6 À § © ‰È‰Â ¨ ¨ § :dÓaÈ «¨ § ¦ § ‰M‡Ï −¨ ¦ § Bϲ dÁ˜Ïe ¬¨ ¨ § brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall brother's widow shall appear before the ¾ ¨ „Ïz ˙n‰ ®¥ © ÂÈÁ‡ −¦ ¨ ÌL-ÏÚ ¬¥ © Ìe˜È ¥½ ¥ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ go up to the gate unto the elders, and say: elders in the gate and declare, ``My husŸ³ ¦ § 7 :χ¯NiÓ «¥ ¨ § ¦ ¦ BÓL − § ‰ÁnÈ-‡Ï ¬¤ ¨ ¦ Ÿ « § ``My husband's brother refuseth to raise band's brother refuses to establish a name ‡Ï-̇ in Israel for his brother; he will not per- Á‰˙ÏÚ Ÿ § © up unto his brother a name in Israel; he ½¦ ¨ ÆıtÁÈ ¨ § ¨ § BzÓ·È-˙‡ ® § ¦ § ¤ ˙Á˜Ï © −© ¨ Lȇ‰ duty of a husband's form the duty of a levir.'' 8The elders of his Ɖ¯Ó‡Â À¦ ¥ § © ‡¤ ‰¯ÚM‰ ¸ § ¦ § will not perform the ¨ § «¨ § ÌÈ˜f‰-Ï ¨ § ©¹ © BzÓ·È town shall then summon him and talk to brother unto me.'' 8Then the elders of his ¸¦ ¨ § ÈÓ·È ¹¦ ¨ § * ÔÈ‡Ó Ï‡¯NÈa ¥½ ¨ § ¦ § ÆÌL ¥ ÂÈÁ‡Ï ¬ ¦ ¨ § ÌȘ‰Ï ¥¸ ¥ city shall call him, and speak unto him; 8 Ÿ¬ − ¦ ¥ § ¦ BÏ-e‡¯˜Â ¬ § «¨ § :ÈÓaÈ « ¦ § © ‰·‡ −¨ ¨ ‡Ï RASHI Hebrew, ein lo, implying further B¯ÈÚ-È˜Ê ay yein lo, ``examine him'' to see whether he RASHBAM 25:6 The ®rst son that G R N [ E K F C\ MC ' K ZK \ K v. 7. has left offspring of any kind: a daughter or a she bears shall be accounted to the dead grandchild, even the daughter of a daughter. brother. The translations give the straightQUESTIONS F What makes ``the forward sense. 6 The ®rst son. Rather, ``the ®rstborn'' ABARBANEL'S ®rst son'' any different from the others? Why not let (OJPS). We learn that the oldest of the dead half the sons ``be accounted to the dead brother'' and man's brothers is the one who performs the the rest to the living brother? F Why is the brother IBN EZRA about redemption of proplevir's duty. That she bears. A woman who allowed to refuse to do it (v. 7)? How can he be per- erty. [D] What would be the point of cannot bear children does not undergo this mitted to decide whether or not to obey this com- saying that they dwell ``together'' if it was procedure. Shall be accounted to the mandment? F Why must this ceremony be per- talking about relatives? That they live in the ``before the elders in the gate''? No ``elders'' dead brother. Rather, ``shall succeed in the formed same courtyard, or the same country, or that name of his brother'' (OJPS). The levir takes are needed for a divorce. they like each other? Perform the levir's his brother's portion of their father's inherduty. Again, the deniers misinterpret this to itance. That his name may not be blotted out. If the dead man was a eunuch, his name mean that he ``performs'' the levir's duty has already been blotted out, and his widow does not undergo this procedure. even though he himself is not the actual 7 In the gate. In the gateway of the courthouse, as Onkelos translates. levir, that is, the brother-in-law. But that's just stupid. The same verb is used in Gen. NAHMANIDES 6 The ®rst son that she bears shall be accounted to the dead 38:8 of a real brother, not a ``relative.'' With brother. A straightforward reading of the Hebrew would suggest that the ®rst son ``shall regard to the discrepancies between this law succeed in the name of his brother that is dead'' (OJPS), that is, he should be named and the story of Genesis 38, any intelligent Reuben or Simeon as his father was; but this is not what it means. Boaz announced that person will understand that the prohibitions he was marrying Ruth ``so as to perpetuate the name of the deceased'' (Ruth 4:10), but given to Moses at Sinai did not apply prethey did not call their ®rst son Mahlon. According to the True interpretation, our verse is a vious to that. There would certainly have promise that the ®rst son ``shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead'' (OJPS)Ð been nothing wrong with obeying them bewhich is indeed the straightforward interpretation. Our Sages placed a midrashic inter- fore they were given, and indeed, we read pretation on this verse, that ``the ®rst son'' refers to the oldest of the remaining brothers about ``all those abhorrent things . . . done by and that a woman incapable of ``bearing'' or the widow of a eunuch (whose name is the people who were in the land before you'' ``blotted out'' already) is not subject to this law. But the verse is simply a way to remember (Lev. 18:27), though we have found no those interpretations, which derive directly from the essence of what is written here, not prophet before Moses who forbade them. from midrashic interpretation of these particular words. Now, the text in Genesis tells us that what Onan did, so as not to provide offspring for his brother, ``was displeasing to the L ORD'' (Gen. 38:10). We must therefore rely on Jewish tradition: Our verse refers literally to ``brothers.'' (And ``together'' also means what tradition says it does.) [E] And leaves no son. If he leaves a son, all this is unnecessaryÐmore than unnecessary, she is actually forbidden to him. The wife of the deceased shall not be married. Assuming the brother wants to perform the levir's duty. A stranger, outside the family. ``Outside the family'' being the de®nition of ``a stranger'' in this case. 6 The ®rst son that she bears shall be accounted to the dead brother. He shall ``succeed in the name'' (OJPS) of the dead brother, that is, he shall be called by his name. (See further my comment to ``outsiders'' in Exod. 21:8.) [F] That his name may not be blotted out in Israel. This part of the verse is talking about his particular portion of the inheritance. 7 He will not perform the duty of a levir. The Hebrew adds ``to me'' (see OJPS). Rarely (as in Num. 22:13) the suf®x of the in®nitive denotes the object rather than the subject.

NJPS

[D] See Lev. 25:25±28. [E] See Rashi's comment. merely associated with them.

[F] Ibn Ezra suggests there that the

halakhah

(see Rashi's comment to ``the ®rst son'') is not actually derived from those words, but

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 The ®rst son that she bears shall be accounted to the dead brother.

This is a verse that violates the rule that a text never loses its straightforward sense. For according to the straightforward reading, he should be named Reuben or Simeon or whatever his father's name was (Bekhor Shor). Despite what the Aristotelians say, reincarnation is perfectly plausible, and our tradition explains that this is the reason for levirate marriage. Psychologically, it provides for continuation of the dead man's name, and economically it makes sure that his widow will be supported and can continue to live in her home (Abarbanel). The dead man is now considered to have carried out the commandment to be fruitful and multiply, for this child is the fruit of his marriage; the living brother does not ``marry'' the widow (Sforno). 7 But if the man does not want to marry his brother's widow. There must be a provision for the case where their natures and characters are alien to one another; water and ®re do not mix (Abarbanel). 8 The elders of his town shall then summon him and talk to him. If she is too old or too young for him, or otherwise unsuitable, they try to persuade him to refuse; if she is suitable, they try to persuade him to marry her (Bekhor Shor).

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him. If he insists, saying, ``I do not want to marry her,'' and if he stand, and say: ``I like not to take her''; 9then his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the shall his brother's wife draw nigh unto him in the presence of elders, pull the sandal off his foot, spit in his face, and make this the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his declaration: Thus shall be done to the man face; and she shall answer and say: ``So who will not build up his brother's house! ÈzˆÙÁ Ÿ ¬ ¯Ó‡Â ¦ § −© ¨ ‡Ï ©½ ¨ § „ÓÚ ´© ¨ § ÂÈÏ ®¨ ‡¥ e¯a„ ´ § ¦ § shall it be done unto the man that doth not 10 And he shall go in Israel by the name of build up his brother's house.'' 10And his ÈÈÚÏ ´¥ ¥ § »ÂÈϨ ‡¥ BzÓ·È ´ § ¦ § ‰Lb ¨¸ § ¦ § 9 :dzÁ˜Ï «¨ § © § ``the family of the unsandaled one.'' name shall be called in Israel the house of ½ § © ÏÚÓ −¨ § ¨ § BÏ‚¯ ´© ¥ ÆBÏÚ £ © ‰ˆÏÁ ³¨ § ¨ § ¼ÌÈ˜f‰ ¦ ¥ § © him that had his shoe loosed. 11 If two men get into a ®ght with each ‰˜¯È 11 When men strive together one with other, and the wife of one comes up to save LÈ‡Ï ½¦ ¨ ‰NÚÈ ½¨ § ´¨ § Ɖ˙Ú ´¤ ¨ ¥ ‰Îk ¨ ¨ μ ‰¯Ó‡Â ¨ § «¨ § ÂÈÙa ®¨ ¨ § another, and the wife of the one draweth her husband from his antagonist and puts ‡¯˜ 10 Ÿ ¬¨ § ¦ § :ÂÈÁ‡ « ¦ ¨ ˙Èa ¬¥ -˙‡¤ ‰·È-‡Ï −¤ § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ near to deliver her husband out of the out her hand and seizes him by his genitals, Ò :ÏÚp‰ © «¨ © ıeÏÁ ¬ £ ˙Èa −¥ χ¯NÈa ®¥ ¨ § ¦ § BÓL − § hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth 12 you shall cut off her hand; show no pity. 13 ½¦ ¨ § Lȇ ¸ ¨ ¦ « ¦ 11 forth her hand, and taketh him by the se´ ¦ ÆÂcÁÈ ¨ § © ÌÈL‡ ³¦ ¨ £ eˆpÈ-Èk You shall not have in your pouch al- ÂÈÁ‡Â 14 ternate weights, larger and smaller. You dMȇ-˙‡ −¨ ¦ ¤ ÏÈv‰Ï ¬ ¦ © § „Á‡‰ ¨½ ¤ «¨ ˙L ¤‡ ´¥ Ɖ·¯˜Â ¨ § «¨ § crets; 12then thou shalt cut off her hand, shall not have in your house alternate eye shall have no pity. ½¨ ¨ ‰ÁÏL ‰˜ÈÊÁ‰Â ¨ −¦ ¡ ¤ § d„È ´¨ § ¨ § e‰kÓ ®¥ © „iÓ ´© ¦ thine 13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse Ÿ ¬ dtk ÒBÁ˙ − ¨ ‡Ï ®¨ © -˙‡¤ ‰˙v˜Â −¨ Ÿ © § 12 :ÂÈL·Óa «¨ ª § ¦ weights, a great and a small. 14Thou shalt Rather, ``and he Ò :EÈÚ «¤ ¥ not have in thy house diverse measures, a 9

RASHI 8 If he insists. stands'' (compare OJPS)Ðhe must stand for −¨ § Ô·‡Â ¤ ®¨ ¨ Ô·‡ ¤ ´¤ EÒÈÎa − § « ¦ § EÏ ² § ‰È‰È-‡Ï ¬¤ § ¦ Ÿ « 13 this procedure. Saying. In Hebrew. She too ‰ÏB„b must recite her words in Hebrew. RASHBAM 9 Pull the sandal off his E˙È·a − § ¥§ EÏ ²§ ‰È‰È-‡Ï ¬¤ § ¦ Ÿ 14 Ò :‰p˘e «¨ © § 9 Spit in his face. Rather, she shall spit foot. By so doing, she acquires from him ``in front of him,'' on the ground. Who will ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why must the his dead brother's inheritance; see Ruth not build up his brother's house. One widow ``pull the sandal off his foot'' and ``spit in his 4:7±8. This just happens to have been the who has refused cannot then decide to perform the levir's duty after all. It does not say ``who has not built up his brother's house,'' but ``who will not build up his brother's house.'' Having not done so, he will never do so.

face'' (v. 9)? What do these two actions have to do with

customÐthat is the straightforward sense. 13 Larger and smaller. As when someone makes two half-unit weights in writes his wife a bill of divorcement? F Why must we order to cheat people, one larger and one be told not to have ``alternate weights'' (v. 13) and so forth, when Lev. 19:35 has already stated, ``You shall smaller. When he uses them together, he not falsify measures of length, weight, or capacity''? weighs out one pound with perfect accu10 He shall go in Israel by the name of F Why is this practice not explicitly called ``falsi®ca- racy, and people think the weights must be ``the family of the unsandaled one.'' tion,'' as it is in Leviticus? honest. That is why v. 15 says, as it literally Literally, he ``shall be called'' by that name. does, that you must have an ``integral'' Everyone who is standing there is commanded to call him this. weightÐa single weight for each unit, so 11 If two men get into a ®ght with each other. Inevitably one will ``smite'' the other that you cannot cheat people in this way. (see OJPS). Peace cannot result from strife. 12 You shall cut off her hand. Rather, you shall make her pay for embarrassing him, 8 If he insists, saying. all according to who is being shamed and who is doing the shaming. Ð Perhaps it really IBN EZRA means to cut off her hand? Ð No, the verse continues by saying, Show no pity, and it Rather, ``He shall stand [so the elders can hear him] and then say'' (see OJPS). says the same thing in 19:21, where it is clear that monetary payment is involved. [P] 13 You shall not have. If you do this, ``you shall not have'' anything at all. Larger 9 Spit in his face. Rather, as tradition and smaller. It is not different sizes that are forbidden, but their use for deception. He explains, ``at his face,'' that is, before him. But the straightforward sense of the verse is must not use the larger weight to buy and the smaller one to sell. that she spits in the ``face'' of the sandal. [P] See Rashi's comment to that verse. See Ezek. 2:10, where a scroll has a ``face'' and a ``back.'' 11 If two men get into a ®ght. The opposite case to ``brothers dwelling together.'' But these two men might be strangers as well as brothers. His genitals. Literally, ``his embarrassments,'' that is, his balls. It is totally brazen to expose someone's ``secrets'' (OJPS)Ðnot to mention dangerous. 12 You shall cut off her hand. It is an ``eye for eye'' situation; you literally cut off her hand only if she does not redeem it by payment. Show no pity. If she is too poor to pay. 14 In your pouch. The case where the scale is kept. Since the Hebrew word literally means ``pocket,'' it might be taken to mean that one should not pull weights out of one's pocket deceptively; but the ®rst explanation is the correct one. Prov. 1:14, which uses the word, could obviously not mean, ``We shall all have a single pocket.'' [G] [G] Ibn Ezra goes on to argue against translating the word as ``purse'' in that verse. one anotherÐand, frankly, what sense does either of them make? Does a man pull off his sandal when he

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 Pull the sandal off his foot.

There is no obvious explanation for this, but I have come up with four possible ones; here are two: (1) the shoe ®ts the foot as the reincarnated spirit ®ts the body; (2) the widow portrays herself as lowly and unconcerned for her own statureÐshe would have no problem ®nding a worthy man to marry, but has put herself in this position for her dead husband's sake (Abarbanel). Spit in his face. To indicate her disgust at his spurning her. It is as much as to say, ``If you do not want me, then I think no more of you than of this spittle'' (Hizkuni). And make this declaration. The declaration gives her a chance to express her scorn and relieve her feelings (Hizkuni). Who will not build up his brother's house. ``Building'' is used to mean producing ``sons'' (since the two words sound alike in Hebrew); see, e.g., Gen. 30:3 (Kimhi). This refers to spreading his cloak over his brother's widow, to protect and defend her (Abarbanel). 12 You shall cut off her hand. Unless her husband's life was actually in danger, in which case she is of course permitted even to kill the other man (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 25:14±18 KI TETSE'

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measures, a larger and a smaller. 15You must have comgreat and a small. 15A perfect and just weight shalt thou pletely honest weights and completely honest measures, if you have; a perfect and just measure shalt thou have; that thy days are to endure long on the soil that the LORD your God is giving may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 16For all that do such things, even all that you. 16For everyone who does those things, everyone who deals dishonestly, is abhor- Ô·‡ ¤ ´¤ 15 :‰p˘e «¨ © § ‰ÏB„b −¨ § ‰Ùȇ ®¨ ¥ § ‰Ùȇ ´¨ ¥ do unrighteously, are an abomination unto rent to the L ORD your God. the LORD thy God. ‰ÓÏL ²¨ ¥ § ‰Ùȇ ¯¨ ¥ Cl-‰È‰È ¨½ ¤ § « ¦ Ƙ„ˆÂ ¤ ¤Æ ¨ ‰ÓÏL ³¨ ¥ § 17Remember what Amalek did to you 17Remember what Amalek did unto ½ Æ Æ ÏÚ © μ EÈÓÈ ¤ ¨ eÎȯ‡È ´ ¦ £ © ÔÚÓÏ © © § Cl-‰È‰È ® ¨ ¤ § « ¦ ˜„ˆÂ ¤ − ¤ ¨ on your journey, after you left EgyptÐ thee by the way as ye came forth out of 18how, undeterred by fear of God, he surÈk¯¦ 16 :CÏ«¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ «¨ Egypt; 18how he met thee by the way, and prised you on the march, when you were Ïk smote the hindmost of thee, all that were Ÿ − ‰l¤ ‡ ®¥ ‰NÚ-Ïk ¥ Ÿ ´ ¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙·ÚB˙ ²© £ famished and weary, and cut down all the enfeebled in thy rear, when thou wast faint

RASHI 15 You must have completely honest weights. Again, it literally says, ``you shall have.'' If you do this, ``you shall have'' a great deal.

17 Remember what Amalek did to you. If you employ alternate weights and

Ù :ÏÂÚ ¤ «¨ ‰NÚ ¥ Ÿ¬ ZKJVP ¾ ¨ 17 RASHBAM C¯ca ¤ −¤ © ˜ÏÓÚ ®¥ ¨ £ EÏ − § ‰NÚ-¯L ¬¨ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ˙‡ ²¥ ¯BÎÊ 15 Completely honest. ¹ § «¨ ¯L C¯ca ¤ À¤ © E¯˜ ¤¸ ‡ £ 18 :ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ «¨ § ¦ ¦ ÌÎ˙‡ˆa ¬¤ § ¥ § Rather, ``integral''Ða single and therefore honest weight for each unit, not two smaller ½¤ © «© ÌÈÏLÁp‰-Ïk ‰z‡Â −¨ © § EȯÁ‡ ´ ¦ ¨ ¡ ¤ © ¨ ÆEa§ ·pÊÈ ³¥ © § © weights.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why are measures of length and weight mentioned here, but not those of ``capacity''? F How can v. 18 say that Amalek ``surprised you on the march,'' when Exod. 17:9 has Moses giving Joshua instructions about the battle ``tomorrow''? F How can the verse say that Amalek ``cut down all the stragglers,'' when Exod. 17:8 tells us that they ``fought with Israel'' in general?

measures, you had better worry about stirring up an enemy: ``False scales are an abomination to the LORD; an honest weight pleases Him. When arrogance appears, disgrace follows'' (Prov. 11:1±2). 18 Undeterred by fear of God. They had no fear of God that might have prevented them from doing evil. He surprised you on the march. Literally, he ``happened'' upon you. Another reading: The verb is related to the ``nocturnal emission'' of 23:11. Amalek made them unclean through homosexual relations. Another reading: It is related to ``cold.'' You were hot, and Amalek cooled you downÐthe other nations had been afraid to ®ght you, but they came along and showed that it could be done. It is like a bath so hot that no one is willing to go in. Once some jerk jumps in, even though he gets burned, he cools it down enough for the others. When you were famished. With thirst: ``But the people thirsted there for water; and . . . Amalek came and fought with Israel''

18 He surprised you on the march.

Rather, ``met'' you (OJPS), encountered you by chance. It is from FZY.

IBN EZRA 15 Completely honest weights. Literally, ``a full, honest weight,'' in which nothing is lacking. Completely honest measures. Literally, ``a full, honest ephah.'' These varied from location to location; an ``honest'' ephah would be true to the ephah of that particular market. If you are to endure long. It is well known that a country where justice rules will endure. Justice is a solid foundation, while crookedness is destructionÐthe wall may collapse at any instant.

16 Everyone who does those things.

Literally, everyone who ``makes'' such things NAHMANIDES 17 Remember what Amalek did to you. See my comment to 24:9. as alternate weights and measures. But it Both the Sifra and the Sifrei state that this is a commandment to speak about what Amalek refers generally to deceptionÐopenly or sedid, but I do not understand the nature of this commandment. Does it mean that we are to cretly, in word or deed. 18 He surprised you on the march. read that passage of the Torah publicly? This would seem to refer to the practice of reading vv. 17±19 from a second scroll on the Sabbath before Purim, which would at least be a This is really the ®rst phrase in the verse textual support from the Torah for the rabbinic commandment to read the Scroll of Esther (see OJPS); it means ``[Remember] what on Purim. But I think this passage is saying that we must never forget what they did to us befell you on the march.'' Compare ``they until we completely ``blot out the memory''Ðthat is, the nameÐ``of Amalek from under told him all that had befallen them'' (Gen. heaven'' (v. 19). We must tell this to our children of all succeeding generations: ``Here is 42:29). When you were famished and what that wicked people did to us, and that is why we are commanded to blot out its weary. This happened at Rephidim, where name.'' The same applies to ``Remember . . . Miriam'' of 24:9. We must continue to tell this ``there was no water for the people to drink'' story to our children for all generations, even though it ought to have been concealed so as not to speak in disparagement of the righteous. Nonetheless, the text commanded us to reveal it and make it known so that a prohibition against harmful speech would be constantly on their lips. For that is a great sin and causes many evils. People are always being tripped up by it. As the Sages say, ``Everyone is dirtied by some residue of harmful speech.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 You must have completely honest weights.

Rather, ``you shall have a complete weight, and justice.'' The purpose is to encourage obedience to the commandment with the promise that honest dealing will certainly bring its just reward (Abarbanel). 17 Remember what Amalek did to you. You must write it down, as the Lord commands in Exod. 17:14: ```Inscribe this in a document as a reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven!''' I do not want anyone to be mistaken about why I am utterly blotting them out (Bekhor Shor). You must not think that because ``the LORD will be at war with Amalek throughout the ages'' (Exod. 17:16) Israel has no role to play. Note too that, unlike the other nations, the Amalekite attack was unmotivated (Abarbanel). 18 Undeterred by fear of God. Like those who employ alternate weights and measures (Bekhor Shor). The Hebrew really says, ``when you were faint and weary, and feared not God'' (``he'' of OJPS is not in the Hebrew text). Had the Israelites feared God and kept the commandments as they were supposed to, Amalek would have had no power over them (Hizkuni). Apparently the Amalekite wise men had determined astrologically that this was the time to attack; besides which, they knew that Israel was not yet worthy of the blessing Isaac gave to Jacob in Gen. 27:29, ``Be master over your brothers'' (remember that Amalek was a descendant of Esau). Their insidious plan was to destroy Israel before that blessing could come trueÐwhich is why the Lord commanded that they be blotted out (Gersonides). And cut down all the stragglers in your rear. They did not think they could battle the entire people, so they launched a kind of bandit raid against the last 30,000±40,000 of them (Bekhor Shor).

170

171 DEUTERONOMY 25:18±19

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stragglers in your rear. 19Therefore, when the L ORD and weary; your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in be, when the L ORD the land that the L ORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot Ÿ ¬ § Ú‚È ‰È‰Â ¨¿ ¨ § 19 :ÌÈ‰Ï «¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‡¯È −¥ ¨ ‡Ï ©®¥ ¨ § ÛÈÚ ´¥ ¨ out the memory of Amalek from under Eȷȇ-ÏkÓ ¤¹ § Ÿ ¸ ¨ ¦ Eϧ  | EÈ‰Ï ´¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÁÈ‰a © ´¦ ¨ § heaven. Do not forget!

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and he feared not God. 19Therefore it shall thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the L ORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget.

RASHI (Exod. 17:3, 8). And weary. ˜ÏÓÚ ¤ ´¥ ¤ ƉÁÓz ¤ § ¦ dzL¯Ï ¨½ § ¦ § ƉÏÁ ¨ £© With the journey. And cut down all the ¥½ ¨ £ ¯ÎÊ-˙‡ IBN EZRA (Exod. 17:1) and they were Ÿ − ÌÈÓM‰ Ù :ÁkLz «¨ § ¦ ‡Ï ¦ ®¨ ¨ © ˙ÁzÓ © −© ¦ weary of traveling. And cut down all the stragglers in your rear. Literally, he ``tailed'' them. The Amalekites cut off their ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are Joshua's stragglers in your rear. He ``tailed'' youÐ

penises and threw them in heaven's face. cut off your tail, which was the ``enfeebled'' The Hebrew word translated ``stragglers'' is ones (as OJPS more literally translates), the a portmanteau word combining two others, ones who had no strength to go on. I preone meaning ``enfeebled'' (OJPS) and the sume that the Hebrew word is a metathesis other meaning ``stumbling.'' They were straggling behind because they had stumbled into of the standard root meaning ``weak, enfeesin and the cloud had spat them out. bled''; compare the two words for ``sheep,'' 19 You shall blot out the memory of Amalek. ``Men and women, infants and keves and kesev. sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses'' (1 Sam. 15:3)Ðthere must not be even an 19 When the LORD your God grants animal left of which someone can say, ``This once belonged to an Amalekite.'' you safety from all your enemies around you. This commandment would not go into effect until after they had taken possession of the land and the wars had ceased. For as long as they were still ®ghting those nearby, they had no obligation to ®ght Amalek. You shall blot out the memory of Amalek. ``Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses!'' (1 Sam. 15:3)Ðso that no one could even say, ``That particular ox comes from the spoil taken from Amalek.'' The commandment is given here in general terms and in 1 Samuel in more speci®c terms. Do not forget! ``Do not forget'' is simply a way of emphasizing ``Remember'' (v. 17). Many commandments in the Torah are provided with this kind of emphasis. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19 When the LORD your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you. When you set a king on the throne of Israel (Bekhor Shor). Do not forget! When you are scattered throughout the world in exile, you will have no opportunity to ``remember what Amalek did to you...and blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.'' But you must not forget to tell the story of what they did to you even if you have no physical power to blot out their memory (Abarbanel). role in the battle and most of the other details not mentioned here?

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When you enter the land that the LORD your OJPS And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, 2you shall take some of every ®rst fruit of the soil, which you and dost possess it, and dwell therein; 2that thou shalt take of the harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, put ®rst of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from it in a basket and go to the place where the thy land that the LORD thy God giveth LORD your God will choose to establish thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and ‡Â·˙ ÈÎ His name. 3You shall go to the priest in ƯL¤ ‡£ ı¯‡‰-Ï shalt go unto the place which the LORD ¤ ¨½ ¨ ‡¤ ‡B·˙-Èk ´ ¨ « ¦ Ɖȉ ¨¨ § thy God shall choose to cause His name to −¨ § ¦ « ¦ ‰ÏÁ ®¨ £ © EÏ − § Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § dwell there. 3And thou shalt come unto RASHI 26:1 When you enter the dzL¯È land...and you possess it and settle in ȯt-Ïk º¨ § © ¨ § 2 :da«¨ z·LÈ ´ ¦ § ¨ | ˙ÈL ´ ¦ ‡¯Ó ¥ ¥ zÁ˜Ï ¨ § ¬© ¨ § it. This tells us that the obligation to offer ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ Eˆ¯‡Ó ² § § © «¥ ‡È·z ¯¦ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨À ¨ £ ¨ RASHBAM 26:2 You shall take some ®rst fruits does not begin until after they of every ®rst fruit of the soil. When you ¨ § © «¨ § ‡h· ¤ ®¤ © zÓN ´¨ § © § CÏ −¨ Ô˙ ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ``go to the place'' on the pilgrimage festivals, have both conquered and apportioned the ÆzÎω land. ½ ¨ © ‡¤ that is when you bring your ®rst fruits. EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƯÁ·È © § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜n‰-Ï 2 Some of every ®rst fruit. Some, but ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Ô‰k‰-Ï ¥½ Ÿ © ‡¤ Æ˙‡·e ¨ ¨ 3 :ÌL «¨ BÓL − § ÔkLÏ ¬¥ © § not all. For only the seven species of 8:8 fall

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under this obligation. Our verse refers to ``the land,'' and so does that one: ``a land of ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why did the Holy require people to leave their own estates and wheat and barley, of vines, ®gs, and pome- One come such a long way with such a small amount of granates, a land of olive trees and honey.'' the ``®rst fruit of the soil'' (v. 2)? ``The land'' is praised for those seven species in that verse, and the same is true here. The ``olive trees'' of that verse are literally ``oil olives'' (because they are bursting with oil), and the ``honey'' is date honey. And which ``of'' the fruit is designated as ®rst? When you go into your ®eld and see (for example) that a ®g tree has produced its ®rst fruit, you tie a stalk of grass around it and say, ``All right, this will be for the ®rst fruits.'' 3 The priest in charge at that time. The only priest you have is the one in your own time, such as he is. And say to him. That you are not ungrateful. I acknowledge this

IBN EZRA 26:1 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it. Since the previous verse refers to a time ``when the LORD your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you'' (25:19), our verse points out that there are other commandments that take effect before that, as soon as ``you enter the land''Ð the ®rst fruits, the tithes, writing the Torah on the stones, building an altar, and the blessings and curses on the two mountains. 2 Put it in a basket. This is the less common Hebrew word for ``basket'' (see also 28:5). And go to the place where the

NAHMANIDES 26:2 You shall take some of every ®rst fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land. That is, you must take some of the ®rst fruits you harvest LORD your God will choose to establish and designate them for this purpose while you are still in the ®eld. Then you bring them His name. This commandment applies to

home and put them in a container with which you will be able to carry them to the Temple. those who live close enough to the place of The text does not say how much ``some'' is; a single grain from every species in each ®eld the sanctuary. technically ful®lls the obligation, just as with the priestly gifts (see B. Hul. 137b). And go 3 You shall go to the priest in charge at to the place where the LORD your God will choose. The straightforward sense here is that time. This commandment is obligatory that once the Temple in Jerusalem is designated as the single spot for offerings, the ®rst fruits may no longer be offered in every town. It is analogous to the slaughtering of sacri®cial animals. [A] But the obligation to bring ®rst fruits comes into effect, as Rashi points out, immediately after the conquest and allocation of the land, before the designation of Jerusalem. The Sifrei understands ``the place the Lord will choose'' to include not only Jerusalem but also the earlier temple at Shiloh. [B] It would seem that after the Shiloh era the ®rst fruits could still be brought nowhere but at the tent sanctuaries in Nob and Gibeon. Though private high places were legal during the era of Nob and Gibeon, the ®rst fruits could not be brought to one of them because v. 4 requires a public sanctuary, where there is an altar. But perhaps ``the choice ®rst fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God'' (Exod. 23:19) prevented them from bringing ®rst fruits to sanctuaries in a tent or tabernacle like Nob and Gibeon. At Shiloh (and of course also at Jerusalem) there was a Temple built of stone. 3 The priest in charge at that time. That is, the priest in charge there at the time. Like all offerings, the ®rst fruits were to be given to the priests of the watch on duty. It is not as if the person could bring a priest from his own city along to offer his ®rst fruits. As for Rashi's remark ``such as he is,'' I have no idea what he means. With regard to ``the magistrate in charge at the time'' (17:9), it makes sense to say [A] See Leviticus 17. [B] See 1 Samuel 1±4.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 26:1 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you. In order ``to separate light from darkness'' (Gen. 1:18), the new weekly portion starts here, to keep it separate from the mention of Amalek at the end of the previous chapter (Abarbanel). 2 You shall take some of every ®rst fruit of the soil. ``First'' in quality, as in Amos 6:6, ``anoint themselves with the choicest oils'' (Bekhor Shor). We know that the obligation does not begin until after they have both conquered and apportioned the land because Exod. 23:19 says, ``The choice ®rst fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God'' (Gersonides). Exod. 34:26 says the same. God is not asking for fruit from a distant land, or for some strange food item, but the same food that you eat yourself (Abarbanel). Put it in a basket. Out of respect. You do not carry it in your arms or in your pocket (Hizkuni). The Hebrew word refers to the kind of basket that the workers use when bringing the fruit in to their own table (Abarbanel). Go to the place where the LORD your God will choose to establish His name. The owner of the produce must do everything personally. When a king gives land to a vassal, the custom is that the vassal himself brings the fruit of the land as a gift (Hizkuni). Though the temple at Shiloh had walls, it had no roof, but was covered with the cloths from the original Tabernacle. That is why it was sometimes called a ``house,'' as in 1 Sam. 1:24, and sometimes a ``tabernacle,'' as in Ps. 78:60 (Abarbanel). 3 You shall go to the priest in charge at that time. You may not wait until a relative of yours is on duty (Hizkuni). Even if he is not DEUTERONOMY 26:1±3 KI TAVO'

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172

173 DEUTERONOMY 26:3±5 NJPS

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charge at that time and say to him, ``I acknowledge this

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the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him:

day before the L ORD your God that I have entered the land that

``I profess this day unto the L ORD thy God, that I am come unto

the L ORD swore to our fathers to assign us.''

the land which the L ORD swore unto our fathers to give us.''

4

4

The priest shall take the basket from

And the priest shall take the basket out

Èz„b‰ ¦ §³© ¦ ÂÈϨÀ ‡¥ z¯Ó‡Â ´¨ § © ¨ § ̉‰ ®¥ ¨ ÌÈÓia ´ ¦ ¨ © ‰È‰È −¤ § ¦ of thy hand, and set it down before the your God. thy God. altar of the L altar of the L ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨½ ¨ ‡¤ ÆÈ˙‡· ¦ ¨Æ -Èk¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ´¨ © ÆÌBi‰© You shall then recite as follows before And thou shalt speak and say before :eÏ«¨ ˙˙Ï ¤ ¬¨ eÈ˙·‡Ï −¥ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ÚaL ¯© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ the L your God: ``My father was a thy God: ``A wandering Aramean the L fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt ½ ¦ ¦¸ § E„iÓ ÈÙÏ ¥¾ § ¦ BÁÈp‰Â ®¤ ¨ ¦ ‡h‰ ¤ −¤ © Ô‰k‰ ²¥ Ÿ © Á˜Ï ¯© ¨ § 4 was my father, and he went down into :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÁaÊÓ −© § ¦ RASHI day. That is, you make this ac- ÆÈn¯‡ RASHBAM 5 My father was a fugiŸ À ¹ ¸ ¦ © £ EÈ‰Ï ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § | ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ z¯Ó‡Â ¨ § © ¨ § ˙ÈÚ ¨ ¦ ¨ § 5 tive Aramean. My father, Abraham, was knowledgement just once a year, not more. ½¦ ¨ „·‡ ´¥ § ¦ ÌL −¨ ¯‚i ¨ ¬¨ © ‰ÓȯˆÓ ¨ § ½© § ¦ „¯i ¤´¥ © È·‡ ´¥ Ÿ 4 The priest shall take the basket È˙Óa an Aramean, a fugitive exiled from the land your hand and set it down in front of the ORD

ORD

5

5

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ORD

from your hand.

To make it a wave offering. What he does is to put his hand under ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can the person who brings the ®rst fruits sayÐas he literally does the owner's hand and wave it. have told the L your God today 5 You shall then recite as follows. The inthatHebrewÐ``I I have entered the land'' (v. 3)? When did he tell Hebrew uses two verbs (see OJPS), the ®rst Him this? F In any case, what is the point of telling of which is usually translated as ``answer.'' this to God? F How can the priest take the basket and But its basic meaning is ``to proclaim aloud.'' ``set it down in front of the altar'' (v. 4) when v. 10 tells My father was a fugitive Aramean. Ra- us that the person who brings the basket is supposed ther, ``an Aramean killed my father.'' The to set it down (see OJPS)? purpose of this recitation is to recount the loyal kindnesses shown us by God. Laban the Aramean tried to uproot everything when he pursued Jacob, [A] and because that is what he reckoned he would do, in the Lord's reckoning he had as good as done it. With regard to non-Jews, the Holy One accounts the intention just like the deed. He went down to Egypt. Still others came after us to destroy ORD

of Aram: ``Go forth from your native land'' (Gen. 12:1); ``God made me wander from my father's house'' (Gen. 20:13). ``Fugitive'' in

IBN EZRA as long as there is a High Priest there. I acknowledge this day before the LORD your God that I have entered the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to assign us. The Hebrew says not

``I acknowledge'' but ``I have stated.'' The point of stating this is so that the children will hear it. It may indeed also serve as a kind of acknowledgment that the Lord has ful®lled His oath, which the fruit he brings [A] See Genesis 31. indeed proves. 5 You shall then recite as follows. A NAHMANIDES that we must heed whatever magistrate happens to be in charge even literal translation of the Hebrew reads, ``You if he is not as great or as wise as his predecessors. As the Sages say, ``Jephthah in his gen- shall answer and say.'' Possibly the priests eration was the equivalent of Samuel in his.'' But when it comes to offering the ®rst fruitsÐ are supposed to ask him, ``What is this you who is he supposed to bring them to other than the priest who is there at the time? As have brought?'' and what he says is indeed a R. Yose says in the Sifrei, do you imagine you could bring the ®rst fruits to a priest other response. But we ®nd this verb used elsethan the ones who exist in your own time? As we read in Ecclesiastes, ``Don't say, `How where in the Bible to introduce a speech that has it happened that former times were better than these?' For it is not wise of you to ask is not responding to a questionÐe.g., ``Job that question'' (Eccles. 7:10). Apparently the Sages take our phrase to mean that if the spoke up and said'' (Job 3:2). My father offerings are presented by a priest who you presume is legitimate, then even if you sub- was a fugitive Aramean. The word transsequently ®nd out that he was not a legitimate priest (e.g., he was the son of a divorced lated ``fugitive'' (``wandering'' in OJPS) is in woman) your offerings are still valid (see B. Kid. 66b). [C] I acknowledge this day before fact an intransitive Qal verb. For it to be the LORD your God. By means of this fruit that I have brought, I have acknowledged and active, as the presumption that Laban is the thanked the Lord for bringing me into the land that He swore to our fathers He would give Aramean demands, the verb would have to us. He has kept His word, and I therefore thank and praise Him. Since the verb literally be Piel or Hiphil. [A] Besides, what would means ``tell'' or ``report,'' as in ``Moses reported the people's words to the LORD'' (Exod. be the point of saying, ``Laban tried to kill 19:9), our verse may actually mean, ``I have told this to you, the priest, and to all the others my father,'' as a way of introducing ``he went standing hereÐand this telling is for the Lord [as the Hebrew literally says, that is, for His down to Egypt''? What Laban did had nothname]Ðthat I have come to the land that He promised to our fathers. For He brought me ing to do with Jacob going down to Egypt. It is much more plausible that Jacob himself to Him to serve Him in the land.'' [C] Our text of Nahmanides' comment says ``in the last chapter'' of Kiddushin, which this is not; but it is the relevant reference. is being called an Aramean here. It is as if to say: when my father was in Aram, he was ``perishing''Ðpoor, lacking money. The use of the word in ``Give strong drink to the hapless and wine to the embittered'' (Prov. 31:6) strongly supports this interpretation, for it is immediately followed by ``Let them drink and forget their poverty'' (Prov. 31:7). So it does

[A] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS particularly smart, you must not cease treating him with respect (Sforno). I acknowledge. Though the Hebrew literally says ``I have stated,'' it does indeed mean ``I acknowledge'' (by these actions of mine). See 2 Sam. 19:7, where Joab tells David that he has ``stated'' something by his actions: ``For you have made clear today that the of®cers and men mean nothing to you'' (Sforno). 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hand. The poor use baskets woven of willow twigs (peeled white to make them look nice); the priests keep the baskets as well as the fruit. Since such baskets are hardly worth anything, it would be embarrassing to reclaim them. But the rich bring their ®rst fruits in hampers made of silver and gold, which the priests return to them. As the saying goes, ``the poor get poorer'' (Bekhor Shor). The king's representative accepts the gift (Hizkuni). If the basket is a small one (as the Hebrew word here indicates), it is left for the priest; if it is a large one, the priest does not keep it (Gersonides). 5 You shall then recite. You shall then ``declaim.'' For one praises the Holy One in a loud voice. But v. 13 says merely that you shall ``say'' (OJPS), for there he is praising himself, which should be done quietly (Bekhor Shor). Unlike the words of v. 3, which are spoken quietly to the priest simply to remind him that the ®rst fruits are not being given personally to him, the verb used here implies declaiming loudly and in song (Abarbanel). My father was a fugitive Aramean. Rather, a ``wandering'' Aramean (OJPS), that is, someone without a

DEUTERONOMY 26:5±11 KI TAVO'

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NJPS with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there OJPS Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he he became a great and very populous nation. 6The Egyptians became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6And the dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor Egyptians dealt ill with us, and af¯icted us, and laid upon us hard upon us. 7We cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the bondage. 7And we cried unto the LORD, the God of our fathers, LORD heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our op- and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our af¯iction, and our pression. 8The LORD freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by toil, and our oppression. 8And the LORD brought us forth out of an outstretched arm and awesome power, Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outand by signs and portents. 9He brought us :·¯Â «¨ ¨ ÌeˆÚ ¬ ¨ ÏB„b − ¨ ÈB‚Ï ¬ § ÌL-ȉÈ ¨¾ ¦ § «© ËÚÓ ®¨ § stretched arm, and with great terribleness, to this place and gave us this land, a land and with signs, and with wonders. 9And ezi ¬ § ¦ © eepÚÈ ® © § © Ìȯˆn‰ −¦ § ¦ © e˙‡ ²¨ Ÿ eÚ¯i ¯¥ ¨ © 6 10 He hath brought us into this place, and ¯owing with milk and honey. Wherefore −¨ § ‡¤ ˜Úˆp ©¾ § ¦ © 7 :‰L˜ «¨ ¨ ‰„·Ú ¬¨Ÿ £ eÈÏÚ −¥ ¨ hath given us this land, a land ¯owing with I now bring the ®rst fruits of the soil ‰Â‰È-Ï which You, O LORD, have given me.'' eϘ-˙‡ ¥½ Ÿ ¤ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÚÓLi ³© § ¦ © eÈ˙·‡ ®¥ Ÿ £ È‰Ï ´¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ milk and honey. 10And now, behold, I have You shall leave it before the LORD your :eˆÁÏ-˙‡Â «¥ £ © ¤ § eÏÓÚ-˙‡Â −¥ ¨ £ ¤ § eÈÚ-˙‡ ²¥ § ¨ ¤ ‡¯i §¯© © brought the ®rst of the fruit of the land, God and bow low before the LORD your which Thou, O LORD, hast given me.'' ©Ÿ ´ § ¦ Ɖ˜ÊÁ ¨ ¨ £ „Èa ³¨ § ÌȯˆnÓ ¦ ½© § ¦ ¦ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § e‡ˆBi ³¥ ¦ © 8 God. 11And you shall enjoy, together with گʷe And thou shalt set it down before the Ÿ ® ¨ ‡¯Ó·e « ¦ § Ÿ § ˙B˙‡·e − Ÿ § Ï„b −¨Ÿ § ‰ÈeË ¨½ § LORD thy God, and worship before the the Levite and the stranger in your midst, :ÌÈ˙ÙÓ·e 11 all the bounty that the LORD your God has -˙‡¤ ÆeÏ-Ôzi ¨Æ ¤ ¦ © ‰f‰ ®¤ © ÌB˜n‰-Ï ´ ¨ © ‡¤ e‡·È −¥ ¦ § © 9 LORD thy God. And thou shalt rejoice in bestowed upon you and your household. all the good which the LORD thy God hath Ÿ ½ © ı¯‡‰ :L·„e «¨ § ·ÏÁ −¨ ¨ ˙·Ê ¬© ¨ ı¯‡ ¤ ²¤ ˙‡f‰ ¤ ´¨ ¨ given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, ´ ¦ § Æ˙ÈL ¦ ‡¯-˙‡ ¥ ¤ ÆÈ˙‡·‰ ¦ ¥Æ ¥ ‰p‰ ³¥ ¦ ‰zÚ ¨À © § 10 and the Levite, and the stranger that is in RASHI us. For after escaping from La- ȯt ban, Jacob had to go down to Egypt. With ‰Â‰È ®¨ § Èl −¦ ‰z˙-¯L ¨ ¬© ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ ¨ the midst of thee. meager numbers. Seventy souls. Ÿ À §©¦ § ¨ ½¦ £ © § « ¦ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÈÙÏ ¥ § ¦ BzÁp‰Â 9 He brought us to this place. ``This'' ˙ÈÂÁzL‰Â RASHBAM our verse has the same 11 Ÿ À ·Bh‰-Ïη © ¨ § zÁÓN ´ ¨ § © ¨ § :EÈ‰Ï « ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬ ¨ § ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦ meaning as ``wander'' in Gen. 20:13, referplace indicates the Temple. And gave us this land. This part of the verse is Ɖz‡ ¨ © E˙È·Ïe ®¤ ¥ § EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § EÏ-Ô˙ ² § © «¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ring to a man who has been exiled. See too straightforward. ½¦ ¥ © § ``I have strayed like a lost sheep'' (Ps. Ò :Ea¯˜a «¤ § ¦ § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ¯b‰Â −¥ © § ÈÂl‰Â 10 You shall leave it before the LORD your God.

For he takes it back from the priest after the wave offering of v. 4 and holds it while he makes the recitation, after which he waves the offering once more. 11 And you shall enjoy...all the bounty. This recitation can only be performed during a period of joyÐthe period between the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths, when a man harvests his crops, his fruit, his wine, and his oil. If he brings ®rst fruits after the fall festival, he does not make this recitation. Together with the Levite. The Levites are obligated to bring ®rst fruits too if they planted anything within their cities. And the stranger in your midst. The stranger brings ®rst fruits as well but does not make the recitation, since he cannot say ``our fathers'' (v. 7).

119:176); ``My people were lost sheep'' (Jer. 50:6). All of which is to say, ``Our ancestors came from a foreign country to this land, which the Holy One gave to us.''

10 Wherefore I now bring the ®rst fruits of the soil which You, O LORD, have given me. None of this was done by

my own hands; I have been granted it by Your gracious kindness. Ð This is just what Joshua told the Israelites before his death: ``Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: In olden times, your forefathersÐTerah, father of Abraham and father of NahorÐlived beyond the Euphrates'' (Josh. 24:2), but I brought them from there and gave them the land of Canaan. 11 All the bounty that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you and your household. Notice the different punctuation on the Hebrew word ``you'' here, compared to ``from the land that the LORD your God is giving you'' of v. 2, where the phrase ends and the form is pausal. In our verse the phrase continues and the standard form is used.

IBN EZRA

indeed mean ``My father was a lost Aramean.'' This would be saying about Jacob, ``I did not inherit this land from my father, for he went to Aram a poor man, lived as a stranger in Egypt with meager numbers, and there became a great nation. But You, O Lord, brought us out of slavery and gave us a good land.'' Don't bother arguing that Jacob could not be called an Aramean; Amasa's father Ithra is called an Ishmaelite in 1 Chron. 2:17 though we know from 2 Sam. 17:25 that he was an Israelite. With meager numbers. The unusual Hebrew word here is never found in the singular form; Jonah ibn Janah explains it in his entry for F\P. 7 Our plight. Rather, ``our poverty.'' Our misery. Rather, ``our toil'' (OJPS) in construction work. Our oppression. When ``the taskmasters pressed them, saying, `You must complete the same work assignment each day as when you had straw''' (Exod. 5:13). 11 You shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger. You are required to enable them to enjoy the fruits of your soil too.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS permanent home of his own, who was therefore not ready to be the progenitor of a nation that could take possession of a land (Sforno). 6 The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. They ``dealt harshly with us'' by

throwing every boy baby into the Nile, ``oppressed us'' by making us build Pithom and Raamses, and ``imposed heavy labor upon us'' by enslaving us individually for their own needs, beyond our service to Pharaoh (Abarbanel). Even though Jacob had now become a nation, he was still not ready to accept the gift of the land, since everything a slave acquires belongs to his master (Sforno). 9 A land ¯owing with milk and honey. ``Milk,'' from the cattle, sheep, and goats; ``honey,'' meaning the sweetness of the fruit (Bekhor Shor). R. Yose derives from this phrase that ®rst fruits are not brought from the east bank of the Jordan, which is not ``a land ¯owing with milk and honey'' (Hizkuni). 11 You shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger. It is not that you eat the ®rst fruits; these go to the priests, who are told in Num. 18:13, ``The ®rst fruits of everything in their land, that they bring to the LORD, shall be yours.'' But the Levite and the stranger join you in eating the offerings you make to celebrate the occasion (Gersonides).

174

175 DEUTERONOMY 26:12±14 NJPS

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you have set aside in full the tenth part of your OJPS 12When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of yieldÐin the third year, the year of the titheÐand have given it thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and they may eat their ®ll in your settlements, 13you shall declare to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satis®ed, before the LORD your God: ``I have cleared out the consecrated 13then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God: ``I have put away portion from the house; and I have given it the hallowed things out of my house, and to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, ¯NÚÓ ¯© § © -Ïk¨ -˙‡¤ ¯NÚÏ ¥ § ©  ‰lÎ˙ ¤º © § Èk´¦ 12 also have given them unto the Levite, and and the widow, just as You commanded ¯NÚn‰ ®¥ £ © «© ˙L ´© § ˙LÈÏM‰ −¦ ¦ § © ‰Ma ¬¨ ¨ © E˙‡e·z ² § ¨ § unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to me; I have neither transgressed nor nethe widow, according to all Thy comÀ¦ ¥ © ‰z˙ ¬ § ¨ § ‰ÓÏ ¨½ ¨ § ‡Ï © «¨ § ÌB˙iÏ ´ ¨ © ƯbÏ ¥ © ÈÂlÏ ´¨ © ¨ § mandment which Thou hast commanded glected any of Your commandments: 14I eÏ· have not eaten of it while in mourning, ‰Â‰È ¸¨ § ÁÈÙÏ ¥ § ¦ z¯Ó‡Â ¨¿ § © ¨ § 13 :eÚ·N «¥ ¨ § EȯÚL· −¤ ¨ § ¦ me; I have not transgressed any of Thy Ÿ ¸ À ¦ © © ¦ L„w‰ ¤ ´ © Èz¯Úa ¦ § ¯© ¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ commandments, neither have I forgotten RASHI 12 When you have set aside ̂© § ˙Èa‰-ÔÓ them. 14I have not eaten thereof in my ¨½ ¨ § ‡Ï © ¨ § ÌB˙iÏ ´ ¨ © ƯbÏ ¥ © § ÆÈÂlÏ ¦ ¥ © ÂÈz˙ ³¦ © § in full the tenth part of your yieldÐin ‰ÓÏ 12When

F [RK

the third year.

Rather, ``. . . of your yield in Èz¯·Ú-‡Ï ¦ §¬© ¨ Ÿ « È˙Èeˆ ¦ ®¨ ¦ ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ E˙ÂˆÓ − § ¨ § ¦ -ÏÎk ¨ § RASHBAM 12 The year of the tithe. the third year'' (compare OJPS). For the decThe poor tithe. [A] Ÿ ¬ § EÈ˙ˆnÓ ¦ § ©¸ ¨ Ÿ 14 :ÈzÁÎL ¦ § «¨ ¨ ‡Ï −¤ Ÿ § ¦ ¦ laration about having ``cleared out the con- ÈzÏ·-‡Ï 13 You shall declare before the LORD secrated portion'' (v. 13) occurs on the eve ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why does v. 12 not your God. The Holy One commanded that of Passover in the fourth year of the seven- include the commandment to ``go to the place where this declaration be made explicitly to preyear sabbatical cycle. [B] We know from the LORD your God will choose'' as commandments vent people from deciding to withhold their 14:28 that this tithe is to be brought ``at the that must be performed at the Temple usually do? tithes; now, they would have to lie to the end'' of every three years, and 31:10 tells us F Why does v. 12 say (as it literally does), ``You must Holy One in order to do so. it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and that ``the end'' of every seventh year occurs give 14 I have not eaten of it while in the widow,'' when this has already been commanded ``at the Feast of Booths.'' We therefore learn in 14:29? F What need is there for the person to mourning. Rather, ``I have not eaten of it that ``at the end'' signals a reference to one ``declare'' (v. 13) what he has done? F Why is this [A] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.'' of the pilgrimage festivals. Ð But perhaps it declaration not commanded in Deuteronomy 12 or speci®cally signals the Feast of Booths? Ð 14, where the commandments to bring tithes to Jeru- IBN EZRA 12 When you have set No, for setting aside the tenth part ``in full'' salem are given? aside...the tenth part. The verb is a cannot occur until Passover, since there are but this unusual form of it is unique many trees that cannot be harvested until after the Feast of Booths. The tithes of the third Hiphil, in the Bible. year of the tithe. The year, therefore, cannot be ``set aside in full'' until Passover of the fourth year. At this stage, poor tithe. [B] The To the Levite, the stranger, anyone who has held onto the tithes is obligated by the text to clear them out of his house. the fatherless, and the The year of the tithe. That is, the year of ``the'' (one) tithe (out of the two tithes that must ever of them you like. widow. To whichbe brought in years 1 and 2 of the cycle) that is brought in year 3 as well. In year 1, there is 13 I have cleared out the consecrated the ``®rst tithe'' mentioned in Num. 18:26, where the Levites are told, ``When you receive portion. is, the tithe. The verse goes from the Israelites their tithes,'' and the ``second tithe'' of 14:23, ``You shall consume the on to say: That I have not deposited it anywhere tithes of your new grain and wine and oil, and the ®rstlings of your herds and ¯ocks, in the for safekeeping but given it to those I presence of the LORD your God.'' The same applies to year 2. But in year 3, only the ®rst of was supposed to. Ihave have transthese applies. And have given it to the Levite. This is the ``®rst tithe'' of years 1 and 2. gressed. Deliberately. Nor neither neglected. LitThe stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. This is the ``poor tithe,'' which replaces erally, ``forgotten'' (OJPS). I did not even the ``second tithe'' of other years. That they may eat their ®ll in your settlements. You accidentally, absentmindedly, fail to clear must give them enough for them to eat their ®ll. The Sages determined precise amounts: no out the tithe from my house. Or perhaps less than half a kav of wheat or a kav of barley. of the two verbs applies to one of the 13 You shall declare before the LORD your God. You must acknowledge that you each two tithes. have given the tithes. I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house. This 14 In mourning. ``As she breathed her is the ``second tithe'' and the fourth-year fruit of a new tree. [C] Our verse is teaching that if lastÐfor she was dyingÐshe named him any of the tithes of years 1 and 2 still remain with you, not having been brought up to [B] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.'' Jerusalem, you must bring them now. I have given it to the Levite. This is the ``®rst tithe.'' The Hebrew literally says ``I have also given it'' (see OJPS), which adds in a reference to the priestly gifts and the ®rst fruits. The stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. This is the ``poor tithe.'' Just as You commanded me. I have given them in the correct order. I did not separate the priestly gifts before I offered the ®rst fruits, or tithe before separating the priestly gifts, or take the second tithe before the ®rst one. ``You shall not put off the skimming of the ®rst yield of your vats'' (Exod. 22:28)Ðyou must not change the order of these offerings. I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of Your commandments. I have not transgressed by separating a tithe from one crop for some other crop, or from the new crop for the old crop; and I have not neglected to bless You for commanding me to separate these tithes. 14 I have not eaten of it while in mourning. From the particular word used for ``mourning'' here we learn that it is forbidden for a [B] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.''

[C] See Lev. 19:23±25.

NAHMANIDES 14 I have not eaten of it while in mourning.

Though the declaration as a whole includes everything that is implied (according to the midrash) by the list in v. 13, [D] this particular phrase applies only to the consecrated offerings, the ``second [D] See Rashi's comment to that verse.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 13 I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house. ```I have put away the hallowed things out of my house'' (OJPS), for on account of our sins and those of our ancestors the sacred service has been removed from the ®rstborn (Sforno). I have given it to the Levite. Rather, `` I have given it to the Levite'' as You commanded, I admit that my sin was great and pray that You will look kindly upon meÐand not as I deserve (Sforno). 14 I have not eaten of it while in mourning. Rather, ``I have not eaten of it in poverty'' even though it is the poor tithe and I myself even though

DEUTERONOMY 26:14±15 KI TAVO'

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NJPS I have not cleared out any of it while I was unclean, and OJPS mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unI have not deposited any of it with the dead. I have obeyed the clean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the LORD my God; I have done just as You voice of the LORD my God, I have done commanded me. 15Look down from Your ‡ÓËa according to all that Thou hast comŸ § epnÓ Æ¤ ¦ Èz¯Ú· ¹¦ Ÿ § ¦ § ³© ¦ -‡Ï ¤À ¦ È‡· holy abode, from heaven, and bless Your ¥½ ¨ § ÆepnÓ manded me. 15Look forth from Thy holy Ÿ Æ À ÏB˜a § ÈzÚÓL ¦ § © ¨ ˙Ó ® ¥ Ï § epnÓ − ¤ ¦ Èz˙-‡Ï ¦ ¬ © ¨ § habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel and the soil You have given us, a land ¯owing with milk and honey, as :È˙Èeˆ Ÿ − § È˙ÈNÚ ¦ «¨ ¦ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÏÎk ¦ ¦¾ ¨ È‰Ï ¨½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § people Israel, and the land which Thou You swore to our fathers.'' ¹ § § ¨ ÔBÚnÓ ¸ § ¦ Á‰ÙȘL‰ ÌÈÓM‰-ÔÓ ¦ ©À ¨ © ¦ EL„˜ ¨ ¦ § © 15 hast given us, as Thou didst swear unto our fathers, a land ¯owing with milk and ¨½ ¨ £ ¨ Æ˙‡Â ¥ § χ¯NÈ-˙‡ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ¤ ÆEnÚ-˙‡ § © «¤ C¯·e ³¥ ¨ honey.'' RASHI mourner to eat sacred foods in ‰Ó„‡‰

¥½ Ÿ £ © ÆzÚaL ¨ § ©Æ § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡k £ © eÏ ®¨ ‰z˙ ¨ −© ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ the period between the death and the burial. eÈ˙·‡Ï I have not cleared out any of it while I Ò :L·„e «¨ § ·ÏÁ −¨ ¨ ˙·Ê ¬© ¨ ı¯‡ ¤ ²¤ was unclean. Rather, ``being unclean'' (OJPS)Ðwhether I was ritually unclean and it was clean, or I was clean and it was unclean. Ð But where is the warning not to do this? Ð ``You may not partake in your settlements of the tithes'' (12:17). This refers to unclean eating. We are told about a blemished ®rstling, ``Eat it in your settlements, the unclean among you no less than the clean'' (15:22). But the tithes cannot be eaten ``in your settlements,'' that is, in a state of uncleanness. I have not deposited any of it with the dead. Literally, I have not ``given thereof for the dead'' (OJPS) to purchase shrouds or a casket. I have obeyed the LORD my God. I have brought it to the Temple. I have done just as You commanded me. I have ``enjoyed'' it together with the Levite and the stranger. 15 Look down from Your holy abode. We have done what You decreed; now You do what You are supposed to do. ``If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments, I will grant your rains in their season'' (Lev. 26:3±4). The soil You have given us, a land ¯owing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers. OJPS translates more precisely by following the Hebrew word order. Our verse really says: the soil You have given us, ``as You swore to our fathers,'' You have indeed given us, ful®lling Your oathÐand indeed it is ``a land ¯owing with milk and honey.''

RASHBAM as ill-gotten wealth.'' The Hebrew word is used speci®cally for illgotten gains: ``His sons ingratiate themselves with the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth'' (Job 20:10); ``Ah, I have become rich; I have gotten wealth!'' (Hos. 12:9, quoting the ``trader who uses false balances'' of the previous verse). This is the straightforward sense of our verse. IBN EZRA Ben-oni'' (Gen. 35:18); ``It shall be for them like the food of mourners'' (Hosea 9:4). This is not the usual Hebrew word for mourning; see my discussion of it in my book on the Hebrew language. [C] This statement asserts, ``I have not eaten the sancti®ed tithe while I was in mourning.'' [D] I have not cleared out any of it. Rather, ``destroyed'' it. That is, I have not destroyed any of the sancti®ed tithe. While I was unclean. Rather, ``with anything unclean.'' With the dead. Rather, ``for the dead'' (OJPS), meaning, ``for the needs of the dead''Ðthough some explain it as a reference to idolatry. The point is that it is forbidden to take any of this grain for any purpose until the tithe, which is sacred, has been given. It is insulting to the part that will become sacred to let it sit while you take care of some other task; all the more so if something unclean is involved. 15 Bless Your people Israel and the soil You have given us. As I have taken care to bring out a tithe from the grain I took care of for that purpose, let our God too take care of our land. (That is why blessing is also requested for ``the soil.'') A land ¯owing with milk and honey. Bless it that it may be so always.

NAHMANIDES tithe'' [E] and the fourth-year fruit of a new tree, which may not be eaten in a state of mourning or a state of uncleanness. I have not deposited any of it with the dead. I do not understand Rashi's comment. The second tithe cannot be desancti®ed outside of Jerusalem except by converting it into cash money; see 14:25. In Jerusalem, one spends the money exclusively on something to eatÐmeat and wineÐand eats it before the Lord. Maimonides writes in his Mishneh Torah that ``I have not.. .given thereof for the dead'' (as OJPS more literally translates) means ``I have only spent it on things that sustain life, and not for any other purchases.'' But this is a stretch. Others explain that the person is saying he has not even bought shrouds or a casket to ful®ll the commandment of burying the dead, let alone clothes for a live person. R. Akiva in the Sifrei understands our phrase to imply that he has not exchanged the second tithe even for anything that is edible and ritually clean, as one might say, ``I'll trade you this wine for that oil.'' (He takes the reference to ``the dead'' as being connected with the ®rst phrase about mourning.) The most plausible conclusion to draw from the rabbinic discussion [F] is that he saying he has not eaten it while in mourning or let anyone else who is in mourning eat it. 15 The soil You have given us, a land ¯owing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers. Ibn Ezra understands this as a request to ``bless.. .the soil'' that it will always be ¯owing with milk and honey; and see Rashi's comment. But there is no need for all this. The Hebrew is idiomatic. Just as a man might say, ``You swore me your [C] This sentence is obscure in the Hebrew and may be mis®eld'' or ``You promised me a mina,'' our verse is saying, ``You swore to our fathers a land placed. [D] A slightly different version of Ibn Ezra's com¯owing with milk and honey.'' You will ®nd the same syntax in the Hebrew of 6:3. As ment reads: ``I have not eaten of it before tithing.'' I explained in my comment there, there is a comparable example in 1 Kings 11:18. The phrase ``a land ¯owing with milk and honey'' is not found in connection with the oaths to give the land to the Patriarchs, but do not let that bother you. At that time, the land was ¯owing with milk and honey, so this was implicit in the promise. Or ``our fathers'' may refer not to the Patriarchs but to those who left Egypt, who were indeed told that God's intention was to bring them to ``a land ¯owing with milk and honey'' (Exod. 3:8). Notice that Moses calls them this in his message to the king of Edom: ``the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers'' (Num. 20:14). [E] See Special Topics, ``Tithes.''

[F] We omit Nahmanides' detailed examination of it.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS am poor (Abarbanel). I have not cleared out any of it while I was unclean. Rather, ``I have not separated it from the unclean''Ðnot in the technical sense of ritual purity, but in the sense of dirt: I have not given this tithe from the worst of the produce, contaminated and unclean (Abarbanel). I have not deposited any of it with the dead. Instead, I have brought it to you, the living God and Lord of eternity (Hizkuni). Tithe cheaters used to claim to have given their share of the tithes to poor people who had subsequently died, so their story could not be checked (Abarbanel).

176

177 DEUTERONOMY 26:16±19

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LORD your God commands you this day to ob- OJPS 16This day the LORD thy God commandeth thee to do serve these laws and rules; observe them faithfully with all your these statutes and ordinances; thou shalt therefore observe and heart and soul. 17You have af®rmed this day do them with all thy heart, and with all that the LORD is your God, that you will K[KN[ thy soul. 17Thou hast avouched the L ORD 16 Ÿ ¹ ¸ À ˙BNÚÏ ² £ © EeˆÓ ¯ § © § EÈ‰Ï ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¨ § ‰f‰ ¤ © ÌBi‰ ´ © this day to be thy God, and that thou walk in His ways, that you will observe His laws and commandments and rules, and ÌÈËtLn‰-˙‡Â ®¦ ¨ § ¦ © ¤ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ −¥ ¨ ÌÈwÁ‰-˙‡ ¤ wouldest walk in His ways, and keep His ¬¦ ª © that you will obey Him. 18And the LORD -Ïηe Æ˙ÈNÚ ¨ § E··Ï-ÏÎa − § ¨ § ¨ § Ì˙B‡ ¨½ ¨ Ʀ ¨ § z¯ÓL ³¨ § © ¨ § statutes, and His commandments, and His has af®rmed this day that you are, as He ordinances, and hearken unto His voice. § ¦ ÌBi‰ ® © z¯Ó‡‰ ¨ § −© ¡ ¤ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ¬¨ § ¤ 17 :ELÙ «¤ § © 18And the LORD hath avouched thee this promised you, His treasured people who Á˙BÈ‰Ï Ÿ ¸ § ¦ § ÂÈί„a ¸ § day to be His own treasure, as He hath ¨À ¨ § ¦ ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ´¤ ¨ § ÌÈ‰Ï ¦¹ Ÿ ‡Ï «¥ EÏ shall observe all His commandments, 19and ¯ÓLÏ that He will set you, in fame and renown :BϘa « Ÿ § ÚÓLÏ ©Ÿ ¬ § ¦ § ÂÈËtLÓe −¨ ¨ § ¦ ÂÈ˙ˆÓe ²¨ Ÿ § ¦ ÂÈwÁ ¯¨ ª promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments; 19and to À © E¯ÈÓ‡‰ º¨ «© 18 ÌÚÏ ´© § ÆBÏ ˙BÈ‰Ï ¬ § ¦ ÌBi‰ ´ § « ¦ ¡ ¤ ‰Â‰È make thee high above all nations that He RASHI 16 The LORD your God comŸ − § ¦ § CÏ-¯ac ®¨ ¤ ¦ ¯L −¤ ‡k £ © ‰l‚Ò ¨½ ª § mands you this day to observe these -Ïk¨ ¯ÓLÏÂ

NJPS

16The

laws and rules.

They should always seem ÆÌÈBb‰-Ïk À § ¤ Ez˙Ïe ¦ © ¨ ÏÚ ³© ÔBÈÏÚ ´ § ¦ § « 19 :ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ «¨ Ÿ § ¦ as new to you as on the day you were ®rst commanded to observe them. Observe them faithfully. Rather, ``you shall therefore observe and do them'' (compare OJPS). A voice from heaven blesses him with the promise that he will be able to bring the ®rst fruits in this same way once again next year. 17 You have af®rmed. This is the verb ``say'' but in the Hiphil conjugation. [D] The same verb occurs in v. 18, but there is no other biblical occurrence to indicate what they might mean. I think it refers to speaking words that effect separation and speci®cation: you have separated yourself this day from alien gods and speci®ed that they will no longer be your gods, and He has separated you for Himself from the other nations, specifying that you will be ``His treasured people'' (v. 18). In fact, I have found one other relevant usage of the verb (though in Hitpael), a reference to speaking pridefully: ``Shall all evildoers vaunt themselves?'' (Ps. 94:4). [E] 18 As He promised you. ``You shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples'' (Exod. 19:5). [D] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.'' [E] It is not certain that ``In fact . . .'' is Rashi's own comment.

RASHBAM 17 You have af®rmed.

Rather, ``you have caused Him to say,'' that is, ``you have persuaded'' the Holy One to agree to be your God. (For it is totally dependent on Him.) But He is your God, and He will save you, because you have accepted His commandments. 18 The LORD has af®rmed. He in turn has persuaded you to agree that you will be His people. For He performed great deeds and miracles to make you willing to do this.

IBN EZRA 16 The LORD your God commands you this day. Though nothing

in the Hebrew text marks it, the declaration obviously ends with v. 15; in our verse, Moses resumes speaking in his own voice. Observe them faithfully. Literally, ``keep NAHMANIDES 16 The LORD your God commands you this day to observe and do them.'' Keep them for now in your these laws and rules. This was the day on which Moses ®nished expounding the Torah heart and do them once you enter the land. to them, including all the new commandments that the Lord had instructed him to add. 17 You have af®rmed this day that the That is why he said that they were being commanded ``this day'' and tells them to observe LORD is your God. Rather, ``you have this the laws and rules faithfully; now, it was all completed. With all your heart and soul. day declared the greatness of the Lord your I have explained this concept in my comment to 6:5. God.'' For the verb, compare the related 17 You have af®rmed this day that the LORD is your God. Rather, you have this adjective in ``Two berries or three on the day ``declared the greatness'' of the Lord your God. By accepting the obligation to ful®ll the topmost branch'' (Isa. 17:6). Judah Halevi entire Torah in all its detail, you have exalted and magni®ed the Lord in that He alone will the Spaniard (may he rest in Paradise!) said be your GodÐyou will acknowledge no other god whatsoever. That you will walk in His that the verb is related to the ordinary verb ways. That you will do what is right and treat each other kindly. That you will observe ``to say,'' meaning: you have done what is His laws and commandments and rules. See my comment to 4:5 on ``laws'' and right to such an extent that He will say that ``rules''; ``commandments'' is an all-inclusive term encompassing positive commandments He will be your God. V. 18 would then mean and prohibitions alike. That you will obey Him. In anything else He might command, that He has done the same for you, acting in whether through Moses or through the other prophets; see my comment to ``heed only His such a way as to make you say that you will orders'' of 13:5. But possibly this phrase refers to the prohibitions, and ``commandments'' be His treasured people. And this is a ®ne of the previous phrase refers only to the positive commandments. explanation. The verb would then be a 18 The LORD has af®rmed this day. Rather, He has ``exalted you'' this day. This day doubly transitive Hiphil, taking two objects: is for you like the day that you stood at Sinai, and the Lord has magni®ed and exalted you you cause someone to say something. (by your accepting the Torah) to be a people more treasured by Him than all others on 19 He will set you, in fame and reearth and to observe His commandments. For He will give His Torah, and issue the nown and glory, high above all the nacommandments He wants obeyed, to you alone, not to any other nation: ``He issued His tions. As a reward for your ``af®rmation.'' commands to Jacob, His statutes and rules to Israel. He did not do so for any other nation'' (Ps. 147:19). 19 Fame. Rather, ``praise'' (OJPS). All the other nations will praise you for having ``a god so close at hand as is the LORD whenever [you] call upon Him'' (4:7). Renown. Your renown will go forth among the nations by means of His majesty, which He will place upon

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 The LORD your God commands you this day to observe these laws and rules.

It is obvious that some of the commandments just mentioned are laws that are simply decreed, while others are rules whose purpose is evident (Gersonides). 17 You have af®rmed. Rather, ``you have made an act of exchange,'' giving up all other divinity in the world and choosing Him (Bekhor Shor). The ``exchange'' de®nition presumes that the B is not part of the root but a pre®x, which is not uncommon (Hizkuni). 18 And the LORD has af®rmed. He has likewise exchanged all the other nations for you, choosing you to observe His commandments (Bekhor Shor).

DEUTERONOMY 26:19±27:3 KI TAVO'

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NJPS and glory, high above all the nations that He has made; and that you shall be, as He promised, a holy people to the LORD your God.

27

OJPS hath made, in praise, and in name, and in glory; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken.

27

Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying: And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the Observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. 2As people, saying: ``Keep all the commandment which I command soon as you have crossed the Jordan into you this day. 2And it shall be on the day the land that the LORD your God is giving ˙¯‡Ù˙Ïe ¤ ®¨ § ¦ § ÌLÏe ´¥ § ‰l‰˙Ï −¨ ¦ § ¦ ‰NÚ ¨½ ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto you, you shall set up large stones. Coat the land which the LORD thy God giveth Ÿ ² ¨ © E˙ȉÏ ¬¤ ‡k £ © EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ ¬¨ © L„˜-ÌÚ ¯ § Ÿ § « ¦ § thee, that thou shalt set thee up great them with plaster 3and inscribe upon them ¯L Ò :¯ac «¥ ¦ stones, and plaster them with plaster. 3And all the words of this Teaching. When you thou shalt write upon them all the words cross over to enter the land that the LORD KTKCZ of this law, when thou art passed over; that ÌÚ‰-˙‡ −¨ ¨ ¤ χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ È˜Ê ´¥ § ¦ § ƉLÓ ¤ Ÿ ˆÈ ³© § © thou mayest go in unto the land which the RASHI 19 And that you shall be, as ÈÎ‡ Ÿ ¨ ¯Ó‡Ï Ÿ® ¥ ¯¤ ‡ £ ‰Âˆn‰-Ïk ¨½ § ¦ © ¨ -˙‡¤ ƯÓL LORD thy God giveth thee, a land ¯owing He promised, a holy people. `` You shall ²¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L

ÊÎ

be holy to Me'' (Lev. 20:26).

27:1 Observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. More precisely

(since

this

form

is

in®nitive

and

not

im-

perative), ``I enjoin observing the Instruction upon you this day,'' on an ongoing basis.

2 You shall set up large stones.

Jordan.

Afterward,

you

shall

In the

take

other

stones out of the Jordan and build an altar on Mount Ebal from them. Ð You see that three

different

groups

of

stones

are

men-

tioned, as explained on B. Sot. 35b: 12 in the Jordan, 12 others at Gilgal,

[F]

and still

others on Mount Ebal.

[F]

See Joshua 4.

NAHMANIDES Glory.

youÐfor you will out-

rank them all. selves

over

them,

You will glorif y your-

working

your

will

with

them: `` You will decree and it

will be ful-

®lled''

7:2,

``Israel

claim for themselves the glory

due to

might Me,''

( Job

for

22:28).

the

verb

(See

``to

Judg.

glor y''

used

in

this

And that you shall be, as He promised, a holy people.

¯L ´¤ ‡ £ »ÌBia© ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 2 :ÌBi‰ « © ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ‡¤ ¼Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ¥ §© © ¤ e¯·Úz ´§ © © ½ Ÿ § ÌÈ·‡ ˙BÏ„b ´ ¦ ¨ £ ÆEϧ ˙Ó˜‰Â ³¨ Ÿ ¥ £ © CÏ ®¨ Ô˙ ´¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ 3 Ô‰ÈÏÚ ¤À ¥ £ z·˙Π´¨ § © ¨ § :„ÈOa « ¦ © Ì˙‡ −¨ Ÿ z„N ¬¨ § © § Ÿ E¯·Úa ®¤ § ¨ § ˙‡f‰ − © ‰¯Bz‰ ¬¨ © ȯ·c-Ïk ²¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡ «¤ Ÿ ¸ ¨ Á¯L ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ © « § ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨¹ ¨ ‡¤ ‡·z ¤‡ £ ÔÚÓÏ © ©¿ §

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

What is the point of charging the people, ``Observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day'' (v. 1), when Moses has already told them multiple times to do this? F Why do ``the elders of Israel'' join Moses in issuing this command, something they do nowhere else? F Why are the instructions to ``set up'' the stones, ``coat them with plaster,'' and ``inscribe upon them'' the words of the Teaching (vv. 2±3) repeated in vv. 4 and 8? (V. 5 sounds as if it might even be a third reference to these stones.) F If the instructions had to be repeated, why are there so many differences between the two versions? I count at least six, all of them presumably essential. F Why did these ``large stones'' have to be dredged out of the Jordan, as Josh. 4:3 tells us they were? Wouldn't it have been easier simply to use stones that they would ®nd after crossing the river?

IBN EZRA 27:1 Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people. T hey

did

this at God's command. T he elders were involved in order to lighten the load of Moses. T his happened many

times; see

my com-

ment to ``Moses then summoned all the elders of Israel'' of Exod. 12:21.

the Instruction. 2 Large stones.

Rather,

Observe all

``the

command-

ment'' that follows in v. 2. Big enough to contain

the entire Torah. Saadia (of

blessed mem-

or y) thought that only the 613 commandments

were

inscribed

Halakhot Gedolot

on

them,

as

in

the

or the liturgical poems for

the Feast of WeeksÐwhich was well said.

Coat them with plaster. 3 When you cross over to enter the land.

To preserve them.

T he Hebrew actually says, ``in order

that you might cross over to enter the land.'' For the Lord will assist you, if you begin by keeping His commandments. And this was the ®rst commandment they

were to keep

sense.)

You will hold fast to Him at last, in the World to Come. But according to the way of Truth, the ``praise'' men-

tioned at the beginning of the verse means that the God of Israel is your praise; His great Name is your God, and this is your glor y: ``For You are their strength in which they glor y'' (Ps. 89:18), ``the majest y of Israel'' (Lam. 2:1).

27:1 Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people. That I enjoin upon you this day. we

After Moses had completed what he had to say, he charged the elders to

speak to the people along with him and warn them to observe all the commandments. For ever y people follows the counsel of its elders. Not ``that

enjoin upon you.'' For it is what Moses spoke that is really the essential element here.

T he elders merely chimed in to tell the people ``listen, give ear, and do.'' T he same applies to v. 9, where it is ``the levitical priests'' who tell the people, ``Silence! Hear, O Israel!'' and Moses who says, ``Today you have become the people of the L ORD your God.'' Ibn Ezra thinks ``the instruction that I enjoin upon you this day'' is what immediately follows, about plastering the stones, but that is not correct.

3 Inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching.

Ibn Ezra (in his comment to v. 2) cites Saadia as saying that only the 613 com-

mandments were inscribed on them, and (in his comment to v. 8) explains ``most distinctly'' as referring to the clarit y of the inscription;

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 19 Above all the nations.

T his phrase occurs 10 times in the Bible: here; Isa. 14:26, 26:7, and 34:2;

Jer. 25:9, 25:13, and 36:2; Obad. 1:2; Zech. 7:14; and 1 Chron. 14:17 (Masorah).

A holy people.

Eternally in the life of the World to Come

(Sforno).

27:1 Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people. 2 You shall set up large stones.

He involved the elders because they would be taking a leading role in

crossing the Jordan (Sforno).

T he text does not yet say where (Bekhor Shor). ``Large'' means that they are whole, uncut stones, for

they are to be used for the altar on Mount Ebal (Gersonides). T his follows naturally after the covenant concluded in 26:17±19; they did the same in Exod. 24:4 as part of the Sinai covenant. But this is not the commandment to set up the stones, which comes in v. 4; this is

Coat them with plaster. 3 Inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching. When you cross over to enter the land.

just Moses explaining what will be the obvious thing to do in the circumstances (Abarbanel).

T hat is, ``plaster

them together'' so they will remain standing for a long time, until the Israelites are well acquainted with the Torah (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``inscribe upon them all

the words of the Torah about your crossing over to enter the land.'' Moses is telling them thatÐagain, under the circumstancesÐthe obvious thing to do is to memorialize their entering the land, as conquerors t ypically do (Abarbanel).

178

179 DEUTERONOMY 27:3±10

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NJPS your God is giving you, a land ¯owing with milk and OJPS with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of thy fahoney, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised youÐ thers, hath promised thee. 4And it shall be when ye are passed 4upon crossing the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, about over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I comwhich I charge you this day, on Mount Ebal, and coat them with mand you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them plaster. 5There, too, you shall build an altar to the LORD your with plaster. 5And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD God, an altar of stones. Do not wield an iron tool over them; thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt lift up no iron tool upon 6you must build the altar of the LORD your them. 6Thou shalt build the altar of the God of unhewn stones. You shall offer on L·„e ½ Æ ¨ ¨ ˙·Ê À § Ô˙ ³© ¨ ı¯‡ ¤ ´¤ EÏ ´¥ Ÿ | EÈ‰Ï ´¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God, © § ·ÏÁ «¨ EÈ˙·‡-È‰Ï −¤ Ÿ £ «¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ¯ac ²¤ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © unto the LORD thy God. 7And thou shalt 7and you shall sacri®ce there offerings of :CÏ ¹¦ ¨ ¼Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ¥ §© © ¤ Ìί·Úa ´¤ § § ¨ § »‰È‰Â ¨ ¨ § 4 sacri®ce peace-offerings, and shalt eat well-being and eat them, rejoicing before -˙‡¤ eÓȘz 8 the LORD your God. And on those stones ÌÎ˙‡ ¹¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § ÈÎ‡ ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥À ¨ ÌÈ·‡‰ ´ ¦ ¨ £ ¨ there; and thou shalt rejoice before the you shall inscribe every word of this :„ÈOa LORD thy God. 8And thou shalt write « ¦ © Ì˙B‡ −¨ z„N ¬¨ § © § Ï·ÈÚ ®¨ ¥ ¯‰a ´© § ÌBi‰ −© upon the stones all the words of this law Teaching most distinctly. 9Moses and the levitical priests spoke to ÁaÊÓ ´© § ¦ EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ÁaÊÓ © ¥½ § ¦ ÆÌM ¨ ˙È·e ¨ ³¦ ¨ 5 very plainly.'' 9And Moses and the priests the Levites all Israel, saying: Silence! Hear, O Israel! ÌÈ·‡ ½¦ ¨ £ ³¦ ¨ £ 6 :Ïʯa «¤ § © ̉ÈÏÚ −¤ ¥ £ ÛÈ˙-‡Ï ¬ ¦ ¨ Ÿ ÌÈ·‡ Today you have become the people of the EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÁaÊÓ −© § ¦ -˙‡¤ ‰·z ¤½ § ¦ Æ˙BÓÏL ¥ § spoke unto all Israel, saying: ``Keep silence, and hear, O Israel; this day thou art beLORD your God: 10Heed the LORD your Ÿ½ ÆÂÈÏÚ «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ˙ÏBÚ ¨ ¨ ˙ÈÏډ ¨ ³¦ £ © § come a people unto the LORD thy God. God and observe His commandments and :EÈ‰Ï ¨½ § © ´¨ § ÌM ®¨ zÏ· ¨ § ´© ¨ § ÌÈÓÏL −¦ ¨ § zÁ·Ê ¬¨ § © ¨ § 7 10Thou shalt therefore hearken to the voice His laws, which I enjoin upon you this day. zÁÓN -ÏÚ© z·˙Π´¨ § © ¨ § 8 :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦ of the LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes, which I RASHI 8 Most distinctly. Rather, ``well ˙‡f‰ Ÿ− © ‰¯Bz‰ À¦ ¨ £ ¨ ¬¨ © ȯ·c-Ïk ²¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡ «¤ ÌÈ·‡‰ command thee this day.'' explained''Ðin all 70 languages of the earth. Ò :·Ëȉ «¥ ¥ ¯‡a ¬¥ © 9 Silence! Rather, as Onkelos translates it, ``Listen!'' Today you have become the -Ïk¨ Ϭ‡¤ ÌiÂω ½¦ ¦ § © ÌÈ‰k‰Â ´ ¦ £ Ÿ © § ƉLÓ ¤ Ÿ ¯a„È ³¥ © § © 9 RASHBAM 27:8 And on those stones people of the LORD your God. You should χ¯NÈ Ÿ ® ¥ χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ÆÚÓLe © § | ˙kÒ‰ ³¥ § © ¯Ó‡Ï −¥ ¨ § ¦ you shall inscribe every word of this treat every day as if it were the day you Teaching most distinctly. By the time entered the covenant with Him.

they took this oath at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, they had the entire Teaching written down before them, and they swore that they would ful®ll it.

of Crowns that the entire Torah was inscribed

IBN EZRA

:EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ÌÚÏ ¨½ § ˙Èȉ «¨ ´¥ § ¦ Ɖf‰ ¤ © ÌBi‰ ³© ˙ÈNÚ ¨ ³¦ ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ®¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÏB˜a − § zÚÓL ¨½ § © ´¨ § 10 NAHMANIDES our Sages say it means ÈÎ‡ ½¨ ª ²¤ ‡ £ ÂÈwÁ-˙‡Â ¤ § ÆÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¨ Ÿ § ¦ Â˙ˆÓ-˙‡¤ that they were written in all 70 languages of ¬¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L Ò :ÌBi‰ « © EeˆÓ − §© § the earth. But we ®nd recorded in The Book

on them, from the beginning of Genesis to ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why did the stones the end of Deuteronomy, complete with have to be set up ``on Mount Ebal'' (v. 4), where the crowns and ¯ourishes, and that from these curse was to be recited (see 11:29), and not on Mount with the blessing? I would add that Joshua 4 stones the crowns were copied into the entire Gerizim, careful studyÐwhich I have provided in my Torah. [G] Perhaps the stones were very demands commentary to that bookÐto determine whether large, or perhaps something miraculous was Joshua did indeed ful®ll these commandments propinvolved. When you cross over to enter erly. F Why do ``the levitical priests'' (v. 9) join Moses the land. See Ibn Ezra's comment. In my in his admonition to the people? F Why do they say, opinion our verse is saying, ``inscribe upon ``Silence!''?Ðquite a strange thing to say! F Why them all the words of this Teaching''Ðthe must the Israelites be told yet again to ``observe His Torah in its entiretyÐ``for the sake of which commandments'' (v. 10)? you are crossing over to enter the land.'' That is, the reason you must write the entire Torah on the stones as soon as you cross is that it is for the Torah's sake that you have entered the land. (Compare 5:14±15, where ``. . . in order that your male and female slave may rest as you do. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt'' really means ``your male and female slave must rest as you do in order that you will remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt.'') Or perhaps our verse means ``inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching so that you will remember for what sake you are crossing over to enter the land.'' If you remember the Torah and keep all its commandments, you will conquer the land and dispossess all those nations. [G] The ``crowns'' are ¯ourishes at the top of certain letters in the Torah scroll.

once they entered the land: to build a new altar to give thanks to the Lord that they had begun their stay in the land. 8 Most distinctly. This refers to the writing.

9 Moses and the levitical priests spoke to all Israel. Just as ``the elders'' did

in v. 1. In both cases, the verb is singular, referring to Moses as the key member of the group. But it is ``the levitical priests'' here because they are the ones who will recite the ``cursed be'' verses. Silence! The meaning of the word has to be derived from the context because it is a hapax legomenon, occurring nowhere else in the Bible. Today you have become the people of the LORD your God. He is going to make a covenant with you. 10 Heed the LORD your God. Today.

And observe His commandments and His laws. In the future.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 4 Upon crossing the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, about which I charge you this day, on Mount Ebal. So they will understand what they are committing themselves to; and those that stand on Mount Ebal, for the curse, will at least have the comfort of being on the same mountain with the Torah (Bekhor Shor). After the offerings of vv. 6±7 are brought on this altar, ``all the words of this Teaching'' (v. 3) are inscribed on them (Gersonides). This digni®es their plans of vv. 2±3 with the status of commandment, turning them from boastfulness into something done in God's honor. You see, then, that this commandment is not after all given twice. Technically, our verse says they are to ``set up'' the stones rather than leaving them ¯at on the ground (Abarbanel). 5 You shall build an altar to the LORD. The sacri®cial offerings and the rejoicing would also take place on Mount Ebal, again so that those who are there rather than on Mount Gerizim should not feel bad (Bekhor Shor). 9 Silence! Rather, ``create a mental image.'' A related word is used in Amos 5:26 for an idolatrous image. Here Moses is saying, ``Imagine and consider, Israel!'' (Sforno).

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Moses charged the people, saying: 12After OJPS 11And Moses charged the people the same day, saying: you have crossed the Jordan, the following shall stand on Mount 12``These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, Gerizim when the blessing for the people is spoken: Simeon, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13And for the curse, Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin; 13and these shall the following shall stand on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, stand upon mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14The Leand Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14And vites shall then proclaim in a loud voice to ‡e‰‰ − © ÌBia ¬ © ÌÚ‰-˙‡ ¨½ ¨ ¤ ƉLÓ ¤Ÿ ˆÈ ³© § © 11 the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the all the people of Israel: of Israel with a loud voice: 12 Ÿ « ¥ men ÆÌÚ‰-˙‡ º § © «© ‰l¤ ‡¥  :¯Ó‡Ï ¨ ¨ ¤ C¯·Ï ³¥ ¨ § e„ÓÚÈ 15Cursed be anyone who makes a sculp15Cursed be the man that maketh a ½¦ ¦ § ¯‰-ÏÚ ®¥ § © © ¤ Ìί·Úa −¤ § § ¨ § ÌÈʯb ´© © graven or molten image, an abomination tured or molten image, abhorred by the Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ½ Æ ÛÒBÈ ¬ ¥ § ¯Î˘OÈ − ¨ ¨ ¦ § ‰„e‰È ¨ « ¦ ÈÂÏ ´ ¦ ¥ § ÔBÚÓL § ¦ unto the LORD, the work of the hands of LORD, a craftsman's handiwork, and sets it up in secret.ÐAnd all the people shall re- ¯‰a the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret. ´© § ‰ÏÏw‰-ÏÚ −¨ ¨ § © © e„ÓÚÈ ¬ § © «© ‰l¤ ²‡Â ¥ § 13 :ÔÓÈ·e «¦ ¨ § ¦ spond, Amen. And all the people shall answer and say: :ÈÏzÙ « ¦ ¨ § © § Ôc¬¨ ÔÏe·Êe −ª § ¯L ¥½ ‡Â ¨ § „b ´¨ ÆÔ·e‡¯ ¥ § Ï·ÈÚ ®¨ ¥ Amen. À¦ ¦ § © eÚ −¥ ¨ § ¦ Lȇ-Ïk ¬ ¦ ¨ -χ¤ e¯Ó‡Â ² § «¨ § ÌiÂω ´ ¨ § 14 RASHI 12 When the blessing for the χ¯NÈ

NJPS

11Thereupon

F IPK[K

people is spoken.

