Commento su Deuteronomio 16:22

ולא תקים לך מצבה NEITHER SHALT THOU RAISE ANY MONUMENT — i.e. a monument of one stone (cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 12:3), not even in order to sacrifice on it to Heaven (to God).

NEITHER SHALT THOU SET THEE UP A PILLAR — “a pillar of one stone, even for the purpose of sacrificing to Heaven upon it. WHICH THE ETERNAL THY G-D HATETH. An altar of earth³⁵Exodus 20:21. and an altar of stones³⁶Ibid., Verse 22. has He commanded you to make, but He hates this [one-stone pillar] because it was an ordinance of the Canaanites [for idol-worship]. Although it was pleasing to Him at the time of the patriarchs,³⁷See Genesis 28:18 and 22; 35:15. He hates it now, because these [Canaanites] have made it an ordinance in the worship of the idols.” This is Rashi’s language. If so, Scripture prohibited [the planting of] an asheirah [anywhere], it enjoined against planting [trees] on the Temple mount although the intent be to Heaven, and it prohibited a pillar [erected] for Heaven — both [prohibitions, against trees and against pillars,] on account of the ordinances of the Canaanites. But I have not understood this ordinance, for the Canaanites used altars as well as pillars since Scripture states, And ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars;³⁸Above, 12:3. for ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars³⁹Exodus 34:13. and similarly in all places; [hence all altars should have been prohibited even for the worship of G-d]! Perhaps we may say that the Canaanites were primarily devoted to pillars, and they had no idolatrous temple without a pillar upon which to sacrifice and pour oil upon its top,³⁷See Genesis 28:18 and 22; 35:15. similar to what is stated with reference to Baal, And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal.⁴⁰II Kings 10:26. However, only a few of their temples also had altars upon which to sacrifice [hence Scripture did not prohibit altars built to be used for Heaven].
It appears to me that the Canaanites, who were engrossed in idolatry, used to make in all temples of their gods an altar on which to bring sacrifices, erected a large stone at the entrance of the temple for the priests to stand upon, and planted a tree outside it to point the way for those who come there. They still do so to this day. Now the Glorious Name⁴¹Further, 28:58. hates and despises all their deeds and He prohibited the pillar and the asheirah. He left only the altar because it is a necessity for the offerings concerning which He commanded. They were a source of pleasure before Him — because He ordained them and His Will was done — even prior to the existence of idol-worship on earth.⁴²See Ramban to Leviticus 1:9 on the significance of this final phrase.

ולא תקים לך מצבה, even in honour of G’d, to offer incense upon it at a time when private altars had already been banned. This prohibition went into effect after the Israelites had settled in the country and a permanent altar had been established to serve the whole nation such as in Shiloh, which served for over 300 years before the Temple of Solomon. (compare also what is written in Deut. 12,8) [Sadly, the commandment to do away with private altars was not even enforceable during the reign of Torah-observant Kings of Yehudah with the exception of King Yoshiyahu. Compare Kings II chapter 23. These altars had been used only to sacrifice to G’d, not to idols. Ed.]

ולא תקים לך מצבה, “neither are you to erect a pillar for yourself;” Rashi explains that even if that pillar is not in honour of idolatry but in honour of Hashem, this is not an acceptable venue for honouring Hashem. Nachmanides writes that if Rashi were correct then Moses should also have prohibited the erecting of altars, seeing that this is also a cultural symbol of all idolaters and we are commanded not to copy their cultural mores (Leviticus 18,3). Moreover, the Torah expressly commanded us to destroy all such altars, not only not to erect them. (Compare Deut. 12,3) Perhaps we need to understand what is written here in light of historical facts. The Canaanites, i.e. every one of them, owned a pillar used for idolatrous purposes, whereas only a minority of them actually built altars to offer sacrifices to their deities. Hence, Moses draws a distinction between the two types of idolatrous symbols. Personally, (Nachmanides continuing) I believe that the Canaanites erected altars in each one of their temples for the purpose of offering sacrifices thereon; at the entrance to each temple they had erected a tall pillar on which their priests stood. Beyond that, at the entrance they had planted decorative trees in order to serve as landmarks for the people approaching the temple. The local Christian population in that country does so even in our time. Hashem hates all their “cultural” displays and He outlawed every pillar and every tree located in an entrance of a temple, house of worship. He did not outlaw altars altogether, as they are needed for facilitating the Jewish way of presenting sacrifices to Hashem. In Yaakov’s time this prohibition was not yet in force, as the general principle of ובחוקותיהם לא תלכו, “do not adopt any of their religious or cultural mores,” had not yet been legislated. This is why Yaakov had been free to anoint pillars, erect altars, and the like in order to worship Hashem Nowadays, after the revelation, all of this has been outlawed as it would create the impression that we are not so different from other religions. Or, we would even stoop as low as to bow down to a אבן משכית, a flooring stone. (Leviticus 26,1) [Mosaic flooring with or without images as part of the pattern]

