Chasidut for Deuteronomy 28:7
יִתֵּ֨ן יְהוָ֤ה אֶת־אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ הַקָּמִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ נִגָּפִ֖ים לְפָנֶ֑יךָ בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ אֶחָד֙ יֵצְא֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה דְרָכִ֖ים יָנ֥וּסוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃
The LORD will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee; they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways.
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 28,7. “they will march out against you by a single road but will flee in seven directions.”
[Our author sees in the number “one” and the number “seven” in this verse a reference to the difference between a holy nation such as Israel, when at its best, and the gentile nations. The “numbers” allude to attributes employed by people in pursuit of an objective. Only when one is “holy” is one able to make use of even apparently contradictory attributes such as fear and love at one and the same time. This is why only the Israelites can relate to G’d with love and awe at one at the same time. Gentile nations can relate to G’d at one time only with either love or fear. The same is true of other attributes which, only when employed by a spiritually high ranking Israel, can be invoked simultaneously. I have reworded the author’s commentary while retaining the message it contains, based on our verse. Presumably, the author felt that after the word נגפים לפניך, “they will be routed before you,” the Torah did not need to add these extra details unless it wished to teach an additional lesson. Ed.]
[Our author sees in the number “one” and the number “seven” in this verse a reference to the difference between a holy nation such as Israel, when at its best, and the gentile nations. The “numbers” allude to attributes employed by people in pursuit of an objective. Only when one is “holy” is one able to make use of even apparently contradictory attributes such as fear and love at one and the same time. This is why only the Israelites can relate to G’d with love and awe at one at the same time. Gentile nations can relate to G’d at one time only with either love or fear. The same is true of other attributes which, only when employed by a spiritually high ranking Israel, can be invoked simultaneously. I have reworded the author’s commentary while retaining the message it contains, based on our verse. Presumably, the author felt that after the word נגפים לפניך, “they will be routed before you,” the Torah did not need to add these extra details unless it wished to teach an additional lesson. Ed.]
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