Comentario sobre Exodo 20:5

אל קנא A JEALOUS GOD — He is jealous to exact punishment, and does not pass over His rights by pardoning idolatry (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:5:1). Wherever: the expression קנא occurs it signifies in old French emportement, English zeal, — determining to exact punishment.

POKEID’ (VISITING) THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the meaning of the term p’kidah is similar to that of z’chirah (remembrance), just as in the verse, And the Eternal ‘pakad’ Sarah,³⁴⁵Genesis 21:1. which is like: “and the Eternal remembered her.” The purport [of the verse here, according to Ibn Ezra], is that G-d will postpone [punishment] of the wicked person because perhaps he will repent and beget a righteous son. But if the son walks in his father’s ways, as also the third and fourth generations, their memories will be destroyed, for G-d will ‘remember’ [to visit punishment upon them for] what the parents have done, and He will no longer postpone their punishment. All the commentators have similarly interpreted [the above Scriptural expression]. But if this be so, the sins of the fathers will not be visited upon their children nor upon the third generation, but only on the fourth. It would have been proper then for Scripture to say that He will visit the iniquity of the fathers and their sons and of the third generation upon the fourth generation! Perhaps these commentators will say that the sense of the verse is that He remembers the iniquity of the fathers upon their sons, saying [to them], “You and your fathers have sinned.” He does thus with the third and fourth generations, and then takes vengeance upon them, and never again does He visit it upon them, for He destroys them all in their iniquity.
But their explanation is not correct. Scripture mentions G-d’s remembrance of all of them equally, and it does not specify that the vengeance is exacted [only] in the end, i.e., on the fourth generation. Besides, the term p’kidah in conjunction with the word al — [as it occurs here: ‘pokeid’ avon avoth ‘al’ banim] — is not used in connection with remembrance, but rather signifies vengeance [or punishment]. Thus: And on the day ‘pokdi upakad’ti’ (that I do punish, I will punish) them for their sin;³⁴⁶Further, 32:34. In that day ‘yiphkod hashem’ (the Eternal will punish) with his sore and great and strong sword leviathan the slant serpent, and leviathan the tortuous serpent, and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea;³⁴⁷Isaiah 27:1. ‘yiphkod hashem’ (the Eternal will punish) the host of the high heaven on high.³⁴⁸Ibid., 24:21. All of these are expression of vengeance and punishment.
The correct interpretation thus appears to me to be that Scripture is stating that He visits the iniquity, which the father perpetrated, upon his children, and excises them on account of the iniquity of their father, something like it is said, Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers.³⁴⁹Ibid., 14:21. Similarly, He visits it upon the third generation if the sin of the two generations is not yet full, something like [it is said], for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.³⁵⁰Genesis 15:16. Sometimes He visits the iniquity of all three generations upon the fourth one when their measure [of iniquity] is filled and then he excises them. But in the fifth generation, no one is punished for the iniquity of his ancestor in the first generation. Now in the Book of Deuteronomy, [where the Ten Commandments are restated], He added a vav [to the expression ‘al shileishim’ (unto the third generation), thus making it] ‘v’al’ shileishim v’al ribei’im l’sonai.³⁵¹Deuteronomy 5:9. But the meaning of the vav [there is not the usual “and”] but “or” — [” ‘or’ unto the third generation ‘or’ unto the fourth generation of them that hate me” — as explained above].
Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that children’s children are called “children.” This is why He used the briefer term.³⁵²Ibn Ezra tried to answer this question: Since Scripture uses the terms shileishim and ribei’im to signify the third and fourth generations, why does it not say shni’im for the second generation instead of using the term banim (children)? For this reason, Ibn Ezra interpreted banim as meaning “children and children’s children,” for they are both called banim. Hence, Scripture could not use the term shni’im, for that would have meant only the second generation after the sinner, who is the first generation. However, in fact the second and third generations also need to be included here. For this reason, Scripture used banim, which includes the children’s children as well, i.e., the third generation after the sinner. Accordingly, in Ibn Ezra’s opinion, shileishim will mean the children of the third generation, who are the fourth generation after the sinner, and ribei’im will mean the children of the fourth generation, who constitute the fifth generation. Ramban will differ with this entire interpretation. You can understand this from the terms shileishim (the third generation) and ribei’im (the fourth generation).