Chasidut su Deuteronomio 29:9
אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
State oggi in piedi tutti davanti al Signore vostro Dio: i vostri capi, le vostre tribù, i vostri anziani e i vostri ufficiali, perfino tutti gli uomini d'Israele,
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 29,9., “All of you are standing assembled this day in the presence of the Lord your G’d;” the paragraph commencing here with “in the presence etc.,” appears to contain unnecessary words. [Our author refers especially to the words: “in the presence of the Lord your G’d,” seeing that when Moses addressed the people in the name of the Lord during their stay in the desert they had always been “in the presence” of the Lord. Ed.] It helps us understand a statement in Rosh Hashanah 34, according to which the blowing of the shofar as well as the recital of certain benedictions in the prayer service are mandatory on New Year’s Day and on Yom Kippur, (Jubilee year) as opposed to other occasions, such as public fast days decreed by the Rabbis. This is based on G’d having requested that on these days we proclaim Him as 1) King, 2) as the One Who remembers all that has occurred in history, every individual’s thoughts, words and deeds, and 3) has promised that by doing so through blowing the shofar, this will beneficially effect how we are going to be judged on these days. [Most of you are aware that the Mussaph amidah on New’ Year’s day includes 10 verses from Scripture referring to these three elements, malchiyot, zichronot, shofarot, that distinguish this Day. Ed.]
As we have repeated on many occasions, G’d is interested in the dispensing of His largesse to mankind, and especially us, His people; the word פנים, usually translated as “face, or presence,” alludes to G’d being in a benevolent frame of mind vis a vis mankind or His people, whereas the word אחור, usually translated as “rear, or backward,” allude to times when G’d is angry at mankind or, G’d forbid, His people.
By addressing the whole nation as “standing” לפני (from פנים) before the Lord when He is in benevolent frame of mind, Moses hints that the reason that G’d is in such a frame of mind is because He is not only G’d, but “your G’d,” i.e. you have related to Him as your Patron. The author adds another nuance of the word פנים, tracing it to the root פנה, to turn, change direction. G’d is looking for a reason to aim His largesse in your direction.
[Seeing that in verse 17 the Torah uses the word פנה also negatively, i.e. as turning away from G’d, when it writes: אשר לבבו פונה היום מעם ה' אלוקינו, “whose heart turns away from being with the Lord our G’d,” and we do not find the word אחור in that context, it is difficult to accept the author’s definition of פנים ואחור. Ed.]
As we have repeated on many occasions, G’d is interested in the dispensing of His largesse to mankind, and especially us, His people; the word פנים, usually translated as “face, or presence,” alludes to G’d being in a benevolent frame of mind vis a vis mankind or His people, whereas the word אחור, usually translated as “rear, or backward,” allude to times when G’d is angry at mankind or, G’d forbid, His people.
By addressing the whole nation as “standing” לפני (from פנים) before the Lord when He is in benevolent frame of mind, Moses hints that the reason that G’d is in such a frame of mind is because He is not only G’d, but “your G’d,” i.e. you have related to Him as your Patron. The author adds another nuance of the word פנים, tracing it to the root פנה, to turn, change direction. G’d is looking for a reason to aim His largesse in your direction.
[Seeing that in verse 17 the Torah uses the word פנה also negatively, i.e. as turning away from G’d, when it writes: אשר לבבו פונה היום מעם ה' אלוקינו, “whose heart turns away from being with the Lord our G’d,” and we do not find the word אחור in that context, it is difficult to accept the author’s definition of פנים ואחור. Ed.]
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