For sacrificial offerings, even for the sake of Heaven. Rashi’s proof is that it is written, “That Adonoy, your God, detests” [in the present tense]. This implies that originally it was pleasant in His eyes when people erected a monument, but now He detests it. But if [the verse only forbade the erection of a monument] to sacrifice upon it for the purpose of idolatry, He would have hated it originally as well.

V. 22. ולא תקים לך מצבה אשר שנא וגו׳. Wir haben schon zu Bereschit 28. 18 und 33, 20 das Verhältnis von מצבה zu מזבח entwickelt, und bemerkt, wie מצבה, ein aus Gottes Schöpfung genommener Stein, ein Gedenkstein war für das, was Gott für uns in Natur und Geschichte getan, während מזבח, ein aus mehreren Steinen vollendeter Menschenbau, die Bestimmung hat, die Hingebung der Menschentat an Gott zu vermitteln. Eine Unterscheidung, in welcher wir das Motiv der gesetzlichen eben in unserer Stelle sich aussprechenden Tatsache zu erkennen glaubten, dass מצבה, die אהובה לאבות gewesen, שנואה לבנים geworden. Vor מתן תורה war es vor allem die Gotteswaltung in Natur und Geschichte, die in ihrer Ausschließlichkeit sich dem Menschenbewusstsein einzuleben hatte, und es war noch nicht ein ganzes Einzel- und Volksleben durch seine Unterordnung unter Gottes Gesetz zu einer Manifestation der Gotteshuldigung vorhanden: Es fand daher noch מצבה neben dem מזבח ihre Stätte. Mit מתן תורה geht nicht nur מצבה in מזבח auf, sondern מצבה wird geradezu Sünde. Eine bloße Anbetung Gottes in seiner Allmacht und Größe ist nicht nur nicht eine Gott wohlgefällige Huldigung, sondern, wie unser Text sich ausdrückt, Gott "hasst" fortan eine jede Anbetung seiner Allmacht und Größe, die nicht in der sittlichen Unterordnung des ganzen Menschenwesens unter sein Gesetz ihren Ausdruck sucht. Unser Gehorsam soll der Ausdruck unserer Gotteserkenntnis und Gotteshuldigung sein. An dem Maße unserer Hingebung an seinen Willen ermisst Gott unsere Erkenntnis und Huldigung seiner Allmacht und Größe, und er verwirft jede Huldigung in Natur und Geschichte, die Himmel und Erde seiner Herrschaft unterstellt, sich selber aber, das eigene Herz, das eigene Sinnen und Wollen und Vollbringen, dieser Herrschaft versagt. Nicht Gotteserkenntnis, Gottes Anerkenntnis ist die jüdische Aufgabe und der Weg zum jüdischen Heil, מזבח, nicht מצבה das Symbol der jüdischen Aufgabe. מצבה-Andacht ist Ertötung des jüdischen Geistes. לא תקים לך מצבה אשר שנא ה׳ אלהיך (siehe Bereschit zu Kap. 33, 20). Somit ist לא תקים לך מצבה nichts als eine fernere Konsequenz aus dem vorangehenden צדק צדק תרדף למען וגו׳ וירשת. Nur eine rückhaltlose Gestaltung unseres Einzel- und Volkslebens nach den Diktaten des göttlichen Willens gewinnt uns das segnende und erhaltende Walten Gottes in unserem sozialen und politischen Geschicke, ein Bewusstsein, das geradezu durch ein מצבה-Gedenken der Großtaten Gottes gefährdet wäre, und צדק צדק תרדף למען תחיה וירשת negiert in sprechendster Weise אשרה und מצבה.

