Commento su Deuteronomio 33:8

וללוי אמר means AND OF LEVI HE SAID (not to Levi).

UL’LEIVI’ HE SAID - “and ‘of’ Levi¹⁵⁸Literally: ul’Levi means “and ‘to’ Levi.” But Rashi translates the prefix lamed here, as “of.” he said.” This is Rashi’s language, and it is also the opinion of the commentators.¹⁵⁹Ibn Ezra. It is like the expressions: say ‘li’ (of me):. he is my brother;¹⁶⁰Genesis 20:13. Here, too, the word li, literally: “to me,” is interpreted as “of me.” and the men of the place asked him ‘l’ishto’ (about his wife).¹⁶¹Ibid., 26:7. Here also, the word l’ishto, literally: “to his wife,” means “of his wife.” There are many such examples. In my opinion [the expression here is to be understood literally: “and ‘to’ Levi he said”] because Moses had mentioned the names of Reuben and Judah in his blessing [of them], saying, Let Reuben live,¹⁶²Above, Verse 6. the voice of Judah,¹⁶³Verse 7. but he did not mention the names of the other tribes in [the text of] their blessings. Therefore Scripture states, And to Levi he said, To Benjamin he said¹⁶⁴Further, Verse 17. [in order to make it clear to whom he was addressing his blessing]. This indicates that the tribes were facing him [Moses], and he called Levi and put his eyes upon him and said, thy Thummim and thy Urim.¹⁶⁵In Verse 8 before us. Similarly he blessed each tribe face to face.

תומיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך, Moses refers to G’d having given to Aaron who was the outstanding member of the tribe of Levi, the pious tribe, the urim and tumim lodged within his breastplate pouch. The Talmud Yuma 73, derives from the above that any priest who speaks with holy spirit is of the calibre that when he employs the urim and tumim to address enquiries to G’d, he will receive G’d’s answer to such enquiries. Hence the word “איש,” a man of lofty spiritual standing, as if to underscore that character trait.

וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך, "And concerning Levi he said: "Let your Tummim and your Urim be with Your faithful one." This is a prayer that Levi should continue forever to be qualified to perform the respective duties of the Levites and the priests.

וללוי אמר, “and concerning Levi, Moses had said” Rashi understands the letter ו at the beginning of the word וללוי, as meaning על, i.e. “about.” Similar use of that letter in that sense is found in Genesis 26,7 וישאלו אנשי המקום לאשתו, “the people of that place enquired about his wife.” There are other examples of that kind of usage made of the letter ו in the Scriptures. Nachmanides writes that seeing Moses had addressed Reuven and Yehudah in his blessings by name both in the introduction and as an integral part of the blessing, he hastens to face each tribe separately when blessing them, so that they do not feel slighted. In other words, each time we find the introductory letter ו before the tribe’s name, this means that at that moment Moses had taken up position directly in front of the members of that tribe. After positioning himself opposite the members of the tribe of Levi, he commenced with the words תומיך ואריך וגו'.

Regarding Levi he said. Because the verse says [afterwards] Your tumim and Your urim which is certainly addressed to the Shechinah, as Rashi explains. Therefore perforce Moshe was speaking not to Levi, but regarding Levi.

V. 8. תמיך ואוריך .וללוי (siehe Schmot Kap. 28). Sonst werden immer אורים erst genannt, hier stehen bedeutungsvoll תמים, die Vergegenwärtigung der höchsten sittlichen Vollkommenheit, den אורים, der höchsten geistigen Erleuchtung voran. Soll doch hier der Stamm gezeichnet werden, der zu deren Trägern gewürdigt worden. Da ist es nicht die geistige, da ist es in erster Linie die sittliche Anforderung, mit welcher das bewährte Leben eines solchen Stammes nicht in Widerspruch hat stehen dürfen, ja es ist eben der sittliche Charakter, der ihn zum Träger der אורים und תמים befähigte. Wird doch auch sofort der Stamm nicht nach seinen geistigen, sondern nach seinen sittlichen Charaktermerkmalen geschildert:

וללוי אמר וגו׳, “and of Levi he said, etc.” Moses referred to the Levite (singular) who had been chosen to wear the breastplate with the Urim and Tumim, (the High Priest of the people) evidence that he was considered a pious individual, and whom G-d had put to a test repeatedly, although he had failed a test by the Lord at Massah/Merivah, he had nevertheless qualified to become so holy that he was not allowed to defile himself even if it had been to bury his father or mother. [The High Priest in any generation is not allowed to cause himself to become ritually defiled except when a corpse has no one else who could bury him without delay; Leviticus 21,11) Ed.],

תמיך ואוריך THY THUMMIM AND URIM — He is addressing God (not Levi).