As explained on B. Sot. Ò :̯«¨ ÏB˜¬ 32a, six tribes climbed to the top of Mount ‰ÎqÓe ¿¦ ¨ ¯e¯‡ ¨¹ ¥ © ÏÒÙ ¤ ¤¸ Á‰NÚÈ ¤ £ © ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ Lȇ‰ ´ ¨ 15 Gerizim and the other six to the top of À¨ § ˙·ÚBz ´¨ § L¯Á −¨ ¨ È„È ¬¥ § ‰NÚÓ ²¥ £ © ‰Â‰È ´© £ Mount Ebal. The levitical priests stood ÌN down below, in between them. The Levites Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ e¯Ó‡Â − § ¨ § ÌÚ‰-ÏÎ ²¨ ¨ ¨ eÚ ¯ ¨ § ¯˙qa ¤ ®¨ © turned their faces toward Mount Gerizim and began to recite the blessings: ``Blessed ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can six tribes be everyone who does not make a sculp- stand on Mount Gerizim ``to bless the people'' (as v. 12 tured or molten image.'' Both groups re- literally says) when they are the people? V. 14 says sponded ``Amen.'' They then turned their plainly that it is the Levites who are ``to bless'' the people. F Why are the tribes divided into two groups, faces toward Mount Ebal and recited the one the blessing and one ``for the curse'' (v. 13), matching curse: ``Cursed be anyone who whenforthey are all equal? F For that matter, why is makes a sculptured or molten image'' (v. 15); there a distinction between ``to bless the people'' again, both groups responded ``Amen.'' They (v. 12) and ``for the curse'' (v. 13)? They should have then turned their faces back toward Mount been the same: ``to bless'' and ``to curse'' or ``for the Gerizim and proclaimed, ``Blessed be he blessing'' and ``for the curse''! F How can the tribe of who does not insult his father or mother,'' Levi stand on Mount Gerizim for the blessing when it who ``proclaim in a loud voice to all the people and then turned back to Mount Ebal and isof they Israel'' (v. 14) the ``cursed be'' phrases that follow? proclaimed, ``Cursed be he who insults his F Shouldn't the ``cursed be'' phrases of vv. 15±26 have father or mother'' (v. 16). The same proce- been preceded by parallel ``blessed be'' phrases, as are dure was followed all the way through to the ones in ch. 28? If the text had room here for just ``Cursed be he who will not uphold the terms one set, wouldn't it have been better to use the of this Teaching and observe them'' (v. 26). ``blessed be'' ones? 15 Cursed be. In the Yesod of Moses ha-Darshan I saw this: There are 11 curses here [G] corresponding to 11 of the tribes. There was no curse corresponding to Simeon. Since Moses intended not to bless them before his death as he did the other tribes, [H] he did not wish to curse them here. [G] Apparently omitting the generalized curse of v. 26.

[H] See ch. 33.

RASHBAM 12 The following shall stand on Mount Gerizim when the blessing for the people is spoken. According to

the straightforward reading, Levi would appear to be here among those who respond ``Amen.'' But the Levites would face Mount Gerizim for the blessing and Mount Ebal for the curse. 15 Cursed be. There are 12 curses here, corresponding to the 12 tribes. And sets it up in secret. All of them are things that are typically done in secret, as I shall explain in each case, except for two that are sometimes done in secret and sometimes in public: this one, and striking down one's fellow (v. 24). That is why that verse and this one must speci®cally add the words ``in secret.'' There are no curses for transgressions that are performed in public. These are to be handled by the courts: ``Concealed acts concern the LORD our God''ÐHe will take revenge for things done in secretÐ``but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching'' (29:28), by ¯ogging or by execution. You will notice that there is no curse here against ``him who lies with his fellow's wife.'' What would he be doing in someone

IBN EZRA 12±13 On Mount Gerizim ...Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And...on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. Basically, it is the sons of Leah and Rachel on Mount Gerizim for the blessing,

and the sons of the maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah, on Mount Ebal for the curse. But since the maidservants only had four sons, and Leah had so many, her eldest and her youngest got taken into that group. 14 Proclaim. See my comment to ``recite'' of 26:5. 15 Cursed be anyone who makes a sculptured or molten image. The Sages say that ``the blessing'' of v. 12 implies a ``blessed be'' equivalent for each of the verses from vv. 15±26. But the straightforward sense of the text is that ``the blessing'' begins at 28:3 and ``the curse'' (v. 13) is the matching section beginning at 28:16. The fact that Josh. 8:34 mentions them in that orderÐ``the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law''Ðis proof of this. The 11 sins in vv. 15±25 of our chapter are singled out for special mention because these are all sins that can be committed in secret (see also v. 24). Anyone who did them in public would be

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

The Levites were down below, in between the two mountains; but their women and children, anyway, and the Levite men under 25Ðtoo young to of®ciateÐwere on Mount Gerizim (Bekhor Shor). Only the elders of the priests and Levites were down below (Hizkuni). 13 Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. Gen. 35:22 hints that Reuben was suspected of sleeping with Bilhah; when his tribe said ``Amen'' to ``Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife'' of v. 20, everyone could be assured that he had not transgressed (Hizkuni). Reuben was linked with Gad because they settled together on the east bank of the Jordan (Abarbanel). 15 Cursed be anyone who makes a sculptured or molten image. The 11 sins in vv. 15±25 correspond to the 11 other tribes (Bekhor Shor). The reason Moses did not intend to bless Simeon (as Rashi points out) is because of their involvement in the Shittim incident of Numbers 25 (Hizkuni). There are 12 curses here, which obviously correspond to the 12 tribes; the curse of v. 26 is not an inclusive one. V. 15, about idolatry, applies speci®cally to Simeon (Abarbanel). And all the people shall respond, Amen. Either in prayer that the curse will come true or signaling that they accept the curse upon themselves if they should transgress (Kimhi).

180

181 DEUTERONOMY 27:16±20

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be he who insults his father or mother.ÐAnd OJPS 16Cursed be he that dishonoreth his father or his all the people shall say, Amen. mother. And all the people shall say: Amen. 17Cursed be he who moves his fellow countryman's land17Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark. And mark.ÐAnd all the people shall say, Amen. all the people shall say: Amen. 18Cursed be he who misdirects a blind 18Cursed be he that maketh the blind to person on his way.ÐAnd all the people go astray in the way. And all the people ¾ ¨ 16 shall say: Amen. ÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ § Bn‡Â ® ¦ § ÂÈ·‡ −¦ ¨ ‰Ï˜Ó ¬¤ § © ¯e¯‡ shall say, Amen. 19Cursed be he who subverts the rights 19Cursed be he that perverteth the jusÒ :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ of the stranger, the fatherless, and the wid- ÌÚ‰-Ïk ¾ ¨ 17 tice due to the stranger, fatherless, and −¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ § e‰Ú¯ ®¥ ¥ Ïe·b ´ § ‚ÈqÓ −¦ © ¯e¯‡ ow.ÐAnd all the people shall say, Amen. widow. And all the people shall say: Amen. Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ 20Cursed be he who lies with his fa20Cursed be he that lieth with his fa18 ¾ ÌÚ‰-Ïk − ¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬ © ¨ § C¯ca ¤ ® ¨ © ¯eÚ − ¥ ¦ ‰bLÓ ¬ ¤ § © ¯e¯‡ ¨ ther's wife, for he has removed his father's ther's wife; because he hath uncovered his garment.ÐAnd all the people shall say, Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ father's skirt. And all the people shall say: Amen. À ¨ 19 Amen. ‰ÓÏ ®¨ ¨ § ‡Â © § ÌB˙È-¯b − ¨ ¥ ËtLÓ ¬© § ¦ ‰hÓ ²¤ © ¯e¯‡

NJPS

16Cursed

Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ §

RASHI 16 Cursed be he who insults Ûk ½¦ ¨ ˙L À ¨ 20 RASHBAM else's house to begin with? −¨ ¦ Èk ¬ ¦ ÂÈ·‡ ¤ ‡-ÌÚ ´¥ ¦ Æ·ÎL ¥ Ÿ ¯e¯‡ his father or mother. For the verb, com- ´© § ‰l‚ Everyone would be talking about it. Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ § ÂÈ·‡ ®¦ ¨ pare ``lest . . . your brother be degraded be16 Cursed be he who insults his father fore your eyes'' (25:3). or mother. In his childhood home, where 17 Cursed be he who moves his fellow ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why was the pro- there would ordinarily be no others present. that was actually performed different from the countryman's landmark. That is, who cedure 17 Cursed be he who moves his fellow one commanded here? For ``All IsraelÐstranger and moves it backward and thus steals his land. countryman's landmark. Stealthily. If he citizen alikeÐwith their elders, of®cials, and magisCompare ``and so redress is turned back'' (Isa. 59:14).

18 Cursed be he who misdirects a blind person on his way. Metaphorically, he misdirects one who is blind to a situation by deliberately giving him bad advice.

NAHMANIDES 20 For he has removed his father's garment. This is eu-

trates, stood on either side of the Ark, facing the levitical priests who carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. Half of them faced Mount Gerizim and half of them faced Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded them of old, in order to bless the people of Israel,'' after which, Joshua (not the priests!) ``read all the words of the Teaching, the blessing and the curse, just as is written in the Book of the Teaching'' (Josh. 8:33±34). F What distinguishes the commandments of the 12 ``cursed be'' phrases from all the other commandments in the Torah?

phemistic for the starker phrase of Lev. 20:11, ``If a man lies with his father's wife, it is the nakedness of his father that he has uncovered''; see similarly Lev. 18:14 and 18:16. All of these prescribe severe punishmentÐdeath or ``cutting off''Ðand invoke ``nakedness'' in order to vilify the evil of those who commit these sins. Here, for purposes of the curse, simply pulling off the garment is disrespect enough; this is the equivalent of insulting one's father, and ``he who insults his father or mother'' (v. 16) is cursed as well. ``No man shall marry his father's former wife, so as to remove his father's garment'' (23:1) is similarly euphemisticÐit is disrespectful to approach her and thus remove the garment his father spread over her by means of the wedding canopy. Remember that Ruth asks Boaz to marry her by saying, ``Spread your robe over your handmaid'' (Ruth 3:9). Our verse has nothing to do with the father raping anyone.

were spotted doing this, ``his fellow'' would certainly object.

18 Cursed be he who misdirects a blind person on his way. This is obviously done in secret. 19 Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Again, ``subversion'' is intrinsically a secret activity. 20 Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife. In his childhood home, with no one around to see.

IBN EZRA

put to death. These curses are listed in order of importance, beginning with an offense against God.

16 Cursed be he who insults his father or mother. Next comes an offense against one's parents. If this were done in secret, who would know?

17 Cursed be he who moves his fellow countryman's landmark. Something that would obviously have to be done in secret.

18 Cursed be he who misdirects a blind person on his way. The blind person would be unable to make public who it was that misdirected him. 19 Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Who have none to help them. This too

is clearly done secretively. If a judge tried to subvert the rights of other people, they would complain vociferously. But the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow have no power to do that. 20 Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife. Or his sister (v. 22) or his mother-in-law (v. 23). In all these cases, he would fall under no suspicion for being alone with them, so this too is a matter done in secret. But this does not apply to the other forbidden relationships.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 Cursed be he who insults his father or mother. This applies to Simeon and Levi; see Gen. 34:30 and Gen. 49:5±7 (Abarbanel). 17 Cursed be he who moves his fellow countryman's landmark. This applies to Gad, who, as we will see in 33:20, was a land grabber (Abarbanel). 18 Cursed be he who misdirects a blind person on his way. Since Issachar was known for its learning, they had to be specially warned against misdirecting the people (Abarbanel). 19 Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. This is a warning to Judah not to abuse the kingship (Abarbanel). 20 Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife, for he has removed his father's garment. For Reuben; see Gen. 35:22 (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 27:21±26 KI TAVO'

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be he who lies with any beast.ÐAnd all the OJPS 21Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And people shall say, Amen. all the people shall say: Amen. 22Cursed be he who lies with his sister, whether daughter of 22Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his his father or of his mother.ÐAnd all the people shall say, Amen. father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall 23Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law.ÐAnd all the say: Amen. 23Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen. 24Cursed be he who strikes down his fellow countryman people shall say: Amen. 24Cursed be he that smiteth his neighin secret.ÐAnd all the people shall say, bor in secret. And all the people shall say: Amen. 25Cursed be he who accepts a bribe in ¾ ¨ 21 Amen. ¬© ¨ § ‰Ó‰a ®¨ ¥ § -Ïk¨ -ÌÚ¦ ·ÎL −¥ Ÿ ¯e¯‡ -Ïk¨ ¯Ó‡Â 25Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to the case of the murder of an innocent perÒ :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰ −¨ ¨ son.ÐAnd all the people shall say, Amen. B‡´ ÂÈ·‡-˙a ½ Ÿ £ ¦ Æ·ÎL À ¨ 22 slay an innocent person. And all the people −¦ ¨ © B˙Á‡-ÌÚ ¥ Ÿ ¯e¯‡ 26Cursed be he who will not uphold the shall say: Amen. Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ § Bn‡-˙· ® ¦ © 26Cursed be he that con®rmeth not the terms of this Teaching and observe 23 Ÿ Ÿ ¾ ÌÚ‰-Ïk − ¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬ © ¨ § Bz˙Á-ÌÚ ® § © « ¦ ·ÎL − ¥ ¯e¯‡ ¨ words of this law to do them. And all the them.ÐAnd all the people shall say, Amen. Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ people shall say: Amen.''

NJPS

21Cursed

RASHI 24 Cursed be he who strikes -Ïk¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¾ ¨ 24 ¬© ¨ § ¯˙qa ¤ ®¨ © e‰Ú¯ −¥ ¥ ‰kÓ ¬¥ © ¯e¯‡ down his fellow countryman in secret. RASHBAM 21 Cursed be he who lies Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰ −¨ ¨ with any beast. ¤ −¤ ˙Bk‰Ï ¬ © § „ÁL © Ÿ ½ Á˜Ï © ´¥Ÿ Ưe¯‡¨ 25 Ș ®¦ ¨ Ìc´¨ LÙ 26 Cursed be he who will not uphold 22 Cursed be he who lies with his Ò :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰-Ïk −¨ ¨ ¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ § the terms of this Teaching. sister. À ¨ 26 ȯ·c-˙‡ ¬¥ § ¦ ¤ ÌȘÈ-‡Ï ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ¯e¯‡ ²¦ ¨ Ÿ 23 Cursed be he who lies with his Ÿ− © -Ïk¨ ¯Ó‡Â ¬© ¨ § Ì˙B‡ ®¨ ˙BNÚÏ ´ £ © ˙‡f‰-‰¯Bz‰ «¨ © mother-in-law. Ù :ÔÓ‡ «¥ ¨ ÌÚ‰ −¨ ¨ 26 Cursed be he who will not uphold NAHMANIDES 26 Who will not upthe terms of this Teaching. hold the terms of this Teaching. ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Isn't ``Cursed be ``Striking someone down in secret'' alludes

T his obviously

to harmful speech.

goes on

only in secret.

Here Moses

T his too goes on only in secret.

included the entire Teaching, and the Israelites accepted the obligation under oath.

W ho frequents her daugh-

ter's house.

T his applies

In my

opinion the ``acceptance of the obligation''

of which Rashi speaks means that he must acknowledge

the

commandments

in

his

heart and consider them true, and he must believe that one who ful®lls them will bene®t and gain reward and that one who violates them will be punished. If he denies a single one of them or even considers one of them

anyone who makes a sculptured or molten image'' (v. 15) really the equivalent of all the prohibitions, and ``Cursed be he who will not uphold the terms of this Teaching'' (v. 26) the equivalent of all the positive commandments? As far as the 10 in the middle, if only I understood what was so special about them! And as far as the last one, doesn't anyone who decides not to ful®ll even a single one of the 613 commandments ensure that his portion in the land is cursed?

to be permanently invalidated, he is cursed. But

if

he

transgresses

one

of

to all transgressions that are performed in secret.

IBN EZRA 21 Cursed be he who lies with any beast.

W hether it is male or fe-

male. An animal cannot cr y out for help. But a man could, which is why lying

with an-

other man is not listed here.

25 Cursed be he who accepts a bribe.

Many people believe this refers to judges;

themÐe.g.,

eating pork because he has a yen for it, or not building a sukkah for the Feast of Booths out of lazinessÐhe does not fall under this ban. T he text does not say, ``who will not

do

the terms of this Teaching'' but who will not ``uphold'' them, as the Jews undertook to

I think it is about false witnesses.

26 Cursed be he who will not uphold the terms of this Teaching. Some

(like

``uphold'' the observance of Purim in Esther 9:27. It is a ban against heretics and atheists.

NJPS) think this verse refers to the entire To-

T he Palestinian Talmud (Y. Sot. 7:4) asks, `` `Uphold' the Torah? Is it falling?'' and goes on

rah; others think it refers merely to the laws

to explain our verse as referring to the government and the leadership who are responsible

listed in these curses. But that is nonsense,

for upholding

since

the Torah among

those who would abolish it. Even if

he himself

were

the

verse

continues,

``to

do

them''

not sup-

completely righteous in his deeds, if he would have been able to reinforce Torah among

(OJPS), and these are things you are

the wicked who were nullif ying it but did not do soÐit is he who is ``cursed''; this is es-

posed to do. In my view, v v. 15±25 refer to

sentially the same as the way we have explained it. T hey add midrashically a reference to

those speci®c forbidden secret actions, and

the cantor holding a Torah scroll up high in the air so everyone can see the writing and say,

our verse curses those who secretly do not

`` T his is the Teaching that Moses set before the Israelites'' (4:44), and we do in fact have

perform the positive commandments. T hat

the custom of doing this.

explains ``to do them.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 21 Cursed be he who lies with any beast. 22 Cursed be he who lies with his sister, whether daughter of his father or of his mother. 23 Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law. 24 Cursed be he who strikes down his fellow countryman in secret. 25 Cursed be he who accepts a bribe in the case of the murder of an innocent person. 26 Cursed be he who will not uphold the terms of this Teaching and observe them.

For Dan, whose descendant SamsonÐas Moses knew

propheticallyÐwould marr y some women who were real beasts (Abarbanel).

T his was directed at Naphtali; both

Moses, in 33:23, and Jacob, in Gen. 49:21, foresee that this tribe would be enslaved to their appetites (Abarbanel). For Benjamin. T he word really is being used here to mean ``daughter-in-law,''

not ``mother-in-law''; Moses is foreseeing the chaotic circumstances of Judges 20±21 (Abarbanel).

For Zebulun, whose descendant Hoshea son of Elah would

conspire to kill Pekah son of Remaliah and succeed him as king; see 2 Kings 15:30 (Abarbanel).

Pekah son of Remaliah was himself a

descendant of Asher, and would accept bribes from King Rezin of Aram to attack Judah; see again 2 Kings 15 (Abarbanel). T his applies to Jeroboam son of Nebat, the

descendant of Joseph who would rebel against Solomon's son Rehoboam; see 1 Kings 11±14. Note, however, that all 12 of these curses also indicate sins (some of them metaphorical) that would bedevil Israel throughout histor y. T his last one, for example, points to the Sadducees, who rejected the Oral Torah (Abarbanel).

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183 DEUTERONOMY 28:1±7

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28

Now, if you obey the LORD your God, to observe OJPS And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken faithfully all His commandments which I enjoin upon you this diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do day, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the the earth. 2All these blessings shall come LORD thy God will set thee on high above upon you and take effect, if you will but all the nations of the earth. 2And all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overheed the word of the LORD your God: © § ¦ ÚBÓL-̇ © ³ ¨ ¦ ‰È‰Â ¨À ¨ § 3Blessed shall you be in the city and ÆÏB˜a§ ÆÚÓLz take thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the Ÿ ³ § ¦ EÈ‰Ï -Ïk¨ -˙‡¤ Æ˙BNÚÏ £ © ¯ÓLÏ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § voice of the LORD thy God. blessed shall you be in the country. 4Blessed shall be the issue of your 3Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and ¹ § ¨¸ § ÌBi‰ E˙e ® © EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¨½ Ÿ § ¦ womb, the produce of your soil, and the :ı¯‡‰ shalt thou be in the ®eld. ½ § ¤ ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤ «¨ ¨ ÈÈBb-Ïk ¬¥ ¨ ÏÚ −© ÔBÈÏÚ ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³¨ § blessed 4Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, offspring of your cattle, the calving of your E‚ÈO‰Â −¥ ¨ ˙Bίa‰-Ïk ¬ ¨ § © ¨ EÈÏÚ ²¤ ¨ e‡·e ¯¨ 2 and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of ®ª ¦ ¦ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ herd and the lambing of your ¯ock. 5Blessed shall be your basket and your :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÏB˜a − § ÚÓL˙ ©½ § ¦ Èk ´ ¦ thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the kneading bowl. :‰„Oa «¤ ¨ © ‰z‡ −¨ © Ce¯·e ¬ ¨ ¯ÈÚa ®¦ ¨ ‰z‡ −¨ © Ce¯a ¬ ¨ 3 young of thy ¯ock. 6Blessed shall you be in your comings 5Blessed shall be thy basket and thy ȯÙe ´ ¦ § E˙Ó„‡ − § ¨ § © ȯÙe ¬ ¦ § EË· ² § § ¦ -ȯt « ¦ § Ce¯a ¯¨ 4 and blessed shall you be in your goings. kneading-trough. 7The L ORD will put to rout before you 6Blessed shalt thou be when thou :E‡ˆ «¤ Ÿ ˙B¯zLÚ ¬ § § © § EÈÙÏ −¤ ¨ ‡ £ ¯‚L ¬© § EzÓ‰· ®¤ § ¤ § 5 the enemies who attack you; they will comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when :Ez¯‡LÓe «¤ § © § ¦ E‡Ë − £ § © Ce¯a ¬¨ march out against you by a single road, but :E˙‡ˆa thou goest out. 6 «¤ ¥ § ‰z‡ −¨ © Ce¯·e ¬ ¨ E‡·a ®¤ Ÿ § ‰z‡ −¨ © Ce¯a ¬¨ 7The L ORD will cause thine enemies 7 Ÿ Æ Æ ¸ EÈÏÚ ¤½ ¨ ÌÈÓw‰ ´ ¦ ¨ © Eȷȇ-˙‡ ¤ § ¤ ‰Â‰È ³ ¨ § ÔzÈ ¥ ¦ that rise up against thee to be smitten beRASHI 28:4 The calving of your herd. That is, the young that are ``calved'' EÈϤ½ ‡¥ e‡ˆÈ ´ § ¥ Æ„Á‡ ¨ ¤ C¯„a ¤ ³¤ § EÈÙÏ ®¤ ¨ § ÌÈÙb −¦ ¨ ¦ fore thee; they shall come out against thee

NJPS

ÁÎ

5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ``Your basket'' in the

F [[K

(literally, ``sent forth'' from the womb) by your herd of cattle. And the lambing of your ¯ock. Rather, as Onkelos translates, ``the lambs of your ¯ock.'' The Sages ask: Why are they called ashtarot here? Because they ma'ashirot their ownersÐmake them richÐand strengthen them like ashtarot, which elsewhere means ``solid rocks.'' [I]

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are the Israelites promised that ``the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth'' (v. 1) when that is just one of ``all these blessings [that] shall come upon you'' (v. 2)? Notice that v. 15 says ``all these curses shall come upon you'' and only then begins to list the details. F Why are so many of these promises repeated over and over again?

RASHBAM 28:5 Blessed shall be your basket. It shall be full of fruit. Your kneading bowl. The translations understand correctly.

IBN EZRA 28:1 High above all the nations of the earth. This blessing in-

cludes the promise that there shall be no nation on earth like you. sense of your fruits. Another reading: ``your basket'' refers to liquids, which are ®ltered other 2 Shall come upon you. They shall through basketwork; ``your bowl'' refers to dry things, which remain in their containers simply ``come,'' on their own. And take efand do not ¯ow out. fect. More precisely, you 6 Blessed shall you be in your comings and blessed shall you be in your goings. (OJPS)Ðeven if you do not``overtake'' seek them out. Let your going forth from this world be as sinless as your coming into it. will not fatigue yourselves in achieving 7 But ¯ee from you by many roads. For those who panic and ¯ee scatter in all You them. directions. 3 In the city. An increase in all sorts of [I] See Rashi's comment to ``who dwelt at Ashtaroth'' (1:4). commerce. In the country. An increase in agricultural output. 4 The issue of your womb. Literally, ``the fruit''Ðthe childrenÐ``of your belly'' (a euphemism). The calving of your herd and the lambing of your ¯ock. I have explained these phrases in my comments to 7:13. 5 Your basket. Your bread basket. And your kneading bowl. Either these are out of their natural order, or what is kept in ``your basket'' is actually the ¯our, not the bread. 6 In your comings...in your goings. Your going forth to celebrate the pilgrimage festivals, to do business, and to take plunder. Or these expressions may simply refer to the ``coming and going'' that people always do during the course of each day. In short, everything you do will prosper. Note that the reverse is written explicitly after the matching curse in v. 19. 7 The enemies who attack you. Since you will be ``high above all the nations of the earth'' (v. 1), they may try to combine in order to attack you, which is why our verse speaks of ``enemies'' in the plural. Many roads. Literally ``seven,'' but this is indeed a way of saying ``many.'' It derives from the cycle of seven days of the week, which is not arbitrary but depends on the upper spheres. [E] [E] The seven planets (including the sun and moon) known to the ancients.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 28:1 The LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. As promised in 26:19. For when Israel rises, they rise to the sky, high above all others. As Haman's advisers tell him in Esther 6:13, ``If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish stock, you will not overcome him'' (Bekhor Shor). Obviously this could not happen without God's special providence (Gersonides). 3 In the city. Perhaps a reference to commerce, or perhaps to bringing the crop into town (Hizkuni). This verse is a general heading for what follows: the blessings of the ®eld in vv. 4±7, and blessings on commercial activity starting in v. 8 (Abarbanel). 4 Blessed shall be the issue of your womb, the produce of your soil, and the offspring of your cattle. Notice that there are curses for sickness and death, but no explicit blessings for health and long life; the conditions promised in this verse will ensure them (Abarbanel). 7 The LORD will put to rout before you the enemies who attack you; they will march out against you by a single road, but ¯ee from you by many roads. Even if once or twice raiders descend on your ®elds, you will not react like frightened farmers but like seasoned warriors (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 28:7±13 KI TAVO'

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¯ee from you by many roads. 8The LORD will ordain OJPS one way, and shall ¯ee before thee seven ways. 8The blessings for you upon your barns and upon all your under- LORD will command the blessing with thee in thy barns, and in takings: He will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is all that thou puttest thy hand unto; and He will bless thee in the giving you. 9The LORD will establish you as His holy people, as land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9The LORD will esHe swore to you, if you keep the comtablish thee for a holy people unto Himmandments of the LORD your God and self, as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou ‰Â‰È ³¨ § ÂˆÈ ©¸ § 8 :EÈÙÏ «¤ ¨ § eÒeÈ ¬ ¨ ÌÈί„ −¦ ¨ § ‰Ú·L·e ¬¨ § ¦ § walk in His ways. 10And all the peoples of shalt keep the commandments of the Ÿ − § EÈÓÒ‡a ´© § ¦ Ïηe ¤¾ ¨ £ © ‰Î¯a‰-˙‡ ¨½ ¨ § © ¤ ÆEz‡ § ¦ LORD thy God, and walk in His ways. the earth shall see that the LORD`s name is ÁÏLÓ proclaimed over you, and they shall stand Ô˙ ½ § © ´¥ E„È ¬¥ Ÿ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-¯L ¬¨ § ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡a ¤ ¨¾ ¨ Eί·e ®¤ ¨ 10And all the peoples of the earth shall see 11 in fear of you. The LORD will give you ¯L ½ ¨ ÌÚÏ −¤ ‡k £ © LB„˜ ´© § ÆBÏ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÆEÓÈ˜È § « ¦ § 9 :CÏ «¨ that the name of the LORD is called upon abounding prosperity in the issue of your thee; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11And Ÿ Ÿ Æ À § ¦ ¤ ‰Â‰È ´ ¨ § ˙ÂˆÓ -˙‡ ¯ÓL˙ § ¦ Èk ´ ¦ CÏ-ÚaL ® ¨ « © § « ¦ the LORD will make thee over-abundant womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the ´¥ © ¨ Æe‡¯Â ¨ § 10 :ÂÈί„a «¨ ¨ § ¦ zÎω −¨ § © ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in produce of your soil in the land that the ÈnÚ-Ïk LORD swore to your fathers to assign to e‡¯È − § «¨ § EÈÏÚ ®¤ ¨ ‡¯˜ ´¨ § ¦ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ÌL ¬¥ Èk ² ¦ ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of you. 12The LORD will open for you His thy land, in the land which the LORD ȯÙa ¯¦ § ¦ ‰·BËÏ ¨½ § Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § E¯˙B‰Â ³ § « ¦ § 11 :jnÓ ¨ «¤ ¦ swore unto thy fathers to give thee. 12The bounteous store, the heavens, to provide ÏÚ © μ E˙Ó„‡ ® ¤ ¨ § © ȯٷe ´ ¦ § ¦ EzÓ‰· − § § © § ȯٷe ¬ ¦ § ¦ EË· ² § § ¦ LORD will open unto thee His good trearain for your land in season and to bless all your undertakings. You will be creditor to ˙˙Ï ¤ ¬¨ EÈ˙·‡Ï −¤ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ÚaL ¯© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ ¨ sure the heaven to give the rain of thy land many nations, but debtor to none. ¹ © B¯ˆB‡-˙‡ ¸¨ ·Bh‰ ¤ Eϧ  | ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÁzÙÈ ´© § ¦ 12 :CÏ «¨ in its season, and to bless all the work of 13The L ORD will make you the head, thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many ½ ¦ § ÆEˆ¯‡-¯ËÓ BzÚa § § © «© § ˙˙Ï ³¥ ¨ ÌÈÓM‰-˙‡ ¦ ©À ¨ © ¤ nations, but thou shalt not borrow. not the tail; you will always be at the top 13And the L ORD will make thee the ¾¥ ¨ § ´ ¦ Æ˙ÈÂω ¨ Ʀ § ¦ § E„È ®¤ ¨ ‰NÚÓ ´¥ £ © -Ïk¨ ˙‡ −¥ C¯·Ïe and never at the bottomÐif only you obey ÌÈBb head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be and faithfully observe the commandments Ÿ ¬ ‰z‡Â ½¦ © :‰ÂÏ˙ «¤ § ¦ ‡Ï −¨ © § ÌÈa¯ above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; of the LORD your God that I enjoin upon Æ˙Èȉ Ÿ § ‰Â‰È Ÿ ´ § ÆL‡¯Ï ³¨ § ÆE˙e § «¨ § 13 ¨ Ʀ ¨ § ·ÊÏ ¨½ ¨ § ‡Ï if thou shalt hearken unto the commandŸ ¬ § ‰ÏÚÓÏ º© § ¦ « ¦ ‰hÓÏ ¨ ®¨ § ‰È‰˙ −¤ § ¦ ‡Ï ¨ § ©½ § ˜¯´© ments of the LORD thy God, which I comNAHMANIDES 28:9 The LORD will ÚÓL˙-Èk

establish you as His holy people, as He EeˆÓ Ÿ ´ § ¦ -χ¤ ² § © § ÈÎ‡ ¯¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § | ˙ÂˆÓ swore to you. The covenant that He made

with them about all these things at Mount ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why is there yet Sinai is here called an oath that He ``swore.'' another repetition of the condition, ``if only you obey For He said to them there, ``You shall be to and faithfully observe the commandments of the Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation'' LORD your God that I enjoin upon you this day, and not deviate to the right or to the left from any of (Exod. 19:6). Or perhaps this is included in do the commandments'' (vv. 13±14)? the covenant He made with Abraham ``to be God to you and to your offspring to come'' (Gen. 17:7). Indeed, 29:12 goes on to say that the covenant being concluded today is so ``that He may establish you this day as His people and be your God, as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'' For He entered into a covenant with all of them. 13 The head, not the tail. The head of all the nations, not the tail of any of them. (For one could be the head of many nations and still be the tail of a nation even greater.) But correctly understood this phrase is saying that the Lord will make you the head from this moment on and not the tail at any time ever again. Always be at the top and never at the bottom. ``Always'' and ``never'' are not in the Hebrew (see OJPS); NJPS correctly follows my interpretation (see the previous comment).

mand thee this day, to observe and to do

RASHBAM

8 Upon your barns.

Where produce is stored. They will be full of grain, wine, and oil: ``Your barns will be ®lled with grain, your vats will burst with new wine'' (Prov. 3:10).

10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the LORD's name is proclaimed over you. They will see that He

ful®lls your wishes, demonstrating that you are His people.

IBN EZRA

8 Your barns. Based on context, the Hebrew word must be referring to storehouses. 9 The LORD will establish you. Rather, ``maintain'' you. As His holy people. And holiness consists of observing the commandments. If you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. ``Keep'' them in your heart, and ``walk in His ways'' by actually performing them. 11 The LORD will give you abounding prosperity. Even if there is evil abroad in the land, and starvation and calamity, nonetheless you will still be ``left over'' (as the Hebrew literally says) with an abundance of good. 12 His bounteous store, the heavens. Where the rain exists in potentia: ``Have you penetrated the vaults of snow, seen the vaults of hail?'' (Job 38:22). Rain is essential to provide the abundance promised in v. 12; if the rain is stopped rather than stored for use when necessary, what you get is famine. You will be creditor to many nations. For they will be starving. But debtor to none. The reverse will never occur. You will always be on top. 13 If only you obey and faithfully observe the commandments. More literally, ``if you hearken to the commandments . . . to keep and to do them'' (compare OJPS). ``Hearken'' refers to a psychological state that will result in keeping the commandments and performing them. The point is that you must not turn aside from the Lord to worship idols, for denial of God is the ultimate transgression. The opposite of this transgression is the af®rmation that God is One, which will lead you to keep the commandments and actually perform them (which is the point of ``keeping'' them). ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 The LORD will ordain blessings for you upon your barns and upon all your undertakings. The blessings ordained here are all material blessings, not spiritual ones (Abarbanel). 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see. That is, they shall understand (Hizkuni). That the LORD's name is proclaimed over you. Rather, ``is called by you,'' that is, He will be called ``the Lord, God of Israel.'' Joel 3:5 says that ``everyone who is called by the

name of the LORD shall escape''; as Dan. 9:19 puts it, ``O Lord, listen, and act without delay for Your own sake, O my God; for Your name is attached to Your city and Your people!'' (Hizkuni).

184

185 DEUTERONOMY 28:13±22 NJPS

you this day,

KI TAVO'

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and do not deviate to the right or to the

OJPS

them;

IM OK ZCE

14

and shalt not turn aside from any of the words

left from any of the commandments that I enjoin upon you this

which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left,

day and turn to the worship of other gods.

to go after other gods to serve them.

15

But if you do not obey the L ORD your God to observe faith-

15

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the

fully all His commandments and laws which I enjoin upon you

voice of the L ORD thy God, to observe to do all His com-

this day, all these curses shall come upon you and take effect:

mandments and His statutes which I command thee this day;

16

Cursed shall you be in the city and

cursed shall you be in the country. 17

Cursed shall be your basket and your

kneading bowl. 18

Cursed

shall

be

the

issue

of

your

womb and the produce of your soil, the calving of your herd and the lambing of your ¯ock. 19

Cursed shall you be in your comings

and cursed shall you be in your goings. 20

The L ORD will let loose against you

calamity, panic, and frustration in all the enterprises

you

undertake,

so

that

you

shall soon be utterly wiped out because of your

evildoing

in

forsaking

Me.

21

The

L ORD will make pestilence cling to you, until He has put an end to you in the land that you are entering to possess.

22

The

L ORD will strike you with consumption,

RASHI 20 Calamity.

Rather, ``scarcity,'' as in ``a destructive eruption'' (Lev. 13:51), an eruption that eats away at the cloth. Panic. This refers more precisely to the sound of panic. 22 Consumption. Etymologically, this refers to one whose ¯esh becomes ``wasted.''

NAHMANIDES 14 And do not deviate to the right or to the left from any of the commandments. This verse continues

that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. Ÿ ´ § 14 :˙BNÚÏ Ÿ ¬ § ¦ ÌBi‰ À ¨ ‡Ï ¯eÒ˙ « £ © § ¯ÓLÏ −© Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and ¹¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ÌÎ˙‡ ²¤ § ¤ ‰eˆÓ ¬¤ © § ÈÎ‡ ¤¸ ‡ £ ÆÌȯ·c‰-ÏkÓ ¦ ¨ § © ¨ ¦ cursed shalt thou be in the ®eld. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy Ÿ ® § ÔÈÓÈ ÌÈ‰Ï ¬¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ȯÁ‡ ²¥ £ © ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ¤À ¨ * χÓNe ´ ¦ ¨ ÌBi‰ −© kneading-trough. Ò :Ì„·ÚÏ «¨ § ¨ § ÌȯÁ‡ −¦ ¥ £ Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, Ÿ Æ Æ À ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÏB˜a§ ÚÓL˙ © § ¦ ‡Ï-̇ ³ ¦ ‰È‰Â ¨ ¨ § 15 and the fruit of thy land, the increase of Ÿ ³ § ¦ EÈ‰Ï ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ´¨ Ÿ § ¦ -Ïk¨ -˙‡¤ Æ˙BNÚÏ £ © ¯ÓLÏ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ thy kine, and the young of thy ¯ock. Cursed shalt thou be when thou e‡·e ¯¨ ÌBi‰ ® © EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ÂÈ˙wÁ ¨½ Ÿ ª § comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when :Ee‚ÈO‰Â « ¦ ¦ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ −¥ ¨ ˙BÏÏw‰-Ïk ¬ ¨ § © ¨ EÈÏÚ ²¤ ¨ thou goest out. :‰„Oa «¤ ¨ © ‰z‡ −¨ © ¯e¯‡Â ¬ ¨ § ¯ÈÚa ®¦ ¨ ‰z‡ −¨ © ¯e¯‡ ¬ ¨ 16 The L will send upon thee curs:Ez¯‡LÓe «¤ § © § ¦ E‡Ë − £ § © ¯e¯‡ ¬ ¨ 17 ing, discom®ture, and rebuke, in all that ¯‚L ¬© § E˙Ó„‡ ®¤ ¨ § © ȯÙe ´ ¦ § EË· − § § ¦ -ȯt « ¦ § ¯e¯‡ ¬ ¨ 18 thou puttest thy hand unto to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish :E‡ˆ «¤ Ÿ ˙B¯zLÚ ¬ § § © § EÈÙÏ −¤ ¨ ‡ £ quickly; because of the evil of thy doings, ‰z‡ −¨ © ¯e¯‡Â ¬ ¨ § E‡·a ®¤ Ÿ § ‰z‡ −¨ © ¯e¯‡ ¬ ¨ 19 whereby thou hast forsaken Me. The will make the pestilence cleave unto :E˙‡ˆa «¤ ¥ § L thee, until He have consumed thee from -˙‡¤ ‰¯‡n‰-˙‡ ³¨ ¥ § © ¤ Ea§  | ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÁlLÈ ´© © § 20 off the land, whither thou goest in to ÁÏLÓ ¬© § ¦ -ÏÎa ¨ § ˙¯Ú‚n‰-˙‡Â ¤ ¤½ § ¦ © ¤ § ƉÓe‰n‰ ¨ § © possess it. The L will smite thee ÆE„·‡-„Ú § ¨ £ © § E„ÓM‰ ³ § ¤ «¨ ¦ „Ú ´© ‰NÚz ®¤ £ © ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ E„È − §¨ 20 Panic. By means of :Èz·ÊÚ ¦ «¨ § © £ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÈÏÏÚÓ −¤ ¨ £ «© Ú¯ ©Ÿ ¬ ÈtÓ ²¥ § ¦ ¯‰Ó ¥½ © RASHBAM thunder and hail: ``The LORD thundered B˙lk ´ Ÿ © „Ú© μ ¯·c‰-˙‡ ¤ ®¨ © ¤ Ea − § ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ˜a„È ¯¥ § © 21 mightily against the Philistines that day and ½ § Ÿ « threw them into confusion'' (1 Sam. 7:10). ‰nL-‡· ¨ −¨ ¨ ‰z‡-¯L ¬¨ © ¤ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ «¨ ÆÏÚÓ © ¥ E˙‡ 22 ˙ÙÁMa ¤ ¤¸ © © ‰Â‰È ¨ §  ‰ÎkÈ ´¨ § © :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § Frustration. At your inability to grow food: 16

17

18

19

20

ORD

21

ORD

22

' G B NP

v. 14.

the thought begun in ``if only you obey'' of ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F v. 13. All those blessings will come to you if you obey and do not deviate. But if you follow other gods and serve them, you thereby deviate from all the commandments. In that case, the Holy One takes no pleasure whatsoever in any of the commandments that you do observe. ``Do not deviate'' is not a commandment on its own, as the author of the Halakhot Gedolot (who lists it among the prohibitions) thought. 18 The issue of your womb. Note that in the blessings (v. 4) this precedes ``your basket and your kneading bowl'' (v. 5), since it is the thing most beloved. But here it follows them (v. 17), for punishment would strike ®rst at their possessions and only then (if they did not repent) at ``the issue of your womb.'' Why must so many

of the curses, tooÐlike those of hunger and diseaseÐ

be repeated more than once? What good does repeating them do?

ORD

``I will send a curse and turn your blessings into curses . . . I will put your seed under a ban'' (Mal. 2:2±3).

22 With consumption, fever, and in¯ammation, with scorching heat. These IBN EZRA 20 Calamity. Rather, ``cursing'' (OJPS), which implies reduction. [F] Panic. Or any kind of ``discom®ture'' (OJPS) that prevents you from carrying out your enterprise. Frustration. You will not be able to enjoy what you do, but after all your exertion you will do nothing but worry. 22 With consumption. Some say this is a generic name for a series of diseases.

[F] Just as ``blessing,'' according to Ibn Ezra, implies increase.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 But if you do not obey the LORD your God to observe faithfully all His commandments and laws which I enjoin upon you this day, all these curses shall come upon you and take effect. I consider the view that the curses in Leviticus are about the exile to Babylonia and the curses in our chapter are about the

current exileÐthough I have seen it expressed by Christians as well as in the comments of NahmanidesÐto be completely untrue. Anyone who is intelligent will realize that the Second Temple period was not one of complete redemption: the ingathering of the exiles amounted to no more than 40,000, and even when they returned they were not free. And of course the Second Temple itself lacked the Ark, the cherubs, the Urim and Thummim, and so forth. Moreover, the plural in ``I will lay your cities in ruin and make your sanctuaries desolate'' (Lev. 26:31) implies that Leviticus 26 refers to both exiles. And ``You shall not be able to stand your ground before your enemies, but shall perish among the nations; and the land of your enemies shall consume you'' (Lev. 26:37±38) refers to the many deaths in the expulsions from England, France, and the worst of them all, Spain. In fact, there are two parts to our chapter; vv. 15±48 refer to the Babylonian exile and its aftermath up to the time of the Second Temple, and from v. 49 on refers to the current exile (Abarbanel). 20 Frustration. Rather, a ``ban'' for crops to come forth, as in Mal. 2:3, ``I will put your seed under a ban'' (Hizkuni). 22 Consumption. Possibly related to the ``sea gull'' of Lev. 11:16, which has a similar-sounding name in Hebrew; for that bird is subject to consumption (Kimhi).

DEUTERONOMY 28:22±25 KI TAVO'

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NJPS fever, and in¯ammation, with scorching heat and OJPS with consumption, and with fever, and with in¯amdrought, with blight and mildew; they shall hound you until you mation, and with ®ery heat, and with drought, and with blasting, perish. 23The skies above your head shall be copper and the earth and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. 23And thy heaven that is over thy head shall under you iron. 24The LORD will make the rain of your land dust, and sand shall ·¯Á·e be brass, and the earth that is under thee ª § © «© ˙˜lc·e ¤ ¤À © © ˙Ácw·e © ¹© © © drop on you from the sky, until you are ¤ ¤½ © ƯÁ¯Á·e shall be iron. 24The LORD will make the :E„·‡ « ¤ § ¨ „Ú ¬ © EeÙ„¯e − ¨ § ÔB˜¯i·e ® ¨ ¥ © ÔBÙcM·e − ¨ ¦ © rain of thy land powder and dust; from wiped out. 25The L ORD will put you to rout be- ˙LÁ Ÿ ¤ Ÿ ® § EL − § ‡¯-ÏÚ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÈÓL ²¤ ¨ eȉ ¬ ¨ § 23 heaven shall it come down upon thee, fore your enemies; you shall march out ‰Â‰È thou be destroyed. ¯¥ ¦ 24 :Ïʯa «¤ § © EÈzÁz-¯L −¤ § © ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰Â ¤ ¬¨ ¨ § until 25The LORD will cause thee to be against them by a single road, but ¯ee from ²¨ § ÔzÈ ¦ Æ© ¨ © ¦ ¯ÙÚ ®¨ ¨ § ˜·‡ ´¨ ¨ Eˆ¯‡ − § § © ¯ËÓ ¬© § -˙‡¤ smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt them by many roads; and you shall be- ÆÌÈÓM‰-ÔÓ :C„ÓM‰ «¨ § ¨ ¦ „Ú −© EÈÏÚ ¤½ ¨ „¯È ´¥ ¥ go out one way against them, and shalt ¯ee come a horror to all the kingdoms of the ¸ § ¤ ¦ 25 seven ways before them; and thou shalt C¯„a ¤ ³¤ § ¼Eȷȇ ¤ § Ÿ ÈÙÏ ´¥ § ¦ »Ûb ¨ ¦ | ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § EzÈ be a horror unto all the kingdoms of the ´ ¨ ÌÈί„ −¦ ¨ § ‰Ú·L·e ¬¨ § ¦ § ÂÈϨ½ ‡¥ ‡ˆz ´¥ ¥ Æ„Á‡ ¨ ¤ RASHI Fever. ``For a ®re has ¯ared in Òez My wrath'' (32:22). This particular ``®re,'' of ˙BÎÏÓÓ Ÿ − § ‰ÂÚÊÏ ¬ § § © ÏÎÏ ¨½ £ © § ˙Èȉ ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ § ÂÈÙÏ ®¨ ¨ § course, is the fever of illness, which is quite hot enough. In¯ammation. A heat worse than fever. All three of these terms are references to illness. With scorching heat. ``My bones are charred by the heat'' (Job 30:30); ``The bellows blow ®ercely; the lead is consumed by ®re'' (Jer. 6:29). This too is a disease, a burning sensation in the body that leaves you constantly thirsty. And drought. Rather, ``with the sword.'' He will bring troops against you. With blight and mildew. These are crop diseases. ``Blight'' refers to the harsh east wind; what the translations call ``mildew'' is rather ``desiccation,'' a condition in which the crops turn pale and yellow. 23 The skies above your head shall be copper and the earth under you iron. All these curses are given in Moses' own language, repeating the ideas of the curses on Mount Sinai, given in God's voice in Leviticus 26. Those curses are framed in the plural, whereas in our chapter Moses lessened their impact by putting ``you'' in the singular. With regard to this speci®c curse, the original says, ``I will make your skies like iron and your earth like copper'' (Lev. 26:19). Just as iron does not ``sweat,'' the skies would also not do so, resulting in drought on earth. But copper does sweat, so despite the drought the earth would still manage to rot the crops. Here, however, the skies would still produce some moisture, so the destruction wrought by the drought would not be absolutely complete, and (like iron) the earth would not ``sweat,'' meaning that whatever crops were produced would not rot. When all is said and done, though, it remains a curse: the earth would not produce its fruits and the sky would not empty itself of rain, as they should.

24 The LORD will make the rain of your land dust, and sand shall drop on you from the sky. As a result of the ``wind after rain'' mentioned in B. Ta'an. 3b. Not enough

RASHBAM are various diseases; the latter three all involve extreme heat. 23 The skies above your head shall be copper. No rain will fall from the sky. 24 The LORD will make the rain of your land dust, and sand shall drop on you from the sky. Instead of raining water

as usual, storms will rain down dust. That is to say, from the dry tops of the mountains dust will rain down so heavily it will sting your eyes. That is how ``the LORD will put you to rout before your enemies'' (v. 25); you will ¯ee because you are unable to see. ``Rain'' does not necessarily involve water: ``The LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfurous ®re'' (Gen. 19:24); ``He will rain down upon the wicked blazing coals and sulfur'' (Ps. 11:6).

IBN EZRA Fever. Compare ``For a ®re

has ¯ared in My wrath'' (32:22). The implication is that this will be a daily occurrence. rain will fall to moisten the dust, and afterward the wind will come along and blow sand to In¯ammation. Rather, ``in¯ammatory fecover the greenery. Since it is moist from the rain, the sand will stick to it, turn into mud, ver,'' returning only every third or fourth day. Scorching heat. Compare ``until it dry up, and rot the crop. 25 A horror. All who hear from you the blows that have fallen against you will shud- becomes so hot that the copper glows'' der with fear: ``Woe! Let these things that have come upon them not come upon us!'' (Ezek. 24:11). Drought. This is a homonym for the word that means ``sword,'' but our word is derived from a root meaning ``dryNAHMANIDES 25 The LORD will put you to rout before your enemies. Here too ness.'' Blight. Rather, ``bloating''; compare there is a reversal. In the blessings, ``The LORD will put to rout before you the enemies who ``But close behind them sprouted seven ears, attack you'' (v. 7) precedes ``blessings . . . upon your barns and upon all your under- scrawny and bloated by the east wind'' takings'' (v. 8), for (besides the respect it earned them) victory over their enemies was the (Gen. 41:6). Some, however, say the oppo®rst necessity in conquering the land and settling securely in it among the nations. But in site, that the ears were ``made thin'' by the the sequence of the curses enemy attack would not come until after ``calamity, panic, and east wind. Mildew. As in Arabic, this word frustration in all the enterprises you undertake'' (v. 20), since the enemies would be re- means ``jaundice.'' But some think these sponsible for the very last of the punishments, exile from the land. latter two are crop diseases. ``Blight'' would indeed be correct (in Gen. 41:6 as well); see Amos 4:9, which mentions ``blight and mildew'' in connection with gardens and vineyards. That would also ®t with v. 23. See too Lev. 26:16, where ``consumption and fever'' are followed with the threat, ``you shall sow your seed to no purpose.'' 23 The skies above your head shall be copper and the earth under you iron. These are metaphors, of course. 24 The LORD will make the rain of your land dust, and sand shall drop on you from the sky. Because of the drought and the force of the winds. Until you are wiped out. The Hebrew verb takes a very strange form here; see Ezek. 28:15 for another of this kind. 25 A horror. A metathesis; with the two middle letters switched around, the Hebrew word has the same meaning.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 25 The LORD will put you to rout before your enemies; you shall march out against them by a single road, but ¯ee from them by many roads. This clearly does not refer to the second exile, but to the ®rst one. As the Romans themselves testify, we fought ®ercely against them (Abarbanel).

186

187 DEUTERONOMY 28:26±31

KI TAVO'

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OJPS

earth. 26Your carcasses shall become food for all the earth. 26And thy carcasses shall be food unto all fowls of birds of the sky and all the beasts of the earth, with none to the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and there shall be none frighten them off. to frighten them away. 27The L ORD will strike you with the 27The L ORD will smite thee with the 26 :ı¯‡‰ ½ Æ -ÏÎÏ ¨ § Ï·ÓÏ ¨ £ © § E˙Ï· § « ¨ § ¦ ‰˙ȉ ³ ¨ § ¨ § ¤ « ¨ ¨ Egyptian in¯ammation, with hemorrhoids, boil of Egypt, and with the emerods, and boil-scars, and itch, from which you shall Ôȇ −¥ § ı¯‡‰ ¤ ®¨ ¨ ˙Ó‰·Ïe ´© ¡ ¤ § ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ −© ¨ © ÛBÚ¬ with the scab, and with the itch, whereof never recover. :„ȯÁÓ « ¦ £ © thou canst not be healed. 28The L ORD will strike you with mad28The L ORD will smite thee with mad27 Æ Æ ¹ ¸ ÌÈÏÙÚ·Â ÌȯˆÓ ¦ © § ¦ ÔÈÁLa ³ ¦ § ¦ ‰Â‰È ¨ § ‰ÎkÈ ¨ § © 29 ness, blindness, and dismay. You shall ness, and with blindness, and with astonŸ ¯L ½ ¦Ÿ § © −© ¬¤ ‡ £ Ò¯Á·e ¤ ®¨ ¤ ·¯b·e −¨ ¨ © ÌȯÁh·e grope at noon as a blind man gropes in the ÏÎe˙-‡Ï ishment of heart. 29And thou shalt grope at dark; you shall not prosper in your ven:‡Ù¯‰Ï «¥ ¨ ¥ § noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, tures, but shall be constantly abused and ÔB‰Ó˙·e − § ¦ § ÔB¯eÚ·e ® ¨ ¦ § ÔBÚbLa − ¨ ¦ § ‰Â‰È ¨½ § ‰ÎkÈ ´¨ § © 28 and thou shalt not make thy ways prosperous; and thou shalt be only oppressed robbed, with none to give help. ¯L¤¸ ‡k £ © Ìȯ‰va ¦ À© ¢ ¨ «© LMÓÓ ´¥ © § ˙Èȉ ¨ ¹¦ ¨ § 29 :··Ï «¨ ¥ and robbed always, and there shall be none 30If you pay the bride-price for a wife, Ÿ ¬ § ‰ÏÙ‡a ¤ ÁÈψ˙ © −¦ § © ‡Ï ¨½ ¥ £ ¨ ƯeÚ‰ ¥ ¦ ¨ LMÓÈ ³¥ © § to save thee. another man shall enjoy her. If you build a -˙‡ 30Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another house, you shall not live in it. If you plant ÌÈÓi‰-Ïk −¦ ¨ © ¨ ÏeÊ‚Â ² ¨ § ˜eLÚ ¯ ¨ C‡ ´© ˙Èȉ ¨ ¹¦ ¨ § EÈίc ®¤ ¨ § 31 man shall lie with her; thou shalt build a a vineyard, you shall not harvest it. Your :ÚÈLBÓ © «¦ Ôȇ ¬¥ § ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, house, and thou shalt not dwell therein; À¥ ¨ § ‰M‡ ¥ © Lȇ ³¦ § N¯‡˙ ´¨ ¦ 30 thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not but you shall not eat of it; your ass shall ‰Ï‚˘È ƯÁ‡ be seized in front of you, and it shall not ̯k ¤¬¤ Ba® ·L˙-‡Ï ´¥ ¥ Ÿ § ‰·z −¤ § ¦ ˙Èa ¦ ¬© ‰p·kLÈ ¨ ¤½ ¨ § ¦ use the fruit thereof. 31Thine ox shall be be returned to you; your ¯ock shall be Ÿ ¬ § Úhz º § 31 :epÏlÁ˙ EÈÈÚÏ ¤À ¥ § Áe·Ë © ´ ¨ E¯BL «¤ § © § ‡Ï −© ¦ slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof; thine ass shall be violently Ÿ ´ § taken away from before thy face, and shall EÈÙlÓ ¤½ ¨ § ¦ ÏeÊb ´ ¨ ÆE¯ÓÁ §Ÿ « £ ¼epnÓ ¤ ¦ »Ï·˙ © Ÿ ‡Ï The worst kind of boilsÐmoist on the not be restored to thee; thy sheep shall be

RASHI 27 The Egyptian in¯ammation. outside and dry underneath (see B. Bek. 41a). Boil-scars. Boils that are completely moist. Itch. Boils that are as dry as a shard,

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why are the ailments of v. 27 not mentioned in v. 22? F Why focus on these in¯ammations to the exclusion of the many other possible ailments one could have? F Shouldn't ``madness, blindness, and dismay'' (v. 28) have been grouped with v. 22 rather than v. 27? F Why must the threat that the Israelites will be ``abused'' (v. 29) be repeated in v. 33?

which is what the same Hebrew word means when spelled differently. 28 Dismay. More literally, ``astonishment of heart'' (OJPS)Ðshock. 29 Abused. There will be strife in everything you do. 30 Another man shall enjoy her. ``Consort'' with her, from the noun used for a king's ``consort.'' The text (via an emendation of the scribes) requires that when the verse is read aloud this verb is replaced with the euphemism ``lie with her.'' You shall not harvest it. Rather, ``you shall not turn it to secular use,'' in the fourth year, when you can ®nally eat its fruit. [J]

RASHBAM 26 With none to frighten them off. There will be no one to drive the birds away from the carcasses, which will be left unburied.

IBN EZRA 26 With none to frighten them off. To frighten off the birds and the beasts. 27 The LORD will strike you. Those who remain alive after the slaughter. Hemorrhoids. Which occur where the sun

doesn't shine, which is why the written form of the words (as opposed to the more genteel [J] See Rashi's comment to 20:6. word that is read aloud) comes from the same root as a word for ``darkness,'' spelled with T instead of the normal B. ``Citadel'' of 2 Kings 5:24, also spelled with T, similarly refers to a dark, hidden location. [G] Boil-scars. The Arabic word is the same. Itch. Some consider this to be the same word as in ``He took a potsherd to scratch himself as he sat in ashes'' (Job 2:8), but that word is spelled with a s and our word is spelled with a S. Others think the word refers to sunstroke, since elsewhere the word in our verse means ``sun.'' In fact it is simply another disease, the word for which does not happen to be used anywhere else in the Bible. 28 Madness, blindness, and dismay. All three of these are psychological. 29 You shall grope. This is the result of the blindness. You shall not prosper in your ventures. The Hebrew uses a transitive verb: ``You shall not make your ventures prosperous'' (compare OJPS). Abused and robbed. By your enemiesÐwith none to save you. 30 If you pay the bride-price for a wife. Here the text begins to detail the kinds of abuse they will suffer. Another man shall enjoy her. Shall ``consort'' with her. The verb is a euphemism, just as the related noun (``consort'') is a euphemism for a woman who is always ready to climb into bed. You shall not harvest it. For the verb, see my comment to 20:6. [G] As he often does, Ibn Ezra simply points to the verse but does not explain the comparison.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 26 With none to frighten them off.

Rather, ``and this will create no anxiety.'' For if there were anyone anxious about it, they would be buried (Bekhor Shor). Everyone will be in too much distress to bother about burying the carcasses (Hizkuni). Rather, the Israelites will ¯ee from their enemies, and even die in vast numbers, although ``there is no one to frighten them'' (Gersonides). 27 Hemorrhoids. ``Piles,'' as we call them (Hizkuni). From which you shall never recover. If the Holy One causes the injury, who is going to cure it? (Hizkuni). 28 Dismay. Literally, ``questioning of heart,'' that is, uncertainty. They will have no idea what to do and will ®nd themselves unable to direct their thoughts (Gersonides). 29 As a blind man gropes in the dark. Even more than he does in the light of day. For where there is light, others see him and direct him. As the blind man told R. Yose when asked why he was carrying a torch, ``When I have a torch in my hand, others see me and warn me when I am heading for a fall'' (Bekhor Shor). 30 If you pay the bride-price for a wife...If you build a house...If you plant a vineyard. Notice that the wife comes ®rst here, rather than last as in 20:7. This fool, who marries before he even builds a house, is cursed appropriately for his actions (Hizkuni).

DEUTERONOMY 28:31±39 KI TAVO'

NJPS

delivered

to

your

IM OK ZCE

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enemies,

with

none

to

help

you.

OJPS

given unto thine enemies; and thou shalt have none to

32

save thee.

while you look on; and your eyes shall strain for them constantly,

other people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for

Your sons and daughters shall be delivered to another people,

but you shall be helpless.

33

A people you do not know shall eat

up the produce of your soil and all your gains; you shall be abused and downtrodden continually, by

what

your

eyes

35

behold.

The

34

until you are driven mad

severe

in¯ammation,

from

which

you

shall never recoverÐfrom the sole of your

The

L ORD

will

drive

you,

and

the

king you have set over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers, where you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone. 37

You shall be a consternation, a proverb,

and

a

byword

among

all

the

peoples

to

Though

you take much

shall

consume

it.

33

The fruit of thy land, and all thy labors, shall a nation

which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed away:

34

so that thou shalt be

Ÿ¬ § Ôȇ ¬¥ § EÈ·È‡Ï ¤½ § Ÿ § ˙B˙ ´ ª § ÆE‡ˆ § Ÿ « CÏ ®¨ ·eLÈ − ¨ ‡Ï ¸¦ ª § EÈ˙·e ÌÚÏ ³© § ÌÈ˙ ¤¹ Ÿ § EÈa ¤¸ ¨ 32 :ÚÈLBÓ © «¦ EÏ −§ ½ Ÿ EÈÈÚ -Ïk¨ ̉ÈÏ ´¤ ¥ § ƯÁ‡ ¥ © −¤ ¥ ‡ £ ˙BÏΠ¬ ¨ § ˙B‡¯ 33 ÆE˙Ó„‡ § «¨ § © ȯt ³¦ § :E„È «¤ ¨ Ï‡Ï −¥ § Ôȇ ¬¥ § ÌBi‰ ®© ½ £ ´¦ § ¨ § zÚ„È-‡Ï ¨ § ®¨ ¨ Ÿ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌÚ −© ÏÎ‡È ¬© Ÿ EÚÈ‚È-ÏΠ:ÌÈÓi‰-Ïk « ¦ ¨ © ¨ ıeˆ¯Â − ¨ § ˜eLÚ ¬ ¨ ˜¯²© ˙Èȉ ¨ À¦ ¨ § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÈÈÚ −¤ ¥ ‰‡¯nÓ ¬¥ § © ¦ ÚbLÓ ®¨ ª § ˙Èȉ ¨ −¦ ¨ § 34 ¹¨ § ‰ÎkÈ -ÏÚ© Ú¯À¨ ÔÈÁLa ´ ¦ § ¦ ‰Â‰È ¨¸ § © 35 :‰‡¯z «¤ § ¦ Ÿ ¯L ÏÎe˙-‡Ï −© ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌȘM‰-ÏÚ ¦ ½© Ÿ © © § ÆÌÈk¯a‰ ¦ ©Æ § ¦ © :E„˜„˜ «¤ ¢ § ¨ „Ú ¬© § EÏ‚¯ − § § © ÛkÓ ¬© ¦ ‡Ù¯‰Ï ®¥ ¨ ¥ § À § Ÿ « ‰Â‰È ¹¨ § CÏBÈ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÆEkÏÓ § § © -˙‡Â «¤ § E˙‡ ¥¸ 36 ¾ ‡¤ EÈÏÚ ‰z‡ ´¨ © zÚ„È-‡Ï ¨ § −© ¨ Ÿ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÈBb-Ï ¤½ ¨ ÌȘz ´¦ ¨ ıÚ ¬¥ ÌȯÁ‡ −¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ¬¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ÌM ²¨ z„·Ú ¨ §¬© ¨ § EÈ˙·‡Â ®¤ Ÿ £ © ‰ÈLÏ ®¨ ¦ § ¦ § ÏLÓÏ − ¨ ¨ § ‰nLÏ ¨½ © § ˙Èȉ ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ § 37 :Ô·‡Â ¤ «¨ ¨ 37 A byword. They will Ÿ § RASHBAM ½¦ © «¨ ÆÏÎa :‰nL ¨ «¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § E‚‰È-¯L ¬ § ¤ ©§ ¤ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰ whet their tongues against you. Ÿ ½ ¡ ¤ ËÚÓe ÛÒ‡z ´© § ‰„O‰ ®¤ ¨ © ‡ÈˆBz ´¦ ·¯−© Ú¯Ê ©¬¤ 38 Úhz −© ¦ ÌÈÓ¯k ¬ ¦ ¨ § 39 :‰a¯‡‰ «¤ § © ¨ epÏÒÁÈ −¤ § § © Èk ¬ ¦ IBN EZRA 32 Your eyes shall strain mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

35

The L ORD will smite thee in the

knees, and

in the

legs, with a

sore

boil,

39

Though

sole of thy foot unto the crown of thy head. 36

The

L ORD

will

bring

thee,

and

thy

king whom thou shalt set over thee, unto a

nation that thou hast not known, thou nor thy

fathers;

and

there

shalt

thou

serve

other gods, wood and stone.

And thou shalt become an astonish-

seed out to

the ®eld, you shall gather in little, for the locust

hand.

37

which the L ORD will drive you. 38

them all the day; and there shall be nought in the power of thy

whereof thou canst not be healed, from the

foot to the crown of your head. 36

Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto an-

L ORD

will af¯ict you at the knees and thighs with a

32

you

ment, a proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples whither the L ORD shall lead

thee away. 38

RASHI 32 Your eyes shall strain for them. That is, your eyes shall ``fail with

Thou shalt carry much seed out into

the ®eld, and shalt gather little in; for the

longing'' (OJPS) as they wait expectantly for them to come backÐbut they are not coming back. Any unrequited expectation is referred to in Hebrew as ``failing of the eyes.'' 37 A consternation. Rather, as with the different word used in v. 28, ``an astonishment'' (OJPS). Every one who sees you will ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F be shocked with astonishment. A proverb. F When some terrible blow falls on people, they say, ``It's like the blow that fell on Soand-So.'' A byword. As in the related verb F in ``teach them diligently unto your children'' (6:7), they will speak about you constantly. Onkelos explains it this way as well. 38 Consume it. They will ®nish it off. That is why one kind of locust is called h. asil, ``®nisher''Ðbecause it ®nishes off everything there is.

locust shall consume it.

Why do vv. 34±35

repeat the ``madness'' and ``in¯ammation'' of vv. 28 and 27?

Why do vv. 36±37 describe the Israelites

being in exile when both before those verses and after them they are in their own landÐand then, in v. 63, once again outside it?

The different categories of

39

Thou shalt plant

for them.

Your eyes will ``look, and fail with longing'' (OJPS); compare ``I long, I yearn for the courts of the LORD'' (Ps. 84:3); ``King David was pining away for Absalom'' (2 Sam. 13:39). 33 Downtrodden. By force.

34 Until you are driven mad by what your eyes behold. The bodily af¯ictions of the next verse. 35 At the knees and thighs. Making it painful to move. From which you shall never recover. Even though they are external and should therefore be curable. NAHMANIDES 36 The LORD will drive you, and the king you have set over 36 Where you shall serve other gods. you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers, where you shall serve other gods, But it will do you no good; see the next of wood and stone. You must understand that the curses increase progressively until He verse. has put an end to their being in ``the land that you are about to enter and possess'' (v. 63). 37 A consternation. More precisely, The only curse that takes effect outside the land during this sequence is that they ``shall ``an astonishment'' (OJPS); everyone who serve other gods, of wood and stone'' (v. 36). This refers our being exiled by the Romans sees you will be shocked. A proverb. To the after King Agrippa went over to them. [H] As you see, the curses within the land still con- ear. And a byword. In the mouth. To tinue after vv. 36±37. It is only in v. 63 that ``you shall be torn from the land,'' in the Exile which the LORD will drive you. On acwith a capital E. It is also possible that ``the king'' referred to here was not Agrippa but count of your transgression. Aristobulus, who was captured by the Roman military commander and brought to Rome in 38 Though you take much seed out to chains. They did indeed become at that point ``a proverb, and a byword'' among all the the ®eld. Before you are driven off, while nations. ``How have the mighty fallen, the weapons of war perished!'' (2 Sam. 1:27). Much you are still in your land, there will be a year later, when Agrippa II became king, what our chapter says in vv. 38 and following began of famine. The locust shall consume it. curses (disease, hunger, war, and so on) are also inter-

mixed and intermingled confusingly for no discernible reason. Why are all the curses involving disease (and so on) not put together in a single passage?

to occur. So our verse does not refer to the exile after the destruction of the Second Tem- Literally, ``shall cut it off.'' But the verb is ple, since vv. 38±62 could only take place before that happened. actually derived from the name of one of the [H] At the end of the Second Temple period. species of locust.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 33 A people you do not know. And who therefore do not know you, and will treat you badly (Hizkuni). 35 The LORD will af¯ict you at the knees and thighs with a severe in¯ammation. This is where such in¯ammation strikes, as we learn from Exod. 9:11, ``The magicians were unable to stand before Moses because of the in¯ammation'' (Bekhor Shor). 36 The LORD will drive you, and the king you have set over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers, where you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone. The Sages make clear that this is a reference to Zedekiah and the Babylonians, not to Agrippa and the Romans (Abarbanel).

188

189 DEUTERONOMY 28:39±47

KI TAVO'

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IM OK ZCE

OJPS

NJPS

plant vineyards and till them, you shall have no wine to vineyards and dress them, but thou shalt neither drink drink or store, for the worm shall devour them. 40Though you of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worm shall eat them. have olive trees throughout your territory, you shall have no oil 40Thou shalt have olive-trees throughout all thy borders, but for anointment, for your olives shall drop off. 41Though you beget thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olives shall sons and daughters, they shall not remain with you, for they shall drop off. 41Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be thine; for they shall go into capgo into captivity. 42The cricket shall take over all the trees and produce of your land. tivity. 42All thy trees and the fruit of thy Ÿ ½ ¡ ¤ ‡Ï Ÿ ´ § ƉzL˙-‡Ï Èk¬¦ ¯‚‡˙ ¤ § ¦ Ÿ « ÔÈÈ ¦ ³© § z„·Ú ¨ §®¨ ¨ § 43The stranger in your midst shall rise land shall the locust possess. ¨ § EÏ − § eÈ‰È ¬ § ¦ ÌÈ˙ÈÊ ² ¦ ¥ 40 :˙ÚÏz‰ © «¨ Ÿ © epÏ·˙ −¤ § Ÿ 43The stranger that is in the midst of above you higher and higher, while you -ÏÎa 44 sink lower and lower: he shall be your :E˙ÈÊ Ÿ ´ ÆÔÓL ½ ¨ ‡Ï «¤ ¥ ÏMÈ −© ¦ Èk ¬ ¦ CeÒ˙ ¤ Ƥ § EÏe·b ®¤ § thee shall mount up above thee higher and creditor, but you shall not be his; he shall Èk Ÿ ¬ ¦ CϨ½ eȉÈ-‡Ï ´§ ¦ § „ÈÏBz ®¦ ˙B·e − ¨ ÌÈa ¬ ¦ ¨ 41 higher; and thou shalt come down lower be the head and you the tail. and lower. 44He shall lend to thee, and E˙Ó„‡ ®¤ ¨ § © ȯÙe ´ ¦ § EˆÚ-Ïk − § ¥ ¨ 42 :È·Ma ¦ «¤ © eÎÏÈ − § ¥ thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be the 45All these curses shall befall you; they shall pursue you and overtake you, until :ψÏv‰ «© ¨ § © L¯ÈÈ −¥ ¨ § head, and thou shalt be the tail. 45And all these curses shall come upon you are wiped out, because you did not ‰ÏÚÓ ½ § § ¦ § ¯L ¨ § ´© EÈÏÚ −¤ ¨ ‰ÏÚÈ ¬¤ £ © Ea¯˜a ´¤ ‡ £ Ưb‰ ¥ © 43 thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake heed the LORD your God and keep the ‡e‰´ 44 :‰hn ¨ «¨ ‰hÓ ¨ ¬© „¯˙ −¥ ¥ ‰z‡Â ¬¨ © § ‰ÏÚn ¨ § ®¨ thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou commandments and laws that He enjoined Ÿ ½ § ‰È‰È Ÿ ´ ‰z‡Â ½ § § © didst not hearken unto the voice of the ´¤ § ¦ ‡e‰μ epÂÏ˙ ®¤ § © ‡Ï −¨ © § EÂÏÈ upon you. 46They shall serve as signs and L‡¯Ï proofs against you and your offspring for :·ÊÏ «¨ ¨ § ‰È‰z ¬¤ § « ¦ ‰z‡Â −¨ © § LORD thy God, to keep His commandall time. 47Because you would not serve the ÆEeÙ„¯e Æ ¨ § ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥À ¨ ˙BÏÏw‰-Ïk ´ ¨ § © ¨ EÈÏÚ ¤¹ ¨ e‡·e ¨¸ 45 ments and His46 statutes which He comLORD your God in joy and gladness over manded thee. And they shall be upon Ÿ ´ ¦ C„ÓM‰ ÆÏB˜a§ zÚÓL ½ ¦ ¦ § thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon ¨ § ©À ¨ ‡Ï-Èk ®¨ § «¨ ¦ „Ú −© Ee‚ÈO‰Â Ÿ ² § ¦ EÈ‰Ï −¨ Ÿ ª § ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¬¨ Ÿ § ¦ ¯ÓLÏ ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § thy seed for ever; 47because thou didst not As in ``the ax-head ÂÈ˙wÁ ¯ies off the handle'' (19:5). ½ § eȉ ˙ÙBÓÏe ®¥ § ˙B‡Ï − § E· ´ ¨ § 46 :Ceˆ «¨ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ serve the LORD thy God with joyfulness, The Hebrew word is and with gladness of heart, by reason of the

RASHI 40 Drop off. 42 The cricket. Ÿ ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ˙Áz © ©À 47 :ÌÏBÚ-„Ú «¨ © Eگʷe − £ §© § « another kind of ``locust'' (OJPS). Shall take -‡Ï over. Literally, ``shall impoverish it'' of fruit. ·eË·e ´ § ‰ÁÓNa −¨ § ¦ § EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ Æz„·Ú ¨ § ©Æ ¨ RASHBAM 40 Your olives shall drop This form of the verb, y'yaresh, cannot mean off. For the verb, compare ``He dislodges that the cricket will ``inherit'' it (which would be

yirash) yorish).

or ``possess'' it (which would be

47 Because you would not serve the LORD your God in joy and gladness over the abundance of everything. That is,

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why must v. 45, ``All these curses shall befall you; they shall pursue you and overtake you,'' reiterate what v. 15 has already said? (OJPS makes the similarity between the two verses clearer.) F Since the detailed curses are not yet complete, why is v. 45 here rather than at the end of the list?

while you still had an abundance of everything, you would nonetheless not serve God in joy and gladness.

NAHMANIDES 42 The cricket.

If this is simply another insect name (as the translations, following Rashi, take it), it is out of place; it ought to be with ``the locust'' of v. 38 and ``the worm'' of v. 39. It is more likely that this Hebrew word indicates the enemy military force implied by the captivity of sons and daughters in v. 41. It is the enemy soldiers who shall take over all the trees and produce of your land. For during the year that they invade, the land will resume producing fruit and crops as it had once done, but the enemy forces will eat them. The Hebrew word used here is related to a word for ``cymbals'': ``Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud-clashing cymbals'' (Ps. 150:5; see also 2 Sam. 6:5). In our context, it must refer to the noise of a military camp: ``the roaring and shouting of the of®cers'' (Job 39:25).

many nations before you'' (7:1). For other examples of the unusual Niphal [B] form of the verb in our verse, see Job 18:16 and Prov. 23:32. 46 As signs. Rather, ``as a symbol'' of cursing. People who curse their enemies will curse them to suffer just this kind of curse. And of course it would be a sign that you failed to serve the Holy One. [B] Current Niphal.

scholarship identi®es these forms as Qal, not

IBN EZRA 39 Though you plant vineyards and till them. The Hebrew does

not say ``though'' (see OJPS); this is one of the curses. You will exhaust yourself planting and tilling, but at harvest time ``you shall not drink'' (again, see OJPS). Or store. ``It lays up its stores during the summer, gathers in its food at the harvest'' (Prov. 6:8). 40 You shall have no oil for anointment. For personal grooming, not ritual: as Daniel says, ``I ate no tasty food, nor did any meat or wine enter my mouth. I did not anoint myself until the three weeks were over'' (Dan. 10:3). For an expression where oil is used, see ``Let your clothes always be freshly washed, and your head never lack ointment'' (Eccles. 9:8). Drop off. The verb is a Niphal. [H] 42 The cricket shall take over all the trees and produce of your land. The verb is (unusually) Piel; as in ``to drive from your path nations greater and more populous than you'' (4:38), the sense is that the cricket will dispossess you of your produce. As for ``cricket,'' this too is unusual in being a quadriliteral and, as a hapax legomenon, unique. Its meaning must be derived from the context. 43 Higher and higher. The doubling of the Hebrew word may indicate either the superlative or something that is constantly repeated. Lower and lower. The same applies here. Essentially they mean ``very, very high'' and ``very, very low.'' 44 He shall be the head and you the tail. For ``the borrower is a slave to the lender'' (Prov. 22:7). 46 Signs. Signs from the Lord, to make you remember that you rebelled against HimÐand not you alone: And your offspring. ``Our fathers sinned and are no more; and we must bear their guilt'' (Lam. 5:7). See my comment there. [I] 47 Over the abundance of everything. ``Everything'' you might want, or perhaps everything you need. [H] See Rashbam's comment and the note. [I] In his comment to Lam. 5:7, Ibn Ezra says the people are upset because they are doing nothing their ancestors did not also doÐyet by the time the total of sins grew to a punishable amount, their ancestors had escaped punishment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 45 All these curses shall befall you.

ment to v. 15 (Abarbanel).

Vv. 45±48 are the closing paragraph of section one; see my com-

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the abundance of everything, 48you shall have to serveÐ abundance of all things; 48therefore shalt thou serve in hunger and thirst, naked and lacking everythingÐthe enemies thine enemy whom the L ORD shall send against thee, in hunger, whom the LORD will let loose against you. He will put an iron and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and yoke upon your neck until He has wiped you out. he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have de49 The L ORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from stroyed thee. 49 The L ORD will bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, which will swoop down like the eagleÐa 50 nation whose language you do not understand, a ruthless na- the end of the earth, as the vulture swoopeth down; a nation tion, that will show the old no regard and the young no mercy. whose tongue thou shalt not understand; 50a nation of ®erce 51 It shall devour the offspring of your cattle and the produce of countenance, that shall not regard the person of the old, nor your soil, until you have been wiped out, show favor to the young. 51And he shall eat leaving you nothing of new grain, wine, or ¯L Ÿ « ·¯Ó Ÿ − ¥ ··Ï ¤¸ ‡ £ Eȷȇ-˙‡ ¤À § Ÿ ¤ z„·Ú ´¨ § © ¨ § 48 :Ïk ®¨ ¥ the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy oil, of the calving of your herds and the Ÿ − ¥ § ‡Óˆ·e ̯ÈÚ·e ²¨ ¨ § ·Ú¯a ¯¨ ¨ § Ca¨½ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § epÁlLÈ ³¤ § © § ground, until thou be destroyed; that also shall not leave thee corn, wine, or oil, the lambing of your ¯ocks, until it has brought Ÿ ³ Ô˙ Ÿ ® ¯ÒÁ·e ½¤ ¨ © © ÆÏʯa º© ¨ § Ïk ¬© E¯‡eˆ-ÏÚ ¤ § © ÏÚ ¤Ÿ ´ § increase of thy kine, or the young of thy you to ruin. 52It shall shut you up in all „Ú :C˙‡ «¨ Ÿ B„ÈÓL‰ − ¦ § ¦ ¯ock, until he have caused thee to perish. your towns throughout your land until 52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, every mighty, towering wall in which you ‰ˆ˜Ó Ÿ ¨ ¥ ÈBb³ EÈÏÚ ¤¸ ¨ Á‰Â‰È ¨ § ‡OÈ ´¨ ¦ 49 ´¥ § ¦ ƘÁ¯Ó until thy high and forti®ed walls come trust has come down. And when you are ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÈBb¾ ¯Lp‰ ¤ ®¨ © ‰‡„È −¤ § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡k £ © ı¯‡‰ ¤ ¨½ ¨ down, wherein thou didst trust, throughshut up in all your towns throughout your ¤¸ ‡ £ ÌÈt ®¦ ¨ ÊÚ ´© ÈBb− 50 :BLÏ « Ÿ § ÚÓL˙-‡Ï −© § ¦ Ÿ out all thy land; and he shall besiege thee land that the L ORD your God has assigned ¯L to you, 53you shall eat your own issue, the :ÔÁÈ in all thy gates throughout all thy land, Ÿ « ¨ ‡Ï Ÿ ¬ ¯Ú ½¥ ¨ § ÆÌÈÙ © −© § Ô˜ÊÏ ¦ ¨ ‡OÈ-‡Ï ³¨ ¦ Ÿ ¯esh of your sons and daughters that the which the L ORD thy God hath given thee. 51 » ¸  „Ú ´© E˙Ó„‡-ȯÙe § ¨ § © « ¦ § EzÓ‰· ¬ § § ¤ § ȯt ¦ § Ï· © ¨§ 53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine L ORD your God has assigned to you, beÀ § ¯È‡LÈ-‡Ï ¹¦ § © Ÿ « ¯L LB¯Èz ´ ¦ ÆÔ‚c ¨ ¨ EÏ ¤¸ ‡ £ ¼C„ÓM‰ ¨ § «¨ ¦ own body, the ¯esh of thy sons and of cause of the desperate straits to which your Ÿ ´ § § © § EÈÙÏ ¬© E‡ˆ −¤ ¨ ‡ £ ¯‚L ¬© § ¯‰ˆÈ ¨½ § ¦ § thy daughters whom the LORD thy God ®¤ Ÿ ˙¯zLÚ enemy shall reduce you. 54He who is most „Ú tender and fastidious among you shall be EȯÚL-ÏÎa À¤ ¨ § ¹ § ¯ˆ‰Â ¨ § EÏ ©¸ ¥ § 52 :C˙‡ «¨ Ÿ B„È·‡‰ − ¦ £ © hath given thee; in the siege and in the too mean to his brother and the wife of straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall ½ ª § © § ˙B‰·b‰ Ƥ Ÿ Ÿ ˙„¯ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ˙B¯ˆa‰Â ´ Ÿ § © ÆEÈ˙ÓÁ ¤ ³¤ „Ú ´© his bosom and the children he has spared straiten thee. 54The man that is tender ÆEϧ ¯ˆ‰Â ³© ¥ § Eˆ¯‡-ÏÎa ®¤ § © ¨ § Ô‰a −¥ ¨ ÁËa ©¬¥ Ÿ ‰z‡ ²¨ © among you, and very delicate, his eye shall ½ § § © ¨¸ § EȯÚL-ÏÎa ½¤ ¨ § ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § Ô˙ ²© ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ Eˆ¯‡-ÏÎa ¨ § be evil against his brother, and against the Suddenly, successfully, and ¯Na À § § ¦ -ȯ٠³© § EË· « ¦ § zÏ· ´¨ § © ¨ § 53 :CÏ «¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ wife of his bosom, and against the remnant of his children whom he hath remaining; with swift horses.

RASHI 49 Which will swoop down like the eagle. A nation whose lan- ®¤ Ÿ ‡¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § EÏ-Ô˙ − § © «¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÈ˙·e ¤½ Ÿ § ÆEÈa ¤Æ ¨ guage you do not understand. Literally, EȉÏ

½ ¨ § ƯBˆÓa «¤ § Ÿ EÏ − § ˜ÈˆÈ-¯L ¬¦ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ˜BˆÓ·e ¨ § ``whose tongue you cannot hear''; but the :E·È‡ translations are correct that this verb can BÈÚ Ÿ ® § ‚ډ Ÿ− ¨ ¤ § Ea ¸© ¥ „‡Ó ½ § C¯‰ ³ ¥ Ú¯z ´© ¨ ÆLȇ‰ ¦ ¨ 54 mean ``understand.'' See ``Now I have heard ½ ¥ ˙L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÂÈa −¨ ¨ ¯˙È·e ¤ ¬¤ § B˜ÈÁ ¤ ‡·e ´¥ § ÆÂÈÁ‡· ¦ ¨ § it said of you that for you to hear a dream is ¯L to understand its meaning'' (Gen. 41:15); ``They did not know that Joseph understood'' (Gen. 42:23). 52 Until every mighty, towering wall in which you trust has come down. Rather, until every wall ``has been dominated and conquered.'' 53 The desperate straits. Not just ``in the siege and the straits'' (compare OJPS), but because of them. Due to the siege, hunger will have you in desperate straits. 54 He who is most tender and fastidious among you. NJPS recognizes correctly that the ``tender'' one and the ``fastidious'' one are the same person. The Hebrew (here and in ``she who is most tender and dainty'' of v. 56) leaves open the possibility that these are two different people. But ``for delicateness and tenderness'' of v. 56 (OJPS) clari®es that both the adjectives refer to the same person. Shall be too mean. That is, too greedy. Despite his fastidiousness at the ordinarily disgusting idea of eating the ¯esh of his own

IBN EZRA 49 Swoop down.

This rare verb is used elsewhere to refer to ¯ying: ``He mounted a cherub and ¯ew, gliding on the wings of the wind'' (Ps. 18:11).

53 You shall eat your own issue. To which your enemy shall reduce you. The Hebrew has ``eneDuring the siege.

mies'' (OJPS), but the verb is singular: each of your enemies will reduce you. Or the altered vowel might simply indicate a pausal form, meaning that ``enemy'' would indeed be singular after all. 54 The children he has spared. This could indeed mean that the father has spared them (by keeping them in hiding), but it might also mean that the enemy has spared themÐin either case, of course, as a NAHMANIDES 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar. In result of the siege. Agrippa's time, Vespasian and his son Titus came to the land with a mighty force of Romans and they besieged and captured all the forti®ed towns of Judah, as the history books tell us. When they took the walls of Jerusalem, all that was left was the Temple and the wall of the courtyard surrounding it, and those inside were indeed eating the ¯esh of their sons and daughters. When that too was captured, the phrase ``you shall be torn from the land'' (v. 63) was at last ful®lled.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 49 Like the eagle. According to Dan. 7:4, these are the Babylonians: ``The ®rst was like a lion but had eagles' wings'' (Hizkuni). A nation whose language you do not understand. And with whom you will therefore not be able to plead; they are barbarian in every sense of the word (Hizkuni). The section about the coming of the Romans begins here (Abarbanel). 50 A ruthless nation. The Hebrew phrase is also found only in Dan. 8:23 (Masorah). According to Dan. 8:23, these are the Romans (Hizkuni). The Romans did not attack Jerusalem just once, but three times: under Pompey, during the struggle between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus; a second time, in support of Herod; and the third time in the days of Vespasian and Titus. The rest of this passage describes eight aspects of the horrible war waged by Titus against Jerusalem (Abarbanel). 51 Oil. This is not the standard word for ordinary oil, but a word etymologically connected to the idea of ``shining.'' It refers to the clarity and purity of the oil from the ®rst pressing (Kimhi).

