Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 11:37

AND THOU SHALT KEEP HIS CHARGE — to fear Him, that you be heedful of sinning against Him. For after enjoining them concerning the love of G-d,²⁷²At the beginning of this verse: And thou shalt love the Eternal thy G-d. He commands them concerning fear [of Him] and He enjoins the observance of the statutes, ordinances, and commandments. Or it may be that the expression and thou shalt keep His charge means that you are to protect what G-d protects, for He preserveth the strangers,²⁷³Psalms 146:9. is gracious unto the poor²⁷⁴Proverbs 19:17. and the destitute, and He doth execute justice for the fatherless and the widow.²⁷⁵Above, 10:18. As it is said elsewhere, to keep the charge of the Eternal thy G-d, to walk in His ways,²⁷⁶I Kings 2:3. and the Rabbis have said:²⁷⁷Shabbath 133b. “Just as He is gracious and merciful,²⁷⁸Exodus 34:6. so you also be gracious and merciful, etc.”

ושמרת משמרתו, “you shall keep His charge.” Nachmanides understands these words to mean that we must maintain an attitude of reverence and fear even, which will ensure that we will not sin. Having previously commanded us to love Him (G’d), Moses now commands us to fear Him, as familiarity of the beloved might cause the beloved to sin inadvertently. This fear/reverence relationship covers all the various types of commandments in the Torah. Alternatively, this may be a command by Moses to emulate G’d in our relationship with creatures of whom G’d has demonstrated that He is especially solicitous. He declared His concern for the poor, the orphan and the widow, so we must relate to them with equal concern. He practices the virtues of being merciful; hence we, His creatures, must learn to practice that same virtue.

Kap. 11. V. 1. ואהבת schließt sich unmittelbar dem vorigen als Konsequenz an. ושמרת משמרתו Gott hat Israel sein Gesetz als anvertrauten Schatz zur Hut übergeben. וחקתיו dieses Waw bedeutet mit dem folgenden: sowohl als, und stellt die verschiedenen Teile des Gesetzes, die Sittlichkeitsgesetze, die sozialen Rechtsordnungen und die positiven Aufgaben, als durchaus an Dignität völlig gleiche Bestandteile des anvertrauten Schatzes. Mit all dem Großen, was Gott rettend, erhaltend, beglückend, belehrend und bildend für uns getan, wollte er nichts als einen Depositär und Vollbringer seines Gesetzes im Kreise der Völker sich schaffen. In Erfüllung dieser Bestimmung hat Israel seine liebende Hingebung an Gott zu betätigen.

וידעתם היום AND KNOW YE THIS DAY — Set your heart to know and comprehend, and to accept my reproof.

HIS GREATNESS, HIS MIGHTY HAND, AND HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “[His greatness etc.] to bring you out from Egypt; and the signs²⁷⁹Mentioned in Verse 3. and wonders, which He did to Pharaoh; and what He did unto you in the wilderness,²⁸⁰Verse 5. in the matter of the manna.” But in my opinion it is incorrect, for now he [Moses] speaks only of the chastisement with which G-d admonished those who transgressed His will; [instead, the correct interpretation of the verse is as follows:] His greatness in that He exalted and elevated Himself when saying, Have thou this glory over me;²⁸¹Exodus 8:5. These are Moses’ words to Pharaoh to make the plague of frogs cease on the day fixed by Pharaoh. By tomorrow shall this sign be;²⁸²Ibid., Verse 19. And I will distinguish [between My people and thy people];²⁸²Ibid., Verse 19. that thou mayest know that the earth is the Eternal’s.²⁸³Ibid., 9:29. And His mighty hand [refers to], And I will put forth My hand, and smite Egypt;²⁸⁴Ibid., 3:20. the great work which the Eternal did [upon the Egyptians].²⁸⁵Ibid., 14:31. “Work” — literally: “hand.” And His outstretched arm [means] that He did not give the Egyptians relief and deliverance from the moment His hand was stretched out upon them, and He hath not withdrawn His hand from consuming²⁸⁶Lamentations 2:8. until He destroyed them. And what He did unto you in the wilderness,²⁸⁰Verse 5. [means] that He smote you [Israel] in the affair of the calf,²⁸⁷Exodus 32:35. in the fire that burned at Taberah,²⁸⁸Numbers 11:1-3. [in the affair of] the fiery serpents,²⁸⁹Ibid., 21:6. Kibroth-hattaavah,²⁹⁰Ibid., 11:35. the plague at Shittim,²⁹¹Ibid., 25:9. and the decree in the affair of the spies so that the hand of G-d was upon them until they came to this place. He [Moses] shortened, however, the account of the punishments that He inflicted upon them. And if so, Therefore shall ye keep all the commandment etc. that ye may be strong,²⁹²Verse 8. for His mighty hand strengthens those who keep His commandments, neither will He uphold the evildoers.²⁹³Job 8:20.

כי לא את בניכם, therefore, you who have become witnesses to G’d’s miracles for the generations by reason of the fact that you enter this land and conquer it.

וידעתם היום, "and you shall know as of this day, etc." Moses means as of this day after you have reviewed all the proofs it is your duty to know that G'd has performed all these miracles as He did not perform them for your children. If your children who have only heard about all this would deny knowledge of these events this is one thing. You, however, who have witnessed all these events are in no position to deny knowledge of them. There was no need for Moses to define what precisely he meant by the word ידיעה, knowledge. They had seen with their own eyes miracles which proved that G'd is unique, has created the universe and is the supreme Ruler who despises those who disobey His laws and has chosen as His people those who adopt the laws of the Torah.

את מוסר, disciplinary measures as described in Deut.8,5 “as a father disciplines his son, so the Lord your G’d disciplines you.”

Pay close attention so that you know and understand, etc. [“You will know today,”] does not mean that they will know something new today. For he told them nothing new here.

V. 2. היום steht wohl dem כל הימים des vorhergehenden Verses gegenüber. Die Aufgabe der Gesetzeshut umfasst alle Geschlechter aller Zeiten. Aber das gegenwärtige, das zuerst der Lösung dieser Aufgabe näher tritt, hat ganz besonders Grund, mit vollster Kraft an die Lösung dieser Aufgabe zu gehen; was den kommenden Geschlechtern nur durch Überlieferung kund sein wird, das hat das gegenwärtige unmittelbar selbst erfahren. כי לא את בניכם ist offenbar elliptisch, so viel als: rede ich. — את מוסר ד׳ אלקיכם ist die ganze Führung von Mizrajim durch die Wüste; alles, womit) Gott belehrend und erziehend auf Israel eingewirkt (siehe zu Kap. 8, 5).

כי לא את בניכם, “that it was not your children;” Moses warns his own generation that it was they who would be punished for ignoring the laws of the Torah, as it was they who had witnessed G–d’s miracles for them, not their children who had been born in the desert.

ואשר לא ראו את מוסר, “and who have not witnessed Your chastisement;” Moses will furnish the details immediately.

כי לא את בניכם FOR NOT WITH YOUR CHILDREN am I now speaking who might say, “We do not know nor have we seen all this” (all that God did for you, and what He did to Egypt, and for you in the wilderness, and to Dathan and Abiram, as related in vv. 2—6).

וזרועו הנטויה, which is ever ready to smite those who will revert to their sinful ways.

That I now speak, etc. For the word את [here] means the same as עם (with). Rashi adds, “That I now speak,” for without adding “That I now speak” the [meaning of the] verse cannot be understood. Therefore he needed to explain the word את means “with,” for the word עם applies only to one who is being spoken to. Also Rashi adds the word “now,” for without it the verse means that He would never speak with any of their offspring, only with these alone.

את גדלו: seine Größe, die überall da ausreichte, wo alle normale Aussicht geschwunden war; את ידו החזקה וגו׳, die er Mizrajim gegenüber in Israels Befreiung bekundet hat.

V. 3. מעשיו וגו׳ sind das, was sonst מופתים heißt, direkt auf die Persönlichkeit und deren Güter, Wandlung der Überzeugung und Gesinnung bezweckend, einwirkende Gottesschickungen. אותותיו ומעשיו sind die עשר מכות.

HOW HE MADE THE WATER OF THE RED SEA TO OVERFLOW THEM THAT PURSUED AFTER YOU, AND HOW THE ETERNAL HATH DESTROYED THEM UNTO THIS DAY. I have not understood the meaning of the phrase, unto this day, for all who die in the sea are destroyed forever [thus the expression unto this day would appear redundant]! Possibly it refers back to the expression unto their horses, and to their chariots, that for the entire generation [following the exodus] horses and chariots remained [irretrievably] lost, since Pharaoh had taken along with him all the horses, chariots, and horsemen that were in Egypt and they were all destroyed, and henceforth it was a lowly kingdom²⁹⁴Ezekiel 17:14. without the chariot and horse, the army and the power.²⁹⁵Isaiah 43:17. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that [the expression unto this day] denotes that their children afterwards never rose in their stead to resemble them. Rabbi Abraham’s intent is to state that G-d [not only] destroyed the pursuers in the sea, [but] in Egypt [proper] He destroyed the seed [of the pursuers], not leaving them a name and remnant,²⁹⁶Ibid., 14:22. since they were the most wicked of all the Egyptians to pursue after the redeemed of the Eternal.²⁹⁷Ibid., 62:12. But this is not mentioned in the Torah!

ויאבדם ה' עד היום הזה, for then the choicest captains of the Egyptian cavalry were drowned with their armies in such a decisive manner that even now, forty years later, they have not recovered from this defeat. Until this day these military leaders of Egypt have not been replaced.

אשר הציף את מי הים סוף על פניהם...ויאבדם ה' עד היום הזה, “Who poured the waters of the Sea of Reeds upon their faces…and He wiped them out until this day.” Nachmanides agonises over the meaning of the words עד היום הזה, “until this day.” After all, all the Egyptians who perished in the sea remain dead forever. What does any of this have to do with “היום הזה”? It is possible that Moses by speaking of היום הזה, reverts to the loss of horses and riders that the Egyptians experienced at that time 40 years ago, and which to the best of his knowledge had not been made good until the time when he was speaking. As a result of that stunning military defeat, according to Moses, Egypt had become relegated to being a “third rate kingdom.” Ibn Ezra understands Moses to mean that never since that time until now did there arise among the Egyptians personalities of impressive stature as Egypt had produced many of while the Israelites were still in that country. This would have been a fitting punishment for a people who in spite of being blessed with an abundance of riches allowed themselves to descend to unparalleled depths of depravity. They reached a zenith in their wickedness when they set out in pursuit of a nation that had been redeemed by the Creator Himself, personally.

V. 4. 2 .הציף וגו׳ על פניהם. B. M. 14, 27 heißt es: ומצרים נסים לקראתו, das Wasser stürzte also ihnen entgegen und warf sie rücklings nieder. Daher: על פניהם. צוף wohl verwandt mit צפה, das im Piel einen Überzug, eine Oberfläche machen heißt: so צוף: obenauf schwimmen, צפו מים על ראשי (Klagel. 3, 21). ויצף הכרול, er brachte das Eisen an die Oberfläche (Kön. II. 6, 6). ויאכדם ד׳ עד היום הזה wohl: die ägyptische Macht hat sich nicht wieder erholt.

ואשר עשה לחיל מצרים, “and what He did to the army of Egypt;” Moses adds in verse 6, that G-d had killed Datan and Aviram. These two actions do not appear to be related to one another, neither in the manner in which either party met its death, nor in the quantity of people involved in each action. Why did Moses treat them in such a manner? He wished to demonstrate how both the earth and the ocean collaborated with G-d. The Egyptians did not drown in the regular manner but the waves piled up upon them forcing them below. In the case of Datan and Aviram, though they stood far away from Korach, they were also swallowed by the earth which strained to carry out what it perceived to be G-d’s will. Onkelos pays tribute to the astuteness with which nature cooperated with G-d, i.e. חכימא מיא, “the waters acted with wisdom.”

V. 5. ואשר עשה לכם. Verse 3 — 6 zählt wohl einzelne Tatsachen auf, die V. 2 nach ihren Bedeutungen charakterisiert sind, und umfasst daher ואשר עשה לכם וגו׳ all das Freud- und Leidvolle, das sie unter Gottes Führung in der Wüste erfahren hatten.

ואשר עשה לכם במדבר, “and what He did for you in the desert;” this is a reference to the manna. (Ibn Ezra)

בקרב כל ישראל [AND THE EARTH SWALLOWED THEM UP] IN THE MIDST OF ALL ISRAEL — Wherever one of them fled the earth was riven beneath him and swallowed him up. This is the view of R. Judah. Rabbi Nehemiah said to him: But is it not already stated, (Numbers 16:32) “And the earth opened its mouth”, and it does not state “its mouths”? Whereupon he (R. Judah) asked him: “But how, then, can I explain the words: “in the midst of all Israel” (if there was but one spot at which they were swallowed up, as you suggest Scripture states by the word פיה, “its mouth”)? He replied to him: you can reconcile the two texts by assuming that the earth became a declivity, — something like a funnel, — and wherever it was that one of them happened to be, he rolled down until he reached the place where the fissure was (cf. Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 752).

He mentions and what He did unto Dathan and A biram,²⁹⁸Verse 6. but did not mention of Korach and his company that a fire came forth from before the Eternal and consumed them, because it is a prohibition of the Torah for a stranger [non-priest] to approach [the Sanctuary] to burn incense,²⁹⁹See Ramban to Numbers 17:5 (Vol. IV, pp. 185-186). such a transgressor being punished in all future generations, as happened also to King Uzziah;³⁰⁰II Chronicles 26:19. therefore he did not enumerate it among the signs in the wilderness.

כל היקום..בקרב כל ישראל, "every substance…in the midst of all Israel." This means that the earth swallowed even the substances belonging to Datan and Aviram which were not in the vicinity of their owners wherever they happened to be at that moment. Bamidbar Rabbah 18,13 claims that even a needle was included in this statement.

ואשר עשה לדתן ואבירם, “and what He has done to Datan and Aviram, etc.” Moses does not mention what G’d had done to Korach and his family and followers and how heavenly fire consumed the 250 people offering incense. The sin of those people who had encroached on privileges reserved for the priests was such that it is irredeemable even after death. History has shown that King Uzziah who tried to arrogate similar privileges to himself, was similarly stricken. What had happened to those 250 men therefore was not something unique to the generation of the Israelites in the desert; this is why Moses did not mention it as such at this time. [Compare Chronicles II chapter 26. Uzziah only became stricken with leprosy, was not burned by heavenly fire, according to that report. Perhaps the fact that he was stricken after having been specifically warned was sufficient of a miracle for Moses in the opinion of our author to compare his fate to that of the 250 men who had heeded Moses’ dare to offer incense. Ed.]

The ground sloped, funnel-like, etc. Rashi does not explain the verse in the order that it is written. [He explains “Amid all of Israel,” before explaining, “And all the sustenance, etc.”] The reason is: “Amid, etc.” also refers to, “You will know (v. 2).” [I.e.,] it is fitting to accept my reprimand since you witnessed all the signs He performed in Egypt, and what He did for you in the wilderness, and what He did for you when Dosson and Avirom were swallowed up amid all of Israel — the ground sloped (funnel-like), and no one from Israel fell in even if he were standing next to him, and this was a great miracle.

V. 6. בתיהם neben אהליהם sind wohl die Familienglieder des Hauses (vergl. Bamidbar 16, 27 u. 32). כל היקום אשר ברגליהם ist wohl das dort durch כל האדם אשר לקרח Bezeichnete. Es sind dies die sonstigen Hausgenossen. יקום (siehe zu Bereschit 7, 4) daselbst 23 umfasßt יקום alles Lebendige. Möglich, dass auch hier Tiere mit verstanden sind, heißt es doch Bamidbar 16, 32 ואת כל הרכוש, Sanhedrin 110 a wird יקום vom ganzen Reichtum Korachs verstanden. — אשר ברגליהם, in diesem hier und sonst häufig das Gefolge bezeichnenden Ausdruck ist wohl רגל als Schritt zu begreifen, wie לרגל המלאכה (Bereschit 33, 14).

ואת בתיהם, “and their houses.” Wives, children, and their young infants went to their deaths.

ואת כל היקום אשר ברגליהם AND ALL THE SUBSTANCE THAT WAS AT THEIR FEET — This means a man’s money, that places him on his feet (Sanhedrin 110a).

כי עיניכם הראת BUT YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN — This is to be connected with the verse mentioned above (v. 2), thus: (2) For not with your children am I speaking who do not know, but with you whose eyes have seen, etc.

'כי עיניכם הרואות את כל מעשה ה, which He performed against those who rebelled against Him, to Pharaoh in Egypt, to Pharaoh at the Sea, to those who rebelled against Him in the desert, Datan and Aviram,. It is therefore up to you who have experienced all this with your own eyes to warn your children who have not been eyewitnesses to these events. Therefore,

כי עיניכם, for your own eyes have seen this.

For it is not with your children, etc. The first כי (v. 2) in the verse means “for,” and the second כי means “rather.” As if it says, “Pay close attention so that you know and understand my reprimand, for it is not with your children that I now speak, etc.,” as Rashi explained above. “But rather with you… I am speaking.” And since it is not [grammatically] correct to say, “Rather with you, eyes have witnessed,” Rashi adds the words אשר (whose) before “eyes.”

V. 7. את כל מעשה. Die Herstellung Israels zum Volk des Gottesgesetzes ist eine große Gottestat, von welcher die erwähnten Ereignisse nur einzelne Momente bilden.

ושמרתם את כל המצות אשר אנכי מצוך היום, the commandment to erect the stones in the Jordan as well as the stones you will take with you from the Jordan on which you will inscribe the Torah for the benefit of future generations so that the memory that these events really happened will be preserved.

ושמרתם את כל המצוה..למען תחזקו "You shall keep all the commandment in order for you to be strong, etc." Moses advances this argument against the people who suggested a temporary neglect of Torah study, something which physically weakens those who pursue it with intensity. The argument was that they had to husband their physical strength in order for them to conquer the Canaanites. Compare Sanhedrin 26 describing Torah study as a physically debilitating experience based on the word תושיה in Isaiah 28,29. I have mentioned previously that whenever Moses uses the expression כל המצוה in the singular he refers to Torah study. The reason Moses used the expression ושמרתם here, an expression associated with the observance of negative commandments is that neglect of Torah study would be considered a violation equal to transgressing a negative commandment. Moses concludes our verse by saying: "in order that you will be strong" to tell you that far from weakening you, Torah study and מצוה-performance will strengthen you in the forthcoming war by G'd. This is also the meaning of Proverbs 8,14: אני בינה לי גבורה, "once I have acquired insight (through Torah study) courage and strength will be mine."

VV. 8 u. 9. ׳ושמרתם וגו. Ebenso wird die Kap. 10, 12 f. und Kap. 11. 1 in einzelnen Anforderungen vergegenwärtigte Aufgabe Israels hier in einen Gesamtbegriff, den der Mizwa zusammengefasst: es ist die Verpflichtung, für deren Lösung Israel die besondere Stellung inmitten der Völker erhalten hat und nun den dafür bestimmten Landesbesitz antreten soll. למען תחזקו: in dieser שמירת המצוה liegt die Quelle ihrer Kraft und ihrer allen Schwierigkeiten obsiegenden Stärke, sowie die Bedingung der Dauer ihrer Zukunft auf dem Boden dieses Landes. —זבת חלב ודבש (siehe Schmot 3, 8).

למען תחזקו ”in order that you be strong;” Moses does not tell the people to observe G–d’s laws in order that they will become strong (physically), for if that were the reason they would be fulfilling the Torah for the sake of the reward in store for them. This is not the proper motive. (Compare Ethics of our fathers chapter 1, mishnah 3) The interpretation of this line is as follows: “perform the commandments out of a feeling of love for the Lord.” The word למען, here does not mean: “in order that,” just as it does not mean “in order that” in verse 21 of our chapter where we read: למען יאריכון ימיך, in the Ten Commandments in chapter 5,16. It means that the reason you must be strong is in order that you can fulfill the commandment required of you. The word is not linked to what follows, but describes a requisite for successful performance of the Torah being not fear of G–d but love of G–d.

למען תחזקו, “in order that you will remain strong;” Moses does not mean that the commandments should be performed in order to strengthen the Israelites’ bodies; it is never recommended that we serve the Lord for the sake of reward on this earth. (Avot, 1,3) What he meant was that performance of the commandments as a whole punctiliously, would ensure that their stay on the ancestral land they were about to be given would endure for many years. (verse 9)

ולמען תאריכו ימים על האדמה, for if your children will not observe G’d’s commandments they will be exiled from this land before the warnings in the paragraph commencing with ונושנתם בארץ, “you will become well established in the land,” can ever become a reality (Deut.4,25).

לא כארץ מצרים הוא [THE LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST …] IS NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT, but it is better than it. He mentions Egypt because this assurance was made to Israel on their departure from Egypt, for they said: Perhaps we shall not come to a land as good and beautiful as this. — One might, however, think that Scripture is here speaking to its (the Land’s) disparagement, and that he states the following to them: It is not as the land of Egypt — but it is worse than it! It, however, states, (Numbers 13:22; see Rashi thereon) “And Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt etc.”. One person built both of them: Ham built Zoan for Mizrajim (Egypt), his son, and Hebron for Canaan, another son. The usual way is that a man first builds the better city, and afterwards builds the inferior one, because what is not good enough for the first he puts into the second, and, besides, the better is usually first. Thus you may learn that Hebron was a finer city than Zoan. Now Egypt is superior to all other lands, for it is stated of it, (Genesis 13:10) “Like the garden of the Lord, viz., like the land of Egypt”, and Zoan was the best city in Egypt, because it was the seat of royalty, for thus does it state, (Isaiah 30:4) “For in Zoan were its princes”; Hebron was the worst city in Canaan, — for this reason, indeed, they set it apart for a place of burial, — and yet it was finer than Zoan (cf. Sifrei Devarim 37:1-3). — In the Talmud, Treatise Ketuboth 112a, they derived this in another manner: Is it likely that a man would first build a house for his younger son (here Canaan), and afterwards for his elder son (Mizrajim)? But the meaning of שבע שנים נבנתה וכו׳ is that it (Hebron) was furnished (built up) with all excellencies seven times better than Zoan.

