Commentary for Exodus 20:6

Doing kindness. That a person does, [so God will] repay a reward to the thousandth generation. When we find a good characteristic, it is greater than even one evil deed in five hundred, for this one is to four generations, and that one is to the thousandth.

AND HE SHOWETH MERCY UNTO THE THOUSANDTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. It appears from the sense of the verse that this Divine assurance is with respect to the subject-matter of the commandments that He mentioned. He is thus saying that to those that love Him, He will show mercy to their thousandth generation. These are the ones who sacrifice their lives for Him, for they are the ones who acknowledge only the Glorious Name and His G-dship and deny all strange gods, refusing to worship them even if they are in mortal danger. They are called “the lovers [of G-d],” for this is the kind of love that we have been obligated to observe even at the sacrifice of life, just as He has said, And thou shalt love the Eternal thy G-d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,³⁶³Deuteronomy 6:5. meaning that you should give your very life because of your love of Him, that you should not alter Him for another god, nor join Him together with a strange god. It is for this reason that [the prophet] said of Abraham, the seed of Abraham my friend,³⁶⁴Isaiah 41:8. See Maimonides’ “The Commandments,” Vol. I, p. 4. since he risked his life in order not to worship the idols in Ur of the Chaldees.³⁶⁵See Ramban on Genesis 11:28 (Vol. I, pp. 156-161). The rest of the righteous are called those that keep My commandments.
Now many scholars³⁶⁶So it appears from Rashi’s commentary to Sotah 31 a, and from Rambam’s introduction to the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin. See my Hebrew commentary here, p. 395. have explained that “His lovers” are those who worship Him without the intention of receiving a reward, just as our Sages have mentioned.³⁶⁷Aboth 1:3, “Be not like servants who minister to their Master with the intention of receiving a reward; but be like the servants who minister to their Master without the intention of receiving a reward.” But I have found in the Mechilta that it is said:³⁶⁸Mechilta on the verse here. “Of them that love Me. This refers to Abraham and those like him. And those that keep My commandments. This refers to the prophets and the elders. Rabbi Nathan says that the verse, of them that love Me and keep My commandments, refers to those who dwell in the Land of Israel and give their lives for the commandments.³⁶⁹The reference is obviously to the persecutions by the Roman emperor Hadrian (117-138 Common Era), when the Jews in the Land of Israel were forbidden the practice of Judaism, including the study of Torah. Their determination to remain in the Land of Israel and practice their faith instead of emigrating to more peaceful lands such as Babylon, was at those times constituted as a special manifestation of their love of G-d. ‘Why are you being led out to be executed?’ ‘Because I have circumcised my son.’ ‘Why are you being led out to be burned?’ ‘Because I read the Torah.’ ‘Why are you being led out to be hanged?’ ‘Because I ate the unleavened bread.’ ‘Why are you being lashed with the whip?’³⁷⁰In our Mechilta: “Why are you whipped with a hundred lashes?” ‘Because I took the lulav.’³⁷¹“The Palm-branch.” See Leviticus 23:40. And it says, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.³⁷²Zechariah 13:6. These are the wounds which have caused me to become beloved of My Father in heaven.” Thus Rabbi Nathan explained that the love [of G-d, which is referred to in the verse before us], meant the sacrifice of life for the sake of the commandments. Now the verse here certainly refers to idolatry, for it is with reference to it that we are obligated at all times forever to suffer death rather than transgress [the law].³⁷³Sanhedrin 74a. See Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Yesodei Hatorah 5:2-3. But [Rabbi Nathan] broadened the matter to include all the commandments, [such as circumcision, the study of Torah, the eating of unleavened bread on Passover, the taking of the lulav³⁷¹“The Palm-branch.” See Leviticus 23:40. on Succoth — as mentioned above] — because in the time of religious persecutions, we are obligated to suffer death for any of the commandments³⁷³Sanhedrin 74a. See Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Yesodei Hatorah 5:2-3. [rather than transgress them], as derived from the other verse, And ye shall not profane My holy Name.³⁷⁴Leviticus 22:32. For full discussion of this topic, see my translation of Maimonides’ “The Commandments.” Vol. II, commandment 63, pp. 61-63. And it would also be incorrect to say of the first Sage [in the above Mechilta] — i.e., who said that [those who love Me] refers to Abraham, while [those who keep My commandments] refers to the prophets — that he is of the opinion that the prophets kept the commandments with the intention that they receive a reward! [Thus the explanation of “the many scholars”³⁶⁶So it appears from Rashi’s commentary to Sotah 31 a, and from Rambam’s introduction to the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin. See my Hebrew commentary here, p. 395. mentioned above is refuted by the Mechilta.] However, there is a secret in this [Mechilta]: Abraham risked his life in love³⁷⁵Abusaula, in his commentary on the mystic passages in Ramban, explains this as follows: “Abraham’s power revealed itself in mercy, while that of the rest of the prophets in the ameliorated Divine attribute of justice.” See Ramban, Genesis Vol. I, p. 543. — something like it is written, mercy to Abraham³⁷⁶Micah 7:20. “Know that mercy is love” (Ma’or V’shamesh). — and the rest of the prophets in g’vurah (might).³⁷⁵Abusaula, in his commentary on the mystic passages in Ramban, explains this as follows: “Abraham’s power revealed itself in mercy, while that of the rest of the prophets in the ameliorated Divine attribute of justice.” See Ramban, Genesis Vol. I, p. 543. Understand this.