³⁵³Ibn Ezra’s intent is that when you consider the words shileishim and ribei’im, this question will occur: Why does Scripture not use the term shni’im instead of banim? You must then conclude as explained in the preceding note. But this is not so. Shileishim means the third generation in that sin. [Hence, it includes only the father, his children, and his children’s children.] Likewise, ribei’im means the fourth generation in that sin, totalling four sinners. And the verse stated in connection with the thirteen attributes of G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third generation and unto the fourth generation,³⁵⁴Further, 34:7. is to be explained³⁵⁵The Hebrew text possibly lends itself to this translation: “He — [i.e., G-d, Who is proclaiming these thirteen attributes] — is explaining that al b’nei banim (upon the children’s children) is the shileishim (the third generation) and ribei’im (the fourth generation).” In other words, al b’nei banim is in apposition to al shileishim v’al ribei’im. as “the children’s children, who are the third and fourth generations.” It is for this reason that Moses, [when invoking the thirteen attributes] in the case of the spies, turned back [to this specific attribute as expressed here in the Ten Commandments] and said, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.³⁵⁶Numbers 14:18. He did not mention “children’s children,” for it is all one, [i.e., “children’s children” is the same as shileishim].
Now Scripture states [that this attribute of punishment applies only to] those that hate Me. That is, if the children hate G-d. If the sinner begot a righteous son, he does not bear the iniquity of the father, as [the prophet] Ezekiel has explained.³⁵⁷Ezekiel 18:20.
From the words of our Rabbis,³⁵⁸Tosephta Sotah 4:1. there appears a proof to the explanation I have presented above, [i.e., that ‘pokeid’ the sins of the fathers, etc., is to be understood in the sense of “visiting” or “punishing”]. From here, they have derived the principle that the [Divine] measure of good is greater than the measure of punishment, for the measure of punishment is for four generations [while that of reward is for thousands]. But if it were as the first explanation has it, [namely, that of Ibn Ezra, that pokeid means “remembers,” thus signifying that He postpones the punishment of the sinner until the fourth generation in the hope that perhaps he will beget a righteous son], then “the measure of good” would have been greater if He postponed punishment even to the tenth generation!³⁵⁹According to Ibn Ezra, the phrase in question represents a measure of G-d’s mercy. He does not punish the sinner immediately but “remembers” it until the third and fourth generations because perhaps he will repent and beget a righteous son. But, asks Ramban, if that were the interpretation, “the measure of Divine good” would be increased if such “punishment” were withheld even to the tenth generation! Why then did the Rabbis in the above-mentioned text speak of the Divine measure of good being manifested in punishment only to four generations when that Divine manifestation would apply even if it were extended to the tenth generation? But according to Ramban, who asserts that this verse represents a measure of G-d’s judgment — for pokeid means “punishing,” and the verse declares that the effects of the punishment are felt up to and including the fourth generation — that question cannot be asked. If punishment were extended to the tenth generation, it would no longer represent “a measure of good.” On the contrary, it would be a harsher judgment.
It is possible that this strict measure [of punishment that is imposed on a sinner and which is felt up to the fourth generation] applies only to idolatry, for it is with regard to this prohibition that He is warning here. However, in the rest of the commandments, [the rule applies that] every one shall die of his iniquity.³⁶⁰Jeremiah 31:30. You will find the hidden secret of visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children in the Book of Ecclesiastes.³⁶¹The allusion is to the verse, One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh (Ecclesiastes 1:4), upon which the Sefer Habahir commented: “that hath come already.” This means that the generation that passes away had come into the sins of the father “that had come already” in a previous generation, and the sins of the father are now visited upon the son, etc. (Ma’or V’shamesh). The mystic doctrine of the transmigration of souls is thus alluded to here. I have already written concerning it.³⁶²Genesis 38:8 (Vol. I, pp. 469-470).