[FOR THE LAND, WHITHER THOU GOEST IN TO POSSESS IT, IS] NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT — “but better than it. This assurance was given to Israel upon their departure from Egypt, for they said, ‘Perhaps we will not come to a Land as good and beautiful as this’ [hence they were assured that the Land whither they were going was far better than Egypt]. One might, however, think that Scripture speaks in disdain of the Land, and Moses said thus to them: It is not as the land of Egypt — but worse than it!’ Scripture states, therefore, Behold, Hebron ‘nivnethah’ (was built) seven years before Zoan in Egypt.³⁰¹Numbers 13:22. One person [Ham] built [both] of them. Usually, a person builds the better city first and afterwards the inferior one etc.”³⁰²“For the material that is not good enough for the first he puts into the second etc.” (Rashi). Thus you learn that Hebron was superior to Zoan. There is more on this theme in Numbers 13:22 (Vol. IV, pp. 126-127). This is Rashi’s language from the Sifre.³⁰³Sifre, Eikev 37. And he further quoted what the Rabbis have interpreted in the Gemara of Tractate Kethuboth³⁰⁴Kethuboth 112a. Among the sons of Ham, Mitzraim was older than Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Therefore, why would Ham, who built both Hebron and Zoan, have erected Hebron for Canaan, his youngest son, seven years before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his older son? But the meaning is etc. with a different point of view: “Is it possible that a man would build a house for his younger son first and afterwards for his elder son?³⁰⁴Kethuboth 112a. Among the sons of Ham, Mitzraim was older than Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Therefore, why would Ham, who built both Hebron and Zoan, have erected Hebron for Canaan, his youngest son, seven years before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his older son? But the meaning is etc. But the meaning of the expression, Behold, Hebron ‘nivnethah’ seven years³⁰⁰II Chronicles 26:19. is that it was ‘built up’ superior to Zoan sevenfold.”
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse here is said by way of the warnings [with which Moses has been admonishing the Israelites]. For he said to them, “Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments etc. that you may possess the Land etc. a Land flowing with milk and honey,³⁰⁵Verses 8-9. since G-d will give the rain of your Land in its season³⁰⁶Further, Verse 14. and the Land shall yield her produce. But know you that it is not like the land of Egypt [where one can find sufficient water] to irrigate it with his feet from the streams and the pools as a garden of herbs.³⁰⁷In Verse 10 before us. See Vol. I, p. 179, Verse 10. Instead, it is a Land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water as, the rain of heaven cometh down,³⁰⁸Verse 11. not in any other way. Therefore it requires that G-d care for it always by giving it rain because it is a very thirsty Land and needs rain all year. If you transgress G-d’s Will and He does not care for it [the Land] with ‘rains of benevolence’³⁰⁹Taanith 19a. These are rains which come with blessing and graciousness, and are not destructive nor inadequate. it is a very bad one, it cannot be sown, nor beareth, nor any herb groweth³¹⁰Further 29:22. on its mountains.” All this he reviews and explains in the following section, that if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments,³¹¹Verse 13. then I shall give the rain of your Land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain³¹²Verse 14. always, and if you will not listen He shall shut up the heaven etc.³¹³Verse 17. and ye shall perish by famine from off the good Land,³¹³Verse 17. since you will not be able to live therein without rain.
Thus this section warns in terms of the laws of nature. From it we learn that although everything is within His authority and it was but a light thing in the sight of the Eternal,³¹⁴II Kings 3:18. blessed be He, to destroy the inhabitants of the land of Egypt and to dry up their rivers and streams, the land of Canaan, however, could be destroyed more quickly, by His not providing the showers of His mighty rain.³¹⁵Job 37:6 — Ramban’s reasoning is as follows: Even if the Land of Israel were similar to the land of Egypt, G-d could also have easily destroyed it by drying up its rivers and streams; yet, due to the fact that this section warns in terms of the laws of nature, and the Land of Israel is a Land of mountains and deep valleys, it is more vulnerable to destruction by lack of rain (Bachya). The sick person needs merits and prayer in order that G-d heal him more than the healthy one who is not struck by illness, and such is also the way with the poor and the rich, [although] the Eternal giveth light to the eyes of them both.³¹⁶Proverbs 29:13.
And because he said, a Land which the Eternal thy G-d careth for, when he should have said, “and it drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down ‘whenever’ the Eternal thy G-d careth for it,” the following interpretation of our Rabbis³¹⁷Sifre, Eikev 40. is alluded to in the text: “But does He not care for all lands, as it is said, to cause it to rain on a land where no man is?³¹⁸Job 38:26. [The answer is that the verse tells us] as it were, He exercises care for that Land alone, but through the particular care that He bestows on it, He cares also for all lands. The eyes of the Eternal thy G-d are always upon it³¹⁹Verse 12. to see what it requires and to enact new decrees for it, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad etc.”³²⁰“ ‘Sometimes for good.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year [when judgment is passed] were found to be utterly wicked, and it was decreed that very little rain fall for them, but later they repented, [what could be done in such a case?] To increase the quantity of rain cannot be done, since the decree had already been given. But the Holy One, blessed be He, causes it to come down at the proper time, when it is necessary for the benefit of the Land. ‘Sometimes for bad.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year were perfectly righteous etc.” (Rosh Hashanah 17b). as it is written in Tractate Rosh Hashanah.³²⁰“ ‘Sometimes for good.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year [when judgment is passed] were found to be utterly wicked, and it was decreed that very little rain fall for them, but later they repented, [what could be done in such a case?] To increase the quantity of rain cannot be done, since the decree had already been given. But the Holy One, blessed be He, causes it to come down at the proper time, when it is necessary for the benefit of the Land. ‘Sometimes for bad.’ In what respect? For instance, if Israel on the New Year were perfectly righteous etc.” (Rosh Hashanah 17b). There is also in this verse a profound secret, being that this Land is cared for “in all things” which is [called] Kol (All),³²¹See Genesis 24:1 (Vol. I, pp. 291-292). and all lands are sustained from it in truth.

כי הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה לא כארץ מצרים היא, which does not require rainfall.

כי הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה לא כארץ מצרים היא, This is part of the structure of these portions of the Torah, i.e. you need to observe the commandments of the Lord your G’d for the land of Israel cannot be compared to the land of Egypt, being superior in quality to the land of Egypt for the people who observe G’d’s laws. At the same time, it will prove inferior to the land of Egypt for people who do not observe G’d’s laws. Proof of this can be seen already in the fact that the land of Egypt enjoys constant irrigation from the river Nile, does not need rain, whereas the land of Israel is totally dependent on rainfall at the proper time of the year. The Egyptians enjoy their irrigation regardless of their being G’d fearing or not. Their staple foods are assured. The land of Israel, on the other hand, seeing that

לא כארץ מצרים היא אשר יצאתם משם, “it is not like the land of Egypt from which you have departed.” According to Nachmanides, the plain meaning of these words is meant as a warning to the people to be careful to observe the commandments of the Torah in that land as that land depends on rainfall, not like Egypt; therefore, non observance would lead G’d to withhold the necessary rainfall at the appropriate times. Moses impresses all this upon the people a second time in the second paragraph of the קריאת שמע that commences with verse 13 in this chapter. Moses refers to the land of Egypt and what goes on there to remind them that although it is easy for the Creator to arrest the flow of the river Nile if He so desires, and to thereby bring to an immediate end the prosperity of that land and its inhabitants, He does not interfere with His natural law without severe provocation. To interfere with the rainfall in the land of Canaan represents far less of an interference with natural law than arresting the flow of the river Nile, hence the people of Israel better be on their guard not to provoke G’d. Moreover, He Who had to go out of His way to enable the Israelites to be liberated from bondage by a number of miracles, would not hesitate to respond if the people for whom He had taken all this trouble were to show themselves ungrateful by violating His rules of conduct.

לא כארץ מצרים היא, “it is not like the land of Egypt;” a land which depends on manual irrigation, i.e. though water is always available it must be brought by man to the fields. The land of Canaan receives its irrigation directly from heaven, through rainfall, not requiring man to bend down and to do back-breaking labour. As long as you observe the laws of the Torah G’d will provide this rainfall for you and the land will produce its yield. If not, (verse 17) G’d will lock the heaven and there will not be any rain, hence no crops either. Even though G’d could have stopped the river flowing in Egypt if the Jews had remained there and failed to keep the laws of the Torah, Nachmanides already dealt with this by writing that G’d prefers to use minimal interference with natural events. Seeing that the land of Israel, as opposed to the land of Egypt, consists of mountains and valleys, an absence of rain means that whatever moisture there had been before will run off much faster than in a flat land like Egypt in which the moisture is retained longer. Sick people need to possess some merit in order to regain their health. Similarly, if Israel or the land of Israel becomes ”sick” as evidenced by an absence of rain, it has to acquire some merits to be healed, i.e. for G’d to make the rain descend again.

This assurance was made to the Israelites [when they departed from Egypt], etc. Rashi is answering the question: Why is Egypt be mentioned here more than any other land? Rashi explains: This assurance, etc.

VV. 10 u. 11. Der hier, wie überhaupt in Mosche Ermahnungen hervortretende stete Wechsel des Singulars und Plurals der Anrede dürfte die Absicht haben, der jetzt mit der Niederlassung im Lande dezentralisiert auseinandergehenden Vielheit des Volkes doch die immer bleibende Zusammenhörigkeit und Einheit zum Bewusstsein zu bringen. והשקית ברגלך וגו׳: Ägyptens Fruchtbarkeit ist unabhängig vom Regen. Es wird mit einer das ganze Land durchschneidenden Kanalisation des Nils durch Menschentätigkeit getränkt. So leidet Secharja 14, 18 unter allen Ländern Ägypten allein nichts beim Ausbleiben des Regens. Zweifelhaft ist die Bedeutung des ברגלך, ob es: schrittweise bedeutet, oder sich auf das Treten von Schöpfrädern bezieht. Nach Schabbat 85 a wäre es das erstere. —והארץ וגו׳, Palästina ist ein Land, dessen Wasserreichtum durch die vom Regen gespeisten Gebirgsquellen bedingt ist, das auch nicht nur in der Ebene, sondern auch auf Bergen und Bodenerhebungen anzubauen war, wo künstliche Bewässerung unmöglich ist. Seine Fruchtbarkeit war somit ganz auf den Regen angewiesen.

לא כארץ מצרים, “not like the land of Egypt; that land is a flat land lacking mountains and therefore enables its inhabitants to draw water from the Nile river through digging canals to the land surrounding the river. The Jewish people when in their ancestral land, by contrast, will have to depend on the rain to irrigate their land. As a result they will realise the need for their G–d being well disposed towards them as else He might withhold the required rainfall at the appropriate time for securing their success in the fields. Your fulfilling His commandments at the appropriate times, will insure that He grants rain at the appropriate time in the appropriate quantities.

'כי הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה וגו :”for the land that you are about to come to, etc.; ”the nature of that land requires that you observe G-d’s commandments.

אשר יצאתם משם [THE LAND OF EGYPT] FROM WHICH YE WENT FORTH — even the district of Raamses in which ye dwelt and which was in the best part of the land Egypt, as it is said, (Genesis 47:11) “[And Joseph placed his father and his brethren] in the best part of the land, [in the land of Raamses]” — even that is not as good as the land of Israel (cf. Sifrei Devarim 38:7).

עיני ה' אלוקיך בה, being constantly under the detailed scrutiny of the Lord your G’d, מרשית שנה ועד אחרית השנה, to ensure that you will have the necessary rainfall at the right time in the right amount, makes you aware of the need to conduct yourself so that He approves of you.

But perhaps Scripture speaks derogatorily, etc. Why should Moshe intend to speak derogatorily of Eretz Yisroel, God forbid? Were the spies not smitten for speaking derogatorily of Eretz Yisroel? Furthermore, how would we explain the verse following, “Rather, the Land where you are crossing to inherit [is a land of mountains and plains — ] by the rain of the skies will you drink water,” which is praising the Land? It seems that Rashi means to say, “But perhaps, etc.” i.e., even though Eretz Yisroel was superior to all other lands, including Mitzrayim, nevertheless Mitzrayim is superior on account that it grows crops perpetually, since it is constantly irrigated. But the Land that you are entering cannot be irrigated because it is a mountainous region. Furthermore, it needs to be irrigated many times, because the water flows down the mountain and does not saturate the land. Therefore, Eretz Yisroel does not grow crops naturally, but rather through Divine providence — supernaturally. This [statement] is praise to Eretz Yisroel that it is sustained by miracles, even though by natural means it is not as good as Mitzrayim. Therefore Rashi says, “But perhaps Scripture speaks derogatorily.” In other words, by describing its inferiority, the Land’s praiseworthiness is revealed.

This land is not like Egypt where all the farmer had to do was to plant the seed and nature would take over automatically, as the Nile would irrigate the seedlings and the crops would grow. Therefore: והיה אם תשמעו. “It will be as a result of your hearkening, etc, I will direct My rain to the land that needs it.

והשקית ברגלך [LIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT] WHICH THOU DIDST WATER WITH THY FOOT — The land of Egypt was such that you had to bring water from the Nile through your foot (i.e. you had to go to the Nile to bring water) to irrigate it — you had to rise from your sleep and to toil. Then again, the lowlying parts alone drank (were irrigated by the Nile) and not the higher land, and you had to take up water from the lower to the higher parts: but this land (Canaan), למטר השמים תשתה מים DRINKETH WATER OF THE RAIN OF HEAVEN — You may sleep soundly on your beds, and the Holy One, blessed be He, waters both low and high districts, both what is exposed and what is not exposed alike (Sifrei Devarim 38:2).

The Torah therefore teaches, “Chevron was built seven years [before]...”, etc. I.e., Chevron was built seven years before Tzoan.

והיה אם לא כארץ מצרים היא, “it is not like the land of Egypt;” Rashi explains as follows: Cham, Noach’s youngest son had built Tzoan in Egypt and Chevron in Canaan. When Rashi commented on Genesis 12,6, that the Canaanite was still living in that land, it means that the Canaanites at that time were in the process of capturing that land from Shem, Cham’s older brother. They did so by proceeding from the north of the land, which had been part of Shem’s ancestral land and that of his descendants. The lower, i.e. more southerly part of what is now the land of Israel had belonged to Cham. Chevron belonged to that part of the land of Canaan. This too has been explained by Rashi.

כגן הירק AS A GARDEN OF HERBS, which has not enough from rain alone, and one has to water it through the foot and shoulder (one has to run about to bring water which one has to carry on one’s shoulder).

In Kesubos (112a) this is expounded differently, etc. [Regarding the verse, חברון שבע שנים נבנתה לפני וכו'] In the first explanation [here] each word is understood literally: שנים means “years,” נבנתה means “a physical building,” and לפני means “before (earlier in time).” But according to the explanation in Kesubos: The word שנים means שונים (times), and נבנתה is related to the term, “And I will be built also from her (Bereishis 30:3),” an expression referring to producing offspring. And לפני means, “preceding (superior)”.

Rather, it was built up seven times more than Tzoan. The word מבונה means “producing offspring,” as in the verse, “And I will be built also from her (ibid.),” as Rashi explains in Kesubos (112a). I.e., One portion of land in Chevron produces a crop that is equal to [the produce yielded by] seven portions [of land] in Tzoan.

Even the land of Raamses, etc. Otherwise why does it need to say, “From which you departed”?

ארץ הרים ובקעת [THE LAND WHITHER THOU ART PASSING IS] A LAND OF HILLS AND VALLEYS — The mountain is better than the plain because in the plain, in an area that takes a Kor of seed, you can sow only a Kor, but in the mountain the summit of which is an area that takes a Kor, from it you have areas for five Kors of seed: four from its four slopes and one on its summit (Sifrei Devarim 39:3).

למטר השמים תשתה מים. For there are not enough rivers to irrigate the farmland so that the earth requires rainfall to irrigate the crops.

והארק אשר אתם עוברים שמה, "and the land which you are crossing over to, etc." Why does Moses repeat the words: "the land you are crossing over to," having said something almost identical in verse 10 already? I believe we have to understand these two verses as follows. Although the Torah had already extolled the virtues of the land of Canaan, describing it as a land flowing with milk and honey, the Torah had to contrast it with Egypt which is also a land blessed with excellent produce as the Torah had testified in Genesis 13,10: "like a garden of G'd, like the land of Egypt." Moses explains that whereas Egypt receives its bounty only by means of natural means, without special providence by G'd, it has another disadvantage compared to the land of Canaan in that you have to irrigate the land with back-breaking labour, whereas in the land of Canaan the rain does the irrigating.

That is that He commanded us to study Torah and to teach it. And that is His saying, "And you shall teach them to your sons" (Deuteronomy 6:4). And it is written in the Sifrei (Sifrei Devarim 34:4), "'To your sons' - these are the students. For students are called, sons, as it is stated, (II Kings 2:3) 'And the sons of the prophets came forth.'" And there (Sifrei Devarim 34:1), it says, "'And you shall teach (shinantam, which is related here to the word, shen, tooth) them' - they shall be sharp in your mouth, so that if one questions you about something, you will not stammer to him, but tell him forthwith." And this command was already repeated several times - "and you shall teach them (and) [to] do them" (Deuteronomy 5:1); "in order that they shall learn" (Deuteronomy 31:12). And the command and the encouragement of this commandment has already been scattered throughout many places in the Talmud. And women are not obligated in it, from His saying, "And you shall teach them to your sons" (Deuteronomy 11:19) - His saying, "your sons," and not, "your daughters," as it is explained in the Gemara (Kiddushin 30a). (See Parashat Vaetchanan; Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 1.)

ארץ הרים ובקעות, “a land of hills and valleys.” No one was able to irrigate his fields by drawing on the waters from the rivers. Seeing that you will depend on rainfall at the appropriate season, you will do well to observe the commandments properly.

ובקעת — these are the plain lands.

אשר ה' אלהיך דרש אתה [A LAND] WHICH THE LORD THY GOD CARETH FOR — But does He not care for all lands, as it said, (Job 38:26) “[Who hath cleft a way for the lightning of the thunder …] to cause rain even on a land where no man is"? But, if one can say so of God, He cares for that land alone, but through the care which He bestows on it, He cares also for all other lands with it (Sifrei Devarim 40:1).

דורש אותה, to carefully scrutinize the deeds of its inhabitants to determine if they are deserving the rain or not. Therefore, you should remain aware of the fact that

אשר ה׳ אלוקיך דרש, "which the Lord your G'd enquires after (all the time)." Moses emphasises the word אלוקיך, "your G'd" to remind us that the excellence of this land is conditional on the mutually exclusive relationship between Israel and its G'd. If Israel were to find itself in exile due to its sins, the land would not prove excellent for whoever would dwell in it after Israel would be expelled.

ארץ אשר ה' אלו-היך דרש אתה תמיד, עיני ה' אלו-היך בה, “a land which the Lord your G’d seeks out; the eyes of the Lord your G’d are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end.” According to the plain meaning of the text Moses means that G’d’s supervisory activities are concentrated on this land more than on any other. Once G’d has found out what goes on in the land of Israel, His gaze extends further and further and encompasses the rest of the globe. The matter is similar to man’s organs. First and foremost the heart is examined to determine its condition, seeing that life or death depend in large measure on the condition of the heart, the centre of man’s organisms. Subsequently, a physician examines other limbs and organs which are more peripheral than the heart. The major point of our verse is that the condition of the land of Israel is not left to G’d’s agents, horoscopic influences, etc., but that G’d Himself super-vises this land on an ongoing basis.
This is also what David referred to in Psalms 87,7 when he said כל מעיני בך, “all My fountains are within you.” The word מעין is perceived as related to עין, eye; David quotes G’d as saying that His principal supervision is concentrated on “you,” the land of Israel. From there it will extend throughout the rest of the world.

To see what its needs are, etc. Otherwise what is the meaning of, “Until the year’s end”? For whatever is decreed on Rosh Hashanah will be carried out throughout the year! Furthermore it would be enough to write, “The eyes of Adonoy, your God [are always upon it].” Rather, [“From the year’s beginning, etc.” means] to modify the decrees that were decided on Rosh Hashanah according to what the people deserve. But it seems to me that Rashi is expounding from the word “always,” which implies that Hashem is constantly watching over the Land to initiate [decrees] according to its needs. The same inference is made in Maseches Rosh Hashanah 17b. (Gur Aryeh).

V. 12. ואת שעיר החטאת דרש וגו׳ :דרש .ארץ וגו׳ (Wajikra 10, 16), ואין דרש ואין מבקש (Ezech. 34, 6) sich nach etwas umsehen, sich um etwas bekümmern. ולך יקרא דרושה (Jes.62, 12) im Gegensatz von נעזבה. Das Gedeihen dieses Landes ist nicht den bloßen Konsequenzen einer einmal gegebenen Naturordnung überlassen, ist vielmehr Gegenstand der dich für seine sittlichen Menschheitszwecke bestimmenden, überwachenden und erziehenden Waltung Gottes. תמיד עיני ד׳ אלקיך בה, und ununterbrochen sind die Augen dieser dich überwachenden und erziehenden Gotteswaltung auf das Land gerichtet, die Entwicklung seines Bodenlebens, deinem Erziehungsbedürfnis entsprechend, hemmend oder fördernd, zu gestalten (siehe Rosch Haschana 17 b). מרשית השנה עד אחרית השנה, bedeutsam ist der Jahresanfang mit mangelndem א, dem Begriffe: Armut, רש, anklingend geschrieben. Der Anfang eines jeden Bodenjahres dieses Landes tritt ganz "voraussetzungslos", ganz "arm", ohne Erbschaft aus dem vergangenen Jahre ein. Keine, weder hemmende noch fördernde physische Wirkungen gehen aus dem vorhergehenden in das neue mit hinüber. Der Jahrescharakter jedes beginnenden Jahres ist lediglich durch dein sittliches Verhalten bedingt, und — bemerkt ein Wort der Weisen — je lebhafter wir uns dieses durchaus entscheidenden Momentes unseres sittlichen Verhaltens an unseren Jahresanfängen bewusst sind, um so hoffnungsreicher tritt das Jahr für uns ein: כל שנה שרשה בתחלתה מתעשרת בסופה שנא׳ מראשית השנה ספרי .מרשית כתיב z. St. hat das bedeutsame Wort: ארץ אשר ד׳ אלקיך דורש רבי אומר וכי אותה בלבד הוא דורש והלא כל הארצות הוא דורש שנאמר להמטיר על ארץ לא איש וגו׳ ומה תלמוד לומר ארץ אשר ד׳ אלקיך דרש אתה, כביכול אין דרש אלא אותה ובשכר דרישה שהוא דורשה דורש כל הארצות עמה d. h. wenn hier Palästina, der Boden des göttlichen Gesetzes, als Gegenstand der Fürsorge Gottes bezeichnet ist, so sind damit keineswegs die übrigen Länder von Gottes Fürsorge ausgeschlossen, so lehrt doch das Gotteswort an anderen Stellen das Gegenteil. Allein in der Fürsorge für dieses Land konzentriert sich die Gottesfürsorge für die Menschenerde. Insofern das jüdische Land das historische Denkmal der göttlichen Gesetzoffenbarung und damit die sittliche Heileszukunft der Menschheit in seinem Schoße trägt, die einst durch das von Zion ausgehende Sittengesetz an die Menschheit sich als das Reich Gottes auf Erden realisiert, so kann man sagen, dass Zions Blüte die Blüte der Gesamtmenschheit bedingt. Jeder Regentropfen auf Erden fällt um Zions willen, fällt um der sittlichen Gesamtzukunft willen, die durch Zion garantiert ist, wie wenig auch etwa eine Gegenwart noch des Regentropfens würdig erscheinen möge.

