Commentaire de citation sur Le Deutéronome 28:10

וישמע יתרו, the word שמיעה for hearing is used when recording or referring to something which did not occur at the time it is being reported. When one hears of something which is just happening, the Torah uses the term ראיה, “seeing,” i.e. first hand knowledge of something. It does not matter whether the sound of the happening comes from a distant location or is nearby within one’s eyesight. Examples of the use of the word ראיה “seeing” being used for matters which were heard second hand, not seen, are found in Genesis 42,1 where Yaakov, resident in the land of Canaan, is reported as “seeing” that there was grain for sale in Egypt. Clearly, the Torah refers to Yaakov having heard about it. Seeing the matter was not near at hand nor had occurred just then, the Torah used the words וירא יעקב, “Jacob saw.” A similar use of the word “seeing,” וירא for something not actually seen is Numbers 22,2 where Bileam is reported as “seeing” all that Israel had done to the Emorite kings. Bileam had not seen any of it, but had heard that the Israelites had defeated the two most powerful Emorite kings Sichon and Og. A third example confirming our theory would be Deuteronomy 28,10 where the people of the globe are reported as expressing their conviction that the Jewish people are G’d’s darlings and that they would therefore be in awe of them. Clearly, the people of the globe could not have “seen” this, but they had heard about the success of the Jewish nation. The events inspiring such feelings among the nations of the globe had occurred over a period of time, not all at once. However, if we understand the words כי הוציא as meaning כאשר הוציא, “when He took out,” we must understand Yitro as saying that he had heard all that G’d had done for Israel at the time when He took them out of Egypt. This would include a reference to all the plagues, the drowning of the Egyptians army, etc. It was this information which had prompted him to journey into the desert himself instead of sending a messenger who would accompany Tzipporah and her children so that they would be reunited with their husband/father. He was primarily motivated by his quest for G’d. This is similar to Chronicles II 32,31 where the king of Babylon wanted to have evidence of the reports he had received about the miraculous recovery from his illness which King Chizkiyah had experienced.

“And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel,’” Rashi explained that even if you have no merit except the recitation of the Shema alone, etc. Is the Shema such a minor matter? So it seems to me that the main thing is about the tefillin worn on the head, because one who recites the Shema presumably only recites it while wearing tefillin, so as not to bear false witness against oneself (Berakhot 14b). And through the tefillin on one’s head, dread and fear will fall upon the enemies, as it is written, Then all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is proclaimed over you, and they shall stand in fear of you (Deuteronomy 28:10). Our Sages said (Berakhot 6a) that this refers to the tefillin worn on the head, and this is what they needed in war: that the enemies would see and fear them. Even the Shema recited at night, just as it protects from all harmful entities and destructive beings, so too it protects from the nations whose power comes from the celestial ministers above. Therefore, they [the Sages] connected (Bamidbar Rabbah 20:20) the Shema to the verse It will not lie down until it consumes prey and drinks the blood of the slain (Numbers 23:24), for the simple meaning of this verse presumably speaks of ordinary warfare.

Inasmuch as both the words להם and איש in our verse seem superfluous at first glance seeing that all the Torah had to write was ויקחו שה לבית, we are entitled to derive additional meanings from these words. In a similar situation where the letter ו at the beginning of the word ויקחו seems strange, (Exodus 25,2) Tanchuma understands the letter as including G'd Himself. Here is what Tanchuma has to say there: "G'd said to them: 'take Me with you."' [This would suggest that the gifts the Israelites donated for the Tabernacle would ensure that G'd's presence would dwell amongst them. I have not found this text in my edition of the Tanchuma. Ed.] In our situation, considering that these were the first commandments addressed to the Jews as a people, G'd may also have suggested that performance of these commandments would ensure His Presence amongst the Israelites and that even the Gentiles would become aware of this as pointed out in Deut. 28,10. Sotah 42 claims that on occasion the word איש refers to the Almighty, such as in Samuel I 17,8 where Goliath blasphemes, provoking G'd to battle against him. Here too the word איש may be an allusion to G'd whom Moses called איש מלחמה in Exodus 15,3. The Tikkuney Zohar section 29 demonstrate that the word מצוה contains half of the Ineffable Name at the end, and the other half at the beginning if one applies the method known as aleph tav, bet shin when reading the alphabet. [The letter צ would correspond to the letter ה, whereas the letter מ would correspond to the letter י. Ed.] According to this the Torah hints that by means of this מצוה the Jewish people would make a great acquisition (לקיחה) i.e. they would establish a claim on G'd.

And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call etc. as... said—And where did He say it? (Deut. 28:10), “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lord is called on you.” [from Mechilta, Ex. 12:25]

That which is upon your head is like Mount Carmel. These are the phylacteries of the head, about which it is stated, “And all the peoples of the world will see that the Name of Adonoy is proclaimed over you, and they will fear you.”²⁵See Zecharyah 9:1. This is their strength and they are as awe inspiring as a cliff of the mountains, and Mount Carmel is the most prominent of the mountains.

Your King is bound in its tresses. The name of the Omnipresent is bound in the [Nazir’s] locks, as it is stated, “The crown of his God is upon his head.”²⁶Devarim 28:10.