לא תשתחוה להם, to any phenomena in the universe not man-made.

פקד עון אבות, "Who remembers the sins of the fathers, etc." Having stated that G'd is "jealous," and knowing that in our world anyone who is jealous reacts promptly against the person he is jealous of, G'd might have been expected to react similarly. We know from many thousands of years of history, that people who have given G'd ample reason to be "jealous" appear to enjoy an undisturbed life. Where then was G'd's "jealousy?" Are we, G'd forbid, to assume that G'd was either unaware of these sinners or unable to punish them? The Torah therefore states that if we observe the very opposite of jealousy in G'd's apparent relationship to these sinners, the reason is that though it is His nature to be "jealous," He is also פקד, remembers things, i.e. He does not exact retribution immediately. His patience may extend for up to the fourth generation after the sins committed by the original sinner. G'd vows that His patience does not extend beyond the fourth generation. The reason why G'd practices this patience is that if He were to punish everybody immediately mankind would cease to exist. This is the only reason that G'd appears to turn a blind eye to the sins committed by people. He waits until the sinners' children grow up hoping that these children will pursue a lifestyle more to His liking. When the children of sinners do this it has a positive effect on their parents' standing in the hereafter (Sanhedrin 104). Should the children of the sinner continue the evil ways of their fathers, G'd considers this when He punishes the second generation; or, He may wait for an improvement of the third generation before He includes the sins of the fathers when He punishes that generation for its own sins. He will not defer punishment past the third generation as by that time the family of the original sinner has become so deeply rooted in the domain of the קליפה that there is no hope for rehabilitation by their own efforts. When G'd's "jealousy" finally is displayed against such a family it is much more destructive than had it been displayed already against the original sinner. On no account must we assume that G'd makes a rule of deferring punishment until the fourth generation. As far as G'd's timetable is concerned even punishment meted out in the fourth generation is considered "immediate." Three generations are considered three hundred years, whereas a day in G'd's terms is one thousand years in our terms. This is implied in the Torah saying: על, ועל instead of merely saying that G'd's patience would extend עד דור רביעי, until the fourth generation as the Torah says concerning the reward which will be paid לאלפים "up to two thousand generations."

לשונאי, if their children also hate Me.

לא תשתחוה להם ולא תעבדם, “neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them.” Any kind of worship even if it does not involve a visible form of obeisance such as prostrating oneself. This is forbidden even if one does not mean thereby to in any way diminish one’s faith and devotion to Hashem.

He is jealous to exact punishment. . . I.e., He intends to exact punishment [if He has not yet done so]. And if He has already punished, this demonstrates His jealousy, for He punishes because of jealousy.

V. 5. Das Verbrechen steigt, wenn einem Wesen oder seiner Darstellung göttliche Verehrung gezollt wird. Diese tatsächliche Gott-Anerkennung eines andern tritt hier in השתחויה und עבודה auf. Beide erscheinen (Sanhedrin 60 a.) als zwei begrifflich zu Unterscheidende Kategorien des Kultus. השתחויה, das Sichniederwerfen, obgleich nicht zu עבודות פנים gehörig. d. h. obgleich es nicht eine zur Huldigung des einen Einzigen in seinem Heiligtume vorgeschriebene Handlung ist, ist gleichwohl vor jedem andern vergötterten Wesen oder dessen Abbild verpönt, selbst wenn es שלא כדרכו, nicht zu dem speziellen Kult dieses Abgottes gehört. Bei den andern עבודות ist zu unterscheiden: עבודות פנים d.i. Handlungen, die zum Ausdruck der Huldigung des einen Einzigen in seinem Heiligtume vorgeschrieben sind, also זיבוח וקיטור וניסוך sind ohne Unterschied irgend einem andern Wesen zuzuwenden verpönt; alle andern Kulthandlungen aber nur כדרכו, nur wenn sie zum gewöhnlichen Kult dieses Abgottes gehören. Vergegenwärtigen wir uns die Bedeutung der symbolischen Handlung des völligen Nieder- und Hinwerfens vor einem andern, sowie die Bedeutung des Begriffes עבודה und der ihm zum Ausdruck dienenden Handlungen, so erscheint השתחויה, das völlige Hinwerfen, als Ausdruck der völligen passiven Hingebung, sowie עבודה als Ausdruck der aktiven, tätigen Hingebung. השתחויה ist die Anerkennung und Huldigung des andern als des alleinigen Gebieters über unser Geschick, עבודה, buchstäblich das Aufgehen in den Dienst eines andern, ist die Anerkennnng und Huldigung des andern als Gebieters über unsere Tat. Jenes ist die Anerkennung des Lenkers unseres Geschickes, dieses die Anerkennung des Leiters unserer Taten. Beides zusammen bildet den Begriff, den wir bereits als ganzen Inhalt unserer Gottes-Anerkennung erkannt haben. Charakteristisch ist es, dass im Tempel des einen Einzigen vor allem עבודה, nicht השתחויה gefordert wird. Sein Tempel ist das Heiligtum seines Gesetzes; דביר, Wortstätte heißt sein Allerheiligstes; und es ist die Gesetzeslade, über welche seine Cherubim ihre Flügel zum Tragen seiner שכינה breiten. Nicht die Huldigung Gottes als einzigen Lenkers unserer Geschicke, erst seine Huldigung als einzigen Gesetzgebers unseres Lebens macht uns zum Juden und setzt diese die erstere stillschweigend voraus. Zum heidnischen Abfall von Gott verlockt aber vor allem der Wahn, als ob noch irgend etwas außer Gott, dem einen Einzigen, einen selbständigen Einfluss auf unsere Geschicke üben könne, darum ist השתחויה vor irgend etwas anderm oder vor irgend einem andern außer Gott ein solcher Abfall von Ihm, dem einen Einzigen. Geschweige denn, dass die Hingebung unserer Lebens-, unserer Tatkraft und unseres genießenden Daseins in den Dienst eines andern, wie diese durch זיבוח וקיטור וניסוך dem Dienste des einen Einzigen geweiht werden, oder ein sonstiges Zuwillenleben, wie dies heidnischer Wahn für den erträumten Willen eines wahnerzeugten Gottes beliebt, den Abfall von dem einen Einzigen bedeutet. Der entsittlichende Einfluss, den עבודה זרה, den der heidnische Götterkult auf das Taten- und Genussesleben der Menschen geübt, wird begreiflich, wenn wir bedenken, wie in ihm ja unfreie Naturgewalten als Götterideale dastanden, denen eben durch unfreie Dahingebung an Naturtriebe und Leidenschaften gehuldigt wurde, und somit Verbrechen und Ausschweifung in den Kreis Götter verehrender Handlungen erhoben werden konnten. Es war ja die zu sinnlicher Lust reizende Begierde selber eine Göttergewalt, und עבודה זרה und גלוי עריות gingen, wie die Weisen lehren, Hand in Hand.

