Kommentar zu Dewarim 30:22

AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, WHEN ALL THESE THINGS ARE COME UPON THEE. I have already mentioned⁴⁷See Leviticus 26:12, and above, 4:25; 19:8. that this chapter refers to the future, for all its subjects have not happened and have not been created, but they are destined to take place.

והשבות אל לבבך, you will be able to distinguish the truth between apparently contradictory phenomena. When you become the victim of what has been predicted for the sinners, you will realise how far you had strayed from G’d’s Torah, i.e. from G’d Himself.

והיה כי יבאו עליך כל הדברים, "It will be when all these things will come upon you, etc." Why did the Torah speak about "all these things," instead of merely writing: "when the blessing or curse will come upon you?" ...

Kap. 30. VV. 1 u. 2. והיה וגו׳. Hier folgt nun das große Ziel, zu welchem die ganze prüfungsreiche oft dunkle Reihe der jüdischen Leidensjahrhunderte führen wird. ׳והשבת וגו. Wir haben oben zu וידעת היום והשבת אל לבבך וגו׳ (K. 4, 39) geglaubt, השב אל לב heiße: etwas sich wieder zum Bewusstsein und zur Beherzigung bringen, wenn es entschwunden war, oder entschwinden will. Allein Stellen wie hier und so auch ולא ישיב על לבו (Jes.44, 19). זאת אשיב אל לבי (Klagel. 3, 21) dürften doch für eine andere Auffassung sprechen. Es scheint: die Tätigkeit des Erkennens außer uns gegebener Tatsachen wird als eine nach außen gehende Richtung des Geistes begriffen. Die Tätigkeit aber, die das so Erkannte nun vor das Forum des urteilenden und folgernden Nachdenkens bringt, wird als eine zurückbringende, von außen nach innen gerichtete, das in der Außenwelt Erkannte, an das Innere zurückbringende Tätigkeit gefasst, für welche השיב אל לב der geeignete Ausdruck ist. Ähnliches liegt ja dem Ausdruck: Reflexion zu Grunde. So Jes.: חציו שרפתי usw. sind dem Geiste sehr wohl bekannte äußere Tatsachen. Aber er bringt das Erkannte nicht seinem Innern zurück, um darüber nachzudenken und das daraus sich Ergebende zu folgern. Klagel.: חסדי ד׳ כי לא תמנו usw. sind äußere geschichtlich erfahrene Tatsachen, die er aus der äußeren Erfahrung in sein Inneres zurückbringt, um daraus Tröstliches zu folgern. Auch oben ׳וידעת וגו׳ והשבת וגו ist die Aufforderung, den erkennenden Geist auf die in dem Vorhergehenden aufgeführten geschichtlichen Tatsachen zu richten (וידעת) und sie sodann vor das Forum des urteilenden und schließenden Verstandes und des sich entschließenden Wollens zurückzubringen (והשבת אל לבבך).

בכל הגויים, while you are still in exile.

Perhaps we can understand this better in light of Berachot 54 that "one must recite a benediction when he experiences something he perceives as a blessing as well as when he experiences something which appears to him as evil." The Talmud there on folio 60 goes so far as to say that even when we experience something which we perceive as evil we must accept it joyfully. ...

So auch hier: Wenn erst alles, was an Segen und Fluch über die Gestaltung deiner Zukunft Jahrtausende voraus in diesem Buch des Gesetzes für dich ausgesprochen ist, sich an dir erfüllt hat, dann wirst du die Summe dieser tausendjährigen Erfahrungen deiner äußeren Schicksalsgänge zum Nachdenken in dein Inneres zurückbringen, und das Resultat davon wird sein, dass du mit ganzem Herzen und ganzer Seele zu deinem Gotte und seinem Gesetze zurückkehrst und deine Kinder zur gleichen Treue an Gott und seinem Gesetze gewinnst. Denn die Erfahrung deiner Jahrtausende wird dir endlich "Gott" und die "Göttlichkeit deines Gesetzes" für immer besiegelt haben.

This is what the Torah has in mind when it introduces this verse with the word והיה which always has a joyful connotation. Moses could not have made this point if he had written only: "when the blessing or the curse come upon you." I would then have read the words "the blessing" as referring to the word והיה, which implies something joyful. The words: "or the curse," I would have understood as belonging to what follows, i.e. something that might lead to penitence but not something that the Israelite would acknowledge as being meant for his own good.

...We have learned from that which it states, "and cast them away to another land," that the exile will be in this manner of casting out only until they reach the other land; but in the lands of the nations, it was only in the manner of of driving away... And there is a difference between "casting away" and "driving away" in three things: A) In that one who casts [something] away and throws [it] makes the thing distant from him; B) that by being cast away, the thing spoils; and C) he shows that he does not want to know where it lays. But one who drives [something] away needs to be close to the thing the whole time he is driving it away; and by driving it away, the thing does not spoil; and he knows the place of that thing. So it is possible to explain, "and you shall take it to heart amidst the various nations" - when you dwell among the nations, you shall put into your heart, "that which the Lord your God has driven you out" - that He has driven you out to a special place. It is like someone who drives something from one place to another until he finds a place where it can rest properly. And this is a proof that the eyes of the Lord your God are upon you for the good.

בכל הגוים וגו׳ unter allen Völkern, wohin dich Gott zerstreut, bleibst du trotz aller Wandlungen bis ans Ende der Jahrtausende das "Gottesvolk mit dem Gottesgesetze in Händen", und das ermöglicht und bewirkt, zusammen mit der Erfüllung deines Geschickes, deine endliche Umkehr und Aufkehr und Rückkehr zu Gott und seinem Gesetze. —ושבת עד וגו׳, nicht — ושבת אל, welches auch nur eine rückkehrende Richtung zu Gott hin bedeuten könnte, sondern — עד, du wirst nicht auf halbem Wege stehen bleiben, sondern deine Umkehr so vollständig vollbringen, dass du ganz wieder zu Gott hin gelangst.

When having a second look at our verse I have realised how much G'd's fondness for the Jewish people is reflected here. When referring to the blessing the Torah writes: כי יבאו עליך, when the blessing will come upon you," whereas when writing about the curse the Torah writes: והקללה אשר נתתי לפניך, "the curse which I have presented before you." This is another reason why the introduction והיה כי יבאו עליך כל הדברים האלה is necessary. ...

Had Moses not used this formulation we would have interpreted the word לפניך as applying both to the blessing and to the curse in equal measure. Only the introductory words enable us to realise that the nature of the curse will be different from the blessing. Do not worry about the fact that the Torah writes הדברים "the things" in the plural, whereas the blessing is mentioned in the singular. There are many examples in the Torah of constructions such as this.

הברכה והקללה, "the blessing or the curse, etc." There is no need for the Torah to tell us that G'd will welcome Israelites with open arms if they sin and return in penitence before G'd has withdrawn the blessings they have become used to. The message of our verse is that even if the Israelites sinned so much that G'd has brought the curses upon them, He will still assist them in their penitence though it is due only to the afflictions the people have experienced.

We have to explain the need for the Torah to mention the blessing at this juncture altogether. It would have sufficed to write the word הקללה, "the curse," as this is the catalyst that sparks repentance. Perhaps the Torah describes some of the thought processes which preceded the penitence of the Israelites. As long as the Israelites had not sinned and had experienced blessings in abundance they had not attributed it to their lifestyle. They had taken such blessings for granted, considering them as their due. Only after being deprived of these blessings do the Israelites begin to perceive that the lifestyle they used to enjoy was due to G'd bestowing special blessings on them.

והשבת אל לבבך, "and you will take it to heart, etc." The Torah uses this expression because sinners are misled by their hearts.

The Torah refers to an additional error the exiled Jew makes before he becomes a penitent. Even when he considers for a moment that the troubles he finds himself in are due to his having disobeyed G'd, the evil urge will tell him that this is not so. He will try and convince the Jew that they are not the only people who have experienced exile from time to time. The Torah counters this argument by writing בכל הגוים, "amongst all the nations." When other nations are exiled they are exiled to one or two countries. No nation has ever been scattered to the four corners of the earth as have the Jews.

AND THOU SHALT RETURN UNTO THE ETERNAL THY G-D, AND HEARKEN TO HIS VOICE ACCORDING TO ALL THAT I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY, THOU AND THY CHILDREN. The meaning thereof is that you will return with all thy heart, and with all thy soul⁴⁸In Verse 2 before us. and you will take it upon yourself and upon your children throughout their generations to do according to all that I command thee this day, just as they did at the second redemption [i.e., the redemption from Babylon], as it is written, and they entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in G-d’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of G-d, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Eternal our G-d, and His ordinances and His statutes.⁴⁹Nehemiah 10:30. Or it may be that the expression that I command thee this day, thou and thy children is like “command you — to you and to your children,”⁵⁰The word thou is gramatically difficult, because the verse begins with the accusative thee, and follows with the nominative thou. Ramban offers two explanations: First, that the verse contains two separate thoughts: that you will return to G-d, and that you will accept upon yourself and your children all that He commands us. Second, that the nominative thou is equivalent to the accusative thee [“to you”], and the verse is thus expressing a single thought: “that I command thee this day — to you and to your children.” Ramban proceeds to cite Scriptural examples of similar usage — a nominative in place of an accusative. similar to the expression ‘v’atah tzuveitha’⁵¹Genesis 45:19. Here, too, the nominative v’atah (and you) is to be understood as lecha (“and to you”). [meaning lecha tzuveithi — “to you I ordered that the command be given”]. So also, and they dealt ill ‘othanu’⁵²Above, 26:6. Here likewise the literal meaning of othanu is “us,” but Ramban interprets it in the context of the verse as if it means “to us.” means lanu (“to us”).⁵³So also in the verse before us, atah (you) means lecha (to you). And in my opinion there is in this matter a great secret; for it alludes to that which the Rabbis said,⁵⁴Yebamoth 62a. “The son of David [i.e., the Messiah] will not come until all souls in the guf⁵⁵Here understood as “a storehouse of souls in heaven.” Ramban’s concept is that the final redemption will come when all souls will have been purified and no longer in need of a sojourn on earth. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 479. are exhausted.” I have already spoken of this matter.⁵⁶See Genesis 1:26 (Vol. I, p. 479).