ארץ אשר ה' אלוקיך דורש אותה תמיד, “a land which the Lord your G–d looks after constantly;” He does so with a view to examine its inhabitants’ way of life as they will be judged according to their actions and the frequency with which the perform the commandments. This is why we recite twice daily the second paragraph of the kriyat sh’ma, commencing with the words: “it will be as a result of your observing My Commandments ........ that I will give the required amount of rain at the proper time, etc.” (verse 17 in our chapter) Also the sages in the Talmud, tractate Rosh Hashanah folio 17, explain our verse in the following sense. Concerning the word: בעתו, “at its appropriate time,” our sages say that rainfall may occur as a blessing or as a curse, depending on the condition of the growing crops at the time when it descends. If at the time of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish people were in a state of disgrace due to non observance, G–d may supply only a little rainfall; this may spur them to engage in repentance. It will not make sense to suddenly increase the rainfall, as the decree had already been sealed and executed. If they had been in good standing at the beginning of the year, and G–d therefore had provided the required amount of rain, but they subsequently became corrupted, how would G–d be able to retract the rain that had already descended? Therefore, Rosh Hashanah is the time at which G–d decrees the required amount of rainfall for the year at that time, but lets it descend on the part of the land that requires it if the conduct of the people deserves it, and on a different part of the land where it goes to waste, if the conduct of the people is such that it had forfeited this blessing.

דורש אותה, “He cares for it constantly;” He examines the people’s morals in that land especially carefully.

תמיד עיני ה' אלהיך בה THE EYES OF THE LORD THY GOD ARE ALWAYS UPON IT, to see what it requires, and to make new dispensations for it, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad, as is stated in Treatise Rosh Hashanah 17b.

As stated in tractate Rosh Hashanah. If the Jewish People are wicked on Rosh Hashanah then He will decree scarce rainfall that year. [Even] if they repent during that year then He will not increase [the rainfall], for the decree was already made. Instead, He brings that scarce amount of rain upon the fields rather than upon the wilderness and other places that do not require rainfall. Also He brings the rain in its proper time. The converse is also true — if the Jewish People are meritorious on Rosh Hashanah, etc.

מרשית שנה, “from the beginning of the year.” Why has the word ראשית, spelled defectively, without the letter א after the letter ר? Rabbi Yitzchok, on folio 16 in the above quoted tractate of the Talmud, claims that any year which commences apparently poorly, will by the time it comes to its end have become much better. If Moses added the word: עד אחרית “until the end,” this is proof that the year will have an end for those who doubted that at its beginning. The meaning of the word: רשה, i.e. ראשית, without the letter א, is: that the year started poorly so that its people would becoming humble and deserve better by the end of it.

מרשית השנה, “from the beginning of the year;” the word ראשית appears here without the customary letter .א

מרשית השנה FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR [TO THE END OF THE YEAR] — At the beginning of the year it is decided by God what will be right up to the end of it (Rosh Hashanah 8a).

ועד אחרית שנה, right until the end of the year. He is entitled to bless the fruit of the land even after it has reached their storage places in their homes. We know that from the promise in Deut. 28,8, יצו ה׳ את הברכה באסמיך, “the Lord will command the blessing in your barns.”

מרשית השנה, “from the beginning of the year.” The word מרשית is spelled without the customary letter א after the letter ר [and can thus be read מתשרי]. This is an allusion to the New Year, the first of the month of Tishrei, anniversary of the creation, the day on which G’d sits in judgment of His creatures. Our sages in Rosh Hashanah 8 see in this the source for G’d predetermining our fates for the whole ensuing year, based on our past performance.

והיה אם שמע AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IF YE WILL HEARKEN — The word והיה is to be connected with what is said above (v. 11): “it drinketh water of the rain of heaven”.

[AND TO SERVE HIM] WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL. “Has he not already mentioned with all thy heart and with all thy soul?³²²Above, 6:5. But that warning was addressed to the individual, and this is a warning to the community.” This is Rashi’s language quoting the Sifre.³²³Sifre, Eikev 41. The explanation of the matter is as follows: G-d does not always perform miracles — every time giving the rain of the Land [in its proper season], the former rain and the latter rain, increasing the corn, wine, and oil, and providing also abundant grass in the fields for the cattle, or, on the contrary, shutting up the heaven and drying up the Land — except according to the deeds of the majority of the people. The individual, however, lives by his own merits, and he dies in his iniquity.³²⁴Ezekiel 33:9. Thus he is saying that upon their performance of all the commandments out of perfect love, He will do all these miracles with them for the good. And he further says that when they worship idols He will perform with them a sign for bad [to indicate to them the need to repent]. Know further that miracles for good or bad are performed only for perfectly righteous or utterly wicked people. For average people, however, He visits good or bad upon them in a natural manner according to their way and by their doings.³²⁵Ibid., 36:17.

אם שמוע תשמעו...ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו, so that you will find your livelihood painlessly, and the land will cooperate with you. If not, G’d will not provide any rain and you will not have food to eat (16-17)

והיה אם שמע תשמעו, "and it will be if you will surely hearken, etc." The meaning of the word והיה is usually that something joyful will occur. Moses tempers this by making the joy conditional on it being due to performance of G'd's commandments. Moses continues with the conditional אם [as opposd to the word כאשר "when," Ed.]. The reason is analogous to what we have learned in Shabbat 30 that the only kind of joy Solomon praised was the joy generated through מצוה-performance. Concerning all other kinds of joy Kohelet 2,2 applies, i.e. ולשמחה מה זה עושה, "and of joy, what does it accomplish?" Moses repeated the word שמע based on a comment in Berachot 55 on Daniel 2,21 "He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledgable." G'd does not grant wisdom unless a person has already acquired a measure of wisdom. When Moses says: "if you will hearken" he means if you already have a wise heart and are mentally prepared to hearken, G'd will grant you more such wisdom so that you will surely hearken to G'd."

והיה אם שמוע תשמעון...ונתתי מטר, so that you will be able to eat without being subjected to strenuous work. If you do not observe the commandments,

בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם, “with all your heart and all your soul.” Rashi points out that Moses had already warned the people individually to do just that, whereas now he warns them to love G’d with all their collective hearts and with all their collective souls (hence the plural endings in both words). Nachmanides explains the matter as follows: G’d is not prepared to perform miracles at all times, especially when it comes to interference with the amount of rain required and the season at which the rain descends. He does not, on account of a few individuals deviate from His laws, re-arrange all of nature, so that the sinner’s field is not irrigated and the fields of the righteous enjoy abundant rainfall, although the two fields are adjoining. Therefore, in this paragraph Moses addresses the people as a unit when exhorting them to love G’d with all their hearts and souls, whereas in the first paragraph of the קריאת שמע when he addressed them as individuals he did not threaten what would happen if some individual were not to follow his instructions. He will however, address that problem in chapter 29 17-19. As a rule, G’d reserves miracles for extreme situations, such as total perversion of the people or total righteousness. The former will produce recognisable unnatural catastrophes, whereas the latter will produce extraordinary and recognizable bounty by G’d, the Provider.

By the rain of the skies you will drink water. For if you heed, then “I will provide the rain of your land.” But if not then, “He will restrain the skies, etc.”

V. 13. והיה וגו׳, schließt sich dem Vorhergehenden an, in welchem gesagt war, dass Blüte und Gedeihen des Landes von unserem sittlichen Verhalten "i>Gott, unserem Gotte" gegenüber bedingt sei, und zwar, wie im Sifri z. St. gelehrt wird, מראשית השנה עד אחרית השנה, unterliegt unser sittliches Verhalten einer steten Überwachung, nicht nur der Frucht auf dem Felde, sondern auch der bereits eingebrachten, aufgespeicherten, ja zum Genuss genommenen, je nach unserem Verhalten Segen oder Unsegen zu spenden, wie es heißt: יצו ד׳ אתך את הברכה באסמיך ובכל משלח ידך (Kap. 28, 8), ברוך טנאך ומשארתך (daselbst), והסירתי מחלה מקרבך (15 .11) ואכלת ושבעת (Schmot. 22), הם ברשותי ליתן בהם ברכה בשם שאני נותן להם ברכה בשדה.

שמע תשמעו lit: AND IT WILL COME TO PASS IF HEARKENING YE WILL HEARKEN — If you hearken to the old (if you hear again what you have already learnt, i.e. if you repeatedly study the old lessons), you will hearken to the new (you will the more easily gain new knowledge) (Sukkah 46b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 19:5). Similar is the meaning of אם שכח תשכח (Deuteronomy 8:19): If you have begun to forget, your end will be that you will forget all of it. So, too, is written in a certain Scroll: If thou forgettest Me one day, I will forget thee two days (cf. Sifrei Devarim 48:8; Jerusalem Talmud end of Berakhot).

ועצר את השמים ולא יהיה מטר, He will lock the gates of heaven and there will not be any rain.

If you heed the old, etc. I.e., if you review what you already learned, then you will gain wisdom from it and understand new matters from the old. Rashi explains likewise in Succah (46b). Even though regarding [the seeming redundancy] הענק תענק (surely bestow a gift) we say that the Torah uses common speech, we expound the verse whenever we are able to (Re”m). Alternatively, here the word והיה (lit., it will be) is an expression of certainty, whereas the word אם (if) is an expression of doubt. Therefore, the verse is expounded.

לאהבה…ולעבדו…ונתתי, "to love G'd..to serve Him;..and I will give the rain, etc." In view of previous statements to the effect that the reward for מצוה-performance is not paid in this life, Moses assures the people if their service is of a quality that is equivalent to their loving G'd with all their heart then they will also experience compensation in this life. This is the meaning of the conjunctive letter ו at the beginning of the word ונתתי in verse 14. Receiving rainfall at the appropriate time is not the reward for their מצוה-performance but is something additional, i.e. ו, plus. The reward itself is stored up for the Hereafter. Moses also hints that although a good livelihood is one of the three blessings which are within the province of mazzal and not of personal merit as we explained repeatedly (Moed Katan 28), when the nation serves the Lord in the above-mentioned manner Israel as a whole will rise above mazzal and everything which happens to it comes under the scrutiny of the personal providence of G'd.

Daran knüpft sich nun als Konsequenz והיה usw. — אם שמע תשמע. Allererste Vorbedingung allen Heiles ist das fortgesetzte, immer fortschreitende "Hinhören auf die Gebote Gottes", das sich nach dem Sifri vor allem im "Lernen" des Gesetzes bekundet, und wird daselbst nachgewiesen, wie Unkenntnis oder mangelhafte Kenntnis des göttlichen Gesetzes zu aller Zeit die Grundwurzel alles Übels gewesen.

מצוה אתכם היום [MY COMMANDMENTS WHICH I] COMMAND YOU THIS DAY — This suggests that they should ever be to you as new commandments, as though you had heard them for the first time on that day (Sifrei Devarim 58).

This is as it is written in the scroll, etc. I.e., Megilas Storim, but it is not a verse found in any of the twenty-four books of Scripture. And in the Talmud Yerushalmi, an allegory is mentioned of two people taking leave of each other. One travels a day’s journey eastward, and the other travels a day’s journey westward. They will find themselves distanced from each other by a two days’ journey. The same is true about the Torah.

בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם, "with all your hearts and with all your souls." In this instance Moses did not mention מאדכם, "your material assets" as he did in Deut. 6,5. The reason is that the paragraph in Deut. 6 was addressed to the individual Jew whereas this paragraph is addressed to the nation as a whole. Whereas it is possible to find an individual who values his material assets over and above his very life, the Torah had to command that Jew not to do so. Amongst the people collectively it is psychologically impossible to find them value their assets as worth dying for. In such a setting, the rule applies that people will give up all their wealth in order to save their lives. As soon as Moses had told the people that they should love the Lord with all their souls, it went without saying that the same applies to all their material assets.

אל מצותי und ebenso Verse 14 und 15. ונתתי. Diese unsere ganze Zukunft enthaltende Mahnung wird in direkter Gottesrede gegeben. Sie ist gleichsam das, was Gott, הדרש אותנו תמיר und אשר עיניו בנו מרשית השנה עד אחרית השנה, in jedem Augenblick zu uns spricht. Sie ist der Inbegriff seiner דרישה und השגחה. Es ist, als ob am Schlusse des vorhergehenden Satzes: לאמר stände. — היום: jeder Tag soll uns die Gebote Gottes aufs neue bringen, sie sollen uns nie veralten und unsere Begeisterung für sie soll in ewiger Frische bleiben, שלא יהו בעיניך כדיוטגמא ישנה usw. (siehe zu Kap. 6, 6).

לאהבה את ה׳ TO LOVE THE LORD — This means that you should not say: Well, I will learn, but in order that I may become rich, in order that I may obtain the title Rabbi, in order that I may receive a prize, — but whatever you do, do it out of love for God (Sifrei Devarim 41:23), and ultimately the honour which you desire will certainly come (Nedarim 62a).

As if you heard them this very day. Otherwise why is, “today,” needed?

לאהכה וגו׳ ist nicht das Objekt von dem vorhergehenden מצוה, sondern das anzustrebende Ergebnis des שמע תשמעו: das Aufnehmen des Gesetzes in Geist und Wille soll אהבה: die gänzliche Liebeshingebung an Gott erzeugen, die in dieser Hingebung und der damit zu erreichenden Gottesnähe das höchste und einzige Ziel alles Strebens erkennt, und עבודה: die tätige Förderung der Gotteszwecke auf Erden, und zwar diese אהבה und diese בכל לבב ובכל נפש :עבודה, mit Hingebung, wenn es sein muss, mit Hinopferung (אהבה) aller "Gedanken und Gefühle" und alles "lebendigen Wollens und Vollbringens", so wie mit Erfüllung des göttlichen Willens (עבודה) an unserem ganzen לב ונפש und mit unserem ganzen לב ונפש (siehe zu Kap. 6, 5).

ולעבדו בכל לבבכם AND TO SERVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART — i.e. to serve Him with a service that is in the heart: that is prayer, for prayer is termed service (עבודה), as it is said, (Daniel 6:17) “Thy God whom thou servest continually”. But was there service (i.e. sacrificial service, the technical term for which is עבודה) in Babylon? But the term is used because he offered prayer there, as it is said, (Daniel 6:11) “Now his windows were open [in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed]”. And so, too, it states in the case of David (Psalms 141:2): “Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee” (incense being part of the sacrificial service) (Sifrei Devarim 41:25-27).

Rather, all that you fulfill, fulfill with love, etc. The word לאהבה (to love) should be understood as לאהבת ה' (for the love of Adonoy). It then follows that, "And to serve Him," is [also directly] connected to, “Should you thoroughly heed My commandments.” [According to this] it would be fitting for the verse to say ולעבדני (and to serve Me), except this is only a general exegesis.

Wir haben schon angedeutet, dass — לעבדו ב Zwiefaches umfasst: den Dienst an einem Objekte, d. h. die Erfüllung des Willens eines andern an einem Objekte, seine Wartung und Gestaltung nach dessen Willen, und den Dienst mit einem Objekte: seine Verwendung als Mittel zu den von einem andern gewollten Zwecken. Die Verwirklichung der ersten Seite des ולעבדו בכל לבבכם, des Gottesdienstes an unserem Herzen, erkennt die Lehre der Weisen (Taanit 2 a) zunächst in איזו עבודה שהיא בלב הוי אומר :תפלה זו תפלה und weist Sifri z. St. die begriffliche Identität der תפלה als עבודה שבלב mit עבודת המזבח in Stellen nach wie: תכון תפלתי קטורת לפניך משאת כפי מנחת ערב (Ps.141, 2) ודניאל וגו׳ על לביתיה וכוין פתיחין ליה בעליתיה נגד ירושלים וזמנין תלתא ביומא הוא בריך על ברכוהי ומצלי ומודי קדם אלהא כל קבל ד׳ הוה עבד מן קדמת דנה ואומר וכמיקרביה וגו׳ ענא מלכא ואמר לדניאל דניאל עבד אלהא חייא ד׳ אנת פלח ליה בתדירא היכיל לשיובותך מן אריותא וכי יש פולחן בבבל הא מה ת׳׳ל Daniel) ולעבדו זו תפלה כשם שעבודת מזבח קרויה עבודה כך תפלה קרויה עבודה 6. 11 und 21).

בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם [TO LOVE THE LORD] WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL — But has it not already admonished us to love God, by the words (6:5) “[Thou shall love the Lord thy God] with all thy heart and with all thy soul”? But that was an admonition addressed to each and every individual (“with all thy heart”), whilst here it is an admonition addressed to them as a community (“with all your heart”) (Sifrei Devarim 41:29).

One command is addressed to the individual, etc. I.e., if only one verse were written then we would think it addresses the community as a whole, but not the individual. Even though it is written, “With all your (singular) heart, and with all your (singular) soul,” we would think it is common for Scripture to use the singular when referring to the community, as in the verse, “Listen (singular) O Israel!” You might ask: Why is the individual warned here more than in other commandments, although there is no difference [here] between the individual and the community? The answer is: Regarding this commandment, the verse states many benefits which Hashem will do for fulfilling it: Harvesting grain, wine, olive oil, grass for animals, etc. Therefore I would have thought it is intended specifically for the community but not for the individual, thus the individual also needs to be included. And it teaches us that when the commandments are fulfilled out of love by individuals, He will also perform all these miracles for them (Ramban). And since this commandment addresses the community, it fits well that is not written here, “and with all your possessions,” as it is written above. For it is unlikely that the majority of the community would consider money more precious than life. However, this may be true of an individual (Mahara”i).

Damit ist denn der Begriff der תפלה als eine "Arbeit an sich selbst", als eine Durchdringung des ganzen Innern mit den Geist erleuchtenden und Herz veredelnden göttlichen Wahrheiten, wie ja auch das Wort "התפלל" lehrt, und der Zweck der תפלה in Erhebung des denkenden, empfindenden und wollenden Menscheninnern zu einer der Gottesnähe und des göttlichen Wohlwollens würdigen Stufe gegeben. Was das Opfer in symbolischem Tatenausdruck vollbringen soll: das Aufgeben alles Eigensinnes und Eigenwillens, die Aufnahme des ganzen Wesens in die wegweisende Macht des Gesetzesheiligtums, das Hinanstreben des ganzen Wesens zu der Höhe der vom Gesetze gewiesenen Ziele und das Beharren auf ihr, die Hingebung aller höheren und niederen geistigen und leiblichen Vermögen an das läuternde und belebende Feuer des göttlichen Gesetzes zur Nahrung des Göttlichen auf Erden und Gestaltung alles Irdischen zum göttlichen Wohlgefallen: ganz das und alles das soll das תפלה-Wort an unserem Innern vollbringen. Obgleich daher nur תפלה im allgemeinen ׳דאורי ist, die dreimalige tägliche Pflicht, ja, nach Auffassung der meisten Autoritäten, die tägliche Pflicht überhaupt, sowie die vorgeschriebenen Gebetfassungen nur דרבנן sind, so sehen wir doch schon aus der oben zitierten Stelle in Daniel, wie uralt bereits dieses dreimalige Tagesgebet ist, und haben wir bereits die völlig inhaltliche Parallele unserer שמנה עשרה mit den Opferhandlungen der תמידין, in deren Hinblick sie gefasst worden, — כנגד תמידין תקנום, — im Jeschurun, Jahrgang XI und Xll, ausführlich beleuchtet. — Es fehlt hier מאודכם, wohl, weil dies schon in ולעבדו begriffen ist, das ja die Gesamtherstellung aller Gotteszwecke fordert, somit die Verwendung aller Mittel zu diesen Zwecken voraussetzt, wozu בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם nur die Modalität der freiesten, freudigsten rückhaltlosen Hingebung bildet.

ונתתי מטר ארצכם I WILL GIVE THE RAIN OF YOUR LAND [IN ITS SEASON] — You will then have done what devolved upon you, I, too, shall do what devolves upon Me (Sifrei Devarim 41:29; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 26:15).

ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו, “I will give the rain for your land at its appropriate time.” At the hours when it is most beneficial for newly seeded fields. You will be pleased with the timing of the rain, which, according to our sages in Taanit 22 and 23 will descend at night when it does not interfere with any of your activities. In Leviticus 26,3 the Torah words this blessing somewhat differently, writing “ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, “I will give your rains at their respective seasons.” Our sages interpret the wording there to mean that the rain will neither be sparse nor excessive. Too much rain soaks the earth so that it does not produce fruit. Another meaning of these words is that the word בעתם, refers to the nights from Tuesday to Wednesday and on Friday nights, periods when everyone is at home. We have a tradition that during the period of Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach this blessing was fulfilled and the rains in Israel descended only on these two nights of the week. As a result, the wheat kernels were as big as kidneys and the barley as big as the pits of the olives, and lentils grew to the size of golden dinars. Our sages used this period to illustrate to what extent sins by the people can reduce the fertility of the Holy Land. They used Jeremiah 5,25 to illustrate their point. The prophet wrote: “it is your iniquities that have diverted these things, your sins have withheld the bounty from you.” We also find that during the reign of Herod when the people were busy with major renovations of the Temple, rain descended only at night so as not to interfere with the work of restoring and enlarging the Temple. On the morning following such rain, the clouds would disperse quickly, the sun would shine and work could proceed without impediment. The people would rise at an early hour and go to work at the Temple site.

You fulfill your obligation, etc. Rashi is answering the question: Why does it say regarding this commandment there is so much reward, “I will provide the rain of your land in its time, fall rain and spring rain, etc.”? Yet above in Parshas Bechukosai (Vayikra 26:4) Scripture only writes, “I will provide your rain in their proper time”! Rashi answers: You fulfill your obligation, etc. In other words, you shall fulfill your obligation and you need not do more than this — to keep My commandments out of love. As it is written, “To love Adonoy ... and to serve Him, etc.” therefore I shall fulfill my obligation and pay you abundant reward. (Re”m).

V. 14. ספרי) אני לא על ידי מלאך ולא ע׳׳י שליח :ונתתי). Die Regenspende ist jedesmal ein Akt unmittelbarer göttlicher Fürsorge und nicht lediglich Konsequenz einer ein für allemal geordneten Zusammenwirkung elementarer Naturgesetze. Primäre Ursache bleibt Gottes Vorsehung. Es ist dies nach Taanit 2 a der eine der "drei Schlüssel, die Gott sich vorbehalten: der Schlüssel der Regenspende, der Schlüssel des Mutterschoßes, und der Schlüssel der Auferstehung" שלש מפתחות בידו של הב׳׳ה שלא נמסרו ביד שליח ואלו הן מפתח של גשמים ומפתח של חיה ומפתה של תחית המתים.

יורה, “the first quarter of the year, when the early rains are due.” It descends during the moth of Marcheshvan, and “teaches” people to tend to their gardens. Alternatively, it describes the rain hitting the ground like an arrow, “shooting.”

ואספת דגנך, “you will gather in your grain harvest.” You have permission to go about your business in the full meaning of the word. [not as in the desert when your bread came down from heaven and you were totally free to devote yourselves to Torah study. Ed.]

בעתו [RAIN …] IN ITS SEASON — i.e. at night time, so that it may not cause you any trouble. — Another explanation of בעתו IN ITS SEASON is: on Sabbath (Friday) nights when everyone is usually at home (cf. Sifrei Devarim 42:2; Taanit 23a; see Rashi on Leviticus 26:4).