לא תשתחוה להם, “neither must you prostrate yourself before them even if they are not yours and have been made by others.”

לשנאי OF THEM THAT HATE ME — This must be explained in the same sense as the Targum takes it: when they retain in their hands (follow the example of) the evil doings of their ancestors (Sanhedrin 27b); and He keeps (stores up) the mercy which a person does to give a reward for it to the thousand generations of that person’s descendants. It follows, therefore, that the measure of good (reward) is greater than the measure of punishment in the proportion of one to five hundred, for the former is threatened only to four generations whilst the latter is bestowed upon thousands (two thousands at least) (Tosefta Sotah 4:1; see Rashi on Exodus 34:7).

א-ל קנא, I cannot tolerate that someone who worships Me worships also someone beside Me. The reason is that there is absolutely no comparison between Me and any other phenomenon in the universe. I am therefore entitled to stand on My dignity by refusing to be compared.

אל קנא, “a jealous G’d.” We never find the attribute of G’d being jealous in any connection other than with idolatry. He warns us that just as a jealous husband is likely to take revenge on his adulterous wife, so He is going to punish the Israelite who, by breaching the covenant, gives Him cause to display jealousy.

When they retain in their hands the deeds. . . [Rashi knows this] because otherwise, it [contradicts what] is written (Devarim 24:16): “Fathers shall not be put to death for the children, [and children shall not be put to death for their fathers].”

The concept of G'd not displaying His jealousy against the sinners is something very confusing, especially so when such sinners keep piling new sins upon old ones and enjoy success (in their terms). Once one comprehends the fact that G'd may limit such success to four generations the fact that G'd sometimes appears to punish a particular family who do not appear to have been especially sinful becomes acceptable. This is what Assaph had in mind in Psalms 73,17 when he said "I will understand this in light of their eventual fate." He referred to people who were at the tail end of four generations of sinners and now experienced G'd's "jealousy." Whereas G'd never includes sins committed five generations ago in the punishment of a particular generation, the reverse is true of reward. Reward for good deeds may be extended for up to two thousand generations.

