מִֽי־יִתֵּ֡ן וְהָיָה֩ לְבָבָ֨ם זֶ֜ה לָהֶ֗ם לְיִרְאָ֥ה אֹתִ֛י וְלִשְׁמֹ֥ר אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתַ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִ֑ים לְמַ֨עַן יִיטַ֥ב לָהֶ֛ם וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֖ם לְעֹלָֽם׃
Sekiranya hati mereka tetap seperti ini, sehingga mereka takut akan Aku dan menjaga segala perintah-Ku senantiasa, supaya baik keadaan mereka dan anak-anak mereka untuk selama-lamanya!
Tze'enah Ure'enah
“May they always be of such a mind” [5:26]. May the hearts of Israel always be so, to be good. From here we learn that everything is within the power of the Holy One, but that he should fear God, this is in the power of the person. He may be good or evil. The Holy One has given the person the power so that he may do what he wants.14Bahya, Deuteronomy, 5:26.
Ibn Ezra
Who would grant! Scripture does not say, “who would grant me ”, but rather, “who would grant them ” (the word them is displaced in the sentence, and appears after that they had such a will). Know that the Divine decree underlies all actions and all phenomena, in the sense that the nature and potentiality of everything in the universe, including living creatures, is determined by the action of the constellations on the four elements. A creature’s behavior at every moment is governed by its nature and its potential. However, as the author of the Sefer Yeṣira has explained, a certain amount of deviation can exist. Individuals derive their nature from the species, and they can change their nature within the boundaries of their species’s potential. This is the meaning of “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh” [Exodus 9: 12], although elsewhere Scripture asserts, “he hardened his heart; he and his officials” [Exodus 9: 34]. Both statements are true. Accordingly the prophets have said, “I know, God , that the way of a man is not in himself” [Jeremiah 10: 23] and “Why have you made us stray, God , from Your ways?” [Isaiah 63: 17]. Nevertheless, Moshe said, “choose life” [30: 19]. God does not prevent anyone from achieving good. Indeed, He wishes to bestow good; and Scripture says so anthropomorphically by using the expression, Who would grant.
Ramban
OH THAT THIS THEIR HEART WOULD REMAIN IN THEM, TO FEAR ME. Scripture uses this expression because man has freedom of choice to be righteous or to be wicked, and “Everything is in the power of Heaven except for fear of Heaven.”194Berachoth 33 b. All conditions of man’s existence are ordained by G-d except whether or not man will be G-d fearing. It is thus an expression of common usage.
And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the expression [before us] is similar to the verse, And unto man He said: ‘Behold, the fear of the Eternal, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’195Job 28:28. And so the Rabbis have said with regard to the reward for [performance of] the commandments:196Menachoth 29 b. There the story is told that, when Moses was in heaven to receive the Torah, he noticed the tagim, the small crown-like decorations atop many of the letters of the Torah. He asked G-d what the tagim represented. G-d answered, “Many generation from now, there will live a man named Akiba, the son of Joseph. He will explain every dot and decoration of all letters.” Moses then requested that he be permitted to listen to one of Rabbi Akiba’s lectures. After hearing it, Moses returned to G-d and said, “You have a man like Akiba and you give the Torah through me!” G-d answered, “Be silent; so I have decreed.” Moses then asked that he be shown Rabbi Akiba’s reward. G-d answered, “Turn around,” Moses then saw etc. — Rabbi Akiba was one of the Ten Martyrs from among the greatest Rabbis of the generation who were put to death by command of the Roman Emperor Hadrian for their public defiance of the Roman ban against studying the Torah and the general practice of Judaism. See Vol. II, p. 301, and Note 369. “Moses saw that they [i.e., the Romans] were cutting the flesh of [the martyr] Rabbi Akiba in meat markets. Moses said to G-d, ‘Master of the universe! Is this the reward for such [knowledge of the] Torah!’ The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, ‘Be silent, thus have I decreed.’”197In his Shaar Ha’gmul (Gate of the Reward) Ramban writes as follows in explanation of this text: “The Sages thereby wanted to say that Rabbi Akiba’s death through sufferings was not occasioned by the few wrongdoings which every person, even the most righteous, cannot escape, for he was a perfect, righteous man. But the matter is hidden, such being His decree and will” (Kithvei Haramban, Vol. II, p. 275). Ramban, however, proceeds to connect the matter with the secret of the transmigration of souls (see Vol. II, p. 300 and Note 361). You will understand this from what He has said to Moses, And as for thee, stand thou here by Me.198Verse 28.
And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the expression [before us] is similar to the verse, And unto man He said: ‘Behold, the fear of the Eternal, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’195Job 28:28. And so the Rabbis have said with regard to the reward for [performance of] the commandments:196Menachoth 29 b. There the story is told that, when Moses was in heaven to receive the Torah, he noticed the tagim, the small crown-like decorations atop many of the letters of the Torah. He asked G-d what the tagim represented. G-d answered, “Many generation from now, there will live a man named Akiba, the son of Joseph. He will explain every dot and decoration of all letters.” Moses then requested that he be permitted to listen to one of Rabbi Akiba’s lectures. After hearing it, Moses returned to G-d and said, “You have a man like Akiba and you give the Torah through me!” G-d answered, “Be silent; so I have decreed.” Moses then asked that he be shown Rabbi Akiba’s reward. G-d answered, “Turn around,” Moses then saw etc. — Rabbi Akiba was one of the Ten Martyrs from among the greatest Rabbis of the generation who were put to death by command of the Roman Emperor Hadrian for their public defiance of the Roman ban against studying the Torah and the general practice of Judaism. See Vol. II, p. 301, and Note 369. “Moses saw that they [i.e., the Romans] were cutting the flesh of [the martyr] Rabbi Akiba in meat markets. Moses said to G-d, ‘Master of the universe! Is this the reward for such [knowledge of the] Torah!’ The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, ‘Be silent, thus have I decreed.’”197In his Shaar Ha’gmul (Gate of the Reward) Ramban writes as follows in explanation of this text: “The Sages thereby wanted to say that Rabbi Akiba’s death through sufferings was not occasioned by the few wrongdoings which every person, even the most righteous, cannot escape, for he was a perfect, righteous man. But the matter is hidden, such being His decree and will” (Kithvei Haramban, Vol. II, p. 275). Ramban, however, proceeds to connect the matter with the secret of the transmigration of souls (see Vol. II, p. 300 and Note 361). You will understand this from what He has said to Moses, And as for thee, stand thou here by Me.198Verse 28.