Commento su Deuteronomio 29:12

למען הקים אתך היום לו לעם THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH THEE TO-DAY FOR A PEOPLE UNTO HIMSELF — He undertakes so much trouble (in making another covenant with you) in order that He may keep (הקים) you for a people in His presence,

למען הקים אותך היום, "In order to establish you today," etc. The reason Moses makes the Israelites potentially liable for many penalties is to make certain they would be G'd's people and would be afraid of sinning due to the terrible curses of which the Torah warns potential sinners.

He has committed Himself with such great effort, etc. Rashi has the following difficulty: You cannot say that this In order,, etc. is the reason He ratified the covenant with them, because the reason He ratified the covenant with them is stated afterwards (v. 17) where it says, Perhaps there is among you a man or a woman or a family or a tribe,, etc. If so, what is this in order referring to? Rashi therefore explains, He has committed himself with such great effort, etc. I.e., the verse is answering the question why the Holy One made the effort of binding them by oath. He should simply have given them a commandment and if they listened well and good, and if not, He will punish them as with all the other commands. However, he committed Himself with such great effort because He already swore to your forefathers not to exchange, etc. Therefore He had to bring them, etc.

V. 12. למען הקים וגו׳ והוא יהיה וגו׳ sind die beiden Seiten des Bundes. Du wirst sein Volk und Er wird dein Gott.

והוא יהיה לך לאלהים SINCE HE MUST BE UNTO THEE A GOD, because He has promised it unto you and has sworn unto your fathers not to exchange their descendants for another nation. For this reason He binds you by these oaths not to provoke Him to anger since He, on His part, cannot dissociate Himself from you. — Thus far I have given an exposition according to the literal sense of the chapter. An Agadic explanation, however, is: Why is the section beginning with the words, “Ye are standing this day” put in juxtaposition to the curses in the previous chapter? Because when Israel heard these ninety-eight curses besides the forty-nine that are contained in Torath-Cohanim (Leviticus 26:14 ff.), their faces turned pale (they were horrified), and they exclaimed, “Who can possibly stand against these?!” Therefore Moses began to calm them: “See, you are standing today before the Lord!” — many a time have you provoked the Omnipresent to anger and yet He has not made an end to you, but you still continue in His presence (Midrash Tanchuma, Nitzavim 1).

While the imprecations and the suffering sustain you and stand you before Him, etc. Meaning that through the imprecations you are careful to never transgress the commandments. And furthermore, they atone for sins so that you live and persist eternally. And similarly they said in the first chapter of Avoda Zara (4a) and in maseches Berachos (5a).

Another meaning why Moses wrote down all this may be so that people would not complain why G'd makes them responsible for the conduct of their peers. It is difficult enough to keep all the commandments without having to worry about everybody else keeping them too. This is why Moses said that G'd's intention in all this is for the benefit of the Jewish people, enabling Him to establish the Jewish people as His people. If not for this new commitment, some Israelites would backslide starting with minor sins and eventually becoming guilty of the commission of serious sins. Ultimately, the Israelites would forfeit their status as G'd's people. G'd initiated this mutual responsibility to act as the guarantee that such backsliding would not occur.

היום THIS DAY — like the “day” which endures for ever, for though it becomes dark for a period it shines again, (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Nitzavim 1, Sanhedrin 110b); so has He made you shine (i.e. given you periods when you have had nought but happiness) and will again make you shine; and it is just the curses and the sufferings that give you permanence and stability (נצבים) before Him. — So, too, the section preceding this (1 ff. which follows immediately after the curses) consists of comforting words: “Ye have seen all the Lord did [before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, etc.]”. — Another explanation of אתם נצבים: Because the Israelites were now passing from one leader to another, from Moses to Joshua, therefore he (Moses) made them stand in ranks (מצבה) that he might address admonitions to them. Similarly did Joshua (cf. Joshua 24:1) and similarly did Samuel, who said, (I Samuel 12:7): “Now therefore take your stand (התיצבו) that I may reason with you before the Lord”, when they were leaving his hand (leadership) and were coming under the hand of Saul (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Nitzavim 1).

The chapter above this, as well, is conciliatory, etc. Rashi proves that Moshe was telling them conciliatory remarks so that you do not ask: How could he be speaking conciliatory words if the whole parsha implies [that he was giving] rebuke, and also above it, everything is rebuke?!

Because the Israelites were passing from one leader to the next, etc. Because according to the first interpretation you might ask that the language of the parsha indicates that this is rebuke and not conciliation. Therefore he offers another interpretation. But according to the other interpretation you might ask why it says You stand this day? Why does the verse write this day?