신명기 32:30의 주석

איכה ירדף אחד HOW ONE MAN of the nations COULD PURSUE אלף A THOUSAND of the Israelites.

איכה ירדוף אחד אלף, they should have realised that if they were able to pursue the Israelites, one against 1000, that this was not something natural.

איכה ירדף אחד אלף, "How could one man pursue a thousand?" This refers to the fact that one Gentile suddenly was able to put to flight one thousand Jews. During all the normal wars between the various nations such a thing was unheard of. Not a single enemy amongst the nations possesses such superiority over his opponents.

One of us [pursue] a thousand of Yisroel. [It does] not [mean] one Jew chasing a thousand of them, because it is listing curses here. Some ask: It is a fact that the attribute of goodness is greater than the attribute of punishment! And with regard to the attribute of goodness it is written, “Five of you will pursue one hundred” (Vayikra 26:8). [Why then] in the attribute of punishment [it states,] that one of them will pursue a thousand of Yisroel? One can answer that the punishments listed in this song are an exception to the letter of the law of strict justice. And this is what is referred to in Megillas Eicha “she has descended astonishingly” (Eicha 1:9), that their downfall was amazing [i.e.], not according to the general law pertaining to attributes [where the attribute of goodness is far greater than the attribute of punishment].

VV. 30 u. 31. איכה וגו׳. Die völlige Macht- und Widerstandslosigkeit Israels seinen Feinden gegenüber hätte diesen sagen können, nicht ihrer Tapferkeit und der ihnen durch den Genius ihrer nationalen Errungenschaft innewohnenden Überlegenheit verdanken sie den so unendlich leichten Sieg, sondern der Verlassenheit und Preisgebung Israels von Gott, der bis dahin sein Hort und seine Stärke gewesen, und dessen Beistand es verscherzt. כי לא כצורנו צורם. Denn, wenn Israel von seinem Hort nicht verlassen worden wäre, ja, wenn Israels Hort nicht ganz eigentlich dessen Unterjochung durch die Völker gewollt, es ihnen zu diesem Zwecke nicht ganz eigentlich ausgeliefert hätte, wenn es in dem Kampf der Völker gegen Israel in Wahrheit einen Kampf des Völkerhorts mit Israels Hort gegolten hätte, dann wäre Israel nicht unterlegen, dann wäre nicht Israel, dann wären die Völker die Besiegten gewesen; mit Israels Hort kann der Völker Hort sich nicht messen, das haben ja die Völker bereits aus der ganzen Vergangenheit gelernt, darüber kann man ihnen bereits selbst das Urteil zutrauen. פלילים (siehe zu Bereschit 48, 11) פלל und das Subst. פליל findet sich nirgends als Ausübung einer politischen Gewalt. Es ist immer ein auf Überlegung und Folgerung beruhendes Urteilen.

אם לא כי צורם מכרם, “unless their “Rock” (their G–d) had sold them.” The verb מכר appears in the sense in which it is used here, in Judges 4,9, when Deborah tells Barak that the glory of the victory over Siserah will not be his but that of a woman, כי ביד אשה ימכור ה' את סיסרא, “for the Lord will deliver Sisera (the enemy general) into the hands of a woman.”

'איכה ירדוף וגו, “how could one chase a thousand? How could a situation have changed so radically that whereas previously one Israelite could put 1000 gentiles to flight, and two Israelites could put ten thousand adversaries to flight, whereas now one gentile can put one thousand Israelites to flight, whereas by now the situation is reversed? Not only must we marvel at this fact but we must ask ourselves why something like this could have happened? Is it not obvious that this could only have happened because our “Rock” has abandoned us? Our author sites as proof that Moses was not exaggerating (Judges 20,10).

אם לא כי צורם מכרם EXCEPT THAT THEIR ROCK HAD DELIVERED THEM — sold them and delivered them into our hands, 'delivrer' in old French (Eng. = deliver).

אם לא כי צורם מכרם, He fought against them, neutralising their aggressiveness and turning them weak like women.

Another meaning: "How could one special nation amongst all the Gentile nations pursue one thousand Israelites? Please compare what I have written on Leviticus 26,8 on the verse: "five of you will pursue one hundred."

וה' הסגירם, “and the Lord had delivered them up?” The Lord had delivered them into our hands when we performed such deeds of valour.

רבבה, “ten thousand;”

אם לא כי צורם מכרם, "unless their Rock had sold them." The reference is to the attribute of Justice, as I have explained in connection with verse 4. Moses added וה׳ הסגירם, "and even the attribute of Mercy had delivered them." Unless both the attribute of Justice and the attribute of Mercy cooperated it is impossible to explain a decline of such dimensions in the fortunes of the Jewish people.

ושנים יניסו רבבה “and two men can put ten thousand of their adversaries to flight;” in other words, one can even put five thousand of the enemy to flight. When the Israelites were loyal to the Torah, the Torah described Leviticus 26,8, five as putting one hundred of the enemy to flight. When they were disloyal to the Torah the ratio of their enemies putting them to flight is multiplied; in fact when the Israelites pursue their enemies they catch them so fast that no astronomical figures have to be mentioned. The enemies fall before them like flies, do not need to be pursued for any great distance. When the Torah speaks of us fleeing, it does not mention being killed, rather it mentions that we will be so nervous that even when no pursuer is in sight we will flee. (Leviticus 26,17)