יורה ומלקוש, “early (seasonal) rain and late rains.” The rain called יורה descends during the first quarter of the season shortly after sowing. It moistens the earth after a dry summer and provides critical moisture for the seedlings (Taanit 6). According to this view the word יורה is derived from רוה, “irrigated, well-watered.” Alternatively, the word may allude to “teaching”, forecasting a good year, i.e. if that rain materialises at the proper time in the proper quantities it is a good omen for the agriculture of the year which just commenced.
מלקוש is the rain which descends much later in the season shortly before the barley is ripe for cutting. The reason the Torah called it by that name is because it descends on מלילות, ears of corn already fully formed on their stalks. The second half of the word, קש, may be an allusion to the straw, part of the grain. At any rate, it refers to the rain that descends near the end of the rainy season. It may be an allusion to the grain gaining volume while on the stalks. Onkelos also translates the word עטופים in Genesis 30,42 as לקישא, “born late.” It may also be an allusion to מל קשיותן של ישראל, that it “circumcises the obstinate posture of the Jewish people” [when they observe G’d’s blessing arriving on time. Ed.] Our sages in Taanit 6 interpret it thus: ‘when the rains are late in arriving the people will be motivated to pray for rain. They will also become penitents in order not to forfeit the needed rainfall’.

On Shabbos eve, etc. Rashi [only] says, “On Shabbos eve,” but the Gemora (Taanis 23a) says, “On Shabbos eves and on the eves of the fourth weekday [Tuesday night],” because harmful forces reign on these two nights. The answer is: Rashi’s explanation is based on nowadays when these harmful forces are not common. Therefore, he only mentions, “On Shabbos eve.” Now it fits well that Rashi explains, “When everyone is at home,” rather than, “Because of harmful forces.” Rashi’s first explanation is problematic, for the verse should say בעתותם (in its times), since all nights are included. Therefore, Rashi says, “Another interpretation, etc.” But the other explanation is problematic, for it applies when harmful forces are common. However, when they are not common such as nowadays, then what is the meaning of “in its time” written in the verse? Therefore Rashi also says the first explanation.

Die meteorologischen sekundären Ursachen des Witterungswechsels waren den Weisen sehr wohl bekannt, und sind darüber in den ersten Blättern von Taanit höchst beachtungswerte Beobachtungen niedergelegt.

ומלקוש, “and the late rain,” in the month of Nissan The word is related to קש, straw, the season when the stalks turn hard as straw.

יורה THE FIRST RAIN — This is the rain that falls after the sowing-time, which thoroughly drenches (מרוה) the soil and the seed (Sifrei Devarim 42:4; Taanit 6a).

ואספת דגנך ותירושך, “you will gather in your corn harvest and your grape harvest.” The sages (Berachot 35) ask how it is possible to reconcile the commandment that “the Torah should never be absent from your mouth” (Joshua 1,8), with these instructions to pursue an agricultural career, ploughing, sowing harvesting, etc.? They answer that there are times set aside for both of these activities. This is also what Kohelet 7,18 had in mind when he said: “it is best that you grasp the one without letting go of the other.”

Because it descends on the ears and on the stalks. I.e., the word מלקוש is a contraction of מלילות קשין. This explanation by itself is problematic, for the verse should say ומלילות (ears). Therefore, the first reason in needed. Yet the first reason is problematic, for the verse should say לקשיא (late ones). Therefore the second reason is also needed.

Die meteorologischen sekundären Ursachen des Witterungswechsels waren den Weisen sehr wohl bekannt, und sind darüber in den ersten Blättern von Taanit höchst beachtungswerte Beobachtungen niedergelegt.

ואספת דגנך, “you will gather in your corn.” Once you have gathered in your corn there will no longer be any rainfall during the remainder of the season. Rain during harvest season is considered a bad omen as we know from Samuel I 12,17, where the prophet in calling upon G–d to produce a thunderstorm points out that the miracle will be that it will occur during the harvesting season when there is no rainfall expected. In the Talmud, tractate B’rachot folio 35, the word ואספת is questioned, as it implies that the farmer will have to do the ingathering by himself without assistance, whereas in Isaiah 61,5, we are told that the Israelites will have gentiles guarding their sheep and aliens will be their plowmen. The answer given is that when the Israelites all observe the Torah, they will have gentile servants to do the heavy work for them, When this is not the case, they will have to do it for themselves. This answer is difficult as our paragraph deals with the assumption that the Israelites bring in a successful harvest as a result of having obeyed the commandments of the Lord. Our author leaves the question open.

מלקוש THE LATTER RAIN is the rain that descends just before the harvest time to make the grain full (ripe) on its stalk. The term מלקוש refers to something that is late, just as in the Targum we translate והיה העטפים ללבן (Genesis 30:42; see Rashi thereon) “those born late were Laban’s” by לקשיא. — Another explanation: The reason why it is called מלקוש is because it falls at the same period upon the ears (מלילות) and the stalks (קש) (i.e. just before the harvest) (Taanit 6a).

You will gather it into your home, etc. Rashi is answering the question: How is it a blessing that he must exert himself to work and harvest rather than having servants and maidservants? Rashi answers: You will gather, [implies you, but] not your enemies.

בעתו: nach ספרי und Taanit 23 a selbst mit Rücksicht auf die nicht zu störende Berufstätigkeit des Menschen, vorzugsweise nachts und מלילה שבת ללילי שבת.

ואספת דגנך AND THOU SHALT GATHER IN THY CORN means: and thou shalt gather it into thy house, and not thy enemies, just as it is said, (Isaiah 62:8—9) “[The Lord hath sworn … ], surely I will no more give thy corn [to be food for thine enemies], but they that have gathered it shall eat it”; and not as it is said, (Judges 6:3) “And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up [and destroyed the produce of the land]” (Sifrei Devarim 42:10).

יורה יורה ומלקוש ist der Frühregen, der regelmäsig im מרחשון eintritt und מלקוש der Spätregen im Nissan. Von dem regelmäßigen Eintritt dieser Regenperiode, insbesondere des Frühregens, ist die Fruchtbarkeit des Jahres in Palästina bedingt, so dass das Ausbleiben des Regens in Marcheschwan als die größte Kalamität zu betrachten war und in drei Abstufungen sich steigernde Fasten veranlasste. Diese Fasten wegen ausbleibenden Regens sind in erster Linie unter תענית צבור begriffen (Taanit 6 a f. und 15 a f.). Die Etymologie von יורה und מלקוש ist zweifelhaft. Nach ספרי wäre יורה von ירה der Pfeil gleich in die Erde dringende, oder in der Bedeutung von רוה, ähnlich wie טוב und יטב: der מרוה, der Tränkende. Auch wegen der Regelmäßigkeit seines Eintritts: der Indizierende, Lehrende מורה, wie er ja auch heißt (Joel 2, 23). Er kündigt die Regenzeit an und wird damit Regulator der Beschäftigungen der Menschen. מלקוש von לקש. Chaldäisch wird לקש zur Bezeichnung alles Spätzeitigen gebraucht. So תרגום) והון לקישיא ללבן Bereschit 30, 42) und תרום יונתן (Schmot 9, 32) ארום לקישין הינין. Amos 7 scheint לקש der zweite Acker- oder Wiesenwuchs, Grummet, zu sein, nachdem der erste Wuchs unreif abgeschnitten worden. (Dieses unreife Abschneiden der Getreidehalmen zum Viehfutter heißt קוצר לשחת.)

ונתתי עשב בשדך AND I WILL GIVE GRASS IN THY FIELD [FOR THY CATTLE] in thy field: so that you will not need to lead them to distant pasture grounds. Another explanation: it means that you will be able to cut your grain all the rainy season and cast it before thy cattle as fodder, and if you withdraw your hand from it (stop doing this) only thirty days before the harvest, it will not give you less of its corn than if you had not fed your cattle with it (as is implied by ואכלת ושבעת, you will eat to the full) (Sifrei Devarim 43:2).

AND THOU SHALT EAT AND BE SATISFIED. “This is another blessing, meaning that there will be a blessing on the bread within your stomach, and you eat and be satisfied.” This is Rashi’s language and Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “And thou shalt eat and be satisfied. This refers back to thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil [mentioned in the preceding verse], not to the grass in thy fields which is near [in the same verse].” The correct interpretation in my opinion is that it refers to everything: “and thou shalt eat and be satisfied with the corn, wine, and oil, and also the sheep and cattle [will eat and be satisfied with the grass in the field].” And in the Sifre we find:³²⁶Sifre, Eikev 43. “And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, when your cattle eats and is satisfied, it works the ground [with strength], and so it is said, and much increase is by the strength of the ox.³²⁷Proverbs 14:4. Another interpretation: [And thou shalt eat and be satisfied] from the young [of the cattle]. Although there is no proof of this, yet there is an indication, for it says, And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow unto the goodness of the Eternal, to the corn, and to the wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd etc.”³²⁸Jeremiah 31:11. This is the correct interpretation.

ואכלת ושבעת, “you will eat and be satisfied.” According to Ibn Ezra these words refer to the previous words (verse 14) דגנך, ותירושך, ויצהרך, “your grain, your wine, and your oil,” rather than to the more recent words עשב בשדך, “the grass in your field.” Nachmanides writes that the correct interpretation is that the words ואכלת ושבעת refer to the both דגן, תירושך, ויצהרך as well as to עשב בשדך. They even refer to the livestock mentioned in our verse as בהמתך. The Sifri interprets this as meaning that when your livestock has enough to eat, then your land will be able to provide the harvest it is meant to provide. Another possible approach is that the word ובהמתך does not refer to what you will eat, but to the fact that your livestock will produce its young, just as the soil will produce its yield.

ונתתי עשב בשדך, “I will provide grass in your field, etc.” Moses attributed the provision of grass in the field to G’d personally in order to counter the opinions of the people that the world as we know it has been handed over by G’d unconditionally to planetary forces and terrestrial forces encouraging the growth of vegetation. Seeing this was a widely held view, the Torah had to phrase some things in such a way that people will remember that it is only He Who provides the celestial input without which no growth of any sort will manifest itself in our world. David also reminds us of this in Psalms 104,14: “Who makes the grass grow for the cattle, and herbage for man’s labour.” Just as the rainfall is attributed to G’d in verse 14, so the growth of grass is attributed to Him in this verse. The same idea is also expressed in Zecharyah 10,1

So that it will not be necessary for you to lead it to the desert. I.e., to the desert where there is pasture for the animals. Rather, grass for the animals will grow in your field. This is according to Rabbi Yehuda in the Sifrei. Rashi’s second interpretation, “You will reap, etc.” is according to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who explains that “Grass in your field,” refers to the grass [i.e., produce] of the field and not to pasture for the animals. And ולבהמתך means, “and also for your animals.” Because of its abundance you will reap it and feed it to your animals, and the remainder will be for human consumption. This is why Rashi offers both explanations.

V. 15. ונתתי. Ich lasse das Kraut auf dem Felde wachsen mit Rücksicht darauf, dass es dein Feld ist, dein Tier dort Weide finden soll, damit du Nahrung in Fülle habest.

ואכלת ושבעת AND THOU SHALT EAT AND BE SATISFIED — This is quite another (a separate) blessing; it means that a blessing will be on the bread within the stomach (see Rashi on Leviticus 25:19). השמרו לכם

ואכלת ושבעת, “you will eat and be sated.” These words refer to the earlier verse which spoke about the grain harvest and the grape harvest. They do not mean that you will eat grass. The words could also be understood thus: When I provide plenty of grass and grazing in the fields, the animals which fed on this and whose meat you will eat will be a source of satisfaction for you. Our sages in Berachot 40 derive a moral lesson from our verse. Seeing G’d speaks first about the feed for the livestock before assuring us that we will eat our fill, this teaches that we are not to sit down to eat until after we have made sure that our animals have food to eat.

This is a different blessing, etc. Rashi is answering the question: How does, “And you will eat and be full” relate to the first part of the verse? Is a person sated because there is food for his animals? Rashi answers: This is not related to the first part of the verse, but rather this is a different blessing, etc.

TAKE HEED [THAT YOUR HEART MISLEAD YOU NOT] — when you have eaten and are full, take heed to yourselves that you kick not against God; for usually no man rebels against the Holy One, blessed be He, except out of satiety, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 8:12—14) “Lest thou eat and art full … and thy herds and flocks increase”. What is stated after this? “And thy heart be lifted up and thou forget [the Lord thy God]” (Sifrei Devarim 43:7).

השמרו לכם פן יפתה לבבכם, “Be very much on guard that your hearts will not be seduced, etc.” The seduction might result from the very serenity and affluence of your existence in the land of Israel. You might, G’d forbid, become attracted to idolatry and depart from the path G’d has earmarked for you. If that were to happen, G’d will become very angry at you and lock the heavens so that there will not be any rain (next verse). The reason that Moses uses the example of absence of rain as indicating G’d’s anger is because the pagans attribute the very presence of rain to their worshipping their various deities faithfully. This is why it was important to point out to the Israelites that if they would depart from the path of the Torah the very opposite would occur; instead of their assuring themselves of their rain supply through idolatry they would lose that life-giving rain. Isaiah 30,22-23 is on record that when the Israelites who had been guilty of worshipping idols will throw out the silver overlays of these images they will be provided with rain as acknowledgment of their penitence. The prophet also picked rainfall as his example of G’d’s positive reaction to a penitent Israel to remind them that such basics as rainfall are provided only through the Lord our G’d. We have to pin our hopes on Him and not on anyone else.

By abandoning the Torah, etc. In Scripture, every instance of “turn away” means, “to turn away from what was commanded to be done,” referring to a positive commandment. It is written (below 11:28), “And you turn away from the course, etc.,” and not, from what you were commanded to refrain from doing. Therefore, perforce, “turn away,” [here] means, “To turn away from the Torah that you were commanded to toil in it,” and the result will be, “You serve other gods, etc.” From here our Sages say, “For once a man abandons the Torah, etc.” (Re”m).

V. 16. השמרו וגו׳, ist so das Gedeihen eures Landes lediglich von dem sittlichen Verhalten eurer Persönlichkeit bedingt, und zwar — wie der Numeruswechsel in vorangehenden Versen bedeutsam ausspricht: nicht nur von der gehorsamen Unterordnung der nationalen Gesamtheit als solcher, sondern der nationalen Vielheit in allen ihren Gliedern unter Gottes Gesetz, אם שמע תשמעו usw.; alle habt ihr jeder seines Teils und an seiner Stelle an der sittlichen Lösung der das Gedeihen bedingenden Gesamtaufgabe mitzuarbeiten; der Segen kommt als מטר ארצכם, und diese Lösung selbst bedingt es, dass ihr dabei nie die einheitliche Zusammenhörigkeit aller aus den Augen verlieret; als nationale Einheit und für die nationale Einheit heimst ein jeder seinen Anteil an dem nationalen Wohlstand ein, ואספת דגנך וגו׳ — ist so das Gedeihen eures Landes lediglich von dem sittlichen Verhalten eurer Persönlichkeit bedingt: so השמרו לכם, so "hütet euch aber euch", achtet darauf, dass ihr nur unter dem Einfluss eurer eigenen Erkenntnis und eurer eigenen Erfahrung bleibet (siehe zu Kap. 4, 9) wehret jeden Einfluss, der euch eurer Selbstbestimmung entfremdet, von euch ab, פן יפתה לבבכם, wörtlich, dass euer Herz nicht "offen stehe" (siehe Bereschit S. 156), nicht der inneren und äußeren Verführung Raum gebe.

פן יפתה לבבכם, “lest your heart be fooled;” the root פתה appears in this sense in Job 5,2: “passion slays the fool.” Moses warns the people not to be misled by the urges of their heart and commit foolishness. If the root of this word would be פתוי, “temptation,” Moses should have written: יפותה, as in Proverbs 25,15.

וסרתם AND YE TURN ASIDE, to depart from the Torah, and through this, ועבדתם אלהים אחרים YE WILL SERVE OTHER GODS, for so soon as a man departs from the Torah he goes and clings to idol-worship. Similarly did David say, (I Samuel 26:19) “For they have driven me out this day, that I should not cleave to the inheritance of the Lord (the Torah) saying, Go, serve other gods”. But who had really said thus to him?! But he meant: Since I am driven out so that I can no longer occupy myself with the Torah, I am nearly exposed to the danger of serving other gods (Sifrei Devarim 43:14).

They are alien to those who worship them, etc. See Rashi’s commentary in Parshas Yisro (Shmos 20:3).

וסרתם ועבדתם Die geringste Abweichung führt zur עבודה זרה und ist im Prinzip bereits עבודה זרה. So אמר להם הזהרו שלא יטעה אתכם יצר הרע ותפרשו מן התורה שכיון שאדם פורש מן התורה הולך ומדבק לעבודה זרה :ספרי (siehe daselbst).

ועבדתם אלהים אחרים, “you will worship other deities.” Rabbi Yossi queries why these deities are called elohim in the Torah seeing that they are idols. Our author dealt with this problem already in his commentary on Exodus 20,3, the main point of which was that the translation “other gods,” is incorrect, and it should be translated as: “deities” worshipped by others.”

אלהים אחרים OTHER GODS — i.e. gods that are other (alien) to those who worship them: one calls to it, and it does not answer him; consequently it becomes to him like a stranger (Sifrei Devarim 43:17).

ועברתם אלהים אחרים durch Unterordnung unseres Taten-Lebens unter den Einfluss heidnischer Wahnvorstellung, והשתחויתם להם durch Unterstellung unserer Geschicke unter deren vermeintliche Machtherrschaft.

According to the Sifri on the word אחרים, that word could be translated as “exchangeable,” if the owner of a golden idol finds himself hard up, he will sell the golden one and exchange it for something similar made of silver, etc.

את יבולה [THE GROUND WILL NOT GIVE] ITS יבול — it will not yield even as much as what you have brought (יבול) to it (even the same quantity of seed you have sown in it), just as it is said, (Hag. 1:6) “You sow much, but bring in little” (Sifrei Devarim 43:28; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 26:20).

and as a result of such a development ואבדם מהרה, from hunger, which is a more painful death than dying by the sword.. Therefore, remain on guard!

לא תתן את יבולה, "it will not yield its produce." Although Moses had already said that G'd would lock the heavens he repeated that the earth would not yield its produce to tell the people that even if they were to plant their fields adjacent to rivers and wells the earth would not produce a harvest.

Even what you bring to it, etc. Otherwise why is the word יבולה (literally, “its produce”) necessary? For it is already written, “He will restrain the skies and there will be no rain.” It then follows that the soil will not yield its usual produce.

ואבדתם, “you will become lost,” the reference is to exile, similar to when the prophet Isaiah 27,13 refers to the exiles from Ashur returning to their homeland as האובדים בארץ אשור, “the ones who were lost in the land of Ashur.”

ואבדתם מהרה AND YE SHALL PERISH QUICKLY — In addition to all the other sufferings I will banish you from the soil which made you sin (Sifrei Devarim 43:29). A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king who sent his son to the banqueting hall and earnestly charged him, “Do not eat more than you need, in order that you may come home clean!” The son, however, took no notice of this; he ate and drank more than he needed, and vomited it up and befouled all the company. They took him by his hands and feet and cast him out of the palace (Sifrei Devarim 43:23).

In addition to all the other suffering, etc. Rashi is answering the question: Just because there will be no rain and the soil will not yield its produce, is this why they will be swiftly removed? Therefore Rashi explains, “In addition, etc.”

ואבדתם מהוה, "and you will perish quickly, etc." Even if you somehow find a harvest dating back to previous years you will still perish. We have an illustration of this curse in Gittin 56 where the Talmud tells how Jewish zealots deliberately destroyed a 21 year supply of grain owned by a certain Kalba Savua during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.

מהרה [AND YE SHALL PERISH] QUICKLY — I will give you no respite. But if you ask: Was not respite given to the generation of the flood, as it is said, (Genesis 6:3) “His days shall be (i.e. a respite shall be given him for) one hundred and twenty years”? Then I reply: The generation of flood had no one from whom to learn, but you have someone from whom to learn (Sifrei Devarim 43:31).

Which caused you to sin, etc. The difficulty is: Why is the word, “good” needed? Instead it should have said, “From upon your land,” or, “From upon the land that Adonoy is giving you.” Why should its goodness be mentioned in the curse? Furthermore, it already says, “And the soil will not yield its produce.” If so, the goodness of the land has (already) been taken away. Rather the word “good” means to say: Its goodness that it had in the past is what caused you to sin. Therefore, I will exile you from it.

But you may ask, was not an extension granted, etc. You might ask: Was not an extension granted also to the Jewish People after they sinned? The answer is that Rashi is saying: As soon as the Jewish People’s measure of sin is full, He would immediately punish them. However, regarding the generation of the Flood, even though their measure was full, Hashem granted them a further extension. As it is written (Bereishis 6:3), “Adonoy said, ‘I will not judge… His days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” And Rashi comments [there], “Until 120 years I will extend my anger [i.e. be patient] with them, etc.”

ואבדתם מהרה, “and you will perish quickly, etc.” if you were G‘d forbid to serve idols you will be exiled from Eretz Yisrael, a good land which does not tolerate sinners for long. We also have a verse in Isaiah 13,9 which states וחטאיה ישמיד ממנה, ”and it wipes out the sinners on it (the earth).” Our sages (Sifri Eikev on the word והשתחויתם) have illustrated this concept by a parable. A father leads his son on the way to a feast and warns him not to overeat there so that he would return home from the feast looking clean. The son paid no heed to the warning; he overate, vomited and returned home in utter disgrace after he had dirtied all the other participants at that feast. How did the other guests at that feast react to such conduct? They took the son in question by his hands and feet and tossed him out of the palace.

[They] had no one from whom to learn, etc. Yet Rashi explained in the end of Parshas Bereishis (ibid v. 4), “Although they witnessed the generation of Enosh being destroyed, for the oceans rose up and flooded a third of the world, yet the generation of the Flood did not humble themselves to take a lesson from them”! The answer is: They attributed it to natural causes since only a third of the world was flooded.

ושמתם את דברי AND YE SHALL PLACE MY WORDS [UPON YOUR HEART] — Even after you have been banished make yourselves distinctive by means of My commands: lay Tephillin, attach Mezuzoth to your doorposts, so that these shall not be novelties to you when you return. Similarly does it state, (Jeremiah 31:21) “Set thee up distinguishing marks” (Sifrei Devarim 43:34).

