עָזְרֵ֤נוּ ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר כְּבֽוֹד־שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וְהַצִּילֵ֥נוּ וְכַפֵּ֥ר עַל־חַ֝טֹּאתֵ֗ינוּ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
Viens à notre secours, Dieu de notre salut, par égard pour l’honneur de ton nom: à cause de ton nom, délivre-nous, pardonne nos péchés.
Rabbeinu Bahya
You should realize that there is also a mystical dimension connected to the rebuilding of these towns and renaming them. Whereas our verse, as is customary, is explicit regarding events on terrestrial earth, it also contains allusions pertaining to what occurs in the celestial spheres in which we also have “structures” parallel to those on earth.
We are dealing here with nine names (Attarot, Divon, Yaazer, Nimrah, Cheshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nevo and Beon) which correspond to the nine times we find the word ויאמר אלו-הים in the report of the creation in Genesis chapter 1. The tenth (equivalent) of the word ויאמר is not mentioned as it is the word בראשית, and at a time when there was no matter to be addressed yet it would have sounded peculiar to issue instructions to אין, something non-existent. [This is a reference to the statement in Avot 5,1 that the world was created by means of ten directives, the assumption being that each directive was introduced by the word ויאמר. Rashi there comments that the tenth (missing) ויאמר is actually represented by the very word בראשית. Ed.]
Our verse here draws our attention to the nine directives with which the world was created after the initial raw material had come into existence, and divides it into three stages as represented by our mussaph prayer on Rosh Hashanah when we have three separate groups of benedictions called מלכיות, זכרונות, שופרות. The mystical dimension of the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah 32 describing that three groups of shofar blasts must be blown on that day, is linked to the statement of our sages to read the weekly Torah portion three times. We must appreciate that just as repeating something three times, such as the blowing of the shofar or the reading of the Torah portion, each time deepens our understanding of it, so that even such names as Attarot and Divon which when we read them the first time make no impression upon us are going to give rise to more profound analysis if we repeat them again and again.
Seeing that the entire Torah from Bereshit to Vezot Habracha is a continuous document, indivisible, these names simply must have a significance over and beyond their sound. It is up to us to decipher the deeper meaning. There is no qualitative difference between reading about the leaders of the tribes of Esau, the names of the towns captured from Sichon, or the Ten Commandments. All of the Torah is of equal degree of sanctity. All of it stems from the same source. Its “waters” originate from the Temple (Ezekiel 47,12), and all have been given to us from the same shepherd.
[I believe the reason the author is at such pains to provide a meaning for these place names over and above merely giving us this information is that he wants to pre-empt anyone asking why the Torah did not simply write that these two tribes claimed lands in Gilead and Yaazer especially suitable for grazing without giving us a list of these names which we should read for the next several thousand years every week when these places had even be renamed. How would we know where these locations are if we did not know their original names? On the other hand, if the names listed are the original names why would we have to remember all these sites of idolatry? Ed.]
The meanings of the words עטרות ודיבון, etc. are as follows: the location עטרות, is spelled in the verse it occurs next, (34) without the letter ו, i.e. it is an allusion to עטרת, a crown. The word דיבון refers to the river which originates in Gan Eden which never ceases to flow. The word is written with the conjunctive letter ו at the beginning, although all the other locations mentioned have not been linked by the letter ו. The numerical value of the word ודיבון is 72, an allusion to the 72-lettered name of G’d. A never ceasing river reminds us of Psalms 78,20: הכה צור ויזובו מים, “He struck the rock and waters flowed.” The name of the place יעזר is a reference to the emanation הוד of which we know from Psalms 145,5 הדר כבוד הודך. The emanation הוד is the “lowest” on the left side of the diagram of emanations, a side representative of the negative spiritual influences of Satan. Because of this, man, i.e. Israel is in need of divine assistance to overcome its influence. The location described by the name נמרה symbolises the emanation נצח, the one opposite הוד on the right side of the diagram we referred to. The word may be perceived as an acrostic of the line ימין ה' רוממה In Psalms 118,16. The two emanations הוד, נצח are perceived as the two “thighs,” supports of the universe, in the diagram of the emanations which I referred to. We have an allusion to this in Psalms 16,11 נעימות בימינך נצח. The location described as חשבון is an allusion to our patriarch Yaakov, of whom it is written in Psalms 16,11: ישראל אשר בו אתפאר, a reference to the tetragram, i.e. the word חשבון has a numerical value of שם כ'ו, ‘the name equal to 26” [numerical value of י-ה-ו-ה]. The location described as אלעלה is an allusion to the patriarch Yitzchak who has been described variously as עולה תמימה, “an unblemished burnt-offering.” We could therefore read the word אלעלה as עלה לאל by slightly re-arranging the sequence of the letters. Since the Torah wanted to hint at his outstanding characteristic גבורה, a manifestation of the attribute of Justice, (the last letter ה in the tetragram), the name אלעלה concludes with the letter ה in the list of these nine locations. This becomes clearer when you compare the name in verse 37 as אלעלא with the letter א at the end instead of the letter ה. We have another instance where Yitzchak’s outstanding characteristic is alluded to by a change in the spelling of his name in Psalms 105,9 where the letter צ in יצחק is replaced by the letter ש, an allusion to the fact that he is a “great fire.”