Also: räume keinem andern Gott einen Einfluss auf dein Geschick und deine Taten ein, קַנֵא .כי וגו׳ אל קנא, verwandt mit קנה, (etwas zu eigen haben), sein Eigentumsrecht geltend machen, etwas als sein Recht fordern, für das verletzte Recht, des eigenen oder eines andern, eintreten. Es heißt nun nicht מְקַנֵא, ich mache meinen Anspruch auf dich geltend, lasse dich nicht und kein Teilchen aller deiner Beziehungen mir entziehen, sondern: ich bin א׳ קנא, es liegt — menschlich gesprochen — tief in meinem Wesen, ich wäre nicht, der ich bin, wenn ich nicht א׳ קנא wäre, das "קנא" ist ein spezifisches Unterscheidungsmerkmal von allem andern, was die Menschen Götter nennen. Du kannst mich nicht denken, ohne dir zu vergegenwärtigen, dass ich קנא bin. אנכי: als dich und das Universum tragende Persönlichkeit, ד׳: von dessen alleinigem Willen jeder kommende Weltaugenblick abhängt, אלקיך: der ich dich herausgenommen, um dein ganzes Geschick und dein ganzes Tatenleben zu gestalten und zu leiten, bin ich א׳ קנא, bin ich ausschließend, schließe ich alles andere aus und fordere dich ganz, mit deiner ganzen Gegenwart und deiner ganzen Zukunft.

ולא תעבדם, “and you must not serve them;” even if the mode in which they are being served represents something disgraceful and despicable in your eyes.

פוקד עון אבות, the reason why I sometimes wait so long before punishing some of the wicked in this life is that by waiting and noticing that their offspring, i.e. second and third generation continue in their wicked ways their measure of guilt will become so full that I will exterminate that whole family from life in this world. [this is what happened to the family of Jerobam for instance, and that of Omri, his son Achav, etc. ] This was possible only by adding the unrequited sins of the fathers to those of the sons, or even subsequent generations, so that when finally, retribution did come, it wiped out the family completely. This happened in the third generation of the original sinner such as Omri’s grandchildren. It also happened to the fourth generation after Yehu (who himself had been G’d’s instrument for wiping out the family of Omri/Achav) when his great grandson Zecharyah was murdered after reigning only 6 months. (Kings II 15,9) We know about this method G’d employs sometimes already since Genesis chapter 15 when G’d explained to Avraham that his descendants could not expect to take possession of the land of Canaan until the fourth generation, as the sins of the Emorite would not be irrevocable until then. (Genesis 15,16)

פוקד עון אבות, “Who visits the sin of the fathers, etc.;” according to Ibn Ezra the meaning of the word פוקד here is the same as that of the word זוכר, i.e. “who remembers.” The word is used in that sense in Genesis 21,1 where it means that G’d remembered the fact that Sarah had not yet been blessed with child. In our verse it means that Hashem allows even the wicked time to rehabilitate themselves through repentance before imposing the punishment for the sins which they deserve. G’d hopes that during the time He holds the punishment in abeyance the sinner will sire a child who in turn will be righteous, thus retroactively making the sinner’s life worthwhile. However, if both the sinner’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continue in the sinful ways of their forbears, G’d will not continue to delay punishment in the hope that this situation will change. Nachmanides challenges this interpretation of our verse, saying that if it were correct G’d would be visiting the sins not on the third generation but on the fourth generation. This would mean that the second and third generation of the father who went unpunished would also go unpunished. If that were so, the Torah should have written: זוכר עון אבות ובנים ושלישים על רבעים, “He will visit (show remembrance) of the sin of the fathers and the sons and the grandsons on the great-grandsons.” Perhaps what Ibn Ezra had in mind was that G’d remembers the sin of the father to the offspring by saying to the sinful offspring: “you as well as your (deceased) father or/and grandfather have been guilty of such and such.” As a result, the string of generations will be punished by that line being wiped out. However, the Torah does not say that all people, i.e. the sins of all fathers will be subject to an identical consideration by G’d. There are various verses in Scripture which indicate that sometimes G’d will exact punishment from the son or the grandson, as for instance we read in Isaiah 27,1 יפקד ה' בחרבו הקשה where the prophet announces that G’d will remember to punish the nations who have subjected Israel to violence, or Isaiah 14,21 הכינו לבניו מטבח בעון אבותם, “prepare a slaughtering block for their sons in retribution of the sins of their fathers, etc.” In both of these examples G’d is not described as waiting for four generations with exacting His vengeance. Sometimes the third generation will experience G’d’s vengeance, compare Deuteronomy 5,9, other times some descendants will experience it a generation sooner than their brothers, although to the uninitiated onlooker there appears to be no difference in conduct between them. When G’d indicated to Avraham that the Emorites were indeed guilty and deserved to be uprooted, He added that their guilt was not yet complete, i.e. the guilt of some of them, until the fourth generation had been reached, hence the descendants of Avraham could not be given their land until then. (Genesis 15,16). Any fifth generation experiencing G’d’s wrath is not being punished for the sins of the first of these five generations.

