Commento su Ezechiele 14:2

Now there came to me some men Heb. וַיָבוֹא. All of them with one accord for evil. Therefore, it is said: וַיָבוֹא, and came [the singular form]. The Midrash Aggadah says that [the word is in the singular] because the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to the ear of the prophet beforehand, “Behold so-and- so and so-and-so will come to you.”

have set their idols upon their heart Their heart is toward their idols to worship [them].

opposite their faces for the idol to always be for them an object of fear and a deity.

Shall I respond to their inquiry? Is it proper that I should respond to them and answer their words? Many rhetorical questions anticipate an affirmative reply.

shall respond to him Heb. נַעֲנֵיתִי, suys reponduz in Old French, I was answered, although he comes before me with his many idols. So did Jonathan render it.

In order to take hold of the house of Israel, etc. In order to draw the house of Israel near, to put repentance into their hearts.

who have drawn away Heb. נָזֹרוּ, like (Gen. 48:26): “the one separated (נְזִיר) from his brothers” furent asevrez in Old French; were severed, separated.

Repent of your ways.

and move away Heb. וְהָשִּׁיבוּ, [remove] your hearts [as well].

from your idols which you brought up to your heart.

remove your faces opposite which you set the stumbling block of your iniquities.

I...shall respond to him by Myself Shall be inquired of him about Myself. I shall be inquired of to him.

And I shall direct My anger against that man afterward, if he does not obey the words of the prophet.

My anger Heb. פָּנַי, mes iras, ires in Old French, my anger (as in Psalms 34:17).

and I shall make him desolate Jonathan rendered: and I shall make him [a sign].

But the prophet who is enticed and speaks a word that is not true.

have enticed I opened a doorway for him to [do] whatever he wishes. And from here we can learn that if one wishes to defile himself, they open [a door] for him.

Like the iniquity of the inquirer, so will be the iniquity of the prophet Like the iniquity of the one who comes to learn and does not learn, so will be the iniquity of the false prophets.

staff of bread Support [provided by] bread.

Noah, Daniel, and Job Because each of these three saw three worlds: Noah saw the world built up, destroyed, and rebuilt; and Danielthe Temple. Or himself: first a prince over all the princes, eventually cast into a lions’ den, and [ultimately] restored to his greatness. Likewise, Job saw himself well-established, destroyed, and [again] well-established. Therefore, they were brought as a parallel to the generation of Jeconiah, which saw the Temple while it was built and while it was destroyed, and the [Temple’s] second building. And the Holy One, blessed be He, said the following to them: “I am showing you great affectionyou, Jeconiah and [those of] his exile. Should one of the lands of the nations sin against Me and had I decreed upon it one of these four punishmentseither “famine” (verse 13), “wild beast” (verse 15), “the sword” (verse 17), “or pestilence” (verse 19) as they appear in this chapter, consecutively, and these three righteous men were in its midst, they would save neither son nor daughter. Yet I will bring [all] four of them on [your brethren in] Jerusalem, and [still] leave over for you some of your sons who are there although you are not in its midst. And not because they are worthy of being saved, but to console you when they are exiled [to an area] near you and you will see their evil deeds and be consoled about the evil that I brought upon them. For you will see that it could no longer be tolerated. [The annotator of our ms. remarks:] (This is the theme of this entire chapter. This [following] explanation cannot be made fit, and it appears that it is not the wording of the rabbi [viz. Rashi]. It appears further that this edition [of Rashi in which this comment was found] is missing one of the four punishments, from אוֹ, or, until כִּי or.) Another explanation: If a land sins against Me, etc. and had these three men been in its midst [namely] Noah, Daniel, and Job because the Holy One, blessed be He, saved these three men from these three [four] judgments, Scripture mentioned these. Noah was saved from the three of them. How do we know [that he was saved] from wild beasts? When he entered the ark, all the beasts attempted to enter, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not allow them, as it is written (Gen. 7:16): “and the Lord shut around him.” Now the word “shut” refers only to protection from beasts, as Scripture states (Dan. 6:23): “and he shut the lions’ mouths, and they did not hurt me.”A lion came to enter [the ark] and its teeth were set on edge; a bear came to enter, and its feet would totter, etc. (see Gen. Rabbah 31:12). How do we know [that he was saved] from famine?For it is said (Gen. 5:29): “from the soil, which the Lord has cursed.” Go out and learn Genesis Rabbah (25:3) where it enumerates the ten famines that descended upon the world, and you will find that one of them was in the time of Noah, and it brings proof from “from the soil, which... [He] cursed.” From the swordthis is the Flood, and moreover, the people of his generation sought to attack him, saying, “We will not allow him to enter,” but the Holy One, blessed be He, saved him: said the Holy One, blessed be He, “I will not allow him to enter except at midday [in broad daylight], and whomever it hurtslet him protest.” That is what is written (Gen. 7:13): “In this very (עֶצֶם) day Noah came [into the ark]” at the strong point (עֱצוּמוֹ) of the day. Danielwhen Nebuchadnezzar entered the Temple in the days of Jehoiakim, he slew Jehoiakim and spared Daniel. He expelled Daniel [into] a peaceful exile because he found him to be full of a spirit of wisdom. From faminefor until Jerusalem was conquered in the days of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar besieged it for three years [during which it suffered a famine], as is said (II Kings 25:3): “the famine became severe in the city,” and also (in Jer. 52:6): “and the famine became severe.” How do we know [that he was saved] from beasts?”and shut the lions’ mouths (Dan. ibid.), and they did not hurt me.” Likewise, you find that Job was saved from the three of them. How do we know [that he was saved] from famine?According to the one who says (Baba Bathra 15b) that Job lived in the time of Jacob, we find that there was a famine in his days. How do we know [that he was protected] from beasts?For it is written (Job 1:10): “and his cattle has broken out into the land.” It has breached the [natural] limitations of the world. [Usually wolves kill goats, but Job’s goats killed wolves; B. B. 15b.] How do we know [that he survived] the sword?(ibid. 16:13) “He splits my kidneys and does not have compassion.”

Now should these three men be in its midst[namely] Noah, Daniel, and Job, they would save themselves with their righteousness. Why are sons and daughters not mentioned [in verse 14] in regard to the death by faminei.e., it is not stated about them, “[as I lived] if they will save sons or daughters!”as they are mentioned in the last two punishments (verses 16, 18)? This is to depict Daniel, for he was one of those three saved from famine, he was of the generation of Jeconiah, and neither sons nor daughters were rescued with him. Concerning him Isaiah prophesied (56:4): “[For] so says the Lord to the to the eunuchs who will keep My Sabbaths.”

If...wild beasts Heb. לוּ. If wild beasts.

sword Troops for battle.

How much more Heb. אֲף כִּי, an expression of an a fortiori and ‘how much more so.’ It is the same throughout Scripture, like (I Sam. 23:3): “Behold we are afraid here in Judah; how much more so (אֲף כִּי) if we go to Keilah...?” Likewise, in this chapter (15:5): “Behold when it was whole, it could not be used for work; how much less (אֲף כִּי) when fire has consumed it, etc.?”

My judgments Mes justises in Old French, my punishments.

remains Heb. נוֹתְרָה, iyert rem[n]s in Old French, will have remained.

who are being brought out in captivity, and they will bring them here.

their deed Heb. עֲלִילוֹתָם, their deeds.