The location described as שבם is a reference to Avraham; it may be understood as an acrostic of אברהם סבא, “grandfather Avraham, i.e. the originator of Judaism.” The location described as נבו alludes to the emanation בינה, whereas the location described as בעון is an allusion to the emanation חכמה. When you reverse the sequence of the letters in that word you get נובע. We find this word connected to wisdom, חכמה in Proverbs 18,4 נחל נבע מקור חכמה, “the source of wisdom is a flowing stream.” The word is also connected to מעון, מעונה (when the letters are reversed) “regions in the upper celestial heavens, origin of wisdom.” This is why this place is referred to as מעון in verse 38, i.e. ואת בעל מעון. At any rate, I believe we have demonstrated that the names of these locations all relate to important concepts although at first glance they may appear as irrelevant.
We are dealing here with nine names (Attarot, Divon, Yaazer, Nimrah, Cheshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nevo and Beon) which correspond to the nine times we find the word ויאמר אלו-הים in the report of the creation in Genesis chapter 1. The tenth (equivalent) of the word ויאמר is not mentioned as it is the word בראשית, and at a time when there was no matter to be addressed yet it would have sounded peculiar to issue instructions to אין, something non-existent. [This is a reference to the statement in Avot 5,1 that the world was created by means of ten directives, the assumption being that each directive was introduced by the word ויאמר. Rashi there comments that the tenth (missing) ויאמר is actually represented by the very word בראשית. Ed.]
Our verse here draws our attention to the nine directives with which the world was created after the initial raw material had come into existence, and divides it into three stages as represented by our mussaph prayer on Rosh Hashanah when we have three separate groups of benedictions called מלכיות, זכרונות, שופרות. The mystical dimension of the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah 32 describing that three groups of shofar blasts must be blown on that day, is linked to the statement of our sages to read the weekly Torah portion three times. We must appreciate that just as repeating something three times, such as the blowing of the shofar or the reading of the Torah portion, each time deepens our understanding of it, so that even such names as Attarot and Divon which when we read them the first time make no impression upon us are going to give rise to more profound analysis if we repeat them again and again.
Seeing that the entire Torah from Bereshit to Vezot Habracha is a continuous document, indivisible, these names simply must have a significance over and beyond their sound. It is up to us to decipher the deeper meaning. There is no qualitative difference between reading about the leaders of the tribes of Esau, the names of the towns captured from Sichon, or the Ten Commandments. All of the Torah is of equal degree of sanctity. All of it stems from the same source. Its “waters” originate from the Temple (Ezekiel 47,12), and all have been given to us from the same shepherd.
[I believe the reason the author is at such pains to provide a meaning for these place names over and above merely giving us this information is that he wants to pre-empt anyone asking why the Torah did not simply write that these two tribes claimed lands in Gilead and Yaazer especially suitable for grazing without giving us a list of these names which we should read for the next several thousand years every week when these places had even be renamed. How would we know where these locations are if we did not know their original names? On the other hand, if the names listed are the original names why would we have to remember all these sites of idolatry? Ed.]
The meanings of the words עטרות ודיבון, etc. are as follows: the location עטרות, is spelled in the verse it occurs next, (34) without the letter ו, i.e. it is an allusion to עטרת, a crown. The word דיבון refers to the river which originates in Gan Eden which never ceases to flow. The word is written with the conjunctive letter ו at the beginning, although all the other locations mentioned have not been linked by the letter ו. The numerical value of the word ודיבון is 72, an allusion to the 72-lettered name of G’d. A never ceasing river reminds us of Psalms 78,20: הכה צור ויזובו מים, “He struck the rock and waters flowed.” The name of the place יעזר is a reference to the emanation הוד of which we know from Psalms 145,5 הדר כבוד הודך. The emanation הוד is the “lowest” on the left side of the diagram of emanations, a side representative of the negative spiritual influences of Satan. Because of this, man, i.e. Israel is in need of divine assistance to overcome its influence. The location described by the name נמרה symbolises the emanation נצח, the one opposite הוד on the right side of the diagram we referred to. The word may be perceived as an acrostic of the line ימין ה' רוממה In Psalms 118,16. The two emanations הוד, נצח are perceived as the two “thighs,” supports of the universe, in the diagram of the emanations which I referred to. We have an allusion to this in Psalms 16,11 נעימות בימינך נצח. The location described as חשבון is an allusion to our patriarch Yaakov, of whom it is written in Psalms 16,11: ישראל אשר בו אתפאר, a reference to the tetragram, i.e. the word חשבון has a numerical value of שם כ'ו, ‘the name equal to 26” [numerical value of י-ה-ו-ה]. The location described as אלעלה is an allusion to the patriarch Yitzchak who has been described variously as עולה תמימה, “an unblemished burnt-offering.” We could therefore read the word אלעלה as עלה לאל by slightly re-arranging the sequence of the letters. Since the Torah wanted to hint at his outstanding characteristic גבורה, a manifestation of the attribute of Justice, (the last letter ה in the tetragram), the name אלעלה concludes with the letter ה in the list of these nine locations. This becomes clearer when you compare the name in verse 37 as אלעלא with the letter א at the end instead of the letter ה. We have another instance where Yitzchak’s outstanding characteristic is alluded to by a change in the spelling of his name in Psalms 105,9 where the letter צ in יצחק is replaced by the letter ש, an allusion to the fact that he is a “great fire.”
