신명기 7:16의 인용 해설

“And your fear and dread etc.” Although it was already stated and they shall rule over the fish of the sea etc., nevertheless, [God] added here [the elements of] fear and dread because He permitted [humans] to kill and eat from them [the animals]. For why would an ox go to slaughter and not protest against its owner if not for the fact that the hand of God did this by casting the fear of man upon all living creatures, to direct them wherever He desires. And since He permitted the killing of animals, one might think that killing humans was also permitted — therefore Scripture states However, your blood of your souls [I will demand]… And the reason why eating meat was not [originally] permitted to man was because any common person [am ha’aretz] is forbidden to eat meat. But Noah, who engaged in Torah study, was permitted to do so. The commentators gave a reason for this: Because every created being is sustained by what is beneath it. For inanimate matter, which is the lowest of all existing things, sustains itself. Plant life is sustained by inanimate matter, as it draws from the earth. All living creatures are sustained by plant life, and humans — the speaking species — are sustained by animals. However, this only applies when one is engaged in Torah study and has achieved perfection, for which one is called “human” [adam]. Without this, one is comparable to animals, so why should one eat one’s own kind? What perfection would be added to one’s equal when consuming them? For all food transforms into the nature of the one consuming it, and when a human eats from animals, perfection is added to the animal by entering into the ranks of the speaking species. But a person who is comparable to an animal — what would they give or add to what is eaten? In this vein it is said And you shall consume all the peoples (Deuteronomy 7:16) and it is written For they are our bread (Numbers 14:9), because you [Israel] are called “adam” [human] but not the [other] nations.

A Midrashic approach (based on Tanchuma Shemini 6 or Vayikra Rabbah 13,2). The words זאת החיה אשר תאכלו, “this is the category of creature that you may eat,” reflect Chabakuk 3,6: ”when He stands He makes the earth shake, when He glances, He makes nations tremble.” At the time when G’d was about to give the Torah to the Jewish people, He stood and contended with the earth and gave the Torah to Israel in public, in full view of everyone. At that time He lifted the restrictions against spilling the blood of the seven Canaanite nations inhabiting the land of Israel. We have several verses to that effect, one in Isaiah 60,12 “for the nation that does not serve you shall perish;” a reference to the lives of those seven nations. We have another verse in Deuteronomy 20,16: “you shall not let live anyone;” the repetition of such permission in Isaiah means that also the money, physical possessions of those nations, was permitted to be kept as loot. This is supported also by the words “you shall consume all the (7) (seven) nations” (Deut. 7,16).
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that the meaning of the verse in Chabakuk 3,6 is that G’d spied out amongst all those nations, searching for a country which would be suitable as a homeland for the Jewish people, a mountain suitable to give them the Torah, etc., and that He found none other than the land of these seven nations. Rabbi Hunna from Tzippori understood the word וימודד in that verse to mean that G’d (allegorically speaking) loosened their girdles, i.e. much as in Job 12,8 which is the reverse of חגור מתניכם, “tighten your belt ready for war or marching.” Rabbi Tanchum, son Chanilai said that the meaning of those words is that He let loose against them all the forbidden creepers. According to Vayikra Rabbah 13,2 this is a simile comparing the situation to a farmer who came to a threshing ground with a donkey on one side and a dog on the other. He loaded the donkey with five measures of grain and the dog with two. The donkey trotted along contentedly whereas the dog was clearly resentful. So the farmer took one of the measures of grain from the dog and added it to the load the donkey was carrying. Whereas the donkey did not protest the dog was still resentful. The farmer told the dog that it was not much good to him seeing it was unwilling to accept any responsibility (the seven Noachide laws) at all. Similarly the Gentile nations and the Jewish people. Seeing that the former do not even observe the basic seven Noachide laws G’d does not have much use for them and has permitted the Israelites to dispossess them completely. [In the version in the Midrash the restrictive word “seven” is absent. It appears that our author was careful not to offend the Christians in his host country. Ed.]
Another parable illustrating the relationship between G’d and the Jewish people. A physician went to see two of his patients. To the family of the one who was in a life-and death-situation he did not prescribe a specific diet for the patient, permitting him to eat whatever he wanted. To the second patient he gave very precise instructions what not to eat as this was apt to save his life. After a while the patient to whom the doctor had not prescribed a specific diet died whereas the other patient recovered. The families of both patients became aware that the doctor had prescribed only for the one patient and they wanted to know why. The doctor explained that the patient who died had been doomed already. There was therefore no point in denying him what he could enjoy on a short-term basis. The same applies to the Israelites and the seven Gentile nations who are doomed. Seeing that the latter are headed for death anyway, there is not much point in prescribing a restrictive diet. The Israelites, however, may be saved from their sickness if they keep a strict diet. Hence the Torah issued the instructions in this chapter, while allowing the Gentiles to eat whatever they want. This is the mystical dimension of introducing this chapter with the words זאת החיה, this is the life-giving legislation regarding food which may be consumed, etc.” Seeing that the Israelites are attached to eternal life, it is important hat they not consume food which could endanger their hereafter.

ויאכלו, “they ate.” The plain meaning of the text is that the subject of the word are those who were in the habit of eating, i.e. Ishmael and the other members of Avraham’s household. We encounter something similar in Isaiah 5,12 והיה כנור ונבל תף וחליל ויין משתיהם “and their banquets consisted of lyre and lute, timbrel and flute and wine;” it is obvious that people do not drink musical instruments such as the ones mentioned in that verse, but that these instruments provide only background music to the banquet whereas the wine is fit to drink.
A Midrashic approach: The word ויאכלו is not to be understood literally (Bereshit Rabbah 48,14); the angels appeared to eat seeing that the meat was the first thing to disappear. This was not unlike Judges 6,21 in an incident involving Gideon. We are told there: וישלח מלאך ה' את קצה המשענת אשר בידו ויגע בבשר ובמצות, ותעל האש מן הצור ותאכל את הבשר ואת המצות, “The angel of the Lord held out the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread with its tip. A fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread.” The term אכילה, “eating, consuming,” is applied to matters which disappear. A classic example of such use of the word is found in Deut. 32,42 וחרבי תאכל בשר, “my sword will consume flesh.” Another such example is also found in Deut. 7,16 ואכלת את כל העמים, “you will consume all the nations, etc..”

ותשחת [THE EARTH] WAS CORRUPT — It means lewdness and idolatry, as (Deuteronomy 4:16) פן תשחיתון “lest ye deal corruptly” (the following words show that this refers to idolatry) and as ‘כי השחית כל בשר וגו “for all flesh had corrupted etc.” (in next verse of this chapter where Rashi states that this has reference to lewdness) (Sanhedrin 57a).

I laid a snare for you Heb. יקשתי, an expression of a snare (מוֹקֵש).