Commentaire de citation sur L’Exode 34:16

עיניכם הרואות, Moses reminds the people that they had observed the truth of this with their own eyes when their brethren, in their lust, not meaning to commit idolatry, had nevertheless done so, as they had been overcome by their libidos at the time so that they succumbed to seduction. The Torah testifies that their original sin had “only” been to whore with the daughters of Moav. (Numbers 25,1) The Torah, in outlawing sexual relations with non Jews had added that if this law was ignored the result would be intermarriage, idol worship by the children of such a marriage, etc. (Exodus 34,16) Every Israelite who indulged his lust for a Moabite girl had considered himself immune to such a warning. They proved to have been wrong, with the loss of 24.000 Israelites as a result. G’d had wiped out everyone of them who had worshipped Baal Peor. They had been tricked into it without realising it.

AND THOU EAT OF THEIR SACRIFICE. “You might think that there is no punishment for eating thereof, but I will account it to you as if you agreed to its idolatrous worship.” This is Rashi’s language.⁵²⁵In our text of Rashi the text concludes: “Because through this [partaking of his meals] you will come to take of his daughters to your sons” (as mentioned in the following Verse 16). Rashi thus connects Verse 15 with the following verse, as if to say that the danger of partaking of his meals (mentioned in Verse 15) is that it will lead to the taking of his daughters to your sons (mentioned in Verse 16). Ramban will differ with this interpretation, and hold that Verse 15 constitutes an independent prohibition. But I say in accordance with the opinion of our Rabbis that this constitutes an admonition against eating of the sacrifices to idols, which they said⁵²⁶Abodah Zarah 29b. is forbidden by law of the Torah, and we find no verse concerning it except this one. And the following is the meaning of the verse: “Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go astray after their gods, for they will always be sacrificing to them, and lest they call thee and thou eat of their sacrifice, which he will sacrifice to his gods in his going astray after them, and lest thou take of their daughters unto thy sons.” Thus they are all admonitions following the first prohibition, concerning which He said, lest thou make a covenant.⁵²⁷In Verse 15 before us.