פקד עון אבות. — Wer will die ganze Tiefe der Gerechtigkeit und des liebenden Ernstes seiner menschenerziehenden Waltung ermessen, an die Gott mit diesem Ausspruch unser sterbliches Auge hinanführt? Wer will es wagen, auch nur begrifflich zu umschränken, was diese einfachen Worte aussagen?

כי אנכי ה' אלוקיך, “for I am the Lord your G-d;” seeing that you have a benign Master, you have no need to turn to idols.

... And 'that which I see' is that the understanding of the verse is certainly that God visits the iniquity of the parents even upon righteous children. And such was the faith of our fathers; and so did the Sages, may their memory be blessed, say - "A righteous one who has bad befall him is a righteous one that is the child of an evildoer!" And it is something to which [our] senses testify, that the father gives over to his child quite a few good and bad things. And perforce his ways and deeds bring good or bad to his offspring after him. And this phenomenon is one of the secrets of hidden providence in all of the events that happen in the world. 'And God did that they should fear before Him' - as every father loves his offspring; and the worry, lest his sins bring woes also to his children, stops him from always 'following his willful heart,' to one extent or another. And even if it does not stop him, behold those that see his children tormented because of his iniquity will cry out bitterly about him, and that man will 'become a parable and a byword.' And many 'will hear and fear and not do like his acts'... And behold, that which I said that the matter of the visiting of the iniquity of the fathers upon the children is something to which our senses testify, etc., is similar to that which Ralbag explained - that the punishment of the parents continues to the children by happenstance, in the way of "Our fathers sinned and are no more; and we must bear their guilt." And I also know that the understanding of the expression, "visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children," is not that the punishment should continue to the children by happenstance, but rather that God punishes the children with a clear intention - as in (Exodus 32:34), "and I will visit their sins upon them"; (Hosea 4:9) "and I will visit its ways upon it." Likewise, the content of the word, "visit," is a directed punishment and not one by happenstance - as in (Hosea 9:7), "The days of visiting have come, the days of repayment have come"; (Isaiah 10:3), "And what will you do on the day of visiting." Nevertheless, this is the way of the Torah, to describe to us the the bad and the good as if they intentionally came down from Above as reward and punishment; even if they come about naturally, according to the way of the world. As there truly is nothing in the world that is by happenstance. For everything is the result of His causes, and everything is an outgrowth of the First Cause (see Kuzari 5:9). And just like God inscribed it into the laws of nature that the iniquities of the father bring bad to his offspring after him to threaten people, and just like the Torah said that the Lord is a jealous God, and vengeful and angry to threaten the Children of Israel; so too did it also say that He visits the iniquity of the parents upon the children - as if He did this by way of vengeance and fury - even though the thing happens naturally and is not revenge, God forbid. Rather, it is all for the good of people...

פוקד עון אבות על בנים, “remembering the sins of the fathers to the children.” Ibn Ezra says that the grandchildren are included in the term בנים in this verse. This is the reason why the Torah mentions both third and fourth generations in one sentence, without bothering to mention the second generation at all, seeing that the second generation was already included in the mention of בנים. Nachmanides disagrees with this reasoning, stating that what is referred to as שלשים, is in fact the third generation commencing with the fathers, i.e. the grandchildren of the sinful father. The fourth generation described as רבעים here are the great grandchildren, and the same applies to the list in Exodus 34,7, where G’d reveals to Moses thirteen of His attributes. This is also why Moses, in connection with the sin of the spies, (Numbers 14,18) refers to בנים, שלשים, רבעים. What he meant was that the grandchildren are the third generation. This is also why our sages say that G’d extends goodness to more generations than vengeance, i.e. whereas the sins of the former generations may not be forgotten for 4 generations, their good deeds are rewarded for as long as 2000 generations (verse 6).

