Commento su Deuteronomio 3:24

אדני אלהים O LORD, GOD — O Thou Who art. merciful (ה׳) in judgment (אלהים) (cf. Sifrei Devarim 26:10).

G-D THE ETERNAL — “merciful in judgment.” This is Rashi’s language. Now, the Rabbi did not consider that the first Divine Name is spelled with the letters Aleph Dalet and the second Name is spelled with the letters Yod Hei [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].⁸The gist of Ramban’s comment is as follows: The Divine Name which begins with the letters Aleph Dalet represents the attribute of justice; the Name beginning with the letters Yod Hei signifies the attribute of mercy. Since of the two Divine Names mentioned here in the verse, the first one is with Aleph Dalet and the second one with Yod Hei, Rashi should have interpreted them to mean, “Lord of judgment in the attribute of mercy,” instead of writing, “merciful in judgment,” implying that the first Name signifies mercy and the second one judgment. See further in Vol. II, p. 67. In this regard [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], the Rabbis have said:⁹Bereshith Rabbah 73:2. “Wherever Scripture states ‘the Eternal’ [i.e., the Tetragrammaton] it signifies the attribute of mercy, and [wherever it mentions] ‘G-d’ (Elokim) it indicates the attribute of judgment.”¹⁰And here, since it is the second of the two Divine Names that indicates the attribute of mercy, why then did Rashi put it first, writing “merciful in judgment?” Rather, the Divine Names written here mean: “Lord¹¹Since the Hebrew here is not Elokim but Ado noy (Lord), Ramban writes: “Lord etc.” in the attribute of mercy.” And so the Rabbis have said in [Midrash] Yelamdeinu:¹²On the term Yelamdeinu, see Vol. II, p. 131, Note 196. This Midrash is also found in Devarim Rabbah 2:8. — Now the text clearly indicates that Moses prayed that the judgment be mitigated with mercy, thus substantiating Ramban’s interpretation that the expression of the two Divine Names here means, “Lord of judgment in the attribute of mercy.” “Moses said to G-d: ‘Master of the worlds! If it is justly requested by me [that You grant my supplication] give it to me, and if it is not justly requested by me, have mercy on me,’ just as Abraham said, O Lord Eternal, what wilt Thou give me etc.”¹³Genesis 15:2. This is interpreted by the above Midrash as follows. “Said Rabbi Levi: Abraham said, ‘O Master of the universe. If it is justly requested by me that I have children, give them to me. And if it is not justly requested by me, then grant them to me in mercy.’ And similarly did Moses say etc.” Thus the parallel is drawn by the Midrash between Moses’ prayer here and that of Abraham. Now in the case of Abraham also etc. (see text). Also in the case of Abraham, the Divine Names are written in this order: the first one with Aleph Dalet, and the second with Yod Hei. And the purport of the section [before us] will be understood [by the fact that the Divine Names are written in this particular order]. For Moses stated va’ethchanan (and I besought) and he did not say va’ethpaleil (and I prayed), since he spoke in “supplication” [to the Glorious Name],¹⁴Ricanti. saying: “O Lord in Whom is the mercy, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant. Such was the beginning of my prophecy that You showed me Your glory — as it is written [at Moses’ first vision of G-d’s glory], And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon G-d¹⁵Exodus 3:6. — together with the greatness and the power,¹⁶I Chronicles 29:11. Here understood as Cabalistic references to the Divine Emanations. They are also referred to here in our verse: Thy greatness and Thy great hand. and I learned to know what deity is there in heaven or on earth from whom could come forth like Thy great works and Thy mighty prowess?” From here you will further understand the matter concerning which the Glorious Name was angry with Moses.¹⁷See Ramban to Numbers 20:4 (Vol. IV, pp. 217-219). See also further 4:21. However, the language of the Sifre is as follows:¹⁸Sifre, Vaethchanan 26. The text substantiates Ramban’s interpretation, that the first Divine Name mentioned here in the verse represents judgment, while the second one signifies mercy. Ramban introduces the text with the word aval (“however,” or “but”) as if to say: “while the text of the Midrash Yelamdeinu (mentioned above) is not so lucid on this problem — although this is surely its meaning — ‘however’ the text in the Sifre clearly states it to be so.” “Wherever Scripture mentions ‘the Eternal’ it signifies the attribute of mercy, as it is said, The Eternal, G-d, gracious and merciful,¹⁹Exodus 34:6. [and wherever it mentions] G-d (Elokim) it indicates the attribute of judgment, as it is said, before ‘ha’elohim’ (the judges) shall come the word of both. ”²⁰Ibid., 22:8. And the intent [of the Sifre] is to explain that the second [Divine] Name mentioned here indicates the attribute of mercy, this being the Proper Divine Name, while all other Names signify the attribute of judgment, like Elokim which is also a term for judges, and certainly the Name Aleph Dalet which is an expression of lordship.
Thus Moses completed the words of reproof with this episode in which he informed the people that their fathers caused themselves evil, and also caused him [Moses] to suffer punishment preventing them from going over into the Land. They, the children, however, will go over and inherit it, if they will not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation.²¹Psalms 78:8. Therefore he now began to warn them about the principles of the commandments that they should not add to them, neither diminish from them.

א־דני אלוקים אתה החילות להראות, "O Lord G'd, You have begun to show, etc." This (א־ד־נ־י) form of address may be understood as similar to Samuel I 3,18 where the High Priest Eli after being told by his pupil Samuel that G'd said that He would exact retribution from the house of Eli, reacted by saying: "My Master (א־ד־נ־י) will do whatever seems good in His eyes." Eli meant that when a master loses a servant such a loss is keenly felt by him; as a result, The Master would not agree to lose the servant unless He had good reason. When Moses used the word א־ד־נ־י in this instance he meant to say that his own success and wellbeing was a matter for his master (G'd) to evaluate.