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share with any of them the ¯esh of the children that OJPS 55so that he will not give to any of them of the ¯esh of he eats, because he has nothing else left as a result of the des- his children whom he shall eat, because he hath nothing left perate straits to which your enemy shall reduce you in all your him; in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemy towns. 56And she who is most tender and dainty among you, so shall straiten thee in all thy gates. 56The tender and delicate tender and dainty that she would never woman among you, who would not adventure to set a foot on the ground, shall venture to set the sole of her foot upon the begrudge the husband of her bosom, and ÆÂÈa ground for delicateness and tenderness, ¨ ¨ ¯NaÓ ³© § ¦ Ì‰Ó ¤À ¥ „Á‡Ï ´© © § | ˙zÓ ´¥ ¦ 55 :¯È˙BÈ «¦ her son and her daughter, 57the afterbirth her eye shall be evil against the husband Ÿ ® BÏ-¯È‡L‰ ƯBˆÓa ¨ § Ïk − « ¦ § ¦ ÈÏaÓ ¬ ¦ § ¦ ÏÎ‡È ¥½ Ÿ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ that issues from between her legs and the of her bosom, and against her son, and ½ ¨ § ¨ § E·È‡ − § ¦ Ÿ EÏ ² § ˜ÈˆÈ ¬ ¦ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ˜BˆÓ·e babies she bears; she shall eat them se- -ÏÎa against her daughter; 57and against her cretly, because of utter want, in the des- -‡Ï Ÿ ¯L ¹ § ‰k¯‰ ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰bډ ¨À ª £ ¨ § E· ¨¸ © ¨ 56 :EȯÚL «¤ ¨ § afterbirth that cometh out from between perate straits to which your enemy shall ‚pÚ˙‰Ó −¥ © § ¦ ¥ ı¯‡‰-ÏÚ ¤ ¨½ ¨ © ‚v‰ ´¥ © ÆdÏ‚¯-ÛÎ ¨ § © © ‰˙q ³¨ § ¦ her feet, and against her children whom she shall bear; for she shall eat them for reduce you in your towns. Ÿ®¥ ½¨ ¥ Lȇa d··e −¨ § ¦ d˜ÈÁ ´ ¦ § ÆdÈÚ ¨ ¥ Ú¯z ³© ¥ C¯Óe 58If you fail to observe faithfully all the want of all things secretly; in the siege and º¨ ¨ § ¦ § « 57 :dz··e ´¥ ¦ | ˙ˆBi‰ ´¥ © d˙ÈÏL·e «¨ ¦ § terms of this Teaching that are written in ÔÈaÓ in the straitness, wherewith thine enemy this book, to reverence this honored and ÌÏ·˙-Èk ¬¥ § Ÿ « ¦ „Ïz ¥½ ¥ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ƉÈ··e ¨ ¤Æ ¨ § ‰ÈÏ‚¯ ¨ ¤À § © shall straiten thee in thy gates. 58If thou wilt not observe to do all the awesome Name, the LORD your God, 59the Ÿ − -¯ÒÁa ½ ¨ § ƯBˆÓa ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ˜BˆÓ·e ¨ § ¯˙qa ¤ ®¨ © Ïk ¤Ÿ « § LORD will in¯ict extraordinary plagues words of this law that are written in this :EȯÚLa «¤ ¨ § ¦ E·È‡ − § ¦ Ÿ EÏ ² § ˜ÈˆÈ ¬ ¦ ¨ book, that thou mayest fear this glorious upon you and your offspring, strange and lasting plagues, malignant and chronic Æȯ·c-Ïk Ÿ ¹ § ¦ ‡Ï-̇ Ÿ¸ À £ © ¯ÓL˙ ¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ ˙BNÚÏ ¦ 58 and awful Name, the LORD thy God; 60 59then the L ORD will make thy plagues diseases. He will bring back upon you all ‰f‰ Ÿ ½ © ‰¯Bz‰ ®¤ © ¯Ùqa ¤ ´¥ © ÌÈ·e˙k‰ −¦ § © ˙‡f‰ ´¨ © the sicknesses of Egypt that you dreaded wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, ‰f‰ ¤½ © Ƈ¯Bp‰Â ¨ © § „aÎp‰ ³¨ § ¦ © ÌM‰-˙‡ ¥º © ¤ ‰‡¯ÈÏ ¨ § ¦ §  even great plagues, and of long con¨ § ‡Ïى ³¨ § ¦ § 59 :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ˙‡ −¥ tinuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long RASHI children, hunger will give him -˙‡¤ Æ‰Â‰È Ÿ § ˙BkÓ ½ § Ÿ ´ © continuance. 60And He will bring back ³ © EÚ¯Ê ®¤ § © ˙BkÓ ´ © ˙‡Â −¥ § E˙kÓ such an appetite for it that he will not share Æ˙BÏ„b upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which it even with a single one of his remaining :ÌÈÓ‡ ½ ¨ ¡´ ¤ § « ¦ ¨ ¡ ¤ § ÌÈÚ¯ −¦ ¨ ÌÈÏÁ ¬ ¦ ¨ ¢ ¨ ˙BÓ‡ thou wast in dread of; and they shall cleave children. He will just go ahead and eat their 60 ½© § ¦ ‰Â„Ó À § ·ÈL‰Â ¯L ¬ ¤ ‡ £ ÌȯˆÓ ¦ ´ ¥ § © -Ïk ¨ ˙‡ ¥ μ Ea ´ ¦ ¥ § siblings. Another reading: hunger will make the most tender, that is, the most compas'B ZSI v. 57. RASHBAM 57 The afterbirth that issionate, of you so cruel that he will not give sues from between her legs and the baany of his slaughtered children's ¯esh to the ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F ``If you fail to obbies she bears. In secret. She will make children that are left. serve faithfully all the terms of this Teaching that are sure no one knows, so she herself can eat 56 Her son and her daughter. Her written in this book'' (v. 58) is another general state- them. Even these she will begrudge to her ment of the kind that belongs at the beginning or the older son and daughter. end, not in the middle. Why is it here? F The com- husband and her older children. ``Afterbirth'' 57 The afterbirth. Rather, ``the younger parable curses of Leviticus 26 end with words of is indeed the correct translation according children.'' She will be so greedy when she is comfort: ``Yet, even then, when they are in the land to the straightforward sense; the word is eating one of the children that she will not of their enemies, I will not reject them or spurn them known from the Talmud. give any of the meat to the others who are so as to destroy them, annulling My covenant with 59 Chronic. This is the correct translawith her. them: for I the LORD am their God. I will remember tion. The word is used elsewhere in the 59 The LORD will in¯ict extraordi- in their favor the covenant with the ancients, whom sense of something ongoing or long lasting: freed from the land of Egypt in the sight of the nary plagues upon you. OJPS translates Inations to be their God: I, the LORD'' (Lev. 26:44±45). ``Your faithfulness is for all generations'' (Ps. more literally, but NJPS has the sense. 119:90); ``I will ®x him as a peg in a ®rm Why is there no such comfort in our chapter? Chronic. Literally, ``reliable.'' These displace'' (Isa. 22:23). eases can be relied on to ful®ll their mission of chastising you. 60 He will bring back upon you all the sicknesses of Egypt that you dreaded so. IBN EZRA 55 In all your towns. LitThe ``sicknesses'' are singular in the Hebrew, but what they ``dreaded'' is marked as erally, ``in all your gates'' (OJPS), but NJPS pluralÐit is the plagues. When the Israelites saw the bizarre plagues that came upon the has the sense. Egyptians, they were afraid of being af¯icted by them too. You can be sure of this because 57 The afterbirth. This is the placenta. of what God told them when they left Egypt: ``If you will heed the LORD your God dili- From between her legs. This is a somegently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all what euphemistic way of phrasing it. The His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the same euphemism is used in 2 Sam. 19:25. Egyptians, for I the LORD am your healer'' (Exod. 15:26). If you want to frighten someone, 59 The LORD will in¯ict extrayou threaten him with something that he dreads. ordinary plagues upon you. The Hebrew can be more literally translated as ``the Lord will extraordinize your plagues'' (compare OJPS). The verb implies doing something whose like has never been seen or heard before. The noun (and suf®x) ``your plagues'' is a strange hybrid of singular and plural forms; you will ®nd another such in Ps. 132:12. Chronic. Literally, ``faithful,'' meaning that they are never cured.

NJPS

55to

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 59 Strange and lasting plagues.

Literally, ``great and faithful'' plaguesÐplagues that will faithfully carry out their mission, which is to bring you back to the good. As Prov. 27:6 tells us, ``Faithful are the wounds of a friend''; a true friend can be relied on never to hurt you but for your own good (Bekhor Shor). They are ``great and faithful'' in the sense of being powerful and long lasting (Kimhi).

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so, and they shall cling to you. 61Moreover, the LORD OJPS unto thee. 61Also every sickness, and every plague, which will bring upon you all the other diseases and plagues that are is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring not mentioned in this book of Teaching, until you are wiped out. upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 62And ye shall be left few in 62You shall be left a scant few, after having been as numerous as number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; the stars in the skies, because you did not heed the command of because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 63And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD your God. 63And as the LORD once delighted in making you prosperous ÆÈÏÁ-Ïk ¦ ¢ ¨ Ìb ³© 61 :Ca«¨ e˜·„ − § ¨ § ̉ÈtÓ ®¤ ¥ § ¦ z¯‚È ¨ §Ÿ − ¨ the LORD rejoiced over you to do you ORD and many, so will the LORD now delight in ‰¯Bz‰ Ÿ ´ ƯL ½ ¨ ‡Ï ´¨ © ¯ÙÒa ¤ −¥ § ·e˙Î ¤‡ £ ‰kÓ ¨½ © -ÏΠ¨ § good, and to multiply you; so the L will rejoice over you to cause you to percausing you to perish and in wiping you Ÿ® © ish, and to destroy you; and ye shall be «¨ § ¨ ¦ „Ú −© EÈÏÚ ¤½ ¨ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÌÏÚÈ ³¥ § © ˙‡f‰ out; you shall be torn from the land that :C„ÓM‰ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ˙Áz © © μ ËÚÓ ¨½ § È˙Óa ´¥ § ¦ ÆÌz¯‡L ¤ § © § ¦ § 62 plucked from off the land whither thou you are about to enter and possess. 64The L ORD will scatter you among all Ÿ ´ ¦ ·¯Ï Ÿ ® ¨ ÌÈÓM‰ ‡Ï-Èk ¦ −© ¨ © È·ÎBÎk ¬¥ § § Ì˙Èȉ ¤½ ¦ ¡ goest in to possess it. 64And the L ORD shall scatter thee the peoples from one end of the earth to ‰È‰Â ¨ ¨ §Â 63 :EÈ‰Ï «¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § ÏB˜a − § zÚÓL ¨ § ©½ ¨ among all peoples, from the one end of the the other, and there you shall serve other ¹¨ § NN-¯L ¤ § ¤ ·ÈËÈ‰Ï ´ ¦ ¥ § ÌÎÈÏÚ ¤À ¥ £ ‰Â‰È ¨¸ ¤ ‡k £ © earth even unto the other end of the earth; gods, wood and stone, whom neither you »ÌÎ˙‡ and there thou shalt serve other gods, nor your ancestors have experienced. 65Yet ÌÎÈÏÚ ¤½ ¥ £ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § NÈNÈ ³¦ ¨ Ôk ´¥ ¼ÌÎ˙‡ ¤ § ¤ ˙Ba¯‰Ïe ´ §© § even among those nations you shall ®nd ÌÎ˙‡ ®¤ § ¤ „ÈÓL‰Ïe ´¦ § © § ÌÎ˙‡ −¤ § ¤ „È·‡‰Ï ¬ ¦ £ © § which thou hast not known, thou65 nor no peace, nor shall your foot ®nd a place to thy fathers, even wood and stone. And ¬¨ © ¤ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ «¨ ÏÚÓ ´© ¥ ÆÌzÁq ¤ § © ¦ § among these nations shalt thou have no rest. The LORD will give you there an an- -‡·¨ ‰z‡-¯L :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰nL ¨ −¨ repose, and there shall be no rest for the guished heart and eyes that pine and a 66 despondent spirit. The life you face shall ‰ˆ˜Ó ½¦ © ´¨ ¨ § Æ‰Â‰È ¬¥ § ¦ ÌÈnÚ‰-ÏÎa ¨ § EˆÈى ³ § « ¦ ¡ ¤ 64 sole of thy foot; but the LORD shall give be precarious; you shall be in terror, night thee there a trembling heart, and failing of ÌM¨¹ z„·Ú ¨ § ©¸ ¨ § ı¯‡‰ ¤ ®¨ ¨ ‰ˆ˜-„Ú ´¥ § © § ı¯‡‰ ¤ −¨ ¨ eyes, and languishing of soul. 66And thy À¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ¬¨ © zÚ„È-‡Ï ¨ § ²© ¨ Ÿ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ÌȯÁ‡ ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ life shall hang in doubt before thee; and RASHI 61 The LORD will bring upon ‰z‡ you. Literally, He will bring them ``up'' on ‡ÏŸ ´ Æ̉‰ ¥ ¨ ÌÈBb·e ³¦ © 65 :Ô·‡Â ¤ «¨ ¨ ıÚ ¬¥ EÈ˙·‡Â −¤ Ÿ £ © thou shalt fear night and day, and shalt

NJPS

you.

© ¨ § EÏ‚¯-ÛÎÏ ®¤ § © © § ÁBÓ © − ¨ ‰È‰È-‡Ï ¬¤ § ¦ Ÿ § ÚÈb¯˙ © ½¦ § © 63 So will the LORD now delight in ÁÔ˙ IBN EZRA 61 Will bring upon you. ¸¨ § Literally, ``will bring them up on you'' ¬ £ «© § ÌÈÈÚ ¦ −© ¥ ÔBÈÏΠ¬ § ¦ § Êb¯ ¨½ © ·Ï ´¥ ÆÌL ¨ EÏ ¬ § ‰Â‰È causing you to perish. Rather, He ``will ÔB·‡„Â

cause [your enemies] to delight in causing „‚pÓ ¤®¤ ¦ EÏ − § ÌȇÏz ¬ ¦ ª § EÈiÁ ¤½ © eȉ ´ ¨ § 66 :LÙ ¤ «¨ (though the vowels are slightly different than you to perish.'' But the Holy One Himself one would expect). But others think it does will not delight in it. We see from this ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are the Israel- simply mean ``bring,'' like the verb spelled that the Holy One takes no pleasure in the ites threatened that they will ``serve other gods, wood this way in Aramaic. downfall of the wicked. The verb is not Qal, and stone, whom neither you nor your ancestors have 63 As the LORD once delighted in ``delight,'' but Hiphil, ``cause [others] to de- experienced'' (v. 64), a threat not found in the Levit- making you prosperous and many, so light.'' [K] But, as we see from the beginning icus 26 curses? will the LORD now delight in causing you of the verse, He Himself rejoices when good to perish. That is, you ought not to think comes to the righteous. [L] You shall be torn from the land. That is, uprooted: ``The that anything can cause Him suffering or LORD will pluck up the house of the proud'' (Prov. 15:25). grief. As Elihu asked Job rhetorically, ``If 64 There you shall serve other gods. Rather, as Onkelos translates, ``others' gods.'' you are righteous, what do you give Him; You will not directly serve these gods, but will have to give service and pay poll taxes to what does He receive from your hand?'' their priests. (Job 35:7). You shall be torn from the 65 You shall ®nd no peace. ``No repose'' (OJPS): ``This is the place of repose'' (Isa. land. Another Niphal verb; the R of the root 28:12). An anguished heart. Literally, ``a trembling heart'' (OJPS): ``The peoples hear, is missing. For the meaning, see ``The LORD they tremble'' (Exod. 15:14); ``Sheol below was astir to greet your coming'' (Isa. 14:9); will pluck up the house of the proud'' (Prov. ``Then the earth rocked and quaked, the foundations of heaven shook'' (2 Sam. 22:8). 15:25). Eyes that pine. Waiting for deliverance that never comes. 66 Precarious. This is from FN\ 66 The life you face shall be precarious. OJPS combines the literal meaning and (``hang, depend''), with B substituting for the the sense of the Hebrew by saying that your life ``shall hang in doubt'' before you. Hanging F of the root. is a common metaphor for doubt. ``Will I die today, by the sword that is coming upon us?'' But the midrash applies this phrase to one who must buy his grain in the market, and the phrase at the end of the verse, with no assurance of survival, to one who depends on buying bread every day.

[K] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

[L] Some texts have only the ®rst sentence of this comment.

NAHMANIDES 64 The LORD will scatter you among all the peoples from one end of the earth to the other.

The Romans took the exiles from Jerusalem back to Rome with them, and there were many other nations with themÐGreece, Egypt, Aram, and many others, ful®lling the words of this verse. It is from this point in the chapter that their lives in exile are described. 66 The life you face shall be precarious. Due to our fear of the nations among whom we live in exile, who are constantly issuing decrees against us. This is de®nitely describing the exile after the second destruction, when they plotted to destroy the Jews completely.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 63 As the LORD once delighted in making you prosperous and many, so will the LORD now delight in causing you to perish and in wiping you out. The Hebrew text here contains an allusion to the date of our redemption, via Daniel 12, Exod. 12:40, and Ps. 90:4. The Messiah will come while it is still ``day,'' for 20 years before the onset of the ``sabbath'' of the worldÐin 5163 (Bekhor Shor). 65 Yet even among those nations you shall ®nd no peace. There will be no Sabbath peace until the coming of the Messiah (Bekhor Shor).

192

193 DEUTERONOMY 28:66±69

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and day, with no assurance of survival. 67In the morning OJPS have no assurance of thy life. 67In the morning thou you shall say, ``If only it were evening!'' and in the evening you shalt say: ``Would it were even!'' and at even thou shalt say: shall say, ``If only it were morning!''Ðbecause of what your heart ``Would it were morning!'' for the fear of thy heart which thou shall dread and your eyes shall see. 68The LORD will send you shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. 68And the L ORD shall bring thee back into back to Egypt in galleys, by a route which I Egypt in ships, by the way whereof I said told you you should not see again. There unto thee: ``Thou shalt see it no more you shall offer yourselves for sale to your :EÈiÁa Ÿ ¬ § ÌÓBÈ «¤ © § ÔÈÓ‡˙ −¦ £ © ‡Ï ¨½ § ‰ÏÈÏ ¨ § ´© Æz„ÁÙe ¨ § © «¨ again''; and there ye shall sell yourselves enemies as male and female slaves, but ·¯Ú·e ¤¬¤ ¨ ·¯Ú ¤ ¤½ ÔzÈ-ÈÓ ´¥ ¦ « ¦ ƯӇz © Ÿ ¯˜aa ¤ Ÿ ³ © 67 unto your enemies for bondmen and for none will buy. 69These are the terms of the covenant ´¤ ‡ £ ÆE··Ï § «¨ § „ÁtÓ © ³© ¦ ¯˜a ¤ Ÿ ® ÔzÈ-ÈÓ ´¥ ¦ « ¦ ¯Ó‡z −© Ÿ ¯L bondwoman, and no man shall buy you. 69These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to :‰‡¯z «¤ § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EÈÈÚ −¤ ¥ ‰‡¯nÓe ¬¥ § © ¦ „ÁÙz ¨½ § ¦ conclude with the Israelites in the land of ÆC¯ca ¸ § « ¦ ¡ «¤ 68 which the LORD commanded Moses to ¤ Ƥ © ¼˙Bi‡a ¦ ¢ ¨ »ÌȯˆÓ ¦ © § ¦ | ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § E·ÈL‰Â make with the children of Israel in the Moab, in addition to the covenant which Ÿ EÏ ½ § Èz¯Ó‡ ®¨ Ÿ § ¦ „BÚ− ÛÈÒ˙-‡Ï ¬¦ Ÿ d˙‡¯Ï « ¦ § ´© ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ land of Moab, beside the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb. ÌÈ„·ÚÏ ¬ ¦ ¨ £ © EÈ·È‡Ï ²¤ § Ÿ § ÌL ¯¨ Ìz¯kÓ˙‰Â ¤¸ § © © § ¦ § He made with them in Horeb. Ò :‰˜ «¤Ÿ Ôȇ ¬¥ § ˙BÁÙLÏ − ¨ § ¦ § RASHI 67 In the morning you shall say, ``If only it were evening!'' Yesterday ‰Â‰È ¹¦ § © ȯ·„ ¸¥ § ¦ Á‰l¤ ‡¥ 69 RASHBAM 67 If only it were eve´¨ § ‰eˆ-¯L ¯¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ © « § ˙ȯa‰

In the evening you shall say, ``If ning! The straightforward sense is that it Ÿ ² § ¦ ‰LÓ ¤ ´¤ § χ¯NÈ −¥ ¨ § ¦ Èa ¬¥ § -˙‡¤ ˙¯ÎÏ ¤À Ÿ -˙‡¤ means the evening to come. This is the kind only it were morning!'' This morning. For ı¯‡a evening.

your troubles will continue to get worse, each hour more cursed than the last. OJPS translates more literally, but NJPS has the sense. The Hebrew might simply mean ``be sold,'' but it cannot mean that here because we are immediately told that Instead, they will decree death and destruction on you.

68 In galleys. There you shall offer yourselves for sale. none will buy.

½ ¦ § © „·lÓ Ìz‡ −¨ ¦ ˙¯k ¬© ¨ -¯L ¤‡ £ ˙ȯa‰ ´© § ¦ ·‡BÓ ®¨ «¥Ÿ § Ù :·¯Áa

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why was it necessary for ``Moses to conclude [a covenant] with the Israelites in the land of Moab . . . in addition to the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb'' (v. 69)? F Why is there no curse here equivalent to the threat to ``make the land desolate'' (Lev. 26:32) so that it can ``make up for its sabbath years throughout the time that it is desolate and you are in the land of your enemies'' (Lev. 26:34)?

of thing that sick people say. This refers to the curses of Leviticus 26, which conclude with the words ``These are the laws, rules, and instructions that the LORD established, through Moses on Mount Sinai'' (Lev. 26:46). Mount Sinai is Mount Horeb.

69 At Horeb.

IBN EZRA 68 You shall offer yourselves for sale. Though the suf®x is mas-

69 These are the terms of the coveculine, the meaning includes males and fenant which the LORD commanded Momales. ses to conclude with the Israelites. They must accept the Torah under oath. In addition to the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb. This refers to the curses of Leviticus 26, which were uttered at Sinai.

NAHMANIDES 68 The L

will send you back to Egypt in galleys.

ORD This was after they had removed them from the land. The Sages ask: Why Egypt? Because the worst-possible thing for a slave is to return him to his original master. So Egypt is being used here as a threat. But once completely exiled, we are not subject to those curses; we are simply living in the various countries as their own inhabitants do, and perhaps even a little better since God is merciful to us. For our dwelling in exile falls under the promise, ``Yet, even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or spurn them so as to destroy them, annulling My covenant with them: for I the LORD am their God'' (Lev. 26:44). As I have already explained in my comment to Lev. 26:16, this Deuteronomy covenant is about the exile in which we live today, in the hands of the ``fourth beast'' of Dan. 7:7, from which He promised to redeem us. The exile and return described in 4:25±31, concerning idolatry, was the Babylonian exile after the destruction of the First Temple. The threat to ``wipe you off the face of the earth'' (6:15) was directed speci®cally at the generation that entered the land, but they did not practice idolatry and this punishment never occurred. The same is true of the warnings in Deuteronomy 8. But this fourth warning ends with a great promise: ``The LORD your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you'' (30:3). This is a promise of complete redemption from the exile in which we are living now. The ®fth such passage, ``The LORD said to Moses: You are soon to lie with your fathers. This people will thereupon go astray after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them. Then My anger will ¯are up against them, and I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them'' (31:16±17, and see on through 31:21), prophesies quite plainly that this exile would indeed happenÐa prophecy that has been literally ful®lled, exactly as written.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 67 If only it were morning!

Which morning does this refer to? Since no one knows what tomorrow will be likeÐ``For you do not know what the day will bring'' (Prov. 27:1)Ðhe must mean the morning that has passed. For the exile only grows worse and worse (Bekhor Shor). ORD A heavy blow. For even those who are too weak to walk, like infants and the elderly, will be transported into captivity (Hizkuni). This too was obviously part of the ®rst, Babylonian, exile and not the current Roman one; see Jeremiah 43 (Abarbanel). Rather, ``there you shall offer [various things] for sale'' (Sforno). The Egyptians will say, ``Our ancestors were struck with plagues and drowned in the sea because of you. We wouldn't take these things if you gave them to us for free!'' When their captors see that they are worthless, they will beat them and starve them (Bekhor Shor). No one will buy what you are trying to sell, and you will not be able to make a living (Sforno). ORD I believe this is not the conclusion of the blessings and curses passage, but the introduction to Deuteronomy 29 (Abarbanel).

68 The L

will send you back to Egypt in galleys. There you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies. But none will buy.

69 These are the terms of the covenant which the L

commanded Moses to conclude with the Israelites.

DEUTERONOMY 29:1±5 KI TAVO'

29

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29

OJPS Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto You have seen all that the LORD did before your very eyes in them: the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his courtiers and to his Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the whole country: 2the wondrous feats that you saw with your own land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto eyes, those prodigious signs and marvels. all his land; 2the great trials which thine 3Yet to this day the L ORD has not given KTKC[ eyes saw, the signs and those great wonyou a mind to understand or eyes to see or χ¯NÈ-Ïk ders; 3but the LORD hath not given you a −¥ ¨ § ¦ ¨ -χ¤ ‰LÓ ²¤ Ÿ ‡¯˜i ¬¨ § ¦ © ears to hear. heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¥ ‡ £ ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ´ © 4I led you through the wilderness forty hear, unto this day. 4And I have led you forty years in the ³¨ § ‰NÚ ¨¸ ¨ Á¯L ¤ ‡-Ïk £ ¨ ˙‡ ´¥ Ì˙ȇ¯ ¤À ¦ § Ìz‡ ´¤ © years; the clothes on your back did not ‰Â‰È wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet; -ÏÎÏe Ÿ ¬ § © § ÌȯˆÓ ¨ § ‰Ú¯ÙÏ ¦ ½© § ¦ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § ÆÌÎÈÈÚÏ ¤ ¥ «¥ § wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old 5you had no bread to eat and no wine or 2 Ÿ ½ Ÿ § © Æ˙Bqn‰ ˙Ï„b‰ © © :Bˆ¯‡-ÏÎÏe « § © ¨ § ÂÈ„·Ú −¨ ¨ £ upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old other intoxicant to drinkÐthat you might upon thy foot. 5Ye have not eaten bread, Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ÌÈ˙Ùn‰Â ² ¦ § © § ˙˙‡‰ ¯ ¨ EÈÈÚ ® ¤ ¥ e‡¯ − ¨ ¯L ¬ ¤ ‡ £ neither have ye drunk wine or strong know that I the LORD am your God. Æ·Ï¥ ÌÎÏ ¸¨ § ÁÔ˙-‡Ï ¬¤ ¨ ‰Â‰È © ¨ Ÿ « § 3 :̉‰ «¥ ¨ ÌÈÏ„b‰ −¦ Ÿ § © drink; that ye might know that I am the RASHI 29:3 To this day the LORD has „Ú−© ÚÓLÏ ©Ÿ ® § ¦ ÌÈʇ ¦´© § ¨ § ˙B‡¯Ï − § ¦ ÌÈÈÚ ¦¬© ¥ § ˙Ú„Ï © ½© ¨ LORD your God. not given you a mind to understand. To :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBi‰ ¬ © RASHBAM 29:3 Yet to this day the recognize the many kindnesses of the Holy One, and to hold fast to Him. I have heard ¯a„na ®¨ § ¦ © ‰L −¨ ¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡ ¬ ¦ ¨ § © ÌÎ˙‡ ²¤ § ¤ CÏB‡Â ¬¥ ¨ 4 LORD has not given you a mind to unthat on the day ``Moses wrote down this -‡Ï Ÿ « EÏÚ Ÿ « derstand. Though you have seen His great ¬ § © «© § ÌÎÈÏÚÓ ¤½ ¥ £ ¥ ÆÌÎÈ˙ÓÏN ¤ ¥ Ÿ « § © eÏ· ³ ¨ -‡Ï Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of deeds. Ÿ ´ ÌÁÏ ¤½ § © £ ‡Ï ¤ ¤ μ5 :EÏ‚¯ «¤ § © ÏÚÓ ¬© ¥ ‰˙Ï· −¨ § ¨ Levi'' (31:9) all Israel came before him and ÌzÏ· said, ``Our master Moses! We too stood at Èk Ÿ ´ ¯ÎL ½ § «¥ ÆÔÚÓÏ ² ¦ eÚ„z © Æ© § Ì˙È˙L ®¤ ¦ § ‡Ï −¨ ¥ § ÔÈÈ ¦ ¬© § IBN EZRA 29:1 Moses summoned all Sinai and received the Teaching, and it was :ÌÎÈ‰Ï «¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È −¨ § È‡ ¬ ¦ £ Israel. To make this covenant in the plains given to us as well. Why have you given of Moab, according to the Lord's command. NJPS

ËÎ

the members of your own tribe a monopoly ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Is it really necessary over it? Tomorrow they will be saying, `It at this stage for Moses to tell the Israelites once more, was not given to you but to us.''' Moses was ``You have seen all that the LORD did before your very delighted to hear this, and said to them, eyes in the land of Egypt'' (v. 1)? F Why does Moses ``Today you have become the people of the mention the ``prodigious signs and marvels'' done in LORD your God'' (27:9)Ðthis day I under- Egypt (v. 2) but not the splitting of the sea, the thestand that you do indeed desire to hold ophany at Sinai, the defeat of Amalek, or the conquest of Sihon and Og? F What could Moses possibly have fast to the Holy One. Now that you have meant by telling them that ``to this day the LORD has ``reached this place'' (v. 6) where you ®nd not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or yourselves great and honored, do not kick ears to hear'' (v. 3), which asserts that their rebelliousagainst ``the Place'' [M] and do not grow ness was predetermined by God? F Doesn't this ashaughty, but ``observe faithfully all the sertion contradict ``It has been clearly demonstrated to terms of this covenant'' (v. 8). Another you that the LORD alone is God; there is none beside (4:35)? F Why, instead of invoking the miracle reading: To this day the LORD has not Him'' of the manna, does Moses refer to it negatively by given you a mind to understand. It takes saying, ``you had no bread to eat'' (v. 5)? F Why does a man 40 years to fully understand the mind Moses switch at this point from speaking in his own of his master and the wisdom of what he has name and speak in God's voice: ``that you might know learned. So the Holy One did not crack that I the LORD am your God''Ðafter which he down on them until ``this day.'' But from speaks once again as himself? ``this day'' forward He would. So Moses warned them, ``Observe faithfully all the terms of this covenant'' (v. 8). [M] A name of God in rabbinic literature.

That is why he tells them, ``You stand this day, all of you, before the LORD your God . . . to enter into the covenant'' (29:9, 11).

You have seen all that the LORD did before your very eyes. Some of them saw the

miracles done in Egypt; those that came after them saw the miracle of the manna (v. 5); while even the youngest ones had at least seen the victories over Sihon and Og (v. 6).

3 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. For they had tried

the Lord 10 times, and did not even recognize the wondrous feats they themselves had seen. With regard to ``the Lord has not given you a mind,'' he is speaking metaphorically; God, after all, is the First Cause. [J] He is not telling them that God has not permitted them to understand, but that they have not used the minds He gave them to understand. For they had certainly seen that they ``had no bread to eat and no wine or other intoxicant to drink'' (v. 5). So anyone NAHMANIDES 29:1 Moses summoned all Israel. Rather, he ``called out to'' all should have been able to recognize what Israel. After the words of the covenant in ch. 28, he addressed them again, for they had not was going on. 4 The clothes on your back did not left. This is all one continuous sequence. 5 You had no bread to eat and no wine or other intoxicant to drink. This does not wear out. See my comment to 8:4. mean that they never tasted a morsel of bread, as when Moses ``stayed on the mountain [J] See Ibn Ezra's comment to 5:26.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 29:1 Moses summoned all Israel. He begins to set forth the entire covenant, from here on into Deuteronomy 31 (Abarbanel). 3 To this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand. Perhaps it means ``until this day,'' and Moses is saying, ``For

today you have set your minds to it, accepted the covenant, and are willing to enter the land and ®ght for it, trusting in the Holy One'' (Bekhor Shor). ``To'' this day means up to and including (Hizkuni). This is more easily explained by saying that by ``this day'' Moses was referring to the day when they saw ``all that the LORD did before your very eyes in the land of Egypt'' (v. 1), from which point on they did have ``a mind to understand'' and so forth (Abarbanel). Though He tried to make you understandÐas Exod. 10:2 puts it, ``that you may recount in the hearing of your sons and of your sons' sons how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I displayed My signs among themÐin order that you may know that I am the LORD''Ðthe attempt was unsuccessful on account of your rebelliousness (Sforno). 4 I led you through the wilderness forty years. From v. 5 we learn that it was not Moses who said this; these are the words of the Holy One (Hizkuni). The clothes on your back did not wear out. Moses is removing any possible excuse they might have for ``not understanding'' based on the dif®culties of travel and so on (Abarbanel).

194

195 DEUTERONOMY 29:6±8 NJPS

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you reached this place, King Sihon of Heshbon OJPS 6And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of and King Og of Bashan came out to engage us in battle, but we Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto defeated them. 7We took their land and battle, and we smote them. 7And we took gave it to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and ÔÁÈÒ Ÿ ´ ¦ ‡ˆi Ÿ − ¨ © 6 their land, and gave it for an inheritance ´¥ ¥ © ‰f‰ ®¤ © ÌB˜n‰-Ï ´ ¨ © ‡¤ e‡·z the half-tribe of Manasseh as their heritunto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, ¸ § ÔBaLÁ-CÏÓ e˙‡¯˜Ï ²¥ ¨ § ¦ ÔLa‰-CÏÓ ¯¨ ¨ © ¤ «¤ ‚BÚ § ¤  ¤ «¤ and to the half-tribe of the Manassites. age. 8Therefore observe faithfully all the ¨½ § © ¤ ÆÁwp © ¦ © 7 :Ìkp «¥ © © ‰ÓÁÏnÏ −¨ ¨ § ¦ © 8Observe therefore the words of this coveterms of this covenant, that you may suc- ̈¯‡-˙‡ ceed in all that you undertake. ȈÁÏ −¦ £ © § È„bÏ ®¦ ¨ © § È·e‡¯Ï −¦ ¥ « ¨ ‰ÏÁÏ ¨½ £ © § dzp ´¨ § ¦ © nant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper. Æȯ·c-˙‡ ¥ § ¦ ¤ Ìz¯ÓLe ¤À § © § 8 :ÈMÓ‰ « ¦ © § «© Ë·L ¤ ¬¥ 6When

F PVJKZ

NAHMANIDES nights,

eating

no

fort y

bread

days

and

and

fort y

drinking

no

water'' (9:9). For they did occasionally have bread in the wilderness; remember that they asked Sihon to sell them food ``as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir did for me,

and the

Moabites

who dwell in

Ar''

(2:29). T he point is that the main way they were kept alive in the wilderness was miraculously, by means of

the manna. T he

Ÿ ½ © ˙ȯa‰ © ´© § Ì˙‡ ®¨ Ÿ Ì˙ÈNÚ −¤ ¦ £ © ˙‡f‰ ÔÚÓÏ ´¦ § © ½¦ § © Ù :ÔeNÚz « £ © ¯L ¬¤ ‡-Ïk £ ¨ ˙‡ −¥ eÏÈkNz

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

What is the point of mentioning the battles with Sihon and Og (v. 6) and the allocation of the land (v. 7)? These prosaic details hardly offer an appropriate conclusion to what precedes them!

s

Sages too describe merchants selling them food in the wilderness. But they may indeed not have eaten bread at all while the manna fell, during their trek through ``the great and th

terrible wilderness'' (1:19). In the 40

IBN EZRA

6 We defeated them.

Since this has only just happened, everyone is obligated to keep this covenant.

8 That you may succeed.

T hough a

different verb is used, it has the same meaning as ``prosper'' (28:29); see also ``David

was successful

in

all

his

undertakings''

(1 Sam. 18:14). It is a Hiphil taking a double object,

[K]

as is proved by the existence of a

second verb, ``undertake.''

[K]

See his comment to 26:17.

year, however, when they drew near to civilization,

the Holy One told them, `` You will be passing through the territory of your kinsmen, the descendants of Esau . . . W hat food you eat you shall obtain from them'' (2:4±6). T hat passage continues, ``T he L ORD your God has been with you these past fort y years: you have lacked nothing'' (2:7), at which point the Edomites and Moabites met them with food and water, and the richer Israelites bought food from themÐnot out of desperation or even to ®ll their stomachs, but simply for pleasure. But in general terms they were indeed fed in the wilderness on manna.

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stand this day, all of you, before the L ORD your OJPS 9Ye are standing this day all of you before the LORD GodÐyour tribal heads, your elders and your of®cials, all the your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your of®cers, men of Israel, 10your children, your wives, even the stranger even all the men of Israel, 10your little ones, your wives, and thy within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawerÐ stranger that is in the midst of thy camp, from the hewer of thy 11to enter into the covenant of the L ORD wood unto the drawer of thy water; 11that your God, which the LORD your God is thou shouldest enter into the covenant of ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦ ÌÎlk ¤½ § ª ÆÌBi‰© ÌÈ·v ³¦ ¨ ¦ Ìz‡ ¤¸ © 9 the LORD thy GodÐand into His oathÐ 9You

RASHI

9 You stand this day. This teaches us that Moses convened them before the Holy One on the day of his death in order to bring them into the covenant. Your tribal heads. Literally, ``your heads, your tribes'' (OJPS), implying, ``your heads for your tribes.'' Your elders and your of®cials. All these in decreasing order of importance, followed by all the men of Israel.

ÌÎÈË·L ¤À ¥ § ¦ ÌÎÈL ´¤ ¥ ‡¯¨ ÌÎÈ‰Ï ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ RASHBAM 9 You stand this day, all Ÿ − ÌÎȯËL ÌÎtË ´¤ § © 10 :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ Lȇ ¬ ¦ Ïk ¤½ ¥ § Ÿ ´ § of you. Remember that ``Moses summoned ½ §´¥ § ÌÎÈL ·ËÁÓ ´¥ Ÿ ¥ EÈÁÓ ®¤ £ © ·¯˜a ¤ ´¤ § ¯L −¤ ‡ £ E¯‚ ¤½ ¥ § all Israel'' (v. 1). À § § ¨ § 11 :EÈÓÈÓ ˙ȯ·a ² ¦ § ¦ E¯·ÚÏ «¤ ¥ ·‡L ¬¥ Ÿ „Ú −© EÈˆÚ ¤½ ¥ IBN EZRA 9 You stand this day, all EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ B˙Ï ® ¨ ‡·e ¨ § EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § of you, before the LORD your God.

ÆÌÎÈ˜Ê ¤ ¥ §¦

Around the Ark. Your tribal heads. Liter``your heads, your tribes'' (OJPS), but 10 From woodchopper to waterdrawer. This teaches us that Canaanites had al- ally implying the translation of NJPS. You will ready come during Moses' time to convert, as the Gibeonites did when ``they too resorted ®nd other examples of this Hebrew syntax to cunning'' (Josh. 9:4) in Joshua's days. Joshua turned them into ``hewers of wood and in Gen. 24:67 and 2 Chron. 15:8. Your eldrawers of water'' (Josh. 9:21), and Moses obviously did the same. and your of®cials, all the men of 11 To enter into the covenant. Literally, ``for you to enter into the covenant'' ders Israel. The tribal heads stood closest to the (compare OJPS); the suf®x indicates the subject, not the object, as in ``for you to observe'' Ark, followed by the elders, then by the of®(4:14). But the verb is more precisely ``for you to pass into the covenant.'' The way they cials, and then successively all the rest of the Israelite men, the male children, the women, NAHMANIDES 9 You stand this day, all of you, before the LORD your God. and the strangers. That is, ``you are in position to become members in good standing of His covenant.'' For 11 To enter into the covenant. Litthey had gathered to accept the Torah as expounded by Moses. Or it may mean that they erally, ``for you to cross into the covenant'' were standing before the Ark. The covenant spoken of here refers to the ``sanctions'' of (compare OJPS), as in Jer. 34:18. The suf®x v. 11. And perhaps he did make another covenant with them, like the original covenant he is used here for the subject rather than the made with them at Mount Sinai, when ``Moses took one part of the blood and put it in basins, and the other part of the blood he dashed against the altar'' (Exod. 24:6), except that it was not considered necessary to describe that procedure again. I have already informed you (in my comments to Lev. 26:12 and 16) of the nature of this covenant from the perspective of the way of Truth. Your tribal heads. Despite what Ibn Ezra says, in my opinion the text is ®rst recording a general statementÐ``your heads, [and all] your tribes'' (see OJPS) and then specifying it in more detail. Your elders and your of®cials. These are the heads: ``Elders and magnatesÐsuch are the heads'' (Isa. 9:14). Moses will shortly say, ``Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your of®cials'' (31:28). For anyone with any sort of authority or public position is called a ``head'': ``Those are the elected of the assembly, the chieftains of their ancestral tribes: they are the heads of the contingents of Israel'' (Num. 1:16); that is, they were of the highest rank among the Israelites. In Num. 13:3 even the spies are called ``heads'' of the Israelites, though they of course were ``among'' the heads of the Israelites, not heads of the people as a whole. All the men of Israel. These correspond to the ``tribes'' of the general heading. 10 Your children. They are mentioned here to include them in the covenant, which is being made with future generations as well. Or perhaps, as the Sages said of ``Gather the peopleÐmen, women, children'' (31:12), Moses included them so that those who brought them should gain divine reward. Even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to waterdrawer. These were from the ``mixed multitude'' (Exod. 12:38). The Sages say that even a few Canaanites came, as did the Gibeonites in Joshua's time, [A] and that Moses made them woodchoppers and water drawers for the community and for the Tabernacle of the Lord. But they did not mean that these Canaanites deceived Moses as the Gibeonites did Joshua. They came to submit peaceably to him, as we have explained in our comments to 20:10±11. When the Tanhuma says that they came to Moses but he would not accept them, it means that they could not fool Moses into making a covenant with them as Joshua did with the Gibeonites. Moses immediately made them into woodchoppers and water drawers. [A] See Joshua 9.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 You stand this day.

The Hebrew word used here for ``stand,'' as in Num. 16:27 and elsewhere, implies making oneself available for the exchange of ideas. Nahmanides' suggestion that the blood ritual of Exodus 24 was repeated here is completely unwarranted; that was speci®c to the covenant at Sinai, based on the role of bloodÐper Exod. 12:13Ðin the exodus from Egypt (Abarbanel). All of you. As one (Bekhor Shor). The important people and the unimportant people alike (Hizkuni). As we learned in the very ®rst verse of the book, ``These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan'' (Gersonides). Before the LORD your God. You may be able to fool me, but you cannot fool Him (Sforno). Your tribal heads. Rather, ``your heads, [that is,] your staffs,'' the chieftains and leaders, those holding the staff of of®ce (Sforno). Your elders and your of®cials. The ``elders'' are the judges, so called because of their wisdom (Gersonides). 10 Your children, your wives. Who ought to act in agreement with their fathers and husbands (Sforno). From woodchopper to waterdrawer. The woodchoppers were the male slaves, the water drawers the female slaves (Bekhor Shor). These were laborers whom they hired to perform these tasks (Gersonides). Moses is saying to them, ``I will listen to what anyone has to say, from the greatest to the smallest'' (Abarbanel). From the ®rst of the woodchoppers to the last of the water drawers (Sforno). 11 To enter into the covenant. Since everyone was together, this was the best time to do it; once they crossed the river, it would be impossible to gather all of them together at once. One ``passes'' into the covenant (as the Hebrew literally says) as in ``the covenant between

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197 DEUTERONOMY 29:11±15 NITSAVIM

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F [RK

NJPS concluding with you this day, with its sanctions; 12to the OJPS which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day; end that He may establish you this day as His people and be your 12that He may establish thee this day unto Himself for a people, and that He may be unto thee a God, as He God, as He promised you and as He swore spoke unto thee, and as He swore unto thy to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ÁE˙‡-ÌȘ‰ §Ÿ « ¦ ¨ ÔÚÓÏ © ´© § 12 :ÌBi‰ « © EnÚ − § ¦ ˙¯k ¬¥Ÿ 13I make this covenant, with its sanctions, fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. ¸ © 13 ¦½ Ÿ ‡Ï «¥ ÆEl-‰È‰È § ¤ § « ¦ ‡e‰Â ³ § ÌÚÏ ¨À § BϹ | ÌBi‰ Neither with you only do I make this not with you alone, 14but both with those ÌÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ £ © ÆÚaL © § ¦ ¯L ³¤ ‡Î £ © § CÏ-¯ac ®¨ ¤ ¦ ¯L −¤ ‡k £ © covenant and this oath; 14but with him that who are standing here with us this day be- EÈ˙·‡Ï fore the LORD our God and with those ÌÎz‡ Ÿ ¬ § 13 :·˜ÚÈÏe Ÿ « £ © § « ˜ÁˆÈÏ −¤ § ¦ ‡Ï −¨ § ¦ § ̉¯·‡Ï ¬¨ ¨ § © § standeth here with us this day before the who are not with us here this day. Ÿ ½ © ˙ȯa‰-˙‡ À¦ Ÿ ¨ ÌÎc·Ï ˙‡f‰ ´¦ § © ¤ Æ˙¯k ¥Ÿ ÈÎ‡ ®¤ § © § LORD our God, and also with him that is 15Well you know that we dwelt in the not here with us this dayÐ Ÿ « © ‰Ï ¹ § ¤ ¯L ¤¸ ‡-˙‡ £ ¤ ÁÈk¦ 14 :˙‡f‰ −¨ ‡‰-˙‡Â ¨ ¨ ¤§ 15for ye know how we dwelt in the land land of Egypt and that we passed through BLÈ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ½ Æ Æ À ® ¥ ¡ ´ ¨ § − ¥ § ¦ © ´ ¥ ¨ ¦ eÈ‰Ï ‡ ‰Â‰È ÈÙÏ ÌBi‰ „ÓÚ enÚ ‰t of Egypt; and how we came through the the midst of various other nations through Ÿ − epȇ :ÌBi‰ « © enÚ ¬¨ ¦ ‰t ²¤ ¥ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ˙‡Â ¥¸ § midst of the nations through which ye RASHI used to make covenants in those e·LÈ-¯L § −© ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ˙‡ ¬¥ ÌzÚ„È ¤½ § © § Ìz‡-Èk ´¤ © « ¦ 15 days was to mark off separate areas and IBN EZRA object of the verb. If the F [NK[K

¤ ¬¤ § e¯·Ú-¯L §² © ¨ ¤ ‡ £ ˙‡Â ¯¥ § ÌȯˆÓ ¦ ®¨ § ¦ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § preposition ``into'' were dropped, this phrase pass between them, as in Jeremiah's time: ·¯˜a ``like the calf which they cut in two so as to would mean exactly the opposite, to transABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F What can Moses gress the covenant! pass between the halves'' (Jer. 34:18).

12 To the end that He may establish you this day as His people and be your God, as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers. He is going to all

possibly mean by saying ``that He may establish you as His people'' (v. 12), something that had occurred 40 years previously? F How is it that the Lord ``swore to your fathers'' that He would conclude a covenant with you, when it was dependent on your agreement? F Wouldn't telling the Israelites that He had ``sworn'' to the Patriarchs to conclude a covenant with them make them feel free to sin and ignore the curses? F What exactly is the ``covenant'' referred to in v. 13? F Of the many questions here, the greatest of them all is this: what gave ``those who are standing here with us this day'' (v. 14) the power to obligate their children, ``who are not with us here this day''? F Since ``you'' of v. 13 is singular, why the switch in v. 14 to ``him'' who is standing here with us this day and ``him'' who is not here, as the Hebrew really says (see OJPS)? this day

13 I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone. But with

you and also with those who come after you, your children and your children's children.

this trouble to establish you as His people 14 With those who are not with us because He promised you and swore to your here this day. But will follow after us. It is fathers that He would not exchange you for not, as some say, that those who were to another people. So He is likewise, under come later were there in spirit. oath, forbidding you to provoke Him, since 15 Well you know that we dwelt in He cannot separate from you. the land of Egypt. Some of you actually Thus far I have explained the straightsaw the abominations of the EgyptiansÐ forward sense of the paragraph in context. that is, their godsÐand all of you have seen But the midrash explains: Why does this the abominations of the other peoples. Varipassage follow the curses of Deuteronomy ous other nations through which you 28? When Israel heard these 98 cursesÐnot passed. Edom, Ammon, Moab, and Midian. to mention the 49 of Leviticus 26Ðtheir faces turned pale and they said, ``Who can possibly stand up to all these?'' Immediately, Moses began to reassure them: ``As much as you have angered the Lord, He has not ®nished you off, and here you stand this day. Just as the day grows dark and then shines once more, so too the Holy One has shone upon you and will continue to do so in the future. In fact, the curses and the punishments are what enable you to stand before Him.'' In the section before this one Moses similarly reassures them: ``You have seen all that the LORD did before your very eyes in the land of Egypt'' (v. 1). Yet another reading: Since Israel was transitioning from one leader, Moses, to another, Joshua, Moses convened them all to stand before the Lord, in order to inspire them. Joshua did the same thing, [A] and so did Samuel, when they were to transition from his rule to Saul's: ``Come, stand before the LORD while I cite against you all the kindnesses that the LORD has done to you and your fathers'' (1 Sam. 12:7). 14 And with those who are not with us here this day. Even the generations yet to be.

15 Well you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we passed through the midst of various other nations through which you passed. Since you saw the nations that worship idols, the heart of one of you may have prompted him to follow after them

``to go and worship the gods of those nations'' (v. 17). That is why I must make you swear this oath. [A] See Joshua 24.

NAHMANIDES 14 And with those who are not with us here this day. Rashi explains vv. 14±17 very nicely. 15 We dwelt in the land of Egypt and...we passed through the midst of various other nations. What Moses is saying is this:

``I am forced to bring you now into this covenant, with its sanctions, out of my fear that a few of you will be seduced into worshiping the

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

the pieces'' of Genesis 15, passing between the two halves of a slaughtered animal. Symbolically, this is a statement that if you violate the covenant you will be cut in two like the animal. Note that the Hebrew ``you'' of this phrase is singular; the people as one uni®ed whole would make this covenant (Bekhor Shor). The Torah has cleverly arranged for the blessing to be on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal, so that they can ``pass'' into the covenant by passing in between these two mountains (Gersonides). What Gersonides says is obviously wrong, since the covenant was made during Moses' lifetime. Unlike the Sinai covenant, which was made after they were freed from Egypt, this covenant had to be made before they were given the land, when they could all be assembled at once. The verb is Qal, not Hiphil, because this acceptance was voluntary and not compulsory (Abarbanel). 14 Those who are not with us here this day. But would later convert (Bekhor Shor). One can give someone a bene®t without his consent, but one cannot obligate others without their consent. In this case, though, two other considerations apply. With regard to the Sinai covenant, a slave's descendants are still slaves, and the Holy One acquired us as His slaves when he freed us from Egyptian slavery. With regard to this covenant as they were about to enter the land, a man's children must still pay his debts, and we know from Lev. 25:23 that the land was given us as a loan, not a gift: ``the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me'' (Abarbanel). 15 Various other nations through which you passed. Those of Sihon and Og, the ®ve kings of Midian, and the Canaanite king of Arad (Gersonides).

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which you passed; 16and you have seen the detestable OJPS passed; 16and ye have seen their detestable things, and things and the fetishes of wood and stone, silver and gold, that their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were with they keep. 17Perchance there is among you some man or woman, themÐ 17lest there should be among you man, or woman, or or some clan or tribe, whose heart is even now turning away family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the from the LORD our God to go and worLORD our God, to go to serve the gods of ship the gods of those nationsÐperchance -˙‡¤ Æe‡¯z § ¦ © 16 :Ìz¯·Ú «¤ § © £ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ÌÈBb‰ −¦ © those nations; lest there should be among there is among you a stock sprouting poiyou a root that beareth gall and wormÛÒk ¤ ¬¤ Ô·‡Â ¤ ¤½ ¨ ıÚ ´¥ ̉ÈÏlb ®¤ ¥ ª ¦ ˙‡Â −¥ § ̉ȈewL ¤½ ¥ ´ ¦ son weed and wormwood. 18When such a wood; 18and it come to pass, when he 17 :̉nÚ Â Lȇ ´ ¦ ÌÎa ¤ ¨ LÈ-Ôt ´ ¥ ¤ « ¤ ¨ ¦ ¯L ¬ ¤ ‡ £ ·‰Ê − ¨ ¨ § one hears the words of these sanctions, he heareth the words of this curse, that he may fancy himself immune, thinking, ``I Á¯L bless himself in his heart, saying: ``I shall ¤‡ £ Ë·L-B‡ ¤ ¥À ‰ÁtLÓ ´¨ ¨ § ¦ B‡¯ ‰M‡-B‡ ¨º ¦ Ÿ Ÿ ½ Æ Æ ¸ ¥ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÌÚÓ ¦ ¥ ÌBi‰© ‰Ù ³¤ B··Ï eÈ‰Ï ¨§ RASHI 16 The detestable things. ̉‰ RASHBAM 18 Though I follow my Ÿ Ÿ ½ ® ¥ ¨ ´ ¦ © − ¥ ¡ ¤ ÌÈBb‰ È‰Ï ‡-˙‡ „·ÚÏ £ © ˙ÎÏÏ ¤ ´ ¤ ¨ own willful heart. More precisely, ``RaTheir idols, so called because they are Ÿ − ‰¯t «¨ £ © § L‡¯ ¬¤Ÿ L¯L ¤Ÿ ² ÌÎa ¤À ¨ LÈ-Ôt ´¥ ¤ ther, I will follow.'' Moist. That is, the (well) disgusting. The fetishes. Literally, ``turds,'' :‰ÚÏ because they stink like turds. Of wood and ˙‡f‰ Ÿ À © ‰Ï¨¹ ‡‰ ¸¥ § ¦ ¤ ÁBÚÓLa ¨ «¨ ȯ·c-˙‡ § ¨ § ‰È‰Â ¨¿ ¨ § 18 stone, silver and gold, that they keep. IBN EZRA 17 A stock sprouting poiŸ ¥ B··Ïa ¸¥ ¨ § ¦ § ³ ¨ § ¦ C¯a˙‰Â ¦½ ¤ § « ¦ ÌBÏL ´ ¨ Æ¯Ó‡Ï You have seen the ones of wood and stone Èl-‰È‰È son weed and wormwood. Even the in the open, since the other nations are not healthiest people can be harmed by this afraid of their being stolen. But they are ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why does v. 17 poison, which is contagious. afraid of the silver and gold ones being speculate about ``some man or woman, or some clan 18 The words of these sanctions. tribe,'' when the punishment that follows is distolen, so they ``keep'' them hidden in their or ``Cursed be anyone who makes a sculptured rected against the entire nation? F It would seem that image-covered chambers. the covenant of this chapter applies only to one who or molten image'' (27:15). He may fancy 17 Perchance. The Hebrew literally says, ``I shall be safe, though I follow my own willful himself immune. Judah Halevi (of blessed says ``lest'' (OJPS), but NJPS understands heart'' (v. 18). So how can it obligate the rest of them, memory) understood the Hebrew phrase the sense correctly. Whose heart is even and how could it possibly apply to one who is ``not here as literally as possible: ``that he bless now turning away. From accepting the with us here this day'' and has no such thoughts? himself in his heart'' (OJPS) by thinking, ``I covenant. A stock sprouting poison weed shall be safe.'' That is, when he heard the and wormwood. A ``root'' (OJPS) growing grass as bitter as cilantro (which is bitter indeed). This root will cause evil to grow and multiply among you. 18 He may fancy himself immune. Literally, he may ``bless himself in his heart'' (OJPS). The Hitpael verb is re¯exive, as in ``shave himself'' of Lev. 13:33. [B] He may think to himself that he will have a blessing of peace: ``These curses will not come upon me.'' I shall be safe. Literally, ``I shall have peace'' (OJPS). Though I follow my own willful heart. Rather, ``though I follow my own heart's

NJPS

[B] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

NAHMANIDES `detestable things' of Egypt, as you were when you made the calf, [B] or perhaps those of Ammon and Moab that you saw on the journey (as you did at Baal-peor).'' For in the original covenant at the time of the giving of the Torah, there were no such sanctions or curses. 17 Some man or woman. Women are mentioned speci®cally because women are capricious; see similarly 17:2. Some clan or tribe. Both individuals and these larger groupings are speci®ed, but not the entire people as a wholeÐeither out of respect or because it was simply not possible that the entire people could be even now turning away from the LORD our God and opting out of the covenant. Who could force the entire people to accept a covenant they did not want? But a clan or even a tribe might enter the covenant out of fear of the others. Perchance there is among you a stock sprouting poison weed and wormwood. Those previously mentioned in the verse are the ones who ``even now'' already believe in idolatry. But the stock sprouting bitter poison refers to ``those who are not with us here this day'' (v. 14). For the father is the root, and the children are the twig that ``shall sprout from his stock'' (Isa. 11:1). By the same token, the root that is ``standing here with us this day'' (v. 14) could bring future generations into the covenant because they would sprout from it. In fact, nothing bitter can sprout from a sweet stock; anyone who was wholeheartedly with the Lord and who entertained no thoughts of idolatry could not produce offspring that would acknowledge it. (Ezek. 18:10 does not contradict this, but there is a mystery involved there that I cannot explain.) [C] ``Poison weed and wormwood'' are grasses that are bitter or perhaps even lethal. The Hebrew words are either the names of particular species of them, or else they are descriptive, poison weed being called rosh (``head'') because it is the bitterest of them all and wormwood being called la'anah because the one who eats it is na'aneh (``af¯icted''). 18 He may fancy himself immune. When he hears the others invoking curses on themselves, he by contrast invokes blessing on himself (see OJPS). I shall be safe, though I follow my own willful heart. Though I follow my own appetites, I shall be safe from these curses. Or the introductory word may mean not ``though'' but ``because.'' I shall be safe because I follow my own willful heart and do not [B] See Exodus 32. [C] Perhaps Nahmanides is alluding to the idea dismissed by Ibn Ezra in his comment to v. 14. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 16 The detestable things and the fetishes of wood and stone, silver and gold, that they keep.

Once they realize that the wood and stone ones are not doing anything for them, they toss them out with the other detestable things, but they melt down the silver and gold ones and keep them because of their value (Bekhor Shor). The idols were made of wood and stone, but they were adorned with silver and gold to entice people by means of their beautiful ornamentation (Gersonides). 17 Some man or woman, or some clan or tribe. The nation as a whole is not mentioned, out of respect, but logically the same applies to it as to a tribe. But the mention also serves as a hint that the nation as a whole will never stray in this way, somewhat like the promise to Noah in Gen. 9:15 (Abarbanel). A stock sprouting poison weed and wormwood. Literally, a ``root''Ðsomeone hiding transgression in his heart the way a root hidden in the ground will eventually sprout (Hizkuni). Some say ``wormwood'' is the plant we call absinthium (Kimhi). 18 I shall be safe. This is the opinion of those who think the world has always been in existence and therefore do not believe in reward and punishment; as the prophet says in v. 19, ``The LORD will never forgive him'' (Kimhi). He is saying both ``The curse will not

198

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NJPS shall be safe, though I follow my own willful heart''Ð OJPS have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my to the utter ruin of moist and dry alike. 19The LORD will never heartÐthat the watered be swept away with the dry''; 19the forgive him; rather will the LORD`s anger LORD will not be willing to pardon him, and passion rage against that man, till every ‰Â¯‰ −¨ ¨ ¨ ˙BÙÒ ¬ § ÔÚÓÏ © ²© § CÏ ®¥ ‡¥ ÈaÏ −¦ ¦ ˙e¯¯La ¬ ¦ § ¦ Èk ² ¦ but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall be kindled against that man, sanction recorded in this book comes ¼BÏ ÁÏÒ « ©Ÿ ´ § »‰Â‰È ¨ § ‰·‡È-‡Ï ´¤ Ÿ Ÿ 19 :‰‡Óv‰-˙‡ «¨ ¥ § © ¤ and all the curse that is written in this

RASHI

Æ

´ ¦ ¨ B˙‡˜Â ¨ § ¦ § ‰Â‰È-Û‡ ³¨ § © ÔLÚÈ ©¸ § ¤ ʇ¨  Èk ´¦ seeing.'' The word is related to Lȇa ``What I see for them is not yet'' (Num. ‰·e˙k‰ ½ © −¨ § © ‰Ï¨½ ‡‰-Ïk ¨ ´¨ ¨ ÆBa ‰ˆ·¯Â ¨ § ³¨ § ‡e‰‰ 24:17). He is saying, ``what my heart envisions doing.'' To the utter ruin of moist ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F What need is there and dry alike. ``I, the Lord, will add to the to say that ``the LORD will never forgive'' (v. 19) the inadvertent transgressions for which he has person who ``fancies himself immune''Ðlet alone to already earned punishment up until now. require a whole new covenantÐafter the blessings and curses of ch. 28? I would have ignored them, but he is causing Me to lump them in with the ones that he will commit deliberately, and I will punish him for all of them together.'' This is how Onkelos explains it as well. The ``moist'' sins are those he commits unintentionally, as a drunken man might; the ``dry'' ones are the ones he commits deliberately and with appetite. 19 Rather will the LORD's anger and passion rage against that man. Literally, ``the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall smoke against that man'' (compare OJPS). Anger heats up the body and smoke comes forth from the nose: ``Smoke went up from His nostrils'' (2 Sam. 22:9). This obviously does not apply to the Holy One, but the text

RASHBAM ``watered'' (OJPS)Ðthe deliberate sinner, who sins despite being satiated. Dry. Literally, ``the thirsty''Ðone whose appetites lead him to sin. He is not sinning deliberately, in a state of satiation, to anger the Holy One. 19 Rather. NJPS translates correctly.

IBN EZRA ban pronounced, he would think, ``Except for me.'' To the utter ruin of moist and dry alike. Judah Halevi (may he

rest in Paradise!) said that the Hebrew word used here for ``utter ruin'' really refers to doing away with something, as in ``Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?'' (Gen. 18:23). That is, the one who NAHMANIDES accept this oath on myself. I will simply do whatever I want as long ``blesses'' himself is attempting to sweep as I live. ``The stubbornness of my heart'' (OJPS) is a more literal translation; the noun away the words of the righteous Moses, implies that one's appetites are so strong that they control one's behavior. The word is symbolized by the ``moist,'' as in ``like a tree related to ``the muscles of his belly'' (Job 40:16) and to the rabbinic expression ``®rmly planted by waters'' (Jer. 17:8), along with established.'' To the utter ruin of moist and dry alike. Rather, ``to add the watered''Ð those of the wicked man, symbolized by the that is, the one whose appetites are satis®edÐ``to the thirsty''Ðthe one who is still mo- ``dry,'' as in ``like a bush in the desert'' (Jer. tivated by his appetites. For these two metaphors, see ``Over new grain and wine and oil, 17:6). He thinks his blessing himself in his and over sheep and cattle, they shall fare like a watered garden'' (Jer. 31:12) and ``my soul heart will fend off the curse. Judah Halevi's thirsts for You'' (Ps. 63:2). The point is that when a ``well-watered'' man, who has no explanation works nicely except that it canappetite for things that are bad for him, ®nds that some appetite does enter his heart and not be the ``words'' that are swept away; satis®es it, he can be overwhelmed by still further desires for which he never previously these are adjectives, not nouns. According to had an appetite. A man who lusts after beautiful women until he is so steeped in perversity Jonah ibn Janah, it means that when he sees with them that his sexual appetites are no longer ful®lled will turn to sex with other men or that the innocent are destroyed along with with animals. As the Sages say, ``the more one satis®es his lust, the hungrier it gets; the the guilty he indulges his evil thoughts. But more one starves it, the more it is satis®ed.'' And so it is with the other kinds of appetite. this cannot be correct; he is thinking, ``I shall Our verse therefore means: one who follows his own willful appetites will only ®nd them be safe.'' In my opinion, the key word here growing. (It is of course the text saying this, notÐas in OJPSÐthe stubborn man.) Of all does not mean ``to sweep away,'' but ``to the explanations that have been written about this verse, from every possible angle, this add on,'' as in ``Thereby piling guilt on guilt'' one is the best, in my opinion. But it is not impossible to explain ``moist and dry alike'' as (Isa. 30:1). He is saying, ``Though I follow referring back to the ``stock sprouting poison weed and wormwood'' of v. 17, implying that my own heart, I will be safeÐI will be proanyone who hears this but con®rms his intent to do what his thoughts urge him will add tected by the righteousness of the others. even more sins to those he already has. This too is a correct explanation. For there are many of them, and just me by 19 The LORD will never forgive him; rather will the LORD's anger and passion myself sinning.'' That is why the text conrage against that man. Literally, it will rage ``then'' (OJPS)Ðwhenever the man who tinues by saying that ``the LORD will never thinks himself immune sins, whether now or in the generations to come. Or in the case of forgive him'' (v. 19). The Lord's anger will rage against him ``then'' (v. 19, OJPS)ÐimmediatelyÐand He will be cut off. I would add that this con®rms my interpretation of ``they shall be forgiven'' (Num. 15:25; and see Num. 14:19). Contrast the righteous trees ``planted beside streams of water'' (Ps. 1:3), whom our wicked man wishes to be lumped in with, to the ``stock sprouting poison weed and wormwood'' of v. 17, which certainly connects dryness with evil, since these grow in dry places. 19 Rather will the LORD's anger and passion rage against that man. Literally, ``the anger of the Lord will smoke.'' That is, His anger will burn so ®ercely that the smoke will be visible. If the sinner is a single individual, he will die immediately; if it is a ``clan'' (v.17) that sins, then every sanction recorded in this book will come down upon it, and the Lord will blot out its name from under heaven.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS apply to me'' and ``I will be protected by being among those who have accepted the covenant'' (Abarbanel). Though I follow my own willful heart. Even though I accept the sanctions with my mouth, I will deny them in my heart (Sforno). Moist and dry alike. Adding ``moist'' sins, which do not add to his satisfaction (like wearing linsey-woolsey or sowing two

kinds of crops together), to the sins for which he is ``thirsty'' (as the Hebrew really says), like theft or sexual immorality (Bekhor Shor). Some understand the ``moist'' to be a reference to the intellectual soul, representing the righteous, and the ``thirsty'' to be a reference to the appetitive soul, representing the wicked (Kimhi). The point of the expression is that one who is ``thirsty'' for transgression wishes to bring things to the point where his ``thirst'' can be quenched in public without fear of punishment (Hizkuni). One who has a dry ®eld next to a well-watered one will automatically irrigate the well-watered one in the course of irrigating the dry one (Abarbanel). He is the ``moist'' one, soaked in the appetites he has sated; he believes he can add himself to the joyful fate of the righteous, who are ``dry'' by virtue of having separated themselves from physical appetites (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 29:19±24 NITSAVIM

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down upon him, and the LORD blots out his name OJPS book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out from under heaven. his name from under heaven; 20The L ORD will single them out from all the tribes of Israel 20and the L ORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the for misfortune, in accordance with all the sanctions of the cove- tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is nant recorded in this book of Teaching. written in this book of the law. 21And the 21And later generations will askÐthe chil½ § ˙ÁzÓ © −© ¦ BÓL-˙‡ ¤ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ‰ÁÓe ³¨ ¨ ‰f‰ ®¤ © ¯Ùqa ¤ ´¥ © generation to come, your children that dren who succeed you, and foreigners who shall rise up after you, and the foreigner :ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ «¨ ¨ © that shall come from a far land, shall say, come from distant lands and see the Ÿ − ¦ ‰Ú¯Ï ´¥ § ¦ ÏkÓ ¨½ ¨ § Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § BÏÈc·‰Â ³ ¦ § ¦ § 20 when they see the plagues of that land, and plagues and diseases that the LORD has ÈË·L 22 in¯icted upon that land, all its soil devas- ‰·e˙k‰ Ÿ § χ¯NÈ ½ ¦ § © ˙BÏ´ ‡¨ ÆÏÎk ®¥ ¨ § ¦ the sicknesses wherewith the LORD hath ¨¾ § © ˙ȯa‰ tated by sulfur and salt, beyond sowing and made it sick; 22and that the whole land º© ¨ § 21 :‰f‰ ¯Bc‰ ´ © ¯Ó‡Â «¤ © ‰¯Bz‰ −¨ © ¯ÙÒa ¤ ¬¥ § thereof is brimstone, and salt, and a burnproducing, no grass growing in it, just like Æ ¨ ¯L À £ © «¨ ing, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor ¤½ ¥ £ ´© ¥ ÆeÓe˜È ³¤ ‡ £ ÆÌÎÈa ¤ ¥ § ÔB¯Á‡‰ the upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah, ÌÎȯÁ‡Ó Ÿ − ¨ ¯L Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD e‡¯Â ½ ¦ § ¨ ©¸ § any grass groweth therein, like the over¨ §Â ‰˜BÁ¯ ¤ ´¤ ¥ ‡·È ¬¤ ‡ £ ȯÎp‰Â ®¨ § ı¯‡Ó overthrew in His ®erce angerÐ23all na- ‰È‡ÏÁz-˙‡Â º © -˙‡¤ throw of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah ¨ ¤½ ª £ ´© ¤ § Ƈ‰‰ ¦ © ı¯‡‰ ¤ ³¨ ¨ ˙BkÓ tions will ask, ``Why did the LORD do thus and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew © ¤ ¨ ˙ȯÙb ´ ¦ § ¨ 22 :da«¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ‰lÁ-¯L ¬¨ ¦ ¤ ‡ £ in His anger, and in His wrath; 23even all to this land? Wherefore that awful wrath?'' »ÁÏÓ 24They will be told, ``Because they forsook Ÿ ´ § ÆÚ¯f˙ Ÿ ³ ¼dˆ¯‡-ÏÎ ÁÓˆ˙ © ½¦ § © ‡Ï © ¨ ¦ ‡Ï ¨ § © ¨ ‰Ù¯N ´¨ ¥ § the nations shall say ``Wherefore hath the the covenant that the LORD, God of their Ì„Ò Ÿ ³ § ˙Ît‰Ók º© ¥ § © « § ·NÚ-Ïk ¤ ®¥ ¨ d· −¨ ‰ÏÚÈ-‡Ï ¬¤ £ © Ÿ « § LORD done thus unto this land? what the heat of this great anger?'' ½¦ § ÌÈÈ·ˆÂ ‰Ó„‡ CÙ‰ ´© ¨ ƯL ¤‡ £ ÌÈB·ˆe ´¨ § © Ɖ¯ÓÚ ¨Ÿ £ © meaneth 24then men shall say: ``Because they forRASHI nevertheless lets us hear the kind ÌÈBb‰-Ïk ½¦ © ¨ Æe¯Ó‡Â § «¨ § 23 :B˙ÓÁ·e « ¨ £ © Bt‡a − © § ‰Â‰È ¨½ § sook the covenant of the LORD, the God of of language we are used to hearing. Similarly, ``jealousy'' (OJPS) really refers here to ˙‡f‰ Ÿ® © ı¯‡Ï ¤ ´¨ ¨ ‰Îk ¨ −¨ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ‰NÚ ¯¨ ¨ ‰Ó¤¸ -ÏÚ© ``passionate'' anger, girding oneself for re½ § ´¨ § 24 :‰f‰ ÏÚ© μ e¯Ó‡Â «¤ © ÏB„b‰ − ¨ © Û‡‰ ¬© ¨ ȯÁ ² ¦ ¢ ‰Ó ¬¤ RASHBAM 24 Because they forsook venge and remaining unforgiving. the covenant. The point is to prevent the ½ § «¨ ¯L ®¨ Ÿ £ È‰Ï ´¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ˙ȯa ¬ ¦ § -˙‡¤ e·ÊÚ ´¤ ‡ £ nations from thinking, ``The LORD was pow20 Recorded in this book of Teach- Ì˙·‡ ing. Contrast 28:61, which says, ``recorded erless'' (9:28); see my comment to 9:25±26. in the book of this Teaching.'' The feminine ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F V. 21 says that both adjective in that verse applies to the Torah, ``later generations'' and ``foreigners'' will askÐbut the Teaching, while the masculine one in our when the passage continues in v. 23, only the question IBN EZRA 20 The LORD will single verse must apply to the ``book.'' You will asked by the foreign nations is given. Isn't that strange? them out from all the tribes of Israel for misfortune. The conjunction that begins notice that the Hebrew punctuation also this verse (see OJPS) is not to be understood carefully distinguishes the two phrases in just this same way. as ``and,'' but as ``or.'' If the sinner is a clan, it will be wiped out (as v. 19 tell us); or if it is NAHMANIDES the alternative explanation of v. 18Ð``because'' instead of an entire tribe that sins, then they will be ``though''Ðthe Lord is refusing to forgive him for not accepting the oath, since he has in singled out from all the tribes of Israel for any case come into the covenant along with all Israel. ``That man'' (or woman) refers to misfortune. the individual of v. 17. And the LORD blots out his name from under heaven. This 21 Later generations will ask. Rather, applies to the ``clan'' of v. 17, since each ancestral house has a name. ``the next generation,'' the children who

NJPS

20 The LORD will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for misfortune. succeed you. And foreigners who come

This applies to the ``tribe'' of v. 17, which will be singled out from all the (other) tribes. from distant lands. Those foreigners who 21 And later generations will askÐthe children who succeed you. The current see the plagues in¯icted on the land will generation of the tribes has no need to ask; they already know. They have heard the sanc- also ask. tions of the covenant. And perhaps this verse is referring once again to the ``poison weed and 22 All its soil devastated by sulfur wormwood'' (v. 17) that would only sprout in future generations, prompting this question. and salt. This verse is actually a prayer that the land be ``devastated by sulfur and salt'' as were the places mentioned. This is what the later generations will ``ask'' (v. 21), that is, ``request.'' 23 All nations will ask. Some give the alternative explanation that this is merely a resumption of v. 21Ðrepeating that the ``foreigners'' will ask, but in different wordsÐafter the lengthy interruption of v. 22. This is a natural feature of language. 24 They will be told. By the previous generation. God of their fathers. They forsook what both they and their fathers had known

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 20 The LORD will single them out. Literally, will ``separate'' them just as they separated themselves from the commandments (Hizkuni). For misfortune. One can be ``singled out'' for good fortune as well as misfortune, as we saw in 10:8, ``At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, to stand in attendance upon the LORD, and to bless in His name'' (Hizkuni). Recorded in this book of Teaching. The Hebrew phrase also occurs only in 30:10 (Masorah). 21 And later generations will askÐthe children who succeed you, and foreigners who come from distant lands. The children are not born yet; neither they nor the foreigners will have heard the covenant. But anyone who has heard it will not be surprised (Hizkuni). 22 All its soil devastated. Would the Holy One destroy a whole country on account of ``some man or woman'' (v. 17)? You will ®nd the explanation in Judges 18, where Micah's idol is the ``root'' from which grew the idolatry of the tribe of Dan and eventually of all the Ten Tribes of the northern kingdom (Hizkuni). Sulfur and salt. Nothing stands up to ®re like salt, and nothing is as quickly destroyed by ®re as sulfur. God is saying, ``If they had kept the covenant, they would have stood before Me like salt. Since they did not, the ®re out of which the Torah came will consume them like sulfur'' (Hizkuni). Just like the upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah. This will make it obvious that what has happened is not natural but the ®nger of God (Sforno). 23 All nations will ask. When the Israelites are exiled among them (Sforno). Why did the LORD do thus to this land? All the other nations worship idols, and none of this happened to them (Bekhor Shor).

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201 DEUTERONOMY 29:24±28 NITSAVIM NJPS

fathers, made with them when He freed them from the

land of Egypt;

25

they turned to the service of other gods and

worshiped them, gods whom they had not experienced and whom He had not allotted to them.

26

So the L ORD was incensed

at that land and brought upon it all the curses recorded in this book.

their fathers, which He made with them when He

the case.'' Concealed acts concern the L ORD our

God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching.

RASHI 25 Gods whom they had not experienced. Literally, ``gods that they

knew not'' (OJPS). They did not know of any great divine deeds of these gods; they had not experienced any godliness from them. Whom He had not allotted to them. More precisely, gods ``to whom He had not allotted them.'' Onkelos translates, ``gods who had not allotted them anything good.'' That is, he takes the singular Hebrew verb to mean that the particular god whom any of them had chosen had not allotted him any portion. 27 The LORD uprooted them. That is, as Onkelos translates, He removed them: ``I am going to uproot them from their soil'' (Jer. 12:14).

25

and went and

served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they knew not, and that He had not allotted unto them;

26

therefore the

anger of the L ORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it

The L ORD uprooted them from

and cast them into another land, as is still

28

OJPS

brought them forth out of the land of Egypt;

27

their soil in anger, fury, and great wrath,

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all the curse that is written in this book;

ı¯‡Ó ¤ ¬¤ ¥ Ì˙‡ −¨ Ÿ B‡ÈˆB‰a ¬ ¦ § ÌnÚ ¨½ ¦ ˙¯k ´© ¨ ƯL ¤‡ £ 25 ½ ¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï À § ¥ © :ÌȯˆÓ ÌȯÁ‡ ´¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Æe„·Úi § © «© © eÎÏi ¦ «¨ § ¦ Ÿ Ÿ ½ Æ ÌeÚ„È-‡Ï ¨ § « ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌÈ‰Ï ¦ ‡ ¡ Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ eeÁzLi − £ © § «¦ © Ÿ¬ § ı¯‡a ¤ ´¨ ¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § Û‡-¯Ái ¬© © « ¦ © 26 :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¨ ˜ÏÁ −© ¨ ‡Ï ‰ÏÏw‰-Ïk ¨½ ¨ § © ¨ -˙‡¤ ƉÈÏÚ ¨ ¤Æ ¨ ‡È·‰Ï ³¦ ¨ § ‡Â‰‰ ®¦ © Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ÌLzi ³¥ § ¦ © 27 :‰f‰ «¤ © ¯Ùqa ¤ ¬¥ © ‰·e˙k‰ −¨ § © ÏB„b ® ¨ Ûˆ˜·e ¤ ´¤ § ‰ÓÁ·e −¨ ¥ § Û‡a ¬© § Ì˙Ó„‡ ¨½ ¨ § © ÏÚÓ ´© ¥ :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBik ¬ © ˙¯Á‡ ¤ −¤ © ı¯‡-Ï ¤ ¬¤ ‡¤ * ÌÎ ²¥ Ï ¦ Li § ©© Ÿ º § ¦ © § eÈ‰Ï Ÿ ½ ¨ § ¦ ©¸ 28 ®¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰ÈÏ −¨ © ˙¯zÒp‰ eÀÀ ³ÏÀ¨ ˙Ï‚p‰Â ¾ £ © ÌÏBÚ-„ ȯ·c-Ïk −¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ ˙BNÚÏ ¨½ ÚÀ© *ÆeÀÀ ÈÀÆÀ¥ ·À¨ ϧÀ eÀ Ÿ « © ‰¯Bz‰ Ò :˙‡f‰ ¬¨ © N

v. 27.

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v. 28.

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' T N T EG YR O D O K NC G Y P O K I S G R

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Isn't the statement

that ``concealed acts concern the L ORD our God'' (v. 28), no matter how you interpret it, a non sequitur here?

27

and the L ORD rooted them out of their

land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day''.Ð 28

The

secret

things

belong

unto

the

L ORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

RASHBAM 28 Concealed acts concern the LORD our God. As I explained in

my comment to ``and sets it up in secret'' of 27:15, the blessings and curses of that chapter had to do with concealed acts, which cannot be punished by a court but only by the Holy One. But with overt acts, it is for us and our children. To punish judicially on the testimony of witnesses.

IBN EZRA and served what they did not know. 25 Whom He had not allotted to them. See my comment to ``these the LORD your God allotted to other peoples'' (4:19). 27 As is still the case. This is not Moses

28 Concealed acts concern the LORD our God. You might then ask, ``What can we do? You punish the many for the intentions of an individual. For if there is `some man or woman . . . whose heart is even now turning away from the LORD' [v. 17] the result is `the speaking, of course, but the answer of those plagues and diseases that the LORD has in¯icted upon that land' [v. 21]. But no one can in the future who will reply to ``the nations.'' know the hidden thoughts of his neighbor.'' God replies, in our verse, ``I will not punish 28 Concealed acts. Speci®cally those you for `concealed acts.''' They concern the Lord, and He will punish the individual for who worship idols in secret. Concern the them. But with overt acts, it is for us and our children to remove the evil from our LORD our God. The judgment for secret idolatry is in God's hands, and He will

NAHMANIDES 25 Gods whom they had not experienced and whom He had not punish the sinner. But with overt acts, it is allotted to them. See Rashi's comment. A more precise explanation would be that these for us and our children ever to apply all are ``gods whom they did not know'' (see OJPS) as gods. That is, they did not know them to the provisions of this Teaching. We are

possess autonomous divine power. Nor had the Holy One allotted them to them as ances- obligated to deal with acts of idolatry comtral gods, which is to say that He did not appoint them as divine princes over Israel as He mitted in public. Others repunctuate the did over the other nations. See further my comment to 4:19. verse to read as follows (for the more literal 27 The LORD uprooted them from their soil. For the tribe that does what is evil in word order, compare OJPS): ``Concealed God's sight is exiled: ``So the God of Israel roused the spirit of King Pul of Assyria . . . and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day'' (1 Chron. 5:26). It would be correct to say, however, that this verse is now hinting at the exile of all Israel when they would all be evil. The same is true of 30:1.

28 Concealed acts concern the LORD our God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching. The commentators take this to mean that it is for God to deal with those who commit idolatry in secretÐfor

all hidden things are open before HimÐand for us to punish known idolaters in accordance with the provisions of the Torah. The midrash says the same. [D] But in my view, the straightforward sense of the verse is that ``concealed acts'' refers to sins that are concealed from

[D] See Rashi's comment to the second half of the verse.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 25 Whom they had not experienced. The only other place where the expression occurs in the Torah is 32:17 (Masorah). Whom He had not allotted to them. The sun, moon, and stars were not allocated speci®cally to them; as we know

from 4:19, ``the sun and the moon and the stars . . . the LORD your God allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven'' to shine on them (Bekhor Shor). 27 The LORD uprooted them from their soil. The Lord would be willing to destroy a single individual, but not an entire tribe or tribes. The individual here would seem to be Jeroboam, who made the two golden calves of 1 Kings 12:28. He and his dynasty were completely wiped out, but the Ten Tribes that followed him left some remnants who were exiled by the Assyrians (Gersonides). Cast them. The N of this word is to be written extra large (Masorah). 28 For us and our children. This is one of the 10 places in the Torah where there are dots over the words (Masorah). There is a dot over the ®rst letter of the following word as well, making a total of 11 letters, to teach us that the distinction being made applies to the ``concealed acts,'' not the overt acts (Bekhor Shor). Once they crossed the Jordan and accepted the Torah, they would be responsible for

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When all these things befall youÐthe blessing OJPS And it shall come to pass, when all these things and the curse that I have set before youÐand you take them to are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set heart amidst the various nations to which the LORD your God before thee, and thou shalt bethink thyself among all the nations, has banished you, 2and you return to the whither the LORD thy God hath driven LORD your God, and you and your chilthee, 2and shalt return unto the LORD thy |KR[~ KTKCZ dren heed His command with all your God, and hearken to His voice according Ÿ ¸ ¨ « ¦ Á‰È‰Â ´ ¦ ¨ § © ¨ EÈÏÚ ¤¹ ¨ e‡·È-ÈÎ ¨¨ § heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you Ìȯ·c‰-Ïk to all that I command thee this day, thou this day, 3then the LORD your God will Èz˙ ¦ −© ¨ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ‰ÏÏw‰Â ¨½ ¨ § © § Ɖίa‰ ¨ ¨ § © ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥À ¨ and thy children, with all thy heart, and 3 restore your fortunes and take you back ÌÈBb‰-ÏÎa ½¦ © ¨ § E··Ï-Ï ¤½ ¨ § ‡¤ Æ˙·L‰Â ¨ Ÿ ¥ £ © EÈÙÏ ®¤ ¨ § with all thy soul; that then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have in love. He will bring you together again º¨ § © § 2 :‰nL z·L ¨ «¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § EÁÈc‰ ² £ ¦ ¦ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ compassion upon thee, and will return and Ÿ ² § BϘ· ½ Ÿ § zÚÓL ´¨ § © ¨ § ÆEÈ‰Ï ¤Æ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-„Ú ³¨ § © RASHI midst. If we do not sanction ÏÎk them, then the public is punished. Note that -ÏÎa ¨ § EÈ·e ¤½ ¨ ‰z‡ ´¨ © ÌBi‰ ® © EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡-¯L ¬¦ Ÿ ¨ ¤ ‡ £ IBN EZRA acts concern the Lord our the words ``for us and our children'' have God, as do overt acts. It is for us and our ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § ·L ¨¸ § 3 :ELÙ-Ïηe «¤ § © ¨ § E··Ï − § ¨ § children simply to do all the provisions of dots over the letters. This is to provide the EÈ‰Ï further interpretation that the meaning of -ÏkÓ ¨ ¦ ÆEˆa˜Â § ¤ ¦ § ·L ¨À § EÓÁ¯Â ®¤ £ ¦ § E˙e·L-˙‡ − § § ¤ this Teaching.'' But this interpretation

Ï

these words is limited: even overt acts did not provoke punishment of the wider public ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Once we are told until after they crossed the Jordan, once they ``you take them to heart'' (v. 1), isn't ``you return to the LORD your God'' of v. 2, which uses a different form of accepted the oath at Mount Gerizim and the verb, redundant? F Why point out that this Mount Ebal and became responsible for takessame place ``amidst the various nations''? F Isn't ``the each other's behavior. LORD your God will your fortunes and in love. He will '' (v. 3) also 30:3 Then the LORD your God will multiply redundant? restore your fortunes. The meaning ``restore'' requires a transitive Hiphil verb, but the verb is Qal, which should be intransitive: ``Then the Lord your God will return.'' [C] Our restore

back

[C] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

bring you together again

take you

doesn't have a leg to stand on. And what would be the point of saying that in this particular place? 30:3 Then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. Since 29:27 spoke of their being cast into another land, our verse is promising that, if you return to the Lord, then even from outside the country ``the Lord will restore your captivity'' (compare OJPS). According to Judah ibn Hayyuj, the ®rst of the grammarians, the verb means

NAHMANIDES those who perform them, as the same word is used in ``Who can be aware of errors? Clear me of unperceived guilt'' (Ps. 19:13). The verse is saying that such sins concern the Lord; we ourselves have no guilt (with regard to them) that can be called ``sin.'' But both those of us ``here this day'' and those who are not here this day have accepted responsibility for the overt sins, those committed deliberately. So the purpose of the verse is to remove from the curse anyone whose sin was unintentional. The translation of Onkelos, ``concealed acts are before the Lord our God,'' leans in this direction as well, since to ®t what the commentators say he would have had to translate it as ``concealed actors are for the Lord our God'' to punish. 30:1 When all these things befall you. As I have already explained in my comments to 4:25, 19:9, and Lev. 26:12 and 16, everything that follows refers to events that have never occurred yet, but that are destined to occur in the future. 2 You and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day. When you return to the Lord and wholeheartedly accept upon yourselves and your children the obligation to do ``everything that I command you this day.'' This is exactly what they did in the second redemption: ``And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to [follow] the Teaching of God, their wives, sons and daughters, all who know enough to understand, join with their noble brothers, and take an oath with sanctions to follow the Teaching of God, given through Moses the servant of God, and to observe carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, His rules and laws'' (Neh. 10:29±30). Or perhaps, as would ®t the Hebrew word order better, ``your children'' ®ts in this way: ``according to all that I command you and your children this day'' (compare OJPS). In my opinion, this verse is hinting at the profound religious mystery of which the Sages spoke: ``The son of David will not come until all the souls in the Body [E] have been used up.'' [E] These are the souls waiting to be born.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS the concealed acts as well. You might think that in this case the dots should be over the words ``unto the Lord our God'' (OJPS) instead of ``for us and our children,'' but that would be disrespectful, making it look as if those words should be deleted. This way, the extra dot, making a total of 11 letters, shows that the 11 letters of ``unto the Lord our God'' are the ones that are meant. Why didn't Rashi explain this 11th dot? (Hizkuni). The ``secret things'' that belong to the Lord (see OJPS) are the true, hidden purposes of all the commandments, which no one but God can comprehend; the ``things that are revealed'' to us and our children are the commandments. No one should presume that he understands the hidden purpose of a commandment and (being in no danger himself of contravening that purpose) need not obey the commandment. That presumption is exactly what led to Solomon's downfall (Gersonides). This verse is still part of the reply in vv. 24±27. They are saying, ``We have told you the overt reasons for what you see, but the Holy One may still have concealed reasons known only to Him'' (Abarbanel). 30:1 The blessing and the curse. The blessing during the decent generationsÐe.g., of Joshua, the good judges, David, and SolomonÐand the curse during the bad generations, e.g., those of Jeroboam, Ahab, Amon, and Jehoiachin (Bekhor Shor). And you take them to heart amidst the various nations. This refers to those who have been forced to abandon Judaism (Abarbanel). When you examine what has happened to you, you will realize how distant you have grown from the Holy One, both in your ideas and in your behavior (Sforno). 2 And you return to the LORD your God. This refers to those who are still identi®ed as Jews (Abarbanel). With all your heart and soul. So that all your desires and all your thoughts are for the purpose of serving the Lord (Gersonides). 3 Then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. By bringing you back from the Babylonian exile (Bekhor Shor). Literally, He will ``turn back'' from His intention to punish them and ``return'' to doing good to them (Abarbanel). He will bring you together

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from all the peoples where the L ORD your God has gather thee from all the peoples, whither the L ORD thy scattered you. 4Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, God hath scattered thee. 4If any of thine that are dispersed be in from there the LORD your God will gather you, from there He the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy will fetch you. 5And the LORD your God God gather thee, and from thence will He will bring you to the land that your fathers :‰nL ½¦ © ´¨ fetch thee. 5And the LORD thy God will ¨ «¨ EÈ‰Ï −¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¬¨ § EˆÈÙ‰ ² § « ¦ ¡ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ ÌÈnÚ‰ possessed, and you shall possess it; and He ÌMÓ ¨À ¦ ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ ®¨ ¨ © ‰ˆ˜a ´¥ § ¦ EÁc − £ © « ¦ ‰È‰È-̇ ¬¤ § ¦ ¦ 4 bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and will make you more prosperous and more :EÁwÈ «¤ ¨ ¦ ÌMÓe −¨ ¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆEˆa˜È § ¤ © § He will do thee good, and multiply thee numerous than your fathers. 6Then the L ORD your God will open º £ « ¦ ¡ ¤ 5 above thy fathers. -¯L¤ ‡£ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ²¨ ¨ ‡¤ EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § E‡È·‰Â 6And the L ORD thy God will circumup your heart and the hearts of your off- Ea¯‰Â − § § ¦ § E·Ëȉ ¬ § « ¦ ¥ § dzL¯È ®¨ § ¦ « ¦ EÈ˙·‡ −¤ Ÿ £ eL¯È ¬ §¨ cise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to spring to love the LORD your God with all :EÈ˙·‡Ó «¤ Ÿ £ ¥ your heart and soul, in order that you may love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, ´© § ¤ § E··Ï-˙‡ − § ¨§ ¤ EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § ÏÓe ¨¸ 6 and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. 7The L ORD your God will in¯ict all ··Ï-˙‡Â those curses upon the enemies and foes -ÏÎa º¨ £ © § EÚ¯Ê ¨ § EÈ‰Ï ²¤ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ¯¨ § ¤ ‰·‰‡Ï ®¤ § © live. 7And the LORD thy God will put all 8 who persecuted you. You, however, will ÆÔ˙ © ¨ § 7 :EÈiÁ «¤ © ÔÚÓÏ © ¬© § ELÙ-Ïηe − § § © ¨ § E··Ï ¬ § ¨ § these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, that persecuted thee. again heed the LORD and obey all His ¤ ‡‰ ®¥ ¨ ˙BÏ− ‡‰-Ïk ¨ ¨ ¨ ˙‡ ¬¥ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § 8And thou shalt return and hearken to the commandments that I enjoin upon you ‰l :EeÙ„¯ « ¨ § ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ EȇN-ÏÚ −¤ § Ÿ © § Eȷȇ-ÏÚ ¬¤ § Ÿ © voice of the LORD, and do all His com½ ¨ ‰z‡Â ®¨ § ÏB˜a ´ § zÚÓL −¨ § © ¨ § ·eL˙ ´¨ © § 8 mandments which I command thee this Sages learned from this that the ‰Â‰È

Shekhinah rests (so to speak) with Israel in EeˆÓ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¨½ Ÿ § ¦ -Ïk¨ -˙‡¤ Æ˙ÈNÚ ¨ Ʀ ¨ § the distress of their exile. When they are restored, He inscribes redemption for Him- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Doesn't ``You, self: He ``returns'' with them. There is even however, will again heed the LORD'' (v. 8) repeat once more to say: The day of ingathering of the more what has already been stated in v. 1 and repeated exiles is attended with great dif®culty, as if in v. 2? He Himself must literally take each person by the hand from his place: ``And in that day, the LORD will beat out [the peoples like grain] from the channel of the Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt; and you shall be picked up one by one, O children of Israel!'' (Isa. 27:12). This is even true of restoring other peoples from their exiles: ``I will restore the fortunes of the Egyptians and bring them back to the land of their origin'' (Ezek. 29:14) actually uses the same language as our verse. [D]

IBN EZRA

``to restore tranquility.'' [A] The point here would be that the Lord will restore tranquility to the captives by showing them mercy wherever they are, after which He will ``bring them together again.'' 4 At the ends of the world. From the perspective of the land of Israel.

