Chasidut su Deuteronomio 7:10
וּמְשַׁלֵּ֧ם לְשֹׂנְאָ֛יו אֶל־פָּנָ֖יו לְהַאֲבִיד֑וֹ לֹ֤א יְאַחֵר֙ לְשֹׂ֣נְא֔וֹ אֶל־פָּנָ֖יו יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃
e ripaga coloro che lo odiano in faccia, per distruggerli; Non sarà lento con chi lo odia, lo ripagherà in faccia.
Kedushat Levi
Another way of understanding the line ואתה אמרת היטב איטיב עמך, is that even when G’d shares out His largesse to both the Jewish people and the gentiles, there is always a difference. When this “largesse” is bestowed on the Jewish people the intent is invariably for their benefit. When it is dispensed to the gentiles, the gentiles may see in it something positive, whereas in the long run it is something that works to the detriment of the recipients.
Let us explain this apparent paradox by referring to Deuteronomy 7,10, where Moses speaks of G’d “paying” the sinner to his “face.” Moses touches on the subject known to us under the heading of צדיק ורע לו, רשע וטוב לו, “why does it appear often that the person we perceive as a just person suffers a great deal in this world, whereas the patently wicked person appears to enjoy every day of his life on earth.” Moses describes the reward in store for the wicked, for they too have performed some good deeds for which G’d owes them a reward,- as “payment,” משלם. He has to do it while the wicked person is alive as he has no afterlife to look forward to. The righteous who has an eternity of life on a different plane to look forward to, need not lose some of this by being ‘paid” by G’d for his good deeds while here on earth. Yaakov, when referring to היטב איטיב, refers to G’d bestowing such “good” on him for the sake of the good itself, not as “payment” for good deeds performed. Gentiles, i.e. pagans, have no claim to that kind of “good.”
Let us explain this apparent paradox by referring to Deuteronomy 7,10, where Moses speaks of G’d “paying” the sinner to his “face.” Moses touches on the subject known to us under the heading of צדיק ורע לו, רשע וטוב לו, “why does it appear often that the person we perceive as a just person suffers a great deal in this world, whereas the patently wicked person appears to enjoy every day of his life on earth.” Moses describes the reward in store for the wicked, for they too have performed some good deeds for which G’d owes them a reward,- as “payment,” משלם. He has to do it while the wicked person is alive as he has no afterlife to look forward to. The righteous who has an eternity of life on a different plane to look forward to, need not lose some of this by being ‘paid” by G’d for his good deeds while here on earth. Yaakov, when referring to היטב איטיב, refers to G’d bestowing such “good” on him for the sake of the good itself, not as “payment” for good deeds performed. Gentiles, i.e. pagans, have no claim to that kind of “good.”
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