ועושה חסד לאלפים, on other occasions the reason why retribution is so long delayed is due to the good deeds of someone’s forbears which I have sworn to requite by extending such patience in tolerating the errors of their offspring. [some of our sages attribute the continued existence of the Ishmaelites and their enmity to the Jews to the merit their founding father acquired when voluntarily submitting to circumcision at the tender age of 13. Ed.]

ועשה חסד לאלפים, "and Who performs deeds of loving kindness even to thousands." The main point is that even when G'd pays a reward He does not pay the entire reward in one generation but chooses the installments of such a reward in such a way that it maximises enjoyment of it over many generations. In a certain sense the reward is a form of protection against harmful experiences in store for subsequent generations. Shemot Rabbah 44,3 explains that if G'd had paid all the reward that Abraham was entitled to while he was alive, how (by what merit) would his descendents have been able to secure their livelihood? [how could G'd have found sufficient merit to forgive their descendants the sin of the golden calf? Ed.]

ועושה חסד לאלפים, to the third and fourth generation, fifth, tenth, hundredth and thousandth. The term אלפים mentioned here is equivalent to the אלף דור, 1000 generations mentioned in the parallel version of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 7,9. The two verses need not be a contradiction to one another according to the simple meaning of the text. Here the Torah mentions children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. All “children” are part of the same generation. All grandchildren are the same but second generation. The children after the 1000th generation are referred to as אלפים, or “the plural mode of one thousand.” In Deuteronomy, where children and grandchildren have not even been mentioned, and no mention is made of third and fourth generations, only the final generation to whom G’d extends such love is mentioned. Hence it is natural that this “final” generation qualifying for this loving care by G’d is called אלף דור, i.e. this generation being the children of the 1000th generation. In other words, both verses speak about the same generation being the last generation enjoying this love of G’d for something their originators so long ago did which pleased G’d.

ועושה חסד לאלפים לאוהבי, “and who performs deeds of loving kindness for thousands of generations for those who love Me.” Our sages in Sotah 31 explain the word לאוהבי as meaning: “for those who perform My commandments from a sense of love (for Me), whereas for those who perform G’d’s commandments only out of a sense of fear, i.e. לשומרי מצותיו, He does perform such acts of loving kindness for only one thousand generations. They also say (Sotah 31) that seeing the word לאוהבי, “to those who love Me,” has been written next to the word אלפים, “thousands, or at least two thousand, it is appropriate that it applies to people who perform the commandments out of a sense of love for G’d. On the other hand, the word לאלף דור, “for one thousand generations” (Deut. 7,9), applies to the people who though they perform the commandments do so only because they are afraid of being punished Even though performance of the commandments by such people is not at its optimum level G’d rewards them with disproportionately high reward. In Pessachim 50 our sages interpret the difference between the words in Psalms 57,11 “for Your kindness is as high as heaven,” and Psalm 108,5 where G’d’s kindness is described as “extending even beyond heaven,” by applying the former to people who observe the commandments without the proper intent, and the latter statement as reflecting the reward due to people who perform the commandments with the appropriate intent, i.e. not for what they stand to gain by it but by wanting to fulfill G’d’s purpose. All of this has been explained by Rav who said on that folio that the value of performing the commandments without the proper motivation lies in the fact that eventually one will perform them with the proper motivation. How do we reconcile this statement by Rav with that of Berachot 17 that someone peforming the laws of the Torah for the wrong reasons would better not have been created at all? That latter statement is meant for people who teach Torah to show off their knowledge but who have no fear of the Lord. [It is difficult to know which of many textural emendations on this line is correct. I have assumed that the author agrees with Tosafot Pesachim 50 on the correct interpretation of the statement in Berachot. Ed.]