THEREFORE SHALL YE PUT THESE MY WORDS IN YOUR HEART. “Even after you have been exiled, be distinguished by the commandments. Put on the T’fillin, attach a Mezuzah [to the doorpost of your home], so that they will not be novelties to you when you return to the Land. And so Scripture states, Set thee up waymarks.”³²⁹Ibid., Verse 21. Jeremiah lived in the time when the people were about to go into the Babylonian exile. His prophecy was thus a warning that they were to retain their distinctiveness through the commandments. This is Rashi’s language. Now I have already written³³⁰Above, 4:5. on the meaning of this matter, that these commandments [the T’fillin and the Mezuzah mentioned by Rashi] are personal obligations and, as such, their laws apply in all places just as in the Land!³³¹If so, why are these commandments, which are obligatory everywhere, called “waymarks” in the exile? But there is in this Midrash etc. But there is in this Midrash³³²Rashi’s text comes from the Sifre, Eikev 43. Hence Ramban refers to it as “this Midrash.” a profound secret, and I have already alluded to it.³³³See Vol. I, pp. 294, 331-332; Vol. III, p. 272. Now he repeated these commandments about the T’fillin, the study of the words of the Torah, and the Mezuzah, a second time³³⁴See above 6:7-9. in order to allude to this analogy, that we shall be obligated to observe them after being exiled from the Land of Israel. From these [texts] we learn that all commandments that are personal obligations are binding in all places and that, outside the Land of Israel, we are exempt from duties which apply to ground, such as heave-offering and tithes. So it is interpreted in the Sifre.³³⁵Sifre, Eikev 44. And the intent of this interpretation is suggested by the fact that he placed the expression therefore shall ye put [these my words in your heart] next to [the verse], and ye shall perish [quickly from off the good Land³³⁶Verse 17. thus clearly intimating that even after ye shall perish from off the good Land you shall still put these My words in your heart]. But the main reference of the verse [even regarding personal obligations] applies to the Land, as it is written, that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the Land;³³⁷Verse 21. or it may be that the verse is stating: “that your days may be multiplied, so that you will return [to the Land] and you will prolong your days on it forever.”³³⁸According to the first interpretation, the main reference of the verse put these My words in your heart is to the Land of Israel; this is evidenced by the concluding verse, that your days may be multiplied …upon the Land. According to the second interpretation the former verse has reference to the exile, while the second verse states the reward, that your days may be multiplied, so that you return and live upon the Land.
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, it is possible that he comes to add here the expression to speak of them,³³⁹Verse 19: And ye shall teach them unto your children ‘to speak of them.’ for there [in the first charge to the individual] he commanded and ‘thou’ shalt speak — you yourself — of them when ‘thou’ sittest in thy house,³⁴⁰Above, 6:7. and here [in the charge to the community he stated that we are to teach the words of Torah to our children until they speak of them always. So also he added here and ye shall ‘teach’ them,³³⁹Verse 19: And ye shall teach them unto your children ‘to speak of them.’ for the term v’shinantom [mentioned there]³⁴⁰Above, 6:7. means only that he shall “tell” them the commandments, and here [he added that the obligation extends] until they teach the words of Torah [to their children] and they understand them and their reasons [well enough] to discuss them with you at all times. So also he added here as the days of the heavens above the earth³³⁷Verse 21. which means “for all generations,” or it may refer to the first heaven and earth, and the days of old.³⁴¹See Vol. II, p. 341, Note 23. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.

ושמתם את דברי אלה על לבבכם, to understand them through intensive study;

ושמתם את דברי אלה, “You will place these words of Mine, etc.” Rashi explains that Moses means that even after you will be exiled, when the prompt fulfillment of the promise we just read is not likely, you are not free from the obligation to observe those commandments of the Torah that are not tied to residence in the Holy Land. Nachmanides writes that it is obvious that those commandments that are to be fulfilled with our bodies, as opposed to with our land, remain applicable also in the Diaspora, but the Sifri writes that this obligation is derived from this verse. In other words, according to that interpretation our verse serves as a בנין אב type of interpretation. Just as when it comes to thanking the Lord for having received our food and blessing Him, this is an obligation that applies wherever we find ourselves, so other commandments that are capable of fulfillment all over the globe remain in force also during periods of exile. It is possible, that from the perspective of the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, that Moses implies that the father should speak about these aspects of the Torah to his children, just as Moses had commanded in the parallel paragraph of the קריאת שמע in Deut. 6,7 that the father must teach the Torah diligently to his children and seize every opportunity at home and outside, by day and by night to inculcate these precepts in his children’s minds and hearts. Moses adds the words כימי השמים על הארץ, “like the days of the heaven over the earth,” to remind us that this is an ongoing obligation, one without a time limit.

ושמתם את דברי אלה, “you are to put these My words on your hearts, etc.” our sages in Sifri Eikev comment on this that even after you will be in exile you continue to be obligated to obey the commandments of the Torah. You are to put on the phylacteries, attach mezuzot to your houses, in order that all these commandments will not be strange to you when you return to your homeland. We have a verse in Jeremiah 31,20 reflecting this same theme when the prophet says הציבי לך ציונים, “erect markers, set up signposts!” The prophet means that though the performance of the commandments which require our bodies in order to fulfill them are applicable everywhere and therefore automatically obligatory in exile, the whole Torah was given primarily in order to be observed on holy soil (Nachmanides).

Even after you are exiled, etc. Otherwise why should this be mentioned in connection with their exile? One cannot say that, “You are to place, etc.” and everything [written] afterwards applies [only] during exile. For if so, why does it say afterwards, “In order that they will be many… on the soil”? It must be that they will return to the land and live for many years there.

V. 18. שום על לב .ושמתם heißt: etwas zum Gegenstand seiner Beachtung und Sorge machen, eigentlich: ihn von dem Herzen, d. i. von den Gedanken und Empfindungen getragen sein lassen (Jes. 57, 1 u. 11 u. s). Also: traget diese meine Worte auf eurem Herzen und eurer Seele, lasset sie den Gegenstand eures Denkens und Empfindens, eures Wollens und Vollbringens sein, וקשרתם und drückt dies auch symbolisch durch die תפלין-Mizwa an eurer Hand und eurem Oberhaupte aus (siehe zu Kap. 6, 8). — Im Zusammenhange mit dem Vorhergehenden spricht aber dies und die im folgenden Verse 19 enthaltene Pflicht des Unterrichtes der Kinder in dem Gesetze nach dem Sifri z. St. die Bestimmung aus, dass selbst, wenn ׳ואבדתם וגו, selbst vertrieben von dem eigentlichen Boden des Gesetzes, selbst im Galuth die Verpflichtung zu תפלין und תלמוד תורה, und so auch zu allen מצות הגוף שאינן תלויות בארץ, zu allen sich nicht auf das Land und seine Produkte beziehenden, persönlichen Obliegenheiten, auch בחוצה לארץ, auch außer Palästina in voller Kraft bestehen bleibe. So lautet auch Kiduschin 36 b der Kanon: כל מצוה שהיא תלויה בארץ אינה נוהגת אלא בארץ ושאינה תלויה בארץ ניהגת siehe 3. B. M. zu Kapitel) כלאי אילן Ausnahmen bilden .בין בארץ בין בחוצה לארץ 19.19). עדלה (daselbst 23 und über חדש siehe zu Kap. 23, 14). — מדרבנן waren תרומות ומעשרות auch in den Palästina benachbarten Ländern, חלה aber ist מדרבנן überall pflichtig und ebenso auch כלאי כרם überall סורn (siehe Wajikra 19, 19 und Bamidbar 15, 18).

על לבבכם, “in your hearts;” the word על usually translated as “on, above, etc.,” also appears quite a few times as meaning “next to, beside,” the author cites Exodus 40,3 as an example where the Torah writes: וסכותה על הארון, which is translated as: “you shall screen the ark,” i.e. the dividing curtain before or beside the Holy of Holies screens the Ark from view. In our verse the meaning would be that G-d’s word shall always be close to our hearts.

ועל נפשכם, so that you will observe them willingly.

Vergleichen wir diese Verse 18 — 20 mit der Parallelstelle Kap. 6, 6 — 9, so springt die Tendenz unserer Stelle, die unter allen Umständen bleibende persönliche Verpflichtung zum Gesetze, חובת הגוף, hervorzuheben, in die Augen. Dort galt es, die Einheit des Menschenlebens aus dem Bewusstsein der Gotteinheit zu lehren. Darum wird dort die daraus folgende Hingebung des Gesamtmenschenwesens mit allen Seiten, בכל לבבך V. 5) als Aufgabe gelehrt, und diese Aufgabe zur Tendenz) ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך aller Gedanken und Gefühle (V. 6) zum Inhalt der Kinderbelehrung und Erziehung, sowie alles häuslichen und öffentlichen Lebens, alles ruhenden und strebenden Seins (V. 7) gesetzt und dann (Verse 8 u. 9) zur steten Vergegenwärtigung durch das תפלין und מזוזה-Symbol geboten. Hier aber ist das תפלין-Symbol von dem der מזוזה völlig getrennt und, eben weil es ja die Einfügung der ganzen denkenden, wollenden und vollbringenden Persönlichkeit in das Band des Gesetzes bedeutet, somit nichts anderes als symbolischer Ausdruck dieser mit ושמתם את דברי אלה על לבבכם ועל נפשכם gegebenen Verpflichtung der Persönlichkeit zum Gesetze, auch mit diesem Ausspruch (V. 18) zusammengezogen, und der durch beides gegebene Gedanke (V. 19) zur Lehraufgabe für den Jugendunterricht und zum Inhalt alles häuslichen und öffentlichen, ruhenden und strebenden Lebens gemacht. Offenbar um zu sagen: Aber wenn ihr auch fortkommt vom Lande und keinen eigenen Boden mehr habt, den ihr dem Gottesgesetze dienstbar zu machen vermöchtet, so nehmet ihr das Gottesgesetz doch mit hinaus und euer Herz und eure Seele, euer denkendes, wollendes und vollbringendes Wesen bleibt doch dem göttlichen Worte verpflichtet, und ihr bringet diese Verpflichtung zum Gesetze euch und andern durch das תפלין-Zeichen an Hand und Haupt stets zum Bewusstsein, bleibet Träger des Gotteswortes, bleibt das Volk des göttlichen Gesetzes und habt dafür eure Kinder zu erziehen und darin euer ganzes Leben in und außer dem Hause aufgehen zu lassen. וכתבתם (V. 20) gehört, wie wir bemerken werden, zum folgenden Verse.

לדבר בם [AND YE SHALL TEACH THEM UNTO YOUR CHILDREN,] TO SPEAK OF THEM — From the moment when your son knows how to speak, teach him the text (Deuteronomy 33:4) “Moses commanded us the Torah as a possession of the congregation of Jacob” — so that this should be the means of teaching him to speak (Sukkah 42a). From this they (the Rabbis) derived their teaching: When the babe begins to speak, his father should speak with him in the Holy Tongue, and should instruct him in the Torah. If he does not do this, it is as though he buries him, as it is said here, “And ye shall teach them unto your children to speak of them, etc.”,

ולמדתם אותם את בניכם, train your children in the regular performance of the commandments

ולמדתם אותם את בניכם לדבר בם, “You shall teach them to your children to speak about them.” From the time your son (or daughter) is old enough to talk you must instruct him in Torah. One of the first lessons should be the verse תורה צוה לנו משה, as well as שמע ישראל .

From the time that the son is able to speak, etc. Otherwise Scripture should write, “And you are to teach them to your sons to learn them (ללמוד).” Why does it say to, “To speak in them (לדבר בם)”?

V. 19. לימוד .ולמדתם וגו׳ ist umsassender als שנון, in welchem wir zu Kap. 6,7 das Lehren des Gesetzesinhaltes in kurzen konzisen Sätzen zu erkennen geglaubt. Daher, wie wir glauben, knüpft die Halacha ihren Satz בניכם ולא בנותיכם (Kiduschin 29 b), womit die Pflicht des תורה-Unterrichts auf Söhne mit Ausschluss der Töchter beschränkt wird, an ולמדתם אותם את בניכם und nicht an ושננתם לבניך. In der Tat sind auch Frauen nur nicht zur תורה-Gelehrsamkeit, zur wissenschaftlichen Gesetzeskunde zu führen, deren Aneignung und Überlieferung wesentlich zum Berufe eines jeden jüdischen Mannes gehören. Allein jenes Verständnis des jüdischen Schrifttums und jene Kenntnis des Gesetzes, die dazu gehören, dass ויראו את ד׳ אלהיהם ושמרו לעשות את כל דברי התורה הזאת, die zu einer wahren zu gewissenhafter Pflichttreue führenden Gottesfurcht und zu einer vollen Pflichterfüllung gehören, die gehören zur Geistes- und Herzensbildung unserer Töchter wie unserer Söhne. Darauf weist schon das הקהל-Gebot (Kap. 31, 12) hin. Und wenn es in (Chagiga 3 a) in Beziehung auf den Satz dieses להקה-Gebotes, הקהל את העם האנשים והנשים והטף וגו׳ למען ישמעו ולמען ילמדו ויראו את ה׳ heißt: אנשים באים ללמוד נשים באות לשמוע, so ist doch ebendaselbst bereits zuvor das למען ישמעו nicht als ein bloßes Hören, sondern als ein gehöriges Verständnis, als "Lernen" begriffen (siehe ׳רשי und ׳תוספ daselbst und ׳תוספו Sota 21 b ד׳׳ה בן עזאי), so, dass das ולמען ילמדו der Männer nach ר׳אשי auch ילמדו umfasst.

לדבר בם בשבתך, so that you will make them a regular part of your conversation with your children.

Auch die Mischna (Nedarim 35 b) spricht von einem תנך-Unterricht der Töchter, אבל מלמד הוא את בניו ואת בנותיו מקרא, und steht, so weit unsere Einsicht reicht, der Annahme des ת׳׳יט, als ob die Lesart der Mischna nicht korrekt wäre, die Erläuterung der Gemara 37 b entgegen. ולמ׳׳ד שכר פיסוק טעמים מ׳׳ט לא אמר שכר שימור קסבר בנות מי קא בעיין שימור ע׳׳ש (siehe רשי und ראש daselbst). Und selbst wenn nach ר׳׳ן (daselbst) בנותיו nicht ausdrücklich in der Mischna steht, sondern diese nur stillschweigend mitverstanden sind, so erkennt doch סתם גמרא offenbar ein לימוד מקרא לבנות an, und zwar liegt der ganzen dortigen Verhandlung die Voraussetzung zu Grunde, dass der לימוד an sich הוצמ und als solche auch vom מודר ,erlaubt wäre, da מצוות לאו להנות נתנו.ע׳׳ש ועי׳ מה שכתב ב׳׳י לטור א׳׳ח סוף סי׳ מז ע׳׳ש .נתנו

Es war auch von je also die Praxis in der jüdischen Vergangenheit, deren Zeuge noch eine ganze jüdisch-deutsche Literatur ist, die vorzugsweise das weibliche Geschlecht im Auge hatte, um ihm das Verständnis des biblischen und liturgischen Schrifttums und eine populäre Kenntnis des Gesetzes und der rabbinischen Sittenlehre zu vermitteln (siehe auch טורי זהב zu י׳׳ד 246 ,6)

, לדבר בם lehret sie das Gesetz so eingehend und ihr ganzes geistige Vermögen ansprechend und durchdringend, dass es der wesentlichste Gegenstand ihres Denkens und Redens und die Basis ihrer Lebensanschauungen und Urteile werde (siehe zu Kap. 6,7 und Schmot 13, 9).

בשבתך וגו׳. Über den Numeruswechsel siehe zu Vers 10. Hier ist er um so bedeutsamer, da das Volk in der Zerstreuung dem Gedanken gegenwärtig ist, wo alles und jedes äußere Vereinigungsband fehlt. Da heißt es denn, dass eben diese Unterordnung eines jeden unter das eine Gesetz, das. Herz und Seele, Hand und Geist eines jeden beherrscht und den Empfindungen, Regungen, Handlungen und Anschauungen ein einheitliches Gepräge gibt, das durch Unterricht und Erziehung auf jedes jüngere Geschlecht sich vererbt, dass durch alles dies die allzerstreuten vielen doch als eine Gesamteinheit dastehen werden und überall und immer im häuslichen und öffentlichen, im ruhenden und strebenden Leben als zusammengehörige Einheit gekennzeichnet bleiben werden.

ובשכבך ובקומך diese auch hier wiederkehrende Bestimmung dürfte, wie uns scheint, sehr für unsere zu Kap. 6, 6 geäußerte Ansicht sprechen, dass auch, wenn ק׳׳ש דאוריתא, neben demselben es auch דאוריתא-Pflicht sei, sich abends und morgens mit דברי תורה zu beschäftigen (siehe daselbst).

V. 20. ׳וכתבתם וגו wir glauben, dass dieser Satz zu dem folgenden in dem Sinne gehört: schreibe aber diese Worte an die Pfosten deines Hauses und deiner Tore, d. h. ja halte damit dein ganzes häusliches und Staatsleben dem göttlichen Gesetze geweiht und lasse nichts Ungöttliches Eingang bei dir finden, damit die V. 17 angedrohten Folgen nicht eintreten, vielmehr ׳ירבו ימיכם וגו. Kann man doch nicht eigentlich in der Zerstreuung von eigenen "Toren", kaum recht von eigenen Häusern reden, jedenfalls bezeichnet ביתך ושעריך mehr den Zustand im Lande, als außer Landes, weshalb denn auch wohl ספרי zum בנין אב für מצות הגוף, die auch בח׳׳ל Verpflichtung bleiben, aus unserer Stelle nur תפלין und תלמוד תורה hervorhebt, nicht aber auch מזוזה, obgleich diese ja auch unter die nicht תלויות בארץ gehört. Will man ׳וכתבתם וגו auch zu dem Vorhergehenden ziehen, so würde das למען ירבו sich auf die durch שמירת התורה im Galuth zu erzielende Rückkehr beziehen.

למען ירבו ימיכם וימי בניכם IN ORDER THAT YOUR DAYS MAY BE INCREASED AND THE DAYS OF YOUR CHILDREN — We may learn from this that if you do so, then they will be increased, but if not, they will not be increased, for the statements of the Torah may be expounded so as to derive from the negative the positive, and from the positive, the negative (Sifrei Devarim 46).

למען ירבו ימיכם, "that your days may multiply, etc." Why did Moses not write this verse prior to verse 20, i.e. the writing down of this paragraph and attaching it to the doorposts? If that had been the case our verse and the blessing it contains would also be part of the promise in what was to be attached to the doorposts? Perhaps Moses chose this order in order to teach us that the fulfilment of the commandment in verse 20 would bring in its wake the blessing contained in verse 21. This may be what the Talmud (Shabbat 32) had in mind when it stated that "anyone who takes the commandment of the Mezuzah seriously has his lifespan extended." [The only quotation I was able to find on that folio was that neglect of the commandment of Mezuzah may result in premature death. This itself is questionable. Ed.]

כימי השמים על הארץ, meaning: “when I provide rain from the heavens, the earth will yield its produce.”

Like the years of the heaven. In order that you should merit to have life here, in the temporal world like a taste of the World to Come. When you are in the land you will live true life, like the life that is in heaven.

Thus, we discover the derivation of the revival of the dead, etc. For the deceased themselves will rise and settle in the land.

V. 21. ׳למען ירבו וגו. Bedenkt man, dass durch die Beifügung וימי בניכם das in ימיכם angeredete Subjekt nur das Mosche gegenwärtige, oder überhaupt ein jedes einzelne, somit an sich vorübergehende Geschlecht bezeichnet, so kann man wohl nicht füglich das כימי שמים על הארץ sich auf ירבו beziehen und diesem das Merkmal einer unbegrenzten Dauer bringen. Man kann wohl sagen ׳למען ירבו ימיכם כימי וגו und begreift darunter die in alle Zukunft reichende Nachkommenschaft des gegenwärtigen Geschlechts. Nicht aber ימיכם וימי בניכם in welcher Zusammenstellung, wie bemerkt, in ימיכם ein temporäres Geschlecht gedacht ist. Man dürfte sich daher veranlasst sehen, das כימי השמים nicht als Modalität der Dauer auf ירבו, sondern als Modalität der Seinsart auf ׳ימיכם וימי וגו zu beziehen: damit ׳ימיכם וגו׳ על האדמה וגו seien wie ימי השמים על הארץ und zwar ירבו lange so seien. So wie die Tage der Erde eigentlich die Himmelstage sind, indem die ganze Entwickelung der Erde durch den Himmel und die von "dort" aus kommenden Wirkungen bedingt ist, so sind die Blütentage eures Landes eigentlich eure Tage, sind durch euer sittliches Verhalten bedingt — was ja dieser ganze Abschnitt zum Bewusstsein bringt — ihr verhaltet euch zu eurem Boden wie der Himmel zur Erde, und wenn ihr Gottes Gesetze erfüllt, wird dieser euer segengestaltender Einfluss auf euer Land lange dauern und werden lange in den Tagen eures Landes eure Tage zur Erscheinung kommen, wie des Himmels Tage sich auf der Erde verwirklichen (siehe zu Kap. 33, 28). Diese Anschauung dürfte auch dem ספרי zu Grunde liegen: כימי השמים על הארץ שיהו פניהם של צדיקים כיום וכן הוא אומר ואוהביו כצאת השמש בגבורתו (siehe daselbst), und dürfte auch durch die Menachoth 31 b für die Mesusaschrift gegebene Weisung veranschaulicht werden sollen: על הארץ בשיטה אחרונה איכא דאמרי בסוף שיטה בגבוה שמים על הארץ ואיכא דאמרי בתחלת שיטה כי היכי דמרחק׳ שמים מארץ, wo die Überordnung oder der Abstand des Himmels von der Erde als Vergleich der Überordnung oder des spezifischen Abstandes anschaulich gemacht werden soll, deren wir in Beziehung zu den irdischen Verhältnissen unseres Landes teilhaftig werden, so lange wir uns in der Höhe unserer geistigen und sittlichen Bestimmung erhalten. —

למען ירבו ימיכם וימי בניכם, “so that you will live long and your children will live long, etc..” Women are also obligated to put mezzuzot on their homes when no man shares the home they live in. This is logical, seeing that they too wish to enjoy long life. (Talmud, Kidushin, folio 31.)

לתת להם [THE LAND WHICH THE LORD SWARE UNTO YOUR FATHERS] TO GIVE TO THEM — It is not written here “to give to you”, but “to give to them”. From this we are able to derive that the tenet of the “Resurrection of the Dead” is of Biblical origin (more lit., is from the Torah) (Sifrei Devarim 47:2).

שמר תשמרון [IF] YE SHALL DILIGENTLY OBSERVE [ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS] — The repetition of the verb implies an admonition to be very much on one’s guard: to be careful in respect to one’s study of the Torah that it should not be forgotten (cf. Sifrei Devarim 48:2).

