Musar for Deuteronomy 4:35

These four qualities are lacking if wisdom is lacking, for they cannot join together unless there be knowledge and wisdom. If a man does not have knowledge and wisdom, he will not recognize his God and serve Him, as it is said (Jeremiah 9:23), “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me.” The Prophet means that everyone who possesses wisdom will understand and know “Me” immediately. For it is through knowledge that a man recognizes his Creator and then serves Him. In this manner, is it explained in many places. Concerning reason, it is said (Deuteronomy 29:8), “In order that you may do everything with intelligence”, and concerning knowledge, it is said (ibid., 4:35), “Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know.”

Maimonides, in his ספר המדע writes as follows: "We must appreciate a fundamental truth, something basic to all knowledge. There is a SINGLE original Cause who in turn has created all other phenomena. If you ever were to think that HE does not exist, it would follow that none of the phenomena we perceive exist either. If you could imagine that all other phenomena would cease to exist, HE still would continue to exist, since all phenomena need Him for their continued existence, whereas He does not need them for His existence. His "truth" is therefore not comparable to any other kind of "truth," and this is why the prophet says: וה' אלוקים הוא לבדו אמת, "And the Lord G–d is truth" (Jeremiah 10,10). This is also what the Torah means in Deut. 4,35 ואין עוד מלבדו, "There is no one else beside Him." No truth exists independent of G–d. It is His Existence that is the supreme G–d of the universe, and He guides the universe. It is a positive commandment to acquire knowledge of and guard these facts, for the Torah says: "I am the Lord your G–d, etc." Anyone who entertains the thought that there is any other deity is a כופר בעיקר, violates a fundamental negative commandment, because the Torah says: "You must not have any other god in My Presence." Such a person denies the central pillar of the Jewish faith that everything depends upon Him. Thus far Maimonides.

Also consider that the Holy One, Blessed be He, has given permission to no people in the world to tell His praises other than Israel, as it is said, "The people which I have formed for Myself, that they might tell of My praise" (Is. 43:21). And it is written, "For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God" (Deut. 7:6). And it is written, "And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be His own treasure" (Deut. 26:18). And it is written "To make thee high above all nations" (Deut. 26:19). And the Holy One, Blessed be He, did not give any creature the ability to know the Name, Blessed be He, save to Israel, as it is written, "Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the Lord, He is God; there is none else beside Him" (Deut. 4:35). And it is written, "And what great nation is there, that hath statutes, and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day" (Deut. 4:8). And it is written, "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; and Him shalt thou serve" (Deut. 6:13).

This explains why the Midianites brought their קסמים, enchantments, with them before setting out on their mission to Bileam (22,7). The purpose of these enchantments is to call down to earth the influence that various horoscopic constellations exert on our fates. Balak was superior to Bileam in that field. The significance of נחשים, on the other hand is, that they are instruments which deny that G–d has an entourage who act as His agents. Neither of these devices would prove harmful to Israel as long as the latter carried out the will of their Father in Heaven. The Jewish people's fate is not governed by the forces of nature, i.e. מזל. Horoscopes are something that G–d granted the nations in lieu of השגחה פרטית, G–d's personal supervision and intervention in our affairs. All other magic devices are quite ineffective against Israel as long as Israel are on the level of דביקות לה', "cleaving to G–d." The Talmud in Chullin 7, relates that a woman tried to remove some earth from under the feet of Rabbi Chaninah. Rabbi Chaninah told her to go ahead, that it would not help her to perform her magic since it is written in Deut. 4,35: "there is no one beside Him." How can this be? Do we not have a statement by Rabbi Yochanan who said that the reason sorcery is called כשפים, is because it is a denial of the forces of G–d! The Talmud answers that the case of Rabbi Chaninah is special, because he had so many personal merits that protected him. So far the Talmud on the subject. Concerning the above, Bileam said: "There is no נחש in Jacob, i.e. it is powerless against Jacob, and there is no a קסם that prevails against Israel (Numbers 23,23). Bileam was well versed in all these disciplines including his remarkable awareness of how G–d operates. He knew when to make a curse effective and draw forth G–ds wrath on someone. This is why he commenced by employing instruments of sanctity such as the building of seven altars, offering sacrifices on them, etc. He built as many altars in one single day as the patriarchs had built in their combined life times, as Rashi points out on 23,4. When he realized that G–d had not become angry at Israel and that his accusations had proved futile, he resorted to magic: הוא הלך לקראת נחשים, he forsook the approach via the sacred and turned to the profane. His attitude was that he would mention Israel's shortcomings regardless of whether G–d would react to this negatively or not. He hoped that the curse would attach itself to the mention of their sins (Rashi). Bileam abandoned recourse to the נחשים only from 24,1 onwards. He had become afraid that the merits of Israel were too great, hence he turned his attention towards the "desert," i.e. he recalled the sin of the golden calf which Israel had made in the desert and from the consequences of which G–d had saved it. When the Torah writes “ותהי עליו רוח אלוקים,” this refers to the Divine spirit resting on Israel, not on Bileam, see Zohar on 24,2.

Afterwards he should recite: “Master of the Universe, save me, deliver me and give me succor from all sin, transgression and iniquity in the merit of the three commandments mention above. ‘I have placed my trust in You; let me not be ashamed forever; spare me in Your righteousness’ (Tehillim 31:2).” While reciting this verse one should have in mind that it begins with a beis and ends with a yud, for a numerical value of twelve, an allusion to the twelve tribes. Then he should say: “Master of the Universe, in the merit of the twelve tribes guard me and save me from every sin and from every form of the evil eye. Let them have no dominion over me or my offspring or their offspring forever. And do not allow the evil eye to have dominion over my belongings or my body. Hashem, guard my going out and my coming in. Let them be towards life and peace from now and forever. “Hashem is my refuge upon my right hand. Let us know and run to know Hashem as clearly as the dawn when it has gone forth (Hoshea 6:3). No man shall stand up before you; Hashem your God will put fear and awe of you over all the land upon which you tread as He has promised you (Devarim 11:25). Do not allow a sorceress to live (Shemos 22:17). No dog will wag its tongue towards any of the children of Israel (Shemos 11:7). You have been shown that you may know that Hashem is God, there is no other beside Him (Devarim 4:35).” Afterwards, when a man goes out to the street, his intention should be to meditate continually upon the mitzvos, as I have written above in Chapter Two. Even if he should happen to see snow he should reflect that it is one of the four shades of skin plagues. And especially if he should encounter an animal he should conduct himself according to the way I explained in that chapter.