אשר נסיתו במסה, Moses reminds G’d that in all the various tests (Numbers 14,22) that the Jewish people had subjected Him to, the tribe of Levi had never been a participant in such demonstrations of lack of faith. This was also why the decree which G’d imposed on the generation of the spies did not apply to them, and the Levites that were of age at that time did not die in the desert.

אשר נסיתו במסה, “whom You had tested at Massah.” According to Ibn Ezra the word במסה is not a reference to a location but to a test of faith when executing the fellow Israelites during the golden calf episode was not considered death without benefit of trial, i.e. murder, but an act of supreme faith, risking their lives on behalf of preserving the glory of the Holy Name of Hashem. The only sin the Levites were guilty of collectively also, was the one their leaders Moses and Aaron also became victims of, the confrontation after Miriam’s death when the people ganged up on Moses and Aaron demanding water to drink. (Numbers chapter 20); [note that whereas at the beginning of that chapter only העם, the common people, the mixed multitude according to some, is mentioned as being rebellious, near the end even the בני ישראל, the elite of the people, are described as having quarreled with Moses. Presumably, Ibn Ezra feels that the Levites were included, or the Torah would have credited them with being without guilt during that episode. Ed.] Nachmanides, approaching the verse from the peshat point of view, writes that the correct interpretation is that the word במסה refers to a location, i.e. the place previously known as Refidim, which was renamed on account of the unruly behaviour of the Israelites there, as detailed in Exodus Moses credits the Levites with already at that time not being part of the people who ganged up on him and adopting a threatening posture. [Perhaps the Levites’ “cool” when the people had no water is especially commendable seeing that the Levites were not subject to slave labour in Egypt; they had been the ones to benefit least by the redemption, and therefore suffered most by deprivation in the desert. Ed.] Moses therefore blesses them with the blessing that its loyalty and steadfastness should remain a characteristic of theirs throughout the ages. This is the meaning of the reference to תמיך ואוריך. “May the qualities displayed then ensure that you will always be men of piety.” The people’s sin, even then had not been that they had clamoured for drinking water; far from it. Their sin had been that they had accused Moses for being responsible for the absence of the Shechinah, which most certainly would not have allowed a situation such they found themselves in to arise had not their leaders fallen out of favour with Hashem The thought that they themselves could have been at fault did not even occur to them.

As Targum [Onkelos] renders. “You tested him at the waters of strife, and found him faithful.” Meaning, that through the quarrels at the waters of strife, you tested his heart and found him faithful. (Re”m)

אשר נסיתו במסה, "whom You have tested at Massah." Seeing that Jacob (Genesis 49,5) had expressed himself negatively concerning any union of Shimon and Levi, cursing their anger, Moses goes on record to say that in the meantime the Levites had proved at Massah that they (by themselves) did not display anger and transgress G'd's commands. Instead of having tested G'd's patience there (Exodus 17,7) where the people questioned G'd's ability to provide them with water) as had the other tribes, this tribe had stood the test of loyalty (and had not participated in that complaint). [There may be an allusion to this in that paragraph as at the beginning the Torah speaks about the whole community arriving at that place whereas when speaking about who complained the word "whole" is absent. Ed.]