AND TO CLEAVE UNTO HIM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “[You are to walk in His ways so that you will merit to cleave unto Him] ultimately, this being a great secret.” But the secret is not by reason of this reference [here in the verse before us].³⁴²Ibn Ezra was of the opinion that this verse constitutes an assurance to the soul that it will ultimately cleave unto G-d. To this Ramban replies: “The secret itself is true, but the assurance is not from this verse, for the intent of the verse is an admonition,” as will be explained. See my Hebrew commentary p. 395. Perhaps he is stating: “to love the Eternal, to walk in all His ways until you become worthy to cleave unto Him in the end” [as Ibn Ezra wrote]. But in the Book of Joshua it is stated, Neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor worship them; but cleave unto the Eternal your G-d, as ye have done unto this day³⁴³Joshua 23:7-8. [thus indicating that “cleaving to G-d” was not an ultimate goal, but something they had been experiencing all along]. If so, the verse [before us] is one of the admonitions against idolatry, meaning that one’s thought should not part from G-d [and transfer] to other gods, that one should not think that there is any substance to idolatry but instead it is all nought and worthless. Thus this verse is similar to what he said, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave,³⁴⁴Further, 13:5. the intent being to warn that one is not to worship G-d [in combination] with anything besides Him, but to worship [only] G-d alone, with one’s heart and deeds.
It is possible that the term “cleaving” includes the obligation that you remember G-d and His love always, that your thought should never be separated from Him when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up³⁴⁵Verse 19. to such a degree that [a person] during his conversation with people by mouth and tongue, his [entire] heart will not be with them, but instead be directed towards G-d. With men of such excellence it is possible that even in their lifetime, their souls shall be bound in the bundle of life,³⁴⁶I Samuel 25:29. since their very being is a “residence” for the Divine Glory, as the author of the Book of the Kuzari alludes.³⁴⁷Al Khazari III. 1, by Rabbi Yehudah Halevi. I have already mentioned this matter in the section on forbidden relations.³⁴⁸Leviticus 18:4 (Vol. III, pp. 245-246). And when Joshua said as ye have done unto this day³⁴³Joshua 23:7-8. he meant, that when they were in the wilderness and the cloud of the Eternal was over them,³⁴⁹Numbers 10:34. and the manna would descend from heaven, and the quail would come up and the well was always before them, and all their requirements were provided by Heaven in miraculous ways — then their thoughts and deeds were [perforce] always with G-d. Therefore Joshua warned them that even now in the Land, when these wonderful deeds would be removed from them, their thoughts should always be with them [i.e., the wonders that G-d had done for them], to cleave unto the glorious and fearful Name³⁵⁰Further, 28:58. and their attention should not be withdrawn from Him.

כי אם שמור תשמרון לאהבה, the thrust of your preoccupation with Torah is to be that you show the acts of loving kindness G’d has performed, which in turn will ensure that you love Him.

כי אם שמר תשמרון, "For if you diligently keep, etc." Why did Moses repeat the word שמר תשמרון? Besides, what kind of observance does Moses speak about here? Perhaps he intended to warn the people to observe the "fences" around the Biblical commandments which were designed to prevent violation of the commandments proper. Moses warns the people not to disregard these "fences."

כי אם שמור תשמרון, “For if you will diligently observe, etc.” Ibn Ezra writes that this paragraph too refers to what has been written previously when Moses warned that non-observance of the commandments will lead to exile from the Holy Land. He adds here, by implication, that if these commandments are not observed, there will be no need for an exile as the people will not take over that land in the first place. If you neglect the commandments after you have established yourselves there, your tenure will be short-lived.

Rather, cling to the disciples and the sages, etc. I.e., “Cling to Him,” cannot be interpreted as, “He is merciful — you should be merciful.” For the verse already has written, “To walk in all His ways,” which Rashi interprets as, “Just as He is merciful, etc.” Rather, “Cling to Him,” [here] must be expounded differently, as Rashi explains. This explanation answers the question: Why Rashi does not comment on the verse (10:20), “Cling to Him,” and also in Parshas Re’ey on the verse (below 13:5), “Cleave to Him”? [The answer is: Because neither verse says, “Walk in all His ways.”]

V. 22 f. כי וגו׳ ist die Konsequenz aus allem Vorhergehenden für die unmittelbar anzutretende Zukunft. Über den Begriff שמירה in Beziehung auf das uns übergebene Gesetz (siehe Schmot S. 337 f. u. Wajikra S. 364 f.). Es ist dort erläutert, wie in erster Linie darunter das "Erlernen" des Gesetzes, das "Lernen" verstanden ist, durch welches allein der uns übergebene Gottesschatz und dessen Anforderungen uns gegenwärtig bleiben, und, indem hier diese שמירה wiederholt gefordert wird, שמר תשמרון, knüpft daran ספרי z. St. die Mahnung an stetes Repetieren des Erlernten, מגיד הכתוב שכשם שאדם צריך להזהר בסלעו שלא יאבד כך יהא אדם צריך להזהר בתלמודו שלא יאבד wie man über den erworbenen Groschen zu wachen hat, dass man ihn nicht verliere, so auch über das erworbene Wissen. Die Wissenschaft sei (Job 28, 17) mit Gold und Glas in Vergleich gebracht, ihre Erkenntnis sei schwer zu erwerben wie Gold und leicht zu verscherzen wie Glas קשים לקנותם כזהב ונוחים ככלי זכוכית לאבדם, und sind dort sehr zu beherzigende Regeln für das Studium der תורה-Wissenschaft gegeben (siehe daselbst).

כי אם שמור תשמרון, “for if you diligently keep all these commandments;” the word כי is used here instead of the word: אלא, “but.” ואבדתם מהרה, “if you do not keep the commandments now, you will not have to go into exile as you will not even enter the Holy land in the first place. The condition for entering is that you have a record of keeping the laws of the Torah.

ללכת בכל דרכיו TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS — He is merciful, be thou merciful; He bestows lovingkindness, bestow thou lovingkindness (Sifrei Devarim 49:1).

ללכת בכל דרכיו, to emulate the way in which He governs His universe, i.e. application of justice and righteousness.

ולדבקה בו, “and to cleave to Him;” Ibn Ezra sees in these words the ultimate objective of Torah observance and love of Hashem, i.e. if you will observe all the commandments in the right spirit, you will achieve the closest relationship with Hashem that it is possible for a human being to have, the relationship known as דבקות, cleaving to Him. Nachmanides understands these words as a warning, one of the types of warnings against worshipping idols. He bases this on Joshua 23,7-8 where Joshua juxtaposes pursuit of idols with cleaving to Hashem exclusively. In that paragraph of the Book of Joshua we read as follows: “and without intermingling with these nations that are left among you. Do not utter the names of their gods or swear an oath by them; do not serve them or bow down to them. But ‘hold fast,’ to the Lord your G’d, בו תדבקון, as you have done to this day.” Moses, according to Nachmanides, does not aim at what the select few are capable of achieving in the search for closeness to G’d, but he speaks about the minimum that every Jew must strive for. It is possible that the reason why Moses introduced the term דבקות here is because by striving for this kind of closeness one concentrates on G’d and what His expectations are of His creatures, so much that one does not have time or desire to explore other religions and what the nations of the world see in them that they pursue those deities. This would again be parallel to Moses’ exhortation to speak to one’s children of the Torah during all hours of the day and night, and in all localities, barring places reserved for excreting. The positive of what we are to do, is matched by the negative, as for instance in the verses quoted from the Book of Joshua. Nachmanides suggests that an ideal relationship with Hashem could be that when one speaks to fellow humans one does so only from the lips outwards, whereas one’s heart, and one’s mind is still tuned in to Hashem, simultaneously. He speculates further that possibly these elitists among us have reached a level of spirituality that can be compared to the wish we express at every funeral that the soul of the departed be enfolded by what our sages have described as צרור החיים, the bundle of eternal life. [Compare Samuel I 25,29, Avigail’s wish to David, and Maimonides’ comment in his hilchot TeshuvahEd] The words כאשר עשיתם עד היום הזה may be Moses’ way of describing the intimate relationship that existed between G’d and His people, who received a daily portion of heavenly bread, a supply of meat, apparently materializing miraculously, a well that moved with them every step of the way so that drinking water was always at hand in the desert, etc. Joshua, who speaks to the people after these miracles have ceased and the people have begun to live a “normal” life, exhorts them not to forego the intimate relationship with Hashem that had been forged during the years in the desert.

Moses may also have had in mind to reassure the Israelites that if they indeed observed the "fences" with the same determination as the Biblical injunctions, then G'd would ensure that they would be able to observe all the Biblical commandments. Failure to take the "fences" seriously would result in their observance of the Biblical commandments becomimg slipshod. The classic example is that he who conscientiously observes the Sabbath already a few minutes prior to sunset will be helped to observe the Sabbath in all its ramifications. He who waits with beginning the Sabbath until the last possible minute may find himself violating even Biblical aspects of the Sabbath legislation.

ללכת בכל דרכיו, nach dem ספרי: das Nachstreben in den Wegen der göttlichen Waltung, Ihm ähnlich an Erbarmen und Gnade, Langmut, Huld und Treue, Milde und Versöhnung zu werden und uns der Tragung seines Namens würdig zu machen.

ולדבקה בו AND TO CLEAVE TO HIM — Is it possible to say this? Is He not “a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24)? But it means: cleave to the scholars and sages, and I will account it unto you as though you cleave to Him (Sifrei Devarim 49:2).

ולדבקה בו, all your actions should strive to carry out His will, as Proverbs 3,6 בכל דרכיך דעהו!

Another thing Moses may have had in mind when repeating the word שמור תשמרון is that one should not only be concerned with personally observing the commandments but should also encourage others to keep them. A person should not say that he has done his duty by observing G'd's commandments and letting others worry about doing their duty. The first word שמור refers to personal observance, whereas the word תשמרון refers to one's encouraging others to do the same. We have been taught in Pessachim 49 that instead of merely reading Deut. 33,4 מורשה, "something to be transmitted by inheritance," we should also read the word as if it had been spelled מאורשה, "betrothed." Just as a person is responsible for the welfare of his bride-to-be, i.e. his ארוסה, so G'd has empowered him by means of the Torah not to let others despise the Torah without protesting this. When possible all legal means have to be employed to ensure that Jews do not violate G'd's law in public just as we would not let such people get away with violence against fellow human beings. Naturally, admonishing trespassers must be done in a manner which does not alienate such people from the Torah. This is why Moses speaks about לעשותה לאהבה, to "perform it lovingly, etc." Yevamot 63 explains that the person who does not only admonish others but demonstrates that he himself demands of himself at least as much as he appears to demand of others is liable to have an impact on his listeners. Something similar is stated in Berachot 6 where the Talmud says: "a truly G'd-fearing person will find that his listeners will respond to him." This is why Moses spoke first of all about לעשותה, i.e. people who had been models to others by themselves performing the commandments. When this is the case such people may plant love for G'd in others. Such people will no longer violate G'd's commandments. This is also the meaning of Midrash Mishley 2,4 that if one succeeds in making words of Torah come forth from the mouth of an uncouth person one has done the equivalent to uttering these words of Torah oneself. Sanhedrin 19 goes further and describes such a person as having created the former.

ולדבקה בו nach dem ספרי: auch im Umgang mit Menschen Gott nahe zu bleiben, den Umgang solcher Menschen zu suchen, die uns durch Lehre und Beispiel in dem Wandel mit Gott befestigen.

ולדבקה בו, "and to cleave to Him." We have already explained on several occasions that all the Jewish souls are hewn from the same celestial "quarry." This is why they are considered part of G'd and all cleave to G'd as per Deut. 4.4. Violations of G'd's commandments however, result in this bond being shattered. When man repents he has to re-establish this bond. When Moses mentions "and to cleave to Him," he speaks of people who have to re-establish this bond, this cleaving to G'd.

הוריש ה׳ THEN THE LORD WILL DRIVE OUT [ALL THESE NATIONS FROM BEFORE YOU] — If you do what devolves upon you, “I” will do what devolves upon Me (Sifrei Devarim 49:3; cf. Rashi on v. 14).

והוריש, He will give you a chance to earn your livelihood easily so as to have time to serve Him.

והוריש ה' את כל הגוים האלה מלפניכם, “Hashem will drive out all these nations from before you.” This refers to the ones that reside near the Israelites’ present location. Afterwards He will also do so to the nations which reside further away, הרחוקים, i.e. wherever you will set foot. Seeing that G’d here indicates a certain order in which the conquest of the land of Canaan has to proceed, we know that David erred when he did not follow this sequence by first driving out the nations which lived further away from the Israelites such as Aram Tzovah, Aram Naharayim. He conquered the nearby countries only afterwards including Jerusalem, i.e. the Jebusite (compare Sifri Eykev 51 ). Our sages also ruled that lands conquered by an individual (with fewer than 600,000 Israelite soldiers) does not have the legal status of a conquest based on milchemet mitzvah. When the land is conquered in the true order, the conquered territories all become part of the Holy Land with all that this entails, i.e. the need to tithe its product, and to give the Levites and Priests all the gifts prescribed by the Torah. Lands conquered as כבוש יחיד, as the result of a private initiative is not subject to the Shemittah and Yovel legislation by Biblical decree. The Rabbis applied this legislation to such lands only so as not to encourage Jews to settle in such lands and to circumvent the intent of Torah legislation.

You have fulfilled your obligations, etc. The meaning of Rashi here is the same as I explained above (v. 14).

ועצמים מכם [YE SHALL POSSESS NATIONS] MIGHTIER THAN YOURSELVES — You are mighty, but they are mightier than you; for if this does not mean to suggest that the Israelites are mighty, what superiority is it that he ascribes to the Amorites by saying “mightier than yourselves”? But the meaning must be: you are mightier than other nations and they are mightier than you (cf. Sifrei Devarim 50:3).

EVERY PLACE WHEREON THE SOLE OF YOUR FOOT SHALL TREAD SHALL BE YOURS: FROM THE WILDERNESS etc. In the opinion of our Rabbis³⁵¹Sifre, Eikev 51. they constitute two assurances: [First,] that whatever place in the land of Shinar and the land of Assyria and elsewhere they want to conquer, shall be theirs; and that all the commandments are applicable there, because they all are [part of] the Land of Israel [as Scripture says], from the wilderness and Lebanon etc. even unto the Back Sea shall be your border, meaning that you are obligated to conquer it and to extirpate the peoples from it, just as he said here, and ye shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves,³⁵²Verse 23. and to uproot the idols and their appurtenance, as he mentioned above.³⁵³Above, 7:25. And [secondly] he assured them that there shall no man be able to stand against you³⁵⁴Verse 25. whether in the land mentioned or in every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread.
It is from here that there originated a division of opinion among our Rabbis³⁵⁵Gittin 8b. regarding Syria which they called “the conquest of an individual” [and not a national conquest]. The reason is that David conquered it of his own will, not asking [authorization] of the Urim and Thummim³⁵⁶See Vol. II, pp. 482-484. and not consulting the Sanhedrin. For he was obligated to dispossess all the seven nations first, and afterwards if he wished, he could go to another land as G-d promised here.³⁵⁷But David captured Syria while the Jebusite was still entrenched in Jerusalem (Tosafoth Gittin 8a, quoting the Sifre). And because that conquest [of Syria] was not done in accordance with the commandment of the Torah, some of the Rabbis said that it is not considered “a [legal] conquest” [in the sense that it is annexed to the Land], and regarding the commandments [applicable exclusively to the Land], it has the legal status of outside of the Land of Israel. So it is taught in the Sifre.³⁵¹Sifre, Eikev 51. But some Rabbis say in the Talmud³⁵⁵Gittin 8b. that it is termed “a [legal] conquest,” because, although it was not carried out properly, since David went there and conquered it, the Divine assurance it shall be yours was fulfilled and it is [part of] the Land of Israel.
R’eih

אשר תדרך כף רגלכם, to make war against the seven Canaanite tribes,

כל המקום אשר תדרוך כף רגלכם בו לכם הוא, “Every place where the sole of your foot will tread will become yours;” According to our sages (Sifri on our verse) Moses assured the people of two distinctly separate promises here. 1) Any place the Israelites felt they wanted to conquer would not be denied them. Having done so, the commandments of the Torah would apply in any of the lands conquered as the people were under an obligation to conquer the lands as far as the river Euphrates. Secondly, there is another promise,

V. 24. כל המקום. Nach völliger im V. 23 besprochenen Besitznahme von Palästina soll auch jeder außerpalästinensische von Israel eroberte Ort: ׳לכם יהי, den vollen Charakter des jüdischen Landes, קדושת הארץ, erhalten und allen für ארץ ישראל gebotenen Gesetzesbestimmungen unterliegen. ארם צובה und ארם נהרים, zusammen unter dem gewöhnlichen Namen סוריא, wurden von David erobert, bevor das eigentlich verheißene Land völlig in jüdischen Besitz gekommen, — war doch selbst noch Jerusalem in Händen des Jebusi — und erhielt daher סוריא nicht קדושת א׳׳י, wird überhaupt daher nicht als völlig gesetzmäsige nationale Eroberung begriffen und כיבוש יחיד genannt (siehe ספרי und Gittin 8 a).

from the desert in the south,

והלבנון (siehe Kap. 3, 25).

to the river Euphrates in the north,

הים האחרון ist das Mittelmeer, das man in Palästina, mit dem Angesicht nach Osten gekehrt, im Rücken hat.

as far as the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

יהיה גכולכם das ist das eigentliche euch zugesagte Gebiet (siehe Bamidbar 34).

לא יתיצב איש וגו׳ NO MAN SHALL STAND [BEFORE YOU] — I have here the statement only regarding a man! Whence may I derive that the same applies to a nation or a family or a woman with her witchcraft? Because it states: לא יתיצב, “there shall be no standing before you” — under any circumstances. — If this be so, why does it speak of a man? It means a man, be he even as Og, king of Bashan (Sifrei Devarim 52:1; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 3:11).

לא יתיצב איש, not even outside the land of Israel.

לא יתיצב איש, within the regions just described.

לא יתיצב איש בפניכם, “no one will stand up against you;” neither in the land of Canaan, nor in the surrounding countries will you encounter serious opposition. As far as the opinion expressed by some scholars, that David’s conquest of Syria was in the category of a private conquest, not part of the commandment to conquer the land promised to the patriarchs, the reason is that the campaign had not first been approved by the urim vetumim in the breastplate of the High Priest, this was only because he had not yet conquered all the territory belonging to the seven Canaanite tribes. (Compare Gittin 47)

לא יתיצב איש בפניכם, פחדכם ומוראכם יתן ה' אלו-היכם על פני כל הארץ אשר בה כאשר דבר לכם, “no man will remain standing upright before you (on account of you); the Lord your G’d will give the fear of you and the terror of you all over the land on which you set foot, just as He has said.” This verse contains 72 letters corresponding to the 72 letters (number 72) in the tetragrammaton when spelled in a certain manner, adding the following letter to the original one. [י+יה+יהו+יהוה =72. Ed.]. This name is invoked by people familiar with Kabbalah when they want G’d to counteract fears experienced on journeys into uncharted territory. When Moses adds the words כאשר דבר לכם, “as He has said to you,” he refers to Exodus 23,27: “the fear of Me I shall send ahead of you.” This is also what Moses had prayed for at the end of the Shirah in Exodus 15,16: “may fear and terror fall upon them.” He wanted the attribute of Justice to be constantly poised against the enemies of the Israelites both then and in the future. This is also the method employed by G’d in His dealings with the righteous as we know from Psalms 91,11: “for He will order His angels to guard you wherever you go.” This is a reference to G’d’s “sword” which has 16 facets which are instructed to smite the adversaries. I have explained this matter in connection with Genesis 3,24. We have three veses in Scripture referring to this “sword of G’d” in Leviticus 26,25, Isaiah 27,1 and Genesis 3,24.
In our paragraph the Torah simply assures us that if we keep all the commandments He will deliver into our hands all the far more powerful nations surrounding us and that we would inherit their possessions. This is why the Torah also had to caution us not to be afraid of the pagans. Anyone who is afraid of someone made of flesh and blood is deficient in his trust in G’d’s promise. This is the reason why fear itself is one of the greatest obstacles our soul encounters in its effort to trust G’d absolutely. Such people may become the architects of their own misfortune although none had been decreed against them. People who are saved from all troubles are the ones who take to heart Deut. 20,5 and Psalms 40,8: “he puts his trust in the Lord.”

The Torah therefore teaches, “there will not stand up” — in any case, etc. I.e., if Scripture had written “איש לא יתיצב (A man will not stand up),” then we would understand it literally as, “a man.” Now that it is written לא יתיצב and afterwards איש, we interpret it as, “will not stand up — in any event.” And then it mentions, “a man,” to expound something different, as Rashi explains, “Even one like Og, king of Bashan.” Rashi explains this in Gittin (77a) regarding “ונתן בידה (and he puts into her hand),” and also in other places [such as] in Chulin (88b) (Mahari”tz). Furthermore since it is written here, “Fear of you and awe of you… upon the surface of the entire land,” which means that the entire world will be afraid of you. Therefore, it is obvious that “there will not stand up” means “in any case.” If so, what is the meaning of, “a man”? Even one like Og, king of Bashan (Re”m). Alternatively, Rashi is answering the question: Why is this matter repeated? For note that it says above (7:24), “no man will stand up to you, etc.” Rather it teaches us, “Even one like Og etc.

פחדם ומוראכם THE DREAD OF YOU AND THE FEAR OF YOU [THE LORD WILL PLACE UPON ALL THE LAND] — Is not, however, פחד the same as מורא? But פחדכם, “the dread of you”, refers to peoples near by, and מוראכם, “the fear of you” to those far away, for פחד denotes “sudden terror”, and מורא denotes apprehension enduring for many days (Sifrei Devarim 52:2; cf. Rashi on Sotah 20b and Niddah 71a; see also Rashi on Exodus 15:16 and Note p. 241 there).

Even one like Og, king of Bashan. In other words: The man whose being and strength is so amazing that he could stand up against all of you, as the Gemora (Brachos 54b) says that he uprooted a mountain, [even] he will not stand up against you.

כאשר דבר לכם AS HE HATH SAID TO YOU — And where did He say this? In Exodus 23:27: “I will send My terror before thee” (Sifrei Devarim 52:4).

“Awe” denotes long term dread. Although Rashi [already] explained that, “fear” refers to those who are nearby, etc, he is now explaining the difference why “fear” refers to those who are nearby and “awe” refers to those who are distant.

ראה אנכי ... ברכה וקללה BEHOLD I [SET BEFORE YOU THIS DAY] A BLESSING AND A CURSE — those which are later to be recited on Mount Gerizim and on Mount Ebal respectively (cf. v. 29).

Look, I place before you today. “See” is singular. “Before you” is plural. This is what our Sages teach us: A person must always view things as if the entire world is half righteous and half wicked. If he performs a single mitzvah he tips himself and the entire world to the side of merit. Therefore Moshe spoke to every individual, “See” that he should see in his thought that every single action affects all of them.

ראה אנכי נתן היום, "Behold, I have given this day, etc." Why did Moses employ the term "seeing," in connection with words, i.e. the words of a blessing? Furthermore, why did he describe himself as אנכי? Moreover, why does Moses address the people in the singular i.e. ראה instead of ראו, although during the whole passage he addresses them in the plural [with the exception of verse 29, Ed.]?

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום, the commandments

ראה, pay good attention so that you will not be like the nations of the world who relate to everything half-heartedly, always trying to find middle ground. Remember that אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, I present you this day with the choice of two extremes, opposites. The ברכה is an extreme in that it provides you with more than you need, whereas the קללה is another extreme making sure that you have less than your basic needs. You have the choice of both before you; all you have to do is make a choice.

