Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 43:3

That I admonish the Israelites. Rashi is answering the question: How could Moshe command the heavens? Does he rule over heaven? And a further question: Why did he take testimony against Yisroel for they had not yet sinned? Therefore he explains that “I admonish [i.e., warn] the Israelites,” as it is written above, “I invoke as witnesses (העדתי) against you this day, heaven and earth” (Devarim 30:19). This is an expression of admonishing [i.e., warning], similar to, “The man warned us repeatedly (העד העיד)” (Bereishis 43:3). For [Moshe] had not yet said anything to heaven or earth, and it is only now that he speaks to them.

But warn them.⁶See Bereishis 43:3. Warn them that the fear of their king be upon them.⁷In order to impress Bnei Yisroel with awe for the monarchy, i.e., the king’s position, Shmuel was instructed to teach them the honor due to a king of Yisroel.

V. 20. עקב וגו׳, sowie die, wenngleich oft späte, doch sichere Folge des Gehorsams Segen und Gedeihen ist (Kap. 7, 12), so ist der Untergang, wenngleich oft spät doch die sichere Folge des Ungehorsams. Beides kommt nach und nach und spät, sonst wäre Gehorsam keine Tugend und Ungehorsam Wahnsinn. Daher bedarf es ganz eigentlich der העדה, wie es im vorigen Verse העדתי heißt, der "Vergegenwärtigung" dessen, was, weil es nicht sofort sichtbar ist, dem Bewusstsein entschwindet (העד ,עוד siehe Bereschit 43, 3).

והועד בבעליו AND IT HATH BEEN TESTIFIED TO HIS OWNER — הועד (from the root עוד) is an expression for warning through witnesses (Bava Kamma 24a), as in, (Genesis 43:3) “the man hath solemnly forewarned (הָעֵד הַעִד) us”.