ושבת עד ה' אלוקיך, your repentance will have as its exclusive purpose to henceforth carry out only G’d ‘s will to the extent that He has revealed it. Our sages in Yuma 86 have said of this type of repentance that “it reaches right up to the throne of G’d’s Majesty.”

ושבת עד ה׳ אלוקיך, "And you will return unto the Lord your G'd." The expression ושבת is stronger than והשבת אל ללבך, as I explained. The former does not refer to repentance but to a reinforcing of the faulty life-outlook of the sinning Jew who finds himself in exile. The Torah makes this plain by adding the words עד השם.

ושבת עד ה' אלוקיך, “and you will return unto Hashem your G’d;” the meaning of the term “return” is that you will henceforth hearken to His commandments in accordance with what Moses commands the people on that day. It also means that you will commit both yourself and the people for whose education you are responsible, i.e. your children as long as they are minors, to walk in the path of Torah. Alternately, the word ובניך, “and your children” in our verse may mean the same as it means when the Torah speaks of לך ולבניך, ”for you and your children,” that when G’d dispenses His blessing this automatically includes your children. (Compare Deut. 12,40; 12,25; 12,28) [As if the Torah had written ולבניך instead of ובניך. Such grammatical anomalies occur sometimes. Ed.]

ושבת עד ה' אלוקיך, “and (then) you will return to the Lord your G–d;” elsewhere (Deut.23,15) it says in indirect speech: ושב ה' אלוקיך את שבותך ורחמך, “and the Lord your G–d will return with your captives and have mercy on you. Why does this have to be repeated? In the Talmud, tractate “Yuma”, folio 86, the Talmud says that repentance is important as it hastens the arrival of the redemption. This is based on Isaiah 59,20: ובא לציון גואל, ”and the Redeemer will come to Zion,” why? The verse continues with ושבי פשע ביעקב, “when the sinners among Yaakov have repented.” Rabbi Yossi bar Yehudah added that when a person transgresses a commandment once he is forgiven. By the time he transgresses a fourth time he is no longer subject to forgiveness. He bases himself on Amos 2,6: “thus said the Lord; for three transgressions of Israel, for four I will not revoke it (evil decree);” this is how the Talmud in tractate Yuma folio 86 understands that verse. I heard a reason for this attributed to Rabi Meir Levi, who stated that access to the Lord is guarded by three different “fences.” The first is overwhelming noise, the second is fire, and the third is a region of strong wind; finally there is a region in which almost inaudible sound is heard; (Compare Kings I 19, 11-12) in each region of these fences there are angels. When a person sins for the first time, the angels in the first region obstruct such a person’s access to commit further sins. This results in his obtaining forgiveness [as without this he would continue to sin having started to do so. Ed.] This process continues in varying degrees if he commits a second or third sin [without having repented in the interval. Ed.] When he sins a fourth time, having already breached the fences separating him from the Presence of G–d three times, he is no longer subject to forgiveness, as we know from Isaiah 65,3-7: “the people who provoke My anger who continually, to My very face, sacrifice in gardens and burn incense on tiles etc. etc. such things make My anger rage, like fire blazing all day long and I will not stand idly by but will repay deliver their sins into their bosom and the sins of their fathers as well.” In other words, G–d is patient until sinning has become a pattern of the sinner’s lifestyle before He reacts irrevocably.

ושמעת בקולו ככל אשר אנכי מצוך היום, instead of listening (abiding by) man-made laws as you were in the habit of doing.

אתה ובניך, also the children of this generation will recognise this. Jeremiah 31,33 refers to “everyone knowing Me,” i.e. G’d, adding למקטנם ועד גדולם, “from their early youth till their reaching adulthood.”

ושב וקבצך מכל העמים, ”then He will bring you back collectively from all the nations to which He scattered you.” I have already mentioned (29,27) that the previous paragraph speaks of the period of the first Temple when the people sinned by committing idolatry and they were punished by being banished to ארץ אחרת, a different country, and the ten tribes were cast out, הנדחים, by King Shalmanesser of Assyria to Chalach, Chavor on the river Gozan and the cities of Media (Kings II 17,6). This passage proves that our assumption was right, seeing it commences where the last passage had left off, i.e. the נדחים, the outcasts of King Shalmanesser, by referring (verse 1) i.e. “to which the Lord your G’d had cast you out there.” Clearly, it speaks of the exile to which the ten tribes had become doomed. They represented the bulk of the Jewish people. Having dealt with the ingathering of the ten tribes from their exile, the passage continues speaking about yet another ingathering, the countries to which the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin had been exiled where we have been enslaved by people who hated us and persecuted us. These people are the Arabs and Edomites. We are scattered throughout their countries until this present day and this is why the Torah speaks of “the countries to which the Lord your G’d has scattered you” (verse 3). In that verse the Torah addresses us. The Torah twice mentions ושב, “He will bring back,” to hint that there will occur two separate ingatherings, one of the ten tribes and one of the tribes Yehudah and Binyamin. Concerning these ingatherings we read in the prophecy of Isaiah 56,8: “I will gather still more to those already gathered.” It appears therefore, judging by the syntax of the text in our verses, that the principal ingathering of the tribes who will do penitence will be that of the ten tribes, the ones described as אשר הדיחך ה’, “whom the Lord cast out.” G’d assures the ten tribes that repentance will immediately trigger their return to their homeland. After having dealt with the redemption of those tribes, the Torah adds ושב וקבצך, (verse 3) that there will occur a second ingathering, that of the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin. This is why the Torah had employed the expression והפיץ, “He scattered,” seeing that these two tribes are scattered all over the globe. After that, the Torah once more addresses the נדחים, the ones who had been cast out, i.e. the ten tribes, assuring them that even if they had been scattered in the meantime to the ends of the earth, G’d would not fail to gather them in and bring them back to their homeland which they would once again inherit. Actually, we find allusions to three separate “inheritances” here. The third will outrank the former two inheritances, will encompass more territory than the Israelites controlled during the glorious days of King Solomon. Moreover, G’d promises the people that the evil urge will be banished and that such emotions as envy and jealousy will disappear from among them. This is the meaning of verse 5: ”He will do good to you and make you more numerous than your forefathers and circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring to love the Lord your G’d with all your heart, etc.” The meaning of the words ואתה תשוב, “and you will return,” in verse 8, is that the penitence of which G’d speaks is an assurance, a promise by G’d to the people.

בכל לבבך, without any reservation.

ובכל נפשך, without allowing the “natural,” evil urge inspired temptations to sidetrack you by downplaying the importance of some of G’d’s legislation

ושב ה' אלהיך את שבותך THEN THE LORD THY GOD WILL TURN THY CAPTIVITY — To express this idea it ought to have written והשיב את שבותך, “then He will bring back thy captivity”. But our Rabbis learned from this that, if one can say so of God, His Divine presence dwells with Israel in all the misery of their exile, so that when they are redeemed (i.e. when He speaks of their being redeemed), He makes Scripture write “Redemption” of Himself (i.e. He makes it state that He will be redeemed) — that He will return with them (Megillah 29a). Furthermore the following may be said in explaining the strange form ושב ... את, — that the day of the gathering of the exiles is so important and is attended with such difficulty that it is as though He (God) Himself must actually seize hold of each individual’s hands dragging him from his place (so that God Himself returns with the exile), as it is said, (Isaiah 27:12) “And ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel”. We find, however, the same expression in connection with the gathering of the exiles of other nations also, as e.g. (Jeremiah 48:47): ושבתי שבות מואב "And I shall bring back the exiles of Moab".

ושב וקבצך , during the ingathering of the exiles.

ושב ה׳ אלוקיך את שבותך, "and the Lord your G'd will will bring back your captives, etc." This is a reference to some of the sanctity which the Israelites had lost to their captors, i.e. Satan, as a result of their sins. The word ושב refers to the bodily return of the Jews from exile, whereas the words ושב השם refer to the invisible part of the exile of the people, i.e. parts of their holy souls.

As it is said, “You shall be plucked, etc. This prophecy was said regarding the exile of Bavel.