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, “See, I present before you this day, a blessing and a curse.” According to the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, the reason why Moses suddenly switches to the singular mode when addressing the whole people, is that he is addressing each one of them as individuals. Some commentators feel that Moses’ words, in this instance, were addressed to Joshua, and that he charged Joshua with blessing the people when they would cross the Jordan. Still other commentators feel that all the blessings and curses in the Book of Deuteronomy are expressed in singular mode, there is therefore nothing unusual here. A different approach altogether, concentrating on the choice of the introductory word ראה, “See!” describes the different manner between how Moses approaches the Israelites’ choice of their fate to that of the nations at large. When one engages in drawing lots for something, one exercises extreme caution to ensure that neither of the lots is visible to the parties participating in the draw. Moses, in outlining the choices before the Jewish people, makes sure that they can see clearly the choices at each one’s disposal. He therefore urges them to choose “life,” which is equated with “blessing.” He, so to speak, invites the people to let him place his hands on “blessing,” by their choosing to opt for performance of G’d’s commandments. He underlines this even more by not phrasing their choice as “iffy,” i.e. with the word אם, i.e. “if you do so and so you will receive a blessing,” but as something definitive, i.e. אשר תשמעון, “that you will hearken, etc.” The term אשר is also reminiscent of the word אשרי, “hail to.” Moses implies that he already hails them for having chosen correctly.

To be pronounced at Mount Gerizim, etc. Rashi is answering the question: The curses have already been stated above in Parshas Bechukosai (Vayikra 26:14) and below in Parshas Ki Savo (Devarim 28:15) [but not here]! Rashi answers: “To be pronounced at Mount Gerizim, etc.” And “place” means, “to arrange before you today.”

V. 26. ראה usw. Es ist dies der Schluss des einleitenden Rückblicks und Übergang zu dem Gesetzeskompendium für das Geschlecht der Landesbesitznahme. ראה nicht auf Treu und Glauben eines andern aufzunehmende Lehre, aus allem, was du bis jetzt selbst erfahren und was dir in dem bisherigen Rückblick wieder ins Bewusstsein gerufen worden, schöpfest du die Selbstüberzeugung, dass Gott deine segensreich oder fluchvoll zu gestaltende Zukunft durch sein dir durch Mosche überbrachtes Gesetz vollkommen in deine eigene Hand gelegt hat.

ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם, “Behold, anochee set before you, etc.” Moses is asking the Israelites to choose that which Hashem had said to them in Exodus 20,2 when He identified Himself as their G–d Who had taken them out of Egypt. Hence the repetition here of Moses quoting the אנכי attribute of that G–d. An alternate interpretation of our verse: “Behold it is I Who gave goodness, therefore I am different from anyone else, Moses not having been aware that when he descended from Mount Sinai that his forehead radiated light.

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם, “Behold, I set before you;” up until now Moses had concentrated on the need to revere the Lord; from now on he concentrates on spelling out specific commandments.

ברכה וקללה, as explained later in verse 29, that the “blessing” would be recited toward the tribes standing on Mount Gerizim, whereas the curse would be addressed to the tribes standing on Mount Eyvol. (compare author on 27,12-14)

I believe that the wording of our verse is connected to the message Moses wants to convey, i.e. that the people should learn to set more store by the blessings which will accrue to them in the Hereafter than the blessings which accrue to them in this life. In order for the prophet who conveys such teachings to be believable he must possess two qualifications. 1) He must himself have a deep appreciation of the value of the good to be experienced only in the celestial regions. 2) He must have demonstrated that he personally has achieved success in this life and what it has to offer. If the person preaching the values of the Hereafter were not himself blessed with success in this life, his listeners would not believe him thinking that he consoles himself with something in the future because he had been unable to attain it in the here and now. Moreover, even if someone who has experienced all that this life has to offer praises the Hereafter in exaggerated terms he is not liable to be believed unless he can prove that he has first-hand experience of what goes on in the celestial regions. This is why Moses felt impelled to apply the term אנכי to himself when he makes it appear as if he is bestowing the blessing. He invites the people to look at him as a personification of the truth of what he is about to tell them. He had attained all the honour and glory that it is possible to attain in this life. He was king over a mighty nation, was personally wealthy, and physically endowed as a giant as pointed out in Shabbat 92. In addition, he had ascended to heaven and had experienced a taste of what is in store there. After having explained all this to the people Moses mentions the message he had for the people as I shall explain. He used the words ראה אנכי in the singular to remind the people that whatever is perceived by means of the sense of sight is experienced equally by all the people although their perceptions by means of the other four senses may vary in depth. Each one of the Israelites had seen Moses' stature with his own eyes and had been aware of Moses having spent time in the heavens [returning with his skin radiating light. Ed.].

ברך) ברכה, verwandt mit פרך durchbrechen, abteilen, פרק entladen, auf ein anderes überladen, daher מפרקת ,פרק, Gelenk, ברק Blitz als Entladung oder nach seiner Form, ברך das Kniegelenk, die wesentliche Hebelverbindung der Fortbewegung, ברכה Wasserleitung): der Zustand der ungehemmten Fortentwicklung, des fortschreitenden Gedeihens, und קללה: nicht nur kontradiktorischer Gegensatz des fortschrittlosen, isoliert bleibenden Nichtgedeihens, welches ארר wäre, sondern der konträre Gegensatz des Selbstinhaltlos- und Gehaltloßwerdens (von קל ,קלל, leicht, völlig gewichtlos). Die Alternative zwischen beiden Gegensätzen ist durch Gottes Gesetz "vor uns hingeben", es hängt von uns ab, uns das eine oder das andere zu schaffen.

נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, “am placing before you blessing and curse.” In this lower world there exists a mixture of blessing and curse; in the world after the arrival of the Messiah there will be only blessing.

Moses had something else in mind when he said ראה אנכי, "look at me!" Maimonides explains in his treatise Hilchot Teshuvah chapter 5 that every person has the potential to become the equal of Moses. This is precisely what Moses meant. He said: "Take a good look at me! Everything that I have accomplished you are able to accomplish for yourselves!" Whenever a person aspires to serve the Lord he is not to look at people who have been under-achievers compared to himself and to use such a comparison in order to pat himself on the back on his relative accomplishment, but he is to train his sights on those who have achieved more than he himself and use this as a challenge to set his spiritual sights ever higher.

Looking at the moral/ethical dimension of our verse, let us look at a quotation from the Zohar volume three page 273 where we are told that every Torah-observant Jew possesses a spark of Moses within him. There is no need to convince us that the generation who had the good fortune to have Moses in their midst had been spiritually inspired by him. When Moses said: ראה אנכי, this sounds almost as if he were talking to himself, saying that because the whole of the Jewish people related to him this gave him stature, i.e. it enabled him to view himself as an אנכי, "a somebody." As a result, when he spoke to the Israelites he felt as if he were speaking to himself seeing his stature was entirely due to them. This would also account for Moses using the singular when addressing the people.

Another allusion to be found in our verse is an allusion to G'd who is in the habit of referring to Himself as אנכי. Accordingly, the meter of our verse is as follows: "look at the One who calls Himself אנכי; He is about to set the blessing before you this day." Moses used the singular ראה because all of the Israelites were as one in knowing that it is G'd who places His blessing before them.

נתן לפניכם היום, "who sets before you this day, etc." The word היום, today, or now, was chosen as only now after 40 years did the people appreciate what their teacher Moses had in mind (compare Avodah Zarah 5).

Why did Moses speak of ברכה וקללה, "blessing and curse" in this verse seeing he commences verse 27 by introducing the blessing and verse 28 by introducing the curse? Why mention all this twice? We have to fall back on Sifri who describes Moses as pointing to the apparently successful wicked people and explaining to them that such "success" will last only two or three days (life on this earth) whereas in the end they will get their due. Thus far the Sifri. According to this interpretation you have to read together the words ברכה וקללה היום, "blessing and curse today," i.e. a blessing which will turn into a curse. Moses refers to the peaceful lives the wicked lead in this world which is shortlived considered only one day long as explained on Deut. 7,11 based on Eyruvin 22. Moses placed the word היום next to the word ברכה, to hint how very shortlived that blessing will be. As a result of all this Moses indicates that success in this life diminishes progressivley and turns into a curse for the people in question.

Another way of looking at what Moses wanted to say in our verse is also based on Sifri. The author explains that Moses offered the people two choices, two paths in life; one appeared well paved intially but would turn progressively rougher, the other the reverse, starting out unpaved, full of holes, etc. He advised the people of the nature of these paths asking them not to be misled by what their eyes saw at the moment. This is what is meant by the words נתן לפניכם, "what I am placing in front of you." Moses meant that there are two kinds of blessings each accompanied also by a curse. The path of the wicked commences with blessings only to end in curses. The path of the righteous begins with what appears like a curse only to end in blessing. He continues with the word את הברכה in verse 27 to show that the true blessing is the path which began in such an inauspicious manner. He exhorts the people אשר תשמעון, encouraging them to hearken to his advice in spite of the initial difficulties they would experience on that path. At the same time he warns the wicked in verse 28 that what they considered the blessed path is in fact a curse because they do not hearken to the commandments of the Torah.

There is yet another way to explain Moses' emphasis on the word היום. At the end of Parshat Eykev (11,24) Moses assured the people that every place in the land they would set foot on would become theirs. This was not part of the oath to Abraham and the other patriarchs. Hence Moses adds that there is a new dimension to the blessing they would receive as of "this day." He adds the words ברכה וקללה, to make it plain that this is a two edged blessing, it contains advantages and disadvantages. If the people will hearken to G'd the promise would prove to be a blessing. If not, this very promise and its fulfilment would turn into a curse as they would find that other nations would envy them and would cause them terrible losses by avenging the Canaanites whom the Israelites had wiped out. Even while they would enjoy the fact that they had conquered the land they would find that G'd would punish them for their sins immediately, thus turning the blessing into a curse.

את הברכה [I SET BEFORE YOU] THE BLESSING — with the condition that you should obey (אשר תשמעו‎).

את הברכה אשר תשמעון, "The blessing if you will hearken, etc." The word את which frequently means "with" means here that in addition to the blessing which is the result of walking in G'd's paths there would be a bonus, i.e. they would hearken to G'd's commandments. Hearkening to G'd's commandments is perceived as a pleasurable experience by itself. It helps the soul to feel "alive" as we know from Isaiah 55,4: שמעו ותהי נפשכם, "hearken and your souls will come alive." Whenever someone who studies Torah gains an understanding of what the Torah has in mind he experiences a physical and spiritual sense of wellbeing. He owes G'd a debt of gratitude for affording him such pleasure. There is no need to add that such a person cannot demand a reward from G'd for having allowed him to experience such joy.

את הברכה, which would be on Mount Gerizim on condition that 'אשר תשמעו אל מצות ה', וגו, that you will listen, etc.

את הברכה אשר תשמעו, “the blessing, that you will listen, etc.” Interestingly, Moses did not use the conditional אם when speaking about the blessing, in contrast to his using this word when referring to the people not listening, i.e. את הקללה אם לא תשמעו, “the curse if you will not listen.” Seeing that the word אם implies that what follows is doubtful, Moses did not want the blessing to be associated with a word expressing doubt. The word אשר expresses that something is definite. This is why Moses chose to use this word as describing the blessing, i.e. its materializing.

On condition that you listen. Rashi is answering the question: The verse should have said אם תשמעו (if you heed), in the same manner as it is written afterwards, “And the curse — if you do not heed.” For אשר (that) implies that they will definitely obey the commandments. But this is not so, for everything is in the hands of Heaven besides the fear of Heaven (Berachos 33b), and so perhaps they may not obey. Therefore Rashi explains: “That you heed” means, “on condition etc.” Also, this [that אשר and אם are written together] explains why Rashi does not say that אשר (that) means אם (if), as he explains in Bereishis that the verse, “Any children that (אשר) you will have (Bereishis 48:6),” means, “if (אם) you will have more.” For in that verse it is not written אם (if). as it is written here, “And the curse — if (אם) you do not heed.” Therefore [regarding the blessing] Scripture should have written אם, since it is the same matter. But the verse here changes and writes אם regarding the curses, yet it uses the word — אשר — regarding the blessings, perforce we need to explain that אשר means, “on condition that you listen,” even though both words could mean “if.” Also, this [that אשר and אם are written together] answers the question posed by Re”m: Why does Rashi explain that אשר means, “on condition that, etc.,” instead of, “if,” since we find אם in place of אשר [i.e., these two words are interchangeable]?

V. 27. ׳את הברכה אשר וגו, bedeutungsvoll heißt es nicht wie bei קללה des folgenden Verses אם תשמעו, sondern אשר תשמעו. Die Erfüllung der göttlichen Gebote ist schon selbst ein wahrer Bestandteil des Segens, der nicht nur dem Gehorsam nachfolgt, sondern bereits in dem Gehorsam und der treuen Pflichterfüllung seine Verwirklichung beginnt. Die geistige und sittliche Tat, die sich in jeder Gesetzestreue vollzieht, ist selbst bereits ein segensreicher Fortschritt unseres ganzen Wesens, und mit jeder Mizwatat segnen wir uns selbst.

את הברכה, אשר תשמעו את מצות ה'.......ואת הקללה אם לא תשמעו אל מצות ה', “and the curse if you will not hearken to the commandments of the Lord;” our author feels the need to explain this by a parable. An old man sat at a parting of a path. One of the parts continues smoothly but will soon become covered with thorns and thistles making progress almost impossible. The other is strewn with thorns and thistle already immediately, but will become smooth later on. This is what the old man explains to anyone asking him which path to take. The old man, naturally advises a traveler to take the path that has thorns and thistles only initially. Some travelers, seeing that the man is old, do not take his advice, and pay for it dearly as it is most difficult to go back to the junction once one has become embroiled in the thorns and thistles, People who commit trespasses against the Torah in their youth, i.e. in this world, because they choose ease and comfort, will find it almost impossible to retrace their steps once they have become caught in thorns and thistles. People who accept the challenge of Torah laws in their youth, will find it progressively easier, and in the end, their path will ensure that they experience the coming of the Messiah in due course. (Tanchuma section 3 on our portion)

There is yet another aspect to the words את הברכה. We have been taught in Kidushin 40 that the reward for מצוה-performance is divided into "capital and dividends." When Moses uses the word את he refers to the "dividend" aspect of the blessing which is the reward. The word הברכה refers to the world in which the capital is payable, whereas the word את refers to our world in which the dividends of this capital are paid out.

היום ist immer zugleich mit Rücksicht auf die im Momente des Lesens der Gottesworte gegenwärtige Zeit gesprochen, בכל יום יהיו בעיניך כחדשים; jeder Tag bringt die Verpflichtung zum Gesetze aufs neue.

Moses was careful to say אשר. Had he used the customary word אם this would have had a connotation of "if," i.e. that the payment of such dividends was somehow subject to doubt. By saying instead אשר, Moses made sure that this dividend would be perceived as something absolute, not subject to doubt or additional conditions. The Torah made this whole blessing dependent on "listening" rather than on performance of a deed or deeds with one's limbs as it wanted to convey the idea that anyone who listens to the living G'd and His Torah becomes imbued with the elixir of life, something which is guaranteed to bring him back to the fold in case he had strayed (compare introduction of Eychah Rabbati).

מן הדרך אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום ללכת וגו׳ [IF YE DEPART] FROM THE WAY WHICH I COMMAND YOU THIS DAY, TO GO [AFTER OTHER GODS] etc. — You thus learn that he who serves idols departs from the entire path of life that Israel has been commanded. From this passage they (the Rabbis) taught the well-known dictum that he who acknowledges the divinity of an idol is as though he denied the Torah in its entirety (Sifrei Devarim 54:4).

והקללה אם לא תשמעו, "And the curse in case you will fail to hearken, etc." Moses means that anyone who prevents himself from hearkening to the voice of G'd has already cursed himself. This is why the word והקללה appears before the words "if you will not hearken." Moses adds that in addition you will have demonstrated that you depart from the normal path of life by preparing for yourselves alternate but leaking water cisterns. In effect this is what the words: "you will depart from the way and follow alien deities" are all about.

אם לא תשמעו אל מצות ה' אלו-היכם וסרתם מן הדרך, “If you will not listen to the commandments of the Lord your G’d and you will deviate from the path, etc.” This verse teaches that anyone guilty of idolatry is as if he had abandoned all of G’d’s commandments. This verse also inspired the statement by our sages in the Sifri that anyone who acknowledges that idolatry has any substance to it is considered as having denied all aspects of Torah.

And veer from the course … to follow other gods. Once you veer slightly from the correct path, eventually you will follow after other gods. This is similar to the verse, “and you turn away and serve other gods” (Devarim 11:16).

Has strayed from the entire course commanded to Yisroel. The term הסרה always means, “turning away completely,” similar to [the word “send” in the verse], “And Adonoy Elohim sent him out of the Garden of Eden (Bereishis 3:23),” despite that the word מן (from) [usually] implies, “partially.”

V. 28. קללה ,והקללה אם וגו׳, der positive Verlust jedes Selbstwertes, der Rückgang bis aufs Nichts der ganzen Lebensstellung, ist erst Folge des Nichtgehorsams. ,עבודה זרה jeder Schritt vom Gesetze ist ein Schritt zur :וסרתם וגו׳ ללכת אחרי וגו׳ מכאן אמרו heißt es im Sifri כל המודה בעבודה זרה ככופר בכל התורה כלה וכל הכופר בעבודה זרה כמודה בכל התורה כלה "i>hieraus folgt, dass jedes Bekenntnis zur Abgötterei einer Leugnung des ganzen Gesetzes, und jede Leugnung der Abgötterei einem Bekenntnis zum ganzen Gesetze gleich zu achten ist." Wir halten es nicht für überflüssig, zu bemerken, wie denn doch mit diesen Sätzen das gerade Gegenteil jener vorgeblichen Maxime gesagt ist, dass der "Glaube an einen Gott" schon den ganzen Juden qualifiziere, wenn er auch sonst der Erfüllung der göttlichen Gesetze den Rücken kehrt. Es ist ja vielmehr hier das Bekenntnis zum ganzen Gesetz, das heißt ja, das Bekenntnis, dass man verpflichtet sei, alle Gebote Gottes zu erfüllen, unzertrennlich von dem Gotteinheitbekenntnis oder dessen Leugnung gesetzt. Der jüdische "Gottesglaube" ist nicht der bloße Glaube an das "Dasein" Gottes, sondern an seine Herrschaft über uns, was ja unzertrennlich von unserer Untergebung unter Ihn ist. Und der jüdische "Gotteinheitglaube" ist: קבלת עול מלכות שמים, ist identisch mit Unterstellung unseres ganzen Geschicks- und Tatenlebens unter den einzig Einen, כפירת ע׳׳ו Leugnung der Gottvielheit somit identisch mit הודאה לכל התורה כולה, mit Bekenntnis zum ganzen Gottesgesetz. Verleugnung des jüdischen Gotteinheitglaubens, Anerkennung eines andern außer oder auch geben Gott, dem ausschließlich Einen, ist ja buchstäblich עבודה זרה, "Unterordnung unter einen andern", Entziehung unseres Seins und Sollens dem ausschließlichen Diktate des einzig Einen, הודאה בע׳׳ז somit identisch mit כפירה בכל התורה כולה. In der Tat lässt doch auch die Quelle, aus welcher diese Sätze abgeleitet sind, מכאן אמרו, hierüber nicht den leisesten Zweifel zu. Die Quelle dieser Wahrheitssätze וסרתם ׳מן הדרך וגו׳ ללכת אחרי א׳ א, spricht doch die Identität der הודאה בע׳׳ז und כפירת התורה in entgegengesetzter Fassung aus, indem sie in jedem Abweichen von dem Wege des Gesetzes ein Betreten der Wege der ע׳׳ז erkennt, somit כפירת התורה mit הודאה לע׳׳ז identifiziert. (Siehe zu Bamidbar 15, 31 die Begründung des Satzes: מומר להכעיס — (.אפילו לדבר אחד הרי הוא בע׳ע׳ז

From here it is derived that anyone who admits to idolatry, etc. I.e., since “The course,” mentioned here refers to the entire Torah, and then afterwards it says, “To follow other gods,” we learn [from this juxtaposition] that anyone who admits to idolatry is [considered] as if he denies the entire Torah.

אשר לא ידעתם spricht das völlig Irrationale der ע׳׳ז aus. Gott, der einzig Eine, hat sich und seine Beziehungen zu euch und eurem ganzen Geschickes- und Tatenleben in tausendfältiger Erfahrung bekundet. Was ist von einem bewussten Walten und Gebieten über euch von einer anderen Natur- und Weltmacht euch kund geworden?

ונתת את הברכה THEN THOU SHALT PUT THE BLESSING [UPON MOUNT GERIZIM] — Understand this as the Targum renders it: ית מברכיא those who pronounce the blessing.

AND THOU SHALT PUT ‘ETH HABRACHAH’ UPON MOUNT GERIZIM. “This is to be understood as the Targum [Onkelos] rendered it: yath m’vorchaya — ‘the blessers’ [i.e., those who will pronounce the blessings]. Upon Mount Gerizim — toward Mount Gerizim.”¹The Levites who were to pronounce the blessings (further, 28:14) were only to face Mount Gerizim, but not to be on the mountain. This is Rashi’s language, but it is not correct according to the plain meaning of Scripture, for he has not yet instructed concerning [the identity of] those who were to pronounce the blessing [which is only mentioned further on, in Chapter 27:11-14; hence the verse here could not refer to them with the definite article — habrachah which implies that their identity was already known]. Rather, the meaning of the verses is as follows: “I have set ‘before you’ a way [to attain] blessing and a way [to attain] curse.²Verse 26. And the expression before you signifies that you are to choose for yourselves what you desire, and I inform you that the blessing will be yours when you perform the commandments, and the curse if you do not fulfill them.” This is similar to what he further said. See, I have set before thee this day the life and the good, the death and the evil etc.³Further, 30:15. [This verse clearly does not pertain to the setting at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, thus disproving Rashi’s interpretation that the blessing refers to “those who will pronounce the blessings.”] Then he stated here [in the verse before us], that they were to bestow this blessing of which he speaks, upon them [i.e., the tribes] on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal, this [“bestowal”] being by word of mouth [rather than by some physical act of placing the blessers there, as Rashi rendered it]. In a similar way is the interpretation of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, on this verse, and he shall ‘put’ them upon the head of the goat⁴Leviticus 16:21. Here too, no physical object is placed on the head of the goat. “Putting” refers to the confession of sins. This coincides with the interpretation of Ramban that the “bestowal” does not refer to the blessers, but to the recitation of the blessing. [meaning that the High Priest, by confessing the sins of the people, “puts” them upon the head of the goat that was to be sent to Azazel]. Thus he is saying here by way of admonition that they are to “put” [or pronounce] the blessing on Mount Gerizim, blessing the people if they will hearken to the commandments of G-d; and the curse on Mount Ebal, saying, “Cursed be he that will not hearken to the commandments and will turn aside from the way which G-d has commanded.” Now it would have been possible [in accordance with the plain meaning of this verse] that all the tribes utter the blessing and all of them [utter] the curse, or that the Levites pronounce them all, or that one individual proclaim them all. Hence he later reverted to explain there, These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people,⁵Further, 27:12. And these shall stand for the curse,⁶Ibid., Verse 13. and he further declared, And the Levites shall speak,⁷Ibid., Verse 14. and he explained the whole subject.⁸Ibid., Verses 15-26. For here, because of his admonition which he stated, Behold, I set before you etc.,²Verse 26. he mentioned part of the commandment and then he reverted to explain it [fully] in its proper place. It is possible that Mount Gerizim is to the south which is “the right” [side of a person who turns eastward facing the sunrise, in which case his right hand is to the south],⁹See Vol. II, p. 467. and Mount Ebal is to the north, as it is said, Out of the north the evil shall break forth.¹⁰Jeremiah 1:14. It is important to note that Ramban’s conjecture [“It is possible that … “] is indeed correct, for Mount Gerizim is south of Shechem, while Mount Ebal is north of it (see Biblical Encyclopedias on these places).