6 Then the LORD your God will open up your heart. He is the ultimate cause of

everything. Having said that you would once again heed Him, He will assist you by [D] Other versions of Rashi's comment mention Jer. 48:47 (Moab) or Jer. 49:6 (Ammon), but it is the Ezekiel verse that ``circumcising'' your heart (as the Hebrew matches our verse most precisely. literally says) and the hearts of your offspringÐnot like the circumcision of the NAHMANIDES 6 Then the LORD your God will open up your heart. As the ¯esh, which you must do yourselves. Sages say, ``When one comes to cleanse himself of impurity, heaven assists him.'' These [A] See Ibn Ezra's comment to ``Return, O LORD'' of Num. verses promise that you will return to Him with all your heart, and that He will assist you 10:36. in doing so. They apparently refer to the following: From the beginning of creation human beings have had the power to act as they wished, whether for good or for evil. This continues in the era of the Torah, so that they could gain reward by choosing good or punishment for choosing evil. But in messianic times, choosing the good will simply be part of human nature. They will have no appetite for anything un®tÐno desire for it whatsoever. This is what is meant by ``circumcising the heart'' (as our verse literally says; see OJPS). For desire is the foreskin of the heart, and one whose heart is circumcised has no desire. In that era, humanity will return to the way it was before the sin of Adam, whose natural actions were exactly what was ®t and proper to do. He had no desire to do a thing and also its opposite. (See my comment to Gen. 2:9.) This is what the book of Jeremiah refers to when it says, ``See, a time is comingÐdeclares the LORDÐwhen I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers . . . But such is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel after these daysÐdeclares the LORD: I will put My Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts'' (Jer. 31:31±33). This text is speaking of nothing less than abrogating the evil inclination, so that the heart will perform its proper actions quite naturally. That is why the text continues, ``Then I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, `Heed the LORD'; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me'' (Jer. 31:33±34). For now, as is well known, ``the inclinations of man's mind are evil from his youth'' (Gen. 8:21), so humanity must be strictly trained. But in that time there will be no need to train them; the evil inclination will be completely eradicated. We ®nd the same in Ezekiel: ``I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of ¯esh; and I will put My spirit into you. Thus I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules'' (Ezek. 36:26). The ``new heart'' alludes to human nature, and the ``spirit'' to human desires. Our Sages interpreted Eccles. 12:1 in the same way: ``And those years arrive of which you will say, `I have no desire in them'''Ð this is the Messianic Age, when there is no reward or punishment because humanity has no desires and everyone does what is right because that is the natural thing to do. For reward and punishment depend on the existence of desire.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS again. From this long, worldwide exile in which we are scattered now (Bekhor Shor). As Isa. 11:11 says, ``In that day, My Lord will apply His hand again to redeeming the other part of His people'' (Gersonides). 6 Then the LORD your God will open up your heart. And you will ®nally understand the ``hidden things'' of 29:28 (Gersonides). 8 You, however, will again heed the LORD and obey all His commandments that I enjoin upon you this day. This is proof that

the Torah will never be alteredÐone of its greatest aspects (Gersonides). The word shuv here does not mean ``again'' nor ``return'' (OJPS) but ``rest,'' as in Isa. 30:15, ``You shall triumph by stillness and quiet.'' This verse refers to the advent of the Messiah after the nations have perished: ``They will be gone, but you will remain in stillness and quiet'' (Sforno).

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this day. 9And the LORD your God will grant you OJPS day. 9And the LORD thy God will make thee overabounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in the issue of abundant in all the work of thy hand, in the fruit of thy body, and your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good; for soil. For the LORD will again delight in your well-being, as He the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiced did in that of your fathers, 10since you will over thy fathers; 10if thou shalt hearken to be heeding the LORD your God and keepthe voice of the LORD thy God, to keep Ÿ ´ § EÈ‰Ï ¸¨ § ÁE¯È˙B‰Â ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È § « ¦ § 9 :ÌBi‰ « © His commandments and His statutes ing His commandments and laws that are | ÏÎa ¹ § § ¦ ȯÙa ¸¦ § ¦ E„È À¤ ¨ ‰NÚÓ ² § § ¤ § ȯٷe ¯¦ § ¦ EË· ´¥ £ © which are written in this book of the law; recorded in this book of the TeachingÐ EzÓ‰· once you return to the LORD your God ‰Â‰È if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with À¨ § ·eLÈ ´ ¨ | Èk ´ ¦ ‰·BËÏ ®¨ § E˙Ó„‡ − § ¨ § © ȯٷe ¬¦ § ¦ with all your heart and soul. all thy heart, and with all thy soul. ½ § ÆEÈÏÚ -ÏÚ© NN-¯L −¨ ¤ ‡k £ © ·BËÏ ¤Æ ¨ NeNÏ ³ ¨ 11Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin 11For this commandment which I com10 :EÈ˙·‡ Ÿ Ÿ ½ Æ À EÈ‰Ï ¤ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´ ¨ § ÏB˜a § ÚÓL˙ © § ¦ Èk ´ ¦ « ¤ £ upon you this day is not too baf¯ing for mand thee this day, it is not too hard for you, nor is it beyond reach. 12It is not in ¯ÙÒa Ÿ ³ § ¦ thee, neither is it far off. 12It is not in ¤ ¬¥ § ‰·e˙k‰ ¨¾ § © ÂÈ˙wÁ ¨½ Ÿ ª § ÆÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¨ Ÿ § ¦ ¯ÓLÏ the heavens, that you should say, ``Who EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-Ï ´¨ § ‡¤ Æ·eL˙¨ Èk ³¦ ‰f‰ ®¤ © ‰¯Bz‰ −¨ © heaven, that thou shouldest say: ``Who among us can go up to the heavens and get shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it Ù :ELÙ-Ïηe «¤ § © ¨ § E··Ï-ÏÎa − § ¨ § ¨ § unto us, and make us to hear it, that we it for us and impart it to us, that we may K[[ Ÿ ½ © ‰Âˆn‰ − § © § ÈÎ‡ ¬ ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ²¤ ‡ £ ˙‡f‰ ´¨ § ¦ © Èk¦ μ11 may do it?'' 13Neither is it beyond the sea, observe it?'' 13Neither is it beyond the sea, EeˆÓ that you should say, ``Who among us can ‰˜Á¯ Ÿ ¬ § EnÓ ½ § ¦ Ƈ‰¦ ˙‡ÏÙ-‡Ï −¨Ÿ § ‡Ï ¬¥ § ¦ Ÿ « ÌBi‰ ® © that thou shouldest say: ``Who shall go cross to the other side of the sea and get it over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, Ÿ À ¥ ‡Â‰ Ÿ ¬ 12 :‡Â‰ ÈÓ´¦ ¯Ó‡Ï ®¦ ÌÈÓM· ¦ −© ¨ © ‡Ï «¦ for us and impart it to us, that we may and make us to hear it, that we may do it?'' ¬¥ ¦ § © § el¨½ ‰ÁwÈ ¨ ´¤ ¨ ¦ § ƉÓÈÓM‰ ¨ § Æ© ¨ © el-‰ÏÚÈ ³¨ ¤ £ © 14But the word is very nigh unto thee, in observe it?'' 14No, the thing is very close to eÚÓLÈ you, in your mouth and in your heart, to ‡Â‰ thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou Ÿ « § 13 :‰pNÚ ®¦ ÌiÏ −¨ © ¯·ÚÓ ¤ ¬¥ ¥ -‡Ï ¨ «¤ £ © § d˙‡ −¨ Ÿ observe it. Ÿ À ¥ mayest do it. ‰ÁwÈ ¨ ´¤ ¨ ¦ § ÆÌi‰ ¨ © ¯·Ú-Ï ¤ ³¥ ‡¤ eÏ-¯·ÚÈ ¨¹ ¨ £ © ÈÓ ´ ¦ ¯Ó‡Ï ¬ ¨ « ¦ 14 :‰pNÚ ¨ «¤ £ © § d˙‡ −¨ Ÿ eÚÓLÈ ¬¥ ¦ § © § el¨½ RASHBAM 30:14 No. [A] RASHI 11 Surely, this Instruc- ·B¯˜-Èk Ÿ ® § ¯·c‰ − § ¨ § «¦ EÈÙa ¬ ¦ § „‡Ó −¨ ¨ © EÈÏ ²¤ ‡¥ [A] Both translations follow Rashbam's explanation that the tion...is not too baf¯ing for you. Lit- E··Ï·e erally, too ``wondrous''; but the sense is Ò :B˙NÚÏ « Ÿ £ © Hebrew means ``rather.'' that its meaning is not concealed from you: ``too baf¯ing for you to decide'' (17:8). For IBN EZRA 9 The LORD your God will the meaning of ``concealment'' from this root, see ``She has sunk into the hidden depths'' grant you abounding prosperity. Rather, (Lam. 1:9). ``He will leave you over'' when He in¯icts the 12 It is not in the heavens. If it were in the heavens, you would have to go up there curses on your enemies. As He did in that after it in order to learn it. of your fathers. Those who took posses14 The thing is very close to you. The Torah was given to you both in writing sion of the land. For at this point Moses is and orally. speaking as if he were talking to those who would return from exile. NAHMANIDES 11 This Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day. This 10 Recorded in this book of the sounds as if it refers to the entire Torah. But correctly that should be ``all the Instruction Teaching. For essentially all the comthat I enjoin upon you today'' (e.g., 8:1). So this ``instruction'' is really ``this command- mandments are there, even if they do need ment'' (OJPS), the commandment from the beginning of the chapter about returning to the the extra explanation passed down to us by Lord. Those verses are not merely saying what will happen if we take these words to heart; our tradition. Once you return to the LORD they are a commandment to do so. The commandment is framed in the future tense as a your God with all your heart and soul. promise that this will indeed happen. So v. 11 is saying, ``Even if your outcasts are at the The commandments cannot really be ``kept'' ends of the world'' (v. 4), you will be able to return to the Lord and do everything else that other than wholeheartedly, for the comI command you this day. It will not be beyond you to do this, but ``very close to you'' mandment of ``keeping'' them is to be done (v. 14). They will confess their sin and the sin of their ancestors and will resolve to return with the heart. 11 Too baf¯ing. Literally, ``too wonto the Lord and accept this day the obligation to observe the Torah for all generations. See drous,'' meaning that it is not hidden from my comment to v. 2. you, or perhaps it is something too wondrous to be performed. 12 It is not in the heavens. This further explains ``wondrous'' of v. 11. 13 Beyond the sea. This explains ``beyond reach'' or ``far off'' (OJPS) of v. 11. And perhaps it literally means ``the Sea,'' that is, the Mediterranean Sea, which one cannot sail directly through on account of the ``dark thunderheads'' (Ps. 18:12) that are found in the middle of it. 14 In your mouth and in your heart, to observe it. Literally, to ``do it'' (OJPS). The heart is the essence of all the commandments, but some of them involve recitation with the mouth in order to strengthen one's heart, and others involve physical actions that require the oral recitations.

NJPS

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 10 Since you will be heeding the LORD. This is a prophecy; it is guaranteed to happen (Bekhor Shor). 11 This Instruction...is not too baf¯ing for you. You will need no prophets (Sforno). Nor is it beyond reach. No Sages will be required. Even in exile, you will know perfectly well what to do (Sforno). 12 It is not in the heavens. When you return to the Holy One, you will not need a prophet to tell you what to do (Sforno). 13 Neither is it beyond the sea. You will need no distant sage to explain how to return (Sforno). 14 The thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it. Something that is in the mouth but not the heart is meaningless, and something that is in the heart but does not prompt speech or action is not worth that much (Bekhor Shor).

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I set before you this day life and prosperity, death OJPS 15See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and I command you this day, to love the LORD death and evil, 16in that I command thee this day to love the and adversity. your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His comHis laws, and His rules, that you may thrive and increase, and mandments and His statutes and His ordinances; then thou shalt that the LORD your God may bless you in live and multiply, and the LORD thy God |KTKCZ~ ZKJVPG KTKC[ the land that you are about to enter and shall bless thee in the land whither thou ½ © ÆEÈÙÏ −¦ © «© ¤ ÌBi‰ ¤Æ ¨ § Èz˙ ¦ ³© ¨ ‰‡¯ ¥¸ § 15 goest in to possess it. 17But if thy heart turn possess. 17But if your heart turns away and ÌÈiÁ‰-˙‡ you give no heed, and are lured into the :Ú¯‰-˙‡Â «¨ ¨ ¤§ ˙Ân‰-˙‡Â ¤ −¨ © ¤§ ·Bh‰-˙‡Â ®© ¤ § away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be worship and service of other gods, 18I de- -˙‡¤ ‰·‰‡Ï Ÿ º¨ £ © § ¼ÌBi‰© »EeˆÓ § © § ÈÎ‡ ´ ¦ ¨ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ 16 drawn away, and worship other gods, and clare to you this day that you shall cerserve them; 18I declare unto you this day, Ÿ ² § ¦ § ÂÈί„a ½ ¨ § ¦ ˙ÎÏÏ ÆEÈ‰Ï ÆŸ ‡ ¯ÓLÏ ¨ ¤ ´ ¤ ¨ ¤ ¡ ‰Â‰È ³ ¨ § that ye shall surely perish; ye shall not protainly perish; you shall not long endure ¨ ½¦ ¨ § ˙ÈÈÁ ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ § ÂÈËtLÓe ®¨ ¨ § ¦ ÂÈ˙wÁ −¨ Ÿ ª § ÂÈ˙ÂˆÓ ¬¨ Ÿ § ¦ long your days upon the land, whither on the soil that you are crossing the Jor- ˙È·¯Â thou passest over the Jordan to go in to dan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven ‰z‡-¯L ¬¨ © ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡a ¤ ¨¾ ¨ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆEί·e § © «¥ 19 and earth to witness against you this day: 17 E··Ï − § ¨ § ‰ÙÈ-̇ ¬¤ § ¦ ¦ § :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰nL-‡· ¨ −¨ ¨ possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set I have put before you life and death, blessŸ ´ § before thee life and death, the blessing and ¬ ¦ Ÿ ‡Ï¥ ˙ÈÂÁzL‰Â ¨ ² ¦ £ © § « ¦ § zÁc ¨À § © ¦ § ÚÓL˙ ®¨ § ¦ ‡Ï ing and curse. Choose lifeÐif you and ÌÈ‰Ï ½ © ÆÌÎÏ ÌBi‰ ¤ ¨ Èz„b‰ ¦ §³© ¦ 18 :Ìz„·Ú «¨ § © £ © ÌȯÁ‡ −¦ ¥ £ the curse; therefore choose life, that thou

NJPS

15See,

16For

RASHI 15 Life and prosperity.

Rather, ``life and good'' (OJPS). And the one is dependent on the other. If you do good, you will have life; if you do evil (again, see OJPS), you will have death. The paragraph goes on to explain in more detail how this occurs.

16 I command you this day, to love the LORD your God. This is the ``good'' of v. 15. That you may thrive and increase. Literally, ``live and multiply'' (OJPS). This is the ``life.'' 17 But if your heart turns away. This is the ``evil'' of v. 15. 18 You shall certainly perish. The ``death'' of v. 15.

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day. Heaven and earth

Ÿ − ¨ Èk -ÏÚ© ÆÌÈÓÈ ¦ ¨ ÔÎȯ‡˙-‡Ï ³ª ¦ £ © Ÿ Ôe„·‡z ® ¥ Ÿ „·‡ ¬¦ Ÿ ¬ ¨ Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ½¥ § © © ‡·Ï ¤ Ư·Ú ¥ Ÿ ‰z‡ ³¨ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰ ¨½ ¨ £ ´¨ »ÌBi‰© Ìη ´¤ ¨ È˙„ÈÚ‰ ¦ Ÿ ¸ ¦ © 19 :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰nL ¨ −¨ Æ˙Ân‰Â ¤ ƨ © § ÌÈiÁ‰ ³¦ © © ¼ı¯‡‰-˙ ¤ ¨ ¨ ‡Â ¤ § ÌÈÓM‰-˙‡ ¦ ´© ¨ © ¤ Æz¯Á·e ¨ § © «¨ ‰ÏÏw‰Â ®¨ ¨ § © § ‰Î¯a‰ −¨ ¨ § © EÈÙÏ ¤½ ¨ § Èz˙ ¦ ´© ¨

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Isn't even ``See, I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity'' (v. 15) simply a repetition of ``See, this day I set before you blessing and curse'' (11:26)? F Hasn't Moses already said ``I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His laws, and His rules'' (v. 16)Ð and especially the part about keeping the commandmentsÐmultiple, multiple times? F Why does v. 19 repeat ``I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse,'' which began the paragraph?

IBN EZRA 15 Life. That is, long life. Prosperity. Literally, ``good'' (OJPS), meaning not only prosperity but also health and honor. Death and adversity. Literally,

``death and evil'' (OJPS), the reverse of the previous two. 16 To love the LORD your God. This is the essential part. To walk in His ways. You must not deviate from His ways and from the commandments that He gives you, whether or not you understand the reasons for all the laws and rules. That you may thrive. Literally, ``live'' (OJPS); this is the ``life'' of v. 15. Increase. This is the ``good'' of v. 15, a physical increase of wealth and offspring. 17 But if your heart turns away. For the heart is the essential part. Lured. See my comment to ``you must not be lured'' (4:19). 18 You shall certainly perish. This is the ``death and evil'' of v. 15Ðthey, their children, and their wealth will all perish.

exist forever. When the evil happens to you, they will be the legally required witnesses that I warned you about it. Another reading: The Holy One said to Israel: Look at the heavens, which I created to serve you. Have they changed at all? Has the sun stopped rising in the east and shining over all the world? No, ``the sun rises, and the sun sets'' (Eccles. 1:5). Look at the earth, which I created to serve you. Has it changed at all? Do you sow and ®nd that it does not produce plants? Or do you plant wheat and ®nd that the earth brings forth barley? And heaven and earth were not You shall not long endure on the soil. created for reward or lossÐif they do what they are supposed to do, they receive no re- The reverse of ``that the LORD your God may ward, and if they fail, they are not punished. Yet they have not deviated from their proper bless you in the land'' (v. 16). course. You, who receive reward if you deserve it and punishment if you sinÐhow much 19 I call heaven and earth to witness. more so must you behave as you ought to. Choose life. I am instructing you to choose the Because they are permanently in existence. You will ®nd something comparable when NAHMANIDES 15 See, I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and Joshua tells the people, ``See, this very stone adversity. They are warned once more that there are two paths before them and they are shall be a witness'' (Josh. 24:27), and when free to choose the one they want. No one, on high or down below, will prevent them from Micah says, ``Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD'' (Mic. 6:2). Life and death, choosing either path. ``Life'' and ``death'' are the blessings and the curses. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day. For a second time; see that is, blessing and curse. Obviously, you 4:26. It is like having witnesses sign at the end of the document. Choose life. Moses is are supposed to choose life ``in order that

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 15 Life and prosperity, death and adversity.

``Life'' refers to spiritual life, the true life. But this requires material prosperity as well; one who lacks food and shelter cannot concentrate on the life of the mind and spirit. ``Death and adversity'' are of course the opposites of these (Gersonides). ``Life'' refers to physical bene®ts in this world, ``good'' to spiritual ones in the World to Come. As we learn from Ps. 34:13, ``the man who is eager for life, who loves the days when he will see the good,'' it is ``life'' that is directed to ``good'' and not vice versa (Abarbanel). 18 You shall certainly perish. Your lives will be short (Bekhor Shor). You shall not long endure on the soil. You will be taken into captivity (Bekhor Shor). 19 Heaven and earth. The phrase appears in this grammatical form, as the object of a verb, just 12 other times in the Bible (Masorah). The witnesses are God's heavenly retinue and His earthly one. But the straightforward sense of the verse is that ``the hands of the witnesses [will] be the ®rst'' (17:7) to punish them; see 11:17 (Bekhor Shor). It is as if the heavens and the earth will themselves make sure the blessings and curses come about, as in Judg. 5:20, when ``the stars fought from heaven . . . against Sisera'' (Gersonides). I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. As opposed to v. 15, this time the true life and death are put ®rst; the blessing and

DEUTERONOMY 30:19±20 NITSAVIM

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NJPS your offspring would liveÐ20by loving the LORD your OJPS mayest live, thou and thy seed; 20to love the LORD thy

God, heeding His commands, and holding fast to Him. For God, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave unto Him; for that is thereby you shall have life and shall long thy life, and the length of thy days; that endure upon the soil that the LORD swore :Eگʠ½¦ © «© thou mayest dwell in the land which the «¤ § © § ‰z‡ ¬¨ © ‰ÈÁz −¤ § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ¬© § ÌÈiÁa to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Ja- BϘa LORD swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, − Ÿ § ÚÓLÏ ©Ÿ ¬ § ¦ EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ Ɖ·‰‡Ï ¨ £ «© § 20 to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. cob, to give to them. Ÿ ½ Æ Æ RASHI

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allotment that brings life. Ð It is like a man who tells his friend, ``Choose for yourself the best part of my property,'' and takes him to the ®nest part of the property and says, ``Select this part for yourself.'' As the psalms say, ``The LORD is my allotted share and portion; You control my fate'' (Ps. 16:5). You placed my hand on the best possible fate and said, ``Take this one!''

IBN EZRA you and your offspring may live'' (as the verse literally continues). If you and your offspring would live. Whether physically or by living on in memory. 20 By loving the LORD your God. That is the purpose of life. For thereby you shall have life. More precisely, ``that is your

life'' (compare OJPS). According to the commentators, ``that'' refers to ``His voice'' (see OJPS), but in my opinion it should be understood literally: ``He is your life,'' referring to the Lord Himself. As the poet put it, the Lord is ``my deliverer'' (Ps. 18:47), ``my faithful God'' (Ps. 59:11), ``my shield'' (Ps. 18:3) and my sword. [B]

NAHMANIDES

telling them, ``Heaven and earth are my witnesses that I have advised you to choose life, so that you and your offspring may live.''

s

,

[B] Ibn Ezra undoubtedly has all of Ps. 18:3 in mindÐ``O LORD, my crag, my fortress, my rescuer, my God, my rock in whom I seek refuge, my shield, my mighty champion, my haven''Ðbut God is not called ``my sword'' there or anywhere else in the Bible; Deut. 33:29 calls Him ``your Sword triumphant.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS curseÐthat is, prosperity and adversityÐare secondary (Gersonides). Choose life. As we read in Isa. 48:17, ``I the L ORD am your God, instructing you for your own bene®t, guiding you in the way you should go'' (Bekhor Shor). 20 By loving the LORD your God. Rather, choose `` love the LORD your God'' (compare OJPS). That is the purpose of ``choosing life'' and obeying the commandmentsÐthey are not for gaining reward (Abarbanel). Holding fast to Him. The other place this phrase appears is in 11:22 (Masorah). That the LORD swore to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them. The phrase to

occurs with singular ``your'' also only in 9:5 (Masorah).

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LNKG NJPS Moses went and spoke these things to all Israel. OJPS And Moses went and spoke these words unto all 2He said to them: Israel. 2And he said unto them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer ``I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more be active. Moreover, the LORD has said to me, ``You shall not go go out and come in; and the LORD hath said unto me: Thou across yonder Jordan.'' 3The LORD your shalt not go over this Jordan. 3The LORD thy God, He will go over before thee; He God Himself will cross over before you; ÍÏÈ will destroy these nations from before and He Himself will wipe out those nathee, and thou shalt dispossess them; and tions from your path and you shall dispos- Ìȯ·c‰-˙‡ ¬¦ ¨ § © ¤ ¯a„È ²¥ © § © ‰LÓ ®¤ Ÿ CÏi ¤ −¥ © sess them.ÐJoshua is the one who shall 2 Ì‰Ï ¤À ¥ ‡ £ ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ´ © :χ¯NÈ-Ïk «¥ ¨ § ¦ ¨ -χ¤ ‰l¤ ‡‰ −¥ ¨ Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath spoken. 4And the LORD will do cross before you, as the LORD has spoŸ Ÿ ½ Æ ¸ Á -‡Ï ÌBi‰ © ÈÎ‡ ¦ ¨ ‰L ³ ¨ ¨ ÌȯNÚ ¦ § ¤ § ‰‡Ó ¨ ¥ -Ôa ¤ 4 ken.Ð The LORD will do to them as He unto them as He did to Sihon and to Og, ´© ¨ Ɖ‰È ¨ «© ‡B·Ï ® ¨ § ˙‡ˆÏ ´¥ ¨ „BÚ− ÏÎe‡ ¬© did to Sihon and Og, kings of the Amor- ÈÏ©½ ‡¥ ¯Ó‡ the kings of the Amorites, and unto their ites, and to their countries, when He ‰Â‰È Ÿ − £ © ‡Ï Ÿ ¬ land; whom He destroyed. 5And the LORD ¸¨ § 3 :‰f‰ «¤ © Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ¬¥ § © © ¤ ¯·Ú˙ wiped them out. 5The LORD will deliver „ÈÓLÈ-‡e‰ º¦ § © « EÈÙÏ ¤À ¨ § ¯·Ú ´¥ Ÿ | ‡e‰´ EÈ‰Ï ¤¹ Ÿ ‡ ¡ 31:1 Moses went and ÌzL¯È ®¨ § ¦ « ¦ EÈÙlÓ −¤ ¨ § ¦ ‰l¤ ²‡‰ ¥ ¨ ÌÈBb‰-˙‡ ¬¦ © ¤ IBN EZRA spoke these things to all Israel. He went RASHI 31:2 I am now one hundred ¯ac £ © EÈÙÏ ¤½ ¨ § ¯·Ú ´¥ Ÿ ‡e‰μ ÚLB‰È © ªÀ § to each and every tribe to announce that he and twenty years old. Precisely ``now''Ð ¬¤ ¦ ¯L−¤ ‡k ¨À ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡k £ © Ì‰Ï ¤½ ¨ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ‰NÚ ³¨ ¨ § 4 :‰Â‰È «¨ § was dying, but that they should not be ``this day'' (OJPS). This day my days and ‰NÚ my years are complete. On this day I was ̈¯‡Ïe ®¨ § © § ȯӇ‰ −¦Ÿ ¡ ¨ ÈÎÏÓ ¬¥ § © ‚BÚÏe ² § ÔBÁÈÒÏ ¬ ¦ § afraid. He reassured them by telling them what he would say to Joshua (see vv. 7±8). born, and on this day I shall die. I can no −¨ § Ì˙e ¬¨ ¨ § 5 :Ì˙‡ «¨ Ÿ „ÈÓL‰ −¦ § ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ In my opinion, this is when he blessed the longer be active. You might think he was ‰Â‰È

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too weak to be active any longer, but 34:7 tells us that ``his eyes were undimmed and ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F In 29:1, ``Moses all Israel,'' and he has been speaking to his vigor unabated.'' What Moses is saying summoned them continuously ever since. So why are we now is this: ``I am no longer allowed to be active. told that Moses ``went'' (v. 1) to speak to Israel? Authority has been taken from me and F Why does Moses say, ``I can no longer be active'' given to Joshua.'' Another reading: by ``ac- (v. 2), as if that were part of the reason he could not go tive'' Moses means active in learning To- across the Jordan? It completely contradicts what we rah, and the sources and springs of wisdom are told in 34:7, that ``his eyes were undimmed and his were indeed blocked off from him. The vigor unabated''! LORD has said to me. This is not something additional; it is the explanation of why he can no longer be active.

NAHMANIDES 31:1 Moses went.

tribes, even though the blessings are not recorded until ch. 33. 2 I can no longer be active. Literally, ``I can no more go out and come in'' (OJPS), referring to leadership in battle. He is saying, ``Even if I were not going to die now, I no longer have the ability to ®ght. In any case, you have no need of anyone's help, [A] since the Lord will destroy those nations along with Joshua.'' This is what he promises them in v. 4. [A] Another reading of Ibn Ezra's comment says, ``I no longer have the ability to ®ght, and you have no need of

who would abandon you.'' The difference in Hebrew When he had ®nished what he had to say, all someone is a single letter. those who had been standing before him, to a manÐwomen and children includedÐwent back to their tents. There was no need for the text to mention this; since the whole reason they were standing ``before the LORD'' (29:9) was ``to enter into the covenant'' (29:11), once they had entered the covenant, they could go. What the text is saying now is that Moses left the camp of the Levites and entered the camp of Israel, out of respect for them. It is like someone who wishes to take his leave of a friend and goes to the friend to get permission to leave. 2 I am now one hundred and twenty years old. This was to comfort them about what was happening to him: ``I am old and no longer of any use to you. Moreover, the Lord has commanded me not to cross over there. But do not be afraid; the Lord will cross over with you. He will not remove His Presence from you on my account. `Joshua is the one who shall cross before you' [v. 3].'' Even though our master Moses was still in perfect health, as 34:7 testi®es, he said this to try to reassure them. Rashi thinks Moses told the Israelites that he was not permitted to lead them any longer, but this is not correct. Ibn Ezra's remark that Moses was no longer able to ®ght is likewise not correct. The Sages say that the ``springs of wisdom were blocked'' from him miraculously, so that he would not be upset about greatness being transferred to Joshua while he, Moses, was still alive.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 31:1 Moses went and spoke these things to all Israel. He had to go to each and every tribe to make this announcement because the Holy One had already hidden away the trumpets that were used to summon them all (Hizkuni). That is, the things that follow in vv. 2±6 (Gersonides). The ``words'' of 1:1 conclude here; from this point on it tells what Moses did after speaking those words (Abarbanel). ``Went'' does not mean that he walked somewhere, but (as in 17:3 and Exod. 2:1) that he did it. He ``went ahead and spoke'' these things to all Israel (Sforno). 2 I am now one hundred and twenty years old. Though I am healthy right now, at this extreme age that cannot be true in the future (Abarbanel). There is no need to be sad about my death, as I could not naturally expect to live longer (Sforno). I can no longer be active. Rather, ``I will [at some point in the near future] no longer be able to be active'' (Abarbanel). 3 The LORD your God Himself. This is one of three verses in the Bible where the Hebrew text both begins and ends with the Tetragrammaton; the others are 1 Sam. 26:23 and Isa. 38:20 (Masorah). It was not me that was the source of your strength, but the Holy One (Abarbanel). Joshua is the one who shall cross before you, as the LORD has spoken. In 18:18, ``I will raise up a prophet for them from among their own people, like yourself,'' and in Num. 27:18, ``Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him'' (Bekhor Shor). Even though their real source of strength was the Holy One, nonetheless the divine plan is ful®lled through intermediaries (Abarbanel).

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DEUTERONOMY 31:5±10 VA-YELEKH

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NJPS them up to you, and you shall deal with them in full OJPS will deliver them up before you, and ye shall do unto accordance with the Instruction that I have enjoined upon you. them according unto all the commandment which I have com6Be strong and resolute, be not in fear or in dread of them; for manded you. 6Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be the LORD your God Himself marches with affrighted at them; for the LORD thy God, you: He will not fail you or forsake you. ‰Âˆn‰-ÏÎk ¨½ § ¦ © ¨ § Ì‰Ï ¤½ ¨ Ì˙ÈNÚ ´¤ ¦ £ © ÌÎÈÙÏ ®¤ ¥ § ¦ He it is that doth go with thee; He will not 7Then Moses called Joshua and said to fail thee, nor forsake thee.'' ½ § ¦ § e˜ÊÁ ´ § ¦ 6 :ÌÎ˙‡ «¤ § ¤ È˙Èeˆ ¦ −¦ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ 7And Moses called unto Joshua, and him in the sight of all Israel: ``Be strong and -χ© eˆÓ‡Â ´¨ § | Èk ´ ¦ ̉ÈtÓ ®¤ ¥ § ¦ eˆ¯Úz-Ï − § © © ‡Â © § e‡¯Èz ¬ § « ¦ said unto him in the sight of all Israel: ``Be resolute, for it is you who shall go with this ‰Â‰È people into the land that the LORD swore ‡Ï Ÿ ¬ § Et¯È Ÿ ¬ CnÚ − § § © ‡Ï ¨½ ¦ Cω‰ ´¥ Ÿ © ‡e‰μ EÈ‰Ï ¤À Ÿ ‡ ¡ strong and of good courage; for thou shalt to their fathers to give them, and it is you go with this people into the land which the Ù :j·ÊÚÈ ¨ «¤ § © © who shall apportion it to them. 8And the |K[KPI~ K[KN[ LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to ¸¨ § ¦ © 7 give them; and thou shalt cause them to ´¥ ¥ § ÂÈϨ¹ ‡¥ ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ ¸ © ÚLB‰ÈÏ © ªÀ « ¦ ‰LÓ ¤¹ Ÿ ‡¯˜i LORD Himself will go before you. He will ÈÈÚÏ be with you; He will not fail you or forsake ƇB·z¨ ‰z‡ ¨À © Èk ´ ¦ ¼ıӇ ¨ ¡ ¤ ˜ÊÁ ´© £ χ¯NÈ-ÏÎ ¥ ¨ § ¦ ¨ inherit it. 8And the LORD, He it is that you. Fear not and be not dismayed!'' ÚaL ¯© § ¦ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ‡¤ ‰f‰ ¤½ © Ì´Ú‰-˙‡ ¨ ¨ ¤ doth go before thee; He will be with thee, 9Moses wrote down this Teaching and He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; −¨ © § Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ ˙˙Ï ´¥ ¨ Ì˙·‡Ï −¨ Ÿ £ © ‰Â‰È ²¨ § fear not, neither be dismayed.'' gave it to the priests, sons of Levi, who ‰z‡Â 9And Moses wrote this law, and delivº¨ «© 8 :Ì˙B‡ ´¥ Ÿ © | ‡e‰´ ‰Â‰È «¨ ‰pÏÈÁz ¨ ¬¤ ¦ § © carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, Cω‰ and to all the elders of Israel. Ÿ ´ § Et¯È Ÿ ¬ CnÚ ‡Ï − § § © ‡Ï ¨½ ¦ ‰È‰È ´¤ § ¦ ‡e‰μ EÈÙÏ ¤À ¨ § ered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, 10And Moses instructed them as folthat bore the ark of the covenant of the Ÿ ¬ § ‡¯È˙ Ÿ ¬ j·ÊÚÈ :˙Á˙ «¨ ¥ ‡Ï −¨ ¦ ‡Ï ¨ ®¤ § © «© lows: Every seventh year, the year set for LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel. Ÿ © ‰¯Bz‰-˙‡ Ÿ´ § ¦©9 dzi ¨À § ¦ «© ¼˙‡f‰ ´¨ © ¤ »‰LÓ ¤ Ÿ ·zÎi 10And Moses commanded them, saying: `` A t the end of every seven years, in the set ½¦ § Ÿ ´ © ÈÂÏ ½¦ ¥ Èa −£ ¤ ÌȇNp‰ ´¥ § ÆÌÈ‰k‰-Ï ¦ £ Ÿ © ‡¤ RASHI 6 He will not fail you. More ÔB¯‡-˙‡

literally, ``He will not relax His hold on you'' KTKCZ :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ È˜Ê-Ïk −¥ § ¦ ¨ -χ ¤ § ‰Â‰È ®¨ § ˙ȯa ´¦ § so that you feel abandoned. Ÿ ® ¥ Ì˙B‡ © ´¤ | ıwÓ ´¨ ‰LÓ −¤ Ÿ ˆÈ ¬© § © 10 ´¥ ¦ ¯Ó‡Ï 7 For it is you who shall go with this Ú·L people. Moses is telling Joshua that he QUESTIONS F Why are we told shall go with ``this people,'' that is, that the ABARBANEL'S ``Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to elders of the generation will be with him, that priests'' (v. 9) when there is still more writing to and that everything must be done with their the be done in vv. 19 and 22? We should not be told this knowledge and counsel. But the Holy One until v. 24, ``when Moses had put down in writing the told Joshua not , ``you shall go,'' but words of this Teaching to the very end.'' F Doesn't , ``you shall bring'': ``You shall bring the Moses' charge to the Levites in v. 26 to ``take this book contradict the statement in v. 9 that he Israelites into the land that I promised them'' ofgaveTeaching'' it to the Certainly all the priests were (v. 22)Ð``you shall bring them whether they Levites, but notpriests? all the Levites were priests! want to go or not. Everything depends on you! Take a stick and hit them over the head if necessary.'' There can be only one commander in each generationÐnot two. 9 Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of Levi. Once it was all ®nished (see v. 24), he gave it to the members of his tribe. 10 Every seventh year, the year set for remission. More precisely, ``At the end of every seven years'' (OJPS), in the ®rst ``year'' of the seven-year sabbatical cycle of remission; that is, the eighth year. And why is it referred to as ``the year set for tavo

tavi

IBN EZRA 5 You shall deal with them in full accordance with the Instruction that I have enjoined upon you. Smashing their sacred pillars. 6 Be strong and resolute. Knowing

that the Lord Himself is marching with you wherever you go to ®ght. 7 Be strong and resolute. Moses said the same thing to Joshua, whom he had appointed to lead the Israelites, as he did to them. 9 Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of Levi. Who are the ones who instruct Israel about the Teaching. And to all the elders of Israel. The Sanhedrin. See also my ®rst comment to 27:1. 10 Every seventh year. Rather, ``at the

endofeveryseventhyear''(compareOJPS)Ð NAHMANIDES 9 Moses wrote down this Teaching. From the beginning of Genesis to the last verse in Deuteronomy. 10 Every seventh year, the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths. Rather, ``At the end of every seven years'' (OJPS). It is possible to say that the text understands the Feast of Booths to occur precisely at the beginning of the year, that is, right after the end

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5 In full accordance with the Instruction that I have enjoined upon you. In 7:1±5 and elsewhere (Bekhor Shor). In 20:16, ``you shall not let a soul remain alive'' (Hizkuni). In 20:10, ``you shall offer it terms of peace'' (Gersonides). 6 He will not fail you. In war (Sforno). Or forsake you. By withdrawing His Providence from you afterward, so that surrounding countries could attack you (Sforno). 7 It is you who shall go with this people. Moses was a very humble man, and he was encouraging Joshua to go humbly ``with'' the

people as well. But the Lord told Joshua in v. 23, ``Be strong and resolute: for you shall the Israelites into the land.'' You cannot have one pot with two cooks (Bekhor Shor). Since Moses was saying this to Joshua in front of the people, he showed respect to them in this way (Hizkuni). Though I am not allowed to (Sforno). 9 Moses wrote down this Teaching. As much of it as he had written down up to that point. This was not the copy to be placed ``beside the Ark of the Covenant'' (v. 26); in fact, he must have made more than one of these, since a single scroll could not have suf®ced for all the priests the elders (Gersonides). What Nahmanides says is not correct. Moses wrote down the books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus at Sinai and added the rest piece by piece, as the divine communications came to him (Abarbanel). The ``Teaching'' he wrote down here was the laws about kingship in ch. 17; it is apparently this scroll that Hilkiah ®nds in 2 Kings 22 (Sforno). The priests, sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. Even though it was the LevitesÐnot the priestsÐwho ordinarily carried the Ark, immediately after Moses' death it was the priests who did so; see Joshua 3 (Bekhor Shor). The priests are called ``those who carried the Ark of the Lord's Covenant'' because it was they who (according to Num. 4:5±6) prepared the Ark for the Levites to carry (Hizkuni). He gave it to the priests not to keep it in the Ark but to study it (Abarbanel). The king would receive the ``Teaching'' from them (Sforno). 10 Every seventh year. Why only ``every seventh year'' and not every year? To keep words of Torah seeming fresh and not stale. As bring

and

208

209 DEUTERONOMY 31:10±14 NJPS

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remission, at the Feast of Booths,

OJPS

11

when all Israel

time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

comes to appear before the L ORD your God in the place that

11

He will choose, you shall read this Teaching aloud in the pres-

the place which He shall choose, thou shalt read this law before

ence of all Israel.

12

when all Israel is come to appear before the L ORD thy God in

Gather the peopleÐ

all Israel in their hearing.

12

Assemble the

men, women, children, and the strangers

people, the men and the women and the

in your communitiesÐthat they may hear

little ones, and thy stranger that is within

À¦ ¨ :˙Bkq‰ « ª © ‚Áa ¬© § ‰hÓM‰ −¨ ¦ § © ˙L ¬© § „ÚÓa ²¥ Ÿ § ÌÈL your God ‰Â‰È ´¨ § ÆÈt-˙‡ ¥§ ¤ Æ˙B‡¯Ï ¨ ¥ χ¯NÈ-ÏÎ ¥À ¨ § ¦ ¨ ‡B·a ´ § 11 and so learn to revere the L and to observe faithfully every word of this º¨ § ¦ ¯Á·È -˙‡¤ ‡¯˜z ®¨ § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ ÌB˜na − ¨ © EÈ‰Ï ¤½ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Their children, too, who have Teaching. Ÿ² © ‰¯Bz‰ :̉Èʇa «¤ ¥ § ¨ § χ¯NÈ-Ïk −¥ ¨ § ¦ ¨ „‚ ¤¬¤ ˙‡f‰ ¬¨ © not had the experience, shall hear and ÆÌÈLp‰Â ¦ ¨ © § ÌÈL‡‰ ³¦ ¨ £ «¨ ÌÚ‰-˙‡ ¨À ¨ ¤ ω˜‰ ´¥ § © 12 your God as long learn to revere the L as they live in the land that you are about ¹ § § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ eÚÓLÈ © ©¸ § EȯÚLa ®¤ ¨ § ¦ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ E¯‚ − § ¥ § Ûh‰Â ©½ © § to cross the Jordan to possess. À § § ¦ ÔÚÓÏe ÌÎÈ‰Ï ¤½ ¥ Ÿ « ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ Æe‡¯È § «¨ § e„ÓÏÈ © ´© § The L said to Moses: The time is ½ £ © e¯ÓL ‰¯Bz‰ ¬¨ © ȯ·c-Ïk −¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ ˙BNÚÏ ´ § «¨ § drawing near for you to die. Call Joshua Ÿ« © ÆeÚÓLÈ À § ¨ Ÿ « ¯L º¤ ¥ § 13 :˙‡f‰ § § ¦ eÚ„È-‡Ï ´¤ ‡ £ ̉È·e ½ § ´¨ § ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ‰Â‰È-˙‡ ´¨ § ¤ ‰‡¯ÈÏ −¨ § ¦ § e„ÓÏ RASHI remission''? Because the ``remis- -Ïk¨ ÌÎÈ‰Ï sion'' of the seventh, sabbatical year still ap- ‰Ó„‡‰-ÏÚ À¦ ¨ © ¨½ ¨ £ ´¨ © ÆÌÈiÁ ¦ © Ìz‡ ³¤ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÌÈÓi‰ plies at this point in the eighth year, where ¨ −¨ Ôc¯i‰-˙‡ ²¥ § © © ¤ Ìȯ·Ú ¯¦ § Ÿ Ìz‡ ¤¹ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ the ``harvest'' is that of the seventh year. [A] ‰nL Ù :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § 11 You shall read this Teaching |K[[~ K[KPI aloud. The king would readÐstarting with »EÈÓÈ ¹¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ ¨ e·¯˜ ´ § ¨ Ô‰ ´¥ ‰LÓ ¤À Ÿ -χ¤ ‰Â‰È ¤ Ÿ ¸ © 14 the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy, ¤ Ÿ ¬ § e·vÈ˙‰Â ² § © § « ¦ § ÚLB‰È-˙‡ © ªÀ § ¤ ‡¯˜ ´¨ § ¼˙eÓϨ as explained on B. Sot. 41aÐfrom a wooden ω‡a ORD

13

ORD

14

ORD

stage set up in the temple courtyard. 12 Men. To learn. Women. To listen. Children. Why were they brought along? So that reward could be given to those who brought them.

[A] See Rashi's comment to Lev. 25:21.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F instruct

them

to

read

the

Why does Moses

Torah

``every

seventh

year . . . at the Feast of Booths'' (v. 10)? Shouldn't it be read every year, and perhaps even when they gather at every pilgrimage festival?

F

Since Moses gives the

may learn, and fear the L ORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law; 13

and that their children, who have not

known, may hear, and learn to fear the L ORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.'' 14

And

the

L ORD

said

unto

Moses:

``Behold, thy days approach that thou must

IBN EZRA at the front end, the beginning, of the seventh, sabbatical year. That way, they would be able to spend the entire year learningÐnot just the Sabbaths. 12 The strangers. Perhaps they will convert to Judaism. That they may hear. When they hear, they will ask questions. And so learn. The ones who are not wise will learn, and of course (see v. 13) the small children will too. 14 The time is drawing near for you to die. Everyone's life has a set length, as

Torah to multiple priests (not to mention ``all the elders of Israel,'' v. 9), why does he say in v. 11 that

NAHMANIDES

thy gates, that they may hear, and that they

``you'' in the singular ``shall read this Teaching aloud''?

of the previous year, F If the Sages are correct in saying that this singular since we ®nd it described as occurring ``at refers to the king, why is he not mentioned explicitly? the end of the year'' (Exod. 23:16) and ``at F When Moses commands them, ``Gather the peopleÐmen, women, children, and the strangers in your the turn of the year'' (Exod. 34:22). I have communities'' (v. 12), he gives the reason: ``that they found one commentator who says that the may hear and so learn to revere the L your God point is to be generous with any period of and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching.'' holiness and add on a bit at the end; here, This reason certainly applies to the men and the the point would be that the ``year set for women, but what does ``observing every word of this remission'' really extends until the Feast of Teaching'' have to do with the children and the Booths of the next year. The discussion in strangers? F Why does the Lord tell Moses to ``Call Joshua . . . that I may instruct him'' (v. 14), when in the Talmud, however, demonstrates con- fact He then speaks only to Moses, to tell him that he clusively that that is not true. In fact the is soon to die? Hebrew term used here can be used to refer to the precise end of something or to the period before or after the end. This reading is to be done at the ®rst Feast of Booths that occurs after the end of each seven-year cycle. 11 You shall read this Teaching aloud. According to the Sages, ``this Teaching'' means the book of Deuteronomy. Even so, in v. 9 the same expression refers to the entire Torah, for v. 24 tells us that Moses ``put down in writing the words of this Teaching to the very end''Ðfrom beginning to end. 12 That they may hear and so learn. ``They'' here includes the women, who hear and learn to revere the Lord just as the men do. ORD

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Solomon says in Prov. 25:17, ``Visit your neighbor sparingly, lest he have his surfeit of you and loathe you'' (Abarbanel).

11 When all Israel comes to appear before the LORD. In the sabbatical year,

when there is no agricultural work, they are all free to come to Jerusalem and hear the Torah (Bekhor Shor). You shall read this Teaching aloud. ``You'' is singular, referring to Joshua and by extension to the king (Bekhor Shor). The singular verb refers to each and every Israelite. But since multiple simultaneous voices are unintelligible, in practical terms the reading must be done by just one of them, and this would obviously be the king, who (as Aristotle says) embodies the spirit of the people. When he reads, they all read. Rabbinic tradition says that it was not necessary to read anything but Deuteronomy; and 2 Kings 23:2, where King Josiah reads out ``the entire text of the covenant scroll which had been found in the House of 13 Their children, too, who have not had the experience, shall hear and learn. the LORD,'' substantiates this (Abarbanel). When the children ask about what they are hearing, the parents will accustom them and In the presence of all Israel. Literally, ``in train them to observe the Teaching. The ``children'' here are not infants at the breast, but their ears.'' It must be read comprehensibly, older children, approaching the age at which they can be educated. To revere the LORD. translated, and explained (Bekhor Shor). The children will learn to do so in the future; note the distinction (preserved by OJPS) 12 Gather. This form of this verb occurs between v. 12, where the adults ``learn, and fear,'' and our verse, where the children ``learn also only in 4:10, Lev. 8:3, and Num. 20:8 to fear'' in the future. The Sages, however, say: The men are to learn and the women to (Masorah). Children. The Hebrew word hear. Why must the children come? To earn reward for those who bring them. refers to 14- or 15-year-olds, not counted as full adults because they are not yet 20, but old enough to understand what is being said (Bekhor Shor). That they may hear and so learn. Those who were wise among the people would hear and understand; those of lesser understanding would have to learn (Sforno).

14 The LORD said to Moses: The time is drawing near for you to die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the Tent of

DEUTERONOMY 31:14±16 VA-YELEKH

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and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of I may instruct him. Moses and Joshua went and presented meeting, that I may give him a charge.'' And Moses and Joshua themselves in the Tent of Meeting. 15The L ORD appeared in went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15And the the Tent, in a pillar of cloud, the pillar of L ORD appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud; and the pillar of cloud stood over cloud having come to rest at the entrance e·vÈ˙i − § © § « ¦ © ÚLB‰È © ª½ « ¦ ƉLÓ ¤ Ÿ CÏi ¤ ³¥ © epeˆ‡Â ®¤ © £ © „ÚBÓ −¥ the door of the Tent. of the tent. 15 „enÚa ´ © § ω‡a ¤ Ÿ − ¨ ‰Â‰È ²¨ § ‡¯i ¯¨ ¥ © :„ÚBÓ «¥ ω‡a ¤Ÿ¬ § 16 16 The L ORD said to Moses: You are And the L ORD said unto Moses: Ÿ Á˙t-ÏÚ © ¬ ¤ © ÔÚ‰ − ¨ ¨ ¤ „enÚ ¬ © „ÓÚi ² £ © © ÔÚ ¨ ¨ ® soon to lie with your fathers. This people ``Behold, thou art about to sleep with thy will thereupon go astray after the alien Ò :ω‡‰ ¤ Ÿ « ¨ fathers; and this people will rise up, and go gods in their midst, in the land that they astray after the foreign gods of the land, -ÌÚ¦ ·ÎL −¥ Ÿ Ep‰ ¬ § ¦ ‰LÓ ¤½ Ÿ -χ¤ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ³ © 16 are about to enter; they will forsake Me whither they go to be among them, and ´¥ £ © | ‰Ê ´¨ ¨ § ‰f‰ ¤¹ © ÌÚ‰ ¨¸ ¨ Á̘ ¨ § EÈ˙·‡ ®¤ Ÿ £ will forsake Me, and break My covenant and break My covenant that I made with | ȯÁ‡

ƉnL-‡· ¨ ƨ ¨

‡e‰³ ¯L¤¸ ‡£ ı¯‡‰-¯Î ¤ ¨À ¨ © «¥ È‰Ï ´¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡

RASHI 14 That I may instruct him. ¯L ½¦ ¦ § -˙‡¤ Ưى ½ § ¦ § IBN EZRA I explained in my comment ¬¤ ‡ £ È˙ȯa ¥ ¥ § È·ÊÚ ¦ ©¾ ¨ £ © Ba¯˜a Really, ``that I may encourage him.'' to ``I will let you enjoy the full count of your 16 The alien gods...in the land. Ra- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why does ``the pil- days'' (Exod. 23:26). That I may instruct ther, ``the gods of the nations of the land.'' lar of cloud . . . come to rest at the entrance of the tent'' him. This ``instruction'' is given by Moses (v. 15), which does not ordinarily happen when the (at the Lord's command) in v. 23. Moses and Joshua went and presented themNAHMANIDES 14 That I may in- Lord speaks to Moses? selves in the Tent of Meeting. Moses left struct him. Rashi understands the verb to

mean ``that I may encourage him.'' But there is no need for this. When the Holy One tells the Israelite camp, where he had been, and Joshua, ``Be strong and resolute: for you shall bring the Israelites into the land'' (v. 23), He came to the camp of the Shekhinah. is not encouraging him but actually commanding him to do so. If Joshua had shirked his 15 The LORD appeared in the Tent. duty and not done so, he would have incurred the death penalty. It is possible, though, Rather, ``at'' the Tent (meaning the Tent of that the Hebrew means ``that I may commission him,'' that is, ``that I may instruct the Is- Meeting). In a pillar of cloud, the pillar of cloud having come to rest at the enraelites that I am appointing him as their ruler.'' See my comment to Num. 27:19. 15 The LORD appeared in the Tent, in a pillar of cloud. For the view of Ibn Ezra, trance of the tent. That is, the pillar was at see his comment. In my view, our verse is comparable to Num. 12:5, ``The LORD came the entrance of the Tent, indicating the apdown in a pillar of cloud [and] stopped at the entrance of the Tent,'' and to Exod. 16:10, pearance of the Lord at the Tent. That is ``There, in a cloud, appeared the Presence of the LORD.'' He wanted to speak with Moses how the Presence ``appears.'' in such a way that Joshua could hear (since Joshua himself was to be instructed). He had 16 You are soon to lie with your fatold Moses, ``There I will meet with you, and I will impart to youÐfrom above the cover, thers. This people will thereupon go from between the two cherubim that are on top of the Ark of the Pact'' (Exod. 25:22), but astray. This makes no sense as a continuJoshua, who was not at that level, was explicitly forbidden to enter the Tent. The pillar of ation of the instructions to Joshua (see my cloud having come to rest at the entrance of the tent. This clari®es that the cloud, comments to vv. 14 and 24). What would within which was the Presence, was at the entrance of the Tent, covering it. It was there- be the point of telling Moses that the people would have alien thoughts? For ``going fore not the Tent but the Tent. 16 The alien gods ...in the land. Rashi's comment is not correct. What the Hebrew astray'' here simply means mentally removphrase means is ``the god who is alien to this land.'' It is the Holy One Himself who is ing oneself from His authority. After the called the God of land, as Ibn Ezra points out: ``The nations which you deported and alien gods. We know that the Lord is One. resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know the rules of '' (2 Kings Any element of change occurs in the spheres 17:26). We ®nd also the expressions ``the God of Jerusalem'' (2 Chron. 32:19) and ``the that receive the divine over¯ow. The Holy land of the LORD'' (Hosea 9:3); see further my comments to Gen. 24:3 and Lev. 18:25. In One would certainly not change His cretheir midst. The suf®x is really masculine singular, so this part of the phrase may mean ation, for He ``made them all with wisdom'' ``in midst''Ðin the midst of that alien god's people (that is, those who serve him)Ðor it (Ps. 104:24). One element of serving the Lord is nurturing one's potential to be a remay mean ``in midst,'' in the midst of the land, as Ibn Ezra explains. cipient, according to the location one is in. Examples of this are Jacob telling his household, ``Rid yourselves of the alien gods in your midst'' (Gen. 35:2), and the king of Assyria being warned about those he resettled in Samaria, ``they do not know the rules of the God of the land'' (2 Kings 17:26). By the same token, there are some locations that are simply steeped in sexual immorality; a word to the wise is suf®cient. [B] In their midst. The Hebrew of the phrase would be more accurately translated this way: ``the gods of the [alien] nations of that land, in whose midst they will be''Ðin short, the gods of that land, where they will be in the midst of ``the alien nations.'' An even more plausible interpretation is that they will be ``in the midst'' of that land. The masculine suf®x is no problem; we ®nd ``land'' treated as masculine (e.g.) in Gen. 13:6 and Isa. 9:18. in

at

this

the God of the land

his

its

[B] When Jacob entered the land of Israel, he knew that theycould not bring in ``alien gods''Ðand also that his being married to two sisters would violate the sanctityof the land;see Lev. 18:18.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Meeting, that I may instruct him. Moses thought he had ®nished writing the Torah, and he certainly

had no desire to issue more threats against the Jewish people. So the Holy One tricked him into returning for another revelation. It was the song of ch. 32 that was the real purpose of this prophecy, not the instructions to Joshua (Abarbanel). 15 The LORD appeared in the Tent, in a pillar of cloud, the pillar of cloud having come to rest at the entrance of the tent. Since ``Joshua son of Nun...would not stir out of the Tent'' (Exod. 33:11), Moses received this revelation outside the Tent, to maintain the differentiation between himself and Joshua both in prophecy and in place (Abarbanel). 16 You are soon to lie with your fathers. This is one of ®ve verses in the Torah where the punctuation of the Hebrew is indeterminate; it is not clear whether the period belongs after ``fathers'' or after ``and...will rise'' (see OJPS). The other such verses are Gen. 4:7, Gen. 34:7, Exod. 17:9, and the verse repeated as Exod. 25:34 and Exod. 37:20 (Masorah). This people will thereupon go astray. The verb implies straying sexually. The people would act like a woman who is married to a successful, respected man but cheats on him with a lowlife who is despised and shunned (Abarbanel).

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211 DEUTERONOMY 31:16±19

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NJPS them. 17Then My anger will ¯are up against them, and OJPS which I have made with them. 17Then My anger shall I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them. be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and They shall be ready prey; and many evils and troubles shall befall I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and them. And they shall say on that day, many evils and troubles shall come upon ``Surely it is because our God is not in our them; so that they will say in that day: Are ©Â © B·´ Èt‡ ´ ¦ © ‰¯Á ´¨ ¨ § 17 :Bz‡ « ¦ Èz¯k ¦ −© ¨ not these evils come upon us because our midst that these evils have befallen us.'' ‡e‰‰-ÌBi· 18Yet I will keep My countenance hidden ‰È‰Â ¸¦ § © § ¦ § ÌÈz·ÊÚ º¦ § © £ © God is not among us? 18And I will surely ´¨ ¨ § ÆÌ‰Ó ¤ ¥ ÈÙ ³© ¨ Èz¯z҉ on that day, because of all the evil they ƯӇ Ÿ ½ ¡ «¤ hide My face in that day for all the evil © ¨ § ˙B¯ˆÂ ® ¨ § ˙Ba¯ − © ˙BÚ¯ ¬ ¨ e‰‡ˆÓe ²ª ¨ § ÏÎ‡Ï have done in turning to other gods. Èa¯˜a which they shall have wrought, in that Ÿ À £ ‡e‰‰ ½¦ § ¦ § ÆÈ‰Ï ½ © ÌBia ©Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ôȇ-Èk ³¥ « ¦ ÏÚ ´© ‡Ï‰ ´ © they are turned unto other gods. 19Now 19Therefore, write down this poem and À¦ Ÿ ¨ § 18 :‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥¸ § © ÈÎ‡Â «¥ ¨ ˙BÚ¯‰ ¬ ¨ ¨ Èe‡ˆÓ ¦ − ¨ § therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it to the people of Israel; put it in ¯zÒ‰ their mouths, in order that this poem ‰Ú¯‰-Ïk ½ © ÌBia −¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ÏÚ ¬© ‡e‰‰ ´ © ÆÈt © ¨ ¯ÈzÒ‡ ³¦ § © teach thou it the children of Israel; put it in may be My witness against the people of :ÌȯÁ‡ « ¦ ¥ £ ÌÈ‰Ï −¦ Ÿ ‡-Ï ¡ ‡¤ ‰Ù ¨½ ¨ Èk ´ ¦ ‰NÚ ®¨ ¨ ¯L ´¤ ‡ £ their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Ÿ ½ © ‰¯ÈM‰-˙‡ ´¨ ¦ © ¤ ÆÌÎÏ ¤ ¨ e·˙k ³ § ¦ ‰zÚ ¨À © § 19 RASHI 17 I will ...hide My counte- ˙‡f‰ ®¤ ¦ § dÓÈN ´¨ ¦ χ¯NÈ-Èa −¥ ¨ § ¦ ¥ § -˙‡¤ d„nÏ ¬¨ § © § RASHBAM nance. As if I did not see their troubles. ̉ÈÙa 31:19 This poem. Of 19 This poem. The poem of 32:1±43. È·a Ÿ² © ‰¯ÈM‰ ¬¥ § ¦ „ÚÏ −¥ § ˙‡f‰ ¬¨ ¦ © Èl-‰È‰z ¦¹ ¤ § ¦ ÔÚÓÏ © ©¸ § ch. 32, which warns them of the retribution NAHMANIDES 17 They shall say on that day, ``Surely it is because our God is not in our midst that these evils have befallen us.'' This is hardly the full confession called for in Lev. 26:40, ``they shall confess their iniquity.'' But it does demonstrate a certain awareness and regret on account of their trespass, a recognition that they are guilty.

18 I will keep My countenance hidden. NJPS catches the nuance; in v. 17 He

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why must the Lord tell Moses twice (in v. 17 and v. 18) that He will ``hide My countenance'' from the Israelites? F Once the Israelites confess that evils have befallen them ``because our God is not in our midst'' (v. 18), why does the Lord not cease to hide His countenance? InsteadÐsee the Hebrew of v. 18ÐHe redoubles the hiding! F When the Lord says ``write down this poem'' (v. 19) in the plural, He apparently is giving this command to Moses and Joshua. How does this jibe with what we are told in v. 22, that ``Moses wrote down this poem and taught it to the Israelites''?Ðnot to mention the fact that it was Moses who wrote the entire Torah. F Why did the Lord need ``this poem [to] be My witness against the people of Israel''? Is anything said in it that was not already in chs. 26±30? Even calling the heavens and the earth to witness (32:1) is found already in 30:19.

hides His countenance, and here, after they have realized their sin and given up idolatry, when they might expect to bene®t from His great kindness and have Him rescue them, He goes on hiding it. In v. 17 the hiding of His countenance implies that He withholds His merciful countenance so that evil can befall them. Here what is withheld is His redemptive countenance. They can still count on His promise of a merciful countenance: ``Even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or spurn them'' (Lev. 26:44). Eventually their regret will lead to a full confession and complete repentance, when ``you return to the LORD your God, and you and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul'' (30:2). 19 Therefore, write down this poem. This command is given in the plural; the straightforward explanation is that it is addressed to Moses and Joshua. He wanted to make Joshua His prophet while Moses was still alive. What actually happened is that Moses wrote it down (see v. 22) while Joshua stood with him, reading it and looking on.

they will face if they transgress the commandments, so that they will understand they are being punished for their sins. A ``poem'' (or ``song,'' as OJPS more literally translates) means a text where the parallel arrangement of words matters as much as their content.

IBN EZRA 17 I will abandon them. All of them. They shall be ready prey. The Hebrew singular refers to ``each'' of them individually.

18 I will keep My countenance hidden. If they call me, I will not answer. The

metaphor here is a man who does not look and does not know what he is doing. As for the repeated verb, that is a Biblical Hebrew idiom, as those who are knowledgeable about the grammar of the language will certainly understand. In turning to other gods. This, as I have explained in my comment to 28:13, is the greatest evil; there is none greater. 19 Write down this poem. The verb is plural; it was a commandment not only for Moses to write it down, but also for everyone who knew how to write. Teach it. Explain the more dif®cult aspects of it to them. Put it in their mouths. Let them repeat it so that they will know it by heart. I would add that the Hebrew forms of both ``teach'' and ``put'' are rather strange; they have nominal suf®xes rather than the expected verbal suf®xes. My witness against the people of Israel. The obvious way to read these verses is as follows: ``In order that this poem may be My witness against the People of Israel when I bring them into the land.'' If there really is a sentence break between vv. 19 and 20, then the phrase in v. 21 about ``confronting them as a witness'' is a resumption of the idea in our verse.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them.

Out of love, like a man whose son has sinned. He tells the son's master to whip him but cannot bear to watch (Bekhor Shor). ``My Providence will abandon them, leaving them ready for disaster.'' This threat is worse than any of the previous ones, since all the previously threatened evils would come to them by way of reproach; this is simply abandonment (Gersonides). 18 Yet I will keep My countenance hidden on that day. What the Israelites say in v. 17 shows regret over abandoning the Lord, but not over committing idolatry; that is why He keeps His countenance hidden (Abarbanel). 19 Write down this poem. As v. 24 goes on to explain, ``this poem'' refers to the Torah as a whole, including the song of ch. 32 (Gersonides). It is called a poem because of its combination of the following three aspects: (1) its contents and style; (2) its musicality; and (3) its description of and assurances about the future. Note that the assurances in the covenant are conditional. In the poem, they are unconditional. The verb here is in the plural because this is not about writing the poem down in the TorahÐof which Joshua did not write a single letterÐbut about writing multiple copies of it so that each Israelite could be given one. Moses could hardly be expected to make all these copies by himself on the day of his death (Abarbanel). Teach it to the people of Israel. The verb is in the singular; this command is being given to Joshua (Hizkuni).

DEUTERONOMY 31:20±23 VA-YELEKH

NJPS

Israel.

20

When I bring them into the land ¯owing with

OJPS

Israel.

212

BN OK ZCE

LNKG

20

For when I shall have brought them into the

milk and honey that I promised on oath to their fathers, and they

land which I swore unto their fathers, ¯owing with milk and

eat their ®ll and grow fat and turn to other gods and serve them,

honey; and they shall have eaten their ®ll, and waxen fat; and

spurning Me and breaking My covenant, and the many evils and troubles befall

themÐthen

this

poem

shall

confront

lost from the mouth of their offspring. For I know what plans they are devising even now, before I bring them into the land that I promised on oath. 22

That day, Moses

wrote down this

poem and taught it to the Israelites. 23

And He charged Joshua son of Nun:

``Be strong and resolute: for you shall bring the Israelites into the land that I promised them on oath, and I will be with you.''

RASHI

20 Spurning Me.

``Angering

Me.'' T he Hebrew word translated ``spurn'' means not merely to reject, but to reject in a way meant to anger.

| ‰Ó„‡‰-Ï ´¨ ¨ £ ¨ ‡ «¤ ep‡È·‡-Èk ¤¹ ¦ £ « ¦ :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ L·„e ©½ § Æ·ÏÁ ¨ ¨ ˙·Ê ³© ¨ ÂÈ˙·‡Ï ¨À Ÿ £ © ÈzÚaL-¯L ¦ § ´© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ º¨ ¨ ÔL„ ÌÈ‰Ï ³¦ Ÿ ‡-Ï ¡ ‡¤ ‰Ùe ®¥ ¨ § Ú·N −© ¨ § Ï· ¬© ¨ § ½ ¨ £ © ÆÌȯÁ‡ -˙‡¤ ¯Ù‰Â −¥ ¥ § Èeˆ‡ ¦ ½ £ ´ ¦ § Ìe„·Ú ¦¥ £ ¹ Ÿ ¨Ô‡ˆÓ˙-Èk ˙BÚ¯ ¤¸ § ¦ « ¦ ‰È‰Â ¨ ¨ §Â 21 :È˙ȯa «¦ ¦ § ´ ¨ B˙‡ Ÿ³ © ‰¯ÈM‰ ¸¨ ¦ © ‰˙Ú ˙‡f‰ ¨ § ¨ §Â ¼˙B¯ˆÂ ¨ § »˙Ba¯© Ÿ ¬ Èk BÚ¯Ê ® § © ÈtÓ ´ ¦ ¦ ÁÎM˙ −© ¨ ¦ ‡Ï ² ¦ „ÚÏ ¥½ § ÆÂÈÙÏ ¨¨§ Ÿ ƉNÚ À § ¦ ¤ ÈzÚ„È ¤ ‡e‰³ ¯L¤¸ ‡£ B¯ˆÈ-˙‡ ¦ § ´© ¨ Èk ¯¦ ½© ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ −¨ ¨ ‡¤ ep‡È·‡ ¤½ ¦ £ ̯Ëa ¤ ´¤ § ÌBi‰ :ÈzÚaL ¦ § «¨ § ¦ Ÿ− © ‰¯ÈM‰-˙‡ Ÿ ¬ § ¦ © 22 ÌBia ´ © ˙‡f‰ ¬¨ ¦ © ¤ ‰LÓ ²¤ Ÿ ·zÎi :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ Èa ¬¥ § -˙‡¤ d„nÏÈ −¨ § © § «© ‡e‰‰ ® © À ¦ ÚLB‰È-˙‡ º© § © 23 ˜ÊÁ ´© £ »¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ © Ôe-Ôa ©´ª § ¤ ˆÈ χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ Èa ´¥ § -˙‡¤ Ƈȷz ¦ ¨ ‰z‡ ¨À © Èk ´ ¦ ¼ıӇ ¨ ¡ «¤ ÈÎ‡Â −¦ Ÿ ¨ § Ì‰Ï ®¤ ¨ ÈzÚaL-¯L ¦ § ´© § ¦ ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ −¨ ¨ ‡¤ :CnÚ «¨ ¦ ‰È‰‡ ¬¤ § «¤

~[CKTK|

them as a witness, since it will never be

turned unto other gods, and served them,

20

F [[K

21

21 This poem shall confront them as a witness. Since it will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

to Israel that their offspring will never forget

describe only three of the four parts of the poem?

Torah completely.

23 And He charged Joshua son of Nun. the land that I promised them

``When I bring them into the land'' describes their in-

makes this clear.

down this poem and taught it to the Israelites'' (v. 22),

I

poem

about

have all

forewarned

the

evils

them

that

will

in

this

befall

them.

T his is a promise

NJPS correctly understands that it is

God who is the subject of this verb (contrast OJPS);

NAHMANIDES 21 For I know what plans they are devising even now. As

with ``now I know that you fear God'' (Gen.

and despised Me, and broken My covenant;

heritance of the land; ``spurning Me and breaking My covenant'' describes their sin; ``the many evils and troubles befall them'' describes their punishment.

then it shall come to pass, when

many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed; for I know their imagination how they do even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.'' 22

So Moses wrote this song the same

day, and taught it the children of Israel. 23

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a

charge, and said: ``Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore unto them; and I will be with thee.''

IBN EZRA 21 This poem shall confront them as a witness. Literally,

swer

before

``before'' `` You

Why does Moses

21

your

them''

here

shall

(compare

implies

not

neighbor''

bear

confrontation,

false

(5:17,

witness

Exod.

``an-

OJPS);

but

as

in

against

20:13);

note

that the same verb is used in those commandments as in our verse. It is as if the poem

itself

were

``responding''

to

anyone

who asks it, `` W hy have all these troubles

Why does Moses not mention the fourth part of the

befallen us?'' T his witness will never leave

poem, the ®nal redemption?

them; it will always accompany them.

F

Once ``Moses wrote

why did he tell the Levites, ``Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your of®cials, that I may speak all these words to them and that I may call heaven and earth to witness against them'' (v. 28)?

For I know what plans they are devising even now.

Even if I did not know the future,

I would already know how they have acted up to this point.

22 That day.

Moses did not delay to

22:12), the reference here is to actual, exist-

take care of it. It may even be that ``that

ing knowledge; knowledge of the future is knowledge in potentia. Had Israel not sinned in

day'' was the day of his death, after he had

the wilderness, providing explicit knowledge of the kind of ``plans'' they could ``devise,'' it

written

would not have been right to accuse them with this song. It would be as much as to say, ``It

cluding the words of the poem.

down

the

words

of

the

Torah,

in-

is perfectly clear to Me that you will sin, and I warn you that the following evils and troubles will befall you.'' It would have been proper only to give them the Torah without specif ying His knowledge of the future: ``If you agree and give heed, you will eat the good things of the earth . . . But if you refuse and disobey, you will be devoured [by] the sword'' (Isa. 1:19±20). But now, when even they themselves were perfectly aware of what ``their imagination'' (OJPS) was capable of and of ``their faithless hearts'' (Ezek. 6:9), He could tell them precisely what was going to happen to them: ``Because I know how stubborn you are (your neck is like an iron sinew and your forehead bronze), therefore I told you long beforehand, announced things to you ere they happened'' (Isa. 48:4±5).

22 Moses wrote down this poem and taught it to the Israelites.

See my comment to v. 19. Joshua too taught it to the Israelites, as

we see from 32:44, but it was really Moses from whom they would hear it and learn it. `` T his poem'' means ``this poem that I am about to tell you,'' the poem that begins in 32:1. It is literally called ``this song'' (OJPS), for the Israelites would sing it, musically. Note that it is written out like a song, in short lines indicating the rhythm.

23 He charged Joshua son of Nun.

Rashi explains this beautifully. Ibn Ezra thinks ``he'' here refers to Moses (see his second com-

ment to v. 14), speaking to Joshua at God's command, and we certainly do ®nd Moses speaking in the voice of God; see (e.g.) 11:14±15, 28:20, 29:5. On this phenomenon, see my second comment to 5:12.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 21 It will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring. are devising even now.

Despite the many reproofs in this poem,

at the end it is comforting (Hizkuni). Unlike most popular songs, which are quickly forgotten (Abarbanel).

For I know what plans they

T he poem has a section about redemption as well, but that is not mentioned here, since at this point the

purpose is simply to frighten them into not sinning (Abarbanel). `` T hey are not interested in entering the land to serve Me, as I intended; they just want to satisf y their appetites.'' W hat Moses prophesies in 32:15 will follow inevitably (Sforno).

22 That day, Moses wrote down this poem and taught it to the Israelites. 23 You shall bring the Israelites into the land. I will be with you.

Presumably he had already written down and taught

the rest of the Torah, and had only this part left to ``make an end'' (v. 24) of the whole thing (Gersonides). Since the Israelites were not there, there was no need to soften this remark as in v. 7

(Hizkuni).

Joshua was in some doubt whether the things said here, which were all spoken at Mount Horeb, still applied

to him. By speaking in the voice of the Holy One, Moses demonstrated to him that they did, for this was a direct prophecy (Gersonides).

213 DEUTERONOMY 31:24±28

VA-YELEKH

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BN OK ZCE

Moses had put down in writing the words of OJPS 24And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of this Teaching to the very end, 25Moses charged the Levites who writing the words of this law in a book, until they were ®nished, carried the Ark of the Covenant of the L ORD, saying: 26Take this 25that Moses commanded the Levites, that bore the ark of the book of Teaching and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant covenant of the LORD, saying: 26``Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and let it remain there as a witness against you. 27Well I ȯ·c-˙‡ Ÿ ² § ¦ ‰LÓ ¬¥ § ¦ ¤ ·zÎÏ ¤À Ÿ ˙BlÎk ´ © § | ȉÈ ´ ¦ § © 24 of the LORD your God, that it may be know how de®ant and stiffnecked you are: there for a witness against thee. 27For I Ÿ− © ˆÈ ³© § © 25 :Ìnz «¨ ª „Ú −© ¯ÙÒ-ÏÚ ¤ ®¥ © ˙‡f‰-‰¯Bz‰ «¨ © even now, while I am still alive in your know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck; ½¦ ¦ § © −¨ § ¦ § ÔB¯‡ ¬ £ ȇN ²¥ § Ÿ « ÌiÂω-˙‡ ¤ ƉLÓ ¤Ÿ midst, you have been de®ant toward the ‰Â‰È-˙ȯa behold, while I am yet alive with you this LORD; how much more, then, when I am ‰f‰ Ÿ « ¥ day, ye have been rebellious against the ¤½ © Ɖ¯Bz‰ ¨ © ¯ÙÒ ¤ ³¥ ˙‡ ´¥ Á˜Ï ©Ÿ À ¨ 26 :¯Ó‡Ï dead! 28Gather to me all the elders of your ‰Â‰È-˙ȯa ½ Ÿ ÌzÓN ´¤ § © § LORD; 28and how much more after my −¨ § ¦ § ÔB¯‡ ¬ £ „vÓ ²© ¦ B˙‡ tribes and your of®cials, that I may speak death? Assemble unto me all the elders of ³¦ Ÿ ¨ Èk ´ ¦ 27 :„ÚÏ «¥ § Ea − § ÌL-‰È‰Â ¬¨ ¨ «¨ § ÌÎÈ‰Ï ®¤ ¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ your tribes, and your of®cers, that I may all these words to them and that I may call ÈÎ‡ ½ § § ¤ -˙‡ ´¥ ‰Lw‰ ®¤ ¨ © Et¯Ú-˙‡Â − § § ¨ «¤ § EÈ¯Ó «¤ ÆÈzÚ„È ¦ § Æ© ¨ speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. Ô‰ ÆÌ˙ȉ À © ÌÎnÚ ¤ ¦ ¡ ÌȯÓÓ ³¦ § © ÌBi‰ ¤¹ ¨ ¦ ÈÁ©¸ ÁÈp„BÚa ¦ ¤ § heaven and earth to witness against them.

NJPS

24When

F [CKTK

26 Take. The Hebrew gram¯¦ § © 28 :È˙BÓ «¦ ȯÁ‡-Èk ¬¥ £ © ¦ ۇ −© § ‰B‰È-ÌÚ ¨½ § ¦ matical form is an in®nitive absolute, as in eÏȉ˜‰ ®¤ ¥ § Ÿ § ÌÎÈË·L −¤ ¥ § ¦ È˜Ê-Ïk ¬¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ ÈÏ ²© ‡¥ the commands ``Observe the sabbath day'' ÌÎȯËL (5:12); ``Remember the sabbath day'' (Exod. ‰l¤ ‡‰ ¥½ ¨ Ìȯ·c‰ ´ ¦ ¨ § © ˙‡¥ μ ̉Èʇ· ¤À ¥ § ¨ § ‰¯a„‡Â ´¨ § © £ © 20:8); and ``Go and tell David'' (2 Sam. ¤ «¨ ¨ ¤ § ÌÈÓM‰-˙‡ ¦ −© ¨ © ¤ Ìa¨½ ‰„Èڇ ¨ ´¦ ¨ § 24:12). [B] Beside the Ark of the Cove- :ı¯‡‰-˙‡Â nant of the LORD. The Sages of Israel disagree on how this was done (see B. BB 14). Some say it was placed on a shelf sticking out from the Ark; others, that it was inside the Ark, next to the tablets. 28 Gather to me. On that day they did not sound the trumpets ``to summon the community'' (Num. 10:2), for Moses was told there to have the trumpets made ``for you.'' Joshua was not given authority over them during the lifetime of Moses. They were actually hidden away, and that was done before this day (the day Moses died), to ful®ll the verse ``there is no authority on the day of death'' (Eccles. 8:8). That I may call heaven and earth to witness against them. If you say that he has already proclaimed, ``I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day'' (30:19), remember that he said that to the Israelites themselves, but he did not call directly upon heaven and earth as he is about to do: ``Give ear, O heavens'' (32:1). [B] Rashi does not specify his examples. The ®rst two are obvious, but the third (``go'') also occurs in 2 Kings 5:10, Isa. 38:5, F PVJKZ

RASHI

and 10 places in Jeremiah.

NAHMANIDES 24 When Moses had put down in writing the words of this Teaching to the very end. The verse literally says that he had ``®nished'' writing it to

IBN EZRA 24 When Moses had put down in writing the words of this Teaching to the very end. This follows v. 9, just as v. 23 follows v. 14 (see my comment there)Ðall of which demonstrates that the verses of the Torah are not necessarily recorded in chronological order.

25 Moses charged the Levites who carried the Ark. That is, ``the priests,'' who are of course ``sons of Levi'' (v. 9). It cannot refer to all the Levites, since they are not allowed to touch the Ark. Equally obviously, the meaning is not those who actually carry the Ark but all who belong to the group commanded to carry it. There are many examples of this kind.

26 Let it remain there as a witness against you. ``You'' here (since the lan-

guage has changed to the singular) being the Israelite people as a whole, but addressed to the priests as a group within them. This is the opposite of 3:18, where (as I explain in my comment there) Moses addresses ``Israel'' though he is talking speci®cally to the Reubenites and Gadites.

the very end. Compare v. 9, where he simply ``wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests,'' not even telling them where to put it. He was subsequently commanded to add the poem of ch. 32, which he wrote down and taught to the Israelites on that very day, at which point he added it to the Torah. It was only after he had ®nished writing the entire 27 How much more, then, when I am Torah that he gave the command in v. 26. This is Ibn Ezra's reason for saying (in his dead! Rather, ``I know that you will also be comment to v. 1) that Moses recited the blessings of ch. 33 at that point. But see my fur- so after my death''Ðfor the Holy One told ther comments. me so. (See v. 16; ``to lie with your fathers'' 26 Take this book of Teaching and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the implies ``your death.'') LORD your God. Rather, ``at the side'' of the Ark, that is, inside the Ark but to one side. From this point on it would not be touched, ``neither [to] add to it nor [to] take away from it'' (13:1). That is the meaning of ``writing the words of this Teaching to the very end'' (v. 24). It may be that after he wrote down the poem and taught it to the Israelites individually, tribe by tribe, that he once again assembled them all at the House of Study, wrote the poem down in a scroll, and gave the priests the instruction recorded here. That is, the poem too must be placed ``at the side of the Ark,'' being an intrinsic part of the Torah as a whole, in which it was to serve as a witness against them. 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your of®cials. As we see from 32:44, the intent was that the priests should gather the entire people along with them, which they indeed did, so that Moses could call heaven and earth to witness against them. After this,

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 24 The words of this Teaching.

This phrase is the object of a verb also only in 27:26 (Masorah). The commandments are called ``words of Teaching'' because they are the basis of instruction (Bekhor Shor). To the very end. Though the redemptive aspect of the poem is not mentioned in this chapter, Moses wrote that down as well, and followed it with the ®nal chapters of Deuteronomy (Abarbanel). 26 Place it beside the Ark of the Covenant. Placing the book of Teaching in the Ark showed that it was all from the mouth of the Almighty, just as the Ten Commandments, which were already there, were from the mouth of the Almighty (Gersonides). Here the book is given to the Levites for protection and storage; contrast v. 9 (Abarbanel). 27 How...stiffnecked you are. Refusing to bend your neck to accept the yoke of Heaven (Bekhor Shor). Moses presents the poem as if it were his own words, not God's (as God indeed told him in v. 19 to do), to prevent the people from simply giving up, thinking that all their actions were preordained anyway (Abarbanel). 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes. The straightforward sense would be that they were summoned by means of the

DEUTERONOMY 31:29±30 VA-YELEKH

NJPS

LNKG

BN OK ZCE

I know that, when I am dead, you will act wick- OJPS 29For I know that after my death ye will in any wise deal edly and turn away from the path that I enjoined upon you, and corruptly, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded that in time to come misfortune will befall you; and evil will befall you in the end of you for having done evil in the sight of the days; because ye will do that which is evil ˙ÁL‰-Èk ´¥ § © « ¦ ÆÈ˙BÓ ¦ ȯÁ‡ ³¥ £ © ÈzÚ„È ¦ § À© ¨ Èk ´ ¦ 29 LORD and vexed Him by your deeds. in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him 30Then Moses recited the words of this ½ ¦ § © through the work of your hands.'' È˙Èeˆ ¦ −¦ ¦ ¯L ¬¤ ‡ £ C¯c‰-ÔÓ ¤ ½¤ © ¦ Ìz¯Ò ´¤ § © § Ôe˙ÁLz 30And Moses spoke in the ears of all the poem to the very end, in the hearing of the ˙ȯÁ‡a ¸¨ ¨ § ÌÎ˙‡ ´ ¦ £ © § Ɖگ‰ ¨ ¨ «¨ ÌÎ˙‡ ³¤ § ¤ ˙‡¯˜Â ®¤ § ¤ whole congregation of Israel: ½¦ ¨ © assembly of Israel the words of this song, ‰Â‰È ¨½ § ÈÈÚa ´¥ ¥ § ÆÚ¯‰-˙‡ ©¨ ¤ eNÚ˙-Èk ³ £ © « ¦ ÌÈÓi‰ until they were ®nished: :ÌÎÈ„È «¤ ¥ § ‰NÚÓa ¬¥ £ © § BÒÈÚÎ‰Ï − ¦ § © § RASHI 29 When I am dead, you will 29For

act wickedly.

But in fact they did not act χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ ω˜-Ïk ´© § ¨ ÆÈʇa ¥ § ¨ § ‰LÓ ¤À Ÿ ¯a„È ´¥ © § © 30 wickedly in Joshua's days: ``The people Ÿ® © ‰¯ÈM‰ Ù :Ìnz «¨ ª „Ú −© ˙‡f‰ −¨ ¦ © ȯ·c-˙‡ ¬¥ § ¦ ¤ served the LORD during the lifetime of Joshua'' (Judg. 2:7). We learn from this that ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why did Moses tell one's student is as dear to one as one's own them, ``I know that, when I am dead, you will act self. As long as Joshua was alive, it seemed wickedly'' (v. 29), as if the whole thing was his own to Moses that he himself was alive. idea, rather than explain that he was teaching them the poem at God's command? F If they indeed sumonly the elders and the of®cials, how did NAHMANIDES the Holy One told him, moned Moses recite the poem ``in the hearing of the whole ``Ascend these heights of Abarim to Mount congregation of Israel'' (v. 30)? Nebo'' (32:49), which he of course was obligated to do immediately. But he stayed long enough to give them the blessings of ch. 32, which he also wrote down in the scroll he had given to the priests. Then the priests followed the instructions he had given them in v. 26 and put the complete scroll inside the Ark of the Covenant. You see, therefore, that everything did in fact occur in precisely the order described in the Torah.

s

IBN EZRA 29 Misfortune will befall you. The unusual verb form is also found (with a different verb) in Exod. 5:16.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

trumpets, but our Sages say these had already been stored away. They could certainly only be used in the wilderness, when the Israelites were in a single camp; once they dispersed to their various towns, trumpets would be of no use in summoning them (Bekhor Shor).