V. 3. ושב וגו׳. Sätze wie hier ושב וגו׳ את שבותך und so häufig in den Propheten und Psalmen: בשוב ד׳ שבות עמו (Ps.14, 7) ושבתי את שבות עמי (Jirm. 30, 3), שב שבות אהלי יעקב (Jirm. 30, 18), ושבתי את שבות מצרים (Ezech. 29, 14) usw. legen die Ansicht nahe, dass in solchen Stellen שוב in transitiver Bedeutung, so viel als השיב, stehe. Allein abgesehen davon, dass, außer dieser Gedankenverbindung, es für eine transitive Bedeutung der Wurzel שוב kein Beispiel gibt, so dürfte schon unsere Stelle selbst gegen eine solche Auffassung sprechen. Offenbar sind ושב וגו׳ und ורחמך Akte, die der Zurückführung Israels in die Urheimat, dem ושב וקבצך usw. vorangehen. Nun könnte hier und in den meisten mit את konstruierten Stellen ושב את שבותך heißen: Gott kehrt mit deinen Vertriebenen zurück, d. h.: in demselben Grade und sobald du im Exil zu Gott zurückkehrst, kehrt er auch zu dir zurück. Allein die ohne את konstruierten Stellen wie: בשוב ד׳ שבות עמו usw. wären damit nicht erklärt. Vielmehr glauben wir, an die ganz normalen Erscheinungen erinnern zu dürfen, dass auch sonstige Verba intransitiva, ganz besonders aber, die eine Bewegung ausdrücken, das Ziel der Bewegung, und bei inneren Bewegungen das Moment, auf welches dieselbe gerichtet ist, das sie hervorgerufen und in welches sie sich konzentriert, im Akkusativ nach sich haben. So ja auch לך שוב מצרים :שוב (Schmot 4, 19), שובה ד׳ רבבות עמך (Bamidbar 10, 36), בשוב ד׳ ציון (Jes.52, 8), ויואב שב ירושלים (Sam. II. 20, 22). וצא השרה :יצא (Bereschit 27, 3), צאו ההר (Nehem. 8, 15), בצאתי שער (Job. 29,7). Auch mit את, wo dann der Akkusativ den Gegenstand bezeichnet, dessen Verlassen das Hinausgehen im Auge hat: יצאו את העיר (Bereschit 44, 4) כצאתי את העיר (Schmot 9, 26) und so auch בני יצאוני ואינם (Jirmija 10, 20). Auch ויגש דוד את העם :נגש (Sam. I. 30, 21). Auch הלך mit ואת בית ד׳ אני הולך :את (Richter 19, 18), wo er den ganzen Weg beschreibt, den er bereits zurückgelegt, und mit את בית ד׳ das eigentliche Ziel seiner Reise bezeichnet und hervorhebt, um hinzuzufügen: und doch nimmt mich keiner auf! ואין איש מאסף אותי הביתה.

ושב ה' את שבותך, “the Lord will return with you from your captivity;” in chapter29,27, G-d had been described as expelling His people from the Holy Land to any other land, now, if the people have repented their wrongdoings, He promises to bring them back and remain with them.

And He will have mercy upon you: That He will give mercy towards you in the heart of the nations. And He will return and gather you from all of the nations: After the rehabilitation, He will return and gather you.

Am Markiertesten erscheint dies in der Wurzel בוא mit den Pronominalsuffixen des Akkusativs. אל תבואני רגל גאוה (Ps.36, 12). כל יד עמל תבאנו (Job 20, 22), כל זאת באתנו (Ps.44, 18) שוט שוטף וגו׳ לא יבואנו (Jes.28, 15) חוסר יבואנו (Prov. 28, 22). שודד יבואנו (Job. 15, 21) חרב מלך בבל תבואך (Ezech. 32, 11), מגורת רשע היא תבואנו (Prov. 10, 24), דורש רעה תבואנו (das. 11, 27), תבואהו שואה (Ps.35, 8), ויאהב קללה ותבואהו (Ps.109, 11). In allen diesen Stellen steht das Suffixum keineswegs für den Dativ oder die Präposition אל, wodurch nur ein Hingelangen zu jemanden ausgedrückt wäre, sondern es sind reine Akkusative und bezeichnen das von einem Verhängnis erzielte und erreichte Objekt. Auch bei heilvollen Gewährungen wie תבואתך טובה (Job. 22, 21), יבאוני הסדיך (Ps.119, 41), רחמיך (daselbst 77) bezeichnet es das Objekt, welches Ziel und Augenmerk der göttlichen Barmherzigkeit und Güte sein möge. In ähnlicher Weise, erklären sich die übrigen Akkusative bei intransistiven Verben wie: ויבך אותו אביו (Bereschit 37, 35), ולבכותה (daselbst 23, 2), את מי דאגת (Jes.57, 11), אני דואג את היהודים (Jirmij. 38, 19). חלה את רגליו (Kön. I. 15, 23), לא חסרת דבר (Dewarim. 2, 7), הצום צמתוני אני (Secharj. 7, 5) u. a. m. Auch die Konstruktion ירא mit את. Denn ירא ist eigentlich intransitiv. In allen diesen Fällen bezeichnet der Akkusativ den Gegenstand, welcher das Ziel, die Ursache oder Beziehung einer äußeren oder inneren Bewegung, eines Zustandes oder einer nicht übergehenden Tätigkeit bildet, und zwar ist diese Beziehung eine viel innigere, als die Konstruktion mit einer Präposition ausdrücken würde.

Ganz in derselben Weise, glauben wir, sei die Konstruktion שוב mit dem Akkusativ aufzufassen, sei es mit Suffixum wie שובנו אלקי ישענו (Ps.85, 5), mit את wie in unserer Stelle, oder ohne בשוב ד׳ שבות עמו :את u.s. Der Akkusativ bezeichnet den Gegenstand, der mit der rückkehrenden Bewegung aufgesucht wird, der das Motiv und Ziel derselben bildet, und drückt diese Konstruktion mit dem Akkusativ eine viel innigere Beziehung des Zurückkehrenden und seiner Bewegung zu dem mit derselben aufzusuchenden Gegenstande aus, als die Konstruktion mit ושב אל שבותך ,שוב אלינו ,אל ausdrücken würde. Dieses letztere könnte auch eine zufällige, gelegentliche, widerwillige und gezwungene Rückkehr sein, wie die Rückkehr der Taube zu Noach (Bereschit 8, 9) שוב את macht aber die Wiedervereinigung mit dem aufzusuchenden Gegenstand zum Motiv und Ziel der Rückkehr und lässt vielmehr die vorangegangene Entfernung als das Unfreiwillige erscheinen. Es steht dem nicht entgegen, dass der Ausdruck auch bei der Restauration anderer Völker: Moab, Sedom, Mizrajim (Jirm. 48, 46 sowie Ezechiel 16, 53 und 29. 14) vorkommt; denn auch dort ist das Aufblühen der Nation auf dem Boden des Heimatlandes die eigentliche Absicht der göttlichen Waltung, und war der zeitweilige Untergang eine nur infolge nationaler Ausschreitung mit Schmerz verhängte Katastrophe, wie dies namentlich bei Moab (daselbst) zum Ausdruck kommt.

Hier ist somit gesagt: es kommt die Zeit, wo die über dich hingegangenen Geschicke und das sie dir deutende Buch, das du in Händen hast, ihre Wirkung an dir vollbracht haben und du dann im Exil unter allen Völkern mit ganzem Herzen und ganzer Seele zu Gott und seinem Gesetze zurückkehren wirst. Und diese Rückkehr wird zur Folge haben, dass dann auch Gott sich dir wieder zuwenden, dich im Exil aufsuchen wird, dir wieder wie in der Vorzeit nahe zu sein.

And gather you from all of the nations: After the main exile returns from the nations, the Lord will return to gather the small pockets among the nations where the Lord scattered you. Likewise did Ramban write 1 in his commentary on Song of Songs (8:12), "you may have the thousand, O Solomon" - that at first, there will be a partial gathering of the exiles with the permission of the governments. And afterwards, the Lord will bring back His hand a second time, as it is written, "and He will return and gather you."

ורחמך und nimmt dich mit seinem רהמים, mit der nimmer zu verlierenden Weise der "Gottesgüte" (Schmot S. 492) wieder auf, als Geschöpf seiner weltgeschichtlichen Waltung, als פעלו בקרב שנים, als Sein Werk inmitten der Zeiten (Habakuk 3, 2), als נצר מטעיו מעשה ידיו (Jes.60, 21), als die lang bewahrte Blütenknospe seiner wiederholten Pflanzungen, als das Werk seiner Hände, das nun für seine endliche Blütenherrlichkeit reif geworden.

ושב וקבצך וגו׳ und sammelt dich wieder aus allen Völkern, unter welche er dich zerstreut, zu einer Volkeseinheit zusammen.

V. 4. נדח ,נדחך das verstärkte נדה, von sich entfernen, verweisen. יקבצך, er sammelt alle, selbst den vereinzeltsten, in die weiteste Ferne Verschlagenen deiner Zerstreuung zusammen, und יקחך nimmt dich wieder zu sich für deine ausschließlich Ihm eignende Urbestimmung, wie er es bei deiner ersten Erlösung und Erwählung gesprochen: ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם (Schmot 6, 7).

V. 5. והביאך וגו׳, und bringt dich heim zu dem Lande, das du bereits zweimal in Besitz genommen, einmal durch deine Väter unter Mosche und Josua, welche Besitznahme durch die babylonische Eroberung verloren gegangen war, und dann, nun für immer unverlierbar, als das Exilsvolk unter Esra (siehe zu Bamidbar Kap. 15, 18.)

