Commento su Deuteronomio 33:11

מחץ מתנים קמיו means, smite those who rise up against him with a smiting of the loins, similar to the idea that is expressed, (Psalms 69:24) “Make their loins continually to totter”. It was about those who contested the High priesthood that he spake thus. — Another explanation: He foresaw that Hasmon and his sons would in future war with the Greeks, and he therefore prayed for them, because they were few in number, viz., the twelve sons of Hasmon and Eleazar against several myriads of the enemy. On this account he prayed ברך ה׳ חילו ופעל ידיו תרצה BLESS, O LORD, HIS ARMY AND ACCEPT FAVOURABLY THE WORK OF HIS HANDS (cf. Genesis Rabbah 99:2; Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 14).

BLESS, ETERNAL, ‘CHEILO’ — that they be a great chayil (army). And the meaning thereof is that they should increase and not decrease when they enter the Holiness, similar in meaning to the verse, Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites.¹⁸⁶Numbers 4:18. It is similarly stated in the admonitions concerning [the Levites], and that they may not die.¹⁸⁷Ibid., Verse 19. And Onkelos rendered cheilo — “his possessions,” from the expression and all their flocks, and all ‘cheilam’ (their possessions).¹⁸⁸Ibid., 31:9. He means what our Rabbis have said concerning the incense — that it bestows a blessing [upon the priest that performs that service].¹⁸⁹Yoma 26a. The phrase [before us] is connected with the expression in [the preceding verse], they shall put incense before Thee,¹⁸⁵Verse 10. because, as a result of it, his possessions will be blessed, as we have been taught:¹⁸⁹Yoma 26a. “Fresh priests come and draw lots for the incense.”¹⁹⁰Four lots were drawn to determine the priests who would be privileged to minister in the Service of the Daily Whole-offering. Three of these lots were open to any priest whose family served that day. But prior to the lot for the burning of the incense the officer announced, “Fresh priests etc.,” i.e., those who had never yet performed the incense service were to come forward. The reason for this arrangement was to give as many priests as possible the opportunity to participate in the burning of the incense, because those who did so became wealthy. And in the Sifre it is stated:¹⁹¹Sifre, Brachah 352. “Bless, Eternal, ‘cheilo’ — his possessions. From here the Rabbis have deduced: Most priests are wealthy. In the name of Abba the Preacher the Rabbis have said: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken¹⁹²Psalms 37:25. — this refers to the seed of Aaron.”

ברך ה' חילו, "please G’d bless their worldly activities," so that by making an easy livelihood they can devote themselves to instructing the people in your Torah.

ומשנאיו מן יקומון. "and let his enemies rise no more." The unusual construction מן יקומון may be a reference to the kingdom of the Greeks which would fall victim to the Hasmoneans (members of the tribe of Levi; compare Bamidbar Rabbah 14). Moses prayed that the Levites be able to maintain themselves even during the period when the Greeks (or other nations) would generally oppress the Jewish people. The plural משנאיו is a reference to a time when the Jews would be oppressed in their homeland and appear helpless. Even at such a time, מחץ מתנים, the Hasmoneans would smite their oppressors.

ברך ה' חילו, “Bless, O Hashem its resources, etc.” According to Nachmanides this is a plea by Moses to Hashem to grant the tribe of Levi plenty of human resources, seeing that in fulfilling their tasks they put their lives at risk if they make any of many possible mistakes which result in such people forfeiting their lives. Compare Numbers 4,18 “Do not let the tribe of the Kehatites be cut off from the rest of the tribe of Levi.” Onkelos translates חילו as “its material resources,” using Genesis 37,29 and Number 31,9 as his models. In both those verses the expression ואת כל חילם means: “all their physical possessions.” The verse is an appendix to ישימו קטורה באפך in the previous verse, which describes the material possession of man most closely related to a spiritual asset, i.e. the fragrance of the incense burned on the Altar.

ברך ה' חילו, “O Lord bless his resources;” this is a reference to the heave-offerings, tithes, firstborn male domesticated animals, and the first ripe fruit, which made up the livelihood of the priests and Levites. ופועל ידיו תרצה, “and the work of his hands shall find Your favour;” this refers to the sacrificial offerings, a portion of which was for consumption by the priests.

He foresaw that Chashmonai and his sons, etc. Because according to the first interpretation one might ask, why did he give the tribe of Levi this blessing? They did not go out to war like the other tribes, but sat in the sanctuary of the King. Therefore he gives “Another interpretation, etc.” And according to the second interpretation you might ask why Scripture says his adversaries, for they [i.e. the Greeks] were the enemies of all Yisroel because the purpose of their decrees was to make them transgress the commandments. Therefore Rashi also gives the first interpretation.

V. 11. חילו .ברך וגו׳ (siehe zu Schmot 18, 25). Segne seine geistige und sittliche Begabung. Die geistige und sittliche Kraft und Tüchtigkeit, die sein Beruf als Lehrer und Wahrer des Gesetzes im Volke erfordert. ופועל ידיו תרצה und dem Vollbringen seiner Hände im Heiligtume schenke das damit angestrebte ונרצה לו לכפר .רצון עליו (Dewarim 1, 4) und sonst.