ונתת את הברכה, bless the people who observe G’d’s commandments,

ונתתה את הברכה על הר גריזים, “you shall deliver the blessing to Mount Gerizim;” Rashi writes: כתרגומו, meaning that he agrees with Onkelos’ translation of the word הברכה as “the ones pronouncing the blessing, i.e. the Levites.” Nachmanides does not agree. He argues that seeing that Moses had as yet not instructed the Levites to pronounce these blessings, how could they be the subjects in this verse? He feels therefore that the meaning of our verse is that Moses encourages the people to choose the path of blessing (instead of the path that leads to a curse). This is why he first warned of the alternative in verse 28, explaining that the curse would result from failure to heed the laws of the Torah. Moses commanded that the blessing be dispensed on Mount Gerizim, i.e. that there they would bless the people that hearken to the commandments of Hashem, whereas the ones failing to do so would be cursed on Mount Eyval. It is also possible that all the tribes would be blessed, conditionally, and all the tribes would be cursed conditionally. Another scenario could be that the Levites pronounced both the blessings and the curses, or even that a single person pronounced both the blessings and the curses. After that (27,12) Moses explained which tribes were to position themselves on which of the two mountains at that time, and all had to confirm both the blessings and the curses by answering “Amen” when they heard same. The reason why this whole procedure is reported in two sections, part here and part in chapter 27, is that Moses had introduced it here when the people were not on location, whereas in chapter 27 he is at pains to point out that this procedure is to be one of the very first commandments performed as soon as the people had crossed the river Jordan.

את הברכה, “you will give the blessing, etc.” The word “you will give” in this instance refers to something you will say. Pronouncing blessing while standing on Mount Gerizim is equivalent to “giving” the blessing on Mount Gerizim. We have a similar construction In Leviticus 26,21 ונתן אותם על ראש השעיר, “he will place them (the iniquities) on the head of the billy goat.” [Clearly, Aaron could not literally place the peoples’ sins on the head of that he-goat. He consigned the sins onto the head of that animal so they would be removed when the he-goat was taken to the desert. Ed.]

As Targum [Onkelos] renders the blessers, etc. I.e., the Levites who will bless the Jewish People. For if הברכה refers literally to the blessing, then why is it written, “you shall place”? For a blessing is intangible [and cannot be placed]! Rather, it refers to the Levites. In other words, “Place the ones who will bless the Jewish People,” which refers to the Levites. Another explanation [why it does not refer to the blessing]: For if הברכה refers literally to the blessing, then the entire Jewish People should place the blessing on Mount Gerizim — which is not so. For in Parshas Ki Savo (below 27:12) [See Rashi and Sifsei Chachomim there] it says that only the Levites are to place the blessing. Rather, the commandment is for the entire Jewish People — they should place the Levites as the ones to bless, on Mount Gerizim. [According to this explanation] the reason is not because the word “place” does not apply to a blessing. For we find the verse (Vayikra 16:21), “And place them on the head of the goat,” which means “through speech.” (Re”m).

V. 29. ונתתה die Personbezeichnung ist hervorgehoben. Die Segen- und Fluch-Alternative, die Gott vor sie hingegeben, die soll, wenn sie ins Land gekommen, die Gesamtnation als solche öffentlich in Vertretung Gottes "geben", d. h. als jedem zur Selbstentscheidung aussprechen, und damit die Verwirklichung des göttlichen Gesetzes durch alle als das, die nationale Wohlfahrt bedingende Gesamtanliegen der Nation proklamieren. Wie Kap. 29 weiter ausgeführt, hatte sich die ganze Nation, die Hälfte auf den Berg Gerisim und die andere Hälfte auf den Berg Ebal, um die in der Mitte im Tal befindlichen Priester und Leviten aufzustellen, und Segen und Fluch durch die Leviten aussprechen zu lassen und deren Ausspruch durch Amen zu dem ihrigen zu machen. Es stand somit das Volk verteilt auf dem Gerisim und dem Ebal und gab sich und allen seinen gegenwärtigen und künftigen Gliedern die Segen- und Fluchalternative. Den Segen sprachen die Leviten mit dem Angesicht zum Gerisim, den Fluch mit dem Angesicht gegen Ebal gewendet. Segen und Fluch, wie wir sehen werden, finden nämlich in dem Anblick dieser beiden gegensätzlich verschiedenen Berge ihre sinnliche Vergegenwärtigung. Das Volk steht auf beiden Bergen, und als auf dem Gerisim stehend, spricht es den Segen, als auf dem Ebal stehend, den Fluch aus, das heißt ונתת את הברכה על הר גריזים ואת הקללה על הר עיבל.

ונתתה את הברכה, “you shall set the blessing;” verbally, as the author has explained in Deuteronomy 27,1114; example: Leviticus 16,21: ונתן אותם על ראש השעיר, “he will place them on the head of the hegoat” (the sins of Israel).

על הר גרזים means “towards Mount Gerizim”: they (the Levites) turned their faces towards it and began with a formula of blessing: “Blessed be the man that doth not make any graven or molten image etc.”. For each of the paragraphs beginning with the expression ארור as set forth in the chapter (Deuteronomy 27), they first recited in a converse form, beginning with the expression ברוך, “Blessed be etc.” and only afterwards did they turn their faces towards Mount Ebal and began to recite the corresponding curse (Sifrei Devarim 55:2; Sotah 32a; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 27).

ואת הקללה, and curse those who violate them deliberately.

Towards Mount Gerizim, etc. For it is written in Parshas Ki Savo (below 27:12-13) that six tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim, and six on Mount Eival. If so, this indicates that the Jewish People stood on Mount Gerizim, and the Levites stood between the mountains.

Gerisim und Ebal sind zwei zum Gebirge Ephrajim gehörende Berge, die noch den entschiedensten Gegensatz in ihrem Anblick bieten. Der Gerisim, südlich vom Tale Sichem, ein grüner, mit terassenförmig sich erhebenden Gärten bedeckter fruchtbarer Berg; der Ebal auf der Nordseite, steil und nackt und wüst. Der Ebal soll etwa 800 Fuß hoch sein, etwas höher der Gerisim (siehe Raumer und Schwarz Palästina). Diese beiden neben einander liegenden Berge sind daher die sprechendste, lehrreichste Vergegenwärtigung des Segens und des Fluchs. Auf einem und demselben Boden erheben sich beide, ein und derselbe Regen- und Tauestropfen netzt beide, über beide streift dieselbe Luft, und derselbe Blütenstaub weht über den einen wie den andern hin: und doch bleibt der Ebal in unfruchtbarer Starrheit, während der Gerisim sich bis zum Gipfel hin in fruchtreichen Pflanzenschmuck kleidet. So ist Segen und Fluch nicht durch äußere Verhältnisse, sondern durch unsere eigene innere Empfänglichkeit für das eine oder andere, durch unser Verhalten zu dem bedingt, was Segen bringen soll.

על הר גריזים, “next to Mount Gerizim.” The word על meaning “next to,” is also used in this sense in Exodus 40, 3 וסכות על הארון, “you shall screen the ark.”

They turned their faces and opened with the blessing, etc. Even though the verse in Parshas Ki Savo only says, “Cursed is the man who makes a sculpture, etc.,” and it does not say, “Blessed is the man, etc.” Nevertheless, since it is written here, “The blessers,” we can infer that there was a blessing. And it is logical to assume that they began with the blessing first.

Den Jarden überschreitend und den Boden des Gesetzes unserer Heiligung betretend, bringt uns der Anblick dieser beiden Berge die ewige Lehre entgegen, wie wir zwischen die Alternative des Segens und des Fluches gestellt sind und wir durch unser eigenes sittliches Verhalten uns selbst für die Gerisim- oder Ebalzukunft entscheiden.

Auch Abraham betrat zuerst diese Stelle im heiligen Lande und baute dort zuerst seinen Altar Gott, der ihm wieder sichtbar geworden und, wie wir bereits zu Bereschit 12. 6 u. 7 (siehe daselbst) bemerkt, ist es nicht unwahrscheinlich, dass eben wegen dieses "lehrenden" Charakters dieser Örtlichkeit sie den Namen מורה trägt.

הלא המה ARE THEY NOT [AT THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN … ]? — He gave geographical indications regarding them (the mountains).

הלא המה בעבר הירדן, at the entrance to the land as soon as you cross the Jordan. This procedure is meant to demonstrate that your settling in this land will not be in an unsatisfactory, inadequate manner, but that it will be either completely successful or the reverse.

אחרי דרך, it looks as if we encounter two successive vowel patterns both pashta, both tone-signs employed as separators, something most unusual. However, if we look closely we will find that the word דרך is accented on the first syllable, so that this results in the word אחרי sounding like an שופר הפוך, a term used in Hebrew grammar for a connecting tone-sign. [Minchas Shay suggests that when reading this line the reader should briefly pause after the word אחרי, in order to achieve the same result. Heidenheim, explaining Rashi, also states that Rashi understands the word אחרי as not belonging to the word דרך following it. Ed.]

הלא המה בעבר הירדן אחרי דרך מבא השמש, “Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, far, in the direction of the sunset.” Moses gave the people a sign by which to recognize these two mountains. If they were to journey in its direction by bearing west they would find them in the land of the Emorite who dwells in the wilderness opposite Gilgal, close to Eloney Moreh.

This provides the landmarks. Rashi is answering the question: The word הלא usually implies a contradiction! For example, regarding Avraham and Sarah it is written (Bereishis 20:5): “Did he not (הלא) say to me, ‘She is my sister’?” But here it cannot be explained to mean that there is a contradiction. We also cannot explain it as in the verse (above 3:11), “Is it not (הלא) in Rabbas of the descendants of Ammon,” where it means to strengthen and reinforce his words. For here it is not applicable to reinforce his words, for it refers to the giving of the blessing and curse. [Therefore] Rashi answers: “This provides the landmarks,” and this is why it is written הלא [as if it said “behold”].

V. 30. הלא המה, weist darauf hin, dass diese Berge nicht unbekannt waren. Die charakteristische Verschiedenheit derselben, sowie der oben erwähnte Umstand, dass sie die erste durch einen Altar bezeichnete Offenbarungsstätte Abrahams waren, und der Name, den die Gegend von ihrer Bedeutsamkeit trug, dürfte sie wohl in der Kunde des Volkes erhalten haben. אחרי דרך מבוא השמש, Raschi bemerkt, dass אחרי durch den Akzent von דרך getrennt und daher absolut als מופלג, als: weithin zu verstehen sei, nicht unmittelbar am Jarden, דרך מבוא השמש in der Richtung nach Westen, also weiterhin nach Westen, wo wir ja auch in der Tat אלוני מורה, das nach Bereschit 12. 6 in der Gegend von Sichem lag, zu suchen haben. מבוא השמש heißt ja auch ganz entschieden — ממזרח השמש עד מבואו — Sonnenuntergang.

אחרי דרך מבא השמש, “behind the way of the going down of the sun.” Rashi’s commentary on this phrase is that the people travelled a tremendous distance on that day. According to the Talmud, tractate Sotah, folio 36, the Israelites on that day, after having crossed the river Jordan, would have marched 60 miles both to and back to Mount Gerizim and Mount Eyval having performed all the commandments they were to perform there, also on that day. They would then have spent the night at Gilgal as detailed in Joshua 8,3035 as well as in Sotah 36. [I am not sure if our author questions the literal meaning of the Talmud concerning this. Ed.]

אחרי [AT THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN,] AFTER — This means: behind the passage of the Jordan much further on in a distance, for that is the force of the expression אחרי, because wherever the term אחרי (in contradistinction to אחר; cf. Rashi on Genesis 15:1) is used it signifies “greatly separated” (Genesis Rabbah 44:5; cf. Sifrei Devarim 56:1; Sotah 33b).

מבא השמש, where the sun sets, i.e. in the west.

Far after the crossing of the Yardein, etc. I.e., the word “after,” is connected to the word, “Yardein,” and not to the words following, “along the route of the sunset.” Rashi states a proof for this: “The cantillation of the passage proves they are two matters, since they are punctuated with two cantillation symbols, etc.”

Im ספרי, und so auch Sota 33 b, differieren ר׳ יהודה und ר׳ אלעור hinsichtlich der Lage der hier bezeichneten Örtlichkeit. ר׳ יהודה begreift sie entfernt vom Jarden in der Gegend von Sichem, wo ja auch in der Tat Gerisim und Ebal liegen. Nach ר׳ אלעזר wäre jedoch die hier für die Segen- und Fluchverkündung bestimmte Örtlichkeit unmittelbar am Jarden gewesen, wobei man sich den Gerisim und Ebal durch zwei künstlich aufgeworfene Erdhügel zu vergegenwärtigen hatte (siehe תוספו׳ daselbst nach dem Jeruschalmi). Nun lautet aber der Ausspruch ר׳ יהודה׳s: הלא המה בעבר הירדן מעבר הירדן ואילך ואחרי דרך מבוא השמש מקום שהשמש זורחת, sowie ר׳ אלעזר׳s: הלא המה בעבר הירדן סמוך לירדן אחרי דרך מבוא השמש מקום שהחמה שוקעת. Nach ר׳ יהודה wäre die westliche Lage durch: abgewendet von dem Osten, nach ר׳ אלעזר die östliche durch abgewendet von dem Westen ausgedrückt. Schwierig bleibt nur, wie מבוא השמש :ר׳ יהודה als מקום שהשמש זורחת, also als מזרח השמש interpretieren konnte, wie Raschi dessen Meinung auffasst, da doch מבוא השמש überall dem מזרח השמש entgegengesetzt ist. Wir wagen daher zu glauben, dass ר׳ יהודה nicht מבוא השמש, sondern דרך מבוא השמש: die zum Westen führende Straße als מקום זריחת השמש bezeichnet. Wenn man den die Ostgrenze des Landes bildenden Jarden überschritten hat, betritt man die nach dem Westen führende Straße. Diese nach Westen führende Straße beginnt natürlich im Osten, מקום זריחת השמש, und אחרי דרך מבוא השמש, und "nachdem" man diesen im Osten liegenden Weg westwärts durchschritten hat, gelangt man zu den Bergen Gerisim und Ebal. Nach ר׳ אלעזר hält man sich aber אחרי: "hinter" דרך מבוא השמש, man betritt diese Weststraße nicht, bleibt von dem מקום שהשמש שוקעת "zurück" im Osten in der Nähe des Jardens. Beide verstehen unter מבוא השמש den Westen, und die Differenz liegt in der Auffassung des אחרי, des entfernt von der Weststraße. Nach ר׳ יהודה lässt man diese Straße im Osten liegen, d. h. man schreitet sie durch, nach ר׳ אלעזר lässt man sie im Westen liegen, d. h. man betritt sie nicht. So dürfte sich eine Schwierigkeit lösen, auf welche bereits מהר׳ש׳א z. St. hingewiesen, und damit auch Raschis Kommentar zum Pentateuch gerechtfertigt sein, und nur eine Nichtübereinstimmung desselben mit dem zum Talmud bleiben, die sich aber leicht dadurch erklärt, dass Raschi seine dort aufgestellte Erklärung deshalb verlassen, weil es doch wenig denkbar ist, ׳ר יהודה habe מבוא השמש als Sonnenaufgang auffassen wollen.

מול הגלגל, “facing Gilgal;” The reason why Moses pinpoints the location is because the chain of mountains is long, and Moses wished to give precise directions.

דרך מבוא השמש [AT THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN, FAR DISTANT FROM IT] ON THE WAY OF THE SETTING OF THE SUN — i.e. beyond the Jordan towards the West. The accents in the verse prove that they (the word אחרי and the phrase דרך מבוא השמש) are two unconnected phrases since they bear two separate accents of a different character, viz., the word אחרי is marked by a Pashta (a disjunctive accent), and the word דרך is marked by a משפל (our Yetib), and also has a Dagesh. If, however, אחרי דרך formed one phrase, the word אחרי should be marked by a conjunctive accent, a שופר הפוך (our Mahpach) and דרך by a Pashta, while the ד of דרך would be ‘‘weak” (i.e. have no Dagesh; cf. Rashi on Joshua 7:15).

As indicated by the word “beyond.” Wherever אחרי — “beyond” is mentioned, etc. The word אחרי spelled with a yud refers to a great distance, as Rashi explains many times: “Wherever אחרי is mentioned is refers to a great distance.” It may refer to a time distance, such as regarding Avraham (Bereishis 22:20), “After these things.” Or it may refer to a geographical distance, such as here.

מול הגלגל means, distant from Gilgal (not near Gilgal).

Beyond the Yardein toward the west, etc. I.e., “Along the route, etc.” is an independent statement. It is as if the verse said, “Are they not across the Yardein and far beyond, along the route of the sunset — which is westward.”

אלוני מורה [BESIDE] THE TEREBINTHS OF MOREH — This is Shechem, for it states, (Genesis 12:6): “unto the place of Shechem, unto the terebinth of Moreh” (Sifrei Devarim 56:1; Sotah 33b; cf. Rashi on that verse).

Since they are punctuated with two cantillation symbols: אחרי (far beyond) is punctuated with the pashta symbol. Pashta is one of the cantillation symbols that are called “kings,” and indicate a pause to separate [between this word and] the word following.

While דרך (the route) is punctuated with the mishpal symbol and is dotted etc. The mishpal is what we call the yasiv.

Then אחרי (far beyond) would be punctuated with the meshares symbol — the reverse shofar. The reverse shofar is what we call the mahpach, which is like a shofar. It is called meshares (servant), meaning that it connects the word to the word following. For this reason it is called meshares — because this word serves another word.

At a distance from Gilgal. Rashi is answering the question: Wherever is written מול, it denotes “opposite.” Yet sometimes it is nearby, and sometimes it is at a distance. But the verse gives an additional indication, “next to the Moreh Plain,” which means, “near the Moreh Plain,” we then understand that the word “opposite” here denotes at a distance. For if it were nearby then the verse should say, “Next to Gilgal and the Moreh Plain.”

This was Shechem, etc. Rashi is answering the question: Where do we find a place named Moreh Plain? Rashi answers: “This was Shechem, etc.” Although in Bereishis (12:6) it seems that Shechem and Moreh Plain are two distinct places, nevertheless we must say that because only one arrival is mentioned for both of them, we can infer that they are the same place. For if they were two places, then if Avraham arrived in Shechem he did not arrive in the Moreh Plain. Rather it is the same place. And the verses [in Bereishis] mean the following: “He arrived ... in Shechem, which is the Moreh Plain.” See Rashi’s explanation there.

כי אתם עברים את הירדן וגו׳ FOR YE SHALL PASS OVER THE JORDAN etc., — The miracles that will be wrought for you during your crossing of the Jordan shall be an omen for you that you will indeed come into and inherit the land (cf. Sifrei Devarim 57).

The miracles at the Yardein, etc. Otherwise the verse should say, “You shall come to the land... you will inherit it... You will guard to fulfill, etc.” Furthermore, it already is written (v. 29), “When Adonoy ... has brought you.” If so then why is, “For you shall pass across,” needed? Rather [it indicates]: “The miracles, etc.”

VV. 31 u. 32. כי, diese Proklamierung der von der Erfüllung oder Nichterfüllung der göttlichen Gesetze bedingten heil- oder unheilvollen Zukunft soll eine eurer ersten Handlungen bei Besitznahme des Landes sein; denn ihr erhaltet das Land nur, um diese Gesetze zu erfüllen; deren Erfüllung bildet den einzigen Zweck eurer Besitznahme.

Während aber in den letzten Teilen der vorangehenden Einleitung diese Verwirklichung des göttlichen Gesetzes wiederholt in den idealen Seiten ihrer höchsten Vollendung: לאהבה את ד׳ א׳ ללכת בכל דרכיו ולרבקה בה geschildert worden, werden hier die ersten unerläßlichen Bedingungen, חקים ומשפטים, die Gesetze der Sittlichkeit und des sozialen Rechts, hervorgehoben, deren Erfüllung oder Nichterfüllung in allererster Linie über Segen und Fluch des Landes entscheiden, und werden auch überhaupt wie in folgendem die Gesetze im allgemeinen unter den Gesichtspunkten חקים und משפטים in weiterem Sinne als Gottesbestimmungen zur Beherzigung gegeben, die allen unseren inneren und äußeren Tätigkeiten Spielraum und Grenze, somit: חק den Kreis ziehen, innerhalb dessen ihre Betätigung Pflicht, über welchen hinaus sie Verbrechen würden, und gleichzeitig als משפטים: als Rechtsordnungen, durch deren Beachtung wir unserer ganzen uns umgebenden Welt und allen uns gesetzten Aufgaben gerecht werden, wie wir durch deren Nichtachtung uns gegen alle diese und an allen diesen versündigen. Als חקים werden wir durch sie Gott und uns, als משפטים Gott und unserer Welt gerecht, und mit beidem steht und fällt unser Anspruch auf dauerndes Heil.

AND YE SHALL OBSERVE TO DO ALL THE STATUTES AND THE ORDINANCES. Here, also, he admonishes concerning the statutes and ordinances before mentioning the rest of the commandments, and he cites first the ordinance concerning idolatry and its appurtenances as I have explained in the section of Va’ethchanan.¹¹Above, 4:5. Afterwards he mentions many ordinances concerning a false prophet,¹²Further, 13:2-6. a beguiler,¹³Ibid., Verses 7-12. and an apostate city.¹⁴Ibid., Verses 13-19. And he mentions among the statutes first, the offerings in the Sanctuary, and afterwards, the prohibition of eating anything abominable, and the rest of the commandments.

ושמרתם לעשות, "And you will observe to carry out, etc." Inasmuch as the commandments which Moses is about to convey are all of the kind that can be performed only in ארץ ישראל, Moses applies the term שמירה [usually reserved for the avoidance of violating negative commandments, Ed.] much as we read in Genesis 37,11 that ואביו שמר את הדבר, "his father remained aware of the matter" (Joseph's dream about the brothers and his father and mother bowing down to him). Moses meant by this word that the Israelites should constantly look forward to the opportunity to carry out these commandments although at the time he spoke to them they had no opportunity to fulfil these מצות. He concluded by saying אלה החוקים "these are the statutes." Commandments such as the one to wipe out locations where the Canaanites had worshiped idols, he called "statutes," as they applied only once the Israelites were in that country. They could not carry out this commandment until they had conquered the land.

ושמרתם לעשות את כל החוקים ואת המשפטים, “you are to carefully perform all the statutes and all the social laws.” Here too, Moses mentions the statutes and social laws ahead of other types of legislation. When mentioning these laws in details, he deals first with the need to abolish all traces of idol-worship, just as he had done in Parshat Vaetchanan.