That a person does. . . Question: Why does Rashi write ונוצר חסד , from 34:7, when here it is written ועושה חסד ? The answer is: So we will not mistakenly think that ועושה חסד refers to Hashem. I.e., that Hashem does lovingkindness for two thousand generations, but no more. [This is not so,] for it is written: “Hashem’s kindness is never-ending, His mercy does not cease” (Eichah 3:22). Thus Rashi brings the verse of ונוצר חסד , which means: when a person does loving-kindness, Hashem stores reward for him for two thousand generations. And so too, the verse of ועושה חסד refers to the person, [not to Hashem]. It means: when a person does loving-kindness, Hashem rewards until two thousand generations.

(Ibid. 6) "for My lovers and for the keepers of My mitzvoth": "for My lovers": our father Abraham and the like. "and for the keepers of My mitzvoth": the prophets and the elders. R. Nathan says: "for My lovers and the keepers of My mitzvoth": the Jews who dwell in Eretz Yisrael, and give their lives for the mitzvoth. Why are you going out to be executed? Because I circumcised my son, the Jew. Why are you going out to be burned? Because I read in the Torah. Why are you going out to be crucified? Because I ate matzoh. Why are you being given a hundred lashes? Because I took the lulav. And (Zechariah 13:6) "wherewith I was beaten in the house of my Lover" — these lashes have caused me to be beloved by my Father in heaven.

לאוהבי, “to those who love Me.” This is a reference to the category of Jews known as “chassidim” by their fellow Jews. [These are people who excel in their piety. Ed.]

Measure for reward is greater. . . Question: Why does Rashi need to tell us this simple mathematical calculation? The answer is: Rashi is resolving a difficulty with the verse in which is written that Hashem rewards for two thousand generations. This cannot mean as it seems, for the world lasts only six thousand years, so from beginning to end is less than one thousand generations! Thus Rashi explains that the verse only comes to teach how much greater is Hashem’s measure for reward. (Kitzur Mizrachi)

ולשומרי מצותיו, and to those who observe His commandments. According to Sotah 31 these words are not connected with the words "to thousands of generations." People who serve the Lord because they are afraid of punishment cannot expect subsequent generations to draw on their unexpired portion of reward for longer than one thousand generations, whereas the unexpired portion of the reward of people who served the Lord because of love for Him may remain valid for up to two thousand generations. The Talmud derives this from Deut. 7,9 where the Torah speaks about a reward extending for one thousand generations.

ולשומרי מצותי, “and to the ones who are observe My commandments;” [the Jews who are careful not to violate any of My negative commandments; the tzaddikim.” Ed.]

That is that He commanded us to sanctify His name. And that is His saying, "and I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel" (Leviticus 22:32). And the content of this commandment is that we are commanded to publicize this true faith in the world, and that we not fear the injury of any aggressor. And even though an oppressor seeks to coerce us, we may not listen to him, but rather must give ourselves over to dying; and not deceive him to think that we have denied [God or His Torah] - even if we [regardless] believe in Him, may He be exalted, in our hearts. And this is the commandment of sanctifying [God's] name, that the Jewish people is commanded as a whole - meaning, to allow ourselves to die at the hand of the coercer on account of our love for God, may He be exalted, and our faith in His unity. This is like that which was done by Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah at the time of the evil Nevuchadnetsar, when he commanded to bow down to an image and all of the masses bowed down to it, including the Jews; and there was no one there sanctifying the name of the Heavens. Rather all were afraid; and this was a great disgrace for all of Israel, since the commandment was lost from all of them. And this commandment (in such circumstances) is only commanded in such a large and public stand in which everyone is afraid. And this was a designated publicization of [God's] unity which was designated by God through Yishayah - that the disgrace of Israel not be complete during this stand, but that young men would appear at that difficult time; and death would not scare them and they would allow their lives [to be taken], such that they would publicize the faith and sanctify [God's] name among the masses. This is as He promised us when He said, "no more shall Yaakov be shamed, no longer his face grow pale. For when he - that is, his children - behold what My hands have wrought in his midst, they will sanctify My name, etc." (Isaiah 29:22-23). And the language of the Sifra is, "On this condition did I bring you out of Egypt: On condition that you sanctify My name among the masses." And in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 74b), they said, "Is a gentile (ben Noach) commanded about the sanctification of [God’s] name, or is he not commanded? Come and hear - the Children of Noach were commanded to observe seven commandments. And if you say like this, there would be eight." Behold it has become clear to you that it is among the commandments that are obligatory for the Jews. And they brought His saying, "and I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel," as a proof for this commandment. And the regulations of this commandment have already been explained in the seventh chapter of Sanhedrin. (See Parashat Emor ; Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 5.)