The location described as שבם is a reference to Avraham; it may be understood as an acrostic of אברהם סבא, “grandfather Avraham, i.e. the originator of Judaism.” The location described as נבו alludes to the emanation בינה, whereas the location described as בעון is an allusion to the emanation חכמה. When you reverse the sequence of the letters in that word you get נובע. We find this word connected to wisdom, חכמה in Proverbs 18,4 נחל נבע מקור חכמה, “the source of wisdom is a flowing stream.” The word is also connected to מעון, מעונה (when the letters are reversed) “regions in the upper celestial heavens, origin of wisdom.” This is why this place is referred to as מעון in verse 38, i.e. ואת בעל מעון. At any rate, I believe we have demonstrated that the names of these locations all relate to important concepts although at first glance they may appear as irrelevant.
Alshekh
I am Adonoy Who makes you holy. I do not need to become sanctified through you. This is comparable to when I “brought you out of Egypt” (v. 33). At that time, I did not do it for My sake, but only for your sake, for your honor.
Ramban
FOR I LIFT UP MY HAND TO HEAVEN. By way of the plain meaning of Scripture this is an oath by His throne. He states I lift up, for whoever takes an oath raises his hand and touches the object by which he swears. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], during the time of the exile He hath cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel.137Lamentations 2:1. He, therefore states that now in an acceptable time138Isaiah 49:8. He will lift His hand to the highest heavens, the reference being to the great hand139Exodus 14:31. See Ramban there (Vol. II, pp. 190-191). that fights on behalf of Israel. And this is the sense of the expression, And I say: As I live forever,140In Verse 40 before us. for I make My strong hand active when I whet the lightning of My sword141Verse 41. and support it [My hand] to prevail for the justice of Israel [which, until then, had been cast down to the earth]142Abusaula. and to recompense them that hate Me,141Verse 41. for then will G-d’s Name be full and the throne perfect.143See Exodus 17:16 (Vol. II, pp. 246-248). The student learned in the mysteries of the Cabala will understand.
Now this Song, which is our true and faithful testimony, tells us clearly all that will happen to us. It mentions first the mercy that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon us from the time He took us to be His portion. It mentions the favors that He did for us in the wilderness, and that He caused us to possess the lands of great and mighty nations, and the abundant good, wealth, and honor that He made us inherit there. Yet despite the abundance of all good, they rebelled against G-d to worship the idols, and it mentions how He was provoked by them until He visited upon them in their country pestilence, famine, the evil beast, and the sword, and then He dispersed them in every direction and corner. It is known that all this has been fulfilled, and it was so. And the Song states that ultimately He will render vengeance to His adversaries144Verse 43. and will recompense them that hate Him.141Verse 41. The reason [for their punishment] is that they inflicted all these evils upon us out of their hatred of the Holy One, blessed be He: because they do not hate Israel for having made idols like theirs, but only because they do not imitate their deeds. Instead they serve the Holy One, blessed be He, and observe His commandments, neither intermarrying with them nor eating of their slaughterings, and they [Israel] hold their idol in contempt and remove it from their places, similar to what [the psalmist] said, but for Thy sake are we killed all the day.145Psalms 44:23. If so, it is because of their hatred of the Holy One, blessed be He, that they inflict all these evils upon us; they are thus His adversaries and His enemies, and it is for Him to wreak vengeance upon them. And it is clear, that He assures [Israel] concerning the future redemption, for, during the construction of the Second Temple, the nations did not rejoice with His people,144Verse 43. but mocked them: What are these feeble Jews doing?146Nehemiah 3:34. Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned? And their leaders were servants in the palace of the king of Babylon147See Daniel 1:19. So was Nehemiah the cupbearer to the Persian king (Nehemiah 2:1). and all the Jews were subject to him. In those days He did not render vengeance to His adversaries and He did not make expiation for the land of His people.144Verse 43.