WHOM THOU DIDST PROVE ‘B’MASSAH’ — “that You tested him by trial.¹⁶⁶The word massah is thus not a name of a place (Exodus 17:7), but “test, trial.” This is Ibn Ezra’s interpretation. Ramban will explain that the word is the name of a place. And the purport thereof is that Levi was scrupulous in whatever You tried him with, and no reproach could be found in him except [for the affair at] the waters of Meribah, for which You have already punished him [by depriving Moses and Aaron of the right to enter the Land]. He made the calf,¹⁶⁷In our version of Ibn Ezra the text reads: “This also strengthens my interpretation in the matter of the calf etc.” In other words had the calf been intended for true idol-worship, Moses would have added here the affair of the calf, too. however, [on the wrong assumption that it was] for the glory of G-d [and therefore, because it was a mistake rather than an intentional sin, Moses did not mention it here].” This is the language of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. And in the Sifre it is stated:¹⁶⁸Sifre, Brachah 349. “Whom Thou didst prove ‘b’massah’ — You tested him many times and he was found perfect in all trials. With whom Thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah. Unfounded charges were turned against him [Aaron] at the waters of Meribah. If Moses said, Hear now, ye rebels¹⁶⁹Numbers 20:10. [for which he was punished], what did Aaron and Miriam do?”
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, it seems to me that the correct interpretation is that b’massah simply refers to the place where the people tested G-d, in Rephidim [which was subsequently renamed Massah u’Meribah].¹⁷⁰Exodus 17:7. The verse [here] states: “Your Thummim and your Urim¹⁷¹See ibid., 28:30 (Vol. II, pp. 480-483). This is a reference to the High Priesthood, for it was the High Priest who wore the breastplate in which were the Urim and Thummim (ibid.). will forever be with your holy ones, with his seed after him, whom Thou didst prove at Massah when the children of Israel sinned and tested G-d concerning water.¹⁷²See ibid., 17:2. And he [the tribe of Levi] was not among the company of them that gathered themselves against the Eternal¹⁷³Numbers 27:3. because he believed in G-d and in His word that He will bring them forth water out of the rock of flint.¹⁷⁴Deuteronomy 8:15. On the second occasion You strove with him and punished him [by decreeing that Moses and Aaron would die in the wilderness] at the waters of ‘Meribah’ [i.e., ‘the quarrelling’] of Israel, for it was on account of their [Israel’s] striving that the punishment came and not that he [Aaron] trespassed against G-d — for he believed from the start, as well, that it is You who turned the rock into a pool of water, [the flint into a fountain of waters].¹⁷⁵Psalms 114:8. Surely [Aaron believed] this [second time at Kadesh] after already having seen it [at Rephidim].” Moses thus intimates that that sin was the fault of the people, for, because of their strife, Moses and Aaron thought that they were required to act the way they did, since the Divine Glory might have departed as an outcome of their punishment, this being what is stated, They angered Him also at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses because of them.¹⁷⁶Ibid., 106:32.
And the meaning of ‘t’riveihu’ (with whom Thou didst strive) is similar to the expression ‘rivah’ (strive), O Eternal, with them that strive with me,¹⁷⁷Ibid., 35:1. the verse here meaning: “You have paid him [i.e., Aaron] the consequence of the strife which the children of Israel strove with the Eternal.¹⁷⁸Numbers 20:13. It is possible that its meaning is as the Rabbi said in the Sifre [quoted above]¹⁶⁸Sifre, Brachah 349. that these are references to s’kufim, that is, unfounded charges. He alludes to the insignificance of the sin and the severity of the punishment, similar to, through them that are nigh unto Me I will be sanctified.¹⁷⁹Leviticus 10:3. Such also is the opinion of Onkelos who rendered the text here: “Whom You tested with trials and he was [found to be] perfect,” the trials being the strife of the children of Israel and their testing of the Eternal. However, since he was found perfect the first time [at Rephidim], surely he believed in the word of G-d on the second occasion. You tried his heart at the waters of Meribah — and foundest his heart faithful before Thee,¹⁸⁰Nehemiah 9:8. for “it is revealed and known before the throne of Thy Glory”¹⁸¹Berachoth 60b. that he [Aaron] believes in You and in Your word. But the punishment came upon him because of Israel, as I have explained on the verse, Also the Eternal was angry with me for your sakes.¹⁸²Above, 1:37.
Now Moses spoke first of the priests, for he said to the tribe of Levi that the Urim and Thummim¹⁷¹See ibid., 28:30 (Vol. II, pp. 480-483). This is a reference to the High Priesthood, for it was the High Priest who wore the breastplate in which were the Urim and Thummim (ibid.). will be to his holy one [the High Priest] from among them. Afterwards he said of the whole tribe that He tested them in the affair of the calf, in Egypt,¹⁸³“For they have observed Thy word (Verse 9) in Egypt” (Sifre, Brachah 350). and in the wilderness¹⁸⁴“And keep Thy covenant (Verse 9) in the wilderness. Another interpretation: For they have observed Thy word in Egypt. And keep Thy covenant in the affair of the spies” (Sifre, Brachah 350). — and, therefore, they shall teach His ordinances to Jacob.¹⁸⁵Verse 10. Such also is the opinion of Onkelos who rendered the verse:¹⁸⁵Verse 10. “These [men] are fit to teach your laws etc.” Or it may be that he speaks of them [the Levites] with reference to the future, as explained by Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. The expression they shall teach Jacob Thine ordinances refers to all of the Levites, and they shall put incense¹⁸⁵Verse 10. relates to the priests of that tribe.

תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך, als איש חסירך gabst du ihm deine Urim und Tumim. Wie dies überhaupt das tief Unterscheidende des Judentums ist, dass in seinem Kreise die höchste Stufe geistiger Begabung und geistigen Berufes nicht einen Freibrief für das Sittliche gewährt, vielmehr die gleich hohe Bewährung in Achtung und Erfüllung des Sittengesetzes als unerlässliche Bedingung setzt. Darauf haben wir bereits wiederholt hinzuweisen Gelegenheit gehabt.

who was tested with tests, and you brought him strife at the waters of Merivah, and even so he said of his father and mother, “I did not see them.”

אשר נסיתו במסה WHOM THOU DIDST TRY WITH TRIALS — [Since this is said in praise of the Levites] we may gather from it that they did not murmur together with the other tribes.

תריבהו על מי מריבה, You have challenged them at the waters of strife, as a result of which You deprived the people of the two outstanding heads of the tribe of Levi.

תריבהו, “you have quarreled with Him at the waters of Merivah.” Compare Psalms 35,1 ריבה ה' את יריבי, “O G’d strive with my adversaries” (David speaking). It sounds as if Moses is hinting that G’d ought to punish those who had been responsible for his losing his temper at מי מריבה. He hints that the people had provoked him to lose his composure so that he had shouted at them: (Numbers 20,10) “listen you rebellious people!” Moses had first addressed the priests, as he had said to Levi, asking them to be loyal to the High Priest, wearer of the urim and tumim, the breastplate that had the ineffable Name in its pouch, assuring the High Priest constant communication with G’d if the situation warranted this. Afterwards, he addressed the whole tribe of Levi who had participated in the general uproar on that occasion.

You set a libel upon him to come with a spurious charge, etc. When Rashi writes to come with a spurious charge, this is the explanation of נסתקפת, You set a libel upon him. It [נסתקפת] is an expression of libel as Rashi explained above in parshas Mikeitz (Bereishis 43:18), on the verse That he may turn on us. See there.

׳לאיש חסידך וגו, es wird hier der Stamm als Einheit, als ein Individuum aufgefasst, und kommt daher auch das, was in seinen hervorragendsten Gliedern zu Tage getreten, אשר נסיתו וגו׳, der Charakteristik des ganzen Stammes zugute.

תריבהו וגו׳ THOU DIDST STRIVE WITH HIM [AT THE WATERS OF MERIBAH] — Understand this as the Targum has it: (“Thou didst put him to the test”). — Another explanation of תריבהו על מי מריבה: Thou didst seek an occasion against him to come with a pretext, for if Moses said, “Hear now, ye rebels”, what sin did Aaron and Miriam commit? (why were they not allowed to enter the land?) Sifrei Devarim 349:3).