אשר שנא WHICH [THE LORD THY GOD] HATETH — An altar of stones and an altar of earth He has commanded you to make; this, however, He hates, because it was a religious ordinance amongst the Canaanites. And although it was pleasing to Him in the days of our Patriarchs (cf. Genesis 28:18), now He hates it because these (Canaanites) made it an ordinance of an idolatrous character (cf. Sifrei Devarim 146).

An earthen altar is what He commanded, but He detests this. And the explanation of “that He detests” is, that it is detested now by “Adonoy your God.” But do not explain that “Adonoy… detests” means to not erect that [detested] monument, whereas a monument that Hashem does not detest you may erect. That is incorrect because Hashem detests all monuments as Rashi goes on to explain.

WHICH THE ETERNAL THY G-D HATETH. The purport thereof is that he is explaining that G-d had commanded, an altar of earth shalt thou make unto Me,³⁵Exodus 20:21. And if thou make Me an altar of stones,³⁶Ibid., Verse 22. and so, Moses explained, He desires these [altars] excluding the pillar. He hates it because, all their deeds being detestable before Him, He commanded Israel not to copy their deeds. In the days of Jacob, however, the prohibition Neither shall ye walk in their statutes⁴³Leviticus 18:3. had not yet been ordained and he, therefore, used the pillar in worshipping G-d³⁷See Genesis 28:18 and 22; 35:15. as was the custom of those who worshipped [the True G-d in the days of Jacob]. This commandment is thus understood as proceeding from the verse, And if thou make Me an altar of stones.³⁶Ibid., Verse 22. But what He said in the Torah, Neither shall ye erect a graven image, or a pillar⁴⁴Ibid., 26:1. refers to a graven image and a pillar in order to place the graven image upon the pedestal for idol-worship, for there Scripture is speaking of idol-worship. He says [there], however, Neither shall ye place any figured stone in your Land to bow down unto it⁴⁴Ibid., 26:1. — even to Heaven, because he would appear to worship the mosaics themselves, for the same reason that an asheirah [is prohibited], because it is among the [idolatrous] statutes of the peoples.
Know that an altar is a high structure of stones having four horns, a base, and a circuit above its base, and offerings are burnt between its horns. A pillar is a single large stone which they raise up upon which to burn [incense] or bring offerings, or for the priests to stand upon. A bamah (a high place) is like a mountain — they make it of assembled earth and, upon it, an altar is built upon which to sacrifice. Everything which is lofty and high is so named: I will ascend above ‘bamathei’ (the heights of) the clouds;⁴⁵Isaiah 14:14. upon ‘bamathei’ (the high places of) the earth.⁴⁶Further, 32:13. The back of a human being is also called bamah, as it is said, upon ‘bamatheimo’ thou shalt tread.⁴⁷Ibid., 33:29. See in Megillah 16a where this verse is used when Mordecai stepped upon Haman in order to mount the king’s horse. Similarly Scripture states, And the king [Solomon] went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great ‘bamah’ (high place); a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.⁴⁸I Kings 3:4. Thus a bamah is distinguished from an altar, for, as explained above, an altar was erected on “the high place (bamah).”

Because it was in the canon of the Canaanites, etc. You might ask that for this same reason altars too should be forbidden, because altars too are included in the canon of the Canaanites as it is written above in parshas Re’ey (12:3), “You are to break apart their altars”! The answer is that this is why Rashi writes, “Since they included it in the idolatrous ritual,” meaning that there is no idol in the world for which they would not make a pillar (מצבה) [and] therefore Hashem hates them, but the altars are not such a [strict] canon as they did not make altars for all idols. Therefore the Holy One does not hate them. (Re”m)