I am cognizant (pokeid) of the sins of fathers. Pokeid signifies taking notice of a thing in order to take action regarding it. For this reason one who is assigned to a public office is called a pakid. Another meaning of pokeid is to “deduct.” Thus the Maharit renders this verse, “I deduct from the sins of the fathers in the merit of the children.” This is in keeping with the Sages’ principle that a son can bring his father merit (Sanhedrin 104a).

פקד — verwandt mit בית ,בגד, — heißt: etwas mit dem ihm Gebührenden bekleiden, logisch: mit den ihm gebührenden Attributen, praktisch: mit den ihm gebührenden Bestimmungen, Verhältnissen, Zuständen usw. Von der göttlichen Waltung: über etwas das ihm Gebührende oder Entsprechende verhängen. — עון von עוה, krumm sein, eine krumme Richtung nehmen, somit: die bewusstvolle Ablenkung von der einzigen vorgezeichneten Richtung. Es ist die entsprechendste Bezeichnung für die bewusstvolle Hingebung an ein unserer Bestimmung nicht entsprechendes Ziel; somit der treffende Ausdruck für den bewussten Abfall vom Rechten. (Auch den verwandten אוה und אבה liegt der Begriff einer geistigen Ablenkung von der ursprünglichen Richtung zu Grunde. אוה heißt die Richtung des Gemütes auf etwas noch nicht in unserer Richtung Liegendes, noch nicht Erreichbares. אבה ist geradezu die Aufgebung unserer eigenen Gemütsrichtung und der Anschluss an die eines andern, das Eingehen auf den Willen eines andern mit Aufgebung des eigenen.)

אל קנא, “a philosopher asked Rabbi Yehudi Hanassi since when a superior individual demeans himself by being jealous of someone way below him physically and mentally. The Rabbi answered him if he thought it appropriate that someone should call his dog by the same name as himself? Does it not make sense that he should be angry of being compared to a dog? The philosopher was forced to agree.

לשונאי, “to those who hate Me.” If the member of that generation is a wicked person and he hates the Lord, previous sins of former generations will also be held against him, whereas if the present generation are righteous none of the sins of former generations will be held against them.

Klar ist es, dass dieses "Maß" der göttlichen Waltung nur "לשונאי,, ausdrücklich nur da und dann ausgesprochen ist, wo und wann die auf einander folgenden Geschlechter alle שונאי ד׳ sind, die von Gott ihnen angewiesene Bestimmung hassen, sie "Dorn gleich" als ein Unglück, als eine Trübung und Gefährdung ihres Heiles oder ihres Strebens nach Heil von sich weisen.

פוקד עון אבות, “who remembers the sin of the fathers, etc;” G-d explains that He must demonstrate that He cannot simply “forget” the sins of the fathers, even if He delayed punishment for good reasons. This statement does not mean that the children will be taken to task for their father’s sins, seeing that the principle of each person is executed on account of his own sins not because of the sins of his fathers. (Kings II 14,6) This attribute of G-d must be understood as follows: when a person sins, G-d is apt to delay punishment to give the sinner an opportunity to become a penitent and to therefore rehabilitate himself. G-d’s patience may extend beyond the lifetime of the sinner and even the sinner’s son and grandson. If during these years the descendants of the original sinner have not mended their ways but continue to sin, G-d has to punish the great grandson for his own sins immediately, so that He will not be viewed as “forgetting” the original sin. He does so by removing that fourth generation of sinners from the world. He does so only when these generations successively have all been unrepentant sinners. He relates to such “sinners” in this fashion only if they do not sin inadvertently but “hate” Him and His laws,