Now, in this Song there is no condition of repentance or service [of G-d as a prerequisite for the coming redemption], but it is a testamentary document that the evils will come and that we will endure them, and that He, blessed be He, will do with us in furious rebukes148Ezekiel 5:15. — but He will not destroy our memory. Rather, He will return and be comforted and will punish the enemies with His sore and great and strong sword,149Isaiah 27:1. and forgive our sins, for His Name’s sake.150Psalms 79:9. If so, this Song is a clear-promise of the future redemption — the infidels notwithstanding. And so the Rabbis mentioned in the Sifre:151Sifre, Ha’azinu 333. “Great is this Song, for there is in it the present, the past, the future, and there is in it this world and the World to Come.” It is to this that Scripture alludes in saying, And Moses came and spoke all the words of this Song in the ears of the people.152Verse 44. It mentions all [‘all’ the words] in order to indicate that the Song contains everything that is to come upon them although it is brief in words, for Moses explained its many subjects to them.
Now, if this Song had been written by one of the astrologers declaring the end from the beginning153Isaiah 46:10. it would have earned belief therein because all its words have been fulfilled by now, not one thing hath failed.154Joshua 23:14. Certainly we shall continue to believe and look forward with all our heart for the word of G-d by the mouth of His prophet, the most trusted in all His house,155Numbers 12:7. [and like unto him] was there no one before him, neither after him156II Kings 23:25. — peace be upon him!
V’zoth Habrachah
Now this Song, which is our true and faithful testimony, tells us clearly all that will happen to us. It mentions first the mercy that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon us from the time He took us to be His portion. It mentions the favors that He did for us in the wilderness, and that He caused us to possess the lands of great and mighty nations, and the abundant good, wealth, and honor that He made us inherit there. Yet despite the abundance of all good, they rebelled against G-d to worship the idols, and it mentions how He was provoked by them until He visited upon them in their country pestilence, famine, the evil beast, and the sword, and then He dispersed them in every direction and corner. It is known that all this has been fulfilled, and it was so. And the Song states that ultimately He will render vengeance to His adversaries144Verse 43. and will recompense them that hate Him.141Verse 41. The reason [for their punishment] is that they inflicted all these evils upon us out of their hatred of the Holy One, blessed be He: because they do not hate Israel for having made idols like theirs, but only because they do not imitate their deeds. Instead they serve the Holy One, blessed be He, and observe His commandments, neither intermarrying with them nor eating of their slaughterings, and they [Israel] hold their idol in contempt and remove it from their places, similar to what [the psalmist] said, but for Thy sake are we killed all the day.145Psalms 44:23. If so, it is because of their hatred of the Holy One, blessed be He, that they inflict all these evils upon us; they are thus His adversaries and His enemies, and it is for Him to wreak vengeance upon them. And it is clear, that He assures [Israel] concerning the future redemption, for, during the construction of the Second Temple, the nations did not rejoice with His people,144Verse 43. but mocked them: What are these feeble Jews doing?146Nehemiah 3:34. Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned? And their leaders were servants in the palace of the king of Babylon147See Daniel 1:19. So was Nehemiah the cupbearer to the Persian king (Nehemiah 2:1). and all the Jews were subject to him. In those days He did not render vengeance to His adversaries and He did not make expiation for the land of His people.144Verse 43.
Now, in this Song there is no condition of repentance or service [of G-d as a prerequisite for the coming redemption], but it is a testamentary document that the evils will come and that we will endure them, and that He, blessed be He, will do with us in furious rebukes148Ezekiel 5:15. — but He will not destroy our memory. Rather, He will return and be comforted and will punish the enemies with His sore and great and strong sword,149Isaiah 27:1. and forgive our sins, for His Name’s sake.150Psalms 79:9. If so, this Song is a clear-promise of the future redemption — the infidels notwithstanding. And so the Rabbis mentioned in the Sifre:151Sifre, Ha’azinu 333. “Great is this Song, for there is in it the present, the past, the future, and there is in it this world and the World to Come.” It is to this that Scripture alludes in saying, And Moses came and spoke all the words of this Song in the ears of the people.152Verse 44. It mentions all [‘all’ the words] in order to indicate that the Song contains everything that is to come upon them although it is brief in words, for Moses explained its many subjects to them.
Now, if this Song had been written by one of the astrologers declaring the end from the beginning153Isaiah 46:10. it would have earned belief therein because all its words have been fulfilled by now, not one thing hath failed.154Joshua 23:14. Certainly we shall continue to believe and look forward with all our heart for the word of G-d by the mouth of His prophet, the most trusted in all His house,155Numbers 12:7. [and like unto him] was there no one before him, neither after him156II Kings 23:25. — peace be upon him!
V’zoth Habrachah