AND THE ETERNAL THY G-D WILL CIRCUMCISE THY HEART. It is this which the Rabbis have said,⁵⁷Shabbath 104a. “If someone comes to purify himself, they assist him” [from on High]. The verse assures you that you will return to Him with all your heart and He will help you.
This following subject is very apparent from Scripture: Since the time of Creation, man has had the power⁵⁸Literally: “the permission.” to do as he pleased, to be righteous or wicked. This [grant of free will] applies likewise to the entire Torah-period, so that people can gain merit upon choosing the good and punishment for preferring evil. But in the days of the Messiah, the choice of their [genuine] good will be natural; the heart will not desire the improper and it will have no craving whatever for it. This is the “circumcision” mentioned here, for lust and desire are the “foreskin” of the heart, and circumcision of the heart means that it will not covet or desire evil. Man will return at that time to what he was before the sin of Adam, when by his nature he did what should properly be done, and there were no conflicting desires in his will, as I have explained in Seder Bereshith.⁵⁹Genesis 2:9 (Vol. I, pp. 72-73). See also Vol. III, pp. 456-457. — It should be noted here that Ramban’s intention is not to state that man in the era of Messiah will be completely devoid of the desire to do evil, for if that were the case there would be no place for reward and punishment, which is founded upon the principle of man’s freedom of choice between good and evil. Rather, the import of his words is to state that man will then be so motivated for good that he will naturally be doing the good and proper according to the Will of G-d, and it will appear as if the instinct for evil has been completely eliminated from him, although potentially it will still be with him. The case is similar to what we say now of a normal knowledgeable person that it is “impossible” for him to jump into a blazing fire. Of course, it is within his powers to do so, but it is his knowledge of the danger entailed that makes it “impossible” for him to do so. In the Messianic era man will have that kind of reaction to all things prohibited by G-d. There will, therefore, still be place for reward and punishment, since potentially man will still have his freedom of choice. See my Hebrew commentary, Vol. I, p. 36-37, where I quote this thought in the name of Rabbi Yeruchum, one of the great leaders of the Musar movement. It is this which Scripture states in [the Book of] Jeremiah, Behold, the days come, saith the Eternal, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers etc. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Eternal, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it.⁶⁰Jeremiah 31:30-32. This is a reference to the annulment of the evil instinct and to the natural performance by the heart of its proper function. Therefore Jeremiah said further, and I will be their G-d, and they shall be My people; and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying: ‘Know the Eternal;’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.⁶¹Ibid., Verses 32-33. Now, it is known that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth⁶²Genesis 8:21. and it is necessary to instruct them, but at that time it will not be necessary to instruct them [to avoid evil] for their evil instinct will then be completely abolished. And so it is declared by Ezekiel, A new heart will I also give you, and a new spirit will I put within you;⁶³Ezekiel 36:26. and I will cause you to walk in My statutes.⁶⁴Ibid., Verse 27. The new heart alludes to man’s nature, and the [new] spirit to the desire and will. It is this which our Rabbis have said:⁶⁵Shabbath 151b. “And the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: ‘I have no pleasure in them’⁶⁶Ecclesiastes 12:1. — these are the days of the Messiah, as they will offer opportunity neither for merit nor for guilt,” for in the days of the Messiah there will be no [evil] desire in man but he will naturally perform the proper deeds and therefore there will be neither merit nor guilt in them, for merit and guilt are dependent upon desire.

ומל ה' אלוקיך את לבבך ואת לבב זרעך, לאהבה, He will open your eyes so as to remove every erroneous conceptions which have prevented you from recognising the theological truth of all aspects of the Jewish religion. Once these “blinds” have been removed from your eyes you will realise that everything G’d has done was out of His love for you, and had to be done למען חייך, in order to ensure that you will be part of eternal life after your body dies.

ומל ה׳ אלוקיך את לבבך, And the Lord your G'd will circumcise your heart, etc." In view of the Torah already having described the Israelites as having done תשובה why would G'd have to circumcise their hearts? Besides, what does the Torah mean in verse 8 ואתה תשוב ושמעת בקול השם, "and you will return and hearken to the voice of G'd?" This seems to contradict the statement in verse 2? Moreover, the words ואתה תשוב after G'd has circumcised our hearts make no sense at all. What can still be lacking in the process of penitence once G'd has circumcised our hearts?

ומל ה' אלוקיך את לבבך, “the Lord your G’d will circumcise your heart, etc.;” we have a principle that if someone takes the first step in the direction of purifying himself he will experience a Divine assist during his continuing efforts in that direction. Moses assures the repentant sinner that Hashem will assist by removing hindrances, metaphorically described as a foreskin that are strewn on the path to one’s rehabilitation. Nachmanides writes that from the wording of the text it would appear that starting with the creation of man, he was free to act as he saw fit; [in the sense of “without interference on the part of the Creator”. Ed.] As long as the Torah that we received at Mount Sinai will be in force, this situation will continue, the reason being that G’d wants to have a reason to reward us for having chosen freely to obey Him, as opposed to the angels who do not possess such a choice. However, in the days after the Messiah will have arrived it will become natural for man to make the right choices, the heart no longer pining away for things that are not appropriate for man. This is what Moses meant when he spoke about a “circumcision” of the heart occurring. The urge for things forbidden is considered as a ערלה, a foreskin. At the time of the Messiah man will recapture the innocence possessed by the first man, Adam, before he had eaten from the tree of knowledge. [By the way, Adam had been created without a foreskin, so that the foreskin with which most of his descendants are born are a reminder of some impediment to purity having becoming a “normal” condition in man. Ed.] Man will revert to being a “parve” being, in the sense that there is no greater tendency to do good than to do evil or vice versa. From that time and on, everything will depend on man’s will. He will only need to will himself to be good in order to succeed. There will be no Satan trying to block his way.

ומל ה' אלוקיך את לבבך, “the Lord your G’d will circumcise your heart, etc.” Nachmanides writes on this verse: “this means that the Lord will remove the ‘foreskin’ covering the people’s heart”, a simile for desires of sexual and other varieties which are described as ערלת הלב. We know that someone who is captive to such desires is known as ערל, from Jeremiah 9,25 where the prophet describes the Jewish people as being of uncircumcised heart [although they do not have a foreskin on their sexual organ. Ed.] Just as the removal of the foreskin of that organ helps to restrain excessive sexual urges, so the removal of its equivalent covering of the heart will control the cravings responsible for committing other sins. G’d assures the people in that verse in Jeremiah that a time will come when such obstacles to obedience to G’d’s laws will be removed. [Although what the author wrote here is the gist of what Nachmanides writes, it does not represent an accurate translation of his words. Ed.]

V. 6. ומל וגו׳, und durch alles, was du in den zurückgelegten Prüfungszeiten erlebt hast, und was nun Gott dich bei dieser endlichen גאולה erleben lässt, wird endlich jede ערלה, jedes Ungefügige (siehe Bereschit 17, 10) von deinem und deiner Kinder Herz für immer beseitigt sein, so dass fortan "Gott" und "dein Leben" für dich als eins zusammenfällt, und wie du des Atmens nicht für dein Leben entbehren kannst, wird das Gottesbewusstsein, das Bewusstsein und das Gefühl Seiner Bundesnähe bei dir und deiner Bundesnähe bei Ihm also zu deinem "Leben" gehören, dass du mit ganzem Herzen und ganzer Seele in die Liebe zu ihm aufgehst. —

I have already pointed out in my commentary on כי תבא that there are three categories of blessings and punishments concerning three different parts of Torah observance. There is a separate reward and punishment for 1) Torah study, 2) observance of the negative commandments, 3) performing the positive commandments.

In accordance with this, the process of repentance must also include all these three areas of Torah observance. The words ושבת עד ה׳ אלוקיך refer to the Jews beginning to study the Torah again. This is why the Torah continues with the words "and you listen to His voice." Seeing that the Torah does not mention anything else in that context it is clear that the subject of ושבת is your return to Torah study. The words ושב ה׳ את שבותך ושב וקבצך, are a promise that the people will be redeemed by the merit of Torah study (Zohar volume three page 72). We also have it on the authority of Jeremiah 9,12 that the disaster struck the Jewish people as a result of their abandoning Torah. This is why when they rectify this error and devote themselves once more to Torah study G'd will gather them in and bring them back to ארץ ישראל.

Concerning the failure to keep the negative commandments the Torah says: "and G'd will circumcise your hearts." We are familiar with the concept that the foreskin of the heart is a hyperbole for doing what is forbidden and a love for the forbidden. G'd now says לאהבה את ה׳ אלוקיך "in order to love the Lord your G'd." In response to the Israelites learning to love G'd, He in turn, will take care of all our troubles. He will deliver our enemies into our hands and He will afflict all our enemies with the curses mentioned previously.

Concerning the performance of the positive commandments as part of the Israelites' repentance the Torah writes: "you will return….and carry out all the positive commandments, etc." The additional reward accruing to the people as a result is described in verse 9 "G'd will make you abundantly successful in your various endeavours, etc."

על אויביך ועל שונאיך, both against those who oppose you openly and attack you, as well as against those who hate you only in their hearts without translating their hatred into hostile action. According to Jeremiah 30,11 G’d will eliminate all those nations.

V. 7. ונתן וגו׳, wie ׳ונתתה את הברכה וגו (Kap. 11. 29). Fortan steht dieselbe Vereidigung über den Völkern mit ihrer Liebe und ihrem Hass. Es erfüllt sich, was Gott dem Abraham bei seinem ersten Eintritt in die Völkergeschichte verheißen (Bereschit 12. 2; — siehe daselbst).

ואתה תשוב, not from the root שוב to return, but from the root ישב, i.e. you will sit at ease, undisturbed. Compare Isaiah 30,15 בשובה ונחת. This period will be ushered in by the arrival of the Messiah after the hostile nations have been eliminated. Moses contrasts what will happen to those nations and what will happen to the Jewish people at that time. G’d will never exile you again. All this has been spelled out by Jeremiah 4,1 when he said:אם תשוב ישראל....אלי תשוב....ולא תנוד, “if you return Israel….return to Me, and you do not waver, …nations shall bless themselves by you, etc.”

