Commentaire de citation sur Le Deutéronome 7:12

בערבה, “another place in the same desert known as Aravah. It is referred to again in our portion in chapter 2,8: 'ונעבור....מדרך הערבה מאילת ומעציון גבר וגו; which location precisely was this? The one opposite the reeds, the great desert of Paran which commences at a place known as Eytam. This is why the Torah wrote (Numbers 33,6) ויחנו באיתם אשר בקצה המדבר, “they encamped at Eytam which is at the edge of the desert.” Now we are told that this was also extending to the boundary of the land of Moav. We have proof of this in Deut. 2,8, as well as in Deut. 8,2. The place also appears in Ezekiel 20,35 as מדבר העמים, “desert of nations.” Several nations had a border touching the edge of this desert. This is why sometimes it appears as מדבר שור, or ,מדבר קדמות or מדבר מואב

“If you will heed” [7:12]. Our sages said that the verse teaches us that the commandments that we fulfill with our feet, that one goes to the synagogue, or to a sermon, or visiting the sick, to someone who is sick, or to attend a funeral, or console the mourners; all of these commandments have great merit. Even on the Sabbath, one may run or walk quickly to go to the synagogue. Whoever does not fulfill the commandments, after his death the commandments will complain about him on the Day of Judgment, as the verse says, “the encompassing evil of those who would supplant me” [Psalms, 49:6]. This means, the sins that he commits with his feet will surround him. Similarly, when he is arrogant with his feet or he runs to commit sins, he will be punished. In particular, the one who engages in arrogance with his footsteps will be punished, as we find regarding the daughter of Rabbi Haninah, who was forced into a brothel because of the sin of arrogance she engaged in with her haughty walk. She said herself: I have sinned in that I walked haughtily with my feet. The Holy One is punctilious with the steps of the people. Therefore, the portion begins with “If you will heed” [7:12]. This means, when you will keep the commandments that one does with one’s feet, then the Holy One will give you the land, and everything that the Holy One promised you. Another explanation is that the reward for the commandments is at the end, in the next world. The reward of the evildoer for the few commandments that he fulfilled is in this world. Concerning this the verse said, “If you will heed” [7:12]. This means, when you will hear the commandments. Thus, God will repay you the reward in the end, in the next world.¹Bahya, Deuteronomy, 7:12.

You are already aware that the “hidden” miracles are performed by the attribute Shaddai, the attribute which G’d employed in His dealings with the patriarchs. That attribute is referred to here as the שם הנכבד והנורא הזה, את ה' אלו-היך in Deut. 28,58. The “manifest” miracles are the ones orchestrated by G’d’s attribute Hashem, the tetragram. This is the attribute of G’d which manifested itself to Moses all the time. This is why you find at the beginning of this passage when Moses refers to all the miracles which affected the bodies of the people, i.e. “hidden miracles,” not dramatic changes in the laws of nature, that Moses employs the attribute ה' אלו-היך for the G’d who had performed them, just as Moses had done since the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy. When he switches to recalling “manifest” miracles, the ones which changed the laws of nature, such as the descent of people into the bowels of the earth after this event had been announced in advance, suddenly Moses mentions only י-ה-ו-ה, the attribute Hashem as orchestrating that event.

awaiting (שֹׁמֵר) waiting. Comp. (Gen. 37:11) “And his father awaited (שָׁמַר) the matter.” Similarly (Deut. 7:12), “And the Lord, your God, shall await (וְשָׁמַר) the covenant for you.”

for I have gathered in My peace, etc. When their father Abraham performed charity and justice, I gave his children loving-kindness and mercy, as in Deut. 7:12: “And the Lord your God shall keep for you the covenant and the loving-kindness, etc.” Also (Deut. 13:18), “And He shall give you mercy.” They turned “justice into wormwood, and cast righteousness to the ground” (Amos 5:7). I, too, have returned and gathered in to Me My loving-kindness and My mercies.

You preserved for him. An expression of authenticating His words as in, “And Adonoy, your God will keep for you, etc.”⁹Devarim 7:12. Here too You have preserved for him the kindness, You have authenticated Your words to fulfill to him the kindness which You had promised him through Noson the prophet.