Commentaire de citation sur Les Nombres 20:3

לא תירא מהם כי ה' אלו-היך עמך, “do not be afraid of them for the Lord your G’d is with you.” It is important that the fear of G’d should be stronger than the fear of the enemy nation. The Torah elaborates on this fear of opposing nations in verse 3 when we read: ‘do not be afraid and do not panic.’ Anyone fearing creatures of flesh and blood is considered as having forgotten the Almighty. This is what the prophet Isaiah 51,12-13 had in mind when he said: “what ails you that you fear man who must die, mortals who fare like grass? You have forgotten the Lord your Maker, etc.” Solomon is also on record on this subject when he says in Proverbs 29,25: “a man’s fears become a trap for him, but he who trusts in the Lord will be safeguarded.”

ויחל העם, “the people profaned themselves.” The word ויחל means to profane something which previously was sacred, holy. We encounter the same word in connection with Noach (Genesis 9,2), when Noach planted a vineyard and became drunk. Judaism describes people who are meticulous in their sexual mores as ”holy,” whereas those that are not are considered as “profane.” Whenever the Torah refers to the Israelites simply as העם, this term implies a criticism of their spiritual level (at that time). The Following are some examples of the Torah using this terminology: Numbers 11,1: “the people were looking for something to complain about.” Numbers 20,3: “the people quarrelled.” Numbers 21,5: “the people spoke out against G’d.” On the other hand, whenever the people of Israel are referred to as עמי, this is to be taken as a complimentary term; examples are: Psalms 81,14: “if only My people would listen to Me.” Exodus 7,4: “I will take out the hosts of My people.” Isaiah 40,1: “comfort, comfort My people.”

A Kabbalistic approach: The words וידבר אלו-הים really mean וידבר ה’. The reason we do not find the attribute י-ה-ו-ה spelled out in this verse is that Israel had attained such a high level of spirituality at the time that it did not need to be addressed by an attribute which primarily represented the attribute of Mercy, i.e. an attribute which makes allowance for human weakness. The Torah had already hinted at that in verse 3 when Moses was described as ומשה עלה אל האלו-הים, that Moses ascended to the presence of G’d in His capacity as אלו-הים. Onkelos, in his infinite wisdom, has therefore seen fit to translate the word אלו-הים wherever it appears in this chapter as י-ה-ו-ה, so that we would understand the spiritual level at which this entire episode occurred. [The author must have had a different edition of Onkelos, as in our editions he only renders אלו-הים as י-ה-ו-ה in 19,17. Chavell]. At any rate, the word אלו-הים is not used to depict G’d in His capacity as delegating to agents such as nature, but as the attribute of גבורה, Justice; at the same time use of this attribute indicates that the people did not experience what we have called אספקלריא מאירה a “clear vision,” (such as was reserved for Moses) but they experienced the type of visions granted prophets of lower rank. In other words: whereas the attribute of Hashem spoke to Moses, the people heard the attribute of Elohim.