ועשית את כל מצותיו אשר אנכי מצוך היום, “and you will carry out all His commandments which I command to you this day.” After having spoken about Israel’s repentance, and their return to the Holy Land, the Torah now speaks of the commandments being commanded “this day;” we find a similar formulation already in verse 2 of our chapter where the repentance had also been featured. All of this is to focus on the fact that the essence of repentance is to accept the Torah as governing our lives. This is why whenever repentance is mentioned the reference to the commandments of the Torah is appended. The prophet Jeremiah employs a similar style when he writes (Jeremiah 2,17) “is this not what has happened to you for forsaking the Lord your G’d at the time He led you on the way?” “The way” is the path of Torah. This was the path which earlier generations of Jews observed and their lives were successful.

VV. 8 — 10. ואתה תשוב וגו׳. Oben (V. 2) ist die Rückkehr zur treuen Erfüllung des göttlichen Gesetzes, so weit dasselbe im Exil zur Verwirklichung steht, ausgesprochen. Hier aber folgt nun die endliche volle Verwirklichung aller göttlichen Gesetze im Lande, welcher die Verheißung des vollsten allseitigen Gottessegens erteilt ist und nun ebenfalls zur Wahrheit wird, ohne wie in aller Vergangenheit eine Wiedergefährdung durch den Glückszustand befürchten zu müssen (siehe zu Kap. 31, 20-21).

ועשית את כל מצוותיו אשר אנכי מצוך היום, not adopting any new religious rites or philosophies.

הכתובה (V. 10) bezieht sich auf קול. Das ganze ספר התורה הזה ist nichts als die in Schrift fixierte Stimme Gottes. Aus ihm spricht für ewige Zeiten Gottes Stimme zu uns und lehrt uns die "Aufgaben und Schranken" מצותיו והקתיו, für unser ganzes hieniediges Dasein, in deren Erfüllung und Beachtung sich fortan unsere Rückkehr zu "Gott, unserem Gotte" mit ganzem Herzen und ganzer Seele betätigen wird. Diese Erfüllung des Gesetzes — nicht der daran sich knüpfende außerordentliche Segen — wird das ausschließliche Ziel unseres Seins und Wollens bilden, darum ist eben diese volle Verwirklichung des göttlichen Gesetzes nochmals am Schlusse wiederholt. (קול, worauf sich הכתובה lediglich beziehen kann, ist sonst in der Regel männlich. Doch erscheint es auch Kön. I. 1. 41 u. 14, 6, sowie Jirm. 10, 22, der natürlichen Konstruktion zufolge, weiblich).

Mit diesen klaren und unzweideutigen Sätzen (Verse 1 — 10) ist nun aber der unerschütterliche Granitboden gelegt, auf welchem noch heute das Judentum der Gegenwart und in aller Zukunft hin besteht. Klar und unzweideutig ist da קבוץ גליות: die noch von uns zu erwartende Wiedersammlung aus der Zerstreuung zur Gesamtrückkehr in das Land der Verheißung, und ebenso klar und unzweideutig נצחיות התורה: die unveränderlich bleibende Verpflichtungskraft des uns durch Mosche übermittelten Gesetzes ausgesprochen. Nur eine volle Rückkehr zur unverbrüchlichen Treue gegen dieses Gesetz in aller Zerstreuung unter die Völker endet diese Zerstreuung, und nur die endliche volle Verwirklichung dieses Gesetzes auf dem Boden des ihm angehörigen Landes ist das Ziel der einstigen Wiedersammlung in demselben. Diese klaren und unzweideutigen Aussprüche Gottes machen alles zu Schanden, was von einer Antiquierung Israels und seines Gesetzes Geister und Gemüter irre führend doziert werden möchte. Nicht einer abgestorbenen Vergangenheit, der lebendigsten Gegenwart und der hoffnungsreichen Zukunft gehören beide an, und nur an der Hand einer ungetrübten Anerkennung und Würdigung dieser Wahrheit und einer rückhaltlosen, freudigen Hingebung an diese Bestimmung finden wir in jeder Zeit das gottgefällige Rechte und aus jeder Zeit den Weg zum gottgewiesenen Heil. הנסתרת לד׳ אלדינו והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם לעשות את כל דברי התורה הזאת, das war am Schlusse des vorigen Kapitels zu unserer Orientierung in den Zeiten des Exils gesprochen und die darauf folgende Enthüllung der unser wartenden Zukunft bildet dazu den Kommentar. —

'והותירך ה, He will grant you success beyond any success you have ever enjoyed previously.

כי ישוב ה' לשוש עליך לטוב כאשר שש על אבותיך, “when Hashem will return and rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your forefathers.” It is possible that this verse alludes to the time when the King will return with His bride (the Jewish people), i.e. an allusion to the time of the redemption. At that time He will provide you with all the benefits accompanying such a return to favor. Should you inquire when exactly all this would happen, the Torah adds: “when you will hearken to the voice of the Lord your G’d to observe, etc.” The Jewish people are always expected to make the first move towards reconciliation with G’d, i.e. observing His commandments. Immediately G’d notices this, He in turn will hasten the rapprochement. Our fortunes depend on our becoming penitents. All this has been expressed in unmistakable language by Malachi 3,7: “שובו אלי ואשובה אליכם, “return to Me and I will return to you.” The letter ה at the end of the word אשובה in that verse is a reference to the final letter in the tetragrammaton, the attribute which created the universe.

כאשר שש על אבותיך, ”as He used to take delight in your forefathers.” This is a reference to the generation who inherited the Holy Land. G-d is addressing the exiles at this point.

לטובה...הכתובה בספר התורה הזה, as He said when He said: והתהלכתי בתוככם והייתי לכם לאלוקים ואתם תהיו לי לעם, “I shall walk freely in your midst and will be your G’d and you will be My people” (Leviticus 26,12) This promise will be fulfilled when כאשר ה' ישוב לשוש עליך...לטוב כי תשמע, as He had once delighted in your forefathers (the patriarchs). This time the good you will experience at G’d’s hands will not be due to the merit of the patriarchs but will be due to the fact that your repentance is so wholehearted and unreserved. Due to your unreserved repentance your former demerits will be converted into merits, seeing that it was, after all, these demerits and what followed that have become the catalyst of your eventual return to G’d. You will enjoy G’d’s goodwill just as did the patriarchs.

כי תשמע בקול...כי תשוב, “if you will listen to the voice of Hashem.....and return to the Lord;” we learn here that the time for the redemption from exile depends on two factors, a) penitence, b) performance of both the positive commandments and avoiding the transgressions listed in the negative commandments.

הכתובה, “which has been recorded in writing; we would have expected this word to be in the plural mode as it covers multiple laws. Instead we find a singular feminine mode. This is not something unique; for instance we find something analogous in Exodus 17,12 where Moses’ hands are described as remaining steady, i.e. ויהי ידיו אמונה.

לא נפלאת הוא ממך [FOR THIS COMMANDMENT …] IS NOT נפלאת FROM YOU i.e. is not concealed from you, just as it is said, (Deuteronomy 17:8): כי יפלא which is rendered in the Targum by “If there be concealed [from thee]”; and (Lamentations 1:9): ותרד פלאים which means, she went down into concealment, i.e. being covered and bound in the place of concealment.

FOR THIS COMMANDMENT. The meaning thereof is that it refers to the entire Torah. But the correct interpretation is that when he refers to the entire Torah, he says [as above] Every commandment which I command thee this day.⁶⁷Above 8:1. Rather [the expression used here] this commandment refers to [the commandment of] repentance aforementioned, for the verses, and thou shalt bethink thyself;⁶⁸Above, Verse 1. and thou shalt return unto the Eternal thy G-d⁶⁹Ibid., Verse 2. constitute a commandment, wherein he commands us to do so. It is stated in a future tense [rather than in the imperative] to suggest, in the form of a pledge, that it is destined [that Israel will repent]. And the sense thereof is to state that if thy outcasts be in the uttermost parts of heaven⁷⁰Above, Verse 4. and you are under the power of the nations, you can yet return to G-d and do according to all that I command thee this day,⁶⁹Ibid., Verse 2. for the thing is not hard, nor far off from you, but rather very nigh unto thee⁷¹Further, Verse 14. to do it at all times and in all places. This is the sense of the expression, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it⁷¹Further, Verse 14. meaning that they confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers⁷²Leviticus 26:40. by word of their mouth, and return in their heart to G-d and accept the Torah upon themselves this day to perform it throughout the generations, as he mentioned, thou and thy children with all thy heart,⁷³Above, Verse 2. as I have explained.⁷⁴Ibid., and in Verse 6.

כי המצוה הזאת, and the reason that I said in verse 1 that the repentance must be wholehearted and among the nations, i.e. while you are still in exile, is so that it can trigger your salvation. For, indeed this commandment, i.e. the one to return to G’d in sincere penitence אשר אנכי מצוך היום, Moses reminds the people that in the list of sacrifices in Leviticus 5,5 et al, where various kinds of sin and guilt offerings are listed as means to expiate for the error committed, the essential refrain is always “והתוודה אשר חטא,” that the guilty person first confesses his mistake, his sin, even the one committed inadvertently. Compare also Numbers 5,6-7)

כי המצוה הזאת אשר אנכי מצוך היום, "For this commandment which I command to you today, etc." Why did the Torah have to write the word "today?" Besides once the Torah had told us that the Torah is not hidden from you, is it not clear that it is not very distant? Why did the Torah bother to write לא רחוקה היא? Why did the Torah have to remind us that Torah is not beyond the ocean? Even if it were, it is an accessible location and we could have secured it by means of ships!