29 For I know that, when I am dead, you will act wickedly. Literally, ``after my death'' (OJPS)Ðin this case, long after (Bekhor Shor).

30 Then Moses recited the words of this poem to the very end. To the very

end of the book of Deuteronomy. He wished to cheer them up with the blessings of ch. 33 before taking his leave of them (Abarbanel).

214

HA'AZINU

NJPS 32 Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter! 2May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, RASHI 32:1 Give ear, O heavens... let the earth hear. For I am giving Israel

GRKHBF

OJPS 32 Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 2My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew;

ÂÈʇ‰ RASHBAM 32:1 Give ear, O heav‰¯a„‡Â ¨ ®¥ © £ © ÌÈÓM‰ ¦ −© ¨ © eÈʇ‰ ¬¦ £ © * ens. Pay attention, and make sure to punish Israel (if they sin) as is written in ``He :ÈÙ-ȯӇ « ¦ ¥ § ¦ ı¯‡‰ ¤ −¨ ¨ ÚÓL˙ ¬© § ¦ § will shut up the skies so that there will be no Ÿ ³ £ © 2 rain'' (11:17). ½¦ § ¦ ƯËnk ÈÁ˜Ï ¨ ¨ © Û¯ÚÈ È˙¯Ó‡ ®¦ ¨ § ¦ Ïhk −© © Ïfz ¬© ¦ 2 May my discourse come down as

·Ï

fair warning, and you are the witnesses of it, as I told them you would be. Ð And why did He make the heavens and the earth witness to this? Moses said, ``I am ¯esh and blood, and may die tomorrow. If the Israelites say, EKF C\MC v. 1. `We did not accept the covenant,' who will B,\KGFZG,[FZ37G\-FC FZZVKS[F\C\K\ZGMX N,G[RN[ F M N FF K V N G come and refute them?'' That is why God \GZG[ 70-C made the heavens and the earth witness it, for they exist forever. And more: If the Is- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Since in 31:28 raelites deserve reward, it will be the wit- Moses says that he intends to ``call heaven and earth to nesses who give it to them: ``The vine shall witness,'' why does v. 1 not treat them equally but address them with different verbs? F Why does v. 1 produce its fruit, the ground shall produce address the heavens directly with the command ``Give its yield, and the skies shall provide their ear'' but the earth indirectly with ``Let the earth moisture'' (Zech. 8:12). And if they deserve hear''? Note that Isa. 1:2, ``Hear, O heavens, and give punishment, ``Let the hands of the witnesses ear, O earth,'' reverses these verbs but addresses both be the ®rst against him to put him to death'' with commands. (17:7): ``He will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce,'' after which ``you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is assigning to you'' (both 11:17)Ðat the hands of the other nations. 2 May my discourse come down as the rain. This is the testimony to which you must bear witness: I am stating in your presence, ``I have given Israel the Torah, which gives life to the world just like the rain, which also gives life to the world when the heavens drip with dew and rain.'' Come down. This is really the verb ``to drip'' (compare OJPS): ``Under heavens dripping dew'' (33:28); ``your paths drip with fatness'' (Ps. 65:12). My speech distill as the dew. At which everyone rejoices. With rain, there are some who are

the rain.

If you would only receive my words, my reproof would do you as much good as the rain does.

IBN EZRA 32:1 Give ear.

As I explain in my book Sefer Moznayim, [A] this is indeed the noun ``ear'' turned into a verb, as if calling on the heavens to ``lend an ear'' to the following words. O heavens. I have already pointed out [B] that Saadia understands ``heavens'' here to be an invocation of the angels. The earth. Saadia takes this to refer to the people who live on earth. Alternatively, the combination would refer to the rain (which falls from heaven) and the earth as giver of produce. In my view, the point of invoking heaven and earth as witnesses is that they exist forever. See similarly ``Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORDÐyou ®rm foundations of the earth!'' (Mic. 6:2). Joshua did the same when he said to the people, ``See, this very stone shall be a witness against us, for it heard all the words NAHMANIDES 32:1 Give ear, O heavens, let me speak. Ibn Ezra's remark that that the LORD spoke to us'' (Josh. 24:27). the point of invoking heaven and earth as witnesses is that they exist forever would seem I have previously suggested to you that the to be correct according to the straightforward sense of the text. According to the Way of soul, being intermediary between the upper Truth, the heavens and earth of our verse are the original heavens and earth of Gen. 1:1, worlds and the lower, casts everything imagwhich are entering the covenant with Israel. That is why they are asked to ``give ear'' to the inatively into the form of the ``palace'' in which it dwells, even to the extent of imagconditions of the covenant and what he intends to do with them. 2 May my discourse come down as the rain. The discourse that he took [A] from ining itself as a dweller in the palace. So the heavens, and his speech on earth, will drip down on Israel and distill upon them like lower things are brought higher in this way, and higher things are brought lower. the dew. 2 My discourse. Literally, my ``take[A] See Ibn Ezra's comment on ``my discourse.'' away,'' the lesson a listener might take from it: ``For I give you good instruction'' (Prov. 4:2). Come down as the rain. ``Come down'' is related to the verb in ``He himself pulls down [A] A work on Hebrew grammar. [B] In his comment to 4:26, where (however) he does not mention Saadia.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Chapter 32

The poem has six parts: . vv. 1±5: introduction; . vv. 6±14: the good things the Holy One has done for Israel; . vv. 15±18: their sins against the Holy One; . vv. 19±25: how the Holy One will punish them for their sins; . vv. 26±33: how the Holy One intended to ®nish them off, and why He did not do so; . vv. 34±43: comfort for Israel and revenge against the nations (Abarbanel). 1 Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; let the earth hear the words I utter! One says ``give ear'' to someone far away, and ``hear'' to someone nearby, as Moses, standing on the earth, does here; in Isa. 1:2, where the prophet is calling on them to hear something spoken by the Lord, the opposite is naturally true: ``Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth'' (Bekhor Shor). Some say the opposite. For Moses was more at home in the heavens than on earth, and Isaiah was speaking from his own, earthly perspective. And note that ``heavens'' are plural because, as our Sages tell us, there are seven of them (Hizkuni). Another possibility is to interpret ``heavens'' and ``earth'' as referring to the high leaders and the lowly masses. Note that Moses addresses the heavens directly and presumes that the silent earth will be listening also. The verbs, however, are completely synonymous (Abarbanel). 2 May my discourse come down as the rain. Each of the four phrases of this verse represents one of the cardinal directions: west, north, south, and east, respectively (Bekhor Shor). And the four winds cover the entire day. The east wind blows in the morning, the south

215 DEUTERONOMY 32:1±2 HA'AZINU

GRKHBF

CN OK ZCE

DEUTERONOMY 32:2±4 HA'AZINU

NJPS

Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass. 3 For the name of the L ORD I proclaim; Give glory to our God! 4 The Rock!ÐHis deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just;

RASHI unhappy, for instance travelers or those with an open vat full of wine. Showers. This word is related to the word

GRKHBF

CN OK ZCE

OJPS

as the small rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb. 3 For I will proclaim the name of the L ORD; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice;

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``storm'' (though it is spelled differently); see Ps. 148:8, where ``storm'' is translated by Onkelos as ``rain.'' Just as rainy winds strengthen the grasses and help them grow, so words of Torah strengthen those who ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How can Moses study them, and they help them grow. instruct the Israelites to ``Give glory to our God!'' (v. 3) without having yet addressed them? F What is beYoung growth. That is, herbage in general, hind the invocation of God as ``The Rock!'' (v. 4) and when the earth is wrapped in a mantle of the descriptions that follow in that verse? vegetation. Droplets. NJPS translates correctly. It seems to me that the word refers to drops that ``shoot'' down (see Gen. 21:20); there is another Hebrew word for ``rain'' that is related to a different ``shooting'' word. Grass. A single stalk may be called grass, and so may each species. 3 For the name of the LORD I proclaim. Rather, ``when'' I proclaim the name of the Lord, as in `` When you enter the land'' (Lev. 23:10). Give glory to our God! When I call out the name of the Lord, you must bless that name. Ð From this verse the Sages derived that in the Temple the response after a blessing was pronounced should be ``Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom.'' 4 The Rock!ÐHis deeds are perfect. Mighty as He is, when He brings punishment on those who cross Him, He does so not in a ¯ood of anger, but appropriatelyÐfor His

RASHBAM 3 For the name of the LORD I proclaim. Not ``for,'' but ``when.''

When I tell you of the mighty deeds that the Holy One performed for you, the good things with which He rewarded you, and furthermore that He will act rightly in all that He will do to you, then you too must admit to the truth and give glory to our God!

4 The Rock!ÐHis deeds are perfect.

This song is intended to bear witness forever. So it is speaking here after the Israelites

IBN EZRA his altars'' (Hosea 10:2). Like showers on young growth, like droplets on the grass. Since the Hebrew for

``droplets'' is related to the word for ``much, many,'' my view (followed by OJPS) is that those are the heavier ``showers,'' and the ®rst word, by contrast, refers to lighter ``droplets.'' Further con®rmation is added by the fact that ``grass'' would be better able to stand up to ``showers'' than would ``young growth.'' Some would add that the ®rst word, the word for lighter rain, is related to a word meaning NAHMANIDES 3 For the name of the LORD I proclaim. In heaven. Give glory to ``hair''; others connect it to the word for our God! On earth. This is addressed to all Israel. The stone that Joshua calls to witness ``storm,'' as in ``the storm of the LORD'' (Jer. hints at this original ``earth,'' from which comes ``the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel'' (Gen. 30:23), though our word is spelled with a s, 49:24). See my comment there. The same applies to ``the stone that the builders rejected not a S. See ``the king of the north will storm has become the chief cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing'' (Ps. 118:22±23). That is why him with chariots and riders and many Joshua said, ``See, this very stone shall be a witness against us, for it heard all the words ships'' (Dan. 11:40), which does use the s that the LORD spoke to us'' (Josh. 24:27). See also ``mark well this stone which I place spelling. It could also be that our word is before Joshua, a single stone with seven eyes'' (Zech. 3:9). One who is knowledgeable will simply uniqueÐa hapax legomenon. In any case, the second phrase repeats the meaning understand. 4 The Rock!ÐHis deeds are perfect. This alludes to the divine aspect of justice. of the ®rst for emphasis, as is common in the Every deed that comes from it is perfect: whole and complete, never wavering or changing words of the prophets. The basic message is for all eternity. Yea, all His ways are just. There can be nothing lacking in His deeds or that Moses is praying that his words will be like rain, which is not wasted but soaks the earth, as we read in Isaiah: ``For as the rain or snow drops from heaven and returns not there, but soaks the earth and makes it bring forth vegetation, yielding seed for sowing and bread for eating, so is the word that issues from My mouth: It does not come back to Me unful®lled, but performs what I purpose, achieves what I sent it to do'' (Isa. 55:10±11). The point is that Moses' words should soak into the hearts of his listeners as rain does into the earth, causing it to put forth vegetation. 3 Give glory to our God! This is once again addressed to the heavens and the earth: ``The heavens declare the glory of God'' (Ps. 19:2); ``Heaven and earth shall extol Him'' (Ps. 69:35). See my comment to Ps. 19:2. 4 The Rock! The song begins by making it known that whatever has happened to Israel is due to their own wicked deeds. God is described as ``the Rock'' because He remains unmoved forever. Do not be surprised at a metaphor that pictures God as a material object. After all, the Bible even describes God as ``roaring like a lion'' (Hosea 11:10). One who speaks of God cannot portray God otherwise than by comparison with His work (since His works are all there is). See similarly ``God is the rock of my mind'' (Ps. 73:26), where ``rock''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS wind at noon, the west wind in the evening, and the north wind at midnight (Hizkuni). ``Discourse''Ð literally ``taking''Ðrefers to how easily the Torah ``takes'' people toward observing its commandments, in contradistinction to the laws of other nations, which are accepted only under the threat of force (Gersonides). My speech distill as the dew. ``Speech'' refers to the stories told in the Torah (Gersonides). Following the metaphoric interpretation, the wise will get a steady rain of knowledge from the poem, while the masses will get only super®cial dew (Abarbanel). Like showers on young growth, like droplets on the grass. See OJPS, which demonstrates that the ``small rain'' of the ®rst phrase belongs to the masses, and the ``showers'' of the second phrase to the wise (Abarbanel). 3 For the name of the LORD I proclaim; give glory to our God! This is spoken to the four directions of v. 2 and the heaven and earth of v. 1 (Bekhor Shor). The name of the Lord contains three different letters, which can be combined in six different ways, matching the four directions, the heavens, and the earth, all of which were created through it (Hizkuni). 4 His deeds are perfect. As just explained, His ``work'' (OJPS) is perfect, that is, complete (Hizkuni). Yea, all His ways are just. Since the poem describes how Israel and the other nations are to be punished, it ®rst asserts that the punishments are to be completely

216

217 DEUTERONOMY 32:4±5 HA'AZINU

GRKHBF

OJPS

NJPS

A faithful God, never false, True and upright is He. 5 Children unworthy of HimÐ That crooked, perverse generationÐ Their baseness has played Him false.

RASHI God.

deeds

are

perfect.

a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is He. 5 Is corruption His? No; His children's is the blemish; Ôȇ ´¥ § ƉeÓ‡ ¨ ¡ χ ³¥ a generation crooked and perverse.

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A faithful

He can be relied on to reward the righ-

teous for their righteousness in the World to Come. Even if their recompense is delayed, in

the

end

He

will

Never false. whatever

He

reward

keep

even they

gives

earn

nessÐbut in this world.

is He.

faith

with the

for

CN OK ZCE

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

them.

Why do vv. 5±6

sometimes refer to the people in the singular and

wicked

righteous-

True and upright

RASHBAM

have

their future sin.

been

punished

for

True and upright is He.

No matter what punishment He has brought upon you. As the poem goes on to say, He was good to them in all kinds of ways, yet

sometimes in the plural, sometimes in the third per-

``Jeshurun grew fat and . . . forsook the God

son and sometimes directly as ``you''?

who made him'' (v. 15).

Rather, these words are to be under-

stood as follows. `` True!'' is the response of the righteous to what has just been said, and

5 Children unworthy of HimÐthat crooked, perverse generationÐtheir baseness has played Him false. Compare

the phrase continues, `` T hat's right!'' In other words, when the righteous describe God as

OJPS,

``true'' to these words, ``it is well said.''

Hebrew order; I will frame my comments the

5 Children unworthy of Him...Their baseness has played Him false.

translates

out

of

order;

see

OJPS,

which

translates

according

to

the

Hebrew

NJPS

syntax:

``Is corruption His? No; His children's is the blemish.'' W hat this really means can be seen

from

the

Aramaic

translation

of

Onkelos:

Did their corruption affect Him? No! T hey their blemish, not His.

`` T he

corruption

is

were His children, but

That crooked, perverse generation.

theirsÐnot

His.''

which

IBN EZRA strength, others

translates

is

an

this

as

words

image

permanence,

take

the

that

and

related

in

suggests

support. to

their

the

But

similar-

their corruption is

sounding word for a ``form,'' as in ``their form

T hey are ``t wisted,'' as in

shall waste away in Sheol'' (Ps. 49:15). T he

``And make crooked all that is straight'' (Mic. 3:9); you will ®nd this word in the Mishnah

point

NAHMANIDES a faithful God. Never false. and upright is He. 5 Children unworthy of Him...their baseness has played Him false.

and is therefore not susceptible to change,

His ``justice'' (as OJPS more literally translates), for it is done in full

measure by

T here is no ``iniquit y'' (OJPS) in the Rock.

True

T he justice is true, and the Rock is upright.

would be that He has no substance

but is ultimately Form alone. But I think the ``Rock'' explanation is the correct one.

deeds are perfect.

His

Every deed is lackingÐ

See OJPS,

insofar as it depends on action from a higher

which translates somewhat more literally and at least in the same order as the Hebrew.

metaphysical levelÐexcept for the deeds of

A blemish can be called ``corruption'': ``For they are mutilated, they have a blemish'' (Lev.

the Holy One. For all is double

22:25); ``A curse on the cheat who has an [unblemished] male in his ¯ock, but for his vow

the Creator of all.

sacri®ces a corrupted animal to the L ORD!'' (Mal. 1:14). T he verse is saying that Israel's

just.

[C]

except for

Yea, all His ways are

Rather, they are ``a rule,'' that is, they

blemish has corrupted the Rock's people, His inheritance, for Him. It calls them ``not His children'' just as, at a time of favor, it says that they are ``His children.''

That crooked,

never change but follow a single rule created once and for all in the beginning. But cre-

Again: these are the last words of the verse. ``Crookedness'' is the

ated things do change as they need to. Only

perverse generation.

opposite of the straightness invoked in v. 4 (where ``upright'' is literally ``straight''): ``Make

the

crooked all that is straight'' (Mic. 3:9). By the same token, ``perversit y'' is the opposite of

accord with wisdom. Do not imagine that

``truth.'' Since He is true and upright and the people are the opposite, they are not His

the sun standing still is an argument against

children, but act corruptly (from His perspective). T he sense of the verse, then, is as

this; that myster y is cleared up by the con-

follows:

tinuation, ``O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!''

`` T heir

that verse.

blemish

has

corrupted

[D] A faithful God.

His

children

for

HimÐthat

crooked,

perverse

deeds

of

the

Holy

One are

in perfect

( Josh. 10:12), as I explain in my comment to Rather, ``a reliable Power.'' His power alone is permanent; might y men possess their power only con-

tingently, from a source other than themselves.

Never false.

Since His power is permanent, it is impossible that He would ever act falsely.

T he phrase literally says ``there is no falsit y,'' which could mean that there is no falsit y in His ways, but it is also possible that ``Power'' is to be understood in the second half of the phrase as well: ``A reliable Power, [a Power] never false.''

True and upright is He.

T his

explains the referent of the pronoun in the next verse; it is ``He'' and His uprightness against whom that perverse people has acted corruptly. He alone is upright, and it is the uprightness of the upright One that straightens what is t wisted and perverse.

5 Children unworthy of HimÐthat crooked, perverse generationÐtheir baseness has played Him false.

For the correct Hebrew

word order, see OJPS. T he verse begins, `` T hey have corrupted what was His''Ðwhat was His from the beginning. And who has done this? T hose who proclaimed that they were ``not His children,'' the ``children with no loyalt y in them'' of v. 20. T hey do not admit that He created them. Even if they say so out loud, they do not believe it in their hearts; the proof is that they do not fear Him. T hey have acted corruptly in this way ``on account of their blemish'' (the preposition

N on the pronounÐ``of Him''Ðis doing double dut y here, applying to ``the blemish''

as well: ``on account of their blemish''). As for ``perverse,'' the implication of the Hebrew word is that they are ``perversely crooked,'' that is,

[C] [D]

Made of both matter and form. See Special Topics, ``Medieval Jewish Philosophy.'' Another version of Ibn Ezra's comment, differing by just one Hebrew letter, would mean ``All is in ¯ux.'' We no longer have Ibn Ezra's commentar y to Joshua. Presumably the fact that the moon also stood still implies that this was not a miracle but a natural phenomenon of some kind.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

just (Bekhor Shor).

A faithful God, never false. True and upright is He.

Come, and never false when He punishes them in this world (Abarbanel).

He is faithful to reward the righteous in the World to Rather, ``charitable'' and ``upright''Ð

charitable to those who violate His will in that He does not exact full punishment from them; upright to those who do His will in that He grants them their full reward (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``just and right is it,'' that is, ``His work,'' as OJPS more literally translates ``His deeds.'' T hough He created humankind with the capabilit y of sinning, there was no imperfection or injustice in this on His part (Gersonides). He is true in rewarding the wicked in this world for their good deeds, and upright when He punishes them in the World to Come (Abarbanel).

5 Their baseness has played Him false.

It was their own ``blemish'' (OJPS), not one created by the Lord, so they have no excuse for

their sinning (Gersonides). It is the ``blemish'' that does the corrupting in this verse, and what it corrupts is the ``generation'' (Abarbanel). T heir ``blemish'' was worshiping the Golden Calf (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 32:6 HA'AZINU

NJPS

6Do

you thus requite the LORD, O dull and witless people? Is not He the Father who created you, Fashioned you and made you endure!

RASHI

as well. ``Perverse'' is another word that literally means ``twisted''; think of a cord created by threads twisted around a central strand. The Hebrew word has the last two letters of the root reduplicated, as in the Hebrew words for ``greenish'' or ``reddish'' (see, e.g., Lev. 13:49).

6 Do you thus requite the LORD?

GRKHBF

OJPS

CN OK ZCE

6Do

ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not He thy father that hath gotten thee? hath He not made thee, and established thee?

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F

v. 6.

Would you put such grief before Him when He has the power to punish you, and has given you such goodness of every kind? O dull and witless people. They are ``dull'' in having forgotten what was done for them, and not ``wise'' enough (see OJPS) to understand the good (and bad) things that are in His power to do to them in the future. Is not He the Father who created you. ``Created'' (kanekha) is a wordplay in Hebrew: Is He not (also) the One who ``nested you'' (kannankha) among the rocks in a harsh land, who ``prepared you'' (takankha) in every possible way? Fashioned you. A unique nation among the nations. And made you endure. Yekhon'nekha is still a further wordplay. A ken is a ``base'' on which another object is set, and He has given you bases of several kinds. Some of you are priests, some are prophets, and some are kings. It is a perfect combination.

RASHBAM

same way. Ð ``Is corruption His?'' (OJPS) should really be translated ``it has destroyed it[self].'' The same Hebrew word that begins our verse is used in ``You are undone, O Israel! You had no help but Me'' (Hosea 13:9). Israel has caused its own destruction. Ð ``No'' (OJPS). That is, ``They and no other.'' Ð ``His children's is the blemish'' (OJPS). This phrase parallels ``it has destroyed it[self].'' The children of the Holy One have created a blemish in themselves. A verse in Leviticus uses the same two words parallel to each other: ``For they are mutilated, they have a defect'' (Lev. 22:25). 6 Do you thus requite the LORD. By serving other gods. Who created you. Rather, ``acquired you,'' by redeeming you from the house of bondage.

IBN EZRA stubbornly so, as when Rageneration.'' That is, the diminishment of their status is not the result chel waged a ``stubborn contest'' (Gen. 30:8) of any deed of the RockÐfor He is perfect and no diminishment can ever occur in Him. with her sister. But others explain the verse to It was their own blemish that corrupted them before their Father. As for ``not His children,'' say that ``they have corrupted themselves.'' it is better read as ``His un-children,'' as in ``I will say to Not-My-people, `You are My The Hebrew is in the singular, treating the people''' (Hosea 2:25). It is an expression comparable to ``no-gods'' in our v. 21, referring nation as a collective noun, a common linto one who is not a god. See similarly ``Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by no- guistic phenomenon in the Bible. Note that gods'' (Jer. 5:7). Or perhaps the verse is saying, ``Their blemish has corrupted them for in v. 7 ``remember'' is in the singular but Him; they are not His children, but a crooked, perverse generation''Ðthe opposite of Him. ``consider'' is in the plural. In my view, how6 O dull and witless people. See the comments of Rashi and Ibn Ezra on this phrase. ever, the phrase means that they have acted Onkelos translates, ``O people that received the Torah but were not wise with it,'' un- corruptly ``toward Him'' by perverting not derstanding nabal not as ``dull,'' but in the sense it is used in Exod. 18:18, ``you will surely merely the decrees He commanded them to wear yourself out.'' He takes the phrase to refer to Israel as a nation that is tired of ob- observe but even those of His ways that are serving the Torah, not wise enough to realize that it is good for them forever. (He does the naturally implanted in us. The verse would same with ``nation of fools'' in v. 21, which uses the same word, explaining it as a nation then read as follows: ``That crooked generthat is fed up with being wise and religious.) In my view, the word really means ``un- ation has acted corruptly toward Him, as if grateful,'' one who repays evil for good, the opposite of one who does a kindness out of the they were not His childrenÐand that is their goodness of his heart: ``No more shall an ingrate be called generous'' (Isa. 32:5). That is blemish.'' The question of v. 6 demonstrates why we read in the story of Nabal, ``For he is just what his name says: His name means that this understanding of v. 5 is correct. 6 Do you thus requite the LORD? For `ingrate' and he is an ingrate'' (1 Sam. 25:25). David had done him a great favor, guarding all his possessions, and he did not want to compensate him as he deserved but ``spurned'' the interrogative F, see once again my Sefer David's messengers (1 Sam. 25:14), treating him with disdain. The same applies when Moznayim. [E] O dull and witless people. God says to Job's friends, ``Now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to My servant Job Rather, ``foolish . . . and unwise'' (OJPS)Ð and sacri®ce a burnt offering for yourselves. And let Job, My servant, pray for you; for to foolish in their actions and unwise in their him I will show favor and not treat you ungratefully, since you have not spoken the truth thoughts. This is a people completely defecabout Me as did My servant Job'' (Job 42:8). Despite their being wrong, they had been tive, both in thought and deed. The Father. defending God's behavior, so if He treated them badly it would have seemed ungrateful. Contrasting their claim not to be His chilIt may be that nabal here has the sense of nafal (as in Isa. 1:30), referring to one who has dren. Created. For this unusual usage of the ``fallen'' short of proper human behavior. So the phrase would seem to mean this: ``Do you verb, see ``the LORD created me at the bethus requite the Lord for the good things He has done for you, you ungrateful people, ginning of His course'' (Prov. 8:22). Fashlacking the wit to understand that you are doing evil to yourselves, not to God?'' For as we ioned you. ``Made'' you (OJPS), not in the read in Job, ``If you sin, what do you do to Him? If your transgressions are many, how do sense of ``created'' from nothing but in the you affect Him? If you are righteous, what do you give Him; what does He receive from sense of fashioning into completed form. your hand?'' (Job 35:6±7). Is not HeÐGodÐthe Father who created you? He begot you Made you endure. Rather, ``prepared you'' and raised you. Fashioned you. Better, ``made'' you (OJPS). The Hebrew verb generally to be fashioned into completed form. means ``acquire,'' but one can acquire something by bringing it forth from nonexistence [E] There he says that the reason this F is a separate word into existence, as He did to you. See similarly ``The LORD created me at the beginning of and written larger than the rest of the letters is a mystery that only the wise understand. His course as the ®rst of His works of old'' (Prov. 8:22); ``Creator of heaven and earth'' (Gen. 14:19, and see my comment there). Made you endure. This is really the word that means ``fashioned,'' as in ``Did not One form us both in the womb?'' (Job 31:15). It was your Rock that fashioned you. NAHMANIDES

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 O dull and witless people. You are not wise enough to take the long view (Sforno). Is not He the Father who created you? Rather, who has ``gotten'' (OJPS) youÐacquired youÐby bringing you out of the house of bondage (Gersonides).

218

219 DEUTERONOMY 32:7±8 HA'AZINU NJPS

the days of old, Consider the years of ages past; Ask your father, he will inform you, Your elders, they will tell you: 8When the Most High gave nations their homes And set the divisions of man, He ®xed the boundaries of peoples In relation to Israel's numbers.

GRKHBF

OJPS

7Remember

KR[

RASHI 7 Remember the days of old. What He did to the earlier ones who put such anger before Him. Consider the years of ages past. Literally, ``of generation and

CN OK ZCE

7Remember

the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, thine elders, and they will tell thee. 8When the Most High gave to the naŸ § 7 tions their inheritance, ÌÏBÚ ˙BÓÈ ¨½ ´ § ƯÎÊ when He separated the children of men, ¯B„Â-¯Bc ®¨ ˙BL ´ § eÈa −¦ He set the borders of the peoples Ʀ ¨ χL E„bÈ § ¥½ © § ÆEÈ·‡ ³© § according to the number of the children :CÏ«¨ e¯Ó‡È § Ÿ¬ § EÈ˜Ê −¤ ¥ § of Israel. ½¦ ÆÔBÈÏÚ ÌÈBb § ¤ ÏÁ‰a ³¥ § © § 8

RASHBAM 7 Remember the days of Ì„‡ ®¨ ¨ Èa ´¥ § B„ȯىa − ¦§ © § old. For He prepared your hereditary porŸ ´ ª § Æ·vÈ ½¦ © ˙Ï·b ÌÈnÚ ¥ © tion for you even before you were born. 8 When the Most High gave nations :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ Èa ¬¥ § ¯tÒÓÏ −© § ¦ §

generation'': the generation of Enosh, over whom He caused the waters of Ocean to ¯ow, [A] and the generation of the Flood, ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F If v. 8 means that whom He inundated. Another reading: God ®xed the boundaries of Israel's own territories, Though you have paid no attention to ``the as some of the commentators explain it, what sense days of old,'' at least consider the years of does it make to say that He ``®xed the boundaries of the ``many generations'' to come. For He has peoples''? the power to do you great good, letting you attain the Messianic Era and the World to Come. Ask your father. This refers to the prophets, who are called ``fathers,'' as when Elisha called out, ``Oh, father, father! Israel's chariots and horsemen!'' (2 Kings 2:12). Your elders. These are the Sages. They will tell you. What happened in earlier times. 8 When the Most High gave nations their homes. Rather, ``their portions,'' what they had coming to them. When the Holy One gave to those who had angered HimÐthe generation of Enosh and that of the FloodÐtheir ``portion'' (OJPS), He swamped and inundated them. And set the divisions of man. When He scattered the generation of the dispersion, at the time of the Tower of Babel, it was likewise within His power simply to wipe them off the face of the earth. He ®xed the boundaries of peoples. Instead, He did not destroy them but established them permanently. In relation to Israel's numbers. That is, ``for the sake of'' Israel's numbers, the multitudes of Israelites that would one day come forth from the descendants of Shem, and ``according to the number'' (OJPS) of ``the total of Jacob's household who came to Egypt . . . seventy persons'' (Gen. 46:27). Thus, He ®xed the boundaries of the 70 nations that speak the 70 languages. [A] According to Jewish legend. See Rashi's comment to Gen. 6:4.

NAHMANIDES 7 Remember the days of old.

See Ibn Ezra's comments about this passage, especially to v. 9; indeed, ``a wise man's talk brings him favor'' (Eccles. 10:12). If he is correct, then ``Remember the days of old'' refers speci®cally to the six days of creation, that is, the good that the Holy One did for you during the era of Formation (see v. 8). Consider the years of ages past. Consider and understand what was done for you during the generations since the Shekhinah began to dwell among you (see v. 10).

their homes. Their hereditary portions. And set the divisions of man. After the

death of Noah, in the time of Abraham, when, we are told, ``From these the maritime nations branched out . . . each with its language'' (Gen. 10:5). [A] You will ®nd in that chapter the details of how He ®xed the boundaries of peoplesÐthe 12 nations of Canaan (counting Canaan himself and his 11 sons) [B] corresponding to the 12 sons of Jacob. For the boundaries of the land of Canaan, which would eventually belong to Israel, are described precisely in Gen. 10:19. But none of the boundaries of the other nations have their boundaries delineated in this way. In relation to Israel's numbers. I have found the same thing written in the midrash: ``Canaan and his sons are also 12.'' [C]

[A] The quotation in Rashbam's commentary as we have it differs slightly from the biblical text. [B] See Gen. 10:15± 18. [C] We no longer have this midrash.

IBN EZRA 7 The days of old. Literally, ``of eternity,'' but here indeed of the past. Ask your father. Having been told to

``remember,'' if instead you have forgotten what your elders told you, you must ask them. Your elders. This parallels ``your father,'' in keeping with biblical poetic style. In my view, both ``father'' and ``elders'' here imply ``those who understand.'' They will tell you. The Hebrew omits the understood preposition of ``tell to you'' here just as the English does; for a comparable example, see Jer. 10:20. 8 When the Most High gave nations their homes. The commentators assign this to the generation of the Tower of Babel, who were ``scattered . . . over the face of the whole earth'' (Gen. 11:9). It was then that the Lord decreed that the land of the seven nations would belong to Israel. He ®xed the boundaries of peoples in relation to Israel's numbers. The land of Canaan would be suf®cient for their numbers. With regard to the verb ``®xed,'' some take it to be an in®nitive or gerund, as in ``I don't know how to speak'' (Jer. 1:6), and others take it as an imperfect verb with perfect meaning (see, e.g., ``They made a calf at Horeb'' of Ps. 106:19).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 Remember the days of old.

Almost 6,500 years ago, when the world was created (Abarbanel). You will see what good I intended for the entire human species (Sforno). Consider the years of ages past. Before Israel was yet in the world, I arranged a place for you (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``the years of many generations'' (OJPS)Ðhow the generations have lived shorter and shorter lives; these phrases are emphasizing God's role in creation (Abarbanel). See how well I treated the subsequent generations, who nonetheless corrupted their ways until the time of the Flood (Sforno). Ask your father, he will inform you, your elders, they will tell you. You did not see the exodus from Egypt, but your fathers did; and if they have died, you still have Joshua and Caleb, the elders of that generation, who can tell you about it (Abarbanel). 8 In relation to Israel's numbers. By giving their future land to the 12 sons of Canaan. Gen. 10:15±18 lists 11 sons and adds, ``Afterward the clans of the Canaanites spread out''; one of the groups mentioned there split into two, creating the Perizzites, who are not in that list. Since according to Gen. 9:26 Canaan was to be a slave to Shem, and whatever a slave acquires belongs to his master, the 12 Canaanite groups were holding the land in trust for Israel (Bekhor Shor). Though the 12 territories of the nations of Canaan matched the 12 astrological signs, they were in fact also matched to the 12 tribes, for the land that would be allocated to ``Israel's numbers'' when they came forth from Egypt was already assigned, tribe by tribe, to the nations of CanaanÐwhich were therefore not under the control of their

DEUTERONOMY 32:9±10 HA'AZINU

NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

9For

the LORD`s portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment. 10He found him in a desert region, In an empty howling waste. He engirded him, watched over him, Guarded him as the pupil of His eye.

RASHI 9 For the LORD's portion is His people. Why did he ®x the boundaries of

the 70 nations? Because ``His portion'' was contained among the nations and would one day come forth. And who is ``His portion''? It is ``His people.'' And who is ``His people''? It is Jacob was the third of the Patriarchs, with triple merit: the merit of his father's father, the merit of his father, and his own meritÐlike a rope made up of three strands. He and his sons became ``His own allotment,'' but Ishmael the son of Abraham and Esau the son of Isaac did not.

9For

the portion of the LORD is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance. 10He found him in a desert land, and in the waste, a howling wilderness; He compassed him about, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.

RASHBAM

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

How does ``the LORD's portion is His people'' (v. 9) explain the assertion in the previous verse that He ``®xed the boundaries of peoples''? F Why say that ``He found him in a desert region'' (v. 10) and ignore the exodus from Egypt? After all, He ``found'' them in Egypt, not in the wilderness. F Why does the wilderness passage of vv. 10±12 make no mention whatsoever of the giving of the Torah, the war with Amalek, Sihon and Og, the manna, Miriam's well, and all the other miracles that He performed for them in the wilderness?

He ``found'' them still faithful to Him in a desert region. For they accepted His Teaching, His kingdom, and His yoke (which neither Ishmael nor Esau did): ``He shone upon them from Seir; He appeared from Mount Paran'' (33:2). ``A parched and desolate land'' (Joel 2:20), a place of ``jackals and ostriches'' (Isa. 43:20). Even there they kept the faith. They did not ask Moses, ``How can we go out into the wilderness, a parched place of desolation?'' This is what ``how you followed Me in the wilderness'' (Jer. 2:2) is about. He surrounded them with clouds, encircled them with military divisions in each of the four directions, and surrounded them underneath Mount Sinai when He held the mountain over them like a dome. He watched over him (yebonenehu) there with Torah and with understanding (binah). From ``seraph serpents and scorpions'' (8:15) and from the other nations. Rather, the ``black'' of the eye, from which the light comes forth. But Onkelos interprets ``He found him'' to mean, ``He found him everything he needed in a desert region'' (see Num. 11:22 and Josh. 17:16

In an empty howling waste.

10 He found him.

As in

BnÚ ® © ‰B‰È −¨ § ˜ÏÁ ¤ ¬¥ Èk ² ¦ 9 ``to suf®ce them'' of Num. 11:22, which also literally says ``to ®nd them,'' our phrase Ÿ − £© :B˙ÏÁ « ¨ £ © Ï·Á ¤ ¬¤ ·˜ÚÈ Æ¥ ¨ § ¦ 10 means that the Holy One ``suf®ced'' themÐ ¯a„Ó ¨½ § ¦ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § Æe‰‡ˆÓÈ He supplied all their needs. He engirded Ÿ ® ¦ § ÏÏÈ Ÿ− § ÔÓLÈ ´¥ § e‰˙·e him. With His angels, who guarded them: e‰B·È ¥½ § ´ § Æe‰··ÒÈ § ¤Æ § Ÿ « § ``The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear Him and rescues them'' (Ps. 34:8). :BÈÚ « ¥ ÔBLȇk ¬ ¦ § e‰¯vÈ § −¤ § ¦ [D] One who explains it to say that the Is-

Jacob His own allotment.

10 He found him in a desert region.

CN OK ZCE

He engirded him.

Watched over him. Guarded him. As the pupil of His eye.

raelites were surrounded by clouds is off the mark. The cloud, according to the straightforward sense, did not ``engird'' them but was a pillar that preceded them: ``The LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way'' (Exod. 13:21). This is obviously parallel to ``engirded him'' at the beginning of the verse, further proving that it has nothing to do with any ``cloud.'' Rather, ``as the darkener of his eye.'' The Holy One guarded Israel as the eyelid guards the eyeÐthe covering of ¯esh that comes down over the eye to darken it. See

Guarded him. eye.

As the pupil of His

[D] Rashbam

actually cites a line from a liturgical poem based on this verse.

IBN EZRA 9 For the LORD's portion is His people. See also ``these the LORD

your God allotted to other peoples everywhere under heaven'' (4:19). For every portion below has a matching portion on high. Our Sages say that the likeness of our ancestor Jacob is Rashi's comments to this etched on the Throne of GloryÐa great reliverse do not really ®t the context. The text is reproving the Israelites, reminding them of gious mystery to which this verse testi®es. the good the Lord did for them, which they repaid with evil. This is the highest level of distinction; ``He That is, ``as He would protect His own eye''; or perhaps it is to be taken this way: did not do so for any other nation'' (Ps. 147:20). The question ``Do you thus requite the LORD, O dull and witless people?'' (v. 6) demonstrates how they have fallen from distinction through their witlessness. ``Is not He the Father who created you?'' (also v. 6) implies that He created them for His glory, and that He taught them (as the song goes on to say) as a father teaches his son. ``Allotment''Ðliterally ``rope''Ðreally means one's ``lot'': ``Delightful country has fallen to my lot'' (Ps. 16:6). The image comes from property measured and marked off by ropes. He, ``the Father who created you'' (v. 6). He ``found'' them, or perhaps better ``reached'' them, when the Glory entered the wilderness with them. They were like someone wandering in ``a land no man had traversed, where no human being had dwelt'' (Jer. 2:6). A place where the howling of animals like jackals and ostriches is heard, where anyone who hears the sound is aghast. This refers to the protective clouds. Rather, ``gave him understanding'' by means of the Torah. From enemies. That is, the ``dark'' of his eye, as I have

NAHMANIDES 10 He found him in a desert region. Guarded him as the pupil of His eye.

10 He found him in a desert region. In an empty howling waste. He engirded him. Guarded him.

Jacob His own allotment.

As the pupil of His eye.

Watched over him.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

various astrological rulers (Gersonides). When the Holy One chose you, you were just 70 individuals; yet He already had in His world 70 complete nations. Indeed, as 7:7 tells us, ``It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that the LORD set His heart on you and chose you'' (Abarbanel). ORD Jacob and his descendants all serve the Holy One, whereas if there is a pious person among the other nations, he does not pass his piety on to his children (Sforno). Rather, ``he,'' Israel, found ``Him,'' the Holy One; that is where they discovered His love and care for them (Gersonides). The desert is not where He ®rst ``found'' them, of course; that was in Egypt. But in contrast to the land of Israel, the earthly region most ®t to receive God's providence, the desert is the least ®t for itÐyet that is exactly where He found it right to give you the Torah (Abarbanel). A ``howl'' is a cry of pain; a ``howling'' waste is one so empty that the winds blow with a sound like a howl (Kimhi). Perhaps rather ``it,'' the wilderness, ``surrounded him''; or perhaps the Holy One ``encompassed'' them (compare OJPS) with the wilderness (Gersonides). Rather, the ``eyelid.'' The Hebrew word ishon is related to sheinah (``sleep''), when the eyelid covers the eye. That is how the Holy One guarded Israel (Bekhor Shor). He

9 For the L 's portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment. 10 He found him in a desert region. In an empty howling waste. He engirded him.

As the pupil of His eye.

220

221 DEUTERONOMY 32:11±12 HA'AZINU NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

11Like

an eagle who rouses his nestlings, Gliding down to his young, So did He spread His wings and take him, Bear him along on His pinions; 12The L ORD alone did guide him, No alien god at His side.

RASHI

for this aspect of ``®nd''), and ``He engirded him'' to mean ``He settled them all around His Presence''Ðwith the Tent of Meeting in the center of the four divisions, one on each side.

11 Like an eagle who rouses his nestlings. He led them gently and compassio-

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11As

an eagle that stirreth up her nest, hovereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her pinionsÐ 12The L ORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with Him. ½ ¦ ¯ÈÚÈ Bp˜ ´ ¦ ¨ ƯLk ¤ ¤Æ § 11

ÛÁ¯È ®¥ © § ÂÈÏÊBb-ÏÚ −¨ ¨ © Ÿ³§ ¦ ½ Æ e‰ÁwÈ ¥ ¨ ¦ ÂÈÙk ¨ ¨ § N¯ÙÈ :B˙¯·‡-ÏÚ « ¨ § ¤ © e‰‡OÈ −¥ ¨ ¦ epÁÈ ®¤ § © „„a ´¨ ¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § 12 :¯Î «¨ ¥ Ϭ‡¥ BnÚ − ¦ Ôȇ ¬¥ §

nately, like an eagle, who is tender with his ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How are we to exchildren and does not enter the nest sud- plain the mismatch between the four different images denly, but ¯aps and ¯utters his wings be- of the eagle in v. 11 and the thing they are supposedly describing, ``The LORD alone did guide him, no alien tween tree and tree, between bough and god at His side'' (v. 12)? bough, to rouse his children so that they will have the strength to receive him. The Hebrew literally says ``nest'' (OJPS), but NJPS understands correctly that it refers to the ``nestlings.'' He does not simply plop down on them, but ``hovers'' (compare OJPS), now touching them and now not touching them. So too the Holy One. ``ShaddaiÐwe did not encounter Him impossibly great in power'' (Job 37:23). When He came to give them the Torah, He did not reveal Himself to them from a single direction, but from four. Three directions are mentioned in ``the LORD came from Sinai; He shone upon them from Seir; He appeared from Mount Paran'' (33:2), and ``God is coming from Teman'' (Hab. 3:3) gives the fourth. When the eagle carries his nestlings from place to place, he does not grab them with his claws like other birds. For the other birds fear the eagle, the highest of birds, which ¯ies far above them, so they carry their young below them, with their claws, in fear of eagles. But the eagle fears nothing but arrows, so he carries his young on his wings, thinking, ``Better for the arrow to pierce me and not my children.'' So too the Holy One: ``I bore you on eagles' wings'' (Exod. 19:4). When the Egyptians pursued them and caught them at the Sea , they were shooting arrows and hurling catapult stones at them. So ``the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them, and it came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel'' (Exod. 14:19±20). ORD Rather, ``The Lord guided him alone and secure.'' Not one of the gods of the other nations had the power to demonstrate his strength and ®ght with them. The Sages explain this phrase as a reference to the future, and Onkelos also translates it that way. I believe they are words of reproof, which the heavens and the earth are supposed to bear witness to. The song is a testimony that the Israelites will eventually prove faithless and will no longer either remember the things He originally did for them or consider the things He will do for them in the future. So the ®rst half of the verse must refer to the past and the second half to the future. This

Gliding down to his young.

So did He spread His wings and take him.

of Reeds

12 The L alone did guide him. No alien god at His side.

NAHMANIDES ``as one would protect one's eye.'' Obviously the image comes from a human eye. There are many examples of this phenomenon in the Bible. 12 The LORD alone did guide him. The Lord dwells in Israel, secure and alone. No alien god at His side. Whether ``there was no strange god with Him'' (OJPS) or with

``him,'' Israel, it is clear that Israel has no governor from among the lesser divinities to guide them or assist them other than the Lord alone. As we saw in v. 9, they are His portion and His allotment. I have already remarked on this in my comments to Lev. 18:25. The Sifrei understands our verse in this way: The Holy One said to them, ``Since you have dwelt by yourselves in this world, gaining no bene®t whatsoever from the other nations, I on My part will settle you by yourselves in the next world, and not one of the other nations

RASHBAM

Ps. 17:8 for another example of this expression. The phrase ``Whoever touches you touches the pupil of his own eye'' (Zech. 2:12) uses a different word in the Hebrew, which does indeed mean ``pupil,'' the part of the eye with which one sees. He bestirs his nest, moving it from its place in order to carry it ``on His pinions'': ``I have roused him from the north, and he has come'' (Isa. 41:25); ``Behold, I stir up the Medes against them'' (Isa. 13:17). Moving anything from one place to another can be called ``bestirring'' it. ORD He alone brought them out of Egypt and led them to the land of Israel.

11 Who rouses his nestlings.

12 The L

alone.

IBN EZRA

already explained in my comment to Prov. 20:20. As for saying that the Holy One has an eye, this is an anthropomorphic metaphor. The point is simply that He would guard them from every enemy and ambush.

11 Like an eagle who rouses his nestlings. Rather, who ``stirs up'' (compare OJPS) his nestlings, moving them from place to place. Gliding down to. Rather, ``hovering over'' them (compare OJPS) as they ¯y: ``a wind from God hovering over the water'' (Gen. 1:2). The cloud too was over them while they traveled. ``Bring Me . . . a turtledove and a young bird'' (Gen. 15:9). This is a generic word for the young of birds of any species. The eagle takes each chick separately and puts it Ðfor they were not strong enough to ¯y on their own. That is the straightforward sense. ``How I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me'' (Exod. 19:4) means something different; it refers to their leaving Egypt de®antly and boldly, and to the speed with which they came to Mount Sinai: ``Who are these that ¯oat like a cloud, like doves to their cotes?'' (Isa. 60:8). [F]

His young.

So did He spread His wings and take him. on His pinions

12 The LORD alone did guide him.

``On a sign from the LORD they made camp and on a sign from the LORD they broke camp'' (Num. 9:20, 23). There was no one associated with Him in this. But the Hebrew could conceivably mean, ``The L ORD did guide him alone,'' meaning Israel alone: ``There is a people that dwells apart'' (Num. 23:9). This would indeed seem to mean rather ``at his [Israel's] side,'' by

No alien god at His side.

[F] In this passage, the Jews suddenly rise once again to prominence.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS guarded them just as He guarded the human eye by means of the physical structures that cover and protect it. The eye is the most important of the senses and also the most in need of protection (Gersonides). 11 Gliding down to his young. Rather, ``resting upon his young'' (Gersonides). 12 The LORD alone did guide him. One who is afraid does not travel alone but in a caravan; one who is not afraid needs no one to

accompany him (Bekhor Shor). Not ``did guide him,'' but (following the Sifrei) ``will give him rest and relaxation'' (Hizkuni).

DEUTERONOMY 32:13±14 HA'AZINU

NJPS

GRKHBF

set him atop the highlands, To feast on the yield of the earth; He fed him honey from the crag, And oil from the ¯inty rock, 14Curd of kine and milk of ¯ocks; With the best of lambs, And rams of Bashan, and he-goats; With the very ®nest wheatÐ And foaming grape-blood was your drink.

OJPS

13He

RASHI

K[KN[

13He

made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he did eat the fruitage of the ®eld; and He made him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the ¯inty rock; 14Curd of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, ı¯‡ ¤ ¨½ È˙Óa ¥ ¢ ´¨ È˙ÂÓ·-ÏÚ© Æe‰·k¯È ¥Æ ¦ § © 13 and rams of the breed of Bashan, and Ÿ ´ § Ï·i ȄN ®¨ ¨ ˙·ez −© Ÿ © he-goats, ÚÏqÓ © ¤½ ¦ ÆL·„ © § e‰˜i « ³¥ ¦ ¥ © with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape thou :¯eˆ« LÈÓÏÁÓ ¬ ¦ § © ¥ ÔÓL ¤ −¤ § drankest foaming wine. Ÿ À ·ÏÁ ¹¨ ¨ ˙‡ÓÁ Ô‡ˆ ´¥ £ © ¯˜a ©¸ § ¤ 14

verse connects back to v. 7, ¹¦ ¨ ·ÏÁ-ÌÚ Ìȯk ¤ ¥¸ ¦ where they are told to ``Remember the days of old and consider the years of the gener½ ¦ © § ÆÔL· ÌÈ„ezÚ ¨ ¨ -Èa «¥ § ÌÈÏȇ ³¦ ¥ § ations to come.'' ‰hÁ ®¨ ¦ ˙BÈÏk ´ § ¦ ·ÏÁ-ÌÚ ¤ −¥ ¦ For :¯ÓÁ-‰zLz ¤ «¨ ¤ § ¦ ·Ú-Ì„Â −¨ ¥ ©§ the land of Israel is higher than all the other lands. (The interpretation of this entire verse ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Since v. 14 will follows the translation of Onkelos.) [B] Literally, continue with agricultural blessings of a natural kind, why does v. 13 promise ``honey from the crag, and oil ``of the ®eld.'' This refers to the fruits of the from the ¯inty rock''? land of Israel, swifter to sprout and to ripen than those of the other lands. Rather, from ``the ®eld'' (OJPS). A story: There was a man in Sikhnin who said to his son, ``Bring me some ®gs from the cask.'' He went and found honey ¯oating on top of the cask and told his father, ``This cask is full of honey.'' The father replied, ``Stick your hand into it and bring up some ®gs from inside it.'' Literally, ``from the ¯int of the rock,'' the strongest, toughest part of it. This ``oil'' refers to the olives of Gush Halav. This alludes to the time of Solomon, whose daily provisions consisted of ``10 fattened oxen, 20 pasture-fed oxen, and 100 sheep and goats'' (1 Kings 5:3). This was in the time of the northern kingdom, that of the Ten Tribes, whom the prophet scorns for ``lolling on their couches, feasting on lambs from the ¯ock'' (Amos 6:4). In the time of Solomon, whose provisions also included ``30 kors of semolina, and 60 kors of [ordinary] ¯our'' (1 Kings 5:2). In the northern kingdom: ``They drink [straight] from the wine bowls'' (Amos 6:6). As for the particular foods mentioned in the verse: is rather the cream that rises to the top of the milk. refers

13 He set him atop the highlands.

feast on the yield of the earth. honey from the crag.

To

He fed him

from the ¯inty rock. 14 Curd of kine and milk of ¯ocks. With the best of lambs. With the very ®nest wheat. And foaming grape-blood was your drink. Curd

[B] See the end of Rashi's comment to v. 14.

CN OK ZCE

And oil

Rams of Bashan

NAHMANIDES

will bene®t from you in any way. The divine princes of the other nations will have no authority to come and rule over you.'' For these ``princes,'' see Daniel 10.

RASHBAM

13 Atop the highlands.

The land of Israel is higher than any other land. (Note that the text as written has the same meaning as the variant text that is supposed to be read out loud.) Date honey. From the olives that grow on the mountains. It is, after all, ``a land ¯owing with milk'' (Exod. 3:8 and elsewhere). There would be plenty of meat for them to eat as well. Rather, ``with the fat of the pastures,'' that is, wild sheep fattened through pasturing: ``Your livestock . . . shall graze in broad pastures'' (Isa. 30:23); ``The meadows are clothed with ¯ocks'' (Ps. 65:14). As we see from the continuation of the Psalms verse, ``the valleys mantled with grain,'' the image is one of ®elds of grain being ``clothed'' with ¯ocksÐfull of sheep pasturing in them. See similarly ``the enemies of the LORD shall be consumed like meadow grass'' (Ps. 37:20), as in a ®eld that is blighted all at once, when it is just about ready to be reaped, looking as black as if it had been burnt. I myself have seen this happen at harvest time. In just this way, the wicked ¯ourish (at ®rst) like meadow grass, but ``Night is over, and they are crushed'' (Job 34:25). Such

Oil. 14 Curd of kine.

Honey.

With the best of

lambs.

And rams of Bashan.

IBN EZRA contrast with the later period when ``they incensed Him with alien things'' (v. 16). 13 He set him atop the highlands. More precisely, ``on the high places of the land'' (compare OJPS)Ðthe land of Canaan, the center of human habitation on the earth. Saying that ``He made him ride'' (which is what the Hebrew literally means) is stylistic. The unusual spelling of the Hebrew word for ``high places'' does not alter the meaning; see also 33:29. The yield of the earth. For ``yield'' see also ``If

force bears fruit pay it no mind'' (Ps. 62:11). The word translated ``earth'' is really an adjective from the word for ``®eld''; F regularly alternates with K in such words. Do not misread this as a noun in the construct plural; see ``Let the ®eld exult, and all that is therein'' (Ps. 96:12), where it is clear that this word is singular. Metaphorically, as in ``the mountains shall drip with wine'' (Joel 4:18). The verse is saying that Canaan has a great abundance of honey and of oil, as indeed we know from the fact that it was exported: ``Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants; they traf®cked with you in wheat of Minnith and Pannag, honey, oil, and balm'' (Ezek. 27:17). [G] Notice that the Hebrew of 8:15 reverses the phrase: ``rocky ¯int.'' (You will ®nd a similar reversal, also involving ``rock,'' in Josh. 5:2 and Ps. 89:44.) Rather, the ``cream'' of kineÐthat is, an abundance of meat. Were it not for our received tradition, this would be further evidence for my comments to Lev. 7:23 and 7:26. [H] Literally, the ``fat'' of lambs (OJPS), but it may indeed mean ``the best.'' You will ®nd the same idiom in ``All the best of the new oil, wine, and grain'' (Num. 18:12). Rams raised on Mount Bashan. Literally, ``the kidney-fat of wheat'' (OJPS). This is metaphoric,

He fed him honey from the crag, and oil from the ¯inty rock.

14 Curd of kine.

of Bashan.

Milk of ¯ocks. With the best of lambs.

With the very ®nest wheat.

[G] Ibn Ezra says merely, ``for so it is written.'' He may instead (or also) have been thinking of Gen. 43:11, Deut. 8:8, or Hosea 12:2. conceivably it could mean ``fat.'' See the next Hebrew phrase.

And rams

[H] The tradition reads the word as ``milk,'' but

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 13 He set him atop the highlands. Because the inhabited part of the land was not yet ready to receive them (Gersonides). 14 Curd of kine and milk of ¯ocks. These are metaphors for the spoils they took from the (powerful) Anakites and the (weaker) Canaanites, respectively (Gersonides). With the best of lambs. The intermediate groups (Gersonides). And rams of Bashan, and hegoats. The mighty Og and Sihon (Gersonides). And foaming grape-blood was your drink. Here the text switches, as it frequently does,

222

223 DEUTERONOMY 32:15 HA'AZINU NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

15So

Jeshurun grew fat and kickedÐ You grew fat and gross and coarseÐ He forsook the God who made him And spurned the Rock of his support.

RASHI

Jeshurun waxed fat, and kickedÐ thou didst wax fat, thou didst grow thick, thou didst become grossÐand he forsook God who made him, and contemned the Rock of his salvation.

The very ®nest wheat

ËÚ·i ¨½ § ¦ © ÆÔe¯LÈ ª § ÔÓLi ³© § ¦ © 15 ˙ÈNk ¨ ®¦ ¨ ˙È·Ú ¨ ´ ¦ ¨ zÓL ¨ § −© ¨ Ÿ ¦© e‰NÚ ¨½ ¨ ‰BÏ © ´‡ ¡ ÆLhi :B˙ÚLÈ « ¨ ª § ¯eˆ¬ ÏaÈ −¥ © § ©

is literally

``the kidney-fat of wheat'' (OJPS), as rich as fat and each grain as big as a kidney. T he

drink

15But

literally to the rams of that re-

gion, which were known for being particularly fat.

CN OK ZCE

of NJPS is really the Aramaic word for

``wine'' (see OJPS). In Hebrew it is not a

RASHBAM

rams are well known to be

fat. But in other places the sheep fattened through grazing outdoors are fatter than the domestic

wheat.

With the very ®nest

ones.

Not ``the

kidney-fat

of

wheat,'' as

OJPS translates, but the ``utmost''Ðthat is,

noun but a descriptive word of high praise

the richest, ®nest, and choicest. Despite the

for wine. T he phrase means, `` You will drink the tastiest of wine.''

similarit y in sound, this word is not related

T hese last two verses are also to be explained in accordance with the translation of

[C]

Onkelos: ``He settled them over the powerful ones of the earth'' and so forth.

15 Gross and coarse.

pining away for Absalom'' (2 Sam. 13:39); ``I long, I yearn for the courts of the LORD'' (Ps. 84:3). sire strongly,'' as in ``King David was

Literally, ``thick [see OJPS] and covered,'' like someone so fat

that his belly overlaps his groin: ``His face is covered with fat and his loins with blubber'' ( Job 15:27). T he normal verb ``cover'' is spelled with

to ``kidney'' but to a verb that means ``to de-

S, not with s as it is here, and is in the

K in the word, that letter regularly F in F"N verbs. (You will ®nd a

As for the

Piel (but see Prov. 12:16). In that conjugation it is transitive, but in our verse, in the Qal, it

replaces

is not.

similar form from a different root in v. 42.)

[D] Spurned the Rock of his support.

He treated Him with contempt, like the

men Ezekiel saw with ``their backsides to the Temple of the L ORD'' (Ezek. 8:16). T here is

Your drink.

no more blatant act of contempt than that.

``T here is a cup in the L ORD's hand with

[C]

Onkelos understands the verses to refer to plunder taken from the powerful Canaanites and to the blood of enemy warriors

spilled in battle. T he ``rams'' of Bashan are the mighty men of that region.

[D]

foaming wine

15 Gross.

See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

NAHMANIDES 15 And spurned the Rock of his support.

For this unusual word, see also

fully mixed'' (Ps. 75:9). Another

F" N

verb; you will

®nd a noun from this root in ``T he king had Rashi takes the verb to

them cast in the

clay of the ground'' (1 Kings

The God who made him.

mean ``scorned''; Ibn Ezra takes it as ``desecrated,'' and says further that they ``caused Him

7:46).

no longer to support them,'' which is also incorrect, in my view. It makes no sense in the

the Father who created you,

fashioned

context, which continues to talk about their sins and does not mention His punishment of

and

(v.

them until v. 20. Rather, as I explained in my comment to v. 6 (which uses a noun from the same root), the verb means ``to return evil for good.'' T his passage is saying that Israel

made

you

endure?''

requite the L ORD, O ple?'' (also v. 6).

the eyes of all the people'' (Mal. 2:9). It is like the fools among us who said, ``It is useless to serve God. W hat have we gained by keeping His charge and walking in abject awe of the L ORD of Hosts?'' (Mal. 3:14). It is like what those accursed women told Jeremiah: ``Ever

you

And

Rather,

they ``treated'' Him ``stupidly'': ``Do you thus

about the Rock who was always saving them. T hey acted as if they got nothing for their

in plent y'' (Prov. 12:11), while if they served the Rock they would be ``despicable and vile in

6).

spurned the Rock of his support.

forsook the God who created it for alien gods, both speaking and thinking ungratefully

worship of the Holy One but evil, as if when they served alien gods they would ``have food

``Is not He

IBN EZRA

dull

and witless peo-

of course: wheat as rich as

the fat on the kidneys (and grains of wheat do

resemble

grape-blood.

kidneys in

shape).

Foaming

Wine. T his land has an abun-

dance of honey, oil, meat, bread, wine, and fruit of every kind: these are ``the yield of the earth'' (v. 13). (Some say that ``honey'' here refers to date honey.) As for ``foaming,'' the word is really just another synonym for ``wine''; see ``Vineyard of Wine'' (Isa. 27:2).

[I] Your drink.

Notice the change to direct address, as if

the poet could not prevent himself from turning directly to Israel and saying, ``T here will be so much wine that you can drink it [see OJPS, translating more literally] whenever you like.'' Some think this verb form is third-person feminine rather than second-person masculine, but this view is worthless. T he verb would have to change to a different conjugation if the ``grape-blood'' were causing the people to drink. Still others say ``Israel'' is the third-person subject, but feminine: ``Foaming grape-blood was its [the (feminine) assembly of Israel's] drink.'' T his is just slightly more plausible.

15 So Jeshurun grew fat.

``Jeshurun'' is Israel, perhaps from

yashar (``right, honest''), implying that the richness of their land was in ashurennu, ``I see them'' of Num. 23:9, but in my view the ®rst ex-

proportion to their acting rightly. Others take Jeshurun as related to

And kicked.

right one. As a verb, Jeshurun would be a plural, but it is singular in our verse. ``W hy, then, do you malitrample upon the sacri®ces and offerings that I have commanded?'' (1 Sam. 2:29). T he verb implies an action done with the feet;

planation is the ciously

context demands a slightly different translation in our verse.

You grew fat.

T he three second-person verbs between the dashes in NJPS

should be in quotation marks. It never occurred to the Israelites (as it should have) to say to themselves, `` You have grown fat'' and so forth.

And gross.

``My little ®nger is

thicker

than my father's loins'' (1 Kings 12:10).

And coarse.

Some relate this word to ``His face is

covered like a

with fat'' ( Job 15:27); the verb is Piel in that verse but has the intransitive sense of our Qal. Others say it is related to ``I have strayed

lost sheep'' (Ps. 119:176), assuming

that this phrase can somehow be turned into a verb (which it can't). In my view, our verb is a hapax

legomenon, found nowhere in the Bible but here. T he parallelism indicates that it must mean something like ``you kicked,'' which it matches in the ®rst half of the verse.

He forsook.

Israel desecrated the Name. It was

[I]

T he commandments of his God.

they

In our biblical texts, this verse says ``Vineyard of Delight,'' with

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

And spurned.

In thought and in word.

The Rock of his support.

who caused Him no longer to support them. For ``T he Rock!ÐHis deeds are perfect'' (v. 4).

E

instead of

Z in the key

word.

between third-person and second-person address (Bekhor Shor). T he metaphor comes from the redness

of the wine (Kimhi). T he Holy One did all this for them so they would have time to occupy themselves with the Torah and the commandments (Sforno).

15 So Jeshurun grew fat and kicked. And spurned the Rock of his support.

Backward, like an animal (Kimhi). Even the intellectuals among them (``Jeshurun'') turned to

physical pleasures and grew too dull to understand the truth (Sforno). him wealthy'' (Hizkuni).

He forsook the God who made him.

Meaning ``the God who made

More precisely, ``denigrated'' Him, both in thought and in deed (Kimhi).

DEUTERONOMY 32:16±18 HA'AZINU

NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

16

They incensed Him with alien things,

16

They roused Him to jealousy with strange gods,

Vexed Him with abominations.

with abominations did they provoke Him.

17

17

They sacri®ced to demons, no-gods,

They sacri®ced unto demons, no-gods,

Gods they had never known,

gods that they knew not,

New ones, who came but lately,

new gods that came up of late,

Who stirred not your fathers' fears. 18

You

neglected

the

Rock

that

CN OK ZCE

begot

you, Forgot the God who brought you forth.

RASHI 16 They incensed Him. They in¯amed His anger and His jealousy (see OJPS). Abominations. Abominable behav-

ÌȯÊa ®¦ ¨ § e‰‡˜È −ª ¦ § © 16 Ÿ− ¥ § :e‰ÒÈÚÎÈ «ª ¦ § © ˙·ÚB˙a Ÿ ´ ÆÌÈ„MÏ À § § ¦ 17 ‰Ï ©Ÿ ½ ‡ ¡ ‡Ï ¦ ¥ © eÁaÊÈ Ÿ ´ ÌÈ‰Ï ÌeÚ„È ® ¨ § ‡Ï −¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ÿ ´ ¨ ¦ ÆÌÈL„Á e‡a¨½ ·¯wÓ ¦ ¨£ Ÿ Ÿ¬ :ÌÎÈ˙·‡ «¤ ¥ £ Ìe¯ÚN − ¨ § ‡Ï ¦ ®¤ E„ÏÈ − § ¨ § ¯eˆ¬ 18 * ÈLz :EÏÏÁÓ «¤ § Ÿ § Ϭ‡¥ ÁkLz −© § ¦ ©

ior. Both sorcery and carnal relations between men are referred to in the Bible as abominations. 17 No-gods. As Onkelos explains it, OKNCGYP OKISGR KVN BZKTH 'K v. 18. ``pointless'' gods. Had they at least worshiped as gods things that are actually use- ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F ful, God would not be as incensed with jealousy as now. New ones, who came but F lately. Even the other nations were not familiar with them. A gentile who saw them would say, ``This must be a Jewish idol.'' Who stirred not your fathers' fears. Literally, your fathers did not ``hair'' at them. Fear makes people's hair stand on end, as the Sifrei explains. The Hebrew verb also is reminiscent of the word ``satyrs''; see ``there shall satyrs dance'' (Isa. 13:21). ``Satyrs'' are demons. ``Your fathers did not make any such demons.'' 18 Neglected. You were ``unmindful'' (OJPS); the Hebrew verb teshi is a synonym for ``forget.'' The Sages interpret it this way: when He came to do good to you, you enraged Why do vv. 16±18

focus on idolatry, when we know that the First Temple was destroyed not just because of that but also because of sexual perversity and bloodshed?

Why must v. 18

which your fathers dreaded not. 18

Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast

unmindful, and didst forget God that bore thee.

RASHBAM 17 Who stirred not your fathers' fears. Rather, ``after whom your

fathers never `demoned,''' using the same Hebrew root as in ``that they may offer their sacri®ces no more to the goat-demons after whom they stray'' (Lev. 17:7).

18 You neglected the Rock that begot you. Ordinarily the Qal verb means ``to bear'' and the Hiphil means ``to beget,'' but the Qal (used here) is used to mean ``beget''

IBN EZRA 16 They incensed Him.

By their thoughts, as with the generation of the Tower of Babel: ``If . . . this is how they have begun to act, then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach'' (Gen. 11:6). With alien things. That is, ``with strange gods'' (OJPS). With abominations. Idols. 17 Demons. These are ``the goatdemons after whom they stray'' (Lev. 17:7). No-gods. ``They sacri®ced to'' would seem NAHMANIDES since we stopped making offerings to the Queen of Heaven and to apply to these as well as to the demons. pouring libations to her, we have lacked everything'' (Jer. 44:18). Elsewhere, the prophet But I see no need for this. It can be underuses our verb explicitly: ``For Your name's sake, do not disown us; do not make Your stood as follows: ``They sacri®ced to demons glorious throne ungrateful'' (Jer. 14:21), for they would say that He was repaying His na- [who are] not gods.'' (They are called ``detion with evil for good. That is why Jeremiah goes on to say, ``Remember, do not annul mons'' because fear of them leaves people ``demented.'') Gods they had never Your covenant with us'' (Jer. 14:21). 16 Vexed Him with abominations. Rashi's comment follows the Sifrei. But in fact known. How could they think these were there is no reproach in this poem for anything but idolatry. The ``alien things'' of the ®rst gods if they did not know this from their own half of the verse are really gods alien to ``the God who made him'' (v. 15), simply meaning experience? New ones, who came but ``other gods.'' The ``abominations'' are the demons to whom they burnt their children, lately. Just a few days ago. They were so far which was certainly abominable to Him: ``They perform for their gods every abhorrent act from being ancient that not even your own that the LORD detests; they even offer up their sons and daughters in ®re to their gods'' fathers knew them. So they also had no (12:31). As He told Jeremiah, ``They have built shrines to Baal, to put their children to the tradition that these were gods. Who stirred ®re as burnt offerings to BaalÐwhich I never commanded, never decreed, and which not your fathers' fears. Isaac ibn Mar Saul never came to My mind . . . when I had never commanded, or even thought [of com- (may he rest in Paradise) points out that this verb is related to the ``goat-demon'' word of manding], that they should do such an abominable thing'' (Jer. 19:5, 32:35). Lev. 17:7. There seems also to be a connec17 They sacri®ced to demons, no-gods. See my comment to Lev. 17:7. tion with the word for ``whirlwind,'' though that is spelled with S, not s. (For ``fear'' indicated by words with the s spelling, see also Dan. 11:40 and Job 4:15.) But ``your fathers'' is the subject of the verb, not the object (compare OJPS). With an intransitive verb like this one, the suf®x indicates not a direct object, but an indirect one: ``Your fathers were not demented with fear of them.'' For similar examples, see ``My children have gone forth from me'' (Jer. 10:20) and ``You were stronger than me'' (Jer. 20:7). 18 You neglected the Rock that begot you. The prophet asks in astonishment, ``How could you have forgotten the Rock that begot you and worshiped new gods?'' (``That'' is not in the Hebrew; compare ``Look to the rock you were hewn from'' of Isa. 51:1.) Israel was (as it were) ``begotten'' by Him, since everything derives from His power: ``Thus said the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: It is I, the LORD, who made everything, who alone stretched out the heavens and unaided spread out the earth'' (Isa. 44:24). You have to wonder about those who are so clueless as to take ``You are My son, I have fathered you this day'' (Ps. 2:7) literally; they have obviously twice repeat what has already been stated twice in v. 15, that the Israelites ``forsook'' God?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 Gods they had never known.

They did not know them as gods (after all, they themselves had carved them); they worshiped them simply to anger the Holy One. But Joey Kara (of blessed memory) took the Hebrew to mean ``gods who had never known them,'' in contrast to what we are told of the Holy One in Exod. 3:7, that He ``knew'' the Israelites' suffering (Bekhor Shor). Who stirred not your fathers' fears. Rather, ``whom your fathers did not fear'' and therefore did not worship (Kimhi). Rather, ``whom your fathers paid no attention to'' (Hizkuni). And it is proper for a person to follow the faith of his fathers (Abarbanel). 18 The Rock that begot you. Literally, ``that bore you,'' in the sense that He has been your Rock since the moment you were born (Bekhor Shor). Forgot the God who brought you forth. The verb meh. ol'lekha is related to mah. ol, ``dance'': ``the God who danced you

224

225 DEUTERONOMY 32:19±20 HA'AZINU NJPS

GRKHBF

19The

LORD saw and was vexed And spurned His sons and His daughters. 20He said: I will hide My countenance from them, KTKCZ And see how they fare in the end. For they are a treacherous breed, Children with no loyalty in them.

RASHI who brought you forth.

Him, which sapped (metishim)

His power to do good for you.

The God

calve''

throes

19And

:Ìa«¨ ÔÓ‡-‡Ï ¬ª ¥ Ÿ ÌÈa −¦ ¨

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Once the Lord says, ``I will hide My countenance from them'' (v. 20), how can He then say, ``I will sweep misfortunes on them'' (v. 23)? Abandonment and punishment are contradictory!

(Ps. 29:9);

``they were seized there with a trembling, like a woman in the

the L ORD saw, and spurned, because of the provoking of His sons and His daughters. 20And He said: ``I will hide My face from them, ı‡i ®¨ § ¦ © ‰Â‰È −¨ § ‡¯i §¬© © 19 I will see what their end shall be; :ÂÈ˙·e «¨ Ÿ § ÂÈa −¨ ¨ ÒÚkÓ © ¬© ¦ for they are a very forward generation, ¤½ ¥ ÆÈÙ © ¨ ‰¯ÈzÒ‡ ¨ ³¦ § © ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ À © 20 Ì‰Ó children in whom is no faithfulness. Ì˙ȯÁ‡ ®¨ ¦ £ © ‰Ó ´¨ ‰‡¯‡ −¤ § ¤ Ÿ ª § © ¯B„³ Èk ‰n‰ ´¦ ¨ ¥½ Æ˙Ît‰z RASHBAM in Genesis 10, e.g. ``Joktan

T he verb refers to

bringing forth from the womb: ``the voice of the L ORD causes hinds to

OJPS

of labor'' (Ps. 48:7).

20 How they fare in the end. For they are a treacherous breed. With no loyalty in them. W hat

will end up happening to them.

no ``nurturing.'' (Compare Esther 2:7, ``He was

begot Almodad'' (Gen. 10:26).

God who brought you forth.

Forgot the

T his unusual

poetic synonym of ``forget'' is yet another

F"N verb. For the morphological form found here, see also ``Do not

blot out

their guilt

from Your presence'' ( Jer. 18:23).

20 Children with no loyalty in them.

See v. 5.

T hey are (literally) ``upsetting''Ðthey overturn My good will

and change it into anger.

CN OK ZCE

Rather, ``with no

foster father

upbringing in them,''

to Hadassah.'') T hey show no

traces of how I brought them up. I raised them to follow the right path, but they have strayed from it. T he translations follow another reading, that of Onkelos, that what they lack is ``faithfulness'' (OJPS). At Sinai they said, ``All that the L ORD has spoken we will faithfully do!'' (Exod. 24:7), and hardly a moment later they had broken their promise and were making a Golden Calf.

IBN EZRA that

this

forgotten

verb

teshi

is

our

verse.

Note

F[R, though

from

R nor F appear in it. T he dagesh that

neither

should be in the

[ to represent the missing R

has been replaced by an

e

vowel, and

F is

K. (Compare the similar form in

replaced by

``blot out'' of Jer. 18:23.) T he accent is pulled

NAHMANIDES 19 His sons and His daughters.

forward to distinguish this masculine form T he mention of daughters here is

quite unusual; compare v. 5 (where the Hebrew says literally ``sons'') and many other

with

K

from

the

second-person

feminine

form, which always has K. T hat at least is the

K

places where the women are understood to be included but are not mentioned explicitly.

standard explanation; personally, I think

T he text is hinting here that in the generation of the destruction the evil done by the

in the masculine form does not represent the

F at all. Note that it is missing en-

women, and their sins, will itself be great enough to provoke Him, for they will yoke them-

missing

selves to idolatr y even more than the men. It was they who enticed the men to idolatr y in

tirely from the comparable verb in ``Do not

Jeremiah's time: ``T hereupon they answered JeremiahÐall the men who knew that their wives made offerings to other gods; all the women present, a large gathering'' ( Jer. 44:15).

God who brought you forth.

It was they who brazenly told the prophet, ``On the contrar y, we will do everything that we

ply the parallel verb to ``begot'' of the ®rst

have vowedÐto make offerings to the Queen of Heaven'' ( Jer. 44:17). T he Holy One says

phrase, which in fact means ``bore''; how-

vex

swerve

from

my

words''

(Prov.

4:5).

The

T his is sim-

me by your deeds, making offering to other gods in the

ever, it could possibly be related to the verb

land of Eg ypt . . . Have you forgotten the wicked acts of your forefathers, of the kings of

``travail, be in labor'' (see Isa. 26:17). Note

explicitly in that chapter, `` You

Judah

and their wives,

and your own wicked acts

and those of your wives?''

( Jer. 44:8±9).

also that ``God'' here is not the standard

We ®nd the same thing in Ezekiel: ``He said to me, ` You shall see even more terrible

word

abominations which they practice.' Next He brought me to the entrance of the north gate

``Power,'' thus matching ``Rock.''

the

short

19 And spurned.

of the House of the L ORD; and there sat the women bewailing Tammuz'' (Ezek. 8:13±14).

20 He said.

but

form

that

means

Compare OJPS. T he

See Ibn Ezra's comment. ``Said'' here does not refer to actual speech, but

verb is also found in Eccles. 12:5, but it is

to the will and intention before Him to do so, as in ``God said'' of Genesis 1 (see my com-

equally unclear there whether it is intransi-

ment to Gen. 1:3). Note that up to this point in the song, Moses has been speaking in his

tive or whether a direct object is implicit.

own voice; from this point on, the poem is in the voice of the Holy One.

My countenance. His sons and His daughters. 20 He said. I will hide My countenance from them.

Not children,

I have explained this according to the Way of Truth elsewhere, e.g. in my comments to

but adults who have made offerings to idols.

Exod. 20:3 and Exod. 33:14±15. ``I will hide My countenance'' means ``I will remove My

To Himself, or to the angels.

Shekhinah.''

And see how they fare. For they are a treacherous breed. Children with no loyalty in them.

Compare ``I will go down to see'' (Gen. 18:21; see

my comment there).

T hey will not be able to stand up

T his is metaphoric, of course, like ``I will

to My countenance.

Rather, from another meaning of

turn My eyes away from you'' (Isa. 1:15).

this Hebrew word, they are children with no ``nurse,'' no one to nurture and raise them.

W hen they seek Me, they will ®nd no help.

Once again, anyone who is knowledgeable will understand.

And see how they fare in the end.

Some

take this phrase to mean, ``I will hide My countenance from them

because

I see how

they will fare in the end.'' But in fact the translations are correct. T he verse is saying, ``I will hide My countenance from them until I see how they act when they are in trouble.'' says, ``T hey have acted

contrarily''Ðby

For they are a treacherous breed.

T hat is why ``I will hide My countenance.'' T he verb literally

worshiping another god, though they are My children.

Hebrew word may be a noun, as the translations take it, as in ``a nation that keeps

loyal

among them'') as in ``the

loyal

Children with no loyalty in them.

T he

faith'' (Isa. 26:2), or an adjective (``Children with no one

have vanished from among men'' (Ps. 12:2).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 20 Children with no loyalty in them.

forth'' from Eg ypt, bringing you forth with song and dance (Hizkuni). Granted, in the Second Temple

period they were no longer worshiping idols, but neither were they serving the Holy One (Abarbanel).

when

t

I believe the word

emet

(``truth'') is related to this word

emun

(``loyalt y''); frequently

n

drops

is added after it. But my father of blessed memor y takes the word in this verse to refer to education (see Prov. 8:30 and 2 Kings

10:1): ``children with no culture'' (Kimhi).

DEUTERONOMY 32:21±23 HA'AZINU

NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

21They

incensed Me with no-gods, Vexed Me with their futilities; I'll incense them with a no-folk, Vex them with a nation of fools. 22For a ®re has ¯ared in My wrath And burned to the bottom of Sheol, Has consumed the earth and its increase, Eaten down to the base of the hills. 23I will sweep misfortunes on them, Use up My arrows on them:

have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god; they have provoked Me with their vanities; and I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them with a vile nation. 22For a ®re is kindled in My nostril, and burneth unto the depths of the nether-world, and devoureth the earth with her produce, and setteth ablaze the foundations of the mountains. 23I will heap evils upon them; I will spend Mine arrows upon them; χ-‡Ï· ¥½ Ÿ § Èe‡˜ ¦ ´ § ¦ ̉¥ μ21

RASHI 21 They incensed Me. See v. 16. With no-gods. With something that is not a god at all. A no-folk. A people with

̉ÈÏ·‰a ®¤ ¥ § © § ÈeÒÚk ¦ −£¦ ̇È˜‡ ´¥ ¦ § © ÆÈ‡Â ¦£© :ÌÒÈÚ· «¥ ¦ § © Ï· − ¨ ¨ ÈB‚a ¬§ ½¦ © § ‰Á„˜ Èt‡· ´¨ § ¨ ÆL‡-Èk ¥ ¦ 22 ˙ÈzÁz ®¦ § © ÏB‡L-„Ú ´ § © „˜Èz −© ¦ © dÏ·È ¨½ ª « ¦ Æı¯‡ ¤ Ƥ Ï·z © Ÿ³ © :Ìȯ‰ « ¦ ¨ È„ÒBÓ ¬¥ § ˉÏz −¥ © § © 23 ˙BÚ¯ ® ¨ BÓÈÏÚ −¥ ¨ ‰tÒ‡ ¬¤ § © :Ìa«¨ -‰l· ¤ © £ ÈvÁ −© ¦

is the people that has ceased to be'' (Isa. 23:13). And of Esau it says, ``I will make you least among nations, you shall be most despised'' (Obad. 1:2).

21They

ÌÚ-‡Ïa ¨½ Ÿ §

no name: ``Behold the land of ChaldeaÐthis

nation of fools.

CN OK ZCE

[E] Vex them with a

These are the heretics:

``The fool says in his heart, `There is no

RASHBAM 23 I will sweep misfortunes on them, use up My arrows on them. This is typical biblical poetic parallelism. The verse is saying, ``All kinds of evils

with which I can do damageÐI will unleash them all upon them.''

IBN EZRA 21 They incensed Me. Ordinarily the R in this verb is doubled, but

the dagesh is dropped here for ease of pro-

nunciation. With no-gods. Rather, ``a no22 And burned to the bottom of god'' (OJPS), using the ``power'' word of Sheol. To the very foundation. Has conv. 18Ða god with no power to save. With sumed the earth and its increase. Rather, ``the land and its increase''Ðtheir land. Eaten their futilities. Their ``vanities'' (OJPS), down to the base of the hills. Rather, ``set ablaze the foundations of the mountains'' their nothingnessesÐnot with something (compare OJPS)ÐJerusalem, which is founded upon the mountains: ``Jerusalem, hills real. I'll incense them. Unlike the ®rst ocenfold it'' (Ps. 125:2). currence in the verse, which is Piel, this is 23 I will sweep misfortunes on them. Literally, I will ``add'' misfortunes, that is, Hiphil, so it can take a double object. [J] ``I will heap evils upon them'' (OJPS). For the verb, see ``Add year to year'' (Isa. 29:1) and With a no-folk. With a folk that is not My ``Add your burnt offerings to your other sacri®ces and eat the meat!'' ( Jer. 7:21); see also people. A nation of fools. He explains God''' (Ps. 14:1).

[E] Symbolically, Esau = Edom = Rome; B. Av. Zar. 10a uses this verse to say that the Romans (who used Greek in the provinces) did not even have a language of their own.

bringing upon them (and them alone) a

NAHMANIDES 21 With no-gods.

If Rashi's comment is correct, this is a reference

to the demons previously mentioned. What the text is actually saying is ``without the true God,'' as in ``Israel has gone many days without the true God'' (2 Chron. 15:3). For there is no God except for the Lord, no helper other than He. demons.

Vexed Me with their futilities. The

I'll incense them with a no-folk. The Chaldeans, of whom we read, ``Behold the

land of ChaldeaÐthis is the people that has ceased to be'' (Isa. 23:13), a people that was not even considered a nation, yet the Holy One raised them up to the point that He ruled His world through them: ``You are My war club, [My] weapons of battle; with you I clubbed nations, with you I destroyed kingdoms'' ( Jer. 51:20).

Vex them with a nation of fools.

Of ``ingrates''; see my comment to ``dull'' in v. 6. This is Esau, who was ungrateful enough to ignore the covenant of brotherhood.

precisely how He intends to ``vex'' them, by

[B] The two phrases allude to the two exiles.

[B] The biblical Esau, Jacob's brother, is used in later Judaism to represent both Rome and Christianity.

series of terrible troubles, the worst of all being ``a nation of fools,'' so stupid and vile that they have no idea what it means to commit murder and so kill without thinking.

22 For a ®re has ¯ared in My wrath.

The ``jealousy'' of v. 21 (see OJPS). Or perhaps (since we do ®nd this verb used transi-

tively in ``For you have kindled the ¯ame of My wrath,'' Jer. 17:4) the ®re is the evil they will do, which ``has kindled My wrath.'' Still, though the verb is indeed Qal, it may well be passive here, as OJPS takes it; for a similar example, see ``All these

were joined together

in the Valley of Siddim'' (Gen. 14:3). Any-

To the bottom of Sheol. A stylistic exaggeration, as in ``the whole land being devastated by sulfur Has consumed the earth. Rather, ``the land'' of Israel. Eaten down. Rather, ``set ablaze'' (compare OJPS), as in ``the ®ery ever-turning sword'' (Gen. 3:24). The base of the hills. The hills of Israel. 23 I will sweep misfortunes on them. Some take this from the similar-sounding verb meaning ``to increase'' (e.g., ``heap'' of OJPS).

way, this ®re is a metaphor for anger. and salt'' (29:22).

But correctly it means ``to ®nish off,'' as in ``Will You

[J] See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?'' (Gen. 18:23), though that verb is

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 21 They incensed Me with no-gods.

It was at the end of the Second Temple period that the faith that

so incensed Him was created, being founded by those who lived at that time. When they incensed Him, the period of ``hiding the countenance'' (v. 20) ended, and their measure-for-measure punishment began. Notice that this is where the poem begins to be in God's

I'll incense them with a no-folk. People that are not really people, but more like animals (Bekhor Shor). 22 Eaten down to the base of the hills. The tunnels where the Israelites would hide, as we read in Judg. 6:2, ``the Israelites provided voice rather than that of Moses. Nothing incenses Him more than attributing divinity to ¯esh and blood (Abarbanel).

themselves with refuges in the caves and strongholds of the mountains''; or perhaps it means to the base of the actual hills, under-

groundÐeven in Sheol they would be unable to escape this ®re (Hizkuni). The ``hills,'' or rather ``mountains'' (OJPS), are metaphoric here for the forti®ed walls of the cities, the strongest of which were indeed built atop the high mountains (Gersonides). His anger was so ®erce that it was not enough for Him to wreak vengeance on human beings; it must consume the entire land of Israel (Abarbanel).

23 My arrows.

(Abarbanel).

A metaphor for the troubles that would come upon them so suddenly that there was no way to guard against them

226

227 DEUTERONOMY 32:24±25 HA'AZINU NJPS

24Wasting

famine, ravaging plague, Deadly pestilence, and fanged beasts Will I let loose against them, With venomous creepers in dust. 25The sword shall deal death without, As shall the terror within, To youth and maiden alike, The suckling as well as the aged.