Und nun פוקד עון אבות על בנים וגו׳ לשונאי, heißt es: Gott denkt den Abfall der Eltern an Kindern, Enkeln und Urenkeln, wenn sie ihn hassen? Wenn Kinder, wenn Enkel, auch noch wenn Urenkel den Weg des Abfalles fortwandeln, so denkt Gottes Waltung noch an den ersten Schritt, den die Eltern getan, erwägt, dass der Abfall noch nicht Generationen hindurch veraltet, die Umkehr noch möglich, und versucht durch Leidenserziehung die Kinder, die Enkel, oder auch noch die Urenkel wieder zu sich zurückzuführen; ist aber bis ins vierte Geschlecht die Umkehr nicht erfolgt, so geht das weitere Geschlecht in seinen Sünden zu Grunde? — Heißt es: Gott richtet den Abfall der Eltern an Kindern etc., wenn sie ihn hassen? In Schuld und Unglück der in Abfall fortwandelnden und um ihres Abfalles willen gezüchtigten Kinder, Enkel und Urenkel wirkt der Abfall der Eltern fort, die durch ihr Beispiel die Kinder auf den Abweg geführt und durch ihre Verschuldung Sünde und Elend an die Wiege ihrer Kinder zu Begleitern durchs Leben gestellt? — Heißt es, Gott straft die Eltern durch das Elend, das sie mit ihrem auf die Kinder vererbten Abfall auf deren Lebensweg gehäuft? — Heißt es — wie ופקדתם עליהם במשמרת את כל משאם (Bamidbar 4, 27 )— Gott trägt den Kindern, Enkeln und Urenkeln den Abfall der Väter zu sühnen auf? Statt die Eltern sofort um ihres Abfalles willen zu verderben, wartet Gott bis ins vierte Geschlecht, ob nicht noch Enkel und Urenkel wieder gut machen werden, was die Eltern verschuldet, und lässt erst dann das unverbesserliche Geschlecht in der fortgesetzten Schuld zu Grunde gehen? —

לשונאי, to those who hate “Me.” Having said this we might think that G-d operates in a similar fashion in delaying rewards for those who have lived exemplary lives; He therefore assures us that on the contrary, His memory of meritorious deeds performed by the fathers will be taken into consideration of the treatment of their children and children’s children for up to two thousand generations. He adds the words: לאלף דור, “for as long as a thousand generations,” i.e. forever. (Compare Deuteronomy 7,9)

Was jedoch auch immer in Wahrheit dieses Maß der göttlichen Waltung sein möge, zwei Wahrheiten sprechen sich in ihm mit dem ernstesten Ernste zu unser aller Beherzigung aus: Indem derselbe eine einzige Gott, der der Leiter unserer Handlungen sein will, indem derselbe Gott, der der Gesetzgeber für unser Leben ist, uns das Leben für die Erfüllung seines Gesetzes gibt und erhält: so vollziehen wir selber mit der Treue oder dem Abfall von seinem Gesetze den Bau oder die Zerstörung unseres Lebens. Es lebt ein Gott, der den Menschen richtet nach seinen Taten, dem keiner sich entzieht, und der keinen sich entziehen lässt.

Und der Kinder Wohl und Wehe bauen die Eltern mit Treue, mit Abfall. Es sind die Kinder ja Früchte am Lebens- und Geschickesbaume der Eltern. Um unserer Kinder willen sollten wir uns gesund, um unserer Kinder willen uns sittlich und brav, um unserer Kinder willen uns geistig wach und wacker erhalten. So gewiß Gott einem jeden Kinde eine reine Seele mit ins Hiersein gibt, so gewiss gestalten sich die getrübten Neigungen und Anlagen, Schwächen und Gebrechen, welche Eltern mit dem leiblichen Wesen auf die Kinder vererben, zu einer schweren Aufgabe, in deren Überwindung die reine Kinderseele ihre göttliche Kraft zu erproben haben wird, und das Elend, das Siechtum, das Beispiel sittlicher Entartung, mit welchen die Schuld der Eltern die Wiege ihrer kleinen Erdenbürger bettet, ladet diese zu einem harten, steilen Prüfungswege, in welchem sie die Palme sittlicher Erprobtheit zu erringen haben werden. —

Gottlob aber auch, und gottlob aber auch tausendfältig mehr עושה הסד לאלפים לאהבי ולשומרי מצותי lässt Gott aus der Treue, aus der "liebenden Hingebung und der Pflichttreue" der Eltern das Glück der Kinder noch übers tausendste Geschlecht hinaus erblühen! Es bildet die Bravheit, die geistige und sittliche Reinheit und Tüchtigkeit der Eltern einen breiten und mit jedem treuen Folgegeschlechte immer breiter und fester werdenden Boden, aus welchem geistig und sittlich heiter dem Guten zuwachsende Menschengeschlechter erblühen, die selbst von Abwegen leicht sich wieder in den einen Pfad des Rechten und Guten zurückfinden und die die Liebe und Gnade Gottes nimmer verlässt. —

Beides ist die Waltung unseres Einen Einzigen Gottes, der allein die Taten zählt und allein die Geschicke bestimmt. –