כי המצוה הזאת אשר אנכי מצוך היום, “for this commandment that I command you on this day, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the proper interpretation of our verse is that Moses here does not refer to the entire Torah, as if he did he should have spoken about כל המצות or a similar expression. Moses refers to the commandment to repent of one’s sins that was the last commandment discussed. The reason why this commandment had not been couched as such, i.e. Moses using the imperative mode שוב instead of ושבת, for instance, is that he wants to assure the people by means of this allusion that repentance in the near or even distant future, will be a natural when it does finally occur, and it cannot be hastened by being draconically commanded. If it were, it would not be the real thing, would only be lip service. The reason that Moses uses exaggerations such asאם יהיה נדחך בקצה השמים, “if you were to find yourselves cast out at the edge of heaven, etc.,” seeing that actually you will find yourselves among other nations that are your unwilling hosts, is that he makes the point that however physically distant you may be from your homeland, and however mentally absurd you would consider the chances of regaining your former stature, repentance is welcome, and will be able to overcome otherwise insurmountable obstacles. This is also why Moses adds the words בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו, If you commence your repentance with your lips, and proceed to internalize it in your heart, you will be able to carry it out absolutely.

כי המצוה הזאת, “for this commandment, etc.” In this instance the word המצוה refers to the entire Torah, just as it did in Deut. 8,1 where the Torah spoke of כל המצוה.
לא נפלאת היא, “it is not hidden.” The Torah is not so mysterious and mystical that you cannot fulfill its commandments. This is why Moses added immediately: “it is not in heaven.” Neither is it beyond the ocean. All these comparisons are only variations of the words לא נפלאת. The ocean that Moses speaks about here is the great ocean, which is dark and beyond man’s ability to navigate (Ibn Ezra). Moses does not refer to seas which man is able to navigate [with the existing means of navigation, Ed.] The words compare such an ocean to “heaven,” neither of which is accessible to man.

It is not concealed, etc. You might ask that in parshas Va’eira (Shmos 8:18), Rashi comments on the verse והפלתי (I will set apart) that it is an expression that connotes separation [and he then adds, support from our verse], “It is not נפלאת (separate) from You, etc.” But here Rashi explains that it is an expression of concealment. Re”m already answered this question in parshas Shoftim (above 17:8) on the verse If a matter of law is too abstruse (יפלא), [where] Rashi explains that הפלאה always denotes separation, or setting apart, etc. See there.

V. 11. כי המצוה וגו׳. Im Vorhergehenden ist die Erfüllung des durch Mosche uns übermittelten göttlichen Gesetzes als die bleibende einzige Basis unserer Bestimmung zu allen Zeiten und unserer Hoffnung für alle Zukunft, und zugleich die Zuversicht ausgesprochen, dass inmitten aller Geschickeswandlungen es uns nicht und wir ihm nicht verloren gehen, sondern wir endlich mit vollem Herzen und voller Seele zu ihm zurückkehren werden. Als Motiv für diese Zuversicht wird auf den menschlich nahen und verständnisvoll überlieferten Inhalt dieses Gesetzes hingewiesen. לא נפלאת היא ממך: Es hat keine über die menschliche Fassung hinausliegende übersinnliche Geheimnisse zum Gegenstand, ולא רחוקה היא: und sein Verständnis und seine Vollbringung auf Erden setzt nicht ferne, dem Verpflichteten nicht überall naheliegend gegebene Verhältnisse voraus.

לא נפלאת היא ממך, so that you would need to ask the prophets in order to understand it correctly.

Perhaps the Torah refers to two factors which contribute to failure of Torah observance by the people. 1) Ignorance of what is written in the Torah. 2) The difficulty in keeping the commandments. Moses told the people that although prior to his going up on Mount Sinai the Torah had indeed been in the heavens it was no longer in heaven but accessible to all.

ולא רחוקה היא, so that you have to ask the leading Torah scholars of your generation who live a long way from you to explain how to observe this commandment. You can easily observe this commandment even in the Diaspora where you may not have any Torah scholars nearby.

He told the people that it was not in a distant land or across the sea, i.e. that although he personally had not been favoured by G'd to keep these commandments on holy soil, they would be more fortunate. When Moses asked the rhetorical question: "it is not across the ocean so that you would have to ask who would cross the ocean to get the Torah for you," he lamented his own inability to even cross the Jordan to be able to keep the Torah commandments applicable on the other bank. He portrayed the Jordan as an insurmountable obstacle for him, much like crossing an ocean.

Nonetheless, the principal meaning of this line is that there are no valid excuses for not observing Torah. It is easily accessible.

The reason the Torah added the word "today" is the imminence of the Israelites crossing the Jordan.

לא בשמים הוא IT IS NOT IN HEAVEN — for were it in heaven it would still be your duty to go up after it and to learn it (Eruvin 55a).

לא בשמים היא, in order to repent you do not need to turn to a prophet who represents heaven,

לא בשמים היא, “it is not in heaven;” it is possible that the reason Moses makes this point is because prior to bringing the Torah to the people it had indeed resided in heaven, and we have quoted arguments offered by the angels opposing its descent to earth. The word היא which we might have considered as redundant, is a reference to the highest level of חכמה, the emanation wisdom, which does indeed reside in heaven.

For if it were in heaven, etc. Rashi is answering the question: The beginning of the verse and the end of the verse apparently contradict each other. At the beginning it is written, It is not in heaven, [for you] to say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, etc.’ This implies: [that it is not in heaven], but near enough to send a messenger for it. It [also] implies that it is not that close that you do not [even] need to send a messenger for it. But afterwards it is written, For the matter is extremely close to you, etc., implying that one does not even need a messenger. Therefore Rashi explains, 'It is not in heaven,' (For if it were in heaven, you would be required to ascend in quest of it). But if it were in heaven it would be impossible to send a messenger after it and if you wanted to study it, you yourself would have to go up for it. Therefore there is no [longer] a problem when it is written [afterwards], For the matter is extremely close to you, [because the beginning of the verse too, is talking about the person himself and now it is saying that, on the contrary, it is close to the person himself]. And when the verse says “[Who will go up to heaven for us], and acquire it for us, [which implies that we are dealing with a messenger], it is adding even more, that [you might mistakenly think that] not only could you certainly never travel or go up to study it there, but you would never find any person to go up or travel [over the sea] in order to bring so as to study it.

V. 12. לא בשמים היא: Die Erkenntnisse und Vollbringungen, die es bezweckt, bewegen sich nicht im Bereiche des Übersinnlichen, Himmlischen, und nichts von dem, was zu seinem Verständnis und seiner Vollbringung an göttlichen Offenbarungen notwendig war, ist noch im Himmel zurückgeblieben, dass du sprechen könntest, wo finden wir einen so übermenschlich erleuchteten Geist, dass er für uns in die Geheimnisse des Himmels eindränge, oder uns eine uns noch fehlende, neue, unsere Erkenntnis ergänzende Offenbarung aus dem Himmel holte, dann könnten wir das Gesetz dem göttlichen Willen entsprechend erfüllen.

מי יעלה לנו השמימה, “who will ascend to heaven on our behalf?” the respective first letters in these four words, when read separately and consecutively spell מילה, circumcision. It is a hint that it was the merit of the performance of the commandment of circumcision that enabled Moses to ascend Mount Sinai and receive

ולא מעבר לים היא, neither, when you are in exile, overseas, do you need to travel to the leading Torah scholars across the ocean in order to become a true penitent. True, there are commandments which are difficult to master without expert guidance, repentance, however, is not one of them.

V. 13. ולא מעבר לים היא: Und die Erkenntnisse und Vollbringungen, die es bezweckt, sind auch nicht durch irgendwo auf Erden von dir in weiter Ferne liegende Verhältnisse und Zustände bedingt, dass du je einmal sprechen könntest: das Gesetz mag für klimatisch und sozial ganz andere Gegenden und Zustände als diejenigen, in welchen ich lebe, berechnet sein, die um Ozeanenweite von mir entfernt liegen und deren Unkenntnis das Verständnis des Gesetzes, das ich vollbringen soll, hindert. Es müsste einer erst einmal übers Meer fahren und den Boden des Gesetzes an Ort und Stelle studieren und uns die uns fehlende Kenntnis herbringen, damit wir das Gesetz erst recht verstehen lernen, ehe wir es vollbringen.

ולא מעבר לים היא, “neither is it beyond the ocean;” this refers to the Mediterranean, which man cannot cross as even if he had a ship, the surface of the waters are dark and he would get lost at night. (Ibn Ezra).

Von allem diesem nichts.

כי קרוב אליך BUT [THE WORD] IS [VERY] NEAR UNTO YOU — the Torah has been given to you in writing and orally.

בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו, to recognise with your heart the nature of your sins and the One against Whom you have sinned so that you will express your confession and remorse to Him with your heart and with your lips.

בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו, “with your mouth and your heart to perform it.” The Torah mentions three things here; the mouth, the heart, and the performance. All the laws of the Torah are included therefore as belonging to one of these three categories. There are commandments which require to be fulfilled by use of the mouth; others can be fulfilled by means of the heart only; still others require “performance,” i.e. the involvement of other organs and parts of our bodies. This is what may have prompted our sages in Avot 1,20 to state that “the world stands on three things, on Torah, on service to the Lord, and on the performance of deeds of loving kindness.” When the sages said: “on the Torah,” they meant on our engaging our mouth in the service of the Lord; when they said: “on service to the Lord,” they meant that our hearts had to be involved in fulfilling the commandments. Commandments which require the participation of our heart rank higher than those which can be discharged by means of only our mouths. This is the reason that when someone who is engaged in studying Torah (using his mouth to serve the Lord) must interrupt his studies when it is time to perform a commandment requiring our heart, i.e. the reading of the first line of the Kriyat Shema. (compare Shabbat 11) According to Rabbi Yehudah haNassi (Berachot 13) it is only the first verse in that paragraph which requires the kind of concentration that one must interrupt regular Torah study in order to perform it properly.
Mitzvah-performance which necessitates the mouth is ranked higher than the performance of commandments which involve other parts of our body such as offering sacrifices. (Tanchuma Tzav 14) This is based on Leviticus 7,31 seeing it does not say זאת התורה , עולה וגו' but זאת התורה לעולה, למנחה, וגו', “i.e. that there are viable or even superior alternatives to the offering of sacrificial animals. Ed.] This is the reason the word ובלבבך has been written in the middle of the three categories, to emphasize its centrality, the fact that it is the most important of the three. This is why performance, i.e. with the limbs and organs of the body, has been written only at the end of the verse.
Nachmanides, at the end of verse 11 writes as follows: the words בפיך ובלבבך refer to the subject of penitence, repentance, a commandment spelled out in verse 2 of our chapter. When the Torah speaks of this repentance it draws attention to the fact that it is not so difficult to fulfill this commandment. The Torah does not demand all sorts of difficult tasks such as ascending to heaven or crossing the ocean for a person to have fulfilled this commandment. All it takes to become a true penitent is the mouth and the heart. It may be performed anywhere; you do not even have to come to Jerusalem and the Temple to have your repentance accepted by the Lord. It is the easiest thing to do, i.e. כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד לעשותו, “the matter is right at hand for you to carry out.” All you need is to employ your mouth and your heart.

The Torah was presented to you in written and oral form. Rashi is answering the question: Even when the Torah is in front of us it is difficult to understand because of the depth of the subject matter and the shortcoming of the one studying it! Regarding this he explains, The Torah was presented (to you) in written and oral form, and therefore the understanding of the written Torah is very plausible [if one studies it] in conjunction with the Oral Torah.

V. 14. כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד, denn Gegenstand und Inhalt dieses Gesetzes liegt dir ungemein nahe, ist dir das nächste, sein Gegenstand bist du selber und seinen Inhalt bildet dein hieniediges Leben. Um beides zu verstehen, brauchst du nur in dein eigenes Innere hinabzusteigen und deine irdisch-menschlichen Beziehungen mit offenen Augen anzuschauen. Und was du zu seinem Verständnis und seiner Vollbringung außer dem dir übergebenen Gesetzesbuche noch an Belehrung bedarfst, das hast du nicht im Himmel und nicht jenseits des Meeres zu suchen, das ist dir בפיך gegeben, das ist in der von Mund zu Mund zu lehrenden und zu lernenden Überlieferung dir geworden, (vergl. Schmot 34, 27 שימה בפיהם [K. 31, 19]. לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך [Josua 1, 81], ודברי אשר שמתי בפיך [Jes.59, 21]) das hast du zu lernen, ובלבבך und mit Geist und Herz zu erfassen, לעשתו, um es zu erfüllen. An der Hand der mündlichen Überlieferung, zum Zwecke der Pflichterkenntnis und Pflichterfüllung, mit Geist und Herz das Buch des göttlichen Gesetzes "lernen", das ist der einzige, jedem immer und überall nahe liegende Weg, das Gottesgesetz und aus ihm unsere ewige Aufgabe auf Erden zu verstehen.

Darum, weil der Gegenstand dieses Gesetzes uns das nächste und der Weg zu seiner Erkenntnis uns so naheliegend ist, wird es uns durch alle Wandlungen der Zeiten begleiten und werden wir nach allen Irrgängen und Prüfungen uns zu ewiger Treue wieder zu ihm zurückfinden.

Diese drei Worte: "לא בשמים היא" sind das wirksamste Schutz- und Verteidigungsmittel gegen jede Prätension eines auf übernatürliche Erleuchtung oder geradezu göttliche Offenbarung sich stützenden Einflusses auf Gesetz und Lehre in Israel geworden. Nur חכמה, nicht נבואה, nur aus Schrift und Überlieferung geschöpfte Wissenschaft, nicht höhere Eingebung haben seit dem Abschluss des Gesetzes durch Mosche irgend eine Geltung in Beziehung auf Lehre und Vollbringung des Gesetzes im jüdischen Kreise zu beanspruchen. לא תאמרו, erläutert דברים רבה unsere Stelle, לא תאמרו משה אחר עומד ומביא לנו אחדת מן ihr könnt nie sagen: ein anderer Mosche ersteht und ,השמים לא נשתייר ממנה בשמים bringt uns eine andere Lehre vom Himmel. Nichts ist von ihr im Himmel zurückgeblieben. Und, fügt רבי חנינה hinzu, היא וכל כלי אומנותה ניתנה, mit ihr sind zugleich alle zu ihrer Erkenntnis erforderlichen sittlichen Charaktereigenschaften gegeben, ענוותה צדקתה וישרותה ומתן שכרה die zu ihrem Studium erforderliche Bescheidenheit, Pflichttreue und Rechtschaffenheit und all ihr verheißener Lohn. Wer sich recht mit ihr beschäftigt, dem erzeugen sich aus ihr alle die geistigen und sittlichen Hilfsmittel, die ihre rechte Erkenntnis bedingen, und wachsen mit jedem Fortschritt. So bildet sie sich selbst ihre Jünger und Träger, und ward mit ihrer rückhaltlosen Übergabe an Israel zugleich ihr ewiges Blühen und Wiederaufblühen durch sie selber gewährleistet. Sie ist, wie Secharja (4, 2 u. 3) sie geschaut, der goldene Leuchter, die מנורה, die zugleich die Ölquelle und die Ölbäume auf ihrem Haupte trägt, womit ihre Lichter gespeist werden. — (Siehe ferner zu K. 18, 15 f.)

את החיים ואת הטוב LIFE AND GOOD — the one is dependent upon the other: if you do good, behold, there is life for you, and if you do evil, behold, there is death for you. Scripture goes on to explain how this is:

SEE, I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE THIS DAY LIFE AND GOOD, AND DEATH AND EVIL. He returns to exhort them yet again, to tell them that there are two courses in their hands and it is in their power to walk in whichever they desire, and there is no power below or above that will withhold them or stop them. And he calls heaven and earth to bear witness against them a second time,⁷⁵Further, Verse 19. after he had said,I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish,⁷⁶Above, 4:26. for now he said, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death⁷⁵Further, Verse 19. which are the blessing and the curse, and that I have counselled you that you should choose life, that hou mayest live, thou and thy seed.⁷⁵Further, Verse 19. Thus he is now like someone who has the witnesses sign at the end of all his words.
Vayeilech

Life and the good. If it is life that you seek, look towards the good, to do that which is good in the eyes of Hashem. And if you ask, why “good” is not mentioned first, for it is through the good actions that one merits life, the answer is that it comes to warn us not to do that which is good in Hashem’s eyes only in order to live. But rather to live in order to do that which is good. A person should not seek life for material gain, but only in order to spend his life serving his Creator.

את החיים, eternal life, not just life on earth.

If you act with goodness, then you have life, etc. Rashi is answering the question: The verse should have mentioned each thing and its opposite, life and death, and good and bad, as it does below (v. 19). Furthermore, See, I have placed before you, etc. implies that man's acts of goodness are in Hashem's hand, but this is not so because they say (Megilla 25a), Everything is in the hand of Heaven except for fear of Heaven. Therefore Rashi explains, “One hinges on the other — If you act, etc. meaning that if on your account do good, etc., I will give you life, but if on your own you do bad, I will give you death. Because it in your hands to choose of the good or of the bad, and you choose from whichever you want.

V. 15. ראה וגו׳ ist ein an das damals gegenwärtige Geschlecht gerichtetes Nachwort. Durch alles, was ich euch in Vorhergehendem im Namen Gottes anzukündigen hatte und nach allem, was ihr von Gottes Waltungsmacht und Wahrhaftigkeit erfahren habt, müsst ihr euch selbst sagen, dass euer Wohl und Weh fortan ganz in die Hand eurer Wahl gelegt ist. חיים ist hier und im folgenden nicht bloß das physische Leben. Es ist die gesunde bestimmungsgemäße Gesamtentfaltung der leiblichen, geistigen und sittlichen Persönlichkeit eines Einzel- und Volkslebens und bildet den Gegensatz dazu: מות das Gesamterliegen in allen diesen Beziehungen. טוב ist das ungetrübte Glück im Gefolge eines solchen חיים, sowie רע das vollendete Unglück, das dem מות, dem Abgestorbensein seiner Bestimmung zuteil wird.

ואת הטוב, the pleasant aspects of life on earth.

ואת המות, eternal oblivion.

ואת הרע, the unpleasant aspects of life on earth.

אשר אנכי מצוך היום לאהבה IN THAT I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY TO LOVE [THE LORD THY GOD] — You have here a description of the “good”, and upon this depends וחיית ורבית THAT YOU MAY LIVE AND INCREASE — here you have life.

וחיית, forever;

V. 16. אשר אנכי וגו׳ ist die zur Wahl gestellte Segenalternative und erläutert das נתתי לפניך. Ich habe das Leben und das Gute in deine Hand gelegt, indem ich dich verpflichte usw. und du dadurch zu Leben, Blüte und Gedeihen gelangst. ללכת בדרכיו ist Zweckbestimmung zu ׳לאהבה את ד׳ א. Es wird von dir erwartet, dass du Gott liebest und diese Liebe darin betätigst, dass du die Ziele und nur die Ziele anstrebst, die in den dir von Gott angewiesenen Bahnen liegen, und du sie nur in diesen Bahnen zu erreichen suchst. In diesen Bahnen bleibst du Gott nahe und kommst du Gott näher, und diese Nähe ist es ja, was die Liebe sucht (siehe Kap. 6, 5). וחיית ורבית ist das וברכך ,חיים das טוב.