GRKHBF

OJPS

CN OK ZCE

wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the ®ery bolt, and bitter destruction; and the teeth of beasts will I send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust. 25Without shall the sword bereave, and in the chambers terror; ÛL¯ ¤ −¤ ÈÓÁÏe ¥ ¬ª § ·Ú¯ ²¨ ¨ ÈÊÓ ¬¥ § 24 slaying both young man and virgin, È¯È¯Ó ®¦ ¦ § ·Ë˜Â ¤ ´¤ § the suckling with the man of gray hairs. Ìa¨½ -ÁlL © ©‡ £ Æ˙BÓ‰a ¥ § -ÔL ¤ § RASHI my comment to ``to the utter ruin :¯ÙÚ «¨ ¨ ÈÏÁÊ ¬¥ £ Ÿ ˙ÓÁ-ÌÚ −© £ ¦ RASHBAM 24 Wasting famine. The of moist and dry alike''(29:18). Another ``wasting'' word is translated based on the ·¯Á-ÏkLz ¤ ¤½ ¤ © § ÆıeÁÓ¦ 25 reading is that of NJPS, which follows ``lest context, and on the Aramaic translation of ‰Óȇ ®¨ ¥ Ìȯ„ÁÓe −¦ ¨ £ ¥ you be swept away because of the iniquity of Onkelos, though there is a related word in the city'' (Gen. 19:15). Use up My arrows rabbinic Hebrew: ``this man's brain has ‰Ïe˙a ¨½ § -Ìb© ƯeÁa¨ -Ìb© on them. In fact this punishment is a blesswasted away'' (B. Hul. 45b). Ravaging :‰·ÈN «¨ ¥ Lȇ-ÌÚ ¬¦ ¦ ˜BÈ −¥ ing in disguise: ``I will use up My arrows plague. Better, ``the devouring of the ®ery before they themselves are ®nished off.'' bolt'' (OJPS). What it is describing is a 24 Wasting famine. Onkelos translates, ``They will be swollen with famine,'' but I can combination of hail and ®re from the sky. ®nd no evidence to support this translation. I have heard in the name of Moses ha- For the ``®ery bolt,'' see also ``Its darts are Darshan of Toulouse that it means ``hairy with hunger.'' This Hebrew word means ``hair'' darts of ®re'' (Song 8:6). But the basic in Aramaic; in our verse, it refers to one who is emaciated, which can cause hair to grow on meaning of the word is that it is a way of one's ¯esh. Ravaging plague. Rather, ``fought against by Resheph,'' that is, by demons. referring to ¯ight (as in the ¯ying of birds): See Job 5:7, ``For man is born to [do] mischief, just as sparks ¯y upward,'' where the ``Just as sparks ¯y upward'' (Job 5:7); ``There ``sparks'' are really ``the sons of Resheph'' (using the same Hebrew word as in our verse). He broke the ®ery arrows of the bow'' (Ps. That too is a reference to demons. Deadly pestilence. Rather, ``extermination by Meriri,'' 76:4). (Note that in Ps. 91:5 arrows are inthe demon with that name. For ``extermination,'' see ``Where, O Death, are your plagues? deed described as ``¯ying.'') Deadly pestiYour destruction where, O Sheol?'' (Hosea 13:14). Fanged beasts. Not ``beasts,'' but or- lence. Rather, ``embittering extermination.'' dinary domestic ``animals.'' There actually was an incident where ewes began to bite and They will be cut downÐstabbed by bandits, kill. With venomous creepers in dust. More precisely, ``with the venom of ¯owing things who make people's lives bitter and even kill of the dust'' (OJPS), that is, with the poison of snakes, who crawl on their bellies in the dust them. The grammatical form of the ``embitas water ¯ows across the ground. Anything that moves across the ground in this ¯owing tering'' word matches ``based on the judges' fashion can be described by this ``creeping'' verb. determination'' of Exod. 21:22; it is not a 25 The sword shall deal death without. Outside the city, the sword of the invading quality but a transitive activity. [E] With troops will ``bereave'' (OJPS), as the Hebrew literally says. As shall the terror within. Not regard to the ``extermination''Ðliterally, ``within,'' but ``in the chambers'' (OJPS)Ðeven one who runs away and escapes the sword ``cutting''Ðsee ``the scourge that ravages at will feel the chambers of his heart pounding with fear to such an extent that he will die of noon'' (Ps. 91:6). As in the ``destroyer at it. Another reading: ``within'' their homes, as in ``For death has climbed through our win- noonday'' of Jer. 15:8, this refers to bandits, dows, has entered our fortresses, to cut off babes from the streets, young men from the who operate in broad daylight, as we see squares'' (Jer. 9:20). This is how Onkelos translates it. Another reading: ``without'' refers to from ``Ashdod's people shall be expelled in what they have done openly ``in the street'' (as the Hebrew word can also mean): ``For your broad daylight'' (Zeph. 2:4). gods have become as many as your towns, O Judah, and you have set up as many altars to [E] See also Rashbam's comment to ``In our enemies' own Shame as there are streets in Jerusalem'' (Jer. 11:13); ``within'' refers to what they have estimation'' of v. 31, where ``estimation'' is the same word used for the judges' ``determination'' in Exod. 21:22. done in their innermost chambers: ``O mortal, have you seen what the elders of the House of Israel are doing in the darkness, everyone in his image-covered chamber?'' (Ezek. 8:12). IBN EZRA Qal and ours is Hiphil. There will be no evil left that does not come upon them. My arrows. Like arrows, these evils will arrive so suddenly that there is no way to defend against them. 24 Wasting famine. Rather, ``burnt with hunger''; compare ``he gave an order to heat up the furnace to seven times its usual heat'' (Dan. 3:19). Ravaging plague. Rather, ``devoured by ¯ying creatures,'' as in ``Just as sparks ¯y upward'' (Job 5:7; and for ``devoured,'' note that lah. am is another word for ``eating''). But this is indeed a reference to ``plague.'' As I see it, there are four evils mentioned in this passage: famine, plague/pestilence, wild beasts, and the ``sword'' of v. 25. So our ``¯ying'' word must be related to ``Its darts are darts of ®re'' (Song 8:5), referring to air that breeds fever. Deadly pestilence. Rather, ``bitter'' pestilence (compare OJPS)Ðair that is bitter as well as feverish. For ``pestilence,'' see also ``the plague that stalks in the darkness, or the scourge that ravages at noon'' (Ps. 91:6); literally, this word means ``cutting off.'' With venomous creepers in dust. To bite them. ``Venomous'' here is really ``heated,'' a metaphor for the result of the bite. And they are really ``venomous terri®ers,'' as in ``I was too awestruck and fearful'' (Job 32:6); these are like the ``seraph serpents and scorpions'' of 8:15. The mere sight of them is terrifying. The participle (or any other adjective) can be used as a noun, as we see in the ``Emim'' of 2:10, whose name also means that they are ``frighteners.'' 25 To youth and maiden alike. ``To'' is not in the Hebrew, but (as OJPS too recognizes) all these are the objects of the death-dealing at the beginning of the verse. The suckling as well as the aged. The same four categories are grouped in ``youths and maidens alike, old and young together'' (Ps. 148:12).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 24 Wasting famine.

24The

Literally, the ``meltings away'' produced by hunger; s is replaced here by z, but that is common, since they sound similar and are produced in the same location in the mouth (Gersonides). Ravaging plague. Rather, ``feverish ¯esh''; for ``¯esh,'' compare Zeph. 1:17, ``their ¯esh like dung.'' Note that the evils in this verse, properly understood, are listed in order of increasing severity (Gersonides). All these evils are both literal and also metaphoric for their enemies among the nations (Abarbanel). 25 To youth and maiden alike, the suckling as well as the aged. The enemy will not take pity on any of them (Gersonides).

DEUTERONOMY 32:26 HA'AZINU

NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

26I

might have reduced them to naught, Made their memory cease among men,

RASHI 26 I might have reduced them to naught. That is, ``wipe them out,''

CN OK ZCE

26I

thought I would make an end of them, I would make their memory cease from among men;

RASHBAM 26 I might have reduced ̉ȇه ®¤ ¥ § © Èz¯Ó‡ ¦ § −© ¨ 26 them to naught. And I would have re:̯ÎÊ «¨ § ¦ LB‡Ó − ¡ ¥ ‰˙ÈaL ¨ ¬ ¦ § ‡© moved them from the world ``but for fear of

``make an end of them'' (OJPS). This should really be explained as related to the use of the same root in ``When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your ®eld'' (Lev. 19:9), where that part of the crop is to be left for the poor: ``I will cast them away and leave them ownerless.'' This is how Menahem understands our expression. (The matching word in Neh. 9:22 is to be interpreted the same way.) Others interpret it following Onkelos, ``I will bring My anger to bear against them.'' But this cannot be; besides the B ®rst-person pre®x, there would have to be a second B that is part of the root of that verbÐfor similar examples with other roots, see Isa. 45:5 and Job 16:5Ð and the B in the middle of our actual word would not belong there at all. Onkelos is actually translating in accordance with the midrash on this word in the Sifrei, which separates afeihem into three parts: amarti af ei hem, ``I said in My anger (af ), I will turn them into nothing, so that all who see them will ask, `Where (ei) are they (hem)?'''

NAHMANIDES 26 I might have reduced them to naught.

the taunts of the foe'' (v. 27).

IBN EZRA 26 I might have.

Literally, ``I said,'' that is, ``I thought'' (OJPS), anthropomorphically having God say, ``I said to Myself.'' Reduced them to naught. Some take this single Hebrew verb as a compound of three separate words. [K] In fact, it is a hapax legomenon, unrelated to any other word in the Bible. Made their memory cease among men. This makes clear what the unusual preceding verb means: ``utterly destroy.'' They will all die. If, as the lexicographers think, it meant ``to cast them aside,'' then the parallelism with ``made their memory cease'' would not work. Others think the af syllable of the verb indicates that it speci®cally means ``I will destroy them in My anger,'' which certainly does make the parallelism work; so that could be correctÐexcept that the verb ``anger'' has a R as the second letter of the root, which is missing in our word. In short, my answer is the correct one. [K] See Rashi's comment.

The grammarians take the verb here to mean ``scattered them in every direction.'' The verse literally begins with ``I said,'' which would therefore mean that the intention came before the divine aspect of justice that they should be scattered in every direction, which would have made their memory cease among men, were it not ``for fear of the taunts of the foe'' (v. 27). But in my opinion the dif®cult form of that verb is indeed the compound word described by the Sifrei. [C] What it means, however, is this: I will put them in a place and a situation where people will even (af ) say ``ei hem?'' (``Where are they?''), meaning that no trace of them remains among the nations and no one knows where they are. This is an allusion to the exile of the Ten Tribes who were exiled beyond ``the River Gozan'' (2 Kings 17:6), which our Sages call the Sambatyon because it ceases its raging only on the Sabbath. (``Gozan'' refers etymologically to the fact that they are ``cut off'' from the rest of humanity on the other days of the week. The -m- and the -yon of ``Sambatyon'' are strictly linguistic changes.) Made their memory cease among men. This refers to our exiles among the nationsÐwe the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, whom they no longer consider to be a nation. The verse is saying that as far as the divine aspect of justice was concerned we could stay in exile forever if it were not ``for fear of the taunts of the foe.'' This teaches us that in our current exile the merits of the Patriarchs have been exhausted, and we have no rescue other than the great name of the Holy One: ``When I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands in which you are scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing odor; and I will be sancti®ed through you in the sight of the nations . . . Then, O House of Israel, you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for My name's sakeÐnot in accordance with your evil ways and corrupt acts'' (Ezek. 20:41, 44); see also Ezek. 20:9, ``I acted for the sake of My name.'' That is why Moses in his prayer reminds God that if He slays the entire people He must fear what ``the nations who have heard Your fame will say'' (Num. 14:15), and why God responds, ``I pardon, as you have asked'' (Num. 14:20). The point is not that the Holy One wants to demonstrate His power to His enemies, for ``All nations are as naught in His sight; He accounts them as less than nothing'' (Isa. 40:17). No, the Lord created humanity in the lower worlds to recognize their Creator and praise His name; He put license in their hands to do evil or good. When all the others deliberately sinned and denied Him, He had only this people left to His name. Through them, by means of signs and wonders, He made known that He was ``God of gods'' and ``Lord of lords'' (Ps. 136:2, 3), and became so known among all the nations. If He should now renege and make all memory of them perish, the other nations would forget His signs, and His deeds would no longer be recounted among them. If anyone did mention them, they would think it had been done by some power of the stars and constellations that was no longer operative. This would nullify the entire purpose of creation, since humanity would no longer know their Creator. They would be able to do nothing but present Him with vexation. From the perspective of God's will, then, it would make sense that as part of creation, the will would arise before Him to establish a nation that would be His forever. They would be closer to Him and would know Him better than any of the other nations. That is why ``the LORD will vindicate His people and take revenge for His servants'' (v. 36). The Lord will remember His aspect of mercy because they have been His people long since. He will remember that they are His servants, who stood by Him in their exile, like slaves willingly bearing all the troubles of servitude: ``Surely they are My people, children who will not play false'' (Isa. 63:8) As I hinted in my comment to Exod. 29:46, there is a lofty, ineffable secret requiring that we be His people and He be our God: ``All who are linked to My name, whom I have created, formed, and made for My glory'' (Isa. 43:7). [C] See Rashi's comment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 26 I might have reduced them to naught.

The word afeihem means the opposite of what the commentators think. It cannot mean that He ``might'' have scattered them to the four winds if not for fear of the taunts of the foe, for this is exactly what He did do. Rather, it means that He might have put them in a single ``corner'' of the earth. This is what had previously happened, to the Ten Lost Tribes, who have completely disappeared from human ken. It was a great act of charity that the Holy One scattered us throughout the world. Otherwise, we might have ended up like the TrojansÐconcentrated in a single, tiny spot on the globe and completely wiped out there by the Greeks. This has happened to many other nations as well. Now, the king of England destroyed all the Jews in his realm, and later the king of France did the same. It is only being scattered throughout the world that has kept us alive (Abarbanel). Rather, ``I decided I would leave a peah, one fragment or remnant of them,'' and wipe out the rest. As we read in Joel 3:5, ``Everyone who invokes the name of the LORD shall escape; for there shall be a remnant on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the LORD promised. Anyone who invokes the LORD will be among the survivors'' (Sforno).

228

229 DEUTERONOMY 32:27±30 HA'AZINU NJPS

GRKHBF

27But

for fear of the taunts of the foe, Their enemies who might misjudge And say, ``Our own hand has prevailed; None of this was wrought by the LORD!'' 28For they are a folk void of sense, Lacking in all discernment. 29Were they wise, they would think upon this, Gain insight into their future: 30``How could one have routed a thousand, Or two put ten thousand to ¯ight, Unless their Rock had sold them, K[KPI The LORD had given them up?''

RASHI 27 But for fear of the taunts of the foe. Rather, were it not that the ``prov-

OJPS

CN OK ZCE

27Were

it not that I dreaded the enemy's provocation, lest their adversaries should misdeem, lest they should say: Our hand is exalted, and not the L ORD hath wrought all this.'' 28For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. ½ ¨ Æ·ÈB‡ ¯e‚‡ ¥ ÒÚk © ³© ÈÏeÏ ¥À 27 29If they were wise, they would underBÓȯˆ ®¥ ¨ e¯kÈ-Ôt − § © § «¤ stand this, ‰Ó¯ ¨ ½¨ e„È ´¥ ¨ Æe¯Ó‡È-Ôt § Ÿ« ¤ they would discern their latter end. 30How should one chase a thousand, Ÿ « ¨ ÏÚt Ÿ¬ § :˙‡Ê-Ïk ¬© ¨ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ‡Ï and two put ten thousand to ¯ight, ‰n‰ ¨ ®¥ ˙BˆÚ − ¥ „·‡ ¬© Ÿ ÈB‚-Èk ² ¦ 28 except their Rock had given them :‰e·z «¨ § ̉a −¤ ¨ Ôȇ ¬¥ § over and the LORD had delivered ˙‡ÊŸ® eÏÈkNÈ ´ ¦ § © eÓÎÁ − § ¨ eϬ 29 them up? :Ì˙ȯÁ‡Ï «¨ ¦ £ © § eÈ·È −¦ ¨ RASHBAM 27 Who might misjudge. 30 Ÿ ³ § ¦ ‰Îȇ º¨ ¥ ÛϤ ‡¤½ Æ„Á‡ ¨ ¤ Ûc¯È

‰··¯ ®¨ ¨ § eÒÈÈ ´ ¦ ¨ ÌÈLe ¦ −© § ocation'' (OJPS) of the enemy was gathered upon them for destruction. If they were in Ÿ ½¨ ¨ § ̯eˆ-Èk ̯ÎÓ ´¨ ¦ ƇÏ-̇ ¦ fact able to destroy them, they would attri:̯ÈbÒ‰ «¨ ¦ § ¦ ‰Â‰È −¨ «© bute it to themselves and their gods, not to Me. Their enemies who might misjudge. Literally, ``who might judge in alien fashion.'' They might mistakenly attribute their success to an alien god that actually has no greatness, and say, ``Our own hand has prevailed'' and so forth. 29 Gain insight into their future. If they were wise, they would employ their wisdom in trying to gain insight into ``their latter end'' (OJPS), that is, what lies behind Israel's punishment. 30 How could one of us have routed a thousand of the Israelites. Unless their Rock had sold them, the LORD had given them up? ``Delivered'' us into their hands (to use the French expression).

More precisely, the verb is saying that they might judge things precisely opposite than they areÐas if they had done it and not I.

28 For they are a folk void of sense.

``They,'' the other nations. The unusual vowel of the Hebrew word translated ``void'' is there because the word is in construct form: they are void ``of'' sense. For similar examples of this vowel, see Gen. 30:37, Lev. 27:32, and Jer. 6:26. 29 Were they wise. Were the nations wise.

30 How could one have routed a thousand. How could one of us have routed a

thousand of Israel (as they were used to doing with us) if their Rock had not handed NAHMANIDES 28 For they are a folk void of sense. This entire passage refers to them over to us because they sinned against the enemies already mentioned, as R. Nehemiah says in the Sifrei. The text is saying that Him? (Remember what v. 4 says!) they ought to have realized that everything that happened to Israel was done to them by the Lord on account of their sins. They ought to have deduced that the same thing would IBN EZRA 27 But for fear. As in eventually happen to them, for the Holy One will indeed eventually do this to all the other ``Moab was alarmed'' (Num. 22:3). Onkelos derives the word from ``Gathers in its food at nations, who are far more rebellious toward Him than Israel. 30 How could one have routed a thousand? How could one of us have routed a the harvest'' (Prov. 6:8), understanding that thousand of Israel? Unless their Rock had sold them. For their Rock is more powerful, the enemy forces are ``gathered'' against them. But it really comes from a word more capable of helping and rescuing, than our ``rock.'' meaning ``®ght'': ``I perish from Your blows'' (Ps. 39:11). Having God speak as if ``®ghting out of fear'' of the foe is anthropomorphic, of course. The text uses this kind of language so that ordinary people can understand. Misjudge. This word yenakkeru is the opposite of yakkiru, ``recognize,'' both words being from the same root. You will ®nd two comparable opposites from this root in ``When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them'' (Gen. 42:7). Our own hand has prevailed. Against the tribes of Israel. 28 For they are a folk void of sense. ``They'' being correctly understood as the enemy nations. Onkelos (followed by the translations) cleverly recognized that ``void'' here must be in construct with ``sense''; for the syntax, compare ``wilted of leaf'' (Isa. 1:30). The Hebrew might be read to take ``sense'' as the direct object of the verb ``void,'' but that verb is always intransitive: to be void. 29 Were they wise, they would think upon this. That all of this was wrought by the Lord on Israel because of their iniquity. Gain insight into their future. The Lord will do the same things to them because of their sins. 30 How could one have routed a thousand? If Israel were wise enough to understand how one of the enemy could have routed 1,000 Israelites, they would realize it could only be because ``their Rock'' had abandoned them. But some think the question is meant this way: [L] How could one Israelite have routed 1,000 of the enemy, and yet now they have become so weak? Unless their Rock had sold them. Not literally ``sold for money''; it is like saying that He ``gave'' them, as in ``the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman'' (Judg. 4:9). It is as if He ``gave'' them to the enemy as the ``reward'' of their evil deedsÐwhich is selling, after all. Given them up. ``It will be our task to deliver him into Your Majesty's hands'' (1 Sam. 23:20). Or perhaps it is to be taken more literally: ``closed'' them up, as the word is used in ``whomever He imprisons cannot be set free'' (Job 12:14). [L] In accordance with Ibn Ezra's own interpretation of v. 29: if the

enemies

were wise.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 28 For they are a folk void of sense. Void of the seven commandments they were given to observeÐ if R. Nehemiah is correct that this refers to the nations (Hizkuni). 29 Were they wise, they would think upon this. The nations would understand that for one of them to rout 1,000 of Israel must be a supernatural occurrence (Sforno). 30 How could one have routed a thousand, or two put ten thousand to ¯ight? So each of the two would put 5,000 to ¯ight, whereas on the positive side, ``Five of you shall give chase to a hundred, and a hundred of you shall give chase to ten thousand'' (Lev. 26:8),

DEUTERONOMY 32:31±33 HA'AZINU

NJPS

31For

their rock is not like our Rock, In our enemies' own estimation. 32Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom, From the vineyards of Gomorrah; The grapes for them are poison, A bitter growth their clusters. 33Their wine is the venom of asps, The pitiless poison of vipers.

RASHI 31 For their rock is not like our Rock. Vv. 27±30 all say what the

GRKHBF

OJPS

CN OK ZCE

31For

their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. 32For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the ®elds of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, Ÿ ¬ Èk ̯eˆ ®¨ e¯eˆÎ −¥ § ‡Ï ² ¦ 31 their clusters are bitter; :ÌÈÏÈÏt « ¦ ¦ § eȷȇ −¥ § Ÿ § 33Their wine is the venom of serpents, 32 Ÿ § ÔÙbÓ ÌÙb ¨½ § © ÆÌ„Ò ¤ ³¤ ¦ -Èk« ¦ and the cruel poison of asps. Ÿ− § © ¦ ‰¯ÓÚ ®¨Ÿ £ ˙Ó„MÓe RASHBAM 31 For their rock is not ½ ¥ § ¦ ÆBÓ·Ú LB¯-È·pÚ ¥Æ ¨ £

Ÿ −Ÿ § ˙ÏkL Ÿ ¬ § § ‡© :BÓÏ«¨ ˙¯¯Ó enemies ought to have understoodÐthat in fact it was the Lord who handed the IsraelÌÈÈ ®¨ ¥ ÌÈpz −¦ ¦ © ˙ÓÁ ¬© £ 33 ites over to them. The victory did not belong Ÿ ¬§ :¯Ê· «¨ § © ÌÈ˙t −¦ ¨ § L‡¯Â to them or their gods, for up to this point their gods had been able to achieve nothing against ``our Rock.'' In our enemies' own estimation. Rather, ``our enemies now being our judges,'' that is, our rulers. For our Rock has delivered us into their hands. 32 Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom. This resumes v. 26. ``I might have made their memory cease, for their deeds are those of Sodom and Gomorrah.'' Vineyards. The Hebrew word simply means agricultural ``®elds'' (OJPS) of any kind: ``the ®elds produce no grain'' (Hab. 3:17); ``in the ®elds of Kidron'' (2 Kings 23:4). The grapes for them are poison. The Hebrew word is a homonym of the word for ``head,'' but this word refers to a bitter grassÐ``gall,'' as OJPS puts it. A bitter growth their clusters. They deserve a bitter drink; their punishment matches their deeds. Indeed, Onkelos translates it precisely that way. 33 Their wine is the venom of asps. As Onkelos translates, ``Like the bitterness of snakes is their cup of punishment.'' The pitiless poison of vipers. Their ``cup'' bites cruelly. A cruel enemy will come to exact this punishment from them.

NAHMANIDES 31 For their rock is not like our Rock. Despite the translations, this too is in the words of the enemy: ``For their Rock is not like our rock.'' In our enemies' own estimation. Rather, our enemies (the Israelites) were ``judges'' (OJPS). They could

have executed judgment against us right from the start. Why is it that now a thousand of them ¯ee from the shouts of one of us, if it were not that their mighty Rock had sold them and ``cast a faintness into their hearts'' so that ``they shall fall though none pursues'' (both Lev. 26:36). Ð For ``judges,'' see ``Truly, you must bear the disgrace of serving as your sisters' advocate'' (Ezek. 16:52); ``Phinehas stepped forth and intervened'' (Ps. 106:30). 32 Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom. This is saying that the idol worshipers are ``void of sense'' (v. 28)Ðthey have no brains, they do not understand, there is nothing in their minds but evil all day long. For they are rooted in evil and can produce nothing but bitter fruit, so evil that whoever eats of it will die. The idea is that Israel will acknowledge, confess, and repent in their time of distress, saying, ``Why has all this befallen us?'' (Judg. 6:13). But the idolater is void of sense. He has no understanding but simply follows his particular brand of idol worshipÐeternally denying the LordÐjust because he inherited it from his ancestors. He is from ``a stock sprouting poison weed and wormwood'' (29:17). They are useless and always will be, but Israel, who come from good stock, ``if it is cut down it will renew itself'' (Job 14:7) and will produce good fruit.

like our Rock. Moses is now speaking in

his own voice. He is emphasizing that the enemies ought to have admitted that the Holy One did this and not the gods of the nations. For Israel's ``Rock'' is not like the ``rock'' of the other nations of the world. In our enemies' own estimation. Rather: even so, ``our enemies execute judgment against us.'' Must this not therefore be done at the hands of the Holy One, against whom they had sinned?

32 Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom. That is, if it were not for the pre-

sumption of the nations, I might have reduced Israel to naught, for they are from the vine of Sodom. They ought to have drunk from the cup of justice, leaving no memory of them among menÐas happened with Sodom and Gomorrah. For they sinned as grievously as did Sodom and Gomorrah: ``They avow their sins like Sodom'' (Isa. 3:9). And indeed Isaiah calls them ``You chieftains of Sodom . . . You folk of Gomorrah!'' (Isa. 1:10).

33 Their wine is the venom of asps.

This is the wine they ought to have drunk, the wine of justice, were it not for the desecration of God's name that would be caused

IBN EZRA 31 For their rock is not like our Rock. This is in the voice of Mo-

ses. ``They'' are ``a folk void of sense'' (v. 28). It is our Rock who sold us. They have no ``rock'' like ours, and they are no better than us. In our enemies' own estimation. Rather, the negation of the ®rst part of the verse continues here: ``For their rock is not like our Rock, and our enemies are [no] judges [see OJPS] of the situation.'' For another example of implicit negation, see ``I have not learned wisdom, [nor do] I possess knowledge of the Holy One'' (Prov. 30:3). But some do indeed take it (as the translations do) positively: ``Our enemies themselves admit.'' This translation demands a paragraph break after v. 31, which otherwise links naturally to v. 32. 32 From the vineyards of Gomorrah. Though the Hebrew word sounds like the word for ``®elds'' (OJPS), the parallelism shows that NJPS translates correctly. A bitter growth their clusters. This too clearly parallels ``The grapes for them are poison.'' 33 Their wine is the venom of asps. Literally, the ``heat'' of asps. The wine from these bitter grapes burns like the venom of an asp. The pitiless poison of vipers. For the ``viper,'' compare ``A babe shall play over a viper's hole'' (Isa. 11:8). ``Poison'' is correct; though

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS where the highest proportion is no more than 1 to 100. This sounds as if the punishment is far worse

than the reward, but remember that the Leviticus verse continues, ``your enemies shall fall before you by the sword,'' so there was no need for one to give chase to more than 100. All this follows the presumption of R. Judah that vv. 28 and following refer to Israel (Hizkuni). It is R. Nehemiah's view that seems to follow the straightforward sense of the text (Abarbanel). 31 For their rock is not like our Rock. This is a rhetorical question: ``Isn't their rock completely unlike our Rock? And yet'' (as the next phrase means) ``our enemies wreak judgment upon us'' (Hizkuni). Estimation. The Hebrew word also occurs only in Exod. 21:22 and Job 31:11 (Masorah). 32 Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah. This too is a rhetorical question: ``Is the vine for them from Sodom? No!'' For as Jer. 2:21 tells us, ``I planted you with noble vines, all with choicest seed; alas, I ®nd you changed into a base, an alien vine!'' (Hizkuni). Israel too is compared to a vine or vineyard in Hosea 10:1 and Isa. 5:1±7 (Gersonides).

230

231 DEUTERONOMY 32:34±36 HA'AZINU NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

34Lo,

I have it all put away, Sealed up in My storehouses, 35To be My vengeance and recompense, At the time that their foot falters. Yea, their day of disaster is near, And destiny rushes upon them. 36For the L ORD will vindicate His people And take revenge for His servants, When He sees that their might is gone, And neither bond nor free is left.

not this laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? 35Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, against the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste. 36For the L ORD will judge His people, and repent Himself for His servants; when He seeth that their stay is gone, È„nÚ ®¦ ¨ ¦ ÒÓk ´ª ¨ ‡e‰-‡Ï‰ − Ÿ £ 34 and there is none remaining, shut up or :È˙¯ˆB‡a «¨ Ÿ § § Ì˙Á −ª ¨ left at large. ÌlL ¥½ ¦ § Æ̘ ¨ ¨ ÈÏ ³¦ 35

RASHI 34 Lo, I have it all put away. Do they think I have forgotten their deeds? They are all stored up in My presence. ``It'' refers to ``the fruit of their vine and the produce of their ®elds'' (see v. 32).

34``Is

ÌÏ‚¯ ®¨ § © ËeÓz ´ ¨ ˙ÚÏ −¥ § ½¨ ¥ ÌBÈ´ Æ·B¯˜¨ Èk ̄ȇ ³¦ Ÿ ¬ ¦ £ LÁ :BÓÏ«¨ ˙„˙Ú −¨ § ½ © Æ‰Â‰È BnÚ ¨ § ÔÈ„È-Èk ³¦ ¨ « ¦ 36 ÌÁ˙È ®¨ ¤ § ¦ ÂÈ„·Ú-ÏÚ −¨ ¨ £ © § „Ȩ½ ˙Ïʇ-Èk © § ´¨ ¦ Ɖ‡¯È ¤ § ¦ Èk ³¦ :·eÊÚ « ¨ § ¯eˆÚ ¬ ¨ Òه ¤ −¤ §

35 To be My vengeance and recompense. I have a vengeful punishment ready

and waiting for them, and I will pay them back in kind for their deeds. The vengeance will give them exactly what they deserve. Ð This explanation takes ``recompense'' as a verb; the translations take this word as a noun, of the same form as in ``the is not in them'' (Jer. 5:13). Ð And when will I pay them back? At the time that their foot falters. When the merit of their ancestors, on which they rely, expires. Yea, their day of disaster is near. As soon as I decide to bring their day of disaster upon them, I have it ready at hand, with multiple agents to bring it upon them. And destiny rushes upon them. ``And the things that are to come upon them shall make haste'' (OJPS): ``Let Him speed, let Him '' (Isa. 5:19). Ð Up to this point, Moses has warned them reprovingly that this song will bear witness against them: ``When the punishment comes upon them, they will realize that I told them so in advance.'' From this point on, the song testi®es to the reassuring things that will come to them once the punishment is done with, as promised at the beginning of ch. 30. 36 For the LORD will vindicate His people. Rather, ``when'' the Lord will ``judge'' them (OJPS) with the suffering described here. For a similar use of this verb, see ``By these things He peoples'' (Job 36:31). And it is not ``for'' but ``when,'' as in ``When you enter the land that I assign to you'' (Lev. 25:2). This phrase is not explaining the previous verses but beginning something new. And take revenge for His servants. Rather, ``and repent Himself for His servants'' (OJPS). Once all these judgments have befallen them, Word

hasten

controls

CN OK ZCE

RASHBAM

by the enemies' misjudgment in declaring, ``Our own hand has prevailed'' (v. 27). The pitiless poison of vipers. A ``viper'' is a wicked person: ``The wicked are de®ant from birth . . . Their venom is like that of a snake, a deaf viper that stops its ears'' (Ps. 58:4±5). 34 Lo, I have it all put away. All the presumption of the nations. I am keeping it in mind and will pay them back for it. 35 Recompense. The Hebrew word is indeed a noun; see not only Jer. 5:13 but also ``the you presented'' (Jer. 44:21). At the time that their foot falters. The ``foot'' of the other nations, on the day appointed for the distress to come upon them. Destiny rushes upon them. ``I will speed it in due time'' (Isa. 60:22), the day of the nations' distress and Israel's redemption. Their ``destiny'' is those things that the prophets have prophesied against them long since. 36 For the LORD will vindicate His people. Then there will be vengeance and recompense, for the Holy One will avenge His people: ``He works judgment upon the nations, heaping up bodies'' (Ps. 110:6). offerings

When He sees that their might is gone. Israel's might. Free. Rather, ``freed,'' restored

NAHMANIDES 34 Lo, I have it all put away. ``It'' being their ``pitiless poison of vipers'' (v. 33). I have put it in My storehouses to feed them the fruit of their own deeds. IBN EZRA spelled here like the homo35 To be My vengeance and recompense. To take vengeance against them on Is- nym that means ``head,'' it carries the same rael's behalf, and to pay them back for their own action in denying Me. At the time that meaning as if spelled with , not B. ``Pitiless'' their foot falters. When their measure of evil is full. Similarly, Abraham's descendants would be better translated as ``®erce.'' Note G

could not settle in Canaan immediately but had to wait, ``for the iniquity of the Amorites is that the B of this word is not part of the root. not yet complete'' (Gen. 15:16). And see Ibn Ezra's comment. 34 Lo, I have it all put away. The voice changes here to that of the Lord. Some think the ``it'' that He has put away refers to the evil that was decreed against Israel by the nations, but it seems more plausible to me that it refers to the poisonous ``wine'' just mentioned. It is being kept in storage until it is time for them to drink it. We understand the meaning ``put away'' from the context; this word is unrelated to any other in the Bible. Sealed up in My storehouses. So that it will remain untouched. It is being kept in order to take vengeance on them. 35 To be My vengeance and recompense. Vengeance is Mine, and so is recompense, to ``compensate'' them according to their deeds. At the time that their foot falters. They will fall and not be able to regain their footing. As for when that ``time'' will come, remember that ``the LORD made everything for a purpose, even the wicked for an evil day'' (Prov. 16:4). This is a great mystery. Yea, their day of disaster is near. Let them not think that the vengeance will be wreaked on their descendants. And destiny rushes upon them. The verb is singular, but the subject is plural: ``Each of their destinies rushes upon them.'' Or perhaps ``their of destiny'' is to be understood; but really the ®rst explanation is the correct one. Implicitly, these are evil destinies. 36 For the LORD will vindicate His people. NJPS has the correct sense. Compare ``Vindicate me, O God'' (Ps. 43:1). Take revenge. With regard to ``repent'' of OJPS, see my comment to Gen. 6:6. Their might is gone. Israel's. (The \ of the Hebrew verb is simply an day

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 36 For the LORD will vindicate His people. Rather, ``will His people'' (OJPS), which means four different things: (1) judge and convict them; (2) judge that they have suffered enough; (3) vindicate them by wreaking vengeance on the nations; and (4) resurrect them at the end of time for the Day of Judgment for the ®nal redemption (Abarbanel). And take revenge for His servants. Both because He will see that they no longer have the con®dence to stand up for themselves, and because the nations will be asking, as they do in v. 37, ``Where are their gods?'' (Abarbanel). And neither bond nor free is left. Rather, as my father explained it, judge

DEUTERONOMY 32:37±39 HA'AZINU

NJPS

GRKHBF

OJPS

37He

will say: Where are their gods, The rock in whom they sought refuge, 38Who ate the fat of their offerings And drank their libation wine? Let them rise up to your help, And let them be a shield unto you! 39See, then, that I, I am He; There is no god beside Me. I deal death and give life;

RASHI

then

He

will

relent

and

it is said: Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted; 38Who did eat the fat of their sacri®ces, and drank the wine of their drink-offering? let him rise up and help you, let him be your protection. 39See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me; BÓÈ‰Ï ®¥ Ÿ ‡ ¡ ȇ ´¥ ¯Ó‡Â −© ¨ § 37 I kill, and I make alive; :B·« eÈÒÁ ¬¨ ¨ ¯eˆ−

means ``to change one's mind,'' converting an intention to do evil into one to do good or

When He sees that their might

is gone. And neither bond nor free is left.

37And

Æ¥ ¨ § ·ÏÁ ¥½ Ÿ ÆBÓÈÁ·Ê eÏÎ‡È ¤ ³¥ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ 38 ÌÎÈÒ ®¨ ¦ § ÔÈÈ´¥ ezLÈ − § ¦ ƨ ÌίÊÚÈ ¤½ ª § § © § ÆeÓe˜È :‰¯˙Ò «¨ § ¦ ÌÎÈÏÚ −¤ ¥ £ È‰È ¬¦ § 39 ‡e‰½ ÆÈ‡ ¦ £ È‡ ³¦ £ Èk ´ ¦ ‰zÚ ¨À © | e‡¯ ´ § È„nÚ ®¦ ¨ ¦ ÌÈ‰Ï −¦ Ÿ ‡ ¡ Ôȇ ¬¥ § ‰iÁ‡Â ¤À © £ © ˙ÈÓ‡ ´ ¦ ¨ È‡ ¯¦ £

bring

comfort to them. The Hebrew verb simply

vice versa.

CN OK ZCE

Rather, ``when He sees that their

enemies' might is growing'' ever stronger. Better,

``neither bound nor braced.'' ``Bond'' refers

RASHBAM

to freedom: ``When you see

the ass of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from nevertheless

release

23:5); ``They

restored

releasing

it

with

it, you must

him''

(Exod.

Jerusalem as far as the

Broad Wall'' (Neh. 3:8).

37 He will say: Where are their gods?

Rather, the nations will say, ``Where is Israel's God?'' And for the honor of My own

here to those who are ``bound'' to follow the

name I will rescue them and take vengeance

orders of one who commands the troops going forth to war (rather than leaving them

on their enemies, just as when ``I might have

scattered in confused fashion); ``braced'' means ``strengthened, encouraged'': ``They

reduced them to naught, made their mem-

strengthened

ory cease among men, but for fear of the

Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall'' (Neh. 3:8). The phrase is saying that

there is no one left who has been saved by a ruler who controls and encourages the troops.

37 He will say. Where are their gods. The rock in whom they sought refuge. 38 Who ate the fat of their offerings. Let them be a shield unto you! 39 See, then. I, I am He. is no god beside Me. The Holy One will say of them:

served.

taunts of

the foe'' (vv. 26±27). By

now,

Whom they had

when the af¯iction and distress of Israel has

The ``rock'' under whom they had sought

grown so great ``that their might is gone''

refuge from the heat and the cold, that is, whom they trusted to defend them from evil. T he gods who ate the fat of the offerings they

presented to them.

Let that ``rock'' provide you with

protection!

(v. 36) and the nations are saying, ``Where is their God?'' I will take vengeance on them and

sanctify

My

name,

which

they

are

desecrating.

Understand from the punishment that I brought on you, from which no

38 Who ate the fat of their offerings. A shield.

one was able to save you, and from the victory that I will now provide to you, with no one

Israel's God.

to stop Me.

place.'' Let Him hide you in His shadowÐ

I have the power to bring low; I have the power to raise up.

There

None to stand against Me and prevent Me. The Hebrew is literally

NAHMANIDES 37 He will say: Where are their gods? (Ps. 115:2).

38 Who ate the fat of their offerings and drank their libation wine.

Israel brought

offerings and poured libations more frequently than any other nation. The Hebrew verbs here are plural because the other nations imagine that Israel, like them, worships multiple gods.

This is the response to the nations' assumption that

Israel worships multiple gods.

He in whom they have always ``sought refuge'' (v. 37).

The enemy will ask where

the gods of Israel are, as in ``Let the nations not say, `Where, now, are their gods?'''

39 See, then, that I, I am He. There is no god beside Me.

Literally, ``a hiding

There is none, either to help or

37 He will say. The rock in whom they sought refuge. 38 Who ate the fat of their offerings. The enemy will say.

39 See, then, that I, I am He.

This is

the Holy One addressing the nations of the

IBN EZRA

alternate feminine ending,

replacing the more usual for a similar example.)

nor free is left.

F. See Ezek. 46:17

And neither bond

When there are too many

captives, some are bound and the rest simply abandoned. But at this point almost all will have perished.

See my comment to v. 4.

According to the enemies, who think that the sacri®ces are food for the Lord. And of course it

is also from the enemies' perspective that the verbs are plural, provoking God's response in v. 39.

Libation wine.

The translations are

correct, though this spelling elsewhere means ``prince,'' and the common word for ``libation'' is spelled without a K. But there are some who would translate our phrase as ``royal wine.'' See Josh. 13:21, where the ®ve Midianite kings of Num. 31:8 are referred to as ``princes'' with this word. T he point here would be that the libation wine was donated by the king. ButÐagainÐI ®nd the ®rst explanation more plau-

Let them be a shield unto you! 39 See, then, that I, I am He.

sible.

Rather, let ``him'' be (OJPS). This last time, the verb is singular. The enemies are saying, ``If you

think God is one, let Him shield you from the troubles that are about to come upon you!'' This may be simple repetition, as in ``I, I am He who comforts you'' (Isa. 51:12), orÐthe correct

explanationÐit is emphatic: ``I am He, and

I

will not change.'' T here is no one else acting in concert with Him. ``I am the One who dealt

death to Israel, and I am the One who will give them life. They did not escape, and there is no one to deliver you from Me eitherÐnot until I have executed justice against you.''

I deal death and give life.

Many think that the doctrine of eternal life can be derived from this

phrase, where ``I deal death'' comes ®rst and ``I give life'' follows; see also ``the L ORD deals death and gives life'' (1 Sam. 2:6), which is explicitly followed by ``casts down into Sheol and raises up.'' Others claim this doctrine derives from ``But for your own blood I will require

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 37 He will say. 39 I, I.

neither what is ``con®ned,'' the wealth locked up in their homes, nor ``left out,'' the livestock that is left

outdoors (Kimhi). Perhaps ``bond'' refers to walled cities and ``free'' to the smaller, unwalled towns (Gersonides). The Holy One will say this to Israel, by means of His prophets (Gersonides).

This double pronoun also occurs only in Isa. 48:15 and Hosea 5:14; the alternate pronoun for ``I'' is also doubled in only three

places, in Isa. 43:11, 43:25, and 51:12 (Masorah).

There is no god.

The Hebrew literally says, ``and there is no god'' (OJPS), a phrase that

occurs elsewhere only in 2 Sam. 7:22 and 1 Chron. 17:20 (Masorah).

I deal death and give life; I wounded and I will heal.

The second

232

233 DEUTERONOMY 32:39±40 HA'AZINU NJPS

I wounded and I will heal:

None can deliver from My hand. 40

GRKHBF

OJPS

I have wounded, and I heal;

and there is none that can deliver out of My hand. 40

Lo, I raise My hand to heaven

And say: As I live forever,

RASHI

CN OK ZCE

For I lift up My hand to heaven,

and say: As I live for ever, ‡t¯‡ ¨½ § ¤ È‡Â ´ ¦ £ © ÆÈzˆÁÓ ¦ § Æ© ¨ :ÏÈvÓ « ¦ © È„iÓ −¦ ¨ ¦ Ôȇ ¬¥ § È„È ®¦ ¨ ÌÈÓL-Ï ¦ −© ¨ ‡¤ ‡O‡-Èk ¬¨ ¤ « ¦ 40 RASHBAM world: You say, ``Where is their God?''Ðwell, now that I am taking My :ÌÏÚÏ «¨ Ÿ § ÈÎ‡ −¦ Ÿ ¨ ÈÁ ¬© Èz¯Ó‡Â ¦ § ©¾ ¨ § vengeance, you can see for yourselves!

``with Me'' (OJPS), that is, ``like K[[ Me, on the same level as Me,'' but this particular form is a portmanteau word: there is none who can stand with Me. None can deliver from My hand. None can deliver from My hand those who rebel against Me. 40 Lo, I raise My hand to heaven. I am so angry that I will raise My hand to swear an oath to Myself. ``Raising a hand'' implies taking an oath. As I live forever. This is the oath God takes.

40 Lo, I raise My hand. To swear an oath, as when Abram swore an oath to the king of Sodom: ``I lift up my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth'' (Gen. 14:22).

NAHMANIDES hinder Me, no one who can prevent Me from working My willÐ IBN EZRA a reckoning for your souls'' wounding and killing, healing and giving life. (Gen. 9:5) and here in Deuteronomy ``It will 40 Lo, I raise My hand to heaven. The straightforward sense is that this is a metaphor be therefore to our merit before the LORD our

for the Holy One's swearing an oath by His throne. Everyone who swears an oath raises one hand and holds with the other the object by which he is swearing. But according to the Way of Truth, this is because during the period of exile He ``has cast down from heaven to earth the Majesty of Israel'' (Lam. 2:1). But now, in a time of favor, He will raise it to the highest heavens. That is the mighty hand that ®ghts for Israel. And say: As I live forever. I give life to My mighty hand ``when I whet My ¯ashing blade'' (v. 41), raising it to lay hold on Israel's judgment and wreak vengeance on My foes. For then the name will be complete and the throne will be complete. One who is learned in these matters will understand. You see, this poem (which is a permanent, faithful witness against us) explains everything that will happen to us. It ®rst mentions how loyally the Holy One has treated us ever since He took us as His portion; the good things He did for us in the wildernessÐHis giving us the lands of great and mighty nations, and the abundance of goods, riches, and honor with which He presented us there. It was amid such an abundance of good things that they rebelled against the Holy One by worshiping idols, provoking the vexation that was before Him against them to the extent that He sent pestilence, hunger, wild beasts, and war against them in their land, and then scattered them to the four winds. It is well known that all this indeed took place just as it says. Now the poem says that at last He will take vengeance on His foes and seek recompense from His enemies. The point is that they did all those evil things to us on account of their hatred for the Holy One. They would certainly not hate Israel for worshiping idols as they themselves do, but rather for not following their ways, but worshiping the Holy One and keeping His commandments. The Israelites would not intermarry with them nor eat of their sacri®ces; they scorned their idols and burned them out of whatever location they found them in: ``It is for Your sake that we are slain all day long, that we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered'' (Ps. 44:23). It must, therefore, be out of hatred for the Holy One that they do all these evils to us. They are His enemies, His foes (see v. 41), and it is He who must take vengeance on them. It is quite clear that this poem is giving us a promise about the redemption to come. For when the Second Temple was built, the ``nations'' did not ``acclaim His people'' (v. 43). Instead, they mocked them: ``What are the miserable Jews doing?'' (Neh. 3:34). Even the greatest of them were in fact slaves in the palace of the king, to whom they were all subjugated. He certainly did not wreak vengeance on His foes in those days, nor did He ``cleanse the land of His people'' (v. 43). Moreover, the promise is unconditionalÐthere is nothing here about repentance and worship. It is a legal document attesting that we would commit all the evil we could, and that He (blessed be His name) would vehemently reproach us but would not ``[make] our memory cease among men'' (v. 26). Rather, He would eventually relent and punish the enemies with His great, mighty, terrible sword, and forgive our sins for the sake of His name. The poem is therefore an explicit promise of the future redemptionÐno matter what the Christians claim. As the Sifrei says: This poem is great because it contains the present, the past, and the future; it has this world and the World to Come. That is what is hinted at in v. 44.

God to observe faithfully this whole Instruction'' (6:25), both of which seem to refer to the next world, and also ``For thereby you shall have life [in the World to Come] and shall long endure [in this world]'' (30:20; compare 5:16). Hai Ga'on of blessed memory says that the biblical text had no need to say anything explicit about the World to Come because it was known via tradition. But in my view, the Torah was given to all, not to one person privately. And not one out of a thousand would understand such a profound notion as the World to Come. The reward of the World to Come depends on the nature of the soul. It comes in exchange for the service of the heart, which service is to comprehend the works of the Lord. For they are the ladder by which one climbs to the level of knowing the Lord, which is the point of it all. The Torah certainly has explained (for those wise enough to see it) the matter of ``the tree of life'' (Gen. 3:24). There is a power by which one can overcome the cherubs stationed there, and one who eats from the tree of life lives forever, like one of the ministering angels. There is more about this mystery in Psalm 49: ``But God will redeem my life from the clutches of Sheol, for He will take me. Selah'' (Ps. 49:16); see also ``You guided me by Your counsel and took me toward honor'' (Ps. 73:24). ``Taking'' is mentioned in both of these verses, as in the cases of Enoch (``then he was no more, for God took him,'' Gen. 5:24) and Elijah (``If you see me as I am being taken from you, this will be granted to you,'' 2 Kings 2:10). You may wonder how Psalm 49 can say ``the price of life is too high; and so one ceases to be, forever'' (Ps. 49:9) and then go on to say ``but God will redeem my life from the clutches of Sheol, for He will take me'' (Ps. 49:16). The wise, however, will understand. 40 Lo, I raise My hand to heaven. Swearing an oath by something that exists forever; compare ``Then I heard the man dressed in linen . . . swear by the Ever-living One as he lifted his right hand and his left hand to heaven'' (Dan. 12:7). In our verse, of course, this is simply a metaphor so that ordinary people will understand what is meant. As I live forever. Just as I live forever, so I will do this.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS phrase teaches about the ®rst: ``I have dealt death to Israel in the past, but now I give them life.'' For as Isa. 25:8 tells us, ``He will destroy death forever'' (Hizkuni). I deal death to the nations and life to Israel (Abarbanel). 40 Lo, I raise My hand to heaven. If the ranks of heaven, or the stars in their courses, try to help the nations, I will raise My hand and halt them (Abarbanel). I live forever. I do not die, as the Christians think (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 32:41±43 HA'AZINU

NJPS

41When

I whet My ¯ashing blade And My hand lays hold on judgment, Vengeance will I wreak on My foes, Will I deal to those who reject Me. 42I will make My arrows drunk with bloodÐ As My sword devours ¯eshÐ Blood of the slain and the captive From the long-haired enemy chiefs. 43O nations, acclaim His people! For He'll avenge the blood of His servants,

RASHI 41 When I whet My ¯ashing blade. Literally, ``the lightning of My sword.'' And My hand lays hold on judgment. Thereby withholding mercy from My

GRKHBF

OJPS

CN OK ZCE

41If

I whet My glittering sword, and My hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to Mine adversaries, and will recompense them that hate Me. 42I will make Mine arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour ¯esh; with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy.'' 43Sing aloud, O ye nations, of His people; for He doth avenge the blood of His servants,

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RASHBAM 41 When I whet My ¯ashing blade. For the verb, which comes

from the root QR[, compare ``who whet their tongues like swords'' (Ps. 64:4). This is an alternative grammatical form sometimes found with geminate verbs; for similar forms, see (e.g.) 1 Sam. 22:22 and Ps. 92:11. 42 Long-haired. Compare ``the hair of his head shall go loose'' (Lev. 13:45).

enemies, who have done unwarranted evil to you. ``For I was only angry a little, but they overdid the punishment'' (Zech. 1:15). So My hand lays hold on judgment to wield it in revenge against My foes. The midrash 43 O nations, acclaim His people! derives from this that the ways of the Holy Rather, ``O nations, acclaim [Him] along One are not like those of ¯esh and blood. with His people,'' as in ``Praise the LORD, all When a human being shoots an arrow, he cannot call it back to him. But the Holy One can send forth His arrows and bring them IBN EZRA 41 When I whet My back to Him, just as if He still held them in ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Since vv. 16±18 ¯ashing blade. For the verb, compare ``a His hand. It is lightning that is His ``arrow,'' apply only to the First Temple, it would seem that the sharpened arrow'' (Prov. 25:18). And My the ``¯ashing blade'' of our verse, which will description of redemption also applies only to the hand lays hold on judgment. The sword is wreak justice on His foes. original return from exile, not the end of our present the ``judgment'' wreaked by a warrior. Ven42 I will make My arrows drunk with exile. Disappointment aside, how can that be? ``O na- geance will I wreak on My foes. Literally, the blood of the enemy as My sword de- tions, acclaim His people!'' (v. 43) was not ful®lled in I will ``return'' vengeance to My foes. I will vours their ¯esh. Blood of the slain and that ®rst redemption; instead, they merely said, ``What return what they did to Israel and thus repay the miserable Jews doing?'' (Neh. 3:34). (The the captive. This will be the direct result of are promise that ``He'll avenge the blood of His servants'' them. the iniquity they committed by shedding the was also not ful®lled then.) 42 Blood of the slain. This is the blood blood of the Israelites whom they have slain with which ``I will make My arrows drunk.'' and taken captive. From the long-haired The captive. Those who are wounded enemy chiefs. Rather, ``from the beginning of the enemy's running wild.'' When the Holy rather than slain. From the long-haired One punishes the nations, He will exact from them the punishment for their own iniquity enemy chiefs. ``Long-haired'' is correct: and also for the iniquity of their ancestors, from the moment they began to run wild ``When locks go untrimmed in Israel'' (Judg. against Israel. 5:2). Note, however, that our Sages used this 43 O nations, acclaim His people! This passage refers to the time when the nations word to create the blessing ``who avenges will praise Israel: ``Behold how praiseworthy is this nation, who have held fast to the Holy Israel.'' [M] But there are no ``chiefs'' hereÐ One through all the hardships they have undergone and not abandoned Him. They always the word is ``head,'' and it is to be taken recognized His goodness and praiseworthiness.'' For He'll avenge the blood of His as does OJPS: ``My sword shall devour servants. The spilling of their blood, literally. Wreak vengeance on His foes. For their ¯esh . . . from the long-haired heads of the enemy,'' that is, it will cut off their heads. 43 O nations, acclaim His people! Rather, ``Sing aloud, O ye nations, of His people'' (OJPS), that is, ``Sing aloud in praise of what He has done for His people.'' Once the Holy One has avenged their blood, the nations will praise Him. But some take the verb as related to ``a shout went through the army'' (1 Kings 22:36), referring to a herald: ``O nations, proclaim this about them, wherever they may be.'' And cleanse the land of His people. ``Of'' is not in the Hebrew. Some say that not ``of'' but ``and'' is to be understood here: ``And cleanse the land and His people.'' The midrash takes it another way: ``And the land will cleanse His people.'' That is certainly true, but it makes no sense in the context; besides which, ``land'' is feminine and the verb is masculine. In my view, the correct sense is this: ``His people will `make expiation for' [OJPS] the land.'' For the syntax with object ®rst and subject afterward, see the Hebrew of ``Water wears away stone'' (Job 14:19). You might argue that ``for'' of ``make expiation for'' is also missing, but that phenomenon does in fact occur elsewhere; again, [M] In rabbinic Hebrew this verb can mean ``to collect payment'' (or, metaphorically, ``to punish''), perhaps because one thereby ``releases'' someone from an obligation.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 41 When I whet My ¯ashing blade. Rather, when I ``alter'' it, aiming it no longer at Israel but now at the enemy nations (Abarbanel). 42 I will make My arrows drunk with bloodÐas My sword devours ¯esh. Can arrows get drunk? Rather, ``I will make others

drunk with the blood My arrows shed; I will give others ¯esh to devour by what My sword does.'' As we read in Ezek. 39:17, ``And you, O mortal, say to every winged bird and to all the wild beasts: Thus said the Lord GOD: Assemble, come and gather from all around for the sacri®cial feast that I am preparing for youÐa great sacri®cial feastÐupon the mountains of Israel, and eat ¯esh and drink blood'' (Hizkuni). The punishment of the nations will not be a long exile, like that of Israel, but a sudden, violent blow (Abarbanel). Blood of the slain and the captive. The Israelites whom they slew and captured (Abarbanel). 43 O nations, acclaim His people! Rather, O My arrows and My sword, ``Make the nations sing aloud,'' as promised in Ps. 67:5, ``Nations will exult and shout for joy, for You rule the peoples with equity,'' and ``Make My people sing aloud'' in thanks and praise

234

235 DEUTERONOMY 32:43 HA'AZINU

GRKHBF

NJPS

OJPS

Wreak vengeance on His foes, And cleanse the land of His people.

RASHI

thieving

and

their

CN OK ZCE

and doth render vengeance to His adversaries, and doth make expiation for the land of His people.

violence:

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``Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate waste, because of the outrage to

RASHBAM

you nations; extol Him, all

you peoples'' (Ps. 117:1), for ``His steadfast love toward us'' (Ps. 117:2) is greater than

the people of Judah, in whose land they shed

for all the other nations. So praise Him and

the blood of the innocent'' ( Joel 4:19); ``For

believe in Him, and His steadfast love for

the outrage to your brother Jacob, disgrace shall engulf you, and you shall perish forever''

you will grow as great as His steadfast love

(Obad. 1:10).

Literally, and ``make expiation'' (OJPS), meaning ``propitiate.''

for us. That is what Psalm 117 is saying, and

He will pacify His land and His people for the troubles they have undergone, the troubles

that is the meaning of our phrase here as

the enemy has put them through. For ``expiation'' used in this sense, see ``If I

well: acclaim Him, praise Him, serve Him,

And cleanse.

him with presents'' (Gen. 32:21), pacify his anger.

The land of His people.

propitiate

The Hebrew

literally says, ``His land, His people.'' What is ``His land''? His people. When His people are reconciled with Him, His land will be reconciled as well: ``O L ORD, You will favor Your

and He will do the like for youÐbut only if you fear Him and serve Him.

the land of His people.

And cleanse

He will cleanse His

people's blood from the land by spilling the

land, restore Jacob's fortune'' (Ps. 85:2). T he Sifrei, though, explains this song differently. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagree

blood of their enemies: ``T he land can have

about it. R. Judah thinks the entire song is directed at Israel. He takes vv. 26±27 as I ex-

no expiation for blood that is shed on it,

plain them, but thinks it is the Israelites who ``are a folk void of sense'' (v. 28): ``They have

except by the blood of him who shed it''

abandoned the good sense of My Torah and are `lacking in discernment' even to com-

(Num. 35:33).

prehend that. `How could one' of the enemy `have routed a thousand' of them, `unless their Rock had sold them' (v. 30).'' (From v. 31 on he explains it as I do.) R. Nehemiah, however, explains v. 28 as saying that it is the enemy nations who are ``a folk void of sense,'' as I originally explained it, on through v. 31. But he takes ``the vine for them is from Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah'' (v. 32) as a reference to the other nations: ``They have not the sense to recognize My greatness.'' ``The grapes for them are poison'' (also v. 32) is what God ``fears'' in v. 27Ðthat the nations will embitter and poison Israel. So ``a bitter growth [are] their clusters'' (as v. 32 continues)Ðfor themselves: ``I will gorge them on those bitter clusters, for what they have done to My children.'' ``Their wine is the venom of asps'' (v. 33), ready for them to be made to drink it for what they did to Israel. That cup is ``all put away'' (v. 34), as in ``T here is a cup in the L ORD's hand with foaming wine fully mixed; from this He pours; all the wicked of the earth drink, draining it to the very dregs'' (Ps. 75:9). ``At the time that their foot falters'' (v. 35) is as in ``to be trampled underfoot'' (Isa. 26:6)Ð``when

their

foot falters, they will be trampled under

My foot.'' According to this view, the beginning of

v. 36 does indeed mean ``

For the LORD

will vindicate His people,'' not ``when'' He will ``judge'' them (OJPS). In v. 37, ``he''Ðthe enemyÐ``will say: Where are their gods?'' just as Titus the wicked said when he forced his way past the curtain and penetrated the Holy of Holies. This matches what Micah says:

IBN EZRA puri®cation

see the Hebrew of ``perform

upon

it''

(Ezek.

43:20).

The

point is that the Israelites will wreak vengeance on the nations, thus cleansing the land of the blood spilled in it: ``You shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and the land can have no expiation for blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it'' (Num. 35:33). That at least makes sense in the context. But the verb could indeed possibly mean ``cleanse'' or (as in the Ezekiel verse) ``purify.'' Note that at the end of all the wars, Ezekiel says, ``thus the land shall be puri®ed'' (Ezek. 39:16). In that case, it is certainly the Israelites who will purify it.

``When my enemy sees it, she shall be covered with shame, she who taunts me with `Where is He, the L ORD your God?' '' (Mic. 7:10). ``See, then, that I, I am He'' (v. 39) announces that the Holy One will reveal His saving power. ``It is from Me that evil came upon them and from Me that good will now come upon them.'' ``None can deliver from My hand'' (v. 39)Ðfrom the evil I shall bring upon you. ``I raise My hand to heaven'' (v. 40) implies, ``I

have raised `My hand' on high,'' that is, I keep My Presence established in the heavens. (This is how Onkelos translates it.) Now, even if

the weaker ®ghter is on top and the stronger one pinned below him, it is the one on the bottom who fears the one on top; how much more so when it is the stronger one on top and the weaker one below. (``My hand'' here implies ``the location of My Presence,'' as in the idiom of Num. 2:17, where ``at hand'' means ``in position.) So, the Holy One is saying, I had it in My power to punish you, but since ``I live forever'' (v. 40), I am in no hurr y to do so; I can exact punishment in some later generation. I am as able to punish the dead as the living. A king of ¯esh and blood who is going to die hastens to get his revenge while he is still alive, for either he or his enemy might die before he can enjoy his revenge on him. But I live forever, so if they die before I get around to punishing them I can punish them after their death. ``When I whet My ¯ashing blade'' (v. 41) is correctly translated; though ``if '' (OJPS) is the literal meaning of the word, it is frequently used with the meaning ``when.'' (This and all the rest is as I explained above.)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

(Sforno).

And cleanse the land of His people.

Literally, ``His land, His people''Ðfor the land and the

people are one, as we see from Gen. 47:19, ``Let us not perish before your eyes, both we and our land'' (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``and

appease His

land [and] His people'' by the vengeance He will wreak on their enemies (Hizkuni).

Seven principles of our faith can be derived from this poem:

. .

V. 35: Vengeance and recompense will come to all our enemies. V. 34: The Holy One has a precise, ®xed time for vengeance against the nations and the redemption of Israel, which cannot be

extended, and which has been revealed to no living creature.

. . . . .

V. 36: The redemption of Israel will not take place until the scales of justice are balanced and all their sins have been punished. V. 27: The merit of the ancestors is no longer relevant in this exile; our only rescue is for the sake of His great name. V. 36: The resurrection of the dead will follow closely upon the ingathering of the exiles. V. 43: The redemption promised here is not conditional on repentance. Not a word of the entire poem will fail to happen. Do not allegorize this poem, as the nations do, but understand it in its

straightforward sense, just as if it were judicial testimony. Leave it to the wise to probe more deeply. May the Lord ful®ll His good wordÐ Amen! (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 32:44±47 HA'AZINU

GRKHBF

CN OK ZCE

came, together with Hosea son of Nun, and OJPS 44And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song recited all the words of this poem in the hearing of the people. in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun. 45And when Moses ®nished reciting all these words to all 45And when Moses made an end of speaking all these words 46 Israel, he said to them: Take to heart all the words with which I to all Israel, 46he said unto them: ``Set your heart unto all the have warned you this day. Enjoin them words wherewith I testify against you this upon your children, that they may observe Ÿ ´ ¨ © 44 day; that ye may charge your children ȯ·c-Ïk ¬¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ ¯a„È ²¥ © § © ‰LÓ ¤À Ÿ ‡·i faithfully all the terms of this Teaching. therewith to observe to do all the words of Ÿ− © ÚLB‰Â ©¬¥ § ‡e‰− ÌÚ‰ ®¨ ¨ Èʇa ´¥ § ¨ § ˙‡f‰-‰¯ÈM‰ «¨ ¦ © this law. 47For it is no vain thing for you; 47For this is not a tri¯ing thing for you: it is :Ôe-Ôa « ¦ because it is your life, and through this your very life; through it you shall long endure on the land that you are to possess Ìȯ·c‰-Ïk ¬ ¦ ¨ § © ¨ -˙‡¤ ¯a„Ï ²¥ © § ‰LÓ ¤À Ÿ ÏÎÈ ´© § © 45 thing ye shall prolong your days upon the upon crossing the Jordan. land, whither ye go over the Jordan to posÆÌ‰Ï ¤ ¥‡ £ ¯Ó‡i ¤ Ÿ³ © 46 :χ¯NÈ-Ïk «¥ ¨ § ¦ ¨ -χ¤ ‰l¤ ‡‰ −¥ ¨ sess it.'' ½ ¦ ¨ § © ¨ § Ìη·Ï ² ¦ Ÿ ¨ ¯L ¯¤ ‡ £ Ìȯ·c‰-ÏÎÏ ¤½ § © § eÓÈN ´¦ RASHI 44 Together with Hosea son of ÈÎ‡

NJPS

44Moses

F [CKTK

Nun.

This was the ``Sabbath of the dyad,'' ÌÎÈa ¤½ ¥ § -˙‡¤ ÆÌeˆz ª © § ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌBi‰ ® © ÌÎa −¤ ¨ „ÈÚÓ ¬ ¦ ¥ RASHBAM 44 Together with Hosea when authority was taken from the one and Ÿ ´ § ¦ son of Nun. As the Holy One had com½ £ © ¯ÓLÏ ‰¯Bz‰ ¬¨ © ȯ·c-Ïk −¥ § ¦ ¨ -˙‡¤ ˙BNÚÏ given to the other. Moses assigned a spokesmanded the two of them: ``Call Joshua and Ÿ « © present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting'' ¤½ ¦ Ƈe‰ ˜¯¬¥ ¯·„-‡Ï ¨¸ ¨ Ÿ « Èk¦  47 :˙‡f‰ man to Joshua and let him teach while he, ÌkÓ Moses, was still living, so that the Israelites ÆÌÈÓÈ ¦ ¨ eÎȯ‡z ³¦ £ © ‰f‰ ¤À © ¯·c·e ´¨ ¨ © ÌÎÈiÁ ®¤ ¥ © ‡e‰-Èk − ¦ (31:14). could not say, ``While your master was ¯¦ § Ÿ Ìz‡ ¤¹ © ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Ó„‡‰-ÏÚ ¨½ ¨ £ ´¨ © alive, you did not dare to open your mouth.'' -˙‡¤ Ìȯ·Ú IBN EZRA 44 Moses came. To teach. And why is Joshua called here by the nickÙ :dzL¯Ï «¨ § ¦ § ‰nL ¨ −¨ Ôc¯i‰ ²¥ § © © After going to each tribe and ordering them name ``Hosea''? To show that he did not to gather at the Tent of Meeting, he then become conceited. Even though he was ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why are we told recited this song. Together with Hosea son given greatness, he acted as modestly as he that ``Moses came, together with Hosea son of Nun, of Nun. As in Exod. 15:1, the verbs are and recited all the words of this poem in the hearing always had. singular. But Joshua was included, in the the people'' (v. 44) when we already know this from 46 Take to heart. One's eyes and heart of31:30? F Where exactly did he ``come'' from, since he sight of everyone, to enhance his stature. and ears should always be directed to words was already talking to all of them? F Why does Moses The text calls him ``Hosea'' here because of Torah: ``Mortal, look closely and listen warn them to ``Take to heart all the words with which that is the name by which all Israel knew attentively and take to heart everything I am I have warned you this day'' (v. 45) more so than him. Who would have known that ``Moses going to show you'' (Ezek. 40:4). If the de- anything else he has told them, even the Ten Com- changed the name of Hosea son of Nun sign of the future Temple that Ezekiel was mandments? F Why must Moses warn them that to Joshua'' (Num. 13:16) except for those shown, which was literally visible and could ``this is not a tri¯ing thing for you'' (v. 47)? Could who frequented the Tent of Meeting? (How be physically measured, demanded that anyone imagine that the words of the master of all the midrash deals with this phrase is well eyes, ears, and heart be focused on it in prophets would be ``tri¯ing''? known.) [N] order to understand it, quite obviously 47 It is your very life. ``The fear of the words of TorahÐmountains suspended by a hairÐdemand such focus all the more so. LORD prolongs life, while the years of the 47 For this is not a tri¯ing thing for you. It is not for nothing that you fatigue wicked will be shortened'' (Prov. 10:27). yourselves with it. Great reward depends on it: it is your very life. Another reading: Through it you shall long endure on the There is not one thing in the Torah so tri¯ing that you do not gain reward even just for land. In a good land, not in exile. studying it. Remember what the Sages said about the verse ``And Lotan's sister was [N] See Rashi's explanation. Timna'' (Gen. 36:22). Now Lotan was a chieftain, yet ``Timna was a concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz'' (Gen. 36:12). For she said: ``Though I am not worthy of being his wife, at least let me be his concubine.'' Why must we be told all this? In praise of Abraham. For kings and rulers were desirous of being connected in some way with his offspring.

NAHMANIDES 44 Moses came, together with Hosea son of Nun, and recited all the words of this poem in the hearing of the people. He recited ``all,'' to say that it contained their entire future even though it was so short. For he explained all its implications

to them. Even if this poem were merely the work of a stargazer or fortune-teller it would deserve to be believed, for everything it has predicted up to this point has come trueÐnot a word of it has failed to happen. How much more so must we believe, expectantly and wholeheartedly, in the words of God by the mouth of the prophet ``trusted throughout My household'' (Num. 12:7), whose like was never seen before or since, may he rest in peace.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 44 Together with Hosea son of Nun. According to 31:19, they both had been commanded to write the poem (Bekhor Shor). Now that Joshua has become king, he reclaims his birth name, to show that he is no longer in the service of Moses, who nicknamed him (Bekhor Shor). But the Bible continues to call him Joshua because he had gotten used to it by then (Hizkuni). He is called Hosea here to make sure everyone understands that, though he is reciting the poem together with Moses, he is not at Moses' level, but at the same level he was 38 years ago, when he was still named Hosea and Moses sent him out as one of the spies (Gersonides). There were so many people that Moses needed Joshua to announce his words to the crowd; he therefore reverts to the name he had when he ®rst began to serve Moses (Abarbanel). And recited all the words of this poem in the hearing of the people. As we have already been told in 31:30 (Hizkuni). He recited them now for the third time, for he had ®rst recited them in 31:22 to whichever Israelites were around, again in 31:28 to the elders, and now to all Israel (Abarbanel). 45 When Moses ®nished reciting all these words to all Israel. The words of the Torah in their entirety (Gersonides). 46 Take to heart all the words with which I have warned you this day. Do not imagine that God's foreknowledge of Israel's sin condemns you to be the ones who will die of famine and fever (Abarbanel). Enjoin them upon your children, that they may observe faithfully all the terms of this Teaching. Let the evil things foretold here not occur in your generation or that of your children (Abarbanel). At the end of your lives, when you pass on an ethical will to your children, enjoin these words upon them (Sforno).

236

237 DEUTERONOMY 32:48±51 HA'AZINU

GRKHBF

CN OK ZCE

very day the LORD spoke to Moses: 49Ascend OJPS 48And the LORD spoke unto Moses that selfsame day, these heights of Abarim to Mount Nebo, which is in the land saying: 49``Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim, unto mount of Moab facing Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites as their holding. 50You shall die on the mountain that you ‰f‰ −¤ © ÌBi‰ ¬ © ̈Úa ¤ ²¤ § ‰LÓ ¤½ Ÿ -χ¤ Æ‰Â‰È ¨ § ¯a„È ³¥ © § © 48 give unto the children of Israel for a pos50 are about to ascend, and shall be gathered ‰f‰ Ÿ « ¥ session; and die in the mount whither ¸¦ ¨ £ ¨ Á¯‰-Ï ¤¹ © Ìȯ·Ú‰ © ‡¤ ‰ÏÚ ¥¿ £ 49 :¯Ó‡Ï thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy to your kin, as your brother Aaron died À § © people; as Aaron thy brother died in ´¥ § © ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ·‡BÓ ¨½ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § ƯL ¤‡ £ B·-¯‰ on Mount Hor and was gathered to his Èt-ÏÚ ²¥ Ÿ È‡ ¬ ¦ £ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÔÚk © ©½ § ı¯‡-˙‡ ¤ ´¤ ¤ Ɖ‡¯e ¥ § BÁ¯È ® ¥ § mount Hor, and was gathered unto his kin; 51for you both broke faith with Me Ô˙ 51 among the Israelite people, at the waters of ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ Ư‰a ¨ ¨ ˙Óe ªÀ 50 :‰fÁ‡Ï «¨ ª £ © χ¯NÈ −¥ ¨ § ¦ È·Ï ¬¥ § ¦ people. Because ye trespassed against Me in the midst of the children of Israel at the Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, ®¤ © ‡¤ ÛÒ‡‰Â −¥ ¨ ¥ § ‰nL ¨ ¨½ ‰ÏÚ ´¤ Ÿ Ɖz‡ EÈnÚ-Ï ¨ © waters of Meribath-kadesh, in the wilderby failing to uphold My sanctity among Ÿ ´ § ÆEÈÁ‡ Ÿ ³ £ © ˙Óº¥ -¯L Ʀ ¨ Ô¯‰‡ ÛÒ‡i ¤ −¨ ¥ © ¯‰‰ ¨½ ¨ ¯‰a ¤ ‡k £ «© ness of Zin; because ye sancti®ed Me not RASHI 48 That very day. Rather, ``at ÆCB˙a§ ÈaÀ¦ ÌzÏÚÓ ¤¹ § © § ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ÁÏÚ© 51 :ÂÈnÚ-Ï «¨ © ‡¤

NJPS

48That

F PVJKZ

the precise center of the day,'' implying, ``in IBN EZRA 48 That very day the ®¦ © § ¦ L„˜ −¥ ¨ ˙·È¯Ó ¬© ¦ § -ÈÓa «¥ § χ¯NÈ ¥½ ¨ § ¦ Èa ´¥ § LORD spoke to Moses. The same day on broad daylight.'' There are three places Ôˆ-¯a„Ó where this phrase is used: (1) With Noah. Èa ½¦ ÆÌzLc˜-‡Ï ¬¥ § CB˙a − § È˙B‡ ¤ § © ¦ Ÿ « ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÏÚ ´© which Moses recited the poem. Some say ``In broad daylight, Noah and Noah's sons, Moses died on the 1st of Shevat. Since the Shem, Ham, and Japheth, went into the ark, ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why does God Israelites ``bewailed Moses . . . for thirty with Noah's wife and the three wives of his command Moses, ``Ascend these heights of Abarim'' days'' (34:8), and they crossed the Jordan on sons'' (Gen. 7:13)Ðin the full light of day. (v. 49), when He has already told him exactly this as the 10th of Nisan, [O] they must have stayed back as Num. 27:12? F Why did Moses not obey For the others of his generation had sworn, far there for another six weeks after the mournoriginal command, requiring it to be repeated ``If we see him getting ready to go into the the here? F Since God referred to Abarim as ``these'' ing period. All this is based on the notion ark, there's no way we will allow him to. In heightsÐevidently pointing to themÐwhy did He that ``that very day'' was the day on which fact, we will take axes and hatchets and have to go on to identify it as ``Mount Nebo''? (De- Moses both (1) recited the entire book of smash the ark.'' The Holy One said, ``All spite the translations, the Hebrew text does not say Deuteronomy to the Israelites, and (2) died. right, then, I will put him into the ark at high ``to'' Mount Nebo.) No such identi®cation was neces- But as I have explained, the phrase simply noon, and anyone with the power to prevent sary in Num. 27:12. F In Num. 27:13, God tells Mo- refers to the day on which he recited the merely, ``you too shall be gathered to your kin.'' it can come and do so.'' (2) In Egypt. ``In ses Why does He tell him explicitly here, ``You shall die'' poem of our chapter. ``Today'' or ``this day'' broad daylight the LORD freed the Israelites (v. 50)? F Having said, ``You shall die,'' why must God can be used rhetorically rather than as a from the land of Egypt'' (Exod. 12:51). For add, ``and shall be gathered to your kin''? F Once both literal indication of time; in 9:1, Moses actuthe Egyptians had sworn, ``If we see them these terms are used, why not also use the verb mean- ally told the Israelites, ``You are to cross the leaving, there is no way we will permit them ing ``to breathe one's last,'' which was combined with Jordan today.'' to do so. In fact, we will take swords and the other terms in describing the deaths of the Patri50 You shall die. Literally, ``and die'' Neither Moses' death nor Aaron's is described other weapons and kill them!'' Said the Holy archs? (OJPS), in the imperativeÐthat is, ``prepare with this verb. F How are we to reconcile ``you both One, ``I am going to take them out of Egypt broke faith with Me'' and ``by failing to uphold My yourself for death.'' For he would have to at high noon, and anyone with the power to sanctity'' (both v. 51) with ``you did not trust Me'' bury himself, as I will explain in my comprevent it can come and do so.'' (3) Here (Num. 20:12) and ``you disobeyed my command'' ment to 34:6. And shall be gathered to too, at the death of Moses, we are told that it (Num. 20:24)? And surely a single one of these four your kin. I have already alluded to what happened ``in broad daylight.'' For the Is- expressions would have been enough. one of the great scholars of this generation raelites had sworn, ``If we see it happening, said about this phrase in my comment to there is no way we will let it happen. The man who brought us out of Egypt? Split the sea Gen. 25:8. [P] for us? Brought down the manna and brought in the quail for us? Brought up the well for 51 By failing to uphold My sanctity. us? Gave us the Torah?ÐNo way will we let him die!'' Said the Holy One, ``I will bring him See my comment to Num. 20:8. in to Me at high noon, and anyone with the power to prevent it can come and do so.'' [O] See Josh. 4:19. [P] Ibn Ezra gives several expla50 As your brother Aaron died. By the same death that you saw and coveted. For nations there, but does not identify a particular scholar. Moses removed the High Priest's vestments from Aaron one by one, dressing Eleazar in each as he removed it from Aaron, so that Aaron saw his son in his glory. Moses said, ``Aaron, my brother, climb up on the bier,'' and he did so. ``Stretch out your arms''Ðhe did so. ``Stretch out your legs''Ðhe did so. ``Shut your eyes''Ðhe shut them. ``Close your mouth''Ðhe closed his mouth and departed. Said Moses, ``Happy the man who dies a death like this.'' 51 For you both broke faith with Me. You caused the people to break faith with Me. By failing to uphold My sanctity. By causing Me not to be sancti®ed. For I told you, ``order the rock to yield its water'' (Num. 20:8). But you struck it instead. Ð And they had

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 48 That very day. The very day on which Moses spoke to them the words of 31:2, ``I am now one hundred and twenty years old'' (Gersonides). 49 Ascend these heights of Abarim to Mount Nebo...and view the land of Canaan. The Holy One had already told Moses this in Num. 27:12, and he had in fact done so several times (Abarbanel). Facing Jericho. But with the Jordan between them (Hizkuni). 50 You shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend. This is the last time you will ascend it. This time you are not coming down (Abarbanel). Literally this is a command to ``die'' on the mountain (see OJPS); that is, ``Accept death so it can atone for your breaking faith with Me'' (Sforno). And shall be gathered to your kin. ``Your'' people (compare OJPS)Ðthe spies whom you insisted on

sending into the land. You will be buried, like them, outside the land, for you were responsibleÐthough inadvertentlyÐfor their dying in the wilderness. Ð But Moses is like them only with regard to the physical ``gathering''; spiritually, he will be ``gathered'' into eternal life and they to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence. Moreover, this is a promise to Moses that, despite being buried in the wilderness, he will be ``gathered'' together spiritually with the Patriarchs in the cave of Machpelah (Abarbanel). Once your death has atoned for your sin, you will be ``bound up in the bundle of life'' (1 Sam. 25:29) with the others like you (Sforno). 51 For you both broke faith with Me. By asking the Israelites, ``Shall we get water for you out of this rock?'' (Num. 20:10), you made it sound impossibleÐso when it actually happened they assumed it was a coincidence. You failed to make clear to them that it was

DEUTERONOMY 32:51±52 HA'AZINU

NJPS

the Israelite people.

52

GRKHBF

You may view the land from a

distance, but you shall not enter itÐthe land that I am giving to

OJPS

in the midst of the children of Israel.

52

For thou shalt

see the land afar off; but thou shalt not go thither into the land

the Israelite people.

RASHI

CN OK ZCE

which I give the children of Israel.''

to strike it twice. If they had

spoken with it, and it had yielded its water without having been struck, the Name of heaven would have been sancti®ed. The Israelites would have said, ``This rock, to which reward and punishment do not applyÐfor if it acts correctly it gets no reward, and if it sins it is not struck with lashesÐit

ı¯‡‰-˙‡ ¤ ®¨ ¨ ¤ ‰‡¯z ´¤ § ¦ „‚pÓ ¤ −¤ ¦ Èk ¬ ¦ 52 :χ¯NÈ «¥ ¨ § ¦ Ÿ ´ ƉnL ½ ¨ ‡Ï È‡-¯L ¬¦ £ ¤ ‡ £ ı¯‡‰-Ï ¤ ¨¾ ¨ ‡¤ ‡B·˙ ¨ ƨ § «¥ ¨ § ¦ È·Ï ¬¥ § ¦ Ô˙ −¥ Ÿ Ù :χ¯NÈ ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

s

must v. 52 repeat, ``You may view the land from a to

mention

``but you shall not enter it.''

the

phrase is in apposition to ``thither'' of the previous phrase (see OJPS).

Once Moses is told

that he will ``view the land of Canaan'' (v. 49), why

distance''?Ðnot

IBN EZRA 52 The land that I am giving to the Israelite people. This added

cruelty

of

adding,

F Since the punishment

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

I who was

giving them the water. That was why you had to hit the rock twice; the water was

nonetheless obeys the commands of its

of not entering the land applies to ``you both,'' Aaron

upset that you had not spoken correctly.

Creator. How much the more so must we!''

as well as Moses, why was Aaron not told to ``view the

As I pointed out in my comment to Num.

land,'' given that Moses was told this three times: here,

20:8, this is the same incident as is de-

52 You may view the land.

Rather,

you ``should'' view it. For if you do not view it now, you shall never more see it in your

3:27, and also Num. 27:12?

From a distance. The literal phrase is ``from opposite''Ðbut the translations understand it correctly. But you shall not enter it. So that is why I am telling you to lifetime.

``Ascend . . . and view'' it (v. 49)Ðfor I know how much you love it.

scribed in Exod. 17:1±7. If the sanctity of the Holy One depended on not hitting the rock, why would He have told Moses to hit it one time and not to hit it another time? (Bekhor Shor). You broke faith with me when you sent the spies into the land; Aaron

did so with the Golden CalfÐa sin so much graver that he was not even permitted to view the land (Abarbanel).

238

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

FMZCF \BHG NJPS This is the blessing with which Moses, the man OJPS And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the of God, bade the Israelites farewell before he died. 2He said: man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2And The LORD came from Sinai; he said: He shone upon them from Seir; The LORD came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them;

33

RASHI 33:1 Before he died.

33

Immedi-

ately before he died. If not now, when? It is

‰Î¯·‰ ˙‡Ê Ÿ´ § ‰LÓ ²¤ Ÿ C¯a ¬© ¥ ¯L ¤¸ ‡ £ ‰Î¯a‰ ¨À ¨ § © ˙‡Ê ÈÙÏ −¥ § ¦ χ¯NÈ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ Èa ´¥ § -˙‡¤ ÌÈ‰Ï −¦ Ÿ ‡‰ ¡ ¨ Lȇ ¬¦ ¯Ó‡i ©À Ÿ © 2 :B˙BÓ « Ƈa¨ ÈÈqÓ º¨ § ¬© ¦ ¦ ‰Â‰È BÓϨ½ ƯÈÚOÓ ¦ ¥ ¦ Á¯Ê ³© ¨ §

the way of the righteous to invoke such bless-

‚Ï

ings when they are about to die, as Isaac does in Genesis 27. That is the straightforward sense of the text. The midrash says that the Angel of Death came to take Moses' soul and he delayed him by offering this blessing ``before Death'' (as the text can be read to say).

2 He said:

He began by praising the

Holy One and only then spoke of Israel's own needs. Nonetheless, his praise of God invokes Israel's merits. All this is intended to seek favor for Israel from God, as if to say, ``These people are deserving of blessing.''

The LORD came from Sinai. When they

came to present themselves at the foot of the mountain, He came forth to meet them as a groom comes forth to welcome a bride. When we read, ``Moses led the people out of

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why is Moses called

``the man of God'' (v. 1), something he has never before been called? F Why does Moses say ``the LORD came from Sinai'' (v. 2) when really the Lord came Sinai? F Since the Torah was given at Sinai and not at Seir or Paran, why are they mentioned here? F Why say that the Lord ``approached from the myriads holy'' (which is what ``Ribeboth-kodesh'' means; see OJPS), when he in fact appears ``the myriads holy''? That is what Zech. 14:5 tells us: ``And the LORD my God, with all the holy beings, will come to you.'' to

with

the camp toward God'' (Exod. 19:17), we learn that He had come forth facing them.

He shone upon them from Seir. He began by

NAHMANIDES 33:1 This is the blessing.

RASHBAM 33:1 This is the blessing. Literally, ``and this is the blessing'' (OJPS),

contrasting it with the previous chapter. After the reproach presented there, Moses returns to blessing the Israelites before going up the mountain to die. That is, ®rst ``Moses recited the words of this poem'' (31:30), and then he recited this chapter. ``This'' was the poem, and now ``this is the blessing.''

2 The LORD came from Sinai. And He He shone upon them from Seir. A light appeared to Israel and gave them His Torah.

shone on them from Seir and Paran (whence

it ``appeared'' by shining). And how did it do

IBN EZRA 33:1 This is the blessing. Corresponding to the blessing of Jacob in Genesis 49. Moses, the man of God. This informs us that Moses was blessing them prophetically. Before he died. That is, just before he diedÐon the day of his death. 2 The LORD came from Sinai. According to Saadia, Sinai, Seir, and Paran are all

According to the way of Truth, the

near each other. He thinks this verse is

phrase should be read, ```This' is the blessing,'' as in `` T his is the L ORD's doing'' (Ps.

about the Israelites receiving the Torah, and

118:23). In the blessing of Jacob, too, we read, `` This is what their father said to them''

the Hebrew preposition is to be understood

(Gen. 49:28). David invokes this blessing as well: `` T his has been my lot, for I have observed Your precepts'' (Ps. 119:56). In that instance it is an allusion to Zion, the City of David, about which we read, ``There the L ORD ordained blessing, everlasting life'' (Ps. 133:3); one who is enlightened will understand. It is this to which our Sages refer in Genesis Rabbah when they have Jacob saying, ``A man will arise in the future to bless you starting from where I leave off.'' Jacob was telling his sons, ``When will these blessings take effect? When you receive the Torah, in which is written, ` T his is the Teaching that Moses set before the Israelites' [4:44].'' For the word this alludes to the blessing that is the TorahÐthe covenant, of which is written, `` T his shall be My covenant'' (Gen. 17:10).

[A] I have mentioned this previously. [B] The man of God. Calling him

this tells us that the blessing will be ful®lled. He is a man of God, and ``the prayer of the upright pleases Him'' (Prov. 15:8). The text calls

our master Moses (and Elijah, and other prophets as well) ``a man of God,'' not ``a man of the Lord,'' though it does call Moses ``the servant of the L ORD'' (34:5). Again, the reason will be obvious to anyone who is enlightened.

2 The LORD came from Sinai.

That is, the Lord came from Sinai to the People of Israel. It was from there that He caused His Shekhi-

nah to dwell in their midst, from which it would never depart. The point is that the Presence descended upon Mount Sinai: ``The L ORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the L ORD called Moses to the top of the mountain'' (Exod. 19:20). The Presence remained there the whole time that Moses was going up and down the mountain: ``Now the Presence of the L ORD appeared in the sight of the Israelites as a consuming ®re on the top of the mountain'' (Exod. 24:17). After the second set of tablets was given to Moses, the Presence settled in the Tent of Meeting:

[C] ``When Moses entered the Tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the en-

trance of the Tent, while He spoke with Moses . . . The L ORD would speak to Moses face to face'' (Exod. 33:9, 11). Once the Tabernacle was erected, the Presence dwelled in the Tabernacle: ``The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of the L ORD ®lled the Tab-

He shone upon them from Seir. When the Israelites ®rst set out from Sinai, ``the cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran'' (Num. 10:12). It ernacle'' (Exod. 40:34). All the rest of the divine communications Moses received during the wilderness period took place there.

[A] The same Hebrew words are found also in Isa. 59:21.

[B] See Nahmanides' comments to Gen. 2:20 and Exod. 25:3.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 33:1 This is the blessing.

[C] Moses' own tent. See the commentators to Exod. 33:7.

The purpose of the blessing was to add to the good, or at least to limit the

bad, that would otherwise have befallen them (Gersonides). Moses understood that the threat of punishment had both positive and negative sides; he wanted to encourage them further by giving them a blessing, which is completely positive. He originally did not intend to give them this blessing, but once the Holy One commanded him to teach them the poem of ch. 32, he did not want to take his leave of them with threats. So he decided to bless them (Abarbanel). In vv. 2±24, his words are addressed to the Holy One in prayer; in vv. 25±29, to the

Moses, the man of God. Also to be understood as ``Moses, the man-god.'' For he had completely separated 2 The LORD came from Sinai. That is, the thunderous voice of the Lord came to Israel from Sinai while they were still in the camp, as we see from Exod. 19:16 (Bekhor Shor). ``Lord'' is a vocative here. The verse is to be understood this way: ``O Lord, the multitudinous holiness [``Ribeboth-kodesh'' of NJPS] came from Sinai, shone upon them from Seir'' and so forth (Sforno). He shone upon them from Seir. It was from this direction that they ®rst saw the lightning; it came from there to Sinai and then spread throughout the earth Israelites themselves (Sforno).

himself from the material world. When the term is applied to Elijah, Elisha, and their like, it does not carry this meaning (Abarbanel).

239 DEUTERONOMY 33:1±2

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

FMZCF \BHG

DN OK ZCE

DEUTERONOMY 33:2 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

FMZCF \BHG

NJPS He appeared from Mount Paran,

OJPS He shined forth from mount Paran,

And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh, Lightning ¯ashing at them from His right.

RASHI

asking

DN OK ZCE

and He came from the myriads holy, at His right hand was a ®ery law unto them.

the inhabitants of Seir

½¨ ¨ ¯‰Ó Ô¯‡t ´© ¥ ÆÚÈÙB‰ © Ʀ Ÿ ´ § ¦ ¥ ‰˙‡Â L„˜ ¤Ÿ ® ˙··¯Ó −¨ ¨ § ¾ ¦ «¦ :BÓÏ«¨ ˙c−¨ L¬‡¥ ˙„˘‡ BÈÓÈÓ

(that is, the descendants of Esau) if they would accept the Torah, but they wouldn't.

He appeared from Mount Paran. For He

went there, to Arabia, and asked the Ish-

RASHBAM that? When it approached from Ribeboth-kodesh. That is, ``from

[amid] the myriads holy'' (OJPS), and from all ``four'' (arba) sides of the ``holy'' (kodesh) mountain of Sinai. The light (along with the

maelites if they would accept the Torah, but

And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh. Rather, ``He came'' to

angels) came via Seir and Paran until it

they wouldn't either.

reached Sinai.

lation of the Hebrew), that is, the ministering angelsÐthough not all of them or even the

His right was ``a ®ery law'' (OJPS), for He

Israel, His people, with some ``of the myriads holy'' (see OJPS for the more literal transmajority. He did not act like a king of ¯esh and blood, who displays glory on the day of his marriage.

