Commento su Deuteronomio 32:16

יקנאהו means, they made His anger and His jealousy (קנאה) glow.

WITH ABOMINATIONS DID THEY PROVOKE HIM — “they kindled His anger with abominations and unseemly deeds, such as sodomy and sorcery in which there is abomination.” This is Rashi’s language, and it is also so stated in the Sifre.⁶⁰Sifre, Ha’azinu 318. But in this Song there is reproof for idolatry only [and not for immorality]! And the word ‘b’zarim’ [They roused Him to jealousy ‘b’zarim’] is connected with the expression G-d Who made him [in the preceding verse, to mean]: “they roused Him to jealousy with ‘strange gods,’” similar to the phrase other gods.⁶¹Above, 5:7. And the meaning of the expression, with abominations is [that they worshipped] the demons by burning their children in fire to other gods. For all this is “abominable” to Him, just as it is said, for every abomination to the Eternal, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods,⁶²Ibid., 12:31. This is said of the nations that lived in the land of Canaan. and it is further written, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it unto My mind.⁶³Jeremiah 19:5.

בתועבות יכעיסוהו, causing the benevolent presence of G’d to forsake the people of Israel so that they would no longer enjoy an advantage over the gentile nations.

יקניאוהו בזרים, “they kindled His jealousy by means of alien (gods).” By turning to idols, the Jewish people aroused G’d’s attribute of “the jealous G’d.” They angered this very attribute which had delivered them at the Sea. A reference to the sin of the golden calf and possibly to the affair at Shittim.

They inflamed His fury and vengeance. The word “vengeance” always means the anticipation to take revenge for something.

V. 16. קנא .יקניאוהו בזרים im Hifil kommt nur hier (V. 21) und in ähnlichem Zusammenhange Ezech. 8, 3 und Ps.78, 58 vor. קנא im Piel heißt, wie bereits wiederholt bemerkt, ein verletztes Recht in Gefühlen, Worten oder Handlungen geltend machen. Im Hifil: jemandem das Gefühl eines verletzten Rechts bewirken. Sie wenden das Recht, das ausschließlich Ihm an ihnen zusteht, andern zu, die ihnen völlig fremd sind, denen sie nichts verdanken und nichts verdanken können, die nichts für sie getan haben und nichts tun können, zu denen überhaupt ihr ganzes Wesen nie in einem Huldigungsverhältnisse stehen sollte. Und diese Vergötterung und Huldigung anderer Mächte bleibt kein bloß theoretischer Irrtum, sie hat die verderblichsten praktischen Folgen, dass בתועבת יכעיסהו, dass ihre Sittlichkeit bis zu den abscheulichsten Ausschweifungen entartet. War ja eben die größere sittliche Ungebundenheit von je nicht nur die Folge, sondern ganz eigentlich das Motiv des jüdischen Abfalls von Gott, dem Einzig-Einen und seinem sittenstrengen Gesetz, אמר ר׳ יהודה אמר רב יודעין היו ישראל בע׳׳ו שאין בה ממש ולא עבדו ע׳׳ז אלא להתיר להם עריות בפרהסיא (Sanhedrin 63 b).

בתועבות יכעיסוהו, “with abominations they provoke Him.” Robbery and sexual misconduct are what Moses referred to here. Both have been described in the Torah (Leviticus 18,27) as “abominations.”

בתועבת WITH ABOMINATIONS — i.e. with abominable deeds such as pederasty and sorcery, of which the term תועבה is used (cf. Leviticus 18:23 and Deuteronomy 18:10—12).