ואם יפנה לבבך BUT IF THINE HEART TURN AWAY — here you have evil,

VV. 17 u.18. ואם יפנה וגו׳ ist die entgegengesetzte Seite, der mit vollendetem Abfall, מות, endende Ungehorsam und der darauf folgende Untergang, ואם יפנה .רע לבבך nach Sucka 46 b: wenn aber dein Herz unerfüllt von Gottes Lehre bleibt (vergl. Wajikra zu Kap. 19, 4).

כי אבד תאבדון [I TELL YOU THIS DAY] THAT YE SHALL PERISH — here you have death.

כי אבוד תאבדון, for you would perish forever.

העדתי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ I CALL AS WITNESSES AGAINST YOU THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH, which exist for ever, and when evil will befall you they will be witnesses that I have warned you regarding all this (cf. Targum Jonathan on). Another explanation of העדתי בכם את השמים וגו׳ I CALL THE HEAVEN [AND THE EARTH] AS WITNESSES AGAINST YOU: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Look at the heavens which I have created to be at your service; have they perhaps ever changed their character? Has the orb of the sun perhaps ever failed to rise in the East and to give light to the whole world, just as is stated, (Ecclesiastes 1:4—5) “And the sun riseth, and the sun goeth down [and hasteth to its place where it arises]”?! Look at the earth which I have created to be at your service! Has it perhaps ever changed its character? Have you perhaps sown it and it did not bring forth, or have you sown wheat and it brought forth barley?! Now how is it with these that have been made neither with the end in view that they should receive a reward nor that they should suffer a loss — for if they act meritoriously (if they follow the natural laws by which they are governed) they receive no reward and if they were to fail they would receive no punishment? They have never changed their character! You, who if you act meritoriously do receive a reward and if you sin do receive punishment, how much the more so should you obey the commands of your Maker! (Sifrei Devarim 306:1).

ובחרת בחיים, you will opt for eternal life

העירותי בכם היום את השמים ואת האריץ, "I call as witness against you today both the heaven and the earth, etc." This whole verse appears superfluous in light of verse 15 where Moses asked the people to choose life rather than death. Why did he have to repeat it? Besides why did Mose change the sequence and choice here? In verse 15 the choice was between life and goodness on the one hand and death and evil on the other. Here the Israelites are given choices between life and death and blessing and curse. What did Moses mean when he rephrased what he said in verse 15? Besides, why did Moses not simply exhort the people to "choose life?"

העידותי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ, “I call upon heaven and earth this day to bear witness against you;” although Moses had called on heaven and earth as witnesses against the people already once before, here he adds “life” and “death” as an additional dimension to encourage the people to make the right choice when they have to make a decision. “Life” and “Death” are only different words for the concepts of “Blessing” and “Curse.” Moses urges the people to choose wisely, i.e. to choose Life.

So that when evil befalls you, etc. Rashi wants to answer: They had not yet done anything [bad], so for what could they be invoked as witnesses? He explains, So that when evil befalls you, etc. I.e., they serve as witnesses to Hashem's warning.

V. 19. הערתי וגו׳. Durch die vorangegangenen Segen- und Fluchverkündigungen sind Himmel und Erde zu Zeugen des Gottesbundes mit uns und zu dessen Vertretern gegen uns bestellt. Wie die Zeugen dem Versuche des Verbrechens warnend entgegenzutreten haben und, wenn der Warnung nicht Folge geleistet ist, die Bestrafung herbeizuführen, ja in erster Linie zu vollziehen haben, יד העדים תהיה בו בראשנה (Kap. 17.7), so zeigt die ganze תוכחה, wie Gott durch Himmel und Erde zuerst seine Warnungen sendet, und wenn diese überhört sind, sie auch zu Werkzeugen des verschuldeten Unterganges gebraucht, ebenso wie sie auch die Vermittler seiner Segnungen sind, wenn wir uns derselben durch Pflichttreue würdig gemacht.

העידותי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ, “I call as witness against you this day both heaven and earth;” witness in the positive as well as in the negative sense of the word. If you will perform the commandments in the Torah heaven and earth will testify on your behalf; if not, they will testify at the heavenly tribunal against you. They will do this by heaven denying the essential rain to make your crops ripen. (Deut. 11,17)

ובחרת בחיים THEREFORE CHOOSE THE LIFE — I show you these (“I set life and death before thee) in order that you may choose the portion of life. It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose for yourself a good portion of my real estate”, and sets him in the best portion saying to him, “Choose this!” And concerning this it states, (Psalms 16:5) “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup, אתה תומיך גורלי”, i.e. “You place my hand on the good lot, saying, ‘Choose this!'”

למען תחיה אתה וזרעך, so that both you and your offspring will experience this life לאהבה את ה' אלוקיך, when I said to choose “life,” I did not mean that you should keep the laws for the sake of the reward in store for you, but that you should make this choice for the sake of true “life.” This alone is sufficient reason to choose this option. Whatever satisfaction you experience during life on earth should be with a view to the kind of life in store for you after your body has died.

Another interpretation of “I invoke as witnesses, etc. The Holy One, may He be blessed, said,” etc. Because according to first interpretation you might ask that it should have said, I warn you before heaven and earth, because they are to serve as witnesses to the warning. Therefore he says, Another interpretation, etc. And according to the other interpretation you might ask why the verse says העדותי which is an expression that denotes testimony or warning. Therefore he also says the first interpretation.

ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה וגו׳ nicht ohne unser ernstliches Wollen, nicht gedankenlos und nicht willenlos und nicht zufällig wird das "Leben" gewonnen. Du musst das Leben wählen, wenn du "leben" willst.

We must understand terms such as "good" and "evil" to refer to life in this world. It makes sense therefore that Moses told the people: "I place before you life and death," i.e. reward and punishment in this world. If the Israelites would be good they would live, if they would sin they would die. These are the two choices we have in this world.

However, there are two more choices which pertain to the hereafter. Moses calls them ברכה and קללה, respectively, i.e. "blessing or curse." These are not immediate choices, or better, the results of such choices will not become known immediately. The whole approach is similar to what we have in Deut. 28,6: "You are blessed at your arrival (in this world) and you are blessed at your departure (from this world)." As you enter this world without sin so you will leave it without sin (compare Baba Metzia 107). Moses had to separate these two paragraphs from one another in order for us to appreciate that he talks about different domains in each paragraph.

When he continues "and you shall choose life," this is the purpose of our existence in this world. Moses means that we should concentrate on immediate problems such as making sure that G'd will grant the necessary rainfall as a result of our observing the commandments.

Although earlier (verse 15) Moses mentioned חיים וטוב together, i.e. a reference to choices covering both our terrestrial life and preparing for our hereafter, in our verse here the emphasis is on the here and now.

ולדבקה בו, meaning that all of your activities during life on earth should be focused on giving glory to His name.

לאהבה את ה׳ אלוקיך, "to love the Lord your G'd, etc." This passage is a continuation of the thoughts in verse 19 "in order that you may live, you and your offspring." The purpose of this desire for life on this earth must be to learn to love G'd and to obey His commandments. When Moses concludes: "for He is your life, etc." Moses merely reflects that there cannot be a meaningful purpose in life on earth other than to cleave to G'd to the best of our abilities. This makes our life in this world a fitting prelude to our life in the celestial spheres., i.e. ארך ימים.

To obey Him. This refers to the in depth study and toil in Torah.

V. 20. לאהבה וגו׳, und nochmals fasst Mosche den Begriff dieses "Lebens" in der Liebe Gottes zusammen, die nichts anderes will, als: Gott zu gehorchen und in Freud und in Leid, in Leben und Sterben fest und innig mit Ihm verbunden zu bleiben. Dieses "Gott lieben" bildet unser Leben und unser Glück, כי הוא חייך וארך ימיך וגו׳. Diese ihre Befriedigung in sich selbst findende Liebe spricht sich in Nedarim 62 a in praktischer Betätigung also aus: עשה דברים לשם פועלם ודבר בהם לשמם אל תעשם עטרה להתגדל בהם ואל תעשם קורדום לעדור בן, erfülle die Lebensaufgaben um ihres Gebers willen, rede von ihnen um ihrer selbst willen, mache sie nicht zu einem Kranze, dich zu verherrlichen, noch zu einem Spaten, damit zu graben.

כי הוא חייך, “for He is your life;” a reference to Hashem.

כי הוא חייך, for your cleaving to Him is your real life, the reason why you will enjoy eternal life;

To cling to Him: One who is unable to learn Torah should at least try to attain the love of Hashem through clinging to Him. This is explained in the Gemara (Kesuvos 111) as referring to one who marries his daughter to a Torah scholar, and helps a Torah scholar financially. The Torah considers this as if he is clinging to the Divine Presence. Through joining with, and helping a Torah scholar, he attains a small part of the love of Hashem.

לשבת על האדמה, "to dwell in the land, etc." We have to read this as if the word לשבת had been prefaced with the conjunctive letter ו. Dwelling in the Holy Land is part of the attainment of completeness through performance of all parts of Torah observance. Our sages have so extolled the virtue of dwelling in the Holy Land that they said that anyone who walks in it a distance of four cubits qualifies for a share in the hereafter (Ketuvot 111).

ואורך ימיך לשבת על האדמה, during the transient life on earth, during which through study, serious contemplation of your duties, and your performance of them you will qualify for the life awaiting you in the hereafter. Compare Avot 4,16 where we have been told that life on earth is merely to be viewed as a vestibule to the hereafter, a place in which one makes suitable preparations for eternal life in the Palace.