NAHMANIDES

all

his wealth and

Lightning ¯ashing at them from His right. Rather,

was from there that the spies were sent: ``So Moses . . . sent them out

from the wilderness of Paran'' (Num. 13:3). From this point on, the people were shunned, and there was no divine communication with Moses until they reached Seir, on the Edomite border, at the end of the 40 years: ``Indeed, the L ORD your God has blessed you in all your undertakings. He has watched over your wanderings through this great wilderness; the L ORD your God has been with you these past forty years'' (2:7). It was then, when they came to Seir, that ``the L ORD became a light to them forever, and their days of mourning were ended'' (to paraphrase Isa. 60:20). At that point He warned them not to

Lightning ¯ashing at them from His right. What ¯ashed at them from spoke the law to Israel from amid the ®re: ``Has any people heard the voice of a god

IBN EZRA

here not as ``from'' but as

``at'': The Lord came to the Israelites ``at'' Sinai

and

the

other

Ribeboth-kodesh.

two

Rather,

mountains.

``the

myriads

holy'' (OJPS)Ðthe angels. The point is that

Shekhinah came down. Lightning ¯ashing at them. This was the Torah, given the

to them amid ®re and lightning. Saadia un-

take any territory from the Edomites, Ammonites, or Moabites, promising that they would

derstands this as a prayerful invocation: ``O

soon begin to take possession of their own land, including the territory of Sihon and Og,

He appeared from Mount Paran. More precisely, he

You who came to the Israelites at Sinai and

the two great kings of the Amorites.

gave the Torah into Israel's possessionÐ

``shined forth'' (OJPS) upon themÐthat is, He turned the light of His countenance on their

may Reuben live and not die'' and so forth.

affairsÐonce they reached Mount Paran, where they entered the great wilderness. For

But this is implausible. In that case, v. 6

when ``the Israelites set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai, the cloud came

ought to read, ``Cause Reuben to live, and

to rest in the wilderness of Paran'' (Num. 10:12). At that point, the Lord turned the light of

do not kill him.'' Those of little faith take

His countenance upon them to see what they needed in the great and terrible wilderness.

Seir and Paran as symbols of the religions of

The same expression is used in Job 10:3, ``shining on the counsel of the wicked,'' where it

Edom and Ishmael,

means, ``You looked and saw, by means of Your great light, all their secret thoughts.''

approached from Ribeboth-kodesh. This is saying that the Presence came to Israel

Can they not see that Moses was blessing

from ``the myriads holy'' on high (OJPS) who descended with Him onto the mountain, as

2±5 are a general blessing of all Israel, after

in ``God's chariots are myriads upon myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is

which he blesses each tribe individually. In

among them as in Sinai in holiness'' (Ps. 68:18).

right. That is, the ``®ery law'' (OJPS) came to them from His right, His SplendorÐnot from

v. 26, the general blessing resumes. With

the angels just mentioned, but from the right hand of the Lord Himself, in His Presence. It

L ORD, when You came forth from Seir, ad-

is possible that ``the myriads holy'' is simply another way of saying ``His myriad holiness,''

vanced from the

like ``Holy, holy, holy! The L ORD of Hosts!'' (Isa. 6:3)Ðwith all kinds of holiness. The

is therefore not a mountain. Ps. 68:8±9 tell

``®ery law'' is literally ``a ®re of law,'' referring to the Israelites' experience at Sinai, when

us, ``O God, when You went at the head of

they ``heard His voice out of the ®re'' (5:21). Or perhaps the Hebrew phrase is to be

Your army, when You marched through the

understood as ``®re

law,'' meaning that He showed them the heavenly ®re at the same

desert, Selah. The earth trembled, the sky

time that He let them hear the law: ``On earth He let you see His great ®re; and from amidst

rained because of God, yon Sinai, because

and

And

Lightning ¯ashing at them from His

[A] but they are in error.

``the Israelites'' (v. 1) alone? In my view, vv.

regard to Seir, notice that Deborah sings, ``O ®eld

of Edom'' ( Judg. 5:4). It

of God, the God of Israel,'' but the time when the Shekhinah ``marched through the desert'' was not the day of the giving of the Torah; it was only after they left the wilderness of Paran that they entered the desert. Habakkuk says, ``God is coming from Teman'' (Hab. 3:3), which belongs to the Edomites, as we know from Gen. 36:11. It is the same as saying ``from the country of Edom'' ( Judg. 5:4). Really all these texts are talking about the wars the Israelites fought: ``God will arise, His enemies shall be scattered, His foes shall ¯ee before Him'' (Ps. 68:2). When the Holy One rescues His servants, the text pictures help coming down from the Lord in the form of physical disturbances: the earth quakes, the mountains topple, and the heavens shake (see again Ps. 68:9 and my comment there). Here too ``the Lord came'' means that the Presence entered

He shone upon them from Seir,'' that means that

among the Israelites, and that the beginning of the process took place at Sinai. As for ``

the Holy One did not display His might among the nations the whole time Israel was in the wilderness, until Israel came to the country of Edom. Note the connection between the ``hill country of Seir'' and ``El-paran, which is by the wilderness'' in Gen. 14:6; Seir and Paran are close to each other. Clearly the point here is that the Lord ``shone upon them'' starting ``from'' the time they reached Seir. That is when the Presence began to shine upon Israel. ``

[A] Christianity and Islam.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

He appeared from Mount Paran'' is simply a repetition of the same idea in other words. It was at

(Bekhor Shor).

He appeared from Mount Paran. Seir and Paran are east of Sinai; since the Israelites'

journey took them from west to east, when the Lord wished to meet them He approached from that direction (Hizkuni). Evidently Paran is just another name for Mount Seir. But ``from'' here means ``on account of,'' as in ``It was verse means that He approached

on account of

from

the sins of her prophets'' of Lam. 4:13; so our

``the myriads holy'' (Gersonides). The three phrases refer to the three beginnings of God's

love for Israel: (1) at Sinai, when they accepted the Torah; (2) earlier, when Esau was given Mount Seir and rejected in favor of Jacob; and (3) even earlier, when Ishmael was sent off to ``the wilderness of Paran'' and Isaac was chosen. That was when the Holy One ``appeared from Paran'' (Abarbanel).

And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh. This line is parallel to ``The L

ORD

came from Sinai,'' just as the

240

241 DEUTERONOMY 33:3 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

OJPS

3Lover,

indeed, of the people, Their hallowed are all in Your hand. They followed in Your steps, Accepting Your pronouncements,

RASHI

He loveth the peoples, all His holy onesÐthey are in Thy hand; and they sit down at Thy feet, receiving of Thy words.

``a ®er y law unto them from His

that had been written before Him of old in black ®re on white ®re, in the form of tablets by

His

own

right

hand.

Another

reading: As Onkelos translates it, not ``a ®er y law,'' but ``®re-given.'' He gave it

3Yea,

½¦ © ··Á ÌÈnÚ ´¥ Ÿ Û‡© μ3 E„Èa ®¤ ¨ § ÂÈL„˜-Ïk −¨ Ÿ § ¨ EÏ‚¯Ï ¤½ § © § ekz ´ ª Æ̉ ¥§ :EÈ˙¯acÓ «¤ Ÿ § © ¦ ‡OÈ −¨ ¦

right'' (compare OJPS). He gave them a law

written

to them

RASHBAM

speaking out of a ®re, as you

[A]

have?'' (4:33).

T his is precisely what we

®nd in Psalms, ``God's chariots are myriads upon myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them as in Sinai in holiness'' (Ps. 68:18); in Habakkuk, ``God is coming from Teman, the Holy One from Mount

from amid the ®re.

3 Lover, indeed, of the people.

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

Paran. Selah. His majest y covers the skies'' Rather, of ``the peoples'' (OJPS)Ðthe tribes. He loved

(Hab.

3:3);

and

with

Deborah,

``O

L ORD,

them intensely. Each of the tribes is individually called ``a people'' here, as God told Jacob:

when You came forth from Seir, advanced

``A nation, yea an assembly of nations, shall descend from you'' (Gen. 35:11). For Ben-

from the countr y of Edom'' ( Judg. 5:4).

3 Lover, indeed, of the people.

jamin (the ``nation'' of that verse) and Manasseh and Ephraim (the ``assembly of nations'') had not yet been born when God told him this.

Their hallowed are all in Your hand. They followed in Your

T he souls of the righteous are stored away with Him: ``T he life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life in the care of the L ORD'' (1 Sam. 25:29).

steps.

T he verb actually derives from the preposition ``among.'' T hey indeed deserved

to be bound up in the care of the Lord, for they ``followed''Ðliterally, ``they amonged

NAHMANIDES

that ®re you heard His words'' (4:36). According to the way of Truth,

it is also saying that the ®re (which is the law) is from His right hand. For the divine aspect of justice is intert wined with that of mercy. Our Sages take the verse this way:

The LORD came from Sinai He shone upon them

also loved such non-Israelites as the ``mixed multitude''

[A]

(Exod.

Rashbam's

comment

12:38) as

we

and such of

have

it

says

not

``as

the you

have'' but ``like us.''

IBN EZRA And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh. that point that He began to

display

His

splendor.

In

my

view,

the

to give the Torah to

Hebrew punctuation is misleading. It should

Ðthe Is-

not be ``He came from the myriads holy, at

, where He had appeared to the descendants of Esau to offer the Torah

His right hand was a ®er y law'' (as OJPS

Israel in the sense that He appeared to them from there.

from Seir

raelitesÐ

Rather,

of ``the peoples'' (OJPS). For the Holy One

with

to them. W hen they declined to receive it, He shone His countenance on the Israelites and

translates), but ``He came

gave it to them with ``His right hand, His arm, and the light of His countenance'' (Ps. 44:4),

holy at His right hand'' to surround Israel,

for He favored them.

like the ``horses and chariots of ®re'' (2 Kings

He appeared from Mount Paran

in the same way, after the Ish-

maelites in their turn declined the Torah. T he verse is explaining how great the Israelites' merit was in accepting the Torah after all the other nations said they did not want it. T he

the myriads

Lightning

6:17) that Elisha's servant saw.

¯ashing at them.

Not ``lightning ¯ashing,''

verse says that none of the descendants of Abraham had any desire for it but Israel. In

but ``a ®er y law'' (OJPS), where the Hebrew

fact, as our tradition explains, He appeared to all the other nations as well, not just the

word for ``law'' implies that it is ®xed and

descendants of Abraham; but none of them wanted the Torah.

permanent.

3 Lover, indeed, of the people.

``Lover'' has been explained as derived from Ara-

3 Lover, indeed, of the people.

maic. T he verse would be saying that He loves Israel, which is comprised of many ``peo-

``Lover'' here is from Aramaic; see Onkelos's

ples'' (as OJPS literally translates), as we read in Judg. 5:14, where Benjamin is described

translation of

as being ``among your peoples.''

T he hallowed

possession'' (Exod. 19:5). ``T he people'' here

ones of Israel would then be the Levites. Saying that they are ``in Your hand'' would mean

is indeed Israel, though the Hebrew word is

that `` You drew them near to You, to have them camp around the Ark.'' But it appears to

in fact plural (see OJPS); for a similar ex-

me that

ample, see v. 19, where ``their kin'' is really

Their hallowed are all in Your hand.

h. obeb is not ``lover'' at all, but is related to h. ubbi of ``Did I hide my transgressions like Adam, bur y my wrongdoing in my bosom?'' ( Job 31:33), heh . abeh of ``to hide in the innermost room'' (1 Kings 22:25), and h. ebyon of ``therein His glor y is enveloped'' (Hab. 3:4). T he verse is saying, `` You hide the peoples''Ðthe ``hallowed'' ones of Israel that the verse goes on to mention. T he verse is hinting that ``all the communit y are holy'' (Num. 16:3), and that the Lord will hide them in His hand, as in ``I put My words in your mouth

``you shall be

My

treasured

``peoples'' (there is a similar example in Judg.

Their hallowed. in Your hand. followed in Your steps. 5:14).

T he Levites.

Because

they are

Are all They

camped

around the Ark, under Your protection. T hey

tukku

will follow

and sheltered you with My hand'' (Isa. 51:16); `` You are my hiding place and my shield''

your path. T his verb

(Ps. 119:114); `` T hey take counsel against Your hidden ones'' (Ps. 83:4). Our verse is an

Bible, unrelated to any other word, though

allusion to `` You, O L ORD, appear in plain sight when Your cloud rests over them'' (Num.

some take it to be connected with the pre-

14:14). T hat is just what we read in the Song of Moses: ``He engirded him, watched over

position

him, guarded him as the pupil of His eye'' (32:10).

were

they were ``smitten,'' with

\

replacing

F

They followed in Your steps.

Rather,

(both of them indicators of the feminine) as in

``pampered'' of Hosea 11:3, ``sleep'' of Ps. 132:4, ``hundred'' of Eccles. 8:12, and many other examples. `` T hey were willing to accept blow after blow in order to follow You in the

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Lightning ¯ashing. 3 Lover, indeed, of the people, their hallowed are all in Your hand.

mi-tok

saying

(``among''),

that

they

is unique in the

as

``walk

God's steps. Others think

\

if in

the

verse

between''

here replaces

F

(which sometimes happens, e.g. in ``I have

pampered

Ephraim''

of

Hosea

11:3).

T his

lines about Seir and Paran are parallel to each other (Gersonides). T he Presence and the light came to

Israel by means of the ``myriads holy,'' that is, the separate intelligences; but the ``®er y law'' came to them directly from the ``right hand'' of the Lord (Abarbanel).

T his is one of 15 cases where the written text has a single word that is to be read out loud as

two words (Masorah).

T he Holy One loves ``the peoples'' (OJPS) only because those

few among them who are ``hallowed'' put themselves in His hands by convertingÐin contrast to the Israelites of the next phrase, all of whom put themselves in God's power (Bekhor Shor). He indeed loves all ``the peoples'' of the earth; see my comments to Exod. 19:5. Nonetheless, ``hallowed'' Israel is held protectively in His hand (Sforno).

They followed in Your steps.

Rather, ``they suffer blows [from

the other nations] in order to follow at Your feet.'' In their case, all their ``hallowed ones'' put themselves ``in Your hand'' and go into exile

DEUTERONOMY 33:4±5 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

OJPS

4When

Moses charged us with the Teaching As the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5Then He became King in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people assembled, The tribes of Israel together.

RASHI Your pronouncements.

themselves''Ðright

the

mountain,

Your

footstool.

commanded us a law, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. 5And there was a king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.

4Moses

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underneath

Accepting

T hey accepted the

yoke of Your Torah. T he noun ``pronouncements'' does not come from the Piel form of

[A]

the verb, but from the re¯exive Hitpael

of ``Moses . . . would hear the Voice address-

ing him'' (Num. 7:89; see also Ezek. 2:2).

RASHBAM

others

as

converted

and

came along with Israel to receive the Torah. He accepted them and rested upon them: ``God will arise, His enemies shall be scattered'' (Ps. 68:2), after which it says, ``God's chariots are myriads upon myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among

[B]

them as in Sinai in holiness'' (Ps. 68:18).

`` Your pronouncements'' are ``the words You would pronounce to Yourself, in my hearing, for me to say to them.'' Onkelos takes the

242

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

P of the Hebrew noun as the preposition ``from'':

they would travel ``from,'' on account of, ``your words.'' Another reading of the whole verse:

[B]

It is not clear how this proves Rashbam's point. Since the

standard text of Rashbam's commentar y to Deuteronomy ends here, it seems likely that even this comment is truncated.

Lover, indeed, of the people. their hallowed are all in IBN EZRA FM [B] Your hand. They followed in Your steps. accepting Your pronouncements 4 Moses charged us with the Teaching as the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. Even when you were a lover of the other peoples, dis-

would

playing a kindly face to them and putting Israel in their power,

All the good and righteous ones among Israel held fast resolutely to You, and

You guarded them.

T hey gathered amid Your shadow,

R,

Hophal of

make

giving

our

verb

a

the translation

``they would be smitten at Your feet,'' implying that even if they were beaten on Your

, decrees and laws gladly, saying . . .

account,

they

would

not

abandon

Your

T his is in the voice of the Israelites: the Teaching with which Moses charged us

wordÐbut this is implausible. Correctly un-

(see the Hebrew word order) is a heritage for the congregation of JacobÐwe have seized it

derstood, it means that they are ``pulled in

and will not let go of it.

Your steps,'' that is, they walk toward the

5 Then He became King in Jeshurun. When the heads of the people assembled.

T he yoke of the Holy One's kingdom is always

on ``Jeshurun''ÐIsrael.

[A]

W henever the

See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

place where the Ark is, for that is the ``footstool'' for the ``feet'' (OJPS) of the Lord.

cepting Your pronouncements.

Ac-

T hey will

teach the Torah, for they are the ones who

NAHMANIDES

wilderness wherever You might lead them, paying no mind to hunger

and thirst or to the attacks of serpents and scorpions. T hey went forth `at Your feet' [compare OJPS] and even ran after You.'' T he Lord Himself acknowledges this in ``I accounted to your favor the devotion of your youth, your love as a brideÐhow you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown'' ( Jer. 2:2).

Accepting Your pronouncements.

Not ``accepting'' but ``pronouncing,'' as in `` You shall not swear falsely by the name of the L ORD your God'' (5:11); ``their names will not pass my lips'' (Ps. 16:4); ``T he other will thereupon protest '' (Isa. 3:7). T he verse is saying that the Israelites will have `` Your pronouncements'' on their lips, reciting them constantly.

4 Moses charged us with the Teaching.

``W hen'' is not in the Hebrew (see OJPS).

W hat the Israelites will constantly be ``pronouncing'' (v. 3) are the words of this verse. T he teaching Moses commanded them to repeat will be the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. Each generation of the descendants of Jacob will leave it to the next, and they will keep it for all time: ``It will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring'' (31:21).

heritage of the congregation of Jacob.

The

T he Sages say Moses deliberately chose the word

``congregation'' here (rather than ``house'' or ``offspring'') to imply that many others would congregate together with them, and that the Torah would always be the heritage both of Jacob and of those who congregate with himÐ``the foreigners who attach themselves to the L ORD, to minister to Him'' (Isa. 56:6), the strangers who ``shall join them and shall cleave to the House of Jacob'' (Isa. 14:1). T hey will all be called his ``congregation.''

5 Then He became King in Jeshurun.

T hen HeÐ``the L ORD'' of v. 2Ðbecame King

over Israel, when they acted rightly and both the heads of the people and all the tribes of Israel assembled together. T his verse is a natural continuation of the previous one, in the

transmit the Oral Torah. T he Hebrew verb is singular, implying that each of them will do so. But in fact the verb means ``to bear,'' as in `` You must not carr y false rumors'' (Exod. 23:1). But of course they also ``bear'' the Torah in the most literal sense, since they are the ones who carr y the Ark. T he blessing as a whole is this: that the Holy One would be a wall of ®re around the Israelites; that they would be His treasured possession; and that the Levites would always teach the Torah.

4 When Moses charged us with the Teaching.

T here is no ``when'' in the He-

brew (see OJPS). T he ``Teaching'' is the Torah that the Levites are to bear; see the previous comment. Each generation must tell it to the next, saying, ``We have transmitted precisely what Moses spoke; that is the her-

As the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. itage in our hands.''

T he English trans-

lations insert ``of '' (which is not in the Hebrew) and omit the ``to'' that is really in the ®rst half of the verse: ``Moses commanded to us a law'' (OJPS). In fact, that preposition is doing double dut y; it is a heritage ``com-

manded'' (OJPS) to the congregation of Jacob as well as to the Levites. Or possibly, as in the Hebrew syntax of ``the prophecy [of ] Oded the prophet'' (2 Chron. 15:8), the Teaching with which the Levites are charged is indeed ``the heritage [of ] the congregation of Jacob.''

5 Then He became King in Jeshurun.

Well, ``there was a king in Jeshurun'' (OJPS), but it was Moses, when the ``heads of the

people'' heard the Torah from his lips. T hat made him the equivalent of a king, and naturally

[B]

the heads of the people assembled

, that is,

See Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew.''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

for Your sake (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``they went inside [their tents, acquiescing] to [the one who was] at

Accepting Your pronouncements. 4 When Moses charged us with the Teaching. 5 Then He became King in Jeshurun.

Your feet,'' that is, Moses (Gersonides).

Literally, ``bearing'' them, happily enduring the ®rst two of

the commandments, which You Yourself pronounced (Hizkuni).

T he numerical value of torah (``Teaching'') is 611. Israel heard the ®rst two

commandments from the Holy One and the rest of the 613 commandments from Moses (Bekhor Shor). W hen Moses ful®lled God's command in 4:10, ``Gather the people to Me that I may let them

243 DEUTERONOMY 33:6 NJPS RASHI

6May

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

OJPS

Reuben live and not die,

Israelites

are

assembled

to-

each individual, as in Exod. 30:12, when a census is taken by counting ``heads.'' Another reading: whenever they are assembled

6Let

DN OK ZCE

Reuben live, and not die

Ÿ ® ¨ ‡Â ˙ÓÈ-Ï © § Ô·e‡¯ −¥ § ÈÁÈ ¬¦ § 6

gether, they deserve to have Me bless them. The ``heads'' here are not the leaders, but

FMZCF \BHG

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

A more general question deals with the blessings that follow, starting in v. 6. Are they prayers or are they predictions?

IBN EZRA

the tribal leaders gathered

around him. This interpretation con®rms that the Torah was given both to the priests (which, in my opinion, is what ``their hallowed'' of v. 3 means) and, as we see here, also to the elders of Israel. Remember what

together as one and there is peace among

we read earlier: ``Gather to me all the elders

them, He is their KingÐbut not when there is controversy separating them.

And not die. In the World to Come. Let the Bilhah

of your tribes and your of®cials'' (31:28).

following sense. The Jews will say, ``The teaching that Moses

and he interpreted ``In those days there was

6 May Reuben live.

NAHMANIDES

In this world.

charged us with will always be a heritage of the congregation of Jacob until the end of time. We may never change or alter it.'' It says that He became King over Israel when the ``heads''Ðour elders and of®cialsÐgathered together with all the tribes of Israel because all of us together accepted His kingship over us for all generations, and we are obligated to keep His Torah and His kingship forever. This was the First Commandment: ``I the L ORD am your God'' (Exod. 20:2)Ðthe acceptance of the kingdom of heaven, as I explained in my comment there. Our passage refers to the Torah in general and then speci®cally to the kingdom of heaven because anyone who accepts the kingdom of heaven thereby rejects all forms of idolatry and accepts the entire Torah. The implication of the verses is that the Israelites and their leaders accepted the Torah directly from the mouth of the Almighty; that they saw that He was the King and Redeemer of Israel; and that they accepted the Torah from the mouth of Moses. They agreed, on their own behalf and on that of their offspring, to believe in him and to do everything that he would command them on behalf of the King: ``You tell us everything that the L ORD our God tells you, and we will willingly do it'' (5:24). All this explains the verse clearly and accurately on the basis of the discussion on B. RH 32b, and we ®nd similar explanationsÐthat the kingship of the Holy One occurs when all Jews are united, as I have explainedÐin the Sifrei and in Numbers Rabbah. The ``King'' in this verse is therefore the Holy One. That is why we recite it as one of the kingship verses in the additional service on Rosh Hashanah. But there are other midrashim in which ``king'' of our verse is applied instead to Moses. It would then be saying that he became king over the whole tribe of us together when he commanded the Torah to us as an inheritance to the congregation of Jacob, so we ought to obey his commandments, for he was a great and wise king over us. The verse would then be speaking respectfully of God's agent as well, declaring his greatness and saying that we ought to believe in him. But the true and correct explanation is the one that we have given. The Holy One dwells among Israel; all the tribes as one accepted His Torah and His kingship upon themselves and upon their descendants for all future generations. So they are certainly deserving of the blessings that now follow.

6

Ibn Ezra's explanation for the omission of Simeon (in line with Rashi and the other

commentators) is based on ``the drastic reduction'' in the census counts of the Simeonites.

Judah Halevi of blessed memory used to say that ``king'' here is an allusion to the Torah, no king in Israel'' of Judges ( Judg. 17:6, 18:1, and 21:25) in the same way.

6

Moses begins, as is proper, with Reu-

ben, the ®rstborn. Note that he omits Simeon because of the Baal-peor incident,

[C]

for

the ones who worshiped Baal-peor were Simeonites, as the drastic reduction in their numbers from Num. 1:23 to Num. 26:14 proves; remember that the man who was killed was a chieftain of theirs. Or perhaps in omitting Simeon Moses is simply following the lead of Jacob, who did not bless Simeon and Levi. Moses does bless Levi, however, out of respect for Aaron. But there was no leader of that stature among the Simeonites. If you counter by asking why he blessed Reuben,

[D]

the answer is that

when Jacob says to him, ``you shall excel no longer'' (Gen. 49:4), that actually is a blessingÐliterally, that he should no longer be ``left over,'' becoming once again like the rest of his brothers. But Moses puts the blessing for Judah immediately after that of Reuben because Judah was the head of one of the four divisions of the Israelite army

[E]

and would lead them into battle. Levi comes next, followed by Benjamin, because the Levites lived in Jerusalem, which is divided

[C] See

[D] Who was also [E] See Num. 2:3±9.

Numbers 25.

blessing by Jacob.

not given a

But in my opinion these numbers do not prove his point. Going from 59,300 in Num. 1:23 to 22,200 in Num. 26:14 is a reduction of 37,100. Since ``those who died of the plague numbered twenty-four thousand'' (Num. 25:9), the census numbers still leave more than 13,000 unaccounted for. Some of the other tribes also lost population: Gad (5,000) and Ephraim (8,000). In the story itself we are told that ``Israel attached itself to Baal-peor'' (Num. 25:3), and that the Holy One told Moses, ``Take

all the chiefs of the people and have them publicly impaled'' (Num. 25:4). Evidently the wrongdoers came from every tribe and were judged by the magistrates of every tribe. The story continues, ``I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion.'' (God's reacting to the crime of Achan by saying, in Josh. 7:11, ``Israel has sinned!'' is no counterargument; the sinner had not yet been publicly revealed at that point.) The fact that Zimri, who was stabbed, was a Simeonite means nothing. He was ``chieftain of a Simeonite ancestral house'' (Num. 25:14), not of the entire tribe. Those who participated in the Korah rebellion, as ``chieftains of the community'' (Num. 16:2), far outranked him, yet even they were not followed by their entire tribes. Finally, the poetic description of these incidents in Ps. 106:16±31 once again ascribes them to the entire people. God forbid that Moses should refrain from blessing Simeon and thereby blot out an entire tribe from Israel. Those ``who attached themselves to Baal-peor'' (Num. 25:5) had already been wiped out by this time, as Moses himself had stated: ``The L ORD your God wiped out from among you every person who followed Baal-peor, while you, who held fast to the L ORD your

God, are all alive today'' (4:3±4). Why would he not bless them? They had all made the calf and sinned in the spies incident, yet their sin was expiated and he blessed them. A source I found in Numbers Rabbah says that six Israelite families were involved in the Baal-peor

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS hear My words'' (Bekhor Shor). Apparently this king is Saul; it was in his day that the tribes ``assembled'' to request a king from Samuel. But it could even refer to Rehoboam, since the tribes assembled before him too (Gersonides). 6 It is unbelievable that Nahmanides would say Moses simply omitted Simeon so there would be no more than 12 tribesÐespecially since he himself emphasizes in his comment to Gen. 48:6 that Joseph's ®rstborn status brought him a double portion of land, but

not that

his two sons should be called ``tribes.'' This you will never ®nd anywhere, unless Levi is counted separately from the 12. Simeon is omitted because this blessing is about territory. Moses blessed the sons of Leah and Rachel in the order of their inheritance, and according to Judg. 1:3, Simeon joined Judah for territorial purposes. The blessing then continues with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, alternately, in birth order (Abarbanel).

May Reuben live and not die. When they cross the Jordan at the head of the Israelites to engage in

DEUTERONOMY 33:6 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

OJPS

Though few be his numbers.

RASHI Though few be his numbers. incident

not

be

accounted

him.

to

let ``his men'' (see OJPS) be part of ``the number.'' Let him continue to be counted with the rest of his brothers, following the example of Gen. 35:22, ``Reuben went and

NAHMANIDES

in that his men become few.

IBN EZRA

Ò :¯tÒÓ «¨ § ¦ ÂÈ˙Ó −¨ § ȉÈ ¬¦ ¦

Rather,

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

244

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

bet ween

the

territories

of

Judah and Benjamin, as we see by comparing Josh. 15:8 and Josh. 18:16, respectively.

If these are prayers,

why is there no prayer for Moses himself, and why (in any case) would such prayers appear here?

[F]

Next comes Joseph, who could not pos-

sibly be mentioned any later than this since his younger brother, Benjamin, has already preceded him; Zebulun, because of his re-

affair, ®ve from Benjamin and just one from Simeon. So in their

opinion Benjamin had far outsinned Simeon even in that particular incidentÐyet Ben-

sachar. After the sons of Leah and Rachel have

jamin is certainly included here in the blessings. In my view, the solution is to be found in the fact that the text never enumerates more than 12 tribes. In the blessing of Jacob, this is stated explicitly: ``All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number'' (Gen. 49:28). Jacob named all 12 of his sons, making Joseph a single tribe, but Moses names both the Josephite tribes (see v. 17). T here were t wo reasons for this. First, the Holy One had commanded that they be treated as t wo separate tribes for the dedication of the altar, the militar y divisions, and the allocation of the land.

[D]

So Mo-

ses certainly had to treat them here as t wo separate tribes. Second, because Joshua would be the one who would allocate the land to the tribes, his tribe Ephraim had to be mentioned, and this forced Moses to mention as well Ephraim's older brother, Manasseh. Moses also wanted to mention Levi, since from their blessing all Israel would be blessed to have their sacri®ces ``win acceptance for them before the L ORD'' (Exod. 28:38). So one of the other tribes simply had to be left out. Again, there is not one place that mentions more than 12 tribes, corresponding to the 12 constellations of the zodiac, the 12 months of the year, and the 12 diagonal boundaries called by

nown as a warrior; and along with him Is-

Sefer Yetzirah ``the arms of the world.'' We

read on B. Ber. 32b that the Holy One told the prophet, ``Go tell the Assembly of Israel, `I created 12 constellations in the ®rmament, corresponding to the 12 tribes.' ''

[E] [F]

Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, when Levi is counted, Joseph is one tribe, not t wo.

On In

Ezekiel 48, the division of the land mentions Ephraim and Manasseh, but not Levi; yet the gates named for the tribes at the end of that chapter include gates for Levi and Joseph, but not for Ephraim and Manasseh. As I pointed out in my comment to Num. 17:17, whenever the tribes are listed, there can only be 12 of them. Simeon was left out because his tribe

been

with the

enumerated,

sons

of

their

Moses

continues

maidservantsЮrst

with Gad, who was in the same division as two of

the higher-ranking

sons;

[G]

Dan,

who was the leader of a division of his own;

[H]

and then Naphtali, who was older than

Asher.

May Reuben live and not die.

In

saying, ``May Reuben live,'' Moses is offering a prayer for him rather than invoking blessing. He also prays that Reuben ``not die,'' for, like a man, a tribe whose days are numbered might ``live'' to the end of them and then die out.

bers.

Though few be his num-

Rather, ``and let his men

(contrast

OJPS),

using

``not''

not of

be few'' the

®rst

half of the line again here. As I have explained many

times, this is common; see

(e.g.) the Hebrew of Prov. 30:3, as well as

[F]

Ibn Ezra merely says, ``so it is written,'' without specify-

ing where. Ezek. 48:22 also describes Jerusalem being divided between Judah and Benjamin, and Judg. 1:8 and 1:21 seem to

[G]

indicate this as well.

See Num. 2:10±16.

[H]

See

Num. 2:25±31.

was not a large one, and his blessing from their father, Jacob, was not great. But he said of them, ``I will divide them in Jacob, scatter them in Israel'' (Gen. 49:7), so they would be blessed via the blessing of the tribes in whose midst they were. As for the order of the tribes here in the Blessing of Moses, by means of the Holy Spirit they were listed in the order in which the land was apportioned to them. Reuben received his allocation ®rstÐhe was, after all, the ®rstbornÐand Moses prayed that his name might not be wiped out for his sin. He thus awarded him, by means of this blessing, the status of ®rstborn. T hen Judah was promoted out of turn, because he was the ®rst to get his portion in the land itself, west of the Jordan, and because ``a leader came from him, though the birthright belonged to Joseph'' (1 Chron. 5:2). He was also the one who would lead Israel into war (which is the subject of his blessing), and so all Israel is included with him. Next, Moses blessed Levi, whose tribe was stationed with the Judahites in Jerusalem, where their offerings would win acceptance. T hen he blessed Benjamin, whose territor y was adjacent to that of Judah, since both the cit y of Jerusalem and the sanctuar y itself were split between those t wo tribes, the Levites being stationed with both of them. He then blessed the t wo sons of Joseph, since the territor y that fell to the lot of Benjamin ``lay bet ween the Judites and the Josephites'' ( Josh. 18:11). T hen he completed the blessings belonging to the sons of the chief wives, Leah and Rachel, giving precedence to Zebulun over Issachar just as Jacob had done (Gen. 49:13±14). And in the actual apportionment ``the third lot'' did indeed ``emerge for the Zebulunites'' ( Josh. 19:10) and ``the fourth lot fell to Issachar'' ( Josh. 19:17). Finally he blessed the sons of Leah's and Rachel's maidservants, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher (all in birth order, and indeed they were together in a militar y division);

[G]

allocation in advance, with Reuben, to whose division he belonged.

May Reuben live and not die.

T hat is, may the

understands the phrase to say, ``may his men

but Gad was bumped ahead of all three of them because he took his

[H]

tribe of Reuben survive and never die out. Though few be his numbers. Ibn Ezra

not be numbered.'' But it is more correct to explain the verse as follows: May Reuben live as

part of Israel, and may there never come a time when his tribe dies out; ``may his men be in the number,'' that is, may they be numbered among the Israelites forever. Moses is praying that his sin when he ``mounted [his] father's bed'' (Gen. 49:4) and the great anger his father felt for him not cause his name to be cut off from Israel. T he original description of that incident makes the same point: ``Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Israel found out. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve in number'' (Gen. 35:22). Despite his sin,

[D] [H]

See Numbers 7, Numbers 2, and Numbers 34, respectively.

[E]

In our texts the Holy One speaks directly to the Assembly of Israel.

[F]

See 27:12.

[G]

See Num. 2:25±31.

See Num. 2:10±16.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

battle (Bekhor Shor). As a result of the king of v. 5 being chosen. Reuben here stands for the Ten Tribes

deported by the Assyrians, a result that was set in motion by the establishment of the kingship (Gersonides). W hy should Reuben ``live and not die'' any more than the rest of the tribes? Reuben the man had been dead 250 years by now, and if his tribe were to be punished for his sin, it would have happened in Jacob's day, not now. But ``long live'' So-and-So is invoked only for a king or other militar y leader, which is what the tribe of Reuben would be when they crossed the river. As for ``not die,'' Jacob said in Gen. 49:4 that Reuben was ``not to exceed''; Moses blessed him that at least he should also not diminish (Abarbanel). ``May Reuben live'' even though he chose to live in an unclean land, east of the Jordan, rather than in the land of the Lord (Sforno).

Though few be his numbers.

Rather, ``let his men [remain]

a number''Ðlet them return home from battle with the same number of men as crossed the river in the ®rst place (Bekhor Shor).

245 DEUTERONOMY 33:7 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

OJPS

7And

this he said of Judah: Hear, O L ORD the voice of Judah And restore him to his people. Though his own hands strive for him, Help him against his foes.

RASHI

this for Judah, and he said: Hear, L ORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him in unto his people; his hands shall contend for him, and Thou shalt be a help against his adversaries.

cease to be counted among them.

7 And this he said of Judah.

cause

both

son, of

comes

them

after

admitted

According

to

our

Sages,

this

15:18±19

tell

us:

``T hat

which

their

is

be-

sins.

what wise

Job men

have admitted . . . To whom alone the land was

given,

no

stranger

passing

between

them'' when Moses blessed them. T he Sages further

explain

that

Judah's

bones

were

turning in their casket for the entire 40 years they were carried through the wilderness, as a result of

the ostracism that he had ac-

cepted upon himself: ``If I do not bring him back to you, I shall stand guilt y before my father

forever''

World

to

(Gen.

Come.

44:32)Ðeven

Moses

ep‡È·z ®¤ ¦ § BnÚ-Ï − © ‡Â ¤§ BϽ ·¯´¨ ÆÂȄȨ ¨ Ò :‰È‰z «¤ § ¦ ÂȯvÓ −¨ ¨ ¦ ¯ÊÚ ¤¬ ¥ §

Judah, the

Reuben

thought,

in

the

``Should

7And

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lay with Bilhah . . . Now the sons

of Jacob were t welve in number.'' He did not

fourth-born

IBN EZRA not

make

Again,

the

my comment to ``but I did

Myself tribe

of

known'' Reuben

of

Exod.

might

6:3.

survive

forever but be few in number. T he Hebrew here literally says, ``let his men [not] be a number,'' for anything that can actually be counted is few in number. You will ®nd the same phrase in ``my men are few in number''

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

If they are predictions, are they not in con¯ict with the blessings (and curses) already mentioned in chs. 27±28? F If the blessings given by Jacob to his sons and those given by Moses to the tribes were all ``given by one Shepherd'' (Eccles. 12:11), why do they not agree in every particular? See in particular the blessings of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. F Why does Moses bless the tribes in this particular order? It does not match either their birth order or the military arrangement of Numbers 2. F Why does Moses bless only 11 tribes, and omit Simeon entirely?

Reuben `live and not die,' even in the World

of Gen. 34:30.

7 And this he said of Judah.

Rather,

``And this for Judah, and he said'' (OJPS), that is, for Judah too Moses prays that he ``live and not die,'' adding the blessing that

Hear, O LORD the voice of Judah. And restore him to his people. follows.

W hen he goes forth to battle. For he would go up against the enemy ®rst.

To the camp in Gilgal.

Or perhaps this is a more general prayer that he return home after ®ghting in the lands of the enemy.

to Come, while `this' happens to Judah? After all, who caused Reuben to confess? Judah!''

[B] Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah.

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

for him.

Though his own hands strive

Rather, ``though his own hands are

T hat is, the prayers of the kings descended from

[C] And restore him to his Though his own hands strive for him. Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah

Judah: David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah.

people. Help him against his foes.

Bring him back from battle in peace.

T hey ®ght his battles and wreak his vengeance.

T his refers speci®cally to Jehoshaphat and the battle of Ramoth-gilead, when ``Jehoshaphat cried out and the

L ORD helped him'' (2 Chron. 18:31). Another reading: T he ``hear'' (shema) of

[B] [C]

alludes to a blessing for

According to the Sifrei, when Judah admitted that Tamar was ``more in the right than I'' (Gen. 38:26), Reuben too was moved to admit, ``I acted wrongly, mounting my father's couch.'' For David, the psalms; for Solomon, 1 Kings 8:23±53; for Asa, 2 Chron. 14:10; for Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 20:6±12; for Hezekiah, 2 Kings 19:15±19.

NAHMANIDES

he remained among their number. (See Rashi's comment here.) Again, the Hebrew word in our phrase does not

mean ``few'' (NJPS) but ``his men'' (OJPS). All the men of his tribe should merit survival, and not even a small portion of the tribe should be cut off on account of his sin. Perhaps ``his men'' refers to the four heads of the Reubenite clans.

[I]

As for reading ``number'' as ``in the

number,'' see the Hebrew of 22:21, of Exod. 30:20, and of many other examples where the Hebrew text must be understood as if the preposition

C were written. Or perhaps it means that his men should be ``the number'' with which the counting of Israel would always begin, as

is right for the ®rstborn. (Similarly, ``one'' is sometimes called in Hebrew ``the number'' from which all counting begins.) T he translation of Onkelos, ``May his descendants take their inheritance according to their number,'' is in accordance with our explanation. His formulation achieves two purposes: that the tribe of Reuben should never die out, but also that it should never become the t wo tribes that Reuben would have been entitled to as the ®rstborn. Others interpret this blessing to refer speci®cally to the conquest of the land, saying that Reuben should ``live'' when they cross the Jordan to ®ght at the head of the IsraelitesÐthat is, that they should be victorious and not be defeated; that Reuben should ``not die'' in the sense that none of them should fall in battle; and that ``his men'' should return to their tents in their full ``number,'' not one of them missing. (For ``live'' in this sense, compare Gen. 27:40, ``by your sword you shall live.'') T his explanation is plausible enoughÐnotice there is some allusion to it in the blessing of Gad (v. 20) as wellÐbut I consider my original explanation better, since the blessing of Moses matches that of Jacob. According to the way of Truth, ``may he live and not die'' has a sense similar to ``visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children'' (Exod. 20:5); see my comment there. Moses' blessing of Reuben was certainly enough to expiate the Bilhah incident for him, but the sin of the sale of Joseph was visited upon him along with the rest of the tribes,

[J]

as we read in Heikhalot Rabbati.

7 And this he said of Judah.

Ibn Ezra's explanation is incorrect, according to our interpretation, since Judah had no share in

Reuben's sin that required praying for, any more than any of the tribes that follow. It means simply that what follows was said about Judah. According to the way of Truth, it is associating the divine aspect called ``T his'' with Judah

[K]

because they would lead the Israel-

ites into battle. T he king would always come from this tribe. T hat is the sense of the ``help against his foes'' to be mentioned shortly; this is the secret of ``He ordered the Judites to be taught the bow. It is recorded in the Book of Jashar'' (2 Sam. 1:18). T hat was the bow that appeared in the clouds, of which is written, ``T his shall be the sign of the covenant'' (Gen. 9:17).

Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah. And restore him to his people.

Again, Moses is praying for Judah when he goes forth to war, since he would be the ®rst to go up to war and would lead the Israelites against their enemies. Jacob said the same: `` Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes'' (Gen. 49:8). He should return in peace.

[I]

See Exod. 6:14.

[J]

Though his own hands strive for him.

T hough Reuben tried (unsuccessfully) to save Joseph.

[K]

Rather, ``let his [own] hands suf®ce for him.'' ``Let him not need the

See Nahmanides' comment to v. 1.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 7 And this he said of Judah. Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah. Though his own hands strive for him.

Judah is given the same blessing as Reuben because that tribe too would

lead the Israelites in battle (Bekhor Shor). gave her Simeon (Abarbanel).

Just as You ``heard'' (Gen. 29:33) that Leah was unloved and

W hat weapon requires that both hands ``strive''? It is the bow,

associated with Judah in 2 Sam. 1:18 (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``though his [Judah's] own hands are enough for him [Simeon]'' (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 33:8 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

OJPS

8And

of Levi he said: Let Your Thummim and Urim Be with Your faithful one, Whom You tested at Massah, Challenged at the waters of Meribah;

RASHI

``Shimon,''

blessings

of

Judah.

Simeon,

For

within

Simeon

took

the his

of Levi he said: Thy Thummim and Thy Urim be with Thy holy one, whom Thou didst prove at Massah, with whom Thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

KR[

Judah: ``T he portion of the Simeonites was of

the

territor y of

the

Judites''

( Josh.

19:9). W hy didn't Simeon get a blessing of his own? Because (as is written in the midrash to Psalm 90) Moses was thinking about what had happened at Shittim.

8And

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portion of the land of Israel within that of

part

[D]

8 And of Levi he said: Let Your Thummim and Urim be with Your faithful one.

T hough the Hebrew could be understood as ``he said

to

Levi,'' the translations are cor-

rectÐnote the capital letters of `` Your''Ðin understanding that all this is addressed to the Shekhinah.

Whom You tested at Massah. Challenged at the waters of Meribah.

W here (as Onkelos tells us) they did not

complain as the rest of the Israelites did.

As

Onkelos explains, ``challenge'' here is simply a synonym for ``test.'' Another reading: It was Moses the Levite who was ``challenged'' at the waters of Meribah. You invented a pretext to keep him from entering

the land. T hough Moses said, ``Listen, you rebels'' (Num.

20:10), what did Aaron or Miriam do?

[D]

See Numbers 25.

[E]

[E]

IBN EZRA no need of alone. do

help of anyone but the Lord; let Him answer his prayer.'' T his is how

Onkelos and the other commentators explain it. But in my opinion this is also alluding speci®cally to the ®rst battle against the Canaanites, when ``the Israelites inquired of the L ORD, `W hich of us shall be the ®rst to go up against the Canaanites and attack them?' and the L ORD replied, `Let [the tribe of ] Judah go up' '' ( Judg. 1:1±2). In this sense the He-

much

enough

for him'' and he has

help other than from the Lord some

indeed

translations.

Still

understand

it

as

others

it

to

take

mean that his hands ``shoot'' for him, as in ``He

discharged

lightning''

(Ps.

18:15)

and

shot

``Archers bitterly assailed him; they

at

him and harried him'' (Gen. 49:23).

8 And of Levi he said.

T he

Hebrew

might also be read ``to Levi,'' but of course Moses said this to the Lord ``of,'' about, Levi. See

similarly ``Say

of

there

me: He

is

my

Let Your Thummim and Urim be with your faithful one. Whom You tested at Massah. brother'' (Gen. 20:13).

More

precisely,

``the

man

who

is

your

faithful

one''ÐAaron (and his descendants).

Rather, ``whom You

tested by means of a test.'' W hat Moses is

Like their brother Moses, they too died without entering the land.

brew means ``may his hands [gain]

But

the

saying is, ``Aaron is indeed faithful, no ¯aw being

NAHMANIDES

246

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

for him''Ðmay he conquer many lands from his

foes, more than he would be entitled to by an equal allocation. T he implication would be that he should give some of this territor y to his brother Simeon, as indeed happened: `` T he portion of the Simeonites was part of the territor y of the Judites; since the share of the Judites was larger than they needed, the Simeonites received a portion inside their portion'' ( Josh. 19:9). You see that Simeon is included after all, by this allusion within the

found

in

him outside

[I]

pened at Meribah,

of

what

hap-

for which You have

already punished him.'' T his strengthens my interpretation of the Golden Calf episodeÐ that Aaron actually made the calf in honor

[J]

of the Lord.

9 Who said of his father and mother, ``I consider them not.'' `` W ho''

refers

here

ample,

to

the

entire

see

Samuel,

for

training

Temple weaned.

who as

actually

tribe.

For

an

ex-

was

sent

to

the

soon

as

he

was

[K] Ignored his own children.

For a Levite might father children who were

blessing of Judah.

8 And of Levi he said.

See Rashi's comment on ``of,'' followed by the commentators

on the basis of Gen. 20:13, Gen. 26:7, and many other examples. But in my opinion he is indeed speaking ``to'' Levi, as the Hebrew literally says. Notice that for these next few tribes Moses does not mention the tribe's name in the blessing as he did for Reuben and Judah. So the text is telling us that the tribes were all before him, and that he called out (e.g.) ``to Levi'' so that they would pay attention to him. He did the same for each tribe, blessing them face to face.

Whom You tested at Massah.

See Ibn Ezra's comment; the

Sifrei explains similarly. But in my view Massah is indeed not a noun but a place name; it is Rephidim, the location that was ``named Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and because they tried the L ORD'' (Exod. 17:7). Moses is saying, ``Let Your T hummim and Urim be with Your faithful one'' (Aaron's offspring). `` You tested him at Massah, when the Israelites sinned by testing the Holy One when they had no water to drink, and he was not among those who assembled there against the Lord. For he believed in the Lord and in His promise to bring forth water `from the ¯int y rock' [8:15]. You quarreled with him and punished him a second time at Israel's `waters of Meribah,' for he

sent in their turn to serve the Lord.

precepts alone they observed.

[L] Your

Rather,

they ``kept'' them, as in `` T hey kept His testimonies, and the statute that He gave them'' (Ps. 99:7), in order to teach them to the Israelites. But some think this phrase refers speci®cally

to

their

response

when

Moses

said, `` W hoever is for the L ORD, come here!'' (Exod. 32:26).

[I] [K]

See Numbers 20 and especially Ibn Ezra's comment to

Num. 20:8. See

1

[J]

Sam.

See Ibn Ezra's introduction to Exodus 32.

1:24±28.

[L]

Ibn

Ezra's

Hebrew com-

ment sounds as if he is referring to a speci®c case: perhaps Korah, whose sons (unlike him) did serve the Lord, or perhaps Moses himself, who fathered sons ``only'' in order to serve the Lord or fathered sons and ``then'' stopped so that he might serve the Lord.

took the punishment for Israel's quarreling with the Holy One, not because he himself had trespassed. For he believed from the beginning that You were the One `who turned the rock into a pool of water' [Ps. 114:8]''Ðall the more so because he had already seen it happen once. Moses is hinting that this sin was the people's fault, that it was because of the people's quarreling that he and Aaron thought they had to do what they did. Perhaps the Shekhinah had indeed departed, to punish them. As we read elsewhere, `` T hey provoked wrath at the waters of Meribah and Moses suffered on their account'' (Ps. 106:32).

waters of Meribah.

Challenged at the

Not ``challenged'' but ``punished.'' You made Aaron pay the price for the way the Israelites challenged the Holy One.

But it could be, as the Sifrei suggests, that he was ``challenged'' in the sense of being framedÐpunished far more than his miniscule sin warranted, along the lines of `` T hrough those near to Me I show Myself holy'' (Lev. 10:3). Again, Moses is saying, ``It is known perfectly well before the T hrone of Glor y that Aaron believes in You and Your words, yet he bore the Israelites' punishment.'' (T hat is what Onkelos means as well.) T his is how I explained ``Because of you the L ORD was incensed with me too'' (1:37); see my comment there.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 8 And of Levi he said.

T his is the blessing promised in Exod. 32:29, when Moses told the Levites,

``Dedicate yourselves to the L ORD this day . . . that He may bestow a blessing upon you'' (Bekhor Shor).

247 DEUTERONOMY 33:9±11 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

9Who

said of his father and mother, ``I consider them not.'' His brothers he disregarded, Ignored his own children. Your precepts alone they observed, And kept Your covenant. 10They shall teach Your laws to Jacob And Your instructions to Israel. They shall offer You incense to savor And whole-offerings on Your altar. 11Bless, O L ORD, his substance, And favor his undertakings. Smite the loins of his foes; Let his enemies rise no more.

RASHI 9 Who said of his father and mother, ``I consider them not.'' When the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf, and I said, ``Whoever is for the LORD, come here!''

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

DN OK ZCE

9Who

said of his father, and of his mother: ``I have not seen him''; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew he his own children; for they have observed Thy word, and keep Thy covenant. 10They shall teach Jacob Thine ordinances, and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar. 11Bless, L ORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; ÆBn‡Ïe º¥ Ÿ ¨ 9 ¦ § ÂÈ·‡Ï ³¦ ¨ § ¯Ó‡‰ smite through the loins of them that Ÿ´ ½¦ ¦ § ‡Ï ÂÈ˙ȇ¯ rise up against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise Ÿ ´ ÆÂÈÁ‡-˙‡Â ½¦ ¦ ‡Ï ¯Èk‰ ¨ ¤ ¤§ not again. Ÿ ´ ÂÈa Ú„È ®¨ ¨ ‡Ï −¨ ¨ Â·-˙‡Â ¤§

E˙¯Ó‡ ¤½ ¨ § ¦ Æe¯ÓL § «¨ Èk ³¦ Ÿ « § ¦ E˙ȯ·e :e¯ˆÈ − § «¦ § Ÿ ½ £ © § ÆEÈËtLÓ ·˜ÚÈÏ ¤Æ ¨ § ¦ e¯BÈ ³ 10 χ¯NÈÏ ®¥ ¨ § ¦ § E˙¯B˙ − § ¨ § Et‡a ¤½ © § Ɖ¯B˘ ¨ § eÓÈNÈ ³¦ ¨ :EÁaÊÓ «¤ § § ¦ -ÏÚ «© ÏÈÏΠ−¦ ¨ § ½ ¥ Æ‰Â‰È BÏÈÁ ¨ § C¯a ³¥ ¨ 11 ‰ˆ¯z ®¤ § ¦ ÂÈ„È −¨ ¨ ÏÚÙe ©Ÿ¬ ÂÈÓ˜ ²¨ ¨ ÌÈ˙Ó ¦¯© § ¨ ıÁÓ ©¸ § Ò :ÔeÓe˜È-ÔÓ « § ¦ ÂȇNÓe −¨ § © §

IBN EZRA 10 They shall offer You incense to savor. Those among them who are priests. 11 Bless, O LORD, his substance. The ®rst fruits and the tithes that go to the members of the tribe of Levi. And favor his undertakings. Rather, ``the work of his hands'' (OJPS)Ðthe sacri®ces. Smite the loins of his foes. That is, ``smite his foes.'' Let his enemies rise no more. The Hebrew

(Exod. 32:26) and told them to ``slay brother, neighbor, and kin'' (Exod. 32:27), all the Levites gathered before me. I commanded them to kill their maternal grandfathers (assuming they were regular Israelites and not Levites themselves), their maternal brothers, and their daughters' sons, and they did so. That verse cannot be explained as saying they were to kill their own fathers, paternal is poetically terse here. What it is saying is brothers, and sons, for those relatives would this: ``Smite the loins of his foes and of those have been Levites like themselvesÐyet not [who] would rise against him.'' For similar one of the Levites sinned. For ``all the Lesyntax omitting the relative pronoun, see vites rallied to him'' when he summoned ``as water covers the sea'' of Isa. 11:9. ``Whoever is for the LORD'' (Exod. 32:26). Your precepts alone they observed. ``You shall have no other gods'' (Exod. 20:3). And kept Your covenant. The covenant of circumcision. For the regular Israelites who were born in the wilderness were not circumcised, but the Levites were circumcised and they circumcised their sons. 10 They shall teach Your laws to Jacob. It is they who are worthy of doing so. 11 Smite the loins of his foes. As Ps. 69:24 says, ``may their loins collapse continually.'' Levi's ``foes'' are those who contested the priesthood. Another reading: Moses foresaw that the Hasmonean and his sons would one day ®ght the Greeks, and he prayed for them, knowing that they would be so fewÐjust 12 Hasmoneans plus Eleazar [F] against so many tens of thousands. This reading takes ``his substance'' at the beginning of the verse more precisely as ``his army.'' Let his enemies rise no more. Smite them so hard they can never rise again. [F] Rashi's text does not quite match any midrash we still have. It is not clear just who ``the Hasmonean'' is, nor why Eleazar (presumably the son of Mattathias) is mentioned separately.

Note that Moses speaks ®rst about the priests, to whom the Urim and Thummim pertain, and then moves on to the tribe at large, who won the right to teach His laws through His testing of them with the calf, in Egypt, and in the wilderness. This is the opinion of Onkelos. Or perhaps our verse is indeed talking about the future, as Ibn Ezra suggests, and once again differentiating: the Levites as a whole shall teach the laws, but only the priests shall offer You incense to savor. 11 Bless, O LORD, his substance. Literally, ``his force.'' That is, there should be a great force of themÐthey should be many, not few, when they come to the sanctuary: ``Do not let the group of Kohathite clans be cut off from the Levites...that they may live and not die when they approach the most sacred objects'' (Num. 4:18±19). Onkelos takes it as ``substance'' in the sense of ``wealth,'' as the word is used in Num. 31:9. He follows the tradition that offering incense (as mentioned in v. 10) enriched those who did it, which is why only those who had not done so previously were given the opportunity (see B. Yoma 26a). The Sifrei takes it that way as well, saying that most ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 9 Who said of his father and mother, ``I consider them not.'' If his relative, even his father or mother, dies, he must act as if he ``considered them not,'' since as Lev. 21:11 tells us, ``He shall not go in where there is any dead body; he shall not de®le himself even for his father or mother. He shall not go outside the sanctuary'' (Hizkuni). And kept Your covenant. That of Num. 25:13, ``a pact of priesthood for all time'' (Hizkuni). 10 They shall teach Your laws to Jacob. They have the free time to do so because they have no inherited land to occupy them (Hizkuni). They shall offer You incense to savor. The Hebrew word used here for ``incense'' occurs nowhere else (Masorah). The commentators understand this phrase as a reference to Aaron stopping the plague with incense in Num. 17:13, but it is more correct to explain it as the incense with which the High Priests entered the Holy of Holies (Abarbanel). 11 Bless, O LORD, his substance. Levi was in need of this blessing to make sure that the Israelites did not simply keep the tithes and ®rst fruits they owed to the Levites (Gersonides). The more blessed they were with ``substance,'' the more free time they would have to learn and to teach (Sforno). NAHMANIDES 10 They shall teach Your laws to Jacob and Your instructions to Israel.

DEUTERONOMY 33:12±13 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

12Of

Benjamin he said: Beloved of the LORD, He rests securely beside Him; Ever does He protect him, As he rests between His shoulders. 13And of Joseph he said: Blessed of the LORD be his land With the bounty of dew from heaven, And of the deep that couches below;

RASHI 12 Of Benjamin he said.

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

DN OK ZCE

12Of

Benjamin he said: The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him; He covereth him all the day, and He dwelleth between his shoulders. 13And of Joseph he said: Blessed of the LORD be his land; for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

Since ¯Ó‡ ©½ ¨ ÔÓÈ·Ï ´ ¦ ¨ § ¦ § 12 Levi was blessed with the sacri®cial service ‰B‰È ¨½ § „È„È ´¦ § and Benjamin with having the Temple built in his territory, they are juxtaposed here. Ÿ¬ § ¦ ÂÈÏÚ ®¨ ¨ ÁË·Ï © −¤ ¨ ÔkLÈ Joseph comes next, since he too had a tem½ © ¨ ÆÂÈÏÚ ¨ ¨ ÛÙÁ ³¥ Ÿ ÌBi‰-Ïk ple (at Shiloh) in his territory. But ``He rejected the clan of Joseph'' (Ps. 78:67), choosÒ :ÔÎL «¥ ¨ ÂÈÙÈ˙k −¨ ¥ § ÔÈ·e ¬¥ ing to build the Temple on Mount Zion. The K[KN[ ¯Ó‡ ©½ ¨ ÛÒBÈÏe ´¥ § 13 Jerusalem Temple was more beloved of God Bˆ¯‡ ® § © ‰B‰È −¨ § ˙ί·Ó ¤ ¬¤Ÿ § than that of Shiloh, so Benjamin precedes Joseph here. Ever does He protect him. He ÏhÓ ¨½ ¦ ÆÌÈÓL ¦ Æ© ¨ „‚nÓ ¤ ³¤ ¦ ``covers'' him (compare OJPS) and shields :˙Áz © «¨ ˙ˆ·¯ ¤ ¬¤ Ÿ ÌB‰zÓe − § ¦ him. ``Ever'' is literally ``all the day'' (OJPS), but NJPS understands correctly. Ever since Jerusalem was chosen, the Shekhinah has rested on no other spot. As he rests between His shoulders. There is no better place on the ox than between his shoulders. The Temple was built at almost the highest point in the landÐjust 23 cubits lower than the spring of Etam. That was where David intended to build it, but (according to B. Zev. 54b) it was lowered just a bit to conform with this verse. 13 Blessed of the LORD be his land. There was no place in the inheritance of the tribes so full of good things as Joseph's portion. Bounty. The Hebrew word implies sweetness and delight. And of the deep. Which rises and waters it from beneath. (Note

IBN EZRA 12 Of Benjamin he said: Beloved of the LORD. The sense is rather, ``Of Benjamin, the beloved of the Lord, he said.'' He rests securely beside Him. He, Benjamin, rests securely beside the Lord, who ``rests between his shoulders.'' Ever does He protect him. The Shekhinah, which dwells in Jerusalem, in the territory of Benjamin. For so it is written. [M] Between His shoulders. Rather, it is ``He,''

the divine Presence, that rests ``between his shoulders'' (OJPS), those of BenjaminÐ in the midst of his territory. Or perhaps it refers to the Temple's visibility, since ``protect'' of NJPS is more literally ``cover over'' (see OJPS). The two phrases are obviously connected.

13 With the bounty of dew from heaven. Rather, ``with the bounty of heaven, [that is,] with dew.''

[M] See Ibn Ezra's comment about Benjamin in his introduction to v. 6, and the note there.

NAHMANIDES priests are wealthy; they cite a certain Abba [L] as saying that the verse ``I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, or his children seeking bread'' (Ps. 37:25) refers to Aaron and his offspring. 12 Beloved of the LORD, he rests securely beside Him. That is, ``he,'' Benjamin, the beloved of the Lord, rests securely beside Him. Ever does He protect him. Causing His Shekhinah to rest in Benjamin's land. As he rests between His shoulders. This alludes to what

our Sages explained. [M] But according to the way of Truth, it is ``the Beloved of the Lord'' that ``rests'' beside Benjamin, for Benjamin's security: ``Trust in the LORD for ever and ever, for in Yah the LORD you have an everlasting Rock'' (Isa. 26:4). He would hover protectively over Benjamin ``all the day'' (OJPS) so that ``they shall not come to grief in bad times'' (Ps. 37:19). The Shekhinah will rest forever between Benjamin's shoulders. This is why Solomon ``was named Jedidiah''Ð Beloved of YahÐ``at the instance of the LORD'' (2 Sam. 12:25). For Solomon (Shelomoh) built ``Your beloved dwelling-place'' (Ps. 84:2) in accordance with his own name; his nature corresponded ``perfectly'' (shleimah) with ``peace'' (shalom). That is why Solomon's name is spelled in Hebrew with a F at the end. [N] According to Sefer ha-Bahir, the Holy One told Solomon, ``Since your name is like My holy name, I will give you My daughter in marriage: ``The LORD had given Solomon Wisdom'' (1 Kings 5:26), though the gift is not explained there. Where is it explained? ``For they saw that he possessed the Wisdom of God to execute justice'' (1 Kings 3:28). It is also correct to say that these three acts of resting (including ``ever does He protect him'' as one of them) represent the three Temples. Of the First Temple it says He rests securely beside Him: ``The glory of the LORD ®lled the House'' (2 Chron. 7:1). Of the Second Temple it says Ever does He protect him: for the Shekhinah did not ``rest'' on that Temple, but ``covered'' it (see OJPS) protectively; or perhaps even literally, as explained in Heikhalot Rabbati. Of the Messianic Era it says As he rests between His shoulders: ``At that time, they shall call Jerusalem `Throne of the LORD''' (Jer. 3:17). The Sifrei explains it similarly. 13 With the bounty of dew from heaven. If Rashi's understanding of the word translated ``bounty'' is correct, then we can understand the phrase ``of all luscious fruits'' (Song 4:13), which uses the same word metaphorically. Our verse would be saying, ``Blessed of the Lord be his land, with the sweetness of heaven, that is, with dew.'' Similarly, the waters that spring forth from beneath the mountains and the hills would be ``the sweetness'' of the deep. But perhaps instead of ``sweetness'' the word means ``fruit.'' ``May his land be blessed with

[L] In our texts of Nahmanides he is ``Abba the Preacher.'' But this person is unknown; in the Sifrei the second part of his name is garbled, perhaps because it resembled the name ``Herod.'' [M] See Rashi's comment. [N] Representing the name of God and turning ``Solomon'' into shleimah. Ordinarily the o vowel would be spelled with a . G

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12 Ever does He protect him. The verb is related to ``Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore'' of Gen. 49:13; He protects him just as harbors on the coast protect ships from the winds. The ``canopy'' that covers a bride (see Joel 2:16) is also related to this word (Kimhi). As he rests between His shoulders. That is, Benjamin dwells within the territory of the Holy One. Since Benjamin did not participate in the sale of Joseph, and (unlike the other 10 brothers) was born in the land of Israel, he deserved to have the Shekhinah dwell in his portion (Hizkuni). By associating himself with Judah, he avoided the deportation of the other Ten Tribes by the king of Assyria (Gersonides). 13 And of Joseph he said. The resemblance of this blessing to Jacob's blessing of Joseph in Gen. 49:22±26 is so great that some phrases are repeated exactly. But Moses adds four more blessings: divine favor, livestock, honor, and military victory (Abarbanel). Blessed of the LORD be his land. Because Adam ``heeded the voice'' of his wife, the ``ground was cursed'' (Gen. 3:17); but Joseph ``did not heed the voice'' of his master's wife (Gen. 39:10), so his land was blessed (Hizkuni).

248

249 DEUTERONOMY 33:14±16 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

OJPS

14With

the bounteous yield of the sun, And the bounteous crop of the moons; 15With the best from the ancient mountains, And the bounty of hills immemorial; 16With the bounty of earth and its fullness, And the favor of the Presence in the Bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph, On the crown of the elect of his brothers.

RASHI

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and for the precious things of the yield of the moons, 15And for the tops of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16And for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof, and the good will of Him that dwelt in 14 Ÿ ´ § „‚nÓe LÓL ¤ ®¨ ˙‡e·z ¤ −¤ ¦ the bush; :ÌÈÁ¯È « ¦ ¨ § L¯b ¤¬¤ „‚nÓe ¤ −¤ ¦ let the blessing come upon the head of Ÿ − ¥ 15 Ì„˜-ȯ¯‰ ¤ ®¤ ¥ § © L‡¯Óe Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him :ÌÏBÚ «¨ ˙BÚ·b ¬ § ¦ „‚nÓe ¤ −¤ ¦ that is prince among his brethren. d‡ÏÓe ¨½ Ÿ § ı¯‡ ¤ ¤ μ „‚nÓe ¤ ¤À ¦ 16

that in Moses' blessing for every

tribe, there is something of Jacob's blessing

14And

IBN EZRA 14 With the bounteous yield of the sun. Crop.

‰Ò ®¤ § ÈÎL −¦ § Ÿ ÔBˆ¯e ¬ § Ÿ ÛÒBÈ ¥½ L‡¯Ï ´ § Ɖ˙‡B·z ¨ Æ ¨ Ÿ− § ¨§ :ÂÈÁ‡ «¨ ¤ ¯ÈÊ ¬ ¦ § „˜„˜Ïe

for that tribe.)

14 With the bounteous yield of the sun. The bounteous crop of the moons.

His land was open to the sun, per-

mitting the fruit to ripen and sweeten.

For the yield of seed and

of vineyard is dependent on the sun.

A poetic synonym related to the verb in

There are

``Whose waters

toss up mire and mud'' (Isa.

Of the moons.

some plants that are ripened by the moon: cucumbers and squash. Another reading: The

57:20).

``moons'' means the months. T he bounteous ``expulsion'' of the moons is the yield that the

crops by its effect on the moisture in the air,

land brings forth month by month.

given that its heat is far less than that of the

15 With the best from the ancient mountains.

The moon in¯uences

Rather, ``at ®rst, from the ancient

sun. The plural ``moons'' is used here be-

mountains.'' The blessing begins there, for these mountains are the ®rst to ripen their

cause there is a ``new'' moon every month

fruits. Another reading of the phrase tells us that these mountains were created before all

and thus many ``moons'' in a single crop year.

Hills immemorial. 16 And the favor of the Presence in the Bush.

the other mountains.

Better, ``everlasting hills'' (OJPS). The blessing is

that these hills would bring forth fruit everlastingly, not ceasing on account of drought.

15 With the best from the ancient mountains.

Not ``the best'' but literally

(The K of ``Presence'' is extraneous.)

``the head,'' that is, ``the

tops

of the ancient

His land will be blessed with the favor and pleasure of the Holy One, who ®rst appeared to

mountains'' (OJPS). He is blessed with the

me from a bush. ``Favor'' implies pleasure and satisfaction, here and everywhere else in

bount y that grows atop ``the ancient moun-

the Bible.

tains'' and (in poetic parallelism) the

brothers.

May these rest on the head of Joseph.

These blessings.

The elect of his

Literally, the one ``separated'' from his brothersÐwhen he was sold.

NAHMANIDES

the fruit of heaven, the dew,'' so called because the actual fruits pro-

duced by the land are the result of the dew.

And of the deep that couches below.

immemorial. 16 With the bounty of earth.

hills

This line

is still in a poetic relationship with the previous verse; it is not the ``earth'' as a whole

Compare the blessing of Jacob: ``With blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep

that is referred to here, but the ¯atlands in

that couches below'' (Gen. 49:25).

contrast to the mountains.

That is the sense of Ezek. 47:12, ``All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of

And its fullness. And the favor of the Presence in the Bush.

the stream. They . . . will yield new fruit every month,'' each in ``its'' own month, the month

dwells in the heaven'' (compare OJPS); the

in which that particular kind of tree is known to produce its ®rst fruit.

Hebrew

14 The bounteous crop of the moons.

The fruits that the various months generate.

For all the trees have their months to ``grow branches and produce boughs'' (Ezek. 17:8).

16 With the bounty of earth and its fullness.

``Its fullness'' implying the Tableland,

The bount y of which the earth itself is

full.

Rather, ``the good will of Him that

``bush.''

word

means

``heaven''

[N] May these rest.

here, not

These bles-

where the land is at its fullest. The mountains and hills have already been mentioned in

sings. Technically (see OJPS, which adds my

v. 15; now it is the turn of the valleys. That is how Ibn Ezra explains it. In my opinion, ``the

See Ibn Ezra's comment to ``out of a bush'' (Exod. 3:2).

[N]

bount y of earth and its fullness'' corresponds to ``Blessings of the breast and womb'' (Gen. 49:25). For human beings and every other living creature comprise the earth's ``fullness.'' Compare the expression ``the sea and all

it'' (Ps. 96:11), which uses the same Hebrew

word. As the Holy One says, ``I will

®ll you

within

with men like a locust swarm'' ( Jer. 51:14). The

blessing here would then carr y a meaning like that of ``Blessed shall be the issue of your womb, the produce of your soil, and the offspring of your cattle'' (28:4).

And the favor of the Presence in the Bush.

That is, ``and with'' the favor. The Holy One is here called ``the Pres-

ence in the Bush'' because that is where He ®rst appeared to Moses, and because His Presence rested for a long time on Mount Sinai, the location of the

sneh, the Bush, and He ``came from Sinai'' (v. 2) and dwelt among the Israelites. The verse is giving Joseph the blessing that

his land should be blessed with the favor of the Lord, as in ``O L ORD, You will favor Your land'' (Ps. 85:2); ``then I will look on it with favor and I will be glori®ed'' (Hag. 1:8).

May these rest.

Rather, ``let it'' (the blessing) ``come upon the head of Joseph'' (OJPS). Or perhaps it

means that the ``favor of the Presence in the Bush'' should come upon the head of Joseph. Don't be surprised that God's ``Favor''

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 14 With the bounteous yield of the sun. crop of the moons. geresh sheger 15 With the best from the ancient mountains. 16 With the bounty of earth and its fullness. And the favor of the Presence in the Bush.

When plural, the ``bounteous yield'' is always feminine and

takes a R suf®x, as in the ``presents'' that Abraham's servant gave to Rebekah's brother and mother in Gen. 24:53 (Kimhi).

The bounteous

One month he gathers ®gs, the next he harvests olives, the next he collects dates, and so forth month by month.

``Crop'' here,

, is apparently a metathesis of

, the ``calving'' of the herd in 28:4 (Bekhor Shor).

As 1 Sam. 1:1 tells us, Ephraim was ``hill country'' (Bekhor Shor). More precisely,

``with the best from the mountains of the ®rst one,'' Joseph's ``®rst'' son, Ephraim (Hizkuni). That is, the bount y of which the whole earth is full, which would come to them via

the sea (Gersonides).

The unusual Hebrew word translated ``Presence'' here occurs also

only in `` You who dwell in clefts of the rock'' of Jer. 49:16 and Obad. 1:3, and ``they who dwell isolated'' of Mic. 7:14 (Masorah). The same

enthroned in heaven'' of Ps. 123:1. But the sense of the phrase is simply that it is more favorable to

form is found with a different verb in ``

``dwell'' (see OJPS) among the bushes of the land of Joseph than among cedars in some other land (Bekhor Shor). Rather, ``the desire of

DEUTERONOMY 33:17±18 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

OJPS

17Like

a ®rstling bull in his majesty, He has horns like the horns of the wild-ox; With them he gores the peoples, The ends of the earth one and all. These are the myriads of Ephraim, Those are the thousands of Manasseh. 18And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys,

RASHI 17 A ®rstling bull.

®rstling bullock, majesty is his; and his horns are the horns of the wild-ox; with them he shall gore the peoples all of them, even the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. 18And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out,

``Firstling''

or ``®rstborn'' (the Hebrew word is the same) sometimes

implies

greatness

and

majest y:

kings of the earth'' (Ps. 89:28); ``Israel is My

O Zebulun,

explanation

into

its translation), the verb is singular, though

came forth from Joseph was Joshua, whose

marked by t wo separate indications of the

bull-like strength enabled him to conquer so

In his majesty.

RASHBAM 18 Rejoice, ¹ ¸ § 17 BÏÀ ¯„‰ ´¨ ¨ B¯BL ¯BÎa on your journeys. [C] ÂÈ¯˜ ¨½ § © Æ̇¯ ¥ § È¯˜Â ³¥ § © § [C] ÁbÈ ¬© © § ÌÈnÚ ² ¦ © ̉a ¤À ¨ IBN EZRA ı¯‡-ÈÒÙ‡ ¤ ®¨ ¥ § © ÂcÁÈ −¨ § © Ìȯه ¦ ½© § ¤ ˙B··¯ ´ § « ¦ Æ̉ ¥§ \ F Ò :‰MÓ «¤ © § ÈÙÏ ¬¥ § ‡© ̉ −¥ § help ¯Ó‡ ©½ ¨ ÔÏe·ÊÏ ´ª § ¦ § 18 deliverance distress E˙‡ˆa ®¤ ¥ § ÔÏe·Ê −ª § ÁÓN ¬© § ``blessing''

®rstborn son'' (Exod. 4:22). T he ``king'' who

kings.

17His

See Rashbam's comment to Gen. 49:13.

``I will appoint him ®rstborn, highest of the

many

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

feminine, both

Literally,

KTKCZ

``majest y is to him'' (compare OJPS), that is, given to him, as the Holy One told Moses to

this,

see

``Arise

He has horns like the horns of the wild-ox.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

Why is Issachar mentioned in the blessing of Zebulun (v. 18) rather than separately in a blessing of his own?

it y'' (Num. 27:20).

An ox has terrible

strength, but its horns are ugly; a wild ox

. For other cases of us''

`` T here is no my

do: ``Invest him with some of your author-

and

and

has beautiful horns, but less strength. He

(Ps.

44:27);

'' (Ps. 3:3); and ``In

'' (Ps. 120:1).

17 Like a ®rstling bull.

voked

agricultural

produce,

Having the

uses the metaphor of a ®rstling bull for JosephÐfor the ®rstling has the most power,

The ends of the earth. majesty.

being the ®rst fruit of the sire's vigor.

gave Joshua the strength of an ox, but the beaut y of a wild ox.

in-

blessing

In his

Here, a reference to his majestic

T his refers to the 31 ``local kings'' whom Joshua defeated ( Josh. 12:7). Could all 31 of them

size. Unpacking the metaphor, it means a

have been ``local'' to the land of Israel? In fact, yes! T here was no king or ruler anywhere

large

Like the horns of the wild-ox. These are the myriads These are the myriads of Ephraim, those are the thousands of Manasseh.

on earth who did not buy himself a palace and some propert y in the land of Israel, which they considered ``the fairest heritage of all the nations'' ( Jer. 3:19).

of Ephraim.

population.

In power.

T he ``peoples'' who were gored are the ``myriads'' killed by Joshua, who came

from Ephraim.

Those are the thousands of Manasseh.

T hese are the thousands killed

by Gideon in Midian: ``Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with their army of about 15,000; these were all that remained of the entire host of the Kedemites, for the slain numbered 120,000 ®ghting men'' ( Judg. 8:10).

18 And of Zebulun he said.

given him by Jacob.

[O]

18 Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys.

Rather, ``when you go forth'' (com-

T he ®ve tribes blessed last are Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naph-

tali, and Asher. T heir names are all repeated in their blessings to strengthen and encourage

NAHMANIDES

In accordance with the ``bless-

ings of the breast and womb'' (Gen. 49:25)

pare OJPS) to war: ``Zebulun is a people that

[O]

Ibn Ezra says merely, ``according to the words of Jacob.''

He may also be referring to Genesis 48, where Jacob promises

(a masculine word in Hebrew) should be referred to with the femi-

that

Ephraim,

the

younger,

will

have

more

offspring

than

Manasseh, the ®rstborn.

nine verb in our verse; the Aramaic word for ``favor'' is feminine (see Ezra 5:17), and gaonic Hebrew sometimes uses a feminine word also. In accordance with the way of Truth, the verse is saying that the Favor that is present in the Bush will come upon the head of Joseph. By its means, ``he holds his head high'' (Ps. 110:7). T he vowels of the text do appear to require the translation ``the favor

of ''

rather than ``the favor

is,''

but this substitution

frequently occurs; or it may be shorthand for ``the favor of [the Lord who is] the Presence in the Bush.'' T his is the equivalent of Jacob's blessing `` T he God of your father who helps you, and Shaddai who blesses you'' (Gen. 49:25).

17 Like a ®rstling bull in his majesty.

Following Rashi's interpretation, the verse is terribly mixed up. If the bull is Joshua, how can

his horns gore ``the thousands of Manasseh'' that were killed by Gideon? T he straightforward sense of the text is simply that because Joseph is blessed with produce he is described as an ox (which is what the Hebrew word really means). For ``a rich harvest comes through the strength of the ox'' (Prov. 14:4). Describing him as a ``®rstling'' implies that he would sire a majestic king. T his does refer to Joshua, the leader of the house of Joseph, who did indeed possess greatness and kingship. W hat the Sifrei is saying here is that Ephraim/Joshua gored

all the peoples, to the ends of the earth, including

those few of whom Manasseh/Gideon would kill smaller numbers in a later generation.

The ends of the earth one and all. These are the myriads of Ephraim, those are the thousands of Manasseh.

Again, the Sifrei's point is that all of the 31 kings subjugated by Joshua were powerful sovereigns. T his is a reference to the ox's t wo horns. T he right horn is

Ephraim and the left horn is Manasseh. Joseph is being blessed that his descendants, Ephraim and Manasseh, should become ``myriads'' and ``thousands,'' as in ``Return, O L ORD, You who are Israel's myriads of thousands!'' (Num. 10:36).

18 Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 17 Like a ®rstling bull. The ends of the earth. These are the myriads of Ephraim, those are the thousands of Manasseh. 18 Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents.

W hen you go forth in merchant ships. Remember that ``Zebulun shall dwell by the

the one that dwells in the bush.'' Despite the fact that their territor y was scrubland, their coastline

meant that all the riches of the earth could ¯ow easily to them (Gersonides).

Rather than Joshua (as the commentators say), this bull symbolizes Joseph wielding his power over Eg ypt.

But the Hebrew really says, `` T he ®rstbornÐthe bull that is his is majestically ®tting for him.'' T he bull was the symbol on Joseph's ¯ag (Abarbanel).

Since Joshua did not in fact conquer ``the ends of the earth,'' this phrase evidently refers to the

Messiah son of Joseph about whom we read in Zechariah (Gersonides).

T he blessing clari®es what Jacob said in Gen. 48:19, ``his younger brother shall be greater than he.'' It refers to sovereignt y

and power (Gersonides). Compare 1 Sam. 18:7, ``Saul has slain his thousands; David, his tens of thousands!'' (Abarbanel).

I know of no straightforward explanation of why Zebulun

should precede Issachar; but the midrash that Zebulun's commercial journeys supported Issachar's remaining in their tents to learn Torah

250

251 DEUTERONOMY 33:18±20 NJPS 19

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

And Issachar, in your tents.

and, Issachar, in thy tents.

19

They invite their kin to the mountain,

They shall call peoples unto the mountain;

Where they offer sacri®ces of success.

there shall they offer sacri®ces of righteousness;

For they draw from the riches of the sea

for they shall suck the abundance of the seas,

And the hidden hoards of the sand.

and the hidden treasures of the sand.

20

20

And of Gad he said:

And of Gad he said:

Blessed be He who enlarges Gad!

RASHI

Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad;

:EÈω‡a «¤ ¨ Ÿ § ¯Î˘OÈ −¨ ¨ ¦ § e‡¯½¨˜È-¯‰ § ¦ © ÆÌÈnÚ ¦ © 19 ˜„ˆ-ÈÁ·Ê ¤ ®¤ ¥ § ¦ eÁaÊÈ ´ § § ¦ ÌL −¨ e˜ÈÈ ¨½ ¦ ÆÌÈnÈ ¦ © ÚÙL © ³¤ Èk ´¦ Ò :ÏBÁ« ÈeÓË ¥ ¬ § ÈeÙNe −¥ § ¯Ó‡ ©½ ¨ „‚Ïe ´¨ § 20 „b®¨ ·ÈÁ¯Ó ´ ¦ § © Ce¯a −¨

them, for they were the weakest

of the tribes. T hese were the ®ve that Joseph presented to Pharaoh: ``And selecting ®ve of his brothers, he presented them to Pharaoh'' (Gen. 47:2). Since they seemed weak, Joseph was sure that Pharaoh would not take them

Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents. for of®cers in his militar y.

Zebulun and Issachar made a

partnership. ``Zebulun shall dwell by the

IBN EZRA And Issachar, in your tents. 19 They invite their kin to the mountain. For they draw from the riches of the sea. multitude And the hidden hoards of the sand. mocked

at

death''

( Judg.

5:18).

As in

``he saw how good was rest'' (Gen. 49:15).

T he mountain of the Lord (see

below).

Because

Zebulun

dwells

on

the

seacoast, its wealth is great.

The word for

``riches'' is related to ``the

of ca-

mels'' (Isa. 60:6).

``Hoards'' is a hapax legome-

seashore'' (Gen. 49:13), and so they specialized in maritime commerce, grew wealthy, and put some of their wealth in the mouths of

non, unrelated to any other biblical word,

Issachar, who stayed home and occupied themselves with learning. That is why Zebulun is

but semantically its meaning must jibe with

mentioned ®rst, for all of Issachar's learning is due to the wealth of Zebulun. So Zebulun is

``hidden,'' the word with which it is in con-

to ``rejoice'' in the success of their commercial journeys, and Issachar in the success of the

struct

learning they do ``in tents,'' that is, at home. They would sit as heads of the Sanhedrin to

with it); compare ``the

intercalate the year (when necessar y) and to ®x the new moon on the proper dates: ``The

(Dan. 12:2). The sense of the verse is that

Issacharites, men who knew how to interpret the signs of the times, to determine how Israel

Zebulun and Issachar will have so much

should act; their chiefs were 200, and all their kinsmen followed them'' (1 Chron. 12:33).

wealth they will have to bury it in the sand;

They would call the ``peoples'' (OJPS),

as a result of such great wealth, many of

their kin of the other tribes, to gather at Mount Moriah by ®xing the dates of the calendar

them will ``invite their kin'' to come to the

properly. Every gathering is ``summoned'' or ``called'' (OJPS) in this way.

mountain of the Lord to offer sacri®ces of

19 They invite their kin to the mountain.

Where they offer sacri®ces of success. For they draw from the riches of the sea. And the hidden hoards of the sand. hillazon [G] On the pilgrimage festivals.

Both Issachar and Zebulun. That is how they had the free time to occupy themselves

with learning.

Tuna,

.

,

and glass, which

grammatically

(and

which

dust

rhymes

of the

earth''

thanksgiving to the Holy One.

20 Blessed be He who enlarges Gad!

The blessing goes on to compare him to a

come from the sea and the sand and were found in the portion of Zebulun. B. Meg. 6a tells the story: ``Zebulun is a people that annoyed its soul to death, NaphtaliÐon the open heights'' ( Judg. 5:18). Why did Zebulun annoy themselves so? Because Naphtali was on the heights. Zebulun complained about their portion: ``To my brother You gave ®elds and vineyards, and to meÐwater!'' The Holy One replied, ``They will all need you for `the riches of the sea and the hidden hoards of the sand'Ðtuna,

h. illazon, and glass.'' T he ``hoards'' or ``treasures'' (OJPS) really refer simply to things that are covered up. A verb from this root is used for ``paneling'' a room (see 1 Kings 6:9 and 7:3). Another reading:

They invite their kin to the mountain.

T hese are indeed the ``peoples''

(OJPS). Because of Zebulun's commercial prowess, merchants from all over the world would come to their territor y, which is at the border of Israel. The merchants would say, ``Since we have come all this way, we might as well go a little farther, to Jerusalem, and ®nd out about the religious beliefs and observances of this people.'' They would see all Israel serving a single God and eating the same food. (For among the nations, this one's god was not like that one's god; this one's food was not like that one's food.) They would conclude, ``T here is no better nation than this one,'' and they would convert then and there and ``offer sacri®ces of righteousness'' (OJPS).

the riches of the sea and the hidden hoards of the sand. 20 Blessed be He who enlarges Gad! [G]

The sea gives Zebulun and Issachar riches galore.

For they draw from [H] Poised is

This teaches that the territor y of Gad would keep enlarging (toward the east).

A snail used to create the blue dye used in the Tabernacle and Temple.

[H]

In all other directions, Gad was surrounded by other Israelite tribes.

NAHMANIDES And Issachar, in your tents. 20 Blessed be He who enlarges Gad! seashore'' (Gen. 49:13).

For ``he saw how good was security, and how pleasant was

the countr y'' (Gen. 49:15).

See the comments of Rashi (taken from the Sifrei) and Ibn Ezra. Correctly understood, this

blessing refers to Gad's hereditar y holding. Remember that the two tribes who acquired territor y east of the Jordan did not get their

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

does explain it (Bekhor Shor). Zebulun had complained about being stuck on the coast, which is why

Moses commanded him not to be sad but to rejoiceÐthat is how he would make his fortune (Hizkuni). T he straightforward sense of the ``journeys'' and ``tents'' is that Zebulun would bring in goods from all over the world and Issachar would sell them. But with ``rejoice,'' Moses introduces a more profound note. He is telling them to follow the counsel of Prov. 23:4, ``Do not toil to gain wealth; have the sense to desist.'' Do not devote so much toil and effort to gaining wealth that you forget to leave time for joy. As M. Avot 4:1 tells us, ``Who is wealthy? The one who rejoices in his lot'' (Abarbanel).

19 They invite their kin to the mountain.

Rather, ``the peoples shall call it the Mountain.'' The other nations assumed, because of

the great wealth there, that this would be the mountain of the Lord (Gersonides).

Where they offer sacri®ces of success.

This refers to

the offerings made by the people of Beth-shemesh (which was in Issachar according to Josh. 19:22) in 1 Sam. 6:13 (Gersonides).

hidden hoards of the sand.

And the

From the boats that sink offshore (Bekhor Shor). When the tide went out, as it does every day, the Zeb-

ulunites would go out and take these treasures (Hizkuni). A metaphor likening the wisdom that is hidden in the Torah to treasures that are preserved, uncorrupted, in the sand (Gersonides). ``Hidden'' is related to the word for ``boat''; the reference is to things that could not be acquired except by sea (Abarbanel).

20 Blessed be He who enlarges Gad!

As Isa. 30:23 tells us, grazing livestock demands ``broad pastures'' (Bekhor Shor). This is

DEUTERONOMY 33:20±22 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

NJPS

Poised is he like a lion To tear off arm and scalp. 21He chose for himself the best, For there is the portion of the revered chieftain, Where the heads of the people come. He executed the LORD`s judgments And His decisions for Israel. 22And of Dan he said: Dan is a lion's whelp That leaps forth from Bashan.

RASHI he like a lion. Gad is likened to

a lion because they were on the frontier, and those who live on the frontier must be ®erce. To tear off arm and scalp. Their victims were easy to recognize, for they would slice the head and the arm with a single blow.

21 He chose for himself the best.

Rather, the ``®rst part'' (OJPS). He ``saw'' ®t (as the Hebrew literally says) to take his allotted portion in the land of Sihon and Og, the ®rst part of the land to be conquered.

For there is the portion of the revered chieftain. He knew that somewhere within

K[KPI

DN OK ZCE

he dwelleth as a lioness, and teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head. 21And he chose a ®rst part for himself, for there a portion of a ruler was reserved; and there came the heads of the people, he executed the righteousness of the LORD, and His ordinances with Israel. 22And of Dan he said: Dan is a lion's whelp, that leapeth forth from Bashan.

