신명기 28:64의 인용 해설

And Moses called, etc. It is evident that this section is one of comfort and is meant to reassure Israel after the ninety-eight curses, which do not fall on any [other] nation or culture when they are exiled and punished by the ruling nation. Which is to say that the dispersal is not so far—among all the nations from one end of the earth, etc. (Deuteronomy 28:64), and also the suffering at the time of their destruction is not so extreme, as Daniel said: He fulfilled his word on us that he spoke against us... bringing on us this great tragedy, that there has never been done under the heavens what was done in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:12). And Moses intends to placate the people.

But these comforts are not transparent. And what new disclosure did he make to them that would calm their hearts? And the final verse also isn’t clear: And you shall keep the words of this covenant, etc.—what is there to keep and to do with this covenant, which is nothing but receiving blessings and curses?

Before we come to the explanation of the verses, we must remark that Israel are called by God’s name for His glory and kingship—so that through them, God’s glory and kingship may be revealed over the whole world. And if the glory of God’s kingship cannot be revealed any other way, we cannot clamor against this, because it is for this purpose that we were created. And like a flesh and blood king, who conscripts his soldiers to great labor in frequent war—in the day they do not rest, and in the night they have no quiet, and also they are endangered and injured in the war—they cannot complain about this at all. For this is not, God forbid, from the ill intentions of the king. Rather, it is because he needs to expand his kingdom, and that is how he comes to be king in the province. And thus, they enter into his service with strength and guard the kingdom with their bodies and with their lives. So too, the King of kings of kings, the Holy Blessed One, created His world in order that His glory fill all of creation, as is written in the book of Genesis 2:4. And to that end, He took us to be His nation and His slaves, so that this purpose will be fulfilled through our agency. Therefore, any way necessity provides to arrive at that end, we have nothing to complain about at all. We have already explained in Genesis 17:4 that this is the meaning of I have made you the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4)—that Abraham and his descendents were sanctified as the chosen nation to be a covenent of peoples and a light of nations (Isaiah 42:6) through their faith, even without them being converts and entering within Israel, rather by displacing idolatry from the land. And this is clarified also in the binding of Isaac, that the descendents of Abraham were sanctified for this purpose, to reach that end, even through all the suffering in the world. And we explained there King David’s statement in the name of the children of Israel, though you crushed us in a place of beasts, ... For your sake we were killed all day, we were considered as sheep for the slaughter (Psalms 44:20-23); see there (Harchev Davar on Genesis 22:17). That is the overall essense of the matter.

And now we will come to the clarification of the verses with which Moses our teacher placated all of Israel, and said you saw all that God did, etc. (Deuteronomy 29:1)—he began that in everything you saw, God showed the essense of His desire, that His name and glory grow in the whole land. And he explained how He thus demonstrated this purpose:

Another explanation, Since all these commandments are obligations of the body and are not dependent on the land, and Israel is obligated to observe them whether in the land [of Israel] or outside it, whether during the time when the Temple exists or when it doesn’t exist, except for these two commandments I am [the Lord your God] and You shall have no [other gods] which are not fulfilled except when Israel dwells on their land and God makes His face shine upon them and speaks to them directly, for they do not exist with the hiding of [God’s] face. But at the time when the children are exiled from their Father’s table, then I am the Lord your God is not fulfilled, as our Sages already said (Ketubot 110b) that one who dwells outside the Land [of Israel] is like one who has no God, etc. And You shall have no other gods is not fulfilled because it is said in the rebuke (Deuteronomy 28:64) And there you will serve other gods. Rashi explained: “Since you pay taxes to the priests of idolatry, the verse considers it as if you worshipped them.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke these two commandments specifically in direct address, because when Israel is successful, it is said (Leviticus 26:9) I will turn to you. And then the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks with them face to face, and at that time these two commandments are fulfilled, therefore it says before Me. But the rest of the commandments are fulfilled even when Israel is in a state of the hiding of [God’s] face, therefore they are stated in third person.
And this is what was said (Makkot 24a) I am and You shall have no we heard from the mouth of the Might. They specifically mentioned the attribute of Might regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, because this was said about the time when Israel is in tranquility, and at that time they add strength to the Might above. But at the time when they are in a state of the hiding [of His] face, they weaken His strength, as it were, as our Sages said (Yalkut Shimoni, Ha’azinu 945) that the righteous add strength to the Might above, as it is said (Numbers 14:17) And now, may the strength of the Lord be increased. And the wicked weaken His strength, as it is said The Rock who bore you, you weakened. And all this is said from the perspective of the receivers, for in truth there is no change above, as it is written (Malachi 3:6) I am the Lord, I have not changed. But this weakening of strength occurs at the time when a wicked person’s sins have captured him and his judgment is decided to cut off the flow of the channels from him. It appears as if there is, heaven forbid, a weakening of strength above which prevented [God] from doing good to him. But the righteous cause the flowing of the channels, and through them the Might above is seen.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Since it says I am the Lord and the special Name is in the language of Being [Havayah], indicating that He, blessed be He, is always in His being, whether in the past, present, or future — at all times He was, is, and will be in one state of being — it was necessary to say here You shall have no [other gods], because these [other gods] are not in a state of being and they change. For we find that our Sages of blessed memory (Pesachim 23) interpret the language of will be [yihyeh] as indicating “in their state of being they will remain.” Therefore it says here [literally] There will not be for you to indicate that they [other gods] will not remain in their state of being, but rather they change and become “others” — both from the perspective that as they age, their form deteriorates, in the city You despise their image (Psalms 73:20); and from the perspective that they change from silver to gold to wood to stone; and from the perspective that they are “other” to their worshippers, who cry out to them but are not answered. Therefore it says there will not be for you, and the proof of this is that they are other gods. And it says before Me — we have already said above that specifically when My face is turned toward you, then You shall have no other gods, but if sin causes you to be in a state of “the hiding of [God’s] face” [hester panim], then inevitably you will serve other gods, as Moses warned in the rebuke (Deuteronomy 28:64), And there you will serve other gods, which means that because you pay taxes to idolatrous priests, Scripture considers it as if you worshipped them.