ופועל ידיו תרצה, “and may the work of his hands be welcomed by You;” the “work” Moses speaks of are the sacrifices of the priests who are members of this tribe. The expression נרצה is especially appropriate for the expiation for sins most sacrifices are meant to achieve. If anyone who is not a member of that tribe, i.e. a priest, offers such sacrifices they will not achieve this.

‎ ומשנאיו מן יקומון (The first word is, like קמיו, the object of the verb מחץ) — i.e. smite those who rise up against him and those who hate him (משנאיו), that they shall have no recovery.

ופועל ידיו תרצה, may their Temple service find favour in Your eyes.

ופועל ידיו תרצה, “and may the work of his hands be received with goodwill.” A reference to the sacrificial offerings, generally, the incense being the most refined type.

מחץ מתנים קמיו, “smash the loins of his foes; as if the Torah had written: “smash his foes in the loins.” מן יקומון, “so that they cannot rise.” Prevent those that attempt to rise against them.

Shatter his adversaries and enemies. I.e., shatter also refers to his adversaries, otherwise, how is [the phrase] his adversaries connected to above?

מתנים .מחץ וגו׳ sind der Körperteil, dessen Umgürtung den zum selbständigen Vorgehen gerüsteten Mann kennzeichnet. Dem mit der Pflege des Gesetzes und des Heiligtums betrauten Stamme stehen nur geistige Mittel zu Gebote. Es kann jedoch nicht fehlen, dass die Lehre und Vertretung des göttlichen Gesetzes auch ihre offenen, tätigen Widersacher, קמיו, finde, so wie das im Heiligtum gepflegte sittliche Ideal seine, wenn auch stillen Feinde משנאיו (vergl. Bamidbar 10, 35). Daher die Bitte, Gott möge die Macht der קמים gegen sein Gesetz und dessen Lehrer und Vertreter brechen, so, dass משנאיו, die Hasser seines Sittlichkeitsideals nicht wagen קמים zu werden. Die Lehrer und Pfleger des Gesetzes und seines Heiligtums haben nur ernst und unbeirrt zu lehren und ihres Dienstes zu warten und Gott ihren Schutz und Beistand zu überlassen. — מן in מן יקומון bedeutet die Entfernung, das Zurückhalten von etwas. So: לא אצתי מרועה אחריך, ich habe mich nicht zurückgedrängt von Erfüllung der Aufgabe, ein Volksführer in deinem Sinne zu sein (Jirmija 17. 16).

מן יקומון, “from anyone rising up against the Israelites.”

מן יקומון. So that their enemies cannot rise against them with any chance of success. Moses referred to internal enemies, such as Korach and King Uzziah, both of whom challenged the exclusive and hereditary status of the Priests.

מחץ מתנים קמיו ומשנאיו מן יקומון, “smash the loins of his foes and his enemies so that they may not arise again.” Ibn Ezra understands the words מן יקומון as “preventing them from arising again.”

Peßachim 72 b und Kiduschin 66 b wird an dem Satze ברך ד׳ חילו ופועל ידיו einer aus einem כהנים die Halacha gelehrt, dass, wenn unter den ministrierenden תרצה ihm bis dahin unbekannt gewesenen gesetzlichen Mangel in der Abstammung als חלל (siehe zu Wajikra 21, 7) zum Dienste untauglich befunden wäre, doch die von ihm bis dahin in gutem Glauben vollzogenen עבודות ihre Gültigkeit nicht verlieren. היה עומד ומקריב ונודע שהוא בן גרושה או בן חלוצה כל הקרבנות כולן שהקריב ע׳׳ג המזבח ר׳ יהושע מכשיר מ׳׳ט דר׳ יהושע דבתיב ברך ד׳ חילו ופועל ידיו תרצה אפילו חולין שבו תרצה. Es ist möglich, dass in diesem Sinne חילו in der gewöhnlichen Bedeutung von חיל, Heer, Schar, zu nehmen wäre: Segne Gott seine Schar und nimm wohlgefällig auf, genehmige das Vollbringen seiner Hände. Es würde damit der ganze כהנים-Stamm als eine geschlossene Einheit, und jeder ministrierende einzelne als deren Delegierter zu begreifen sein, also dass ein unbewusst in gutem Glauben sich zu ihr Zählender und als solcher nicht nur zur עבודה sich berechtigt, sondern verpflichtet Haltender durch den Gesamtcharakter der Korporation gedeckt wird, so dass die von ihm vollzogenen Handlungen in ihrer Gesetzlichkeit verbleiben, selbst wenn sich hinterdrein ein seinen Ausschluss bewirkender Abstammungsmangel ergeben hat (vergl. die Wirkung des ציץ. Schmot 28, 38).