If Moshe exclaimed, “Now listen, rebels.” And on account of this, death was decreed on him and that he could not enter the land. This [interpretation] too is praise of the tribe of Levi. Rashi needs the other interpretation because according to the first interpretation you might ask that Moshe was not found faithful as he erred due to anger, and he was angry when he should not have been. Therefore he gives “another interpretation, etc.” And according to the other interpretation you might ask, were Aharon and Miriam equal to the entire tribe of Levi that the verse should say of them You brought him to strife, etc., which the verse implies as referring to the whole tribe of Levi. Therefore he gives the first interpretation where the whole tribe of Levi was faithful except for Moshe who sinned.

חסידך, der sich als dein חסיד bewährt hat. חסיד bezeichnet ja die höchste Selbstlosigkeit im praktischen Leben, zu welcher, wie wir bereits (zu Kap. 23, 10) bemerkt, פרישות: die Fernhaltung von allem Schlechten und Gemeinen, die man gemeinhin bereits als חסירות begreift, nur eine Vorstufe bildet. חסיד ist ein Charakter, der sich vor allem im tätigen Leben für die Gesamtheit zu bewähren hat. So durfte David beten: שמרה נפשי כי חסיד אני Gott möge ihn schützen, denn er vertritt sein Recht und sein Interesse nie, er lebt in völliger Selbstvergessenheit nur für andere (vergl. Berachot 4 a). Dieser Charakter wird hier dem ganzen Stamme Levi vindiziert. אשר נסיתו וגו׳ תריבהו וגו׳. Welcher Ernst der sittlichen Anforderung an den Stamm innewohne, dessen Häuptern die Urim und Tumim, die Gottesaussprüche der höchsten Einsicht und der höchsten Sittlichkeit anvertraut worden, das hat sich für alle Zukunft hin in der Geschichte der Ersten desselben vorleuchtend gezeigt.

במסה kann wohl schwerlich auf die Örtlichkeit Massa und das dort Geschehene (Schmot 17 7) zurückblicken. Weder der Stamm, noch Mosche, insbesondere Aharon, an den ja hier als ersten Träger der Urim und Tumim gedacht wird, hatten dort besondere Prüfungen zu bestehen. Vielmehr scheint hier מסה Substantivum verbale von נסה zu sein. So auch הרבה נסיתו ונמצא שלם בכל נסיונות :ספרי, du hattest ihn in wiederholten Prüfungen erprobt gefunden. Und der Sinn wäre: Du hattest ihn bereits in so vielen Prüfungen erprobt gefunden und doch rechtetest du mit ihm beim Haderwasser (Bamidbar 20, 12), sahest ihm dies einzige Vergehen nicht nach, und um dieses eine Vergehen ging er der Hoffnung eines vierzigjährigen erprobten Wirkens verlustig. Mosche und Aharons Tod infolge von מי מריבה sind ein ernstes Mahnwort an alle künftigen Levitenhäupter.

לאיש חסידך, every High Priest from the tribe of Levi is given the title חסיד, ‘the devout one.’ The reason for this is that it is the function of the High Priest to draw down to his people the heavenly attribute of חסד, (loving kindness). This is why the priests bless the people in order to channel this attribute and its beneficial effects to as many of his people as possible. The blessing is pronounced by invoking the tetragrammaton, the holy name not allowed for others to pronounce. The blessing originates in the tenth emanation, and this is why the Torah prefaces the formula of the words of the blessing with the word כה which is the attribute of Justice, as we know from Exodus where Moses tells Pharaoh in the name of G’d הנה לא שמעת עד כה, “here you have not listened until כה,” i.e. from now on the attribute of Justice will be invoked against you (Exodus 7,16) [This announcement had been the prelude to the first of the Ten Plagues. Ed.] Moses followed this (verse 17) by telling Pharaoh בזאת תדע, “through the attribute זאת you will know, etc.,” i.e. clear proof that both כה and זאת are כנויים, [similes for the attribute of Justice, most commonly appearing as elo-him. Ed.] At any rate, Moses refers to the fact that the whole world is blessed by means of the Priest, hence Psalms 145,10 וחסידך יברכוכה, “and Your devout ones shall bless You.” Instead of reading this as one word, David may mean that the word is to be read as יברכו כה, “will bless the attribute of Justice.”