Commento su Deuteronomio 10:16

ערלת לבבכם [YE SHALL CIRCUMCISE] THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART — This means: ye shall remove the closure and cover that is on your hearts, [which prevent My words gaining entrance to them] (cf. Rashi on Exodus 6:12 and Leviticus 19:23).

CIRCUMCISE THEREFORE THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART — that your heart be open to know the truth, not as you have done to this day, for the Eternal hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear [unto this day].²⁵²Further, 29:3.

ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם, therefore, it is appropriate that you remove the “foreskin,” prejudices with which your intelligence is afflicted, so that you will realise the errors you have made in your world outlook based on false premises.

ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם, “Circumcise, (remove hindrances) the foreskin of your hearts!” This is required in order for your hearts to become receptive to Hashem’s words.

ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם, “You shall ‘circumcise’ the foreskin surrounding your heart.“ The term ערלה is applied when the Torah or the prophet wants to describe a negative character trait, a trait which inhibits development of a personality to its full potential. Anyone who is burdened with such an impediment to his personality development cannot truly embrace the commandments we know as the מצות המושכלות and to understand their true value.

Your heart’s obstruction — its covering]. “Its covering” is what is meant by “its obstruction.” Rashi writes likewise in Parshas Va’eira (Shmos 6:12).

וערפכם לא תקשו עוד, so that you will no longer be stiff-necked, a condition which prevents you from truly recognising your Creator and how evil it is to turn your back on Him.

וערפכם לא תקשו, “and do not stiffen your necks.” A subtle reminder of the fathers of the present generation of Israelites who had been characterized as קשי עורף, “stiff-necked.” Obstinacy was a characteristic of the Egyptians, one that the Israelites due to their lengthy stay in Egypt had adopted also, believing it to be a virtue. It manifested itself by the Israelites still believing that there were positive aspects, advantages, to certain forms of idolatry. Moses, in addressing the new generation, a generation that had not been raised in Egypt, tells the people not to allow themselves to become victims of the same errors their fathers had become victims of, and not to be brainwashed by concepts that had proven utterly false. Surely, someone as close as they were to the Lord of lords, the Creator Himself, did not need to have recourse to one of His ministers, or even only deputy ministers!

וערפכם לא תקשו עוד, “and you will not continue with your stiff-neckedness.” Moses implies that up until now the people had been characterised by such a stiff-necked attitude. G’d Himself had accused them of this outright in Exodus 33,3.

AND BE NO MORE STIFFNECKED — that you be not as your fathers,²⁵³Zechariah 1:4. a stubborn and rebellious generation,²⁵⁴Psalms 78:8. because they dwelled with the Egyptians and learned their works,²⁵⁵Ibid., 106:38. and were obdurate about discarding their ways as [shown by the fact] they made the [golden] calf, and He called them there it is a stiffnecked people,²⁵⁶Exodus 32:9. meaning that they will not disavow the mistake that had entered their hearts to think that there is some benefit in worshipping the angels or the host of heaven. But you are to know, to be wise and to believe For the Eternal your G-d, He is G-d of gods, and Lord of lords.²⁵⁷Verse 17. G-d of ‘gods’ is a reference to the angels above, and the Lord of ‘lords’ is an allusion to all the host of heaven to whom dominion over the lower creatures belongs, for He is the Lord Who established their authority on earth, and His is the greatness and the power,²⁵⁸I Chronicles 29:11. and He is to be feared in the beauty of His strength,²⁵⁹See Psalms 96:6. Who regarded not any one²⁵⁷Verse 17. of the angels or the lords to protect their worshippers, nor taketh bribery²⁵⁷Verse 17. from the hand of a person. Now on this matter of bribery [to G-d] they²⁶⁰This explanation is found in Rambam’s commentary to Aboth at the end of the fourth chapter. have explained its meaning to be that even if a perfectly pious person should commit a sin, He will not accept from him any of his meritious deeds, as a bribe in atonement for him. And Onkelos translated: “[He is the great G-d] before Whom there is no regard for persons, nor the acceptance of a bribe.” Onkelos thus meant to explain that the verse is in praise of negative attributes of the Creator, blessed be He.²⁶¹This coincides with one of the major theories of Rambam in his Moreh Nebuchim, that the essence of G-d and His attributes can be expressed only in negations. Thus we say that “He is incorporeal,” for the true essence of G-d in positive terms is infinitely above the capacity of man even to fathom, much less to describe. (See Guide of the Perplexed, I, Chapters 58-60). The verse is thus stating that G-d is not of the category [of beings] that regards persons, for men shall not see Him and live,²⁶²Exodus 33:20. and everything is as nothing before Him; they are accounted by Him as things of nought, and vanity;²⁶³Isaiah 40:17. nor is He of the category of beings that take a bribe or reward from man like kings and judges of a land.
The correct interpretation in my opinion is that he is stating that G-d is not partial to powerful persons in their quarrel with their inferiors, nor does He take a bribe from the rich when they strive with the poor, for He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow²⁶⁴Verse 18. from the powerful, and despoileth life of those that despoil them.²⁶⁵Proverbs 22:23. And He loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment,²⁶⁴Verse 18. these being all the essential needs of man. Thus He supports the poor who have no friend and companion.