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his territory was the portion of land in which Moses, the ``chieftain,'' was buried. But the adjective belongs with the portion, not with the chieftain: ``there a portion of a ruler was reserved'' (OJPS), that is, hidden away from everyone: ``no one knows his burial place to this day'' (34:6). Where the heads of the people come. Rather, ``he [Gad] came at the head of the people.'' Because they fought so ®ercely, they went ahead of the troops, leading the conquest: ``The LORD your God has given you this country to possess. You must go as shock-troops, warriors all, at the head of your Israelite kinsmen'' (3:18). [I] He executed the LORD's judgments. That is, they upheld their words and kept their promise to cross the Jordan and ®ght with the other Israelites until the land had been conquered and allocated. Another reading: the ``he'' who ``came at the head of the people'' and ``executed the Lord's judgments'' was Moses. 22 Dan is a lion's whelp. He too was on the frontier and therefore is compared to a lion. That leaps forth from Bashan. As Onkelos clari®es, what ``leaps forth from Bashan'' are the streams that water Dan's territory. For the Jordan arises in his portion, from the cave of Paneas, which is Leshem in the territory of Dan: ``So the Danites migrated and made war on Leshem . . . and they changed the name of Leshem to Dan'' (Josh. 19:47). But its water actually streams forth to Dan from the Bashan. Another reading: Just as a jet of water comes forth from one place and splits into two, so the tribe of Dan took their portion in two places, not one. They ®rst took their portion in the northwestÐEkron and environsÐbut this was not enough for them. So they made war on Leshem (that is, Paneas), which of course is in the northeast, where the Jordan arises, ¯owing south from there to the Dead Sea, to the east of the tribe of Judah, who took their portion in the south of Israel. For these tribal boundaries, see Joshua 18±19 generally and Josh. 19:47 in particular, which notes that ``the territory of the Danites went forth from them''Ðto a completely different area than they had originally settled. [I] The precise words in our texts of Rashi are a blend of this verse and Josh. 1:14.

IBN EZRA

lionÐall who see him ¯ee from him, and there is no one who can cause him distress. 21 He chose for himself the best. Rather, the ``®rst'' (OJPS). He chose his allotted portion before the rest of Israel did. For

there is the portion of the revered chieftain. The adjective goes with the ``portion,''

not the ``chieftain''; compare ``for there a portion of a ruler was reserved'' (OJPS). However, it means not ``reserved'' but ``paneled'' (see Jer. 22:14, Hag. 1:4, 1 Kings 6:15). The sense of the verse is that Gad saw great paneled palaces, which were the portion of the greatest of the Amorites. [P] Where the heads of the people come. The heads of the Gadites (as Moses foresaw prophetically) would come across the Jordan with Israel as military campaigners. He executed the LORD's judgments. For his hand ful®lled what his mouth had promised. The Gadites swore they would go forth to war with the rest of the Israelites. The Reubenites (who made the same promise) are not mentioned here, perhaps because the Gadites were more courageous than the Reubenites. Chronicles supports this argument: ``Of the Gadites, there withdrew to follow David to the wilderness stronghold valiant men, ®ghters ®t for battle, armed with shield and spear; they had the appearance of lions, and were as swift as gazelles upon the mountains'' (1 Chron. 12:9). You will ®nd no such description of the Reubenites. 22 Leaps forth. Again, this verb is a hapax. But the sense of a lion cub ``leaping forth'' from Mount Bashan is clear from the context. [P] It was in their land, east of the Jordan, that the Gadites took their portion.

NAHMANIDES portions by lot. Instead, Moses simply awarded them the kingdoms of Sihon and Og. Their lands were indeed

``enlarged'' beyond those of the other tribes. Moses did not mention this in Reuben's blessing; his prayer on their behalf was enough. It could also be that the Gadites got more territory than the Reubenites. Being heroic warriors, they were given the entire frontier. They certainly built more cities than the Reubenites did. [O] Moreover, it was they who ®rst requested that land, as I explained in my comment to Num. 32:2. They were therefore the reason for the expansion of the territory to begin with. [O] See Num. 32:34±38.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS apparently a reference to the war against the Hagrites mentioned in 1 Chron. 5:19, in which the Gadites took a leading role (Gersonides). Where the heads of the people come. Some take this as a reference to the Israelite chieftains (see

Joshua 22) who came to Gilead to look into the altar the Gadites and the others had built there. But they had deliberately built it of hewn stones to demonstrate that they had no intention of offering sacri®ce there (Abarbanel). 21 For there is the portion of the revered chieftain. Some say the ``chieftain's'' portion is that of Reuben, who is associated with a related word in Judg. 5:15, in the Song of Deborah: ``Among the clans of Reuben were great decisions of heart.'' But it is not clear that this must be so (Bekhor Shor). Not only Reuben but also Gad, due to his importance, is called ``chieftain'' (Hizkuni).

252

253 DEUTERONOMY 33:23±24 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

23And

of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, sated with favor And full of the L ORD`s blessing, Take possession on the west and south. 24And of Asher he said: Most blessed of sons be Asher; May he be the favorite of his brothers, May he dip his foot in oil.

DN OK ZCE

23And

of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satis®ed with favor, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the sea and the south. 24And of Asher he said: Blessed be Asher above sons; ¯Ó‡ ©½ ¨ ÈÏzÙÏe ´ ¦ ¨ § © § 23 let him be the favored of his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. ½ ¨ Ú·N ÔBˆ¯ ´© § ÆÈÏzÙ ¦ ¨ §©

‰Â‰È ®¨ § ˙k¯a ´© § ¦ ‡ÏÓe −¥ ¨

RASHI 23 O Naphtali, sated with faRASHBAM 24 May he be the favorite Ò :‰L¯È ¨ «¨ § ÌB¯„ − ¨ § ÌȬ¨ vor. His territory was ``sated'' with everyof his brothers. [D] ¯Ó‡ ©½ ¨ ¯L ´¥ ‡Ïe ¨ § 24 [D] See Rashbam's comment to Gen. 49:20. thing its inhabitants might favor, anything they might want. Take possession on the ¯L ®¥ ‡¨ ÌÈaÓ −¦ ¨ ¦ Ce¯a ¬¨ west and south. Not ``the west'' and the IBN EZRA 23 The west and south. ÂÈÁ‡ ¨½ ¤ ÆÈeˆ¯§ È‰È ³¦ § south, but ``the sea'' and the south (OJPS). Literally, ``the sea'' (OJPS), but as NJPS Though ``the sea'' ordinarily refers to the :BÏ‚¯ « § © ÔÓMa ¤ −¤ © Ï·Ë ¬¥ Ÿ § correctly translates, this is a Biblical Hebrew Mediterranean, which is indeed west of Isidiom for ``west.'' Naphtali's territory was rael, here it refers to ``the Sea of Chinthe Jordan but not on the seacoast. nereth,'' which fell in Naphtali's portion. They got a strip of land along the southern shore west24ofThe The most beloved. of this sea, where they could lay out their nets and traps. Note, by the way, the unusual May he dipfavorite. his foot oil. Having so lengthened imperative form in this phrase (compare the standard form in 1:21). When the much of it, as when Judahin ``washes his garaccent remains in its original place despite the syllable being added at the end, this is a ment in wine'' (Gen. 49:11). Jacob, too, said clear indication that it is an imperative form. has a list of such forms of Asher, ``Asher's bread shall be rich'' (Gen. with the accent on the penultimate syllable. [Q ] 24 Most blessed of sons be Asher. In the Sifrei I have seen the following: ``There is 49:20). [Q ] The Hebrew word for ``rich'' in the culinary sense is none among the tribes as blessed with sons as Asher.'' But I do not know in what way related to the word for ``oil.'' Asher is so blessed. May he be the favorite of his brothers. He would favor his brothers with mullet [J] and the intense oil of unripe olives, and they would favor him with produce. Another reading: he was the favorite of his brothers because his daughters were so pretty. 1 Chron. 7:31 tells us that Asher's grandson Malchiel ``was the father of Birzaith,'' that is, of ``the anointed''Ðkings and high priests, anointed with olive ( ) oil. May he dip his foot in oil. His land ¯owed with oil like a -ah

Okhlah ve-Okhlah

zaith

[J] This is one possible meaning of the word; some commentators suggest others or confess ignorance.

NAHMANIDES 23 O Naphtali, sated with favor. Despite Rashi's comment, the ``favor'' referred to here is that of the Holy One. Naphtali is ``sated'' and full by the favor of the Holy One, and by His blessing. But see the next comment. Take possession on the west and south. Literally, ``the and the south'' (OJPS). In , R. Amorai says the following: Moses was telling them, ``If you follow My laws, you will take possession of the World to Come, which is called `broader than the sea' [Job 11:9], and of this world, which is called `the land of the South' [Josh. 15:19].'' Why is the command ``take possession'' spelled with a super¯uous F at the end? This way, the letters can be rearranged to spell FK [Z: The Holy One too is included in what you will ``take possession'' of. To what may this be compared? To a king who had two treasure houses. He set one of them aside. Eventually he told his son, ``Take what is in the two treasure houses.'' The son thought, ``Perhaps he does not intend to give me what he set aside?'' Said the king, ``Take it all!'' adds: ```Sea' is Torah, which is called `broader than the sea' [Job 11:9].'' (See there for the rest.) The esoteric interpretation of the text, then, is that Naphtali is ``the one who is sated with favor, who ful®lls the blessing of the Lord, that is, the sea contained in the All within the All.'' [P] This is in accordance with what we read in the verse ``All streams ¯ow into the sea'' (Eccles. 1:7), that is, the house of the king. It can be described in terms of those who seek to see the king. They ®rst ask, ``Where is the house of the king?'' Only after that do they ask, ``Where is the king?'' Yet they will take possession even of this worldÐso dry [Q ] and barren of favorÐby means of F"K. Those who are enlightened will understand. 24 Most blessed of sons be Asher. On the face of it, the of here is indeed the comparative, ``more'' or ``most.'' Yet it is amazing that Moses would so diminish the other tribes as to say that Asher would be more blessed than all the other sons of Jacob, and even more amazing that he could express a blessing that, like this one, was not ful®lled. Rashi admits that he does not understand ``in what way Asher is so blessed,'' but all the Sifrei means is that Asher was blessed sons, giving the same meaning it has in `` the bounty of dew'' (v. 13), since (according to them) the other tribes were blessed with might or with land, but only Asher was blessed with sons. It is not clear where we ®nd this blessing ful®lled, but perhaps it is in ``All of these [were] men of Asher, chiefs of the clans, select men, men of substance, heads of the chieftains. And they were registered by genealogy according to ®ghting force; the number of the men was 26,000 men'' (1 Chron. 7:40), since no such words of praise are used there with the other tribes. May he be the favorite of his sea

Sefer ha-Bahir

Sefer ha-Bahir

mi-

mi-banim

with

[P] See Nahmanides' comment to ``the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things'' (Gen. 24:1).

[Q ] The ``south'' of Josh. 15:19 is

mi-

with

, ``dry.''

negeb

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 23 O Naphtali, sated with favor. Fruits ripen so early in the territory of Naphtali that they would always be ``sated'' and never have to look hungrily at the produce of others while they waited for their own to ripen (Bekhor Shor). Moses knew that Naphtali was extremely sociable and generous (Abarbanel). Full of the LORD's blessing. Everyone who came to the territory of Naphtali and saw this early-ripening fruit would offer blessing to the Holy One on account of it (Hizkuni). He was so generous that he was in need of extra blessing, because he was always giving away what he had (Abarbanel). Take possession on the west and south. That is, as Onkelos explains, west and south of the Sea of Chinnereth, so called because its fruits are as sweet as the music of a ,a harp, is to those who hear it (Bekhor Shor). 24 Most blessed of sons be Asher. Because he told Jacob what Reuben had done with Bilhah, the brothers ostracized him. Moses canceled the ostracism, calling him ``blessed'' rather than ``cursed.'' He was ``blessed with sons'' because one who is ostracized is forbidden to have intercourse (Hizkuni). May he be the favorite of his brothers. Rather, Moses is saying that he must be ``accepted'' by chinnor

DEUTERONOMY 33:25±26 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

25May

your doorbolts be iron and copper, And your security last all your days. 26O Jeshurun, there is none like God, Riding through the heavens to help you,

RASHI

spring. Once, the Laodiceans needed oil; they sent a broker to buy 1,000,000 minas worth of it, which he ended up getting from a peasant in the land of Asher. B. Men. 85b has the whole, long story.

25 May your doorbolts be iron and copper. From this point on Moses is

DN OK ZCE

25Iron

and brass shall be thy bars; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. 26There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven as thy help,

IBN EZRA 25 May your doorbolts be iron and copper. For there were mountains of iron and copper in his territory. And your security last all your days. The word

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translated ``security'' is a hapax; the translations more or less follow Onkelos: ``May your strength be like the days of your youth.'' Some think the B of BCE stands in for doubling of the C, which would mean it is related to ``gliding over the lips of sleepers'' (Song 7:10). But this explanation smacks of the absurd.

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F In v. 26, why is speaking about all Israel, whose toughest ``through the heavens'' simply repeated as ``through ®ghters settled on the frontier, locking it the skies,'' and why does ``to help you'' appear bedown tight so that no enemy could enter, as tween the two phrases rather than at the end where it belongs? if it were bolted shut with iron and copper. Another reading: Your land is locked inside mountains from which you extract iron and copper. The territory of Asher was indeed the padlock of the land of Israel. Rather, let ``your ¯ow Moses returns to a general blessing of be like your days''Ðyour best days, that is, your earliest days, the days of your youth. May all the tribes. the days of your old age, which ¯ow painfully away and decline, be like the days of your youth. Another reading: May the nations pour gold and silver into your land for the bounteous produce with which you will be blessed all the days that you ful®ll the will of the Holy One. They will do so much commerce with you that all their money will gush into your land. ``There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun'' (OJPS) is closer to the original syntax; the Hebrew might be understood as ``there is none like the God of Jeshurun.'' Only the punctuation makes clear that Jeshurun is being addressed. ``Know, Jeshurun, that there is none like God among all the gods of the other peoplesÐfor `their rock is not like our Rock' [32:31].'' The one who rides through the heavens is the same God who rides to your help:

26 O Jeshurun, there is none like God. Riding through the heavens.

And your security last all your days.

26 O Jeshurun, there is none like God.

Riding through the heavens to help you.

NAHMANIDES brothers. This of course is the straightforward meaning of calling Asher ``most blessed of sons.'' It is saying that

Asher should be blessed by all the other sons of their father, Jacob, being their favorite. Since Asher's land would ``be rich and . . . yield royal dainties'' (Gen. 49:20) for all the tribes, they would therefore always be calling down God's blessing on that land to continue yielding such rich fruits. This takes mi- to have its standard meaning here: Asher's blessing will come ``from the sons'' of Jacob. The translation of Onkelos seems to imply that Asher will be blessed with the blessings of the other tribes. Thus Judah and Israel would traf®c with Asher ``in wheat of Minnith and Pannag, honey, oil, and balm'' (Ezek. 27:17), bringing all the good things they themselves produce to sell so that they can buy the oil. In this way, Asher receives a share of the blessings that belong to every other tribe and is ``their favorite'' in that way. They are ``satis®ed'' (as the Hebrew root also means) in their dealings with Asher. Genesis Rabbah interprets 1 Chron. 7:31 to say that the women of Asher were so delightful that they were married to the High Priests, who were anointed with olive oil from the tribe of Asher. Asher was at the far northern end of the land of Israel, for their portion ``touched Carmel on the west . . . and ran on westward'' (Josh. 19:26, 29). We read further that ``Asher did not dispossess the inhabitants of Acco'' (Judg. 1:31), which (as we know from rabbinic tradition) is on the Mediterranean coast. So Asher's territory was something of a door bolt for the land of Israel. If their ``doorbolts'' were ``iron and copper,'' then the whole land would be locked tight by them. This implies that the Holy One would guard the entire land from any avenging enemy. Or perhaps it simply means that no foreigners would attempt to seize the oil. (For it would go forth from Asher's territory throughout the world in merchant ships.) It appears to me that the unusual dovekha is the same as zovekha, since E and H frequently interchange. There are innumerable Hebrew words spelled with H that have Aramaic cognates spelled with E. Of particular relevance here is the verb CGH (``¯ow''), spelled in Aramaic with a E. Our phrase, therefore, is giving Asher the blessing, ``May your ¯ow [of oil] last all your days''Ðthat is, ``May he dip his foot in oil'' (v. 24) forever. It is also possible, and correct, to explain (as some do), that this word BCE is simply a metathesis of CBE, the ``despondent spirit'' of 28:65. The period of ``despondency'' is that of old age, whereas one's ``days'' refers to the ``days'' of one's youth. The verse would therefore be saying, ``May your old age be like the days of your youth,'' a hint that Asher would have tranquility and honor ``so long as the earth endures'' (Gen. 8:22); this is how the Aramaic of the Jerusalem Targum puts it.

25 May your doorbolts be iron and copper.

[R]

And your security last all your days.

[R] Acco is Acre, where Nahmanides himself later sailed; see the addendum to his comment on Exod. 30:13.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

his brothers, who had ostracized him (Hizkuni). Ordinarily the rich are resented and hated; Moses is praying that the opposite will be true of Asher (Sforno). Which one who is ostracized is not permitted to do (Hizkuni). May he be so generous with his oil that he is favored and not hated (Sforno). The ``doorbolts'' are a metaphor for the bones and sinews, which ``lock'' a body as a bolt locks a door. Asher's surplus of oil will keep his bones and sinews as strong as iron and copper (Bekhor Shor). Not ``doorbolts,'' but ``shoes,'' which (again) were forbidden to Asher when he was ostracized (Hizkuni). Here Moses returns to blessing the tribes as a whole. Since ``there is none like God,'' you will be blessed with ironclad security (Sforno). One whose body is well oiled will retain his strength into old age. On B. Hul. 24b they say that when R. Hanina was 80, he could stand on one foot while putting on or taking off his shoe from the other foot. He said, ``The oil with which my mother anointed me in my youth has stood me in good stead in my old age'' (Bekhor Shor). Some take this as a warning to Asher (called ``Jeshurun'' here) not to rely on the ``iron and copper'' door bolts of v. 25. But it is clearly the beginning of a general blessing of all Israel. The individual blessings were of three types: military success, for Reuben, Judah, Gad, and Dan; agricultural prosperity, for Joseph, Zebulun, Issachar, Naphtali, and Asher; and spiritual blessing for Levi and Benjamin. Now Moses reminds them that all these blessings will not be due to nature or fate, but will come to them from the Holy One (Abarbanel). He is not merely ``riding upon'' the heavens (see OJPS), but

May he dip his foot in oil.

25 May your doorbolts be iron and copper.

And your security last all your days.

26 O Jeshurun, there is none like God.

Riding through the heavens.

254

255 DEUTERONOMY 33:26±28

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

OJPS

NJPS

Through the skies in His majesty. The ancient God is a refuge, A support are the arms everlasting. He drove out the enemy before you By His command: Destroy! 28 Thus Israel dwells in safety, Untroubled is Jacob's abode, In a land of grain and wine, Under heavens dripping dew.

and in His excellency on the skies. The eternal God is a dwelling-place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He thrust out the enemy from before thee, and said: ``Destroy.'' 28 And Israel dwelleth in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of corn and wine; yea, his heavens drop down dew.

27

RASHI Through the skies in His majesty. 27 The ancient God is a refuge.

27

He rides

Ra-

ther, this is a reference to ``the skies'' (v. 26) as ``the refuge of the ancient God,'' the God who preceded all the others and selected the skies as His residence and His refuge. The

±ah

suf®x is the equivalent of the preposi-

tion

l'Ðthe

skies are ``as'' a refuge.

port are the arms everlasting. port,''

but

``underneath''

A sup-

Not ``a sup-

(OJPS)Ðbeneath

His refuge dwell all the men of arms, that is, of might. The word

olam

here means not

``everlasting'' but ``world,'' so the ``everlasting arms'' are Sihon, Og, and the kings of Canaan, those who represent the ``armed'' might

of

the

God's

refuge,

world. they

Being can

``underneath''

do

nothing

but

shudder and quake at how weak they are in comparison to His might. The fear of the higher lower.

is

everlastingly on those

That

who are

is the One whose strength and

DN OK ZCE

FMZCF \BHG

FZG\ Q\I

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ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

If v. 26 is in praise

of the Holy One, as our Sages say, why does it say ``to

IBN EZRA the skies in His majesty.

Riding through the heavens

is a demonstration of His might.

Through

``Through'' is not

in the Hebrew; this phrase means that the skies remain in existence through His majestic power.

27 The ancient God is a refuge.

You

must understand that the Hebrew word refers not simply to a ``dwelling-place'' (OJPS) but

to

a

``shelter'':

abode; Zion, His

``Salem

den''

became

His

(Ps. 76:3). The verse

is saying that the ancient God is

your

refuge:

``You took the L ORDÐmy refuge, the Most HighÐas your been our

haven''

refuge

(Ps. 91:9); `` You have

in every generation'' (Ps.

help you''? And if it is in praise of ``Jeshurun'' (that is,

90:1). The Holy One as a ``shelter'' is always

Israel), why does it appear here rather than after v. 29,

above the one who seeks refuge with Him;

where it would seem to belong?

arms everlasting.

F

Why does that

verse describe God as the One who moves the sky, and completely ignore that He moves the higher powers beyond the sky? It ought to have mentioned all three levels, as does Ps. 148:1±2, ``Praise the L ORD

He drove out the enemy before you by His command: Destroy! 28 Thus Israel dwells in safety, untroubled is Jacob's abode.

from the heavens . . . Praise Him, all His angels.''

might are coming ``to help you.''

the ``Place''

[R] is below. A support are the They support you be-

cause they are literally ``underneath'' (OJPS). This

support

is

eternal;

these

arms

will

never weaken, and your shelter will never departÐfor He is ``the ancient God,'' the God of primordial times, who has no be-

Rather, ``He thrust out the enemy from before you and said'' to you,

``Destroy'' them (see OJPS).

ginning and no end as do created beings. Saadia thinks the ``arms'' are underneath the

Not ``untroubled,''

but ``alone'' (OJPS). They are all dispersed, each under his own vine and his own ®g tree.

Holy One, which explains nothing.

28 Jacob's abode.

Rather,

Jacob's

They have no need to assemble and dwell together in a single place to protect themselves

``fountain'' (OJPS), all those who came forth

from an enemy. But the Hebrew says nothing about Jacob's ``abode'' or his ``fountain''

from the ``spring'' of Jacob, as in ``O House of

(OJPS). It is better translated, ``Thus Israel dwells alone in safety, in accordance with

Jacob, who bear the name Israel and have

Jacob,'' that is, with the blessing Jacob gave them. The ``alone'' in this verse is not in ac-

issued from the waters of Judah'' (Isa. 48:1).

cordance with that of Jeremiah, who said, ``I have not sat in the company of revelers

lonely

In a land.

The translations understand cor-

because of Your hand upon me, for You have ®lled me

rectly; the Hebrew literally says ``to a land.''

with gloom'' ( Jer. 15:17); rather, it is in accordance with the blessing of Jacob, who prom-

(Similarly, ``they pray toward this place'' of

ised them, ``God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers'' (Gen.

1 Kings 8:35 really means ``they pray

48:21).

this

and made merry! I have sat

Under heavens dripping dew.

The blessing of Isaac is added in as well: ``May

God give you of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, abundance of new grain and wine'' (Gen. 27:28).

dew.

place.'') The

heavens''

Hebrew but

in

Under heavens dripping `` his

does

not

heavens''

say

``under

(OJPS)Ðthe

earth's, or Israel's. The verse is saying that the earth will naturally bring forth grain and wine, and that the heavens will assist in this by dripping dew. There will be no need for irrigation.

[R]

A rabbinic epithet of God.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

steering

them wherever He wants to go (Gersonides). His loftiness does not prevent Him from coming

``to help you'' (Abarbanel). Some think there is nothing loftier than the clouds; not so. Moreover, this is a promise that the Israelites will not rise and fall, like other nations, with the rise and fall of the constellations (Sforno).

27 A support are the arms everlasting. By His command: Destroy! 28 Jacob's abode.

These are the same as the ``everlasting foundations'' that support the earth. The point is that

``the ancient God'' rules over those on high and those below (Hizkuni). (Hizkuni).

He drove out the enemy before you.

Amalek, Sihon, and Og

Telling them (in 25:19) to ``blot out the memor y of Amalek'' and (in 20:16) to ``not let a soul

remain alive'' (Hizkuni). Vv. 26±27 correspond to the ®rst type of blessing, that for military victor y (Abarbanel). Rather, Jacob's ``fountain'' (OJPS): those who come forth from the ``spring'' of JacobÐnot the ``seed'' of Jacob or the

``sons'' of JacobÐthus including converts and excluding apostates (Bekhor Shor). Water is a frequent metaphor for offspring; that is how Dunash explains it (Hizkuni). This verse corresponds to the blessings of agricultural wealth (Abarbanel). Jacob's ``fountain'' is the Messiah, who will return things to the originally intended situation of Gen. 2:6, when ``a ¯ow would well up from the ground and water the whole surface of the earth'' (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 33:29±34:2 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

29O

happy Israel! Who is like you, A people delivered by the L ORD, Your protecting Shield, your Sword triumphant! Your enemies shall come cringing before you, And you shall tread on their backs.

34

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

EN OK ZCE

29Happy

art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee? a people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and that is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall dwindle away before thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

34

Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho, and the LORD Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the showed him the whole land: Gilead as far LORD showed him all the land, even Gilead as Dan; 2all Naphtali; the land of Ephraim as far as Dan; 2and all Naphtali, and the À ¨ ÈÓ ¸¤ § ‡© 29 EBÓÎ ´ ¦ χ¯NÈ ¥¹ ¨ § ¦ EȯL

RASHI

29 O happy Israel!

After specifying the individual blessings, Moses ®nishes by saying, ``Why do I have to spell it out for you? The bottom line is, everything is yours!'' Your enemies shall come cringing before you. Like the Gibeonites, who pretended, ``Your servants have come from a very distant country, because of the fame of the LORD your God'' (Josh. 9:9). And you shall tread on their backs. As Joshua told his of®cers, ``Come forward and place your feet on the necks of these kings'' (Josh. 10:24).

34:1 Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo. How high that mountain was! Yet Moses ``went up'' it in a single bound. The LORD showed him the whole land. He showed him the ``whole''

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RASHBAM 34: [E] 1 Moses went up.

As the Holy One had told him to: ``Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people. When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your kin'' (Num. 27:12). Moses delayed his ascent until after he had blessed Ÿ ³ § © «¥ ‰LÓ them, which is why the previous chapter is -χ¤ Æ·‡BÓ ¨ ˙·¯ÚÓ ¤¹ Ÿ ÏÚi © ©¸ © Ÿ μ B· ½ § ¯‰ BÁ¯È ® ¥ § Èt-ÏÚ ´¥ § © ¯L −¤ ‡ £ ‰bÒt‰ ¨½ § ¦ © L‡¯ ´© identi®ed as ``the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, bade the Israelites „ÚÏb‰-˙‡ −¨ § ¦ © ¤ ı¯‡‰-Ïk ¤ ²¨ ¨ ¨ -˙‡¤ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § e‰‡¯i ¥¸ § © © farewell before he died'' (33:1). He made sure ı¯‡-˙‡Â ¤ ¬¤ ¤ § ÈÏzÙ-Ïk ¦½ ¨ § © ¨ Æ˙‡Â ¥ § 2 :Ôc-„Ú «¨ © to bless them before following God's instructions to ascend the mountain and die.

„Ï

ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F

When ``the LORD showed [Moses] the whole land'' (v. 1), was Moses using his ordinary vision, natural vision miraculously augmented, or some sort of intellectual-prophetic vision that had nothing to do with sense perception? F Was Moses seeing into the future, and, if so, was this the same kind of prophecy he had previously experienced or something different? F What was the purpose of showing the land to Moses? F Is this the ful®llment of the Lord's command to ``view the land that I have given to the Israelite people'' (Num. 27:12), or is this a different occasion?

land, the land as it would be in tranquility, as well as the oppressors that would arise in the future to af¯ict it. As far as Dan. He showed Moses the Danites worshiping idols: ``The Danites set up the sculptured image for themselves'' (Judg. 18:30). But He also showed him Samson, who would arise from the Danites to deliver Israel from their enemies. 2 All Naphtali. He showed him Naphtali's land in tranquility and in ruins, and He showed him Deborah and Barak (from Kedesh in Naphtali) ®ghting with Sisera and his troops. The land of Ephraim and Manasseh. He showed him their land in tranquility

NAHMANIDES 34:1 The LORD showed him the whole land. All the land of Israel on the west side of the Jordan. Gilead as far as Dan. Afterward, He showed him Gilead, on

[E] Rashbam's

comments from here on were found in a manuscript in the Bodleian Library; see ``Source Texts.''

IBN EZRA 29 Who is like you. Among the other nations. Your protecting Shield. No evil can touch you. Your Sword triumphant! The sense is that it is the Lord who is the sword by which you will triumph over all your enemies. And you shall tread on their backs. As in ``so much as a foot

can tread on'' (2:5). This in fact happened when the Gibeonites, who had yielded to Israel, were attacked by the ®ve kings. Joshua commanded the victorious of®cers, ``Come forward and place your feet on the necks of these kings'' (Josh. 10:24). [S] 34:1 Moses went up. In my opinion, this chapter was written by Joshua. Once Moses went up the mountain, he certainly did not write any more. But ``the LORD showed him'' (here), ``the LORD said to him'' (v. 4), and ``He buried him'' (v. 6) prove that Joshua wrote by means of prophecy.

the east side of the river, as far as Dan. Moses was actually in the territory of Reuben, and half of Mount Gilead and its towns belonged to the Reubenites, and half to Manasseh. So our phrase is to be understood as saying that He showed him from Gilead as far as Dan. Or perhaps there was another Gilead in the Lebanon, in the part of the land of Israel west of the Jordan, as might appear from the verse, ``You are as Gilead to Me, the summit of Lebanon'' (Jer. 22:6). He showed him ``as far as'' Dan because Dan marks the end of Israelite territory: [S] In our texts, Ibn Ezra says merely, ``This happened in the Gideon episode,'' apparently a mistake for ``Gibeon.'' Others ``Make the rounds of all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba'' (2 Sam. 24:2). Ibn Ezra is referring back to the ``Sword triumphant'' 2 The land of Ephraim and Manasseh. In the north of Israel. The whole land of think and to ``the words of Gideon''Ðhis battle cry ``a sword for the Judah. In the south. ``Judah shall remain by its territory in the south, and the house of LORD and for Gideon!'' (Judg. 7:20).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 29 O happy Israel! Who is like you!

For the fates of other nations, unlike yours, are all determined by the stars (Gersonides). This verse corresponds to the blessings for divine worship and cleaving to God (Abarbanel). In those happy messianic times, there will be no other nation as happy as you (Sforno). Your enemies shall come cringing before you. Literally, ``lying'' to you out of fear (Bekhor Shor). 34:1 Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo. Nebo was on the border between Reuben and Gad, since Moses is ``the revered chieftain'' of 33:21 (Hizkuni). The LORD showed him the whole land. Moses saw more of the land than Joshua walked on, for Joshua did not manage to conquer the ``whole'' land (Hizkuni). We see from the mention of ``eyes'' in 3:27 that sense perception was involved, but all the same this was not done by natural eyesight. But it was not the same kind of intellectual prophecy that Moses was accustomed to. Giving him the physical experience of seeing the land was indeed a consolation to him (Abarbanel). Gilead as far as Dan. As with Naphtali, Ephraim and Manasseh, and Judah of v. 2, this indicates that Moses knew prophetically which territory would later be allocated (by lot!) to which tribe (Gersonides). The fact that Moses knew this demonstrates that he had previously obeyed the Lord's command to ``view the land that I have given to the Israelite people'' (Num. 27:12), which is what enabled him to give them the blessings of ch. 33 (Abarbanel).

256

257 DEUTERONOMY 34:2±5 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

and Manasseh; the whole land of Judah as far as the

Western Sea;

3

the Negeb; and the PlainÐthe Valley of Jericho,

the city of palm treesÐas far as Zoar.

cob, `I will assign it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross there.'' Moses

the

servant

of

the

L ORD

died there, in the land of Moab, at the

RASHI

EN OK ZCE

land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of

And

which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Ja-

So

OJPS

Judah as far as the hinder sea;

4

the L ORD said to him, ``This is the land of

5

FMZCF \BHG

3

and the South, and the Plain, even

the valley of Jericho the city of palm-trees,

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as far as Zoar.

4

And the L ORD said unto

him: ``This is the land which I swore unto Abraham,

unto

Isaac,

and

unto

Jacob,

saying: I will give it unto thy seed; I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.'' 5

So Moses the servant of the L ORD died

there in the land of Moab, according to the

and in ruins, and He showed him Joshua (who came from Ephraim) IBN EZRA 5 So Moses the servant of ®ghting the kings of Canaan, and Gideon the LORD died there. Even in death he (who came from Manasseh) ®ghting with ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Isn't it unspeakably did what was required of him, like a serMidian and Amalek. The whole land of cruel of God to tell Moses, ``This is the land . . . I have vant. At the command of the LORD. you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not Judah. In tranquility and in ruins. He let When He told him, ``Ascend these heights cross there'' (v. 4), as if He deliberately wants him to showed him the permanent rule of the royal feel bad at the moment of his death? It is like Elisha of Abarim to Mount Nebo . . . and die on the dynasty of David. As far as the Western telling the king's aide during the famine that there mountain that you are about to ascend'' Sea. He showed him the west of the land in would be barley for sale the next day, and that ``you (32:49±50). Just so Aaron ascended Mount tranquility and in destruction. Another shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of Hor and died ``at the command of the reading: Not ``the ®nal sea [yam]'' (as the it'' (2 Kings 7:19). In fact, it would follow that letting LORD'' (Num. 33:38). We ®nd the idiom Moses see the land was not to comfort him but to Hebrew literally says), but ``the ®nal day'' punish him! F How could Moses, a prophet im- also in ``at a command of the LORD they (yom). The Holy One showed Moses every- measurably greater than Elijah, possibly die (v. 5), made camp'' (Num. 9:18; see also Num. thing that would happen to Israel until the when Elijah did not? (I do not mention Enoch, since 9:20 and 23). our Sages say that he actually did die.) resurrection of the dead. 3 The Negeb. The south. Another reading: He showed him the cave of Machpelah: ``They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron'' (Num. 13:22), where the cave is located. And the Plain. He showed him Solomon casting the sacred utensils for the Temple: ``The king had them cast in earthen molds, in the plain of the Jordan'' (1 Kings 7:46). 4 This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ``I will assign it to your offspring.'' The Hebrew contains the literal phrase, ``To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to say.'' I want you to go and tell Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ``That oath that the Holy One swore to you? He has ful®lled it.'' I have showed you all this for you ``to say'' that to them. But you shall not cross there. Nonetheless, it is a decree from before Me that you shall not cross there. If not for that decree, I would keep you alive long enough to see the Israelites ®rmly planted in the land, so you could tell that to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there. Could Moses possibly have died and then written, ``So Moses the servant of the Lord died there''? Rather, Moses wrote up to this point and Joshua wrote from v. 5 on. (See Josh. 24:26.) R. Meir asks, ``Could the Torah have been missing anything when Moses said, `Take this book of Teaching and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant' [31:26]? Rather, the Holy One dictated and Moses wrote it down in tears.'' At the command of the LORD. Literally, ``at the mouth of the Lord''Ð by a kiss.

NAHMANIDES

Joseph shall remain by its territory in the north'' (Josh. 18:5). Judah took the entire south of the land, from the Jordan to the sea. [S] Dan (v. 1) took the northwest; Naphtali was next to Judah on the east. [T] Asher and Issachar are not mentioned here speci®cally, for they lay inside the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, whose territory ``was contiguous with Asher on the north and with Issachar on the east'' (Josh. 17:10). Simeon is not mentioned because their territory lay inside that of Judah: ``The portion of the tribe of the Simeonites, by their clans, lay inside the portion of the Judites'' (Judg. 19:1). Benjamin is not mentioned because their territory lay immediately between that of Judah and the two Josephite tribes. As far as the Western Sea. This takes care of showing Moses the territory of Zebulun, who dwelled ``by the seashore'' (Gen. 49:13). 3 The Negeb; and the Plain. Alternatively, perhaps ``the Plain'' is how Zebulun's territory is included. The Valley of Jericho. Because it is such a deep valley, it was not visible from the top of the mountain; the Holy One showed it to Moses by means of a miracle. 4 This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ``I will assign it to your offspring.'' That is the point of vv. 1±3. What He showed him in vv. 1±3 included the entire inheritance of Israel. Of course, in the Sifrei there are midrashim on each and every place name mentioned here. But the straightforward reason for showing him all this was because Israel was ``the fairest of all lands'' (Ezek. 20:6, 15), full of all good things. Because Moses' love for Israel was so great, the Holy One knew it would make Moses happy to see all these good things with his own eyes.

[S] Some texts of Nahmanides' commentary add: ``and Manasseh and Ephraim took the north, likewise from the Jordan to the sea.''

[T] See Josh. 19:34.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 3 The Valley of Jericho. Because Jericho was so importantÐit is ``the city of scent'' (ir re'ach)Ðit is mentioned here speci®cally by name (Bekhor Shor). 4 But you shall not cross there. Lest your blessing be so great that the land cannot eventually be laid waste, as has already been decreed against them once they have received their full measure of blessing (Sforno). 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there. This was not a natural death; as v. 7 tells us, there was nothing physically wrong

with him. Rather, he literally died ``at the command of the Lord,'' serving Him to the last. He was already in such an elevated state that he had no further need of his body. Note, however, that Moses is said to ``die'' and to be ``gathered to his kin'' (32:50), but not to ``breathe his last,'' as is said of others, including even Aaron. This is further con®rmation that there was nothing physically wrong with him. His soul simplyÐas Eccles. 12:7 saysÐ``returned to God who bestowed it'' (Abarbanel).

DEUTERONOMY 34:5±8 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

FMZCF \BHG

EN OK ZCE

NJPS command of the LORD. 6He buried him in the valley in OJPS word of the LORD. 6And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab, near Beth-peor; and no one knows his burial the land of Moab over against Beth-peor; and no man knoweth place to this day. 7Moses was a hundred and twenty years old of his sepulcher unto this day. 7And Moses was a hundred and when he died; his eyes were undimmed twenty years old when he died: his eye was 8 and his vigor unabated. 8And the Israelites ı¯‡a 6 Ÿ ¸ § ¦ © :‰Â‰È ¤ ´¤ § ÆÈb· § © © B˙‡ ³ Ÿ ¯a˜i «¨ § Èt-ÏÚ ¬ ¦ © not dim, nor his natural force abated. And bewailed Moses in the steppes of Moab for ÆLȇ¦ Ú„È-‡Ï the children of Israel wept for Moses in ¬© ¨ Ÿ « § ¯BÚt ® § ˙Èa ´¥ ÏeÓ− ·‡BÓ ¨½ thirty days. the plains of Moab thirty days; RASHI 6 He buried him.

½ ¨ ´ª § ¤ -Ôa¤ ‰LÓe ¤À Ÿ 7 :‰f‰ «¤ © ÌBi‰ ¬ © „Ú −© B˙¯·˜-˙‡ Ÿ « B˙Óa ‰˙‰Î ¬¨ £ ¨ -‡Ï ® Ÿ § ‰L −¨ ¨ ÌȯNÚ ² ¦ § ¤ § ‰‡Ó ¯¨ ¥ RASHBAM 6 He buried him. Rather, 8 Ÿ « ¥ Ò-‡Ï χ¯NÈ ¯¥ ¨ § ¦ È· ¥¸ § Áek·i § ¦ © :‰ÁÏ ¬¨ Ÿ § BÈÚ − ¥ ``one buried him,'' that is, ``he was buried'' (OJPS). The same syntax occurs in ``Can Ÿ ¬ § «© § ‰LÓ ÌBÈ® ÌÈLÏL ´ ¦ Ÿ § ·‡BÓ −¨ ˙·¯Úa ²¤ Ÿ -˙‡¤ horses gallop on a rock? Can it be plowed

The Holy One in His glory buried him. R. Ishmael says: ``He buried himself.'' This is one of the three places where R. Ishmael interprets the object marker et in this fashion; for the others, see Lev. 22:16 and Num. 6:13. Near ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F Why did the Lord to bury Moses so that ``no one knows his burial Beth-peor. More precisely, ``over against'' arrange Beth-peor (OJPS). A grave had been pre- place to this day'' (v. 6)? It would make more sense to the spot so that the Jews could pray there. pared for him there at the time of creation, in publicize (The purpose cannot have been to prevent their wororder to make expiation for the incident at shiping Moses, since that did not happen at the graves Peor. [K] This grave is one of the things that of the Patriarchs or those of Elisha and the other prophwere created just before nightfall on the ets whose grave sites are known.) It is very comforting to visit the graves of one's ancestors; how much more sixth day of creation. it be for the Jews to be able to visit the grave 7 His eyes were undimmed. Even soof would our master Moses, may he rest in peace. after he died, his ``eye'' (as the Hebrew literally says; see OJPS)Ðthat is, his colorÐ did not dim. And his vigor unabated. Literally, the ``moisture'' in his body. His body did not yield to decomposition, and his face did not alter. 8 The Israelites bewailed Moses. The ``sons'' of Israel, as the Hebrew literally saysÐ the males. But for Aaron, who pursued peace and made peace between friends and between wives and husbands, we read: ``All the house of Israel bewailed Aaron'' (Num. 20:29), men and women alike. [K] See Numbers 25.

with oxen?'' (Amos 6:12), where the Hebrew literally asks, ``Can [some unknown] he plow it with oxen?'' Since no one knew his burial place, the one who buried him was also unidenti®ed, and the text simply writes that ``someone'' buried him. [F] 7 His vigor unabated. Literally, ``his cheek did not ¯ee.'' Normally the ¯esh of an old man's cheeks wrinkles up and ``¯ees'' from its place. [F] The manuscript adds, ``perhaps the Holy One or the angels.'' But this seems to contradict what Rashbam has just said.

IBN EZRA 6 He buried him.

He buried himself by entering a burial cave in the valley. The pronoun is used with this meaning also in ``the foremen of the Israelites found themselves in trouble'' (Exod. 5:19) and ``the shepherds tended themselves instead of tending the ¯ock'' (Ezek. 34:8). In the valley. But this ``valley'' was a valley at the top of Mount Abarim, which is the same as Mount Nebo (Nebo is another name for Mercury); and that is how a valley could be ``facing'' Beth-peor (as our verse literally says). Remember that the Israelites' journey took them ``to the valley that is in the country of Moab, at the peak of Pisgah, overlooking the wasteland'' (Num. 21:20); ``the summit of Pisgah'' (v. 1) is just where Moses went up at the beginning of this chapter. That is where he died, and that is where his grave is. The Israelites ®rst ``stayed on in the valley near Beth-peor'' (3:29), and only afterward ``marched on and encamped in the steppes of Moab'' (Num. 22:1). In the complete record of the Israelites' journeys, we likewise read that they ``encamped in the hills of Abarim, before Nebo'' (Num. 33:47), and then ``set out from the hills of Abarim and encamped in the steppes of Moab'' (Num. 33:48). So ``the valley near Bethpeor'' (3:29) is in ``the hills of Abarim'' (Num. 33:47). It is clear, therefore, that Moses is buried in the same place where he died. [T] To this day. These are clearly the words of Joshua, which he may have written as late as the end of his life. 7 His vigor. Literally ``his moisture''; in the ordinary way of things, people dry up as they age. Note the unusual F suf®x for ``his'' here, as in ``his tent'' (Gen. 9:21). Unabated. He retained his natural turgor. 8 The Israelites bewailed Moses. But ``all the house of Israel bewailed Aaron'' (Num. 20:29)Ðout of respect for Moses. The period of wailing and mourning for Moses came to an end. At which point they began to ``heed'' Joshua (v. 9). [T] See further Ibn Ezra's comment to Num. 21:19.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 6 He buried him.

The Torah begins with an act of kindness, clothing the nakedÐ``the LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife'' (Gen. 3:21)Ðand ends with one, burying the dead (Bekhor Shor). Because Moses had had nothing to do with human appetites since Sinai, there was no ritual uncleanness in him and the Holy One Himself could attend to his burial. Elijah did not attain this level, and he had to enter into the ®re when he was taken up to heaven. After all, ®re was his element; see 1 Kings 18:38, 1 Kings 19:12, 2 Kings 1:10 and 12 (Abarbanel). If he buried himself, as a few of the Sages say, his incorporeal soul must have done soÐfor he died on the mountain and was buried in the valley (Sforno). In the valley in the land of Moab, near Beth-peor. In what valley? In the land of Moab. Where in Moab? Near Beth-peor. Yet despite these three indicators, no one knows his burial place (Bekhor Shor). Thus proving that he was not buried by human hands (Hizkuni). How could anyone know his burial place? There was nothing left of his body, which simply returned to the elements of which it had been made, and no marker of a grave site (Abarbanel). To this day. It remains unknown in order to prevent them from trying to bury anyone else with him (as was done, for example, with the man of God at Bethel; see 1 Kings 13:31±32), and to keep those who inquire of the dead from trying to do so with him (Hizkuni). 7 His eyes were undimmed. Rather, ``his color''Ðthe radiance of his face (Hizkuni). And his vigor unabated. It had not ``¯ed'' (understood metaphorically). But my father in his Sefer ha-Galui derives it from an Arabic cognate, which would make our verse mean that Moses' ``moisture'' had not ``dried up.'' This is a much ®ner explanation; after all, what does ``¯eeing'' or ``running away'' have to do with one's natural moisture? (Kimhi). 8 The Israelites bewailed Moses. Knowing that he had been in perfect health, they assumed he had died for some sin of theirs. He had announced after blessing them that he was going to die. And it is not out of the question that his death was accompanied by intense, terrifying darkness. That is how they knew he had died (Abarbanel). For thirty days. This is one of the standard time periods of Torah law. Given that the normal human period of the most intense mourning is three days, it was appropriate to bewail Moses for

258

259 DEUTERONOMY 34:8±10 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

The period of wailing and mourning for Moses came to

an end. 9Now Joshua son of Nun was ®lled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the

FMZCF \BHG

OJPS

ended.

EN OK ZCE

so the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were 9

And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of

wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the chil-

Israelites heeded him, doing as the L ORD

dren of Israel hearkened unto him, and did

had commanded Moses.

as the L ORD commanded Moses.

½ § ¦ «© ÚLB‰È ©´ª « ¦ 9 :‰LÓ «¤ Ÿ Ï·‡ ¤ ¬¥ Èη −¦ § ÈÓÈ ¬¥ § eÓzi Ÿ ½ Æ À ¦ ‰LÓ ²¤ CÓÒ-Èk ¬© ¨ « ¦ ‰ÓÎÁ ¨ § ¨ Áe¯ © ´ ‡ÏÓ ¥ ¨ Ôe-Ôa prophet like MosesÐwhom the L ORD Æχ¯NÈ-Èa ¸ § § ¦ © ÂÈÏÚ ¥ ¨ § ¦ «¥ § ÂÈÏ ³¨ ‡¥ eÚÓLi ®¨ ¨ ÂÈ„È-˙‡ −¨ ¨ ¤ RASHI 10 Whom the LORD singled ½ £ © «© :‰LÓ «¤ Ÿ -˙‡¤ ‰Â‰È −¨ § ‰eˆ ¬¨ ¦ ¯L ²¤ ‡k £ © eNÚi out, face to face. For Moses acted so fa¸¨ Ÿ « § 10 ®¤ Ÿ § χ¯NÈa −¥ ¨ § ¦ § „BÚ² ‡È· ¬ ¦ ¨ ̘-‡Ï miliarly with Him that he would speak to ‰LÓk 10

Never again did there arise in Israel a

Him whenever he chose, as he told the Israelites: ``I will now go up to the LORD; ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F The statement that perhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin'' there never again arose ``a prophet like Moses'' (v. 10) poses a number of dif®culties. Inescapably, the things (Exod. 32:30); ``Stand by, and let me hear he prophesied must have been either possible or imwhat instructions the LORD gives about you'' possible. If they were impossible, how did they come (Num. 9:8). true? If they were possible, why could not another

NAHMANIDES 10 Whom the LORD singled out, face to face. Literally, ``whom

such prophet arise? So they must in fact align with the course of nature, in which case why would God prevent this bene®t from ever happening again?

F

The

conclusion of our Sages in the Sifrei is even more sur-

10

And there hath not arisen a prophet

since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the

RASHBAM 10 Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like MosesÐ whom the LORD singled out, face to face.

``When a prophet of the LORD arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is trusted throughout My household'' (Num. 12:6±7). If you should ®nd earlier commentaries that take the straightforward sense of the text differently than I do, you will see that they are not necessarily operating according to the ways of the world, common sense, or the precise text of the verse. I cannot explain all these in detail; there are simply not enough pens, ink, and parchment to do it. [G]

the LORD knew face to face'' (OJPS). For prising: such a prophet never arose again ``in Israel,'' Rashi's comment to be correct (which it but one did arise among the other nations: Balaam! isn't), it would have to say the reverseÐ How does this square with Moses' request ``that we ``who knew the Lord face to face.'' But our may be distinguished, Your people and I, from every people on the face of the earth'' (Exod. 33:16), to verse does indeed mean (as in Exod. 33:12, which the Lord replied, ``I will also do this thing that Rashbam gives as an example 20:19, ``Are trees of the 17) that the Lord ``singled out'' Moses face you have asked'' (Exod. 33:17)? And I cannot refrain [G] ®eld human to withdraw before you into the besieged city?'' to face. The point is that no other prophet from asking how they could claim that a man so He criticizes his grandfather Rashi (whose explanation the ever arose in Israel whom the Holy One lacking, both physically and spiritually, as they them- translations follow) for thinking that Moses could ask a tree is human. He asks, ``Why would Moses ask raised to the level of Moses, who could selves describe Balaam, could be on the same level as whether such an absurd question? Who could be such an idiot as to Moses? Moreover, when they describe the differences speak with Him ``face to face.'' ``O LORD, imagine that a tree was human?'' the two, they actually promote Balaam above what is man that You should know him?'' between Moses! [See the comment of Nahmanides to Num. (Ps. 144:3), that You do him the honor of 24:4.] F How does the assertion that the Lord IBN EZRA 9 Filled with the spirit of ®xing Your attention and knowledge on him? ``knew'' Moses (see OJPS) ``face to face'' square with wisdom. That is, the spirit of the Lord. See similarly ``What is man, that You make Exod. 33:20, ``you cannot see My face,'' and Exod. Because Moses had laid his hands upon much of him, that You ®x Your attention 33:23, ``My face must not be seen''? On the other him. That is the proof that Joshua was upon him?'' (Job 7:17). Since two people hand, in 5:4 Moses tells the Israelites, ``Face to face the ``®lled with the spirit.'' Moses could ®nd no LORD spoke to you on the mountain out of the ®re,'' who encounter each other face to face do making one else like Joshua whom he could lean on. it seem that anyone could see God's face. Our become known to each other in that way, it verse makes no sense whether it is impossible to see Doing as the LORD had commanded is possible that our text says ``the Lord knew God's face or whether anyone can see it. Moses. By heeding Joshua. Moses face to face'' simply out of respect, 10 Face to face. See my comment to not wishing to add that Moses knew the 5:4. Lord face to face as well. Do not be surprised that this expression praising Moses is also used of the Israelites themselves: ``Face to face the LORD spoke to you'' (5:4). For there He spoke ``out of the ®re'' (also 5:4). That is, they heard His voice speaking from out of the ®re, but they did not see the divine countenance. ``From the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; on earth He let you see His great ®re; and from amidst that ®re you heard His words'' (4:36) is to be explained the same way. According to the way of Truth, ``the LORD knew him face to face'' so that our master Moses could cleave to Him at the moment when the spirit entered into him. It was the same at the time of the giving of the Torah. But the other Israelites reached only the level of the voice speaking from out of the ®re. This clari®es that all of Moses' prophecies were on the same level as on the day the Torah was given. With all the rest of the prophets, ``the hand of the LORD came upon them.'' Understand this.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

30 days. B. Shab. 88a identi®es ®ve ``threes'' involved in the giving of the Torah, making a total of 15, and doubling thatÐfor the Oral TorahÐalso gives 30. And of course it was totally appropriate to mourn Moses for the same length of time that Aaron had been mourned, despite the vast difference between them (Abarbanel). 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was ®lled with the spirit of wisdom. Now that ``the period of wailing and mourning for Moses,'' when there was ``no wisdom and no counsel'' (Prov. 21:3), had come to an end (Sforno). 10 Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses. It goes without saying that there was no such prophet in the other nations (Bekhor Shor). Nahmanides discusses the differences between Moses and Balaam in his comment to ``with eyes unveiled'' (Num. 24:4). He brie¯y mentions that he is commenting ``despite what our Sages said in the Sifrei,'' but does not pay great attention to that sourceÐwhich completely contradicts what he said, and to which he found no adequate response other than to pretend it was not there (Abarbanel). Face to face. This expression also occurs only in Gen. 32:31, Exod. 33:11, Judg. 6:22, and Ezek. 20:35 (Masorah). Note that (despite the translations) the Hebrew of 5:4 says that the God spoke to the Israelites ``face at face,'' not ``face to face''; on this, see Maimonides in Guide 1:37, with the commentaries. R. Simeon b. Yohai discusses it in the Zohar as well. Anyway, whatever the people experienced they experienced only once, not on a daily basis like Moses. As for Jacob in Gen. 32:31, that was an angel in the guise of a man, not God (Abarbanel). This kind of knowledge came to him only after the Holy One sent him to perform ``the various signs and portents'' in Egypt; earlier, according to Exod. 3:6, ``Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God'' (Sforno).

DEUTERONOMY 34:10±12 VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

NJPS

singled out, face to face, 11for the various signs and portents that the LORD sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country, 12and for all the great 11

FMZCF \BHG

EN OK ZCE

OJPS

LORD knew face to face; 11in all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land; 12and in all the mighty hand, and

-ÏÎÏ ¨ § :ÌÈt-Ï « ¦ ¨ ‡¤ ÌÈt −¦ ¨ ‰Â‰È ¨½ § BÚ„È ´ ¨ § ƯL ¤‡ £ À¦ § © § ˙B˙‡‰ ¹ Ÿ ¨¸ IBN EZRA 12 The great might. The ¨½ § ÆBÁÏL ¨ § ¯L ³¤ ‡ £ ÌÈ˙ÙBn‰Â RASHI 12 For all the great might. ‰Â‰È Ÿ ¬ § © § ÌȯˆÓ ¨ § ‰Ú¯ÙÏ ¦ ®¨ § ¦ ı¯‡a ¤ ´¤ § ˙BNÚÏ − £ © miracles at the sea. Awesome power. The Literally, ``the mighty hand'' (OJPS). He re- -ÏÎÏe ceived the Torah, on the tablets, in his own ‰˜ÊÁ‰ Ÿ § 12 :Bˆ¯‡-ÏÎÏe ½¨ ¨ £ © „i‰ ´¨ © ÆÏÎÏe « § © ¨ § ÂÈ„·Ú −¨ ¨ £ theophany at Mount Sinai. hands. And awesome power. Literally, ``the great terror'' (OJPS). The miracles and ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F How do ``the varimighty deeds he performed in ``the great ous signs and portents'' (v. 11) prove anything about and terrible wilderness'' (1:19). Before all Moses' superiority as a prophet? Plenty of others perIsrael. For Moses was bold enough to break formed ``signs and portents'' afterward that differed the tablets before their eyes: ``Thereupon from those of Moses only in degree, not in kind. Even I gripped the two tablets and ¯ung them more challenging are such things as Joshua causing sun to stand still and Elijah and Elisha both bringaway with both my hands, smashing them the children back to lifeÐthings that Moses himself before your eyes'' (9:17). And the Holy One ing never did. indulged him in this: ``I will inscribe on the tablets the commandments that were on the ®rst tablets that you smashed'' (10:2). Read not asher shavarta (``that you smashed'') but yishar kochacha she-shavarta, ``More power to you for smashing them!''

NAHMANIDES 11 The various signs and portents. As the translations show,

this verse is a continuation of the sentence begun in the previous verse. Either it is noting a further difference between Moses and the other prophets, or it is saying that the Holy One knew Moses by means of these signs and portents, which were all performed by means of His great Name as explained in 4:32. As I explained in my comment to 13:2, ``signs'' are announced in advance: ``Tomorrow this sign shall come to pass'' (Exod. 8:19). This name ot is given to anything that a prophet announces in advance will ``come'' (ata) to pass at some future moment. ``Portents'' are those events that involve some alteration in nature, like the rod that turns into a snake (Exod. 7:15). The other prophets did perform signs and portents; Elijah and Elisha performed many deeds of this kind. But a great gulf separated prophets of this kind from our master Moses, as the midrash explains: all the prophets performed miracles of various kinds through the power of prayerÐe.g., Joshua making the sun stand still, Elijah bringing the son of the widow from Zarephath back to life, Elijah stopping the rain, and Elisha reviving the son of the Shunammite woman. [U] But Moses performed them directly. How the midrash reached this conclusion, though, is not entirely clear. Maimonides says in Guide 2:35 that the distinction is that Moses performed his miracles simultaneously before Pharaoh and before the IsraelitesÐthat is, both his opponents and his own sideÐwhile the other prophets performed their actions strictly in front of individuals. But I do not see how this can be correct. In the case of Elijah's stopping the rain, both the stopping of the rain and its resumption, and also the fact that Elijah was responsible for it, must have been widely known. After all, he declared precisely what he was going to do. Eventually even foreign nations knew about it, since as Obadiah told Elijah, ``There is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to look for you'' (1 Kings 18:10). And the end of the story certainly took place before both Elijah's opponents and his own side, since he ordered, ``Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and ®fty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table'' (1 Kings 18:19). Joshua causing the sun to stand still certainly occurred before the eyes of all Israel, as well as those of all the kings of Canaan who were ®ghting with himÐand all the rest of them too. And the same is true of the splitting of the Jordan. [V] Once again: Vv. 10±12 are all one long sentence explaining how superior Moses was to all the prophets who came after him. Even if there were prophets who managed to do some such things, they did not do as many of them, nor did they come anywhere near the greatest of them. For there was certainly nothing like the theophany at Sinai either before or after it. Nor did any of their miracles last as long as those of Moses, may he rest in peace. The miracle of the manna went on continuously for 40 years, as did those of the ®re and the cloud, the well and the quail (at least, in our Sages' opinion), and the Israelites' traveling ``through the great and terrible wilderness with its seraph serpents and scorpions, a parched land with no water in it'' (8:15) while lacking nothing. According to the way of Truth, the text is saying that Moses' signs and portents were face to face, as I explained in my comment to Num. 24:4. 12 And for all the great might. The ``mighty hand'' (OJPS)Ðthe splitting of the sea, where ``Israel saw the mighty hand which the LORD had wielded against the Egyptians'' (Exod. 14:31). And awesome power. Rather, ``the great terror''Ðthe theophany at Sinai: ``God has come only in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may be ever with you'' (20:17). It is these that Moses displayed before all Israel; v. 11 has already mentioned the mighty and terrible acts performed ``against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country.'' The Sifrei, however, identi®es ``the mighty hand'' as the slaying of the ®rstborn (see Exod. 6:1), and ``the great terror'' as the splitting of the sea. Another reading: ``the great terror'' was the giving of the Torah. According to the way of Truth, ``the mighty hand'' is God's aspect of justice (as in Ezek. 37:1, ``The hand of the LORD came upon me''; Job 12:9, ``The hand of the LORD has done this''; and [U] See Joshua 10, 1 Kings 17 (Elijah), and 2 Kings 4 (Elisha).

[V] See Joshua 3.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 11 The various signs and portents.

Even Nahmanides would admit that Moses did not make the sun stand still or revive the dead. But in fact such ``portents'' were performed by prophets only when necessary. For this reason, there are some famous prophets who rarely or never performed miracles. It was not because he lacked the ability that Moses did not perform them. In his time the Israelites never were ®ghting at dusk, so they never needed the day extended. And it is certainly not Moses' fault that no one died on his watch who had to be revived. Most crucially, note that Moses is not being ranked ``according'' to the various signs and portents, but ``for'' those that he actually performed. Moreover, the other prophets (like Elijah on Mount Carmel) were in fear that the Holy One might not listen to their prayers for miracles, which He did only to ``con®rm the word of My servant and ful®ll the prediction of My messengers'' (Isa. 44:26). But Moses was simply obeying God's commandments by performing his miracles, so he had no doubt they would take place. He performed miracles of every kind: involving animal, vegetable, and mineral; earth, air, ®re, and water; human and divine. In short, vv. 10±12 are stating that Moses was qualitatively greater than any other prophet before or since (Abarbanel). 12 And for all the great might. All this great might was achieved by God through the ``hand'' (OJPS) of MosesÐthe splitting of

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261 DEUTERONOMY 34:12 NJPS

VE-ZO'T HA-BERAKHAH

might and awesome power that

Moses displayed before all Israel.

FMZCF \BHG

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OJPS

in

all

the

great

EN OK ZCE terror,

which

Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.

NAHMANIDES

KBCZTPN v. 12. Ruth 1:13, ``The hand 955 ZVSF N[ OKYGSVF OGMS17.10 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS the sea, G KXI G of the LORD has struck out against me''), the earth opening its mouth (Num. 16:31), 5,845 FZG\ N[ OKYGSVF OGMS v. 12. the mannaÐaltering the otherwise unalterand ``the great terror'' is God's aspect of able natural order (Sforno). And awesome compassion (as in Isa. 8:13, ``None but the ABARBANEL'S QUESTIONS F power. Rather, his ``awesome vision'' LORD of Hosts shall you account holy; fear (Hizkuni). Before all Israel. It was when Him alone''). This is in fact what the Sifrei ``the people remained at a distance, while means by identifying these two phrases with F Moses approached the thick cloud where the slaying of the ®rstborn and the splitting God was'' (Exod. 20:18) that Moses acof the sea, of which the prophet says that quired the highest, face-to-face level of the Lord performed these deeds ``to win prophecy and with it the ``awe'' that acfor Yourself a name of Splendor'' (Isa. companied it. As Exod. 34:30 tells us, 63:14). The Hebrew says merely that Moses ``Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the ``did'' them or ``made'' them (``wrought'' of skin of Moses' face was radiant; and they OJPS), but the correct sense is that he ``prepared'' them, ``made'' them ready: ``Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender shrank from coming near him'' (Sforno). and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it'' (Gen. 18:7). Moses himself did not ``do'' the great might and awesome power, but he prepared them, and they were performed on his account ``before all Israel.'' Why are we told

that ``the L ORD sent him to display'' these signs and

portents, rather than simply that he did them? Didn't

``the Lord send him to display'' the might and power of v. 12?

We all know from the Passover haggadah

that ``the great might'' (v. 12)Ðreally ``the mighty

hand'' (OJPS)Ðrefers to the plagues against Egypt.

Why is it apparently used here not for the miracles

displayed ``against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and

his whole country'' (v. 11), but for those Moses ``displayed before all Israel'' (v. 12) in the wilderness?

All ®ve books, in which are condensed all the wisdom of the world, are now complete, through His great kindness and mercy. [W] May He speedily ful®ll the verse ``When My Sanctuary abides among them forever, the nations shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel'' (Ezek. 37:28). ``Blessed is the LORD, God of Israel, from eternity to eternity!'' (Ps. 106:48).

s

I have found in the Midrash on Proverbs that on the day when the Sanhedrin wanted to include Solomon among the three kings and four commoners who have no portion in the World to Come, the Shekhinah stood before the Holy One and said, ``Sovereign of the Universe! `See a man skilled at his workÐhe shall attend upon kings; he shall not attend upon obscure men' [Prov. 22:29].'' [X] The version of this story on B. Sanh. 104b says that ``an image of his father's likeness'' prostrated itself before them (which they disregarded); the version in the Palestinian Talmud mentions David's name explicitly. All these stories point in the same direction: The Holy One moves back and forth between the two aspects of justice and mercy. He leaves the aspect of justice and arrives at the aspect of mercy, which is the aspect of David. As the Sages ordained that we say in the ritual for the sancti®cation of the new moon, ``David, king of Israel, lives and endures.'' One who is enlightened will understand. [W] These lines, and others like them that are omitted here, are actually in the form of rhyming poetry.

[X] He should be admitted to the World to Come, not excluded from it.

GLOSSARY apocopated ± a Hebrew verb that has dropped the final

F of the root

The Book of Crowns ± a work describing the ``tittles'' crowning various letters in a Torah scroll, first known to us from the 11th-c. Mahzor Vitry conjugation ± a Hebrew verb pattern; see Special Topics, ``Biblical Hebrew'' construct case ± a Hebrew grammatical term denoting the grammatical case that connects a noun to what follows it (e.g., the absolute form form

dvar means ``a /the word of . . .'')

davar means ``a word''; the construct

dagesh ± the dot that is occasionally found in Hebrew letters ga'on,

pl.

ge'onim

± an honorary title for the great leaders of the rabbinic academies of

Babylonia (adj. gaonic) geminate ± a root in which the second letter is ``twinned,'' being used as the third letter of the root as well (e. g.,

SBB,

CCS)

halakhah ± Jewish law; literally, ``going,'' or (more colloquially) ``the Way'' Halakhot Gedolot ± a Jewish legal code of the gaonic period, of uncertain authorship hapax legomenon ± a word that occurs only once in the Bible

Heikhalot Rabbati ± a mystical book about the heavenly ``palaces'' (heikhalot), based on the ``chariot'' vision of Ezekiel 1 Jerusalem Targum ± a Palestinian Aramaic translation of the Torah, of uncertain date, and now existing in several versions Karaites ± Jews who rejected the rabbinic Oral Law and claimed to base their way of life on the Torah alone kav ± a dry measure roughly equivalent to two quarts kor ± a measure roughly equivalent to 10 bushels

Kuzari ± a 12th-c. work by the Spanish poet and philosopher Judah Halevi, explaining why Judaism is superior to Christianity, Islam, and philosophy log ± a liquid measure roughly equivalent to a pint

263

THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE

Mekilta ± a collection of midrashim, from the time of the Mishnah, primarily on the legal sections of Exodus; the standard Mekilta is that of R. Ishmael, but there is another, known as the Mekilta of R. Simeon bar Yohai Midrash Yelammedenu ± a category of midrashic works like the Tanhuma Mishneh Torah ± the law code written by Maimonides Okhlah ve-Okhlah ± a work of uncertain but early date containing hundreds of lists of unusual biblical forms parashah ± one of the 54 sections into which the Pentateuch is divided, to be read week by week throughout the year phylacteries ± two boxes containing biblical passages, strapped onto the arm and the head during morning prayers Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer ± a retelling of the Torah that originated in the Muslim period, perhaps in the 8th c. radical ± one of the three letters that make up the ``roots'' from which most Hebrew words derive Sanhedrin ± understood in rabbinic literature as the highest court or council in Israel, composed of rabbinic Sages Seder Olam ± a work relating the chronology of the world from Adam to the Bar Kochba revolt Sefer ha-Bahir ± a kabbalistic work referred to by Nahmanides as The Midrash of R. Nehunya b. ha-Kaneh, a 1st-c. Judean scholar to whom it is attributed Sefer Yetzirah ± an enigmatic, mystical-philosophic work most likely dating to the period between the Mishnah and the Babylonian Talmud Shema ± a series of biblical passages introduced by Deut. 6:4, recited during the morning and evening services Sifra ± a collection of midrashim, from the time of the Mishnah, on the book of Leviticus Sifrei ± collections of midrashim, from the time of the Mishnah, on the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy Tanhuma ± a homiletic midrash on the Torah from the second half of the first millennium Tetragrammaton ± the four-letter personal name of God, not pronounced by Jews Yesod ± ``The Foundation,'' an exegetical work (no longer extant) by Moses ha-Darshan

264

NAMES MENTIONED IN THE TEXT Dunash ben Labrat ± 10th-c. Spanish lexicographer; a student of Saadia and a rival of Menahem ibn Saruq Hai b. Sherira ±11th-c. Ga'on of Pumbedita; halakhist and poet Isaac ibn Ghayyat ± 11th-c. Spanish poet and commentator Isaac ibn Mar Saul ± 11th-c. Spanish poet and grammarian, the teacher of Jonah ibn Janah Jonah ibn Janah ± 11th-c. Spanish grammarian and lexicographer Joseph Kara ± 11th-c. French Bible commentator of the generation in between Rashi and Rashbam Judah Halevi ± 12th-c. Spanish poet and philosopher, author of the Kuzari; a close friend and perhaps even a relative of Ibn Ezra Judah ibn Hayyuj ± 10th-c. Spanish grammarian Kalonymus of Rome ± also known as Meshullam b. Kalonymus; 10th- to 11th-c. Talmud scholar and liturgical poet; despite being identified as ``of Rome,'' he died in the Rhineland Maimonides ± 12th-c. physician, philosopher, and talmudist in Cairo Menahem ibn Saruq ± pioneering Hebrew lexicographer, 10th-c. Spain Moses b. Samuel ha-Cohen Gikatilla ± 11th-c. Spanish grammarian Moses ha-Darshan ± an important French scholar who was a contemporary of Rashi Onkelos ± legendary 2nd-c. translator of the Torah into Aramaic Saadia ± 10th-c. Ga'on of Sura (though born in Egypt); biblical commentator, philosopher, and enemy of the Karaites Titus ± the Roman general (later, emperor) who conquered Jerusalem in 70 C.E., during the First Revolt; the conquest is commemorated in the Arch of Titus in Rome

265

SOURCE TEXTS The Hebrew texts of the commentators as printed in traditional versions of the Miqra'ot Gedolot are not always the best available texts. They may include mistakes made by the printers or by earlier scribes, as well as comments added by transcribers, super-commentators, and editors. (For example, in one place in the book of Kings, ``Rashi'' explains something by using a word in Russian.) Despite the freedom I have taken in representing the words of the commentators, I have tried to use the best available texts of their comments. The Miqra'ot Gedolot published by Bar-Ilan University Press (see ``Resources for Further Study,'' below) is currently considered the most reliable edition, being based on comprehensive manuscript research done by the most respected scholars in the field. That edition has just become available for Deuteronomy since this volume was completed. So here I have relied as in earlier volumes of The Commentators' Bible on the editions of Berliner (for Rashi), Rosin (for Rashbam), Krinsky (for Ibn Ezra), and Chavel (for Nahmanides). Rashbam's comments on Deuteronomy 34 (where not reconstructed by Rosin) and his concluding remarks are taken from Bodleian Library MS Opp. 34 116b, published by Moshe Sokolow in Alei Sefer 11 (5744): 72±80.

266

SPECIAL TOPICS TITHES The presumption that the Israelites will tithe their agricultural produce, and/or instructions for doing so, are found in several different places in the Torah. The major statements about tithing are these: N Lev. 27:30 and 32: ``All tithes from the land, whether seed from the ground or fruit from the tree, are the LORD's; they are holy to the LORD . . . All tithes of the herd or flockÐof all that passes under the shepherd's staff, every tenth oneÐshall be holy to the LORD.'' N Num. 18:21 and 26: ``To the Levites I hereby give all the tithes in Israel as their share in return for the services that they perform, the services of the Tent of Meeting . . . Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you receive from the Israelites their tithes, which I have assigned to you as your share, you shall set aside from them one-tenth of the tithe as a gift to the LORD.'' N Deut. 14:22±23: ``You shall set aside every year a tenth part of all the yield of your sowing that is brought from the field. You shall consume the tithes of your new grain and wine and oil, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God, in the place where He will choose to establish His name.'' N Deut. 14:28 and 26:12: ``Every third year you shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year, but leave it within your settlements . . . set aside in full the tenth part of your yieldÐin the third year, the year of the titheÐand [give it] to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.'' As in other such cases (see the section on ``Interpreting Biblical Law''), Jewish law has turned the biblical commandments and the explanations in Nehemiah 12±13 and 2 Chronicles 31 of how the tithes were carried out in practice into a coherent annual system: N First, a small amount (around 2 percent; see Rashi's comment to Deut. 18:4) is given as a gift to a priest. N Next, 10 percent of the remainder (``the first tithe'') is given to a Levite; the Levite must give 10 percent of this to a priest. N Finally, 10 percent of the remainder (``the second tithe'') is taken to Jerusalem and consumed there by the owners and their family in ritual fashion. It is permissible to convert this 10 percent into cash and then spend the cash in Jerusalem on the components of the ritual meal. N In years three and six of the seven-year sabbatical cycle, this ``second tithe'' is not brought to Jerusalem but is instead given locally to the needy as a ``poor tithe.'' In the seventh year of the cycle, there is presumed to be nothing to tithe, as fields are to be left fallow. As with all of Jewish law, there are additional complications, but this is the basic system the commentators presume to be in effect. 267

THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE

PESHAT AND DERASH The commentators whose work is the focus of this book distinguish between two different kinds of biblical interpretation, called by the Hebrew terms peshat and derash. Peshat can be defined as ``the straightforward sense of a word, phrase, or verse in its biblical context.'' It refers, that is, to what the biblical text says ``in plain Hebrew.'' Derash is a broader category, but it is the opposite of peshat in the sense that it derives meaning from a verse, phrase, word, or sometimes even a single letter abstracted from its biblical context. A derash interpretation need make no contextual sense. The major work of Jewish biblical interpretation during the first millennium C.E. was of the derash type. Much of it is found in works of rabbinic literature that are referred to as midrash (from the same Hebrew root as the word derash). The second millennium began with a flourishing of the study of peshat, the contextual meaning of the biblical text. A similar trend is found among Christian exegetes in this period. It is possible that the trend toward peshat among rabbinic Jews was given its impetus by the challenges to traditional biblical interpretation from Christians and KaraitesÐthat is, nonrabbinic Jews. Rashi was to a large extent the pathfinder in this process. In a rare few of his comments, he explicitly describes how he grappled with the dissonance between contextual and noncontextual exegesis (in this volume, see his comments to 6:2 and, briefly, 33:13). But Rashi offers many rabbinic interpretations as part of his commentary; it is clear that he found midrash an important source of understanding about the Bible. Unlike works of midrash, however, Rashi's commentary presents only those derash interpretations that fit the flow of the biblical text. This focus on context as a defining principle of biblical interpretation is Rashi's great innovation. For Rashi, the straightforward sense of the text does not fully exhaust its meaning, but the two categories of interpretation, peshat and derash, are not contradictory but complementary. A conscious and consistent distinction between peshat and derash (though he does not use the latter term) is, however, found in the work of Rashi's grandson Rashbam. More importantly, Rashbam does not merely differentiate between the two, but restricts himself almost entirely to peshat and even defines himself as a pashtan, a peshat interpreter. Ibn Ezra, Rashbam's contemporary, though he defines his commentary as being based strictly on grammar and on logic, is much more uncomfortable in rejecting or ignoring rabbinic tradition. He will sometimes reject a particular rabbinic tradition as being the opinion of a single Sage and not generally accepted. Alternatively, he may say that logic suggests a particular interpretation, but if the rabbinic opinion is a genuine tradition, it must be accepted. (His ``if'' implies that he would rather not accept it.) Nahmanides brings the question full circle, returning to Rashi's method of integrating rabbinic interpretation into a contextual approach. Since he understood the ``True'' meaning of the text to be a mystical one, the apparent conflict between peshat and derash interpretations that seemed so strong to Rashbam and Ibn Ezra was of little importance to him. It is in his era that the phrase ``the Torah has 70 faces'' first becomes current; with it, the first great period of the flourishing of peshat interpretation comes to a close.

268

269 THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE

INTERPRETING BIBLICAL LAW Jewish law is divided into two categories of authority: (1) biblical, laws that are derived from the Torah (though not necessarily written explicitly there), and (2) rabbinic, laws that were instituted by the Sages as natural extensions of Torah law. (The distinction between these is often a focus of Nahmanides' comments.) The laws themselves also fall into two different groups: (1) ``positive'' commandments to do something and (2) prohibitions or ``negative'' commandments not to do something. For purposes of understanding the commentators' approach to biblical law, the important thing to remember is that (except in the case of Rashbam) law represents an area in which they are most often not independently trying to understand what the text says. Instead, they are matching the biblical text to an already developed system of law described in the Mishnah, the Talmud, and succeeding works of legal interpretation. A large part of their effort is devoted to understanding the meanings of rules that are repeated in the text of the Bible. For example, the command not to ``wrong one another'' is found in Lev. 25:14 and repeated in almost the same words just a few verses later, in Lev. 25:17. A basic assumption of rabbinic literature is that there is no unnecessary repetition (though occasionally such repetition is understood as merely rhetorical, on the basis that in a particular case ``the Torah is speaking in human language''). If this commandment is repeated, therefore, it must have a different meaning in each case. The difficulty is greater in the case of verses that seem to contradict each other. For example, Exod. 21:6 says that the slave whose ear is pierced must serve his master ``for life,'' but Lev. 25:40 says that Jewish slaves serve ``only until the jubilee year.'' See Ibn Ezra's comment to Exod. 21:6 for an example of how such cases are resolved. Various rabbinic figures developed systems of rules whose purpose was to formalize the interpretation of biblical law; the most well-known of these are the ``Thirteen Rules of R. Ishmael,'' which are recited as part of the traditional morning prayers. There are two common ways in which repetitions are given meaning and contradictions reconciled. The first relies on a notion of historical change in the legal situation, though not in the sense that we now view this phenomenon. Rather, it is understood that certain laws and procedures applied only in an initial period of limited application, while others were meant to have ongoing relevance. A repetition or (apparent) contradiction is understood by making one of them relevant only on a short-term basisÐto the night of the actual exodus from Egypt; to the eight-day period during which Aaron and his sons were being ordained as priests; to the 40 years of the wilderness wanderingÐleaving the other to operate on a more permanent basisÐon subsequent Passovers; during the ongoing operation of the Tabernacle and Temple; after the Israelites have left the wilderness and settled in the land. The second method is based not on restricting the historical period to which the law applies, but on restricting the scope of the biblical verse itself. For example, one verse is

warning that such-and-such an act is prohibited, while a second text elsewhere reiterates the prohibition in a way that explains the punishment for violating it.

understood to be the

Alternatively, repetitions are taken as discussing varying aspects of the rule. For example, one of the commands not to wrong another is understood to refer to financial wrong, and the other to verbal harassment.

THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE

The essential points to remember in reading the comments regarding legal sections of the Torah are, therefore, two: N The commentators generally presume that there is nothing ``wasted'' in the Torah, that is, no repetition that does not add legal content. N They presume that the Torah speaks with a unified voice; every law in it is part of a single, coherent system.

MEDIEVAL JEWISH PHILOSOPHY One of the things Ibn Ezra brought with him to the Jews of Christian Europe was the classical philosophic tradition, as it had flourished and developed in the Islamic intellectual world. There, the ideas of Plato and Aristotle had been reinterpreted in the light of a culture that had a scripture and believed in a God who rewarded the observance of strict rules of behavior. Nahmanides, in Christian Spain, was also heir to this tradition. Because philosophy and science were not yet two separate fields, medieval Jewish philosophy included various ideas that today we would more likely classify as science. Like the ancient Greeks, the medievals understood the material world to be made up of four basic elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Everything in this ``sublunar'' world was a combination of matter and ``form'' (in something like the Platonic sense of the word, for example, the essential ``table-ness'' that allows us to classify certain material objects as tables). Above this sublunar world was that of the ``spheres,'' where the seven planets (sun, moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) and the stars moved. Beyond these spheres in which the heavenly lights move were the immaterial ``intelligences,'' separate from God, which controlled them. All of these objects and beings owe their existence to God, who is pure intellect, entirely separated from matter; He is their source and their being, just as all numbers both stem from and include the number one. Similar pictures, though varying in important details, underlie the views of Gersonides and Abarbanel. Similarly, human beings have an ``intellectual'' soul that engages in rational thought as well as an ``animal'' or ``appetitive'' soul and a ``vegetative'' soul. A notable aspect of these beliefs is the place in the medieval worldview of what today we call astrology. Many of the philosophically inclined commentators accepted the notion that the movements of the heavenly spheresÐbeings, in their viewÐdetermined the fate of people on earth. This view is found in the Talmud as well. But from a religious perspective it was understood that the astrological fates were not inexorable, but could be altered by God at will. God does not disrupt the system (which after all was created by Him), but He does save those who worship Him properly from its ill effects. NAHMANIDES' MYSTICISM Although the mystical strain in Judaism goes back at least to the beginning of the Common Era, if not before, Jewish mysticism as we know it today dates back to the publication of the Zohar in Spain at the end of the 13th century, in the same cultural world as, and very shortly

270

271 THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE after the death of, Nahmanides. The latter's understanding of the Torah was very heavily shaped by his involvement in the Jewish mystical thought of 13th-century Spain. He therefore supplemented his discussions of the straightforward meaning of the text, and of rabbinic analyses of its content, with an explanation ``according to the way of Truth.'' According to a midrash he cites in the introduction to his comments on Genesis, the Torah existed before the creation of the world in letters of black fire on white fire. Nahmanides takes this midrash one step further, suggesting that the essential text of the Torah consists of a variety of names of God, including the ``Great Name'' of 72 letters. The original Torah had no spaces between the letters, permitting it to be read not only as the text whose peshat was interpreted by Rashi, but also as a series of divine names and (potentially) in an infinite number of other ways. It is, however, the multiple names for the divine in the Torah that seem to be the key to understanding Nahmanides' mystical approach. For him, the single, unique, infinite God somehow manifests Himself in the material world in a number of different forms with different characteristics. Even the different names for God in the ``ordinary'' text of the Torah indicate (as it were) different ``personalities'' of God interacting, in different situations, with Moses and the Israelites. Much of what Nahmanides says on the mystical level is obscure; he clearly believed that this deeper level of understanding was reserved for only a few. (Note his comment to Exod. 33:12, where Nahmanides says of Ibn Ezra that ``His fine intelligence comprehended well . . . But he was not able to understand the Truth, for he had never been taught it and did not acquire it independently by prophecy.'') As with Nahmanides' discussions of rabbinic texts, I have not always included his kabbalistic discussions in full. But I have tried to present what

is included in such a way that, even if the ideas are difficult or obscure, the words are clear.

BIBLICAL HEBREW Biblical Hebrew is a much more inflected language than is English. In English, an adjective never changes its form, but Hebrew adjectives change slightly depending on whether they describe a single person or more than one and whether those being described are male or female. Verbs change too: English has ``I am, you are, he is,'' but Hebrew has a much greater variety of such differences, based not only on singular versus plural and masculine versus feminine, but also on whether the action is being performed by the speaker or ``first'' person, by the addressee or ``second'' person, or by some ``third'' person who is neither of the first two. As is true for Aramaic, Arabic, and the other Semitic languages to which Hebrew is related, almost all Hebrew words can be conceived of as being ``rooted'' in a abstract series of consonantsÐalmost always three of themÐwhich refer to a particular concept. (These consonants are referred to as ``radicals,'' from the Latin radix, ``root.'') For example, the ``root'' KTB has to do with writing, and the Hebrew words that are derived from it, according to the standard rules of the language, all relate to that core meaning: miktab, the act of writing; Ketubim, the (sacred) Writings; katab, he wrote; katub, it is written; and so on. In addition, verbs may fall into a number of different ``conjugations,'' or patternsÐbinyanim, as

THE COMMENTATORS' BIBLE

they are called in HebrewÐwhere the pattern as a whole modifies the meaning of the root:

akal

(in the simple or Qal pattern) means ``he ate,'' but

he'ekil

(in the causative or Hiphil

pattern) means ``he caused [someone] to eat,'' that is, ``he fed someone.'' (The passive of HiphilÐ``to be fed''Ðis Hophal.) The Hitpael pattern, marked by a a

dagesh

t added to the verb and

in the middle letter of the root, would indicate action that is reflexive or mutual.

Niphal is often the passive of the Qal, and Piel is sometimes a more intensive form of the Qal, or changes an intransitive Qal into an active verb. A change in vowels so slight as no longer to be pronounced can completely change the meaning of a word: vowels are marked by the only the first

a

za Åka År (where both a

kamatz symbol) means ``masculine'' or ``male,'' while za Åkar (where

vowel is a

kamatz)

means ``he remembered.''

This system was only just beginning to be worked out in the time of Rashi and Rashbam. It was much further advanced among the Jews of the Islamic world from which Ibn Ezra came, because the same work was being done in Arabic, which greatly resembles Hebrew. Ibn Ezra seems to have taken it as part of his mission to set the Jews of Christian Europe straight about Hebrew grammar. I have omitted most of the grammatical discussions, but have retained such comments when the commentators disagree, or when a precise grammatical detail illuminates a larger point.

THE JEWISH CALENDAR The calendar used in the Bible, which is the basis for the discussions by our commentators of when various events occurred, is the same still used by the Jews (though during the biblical period older names for the months were replaced by the Babylonian ones used today). The months, in order, with the secular months to which they usually correspond, are: Nisan ± March /April Iyar ± April / May Sivan ± May/ June Tammuz ± June / July Av ± July/August Elul ± August /September Tishrei ± September /October H . eshvan ± October / November Kislev ± November / December Tevet ± December / January Shevat ± January/ February Adar ± February/ March Though the New Year festival occurs at the beginning of Tishrei, Nisan is understood to be the first month, based on Exod. 12:2. Each Jewish month begins with the new moon. Since 12 lunar months equal 354 days, the months would shift rather rapidly through the seasons of the solar year (as does Ramadan in the Islamic calendar) if it were not for the fact that Passover

must

fall in the spring. This is achieved by adding a ``leap month,'' Adar II,

seven times every 19 years, just before Nisan, so that Passover is delayed from winter until spring.

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RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY Edward L. Greenstein, ``Medieval Bible Commentators,'' in Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts, ed. Barry Holtz (New York: Summit Books, 1984), 213±242, is an excellent introduction to the topic. Louis Jacobs, Jewish Biblical Exegesis (New York: Behrman House, 1973), has selections from a wide range of commentators along with historical and biographical introductions. Criminally, it's out of printÐfind it in a library or on the Internet. Those who are ready to use the Hebrew Miqra'ot Gedolot will want to look at two editions. One is Torat Hayyim, published by Mossad Ha-Rav Kook (Jerusalem) but widely available in Jewish bookstores in the United States; it has completely reset the comments of the four major commentators in our volume in standard Hebrew type (as opposed to the ``Rashi script'' in which they have been most commonly found up until now; the comments of Hizkuni and Sforno (and those few comments of Saadia that we still have) are found here as well. As of this writing, the entire Torah is also available in the Ha-Keter edition of the Miqra'ot Gedolot (published by Bar-Ilan University Press), along with much of the rest of the Bible. The Ha-Keter edition also includes the comments of Joseph Bekhor Shor, David Kimhi, and Gersonides. More importantly, it provides new editions of all the commentators, based on the most careful analysis of all available manuscripts that has yet been done. Both Ha-Keter and Torat Hayyim naturally include Onkelos' Aramaic translation (the ``Targum'').

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OTHER ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS RASHI

Pentateuch with Rashi's Commentary

, trans. M. Rosenbaum and A. M. Silbermann in collabo-

ration with A. Blashki and L. Joseph (New York: Hebrew Publishing Co.)

The Metsudah Chumash/Rashi

, a new linear translation by Avrohom Davis; Rashi translation

by Avrohom Kleinkaufman (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1994±97)

The Torah: With Rashi's Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated

, by Yisrael Isser Zvi

Herczeg et al. (New York: Mesorah Publications, 1994)Ðalso available in a handy pocket-sized edition

RASHBAM

Rashbam's Commentary on Deuteronomy: An Annotated Translation

, ed. and trans. Martin I.

Lockshin, Brown Judaic Studies 340 (Providence: Brown Judaic Studies, 2004)

Hachut Hameshulash: Commentaries on the Torah by Rabbeinu Chananel, Rabbi Sh'muel ben Meir (Rash'bam), Rabbi David Kimchi (R'dak), Rabbi Ovadiah Seforno , ed. and trans. Eliyahu

Munk (New York: Lambda Publishers, 2003)

IBN EZRA

Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the Pentateuch: Deuteronomy (Devarim)

, trans. and annotated H.

Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver (New York: Menorah, 2001)

The Commentary of Abraham ibn Ezra on the Pentateuch, Vol. 5: Deuteronomy

, trans. Jay F.

Schachter (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 2003)

NAHMANIDES

Ramban (Nahmanides): Commentary on the Torah

, trans. and annotated C. Chavel (Brooklyn:

Shilo, 1973)

The Torah: With Ramban's Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated

, by Nesanel Kasnett

et al. (New York: Mesorah Publications, 2009)

The quotation from Maimonides'

Guide of the Perplexed

in Nahmanides' comment to Deut.

5:15 is adapted from the English translation of Shlomo Pines

#

1963 by the University of

Chicago.

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