Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 32:32

דמים לו, “there is blood guilt on his account.” Anyone who kills unless his own life was in danger is subject to the penalty for murder or manslaughter. In this instance, when the identity of the thief has become known, he would not threaten his victim with death as he would be aware that he would suffer the penalty for murder. Seeing that the owner of the house was not in danger he must not kill the intruder.
The reason why the Torah describes the sun shining by using the feminine form of the word זרחה, rather than the customary זרח (compare Kohelet 1,5 or Genesis 32,32) is that the Bible usually does so when it describes the sun spreading its rays over the earth during the day. Examples are: Samuel II 12,11 לעיני השמש הזאת, “in view of this bright sunlight.” The sun is described as masculine in the Bible when it is only at the beginning of its daily journey across the sky. Example: השמש יצא על הארץ, “the sun had risen over the earth” (Genesis 19,23). The author quotes additional examples. At any rate, the meaning is that if the sun has already spread its light all over the earth and it is clear that the thief will be caught and cannot escape, דמים לו, anyone killing him will be guilty. The words have a dual meaning, i.e. they also mean that the thief has to pay compensation to the victim failing which the court will sell his labor for the next 6 years to the kind of master described in 21,2 so that the owner of the stolen property can be compensated.

A Midrashic approach on the words ויהי ידיו אמונה: Moses based his prayer on the faith the patriarchs had always displayed in their relationship with G’d, a faith which G’d had acknowledged. He had lauded Avraham for his faith in Genesis 15,6). He had lauded Yitzchak for his faith in Genesis 24,62 (based on the words עד בא, because the Torah writes: ויצחק בא מבוא, whereas He had lauded Yaakov’s אמונה based on the word השמש, in Genesis 32,32 ויזרח לו השמש,”the sun shone for him.” Thus far the Midrash. I believe that the meaning of all this is that Amalek had relied on Esau his patriarch who had received his blessing from the spiritual power of Yitzchak his father. This power was the attribute גבורה, an attribute identical with the attribute of Justice. Amalek (his spiritual representative) hoped to be able to exploit this attribute to overcome Israel. This is why Moses had to outmaneuver the celestial representative of Amalek in order for the Israelites on earth to prevail in this armed conflict. He therefore mentioned all three patriarchs in his prayer. He was “the son” of Yaakov, representing the principle that החוט המשולש לא במהרה ינתק, “that a three-plied cord will not easily come apart.” Amalek, i.e. Esau did not have such a three-plied cord to call on.
Our sages (Mechilta Amalek section 1) also commented that the words עד בא השמש, “until sunset,” allude to a peculiarity in that battle. Normally, other kingdoms engage in battle only until midday. This evil Kingdom of Amalek engaged in fighting both in the early morning and in the evening. Tanchuma Beshalach 28 adds that on that day the sun stood still for the sake of Moses. This is why the Torah added the words: “until the sun set.” The Amalekites were able to calculate what hour of day it was by means of astronomical calculations. What did Moses do in order to confuse them? He arrested the orbits of both sun and moon and thereby interfered with their calculations. The Midrash bases itself on the words: והיה כאשר ירים משה ידו; we also have a verse in Chabakuk 3,10, רום ידיהו נשא, followed by the words שמש ירח עמד זבולה. In other words: the prophet mentions the raising of the hands with the arrest of the sun’s and the moon’s orbit. Thus far Tanchuma.

The statues on which the oath was inscribed. This refers to the oath sworn by Avraham and Yitzchak to Avimelech. The blind statues represent Yitzchak, and the lame statues represent Yaakov, about whom the verse writes (Bereishis 32:32), “And he limped due to his hip.”

שלם SAFELY (literally, whole, perfect, unimpaired) — unimpaired in body (health) because he was cured of his lameness; whole as regards his possessions for he was not short of anything even though he had given that gift (for his remaining cattle soon bore other young; cf. Rashi on Genesis 30:43); and perfect in his knowledge of the Torah for whilst he was in Laban’s house he had not forgotten what he had before learned (Shabbat 33b).