לֹ֥א תַעֲרֹ֖ץ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּקִרְבֶּ֔ךָ אֵ֥ל גָּד֖וֹל וְנוֹרָֽא׃
Nie lękaj się ich; gdyż Wiekuisty, Bóg twój, wpośród ciebie, Bóg wielki i groźny!
Rabbeinu Bahya
You have to appreciate that the meaning of the word בקרבי is derived from קרב, “battle;” its numerical value is the same as that of שדי, i.e. 314. In other words, when this attribute of G’d withdrew the Jewish people lost the battle.
I believe that wherever we find the word בקרב or similar in the Torah there is an allusion in that word to the “awakening” of the attribute of Justice. The root of all this is to be found in Exodus 23,21 כי שמי בקרבו, “for My name is within it” [the angel representing the attribute of Justice]. Other examples are: Genesis 48,16 וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ, “may they proliferate abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land.” The beginning of that verse referred to the המלאך הגואל אותי מכל רע, “the angel who has redeemed me from all harmful influences,” a clear reference to the attribute of Justice. Other verses in which the word בקרב is clearly indicative of an association with the attribute of Justice are: Exodus 10,1 למען שתי אותותי אלה בקרבו, as well as Exodus 8,18: כי אני ה' בקרב הארץ, or Deut. 15,11: כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ, “there will not cease to be someone who is destitute in the midst of the land.” The author extends the list; [I will omit further examples in the interest of brevity. Ed.]
I believe that wherever we find the word בקרב or similar in the Torah there is an allusion in that word to the “awakening” of the attribute of Justice. The root of all this is to be found in Exodus 23,21 כי שמי בקרבו, “for My name is within it” [the angel representing the attribute of Justice]. Other examples are: Genesis 48,16 וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ, “may they proliferate abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land.” The beginning of that verse referred to the המלאך הגואל אותי מכל רע, “the angel who has redeemed me from all harmful influences,” a clear reference to the attribute of Justice. Other verses in which the word בקרב is clearly indicative of an association with the attribute of Justice are: Exodus 10,1 למען שתי אותותי אלה בקרבו, as well as Exodus 8,18: כי אני ה' בקרב הארץ, or Deut. 15,11: כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ, “there will not cease to be someone who is destitute in the midst of the land.” The author extends the list; [I will omit further examples in the interest of brevity. Ed.]
Tze'enah Ure'enah
A story occurred with a woman who had seven sons. They were captured and the oldest one was brought before the emperor. The emperor said to him: bow down to the foreign god. The child said: It is written in the Torah, God said, I am the Lord Your God.5Exodus, 20:2. I will not bow down to the wood. They dragged him out and killed him. Then they brought the second one. The emperor said: worship the foreign god. He said: it is written in the Torah that you shall not have any other god before you.6Exodus, 20:3. Therefore, I do not want to worship your god. Then they also dragged him out and killed him. Then they brought the third one. The emperor said to him: bow down to the image. He said: it says in the Torah you should not bow down to another god7Deuteronomy, 11:16. and he was immediately killed. They brought the fourth one and ordered him to bow down to the image. He said: it says in the Torah that one who slaughters to another god will be burned and destroyed.8Exodus, 22:19. He was also killed. Then they brought the fifth one and said to him: bow down to the image. He said: it says in the Torah, Hear O Israel, God our God alone is God.9Deuteronomy, 6:4. He was also killed. Then they brought the sixth one and said to him: bow down to the image. He said: It says in the Torah, God your God is among you and is a strong God and mighty.10Deuteronomy, 7:21. Therefore, I will not have your god and he was also killed. Then they brought the smallest one, the seventh. The emperor said: my child, bow down to the image. He said: heaven forbid. He said: why? He said: it is written that God is in heaven above and on the earth below and there is no other.11Deuteronomy, 4:39. We have also sworn that we will not exchange Him for another god. In return, He swore that He would not exchange us for another people. The emperor said to him: look, your brothers lived long and enjoyed much good, so it is no novelty that they allowed themselves to be killed. However, you have not had any good things and are still quite young. Don’t allow yourself to be killed. Do my will and I will do much good for you. The child began, it is written: God will rule forever and always and will cause the gentiles to lose everything from His land. You and your kingdom will be destroyed. Today you are alive; tomorrow you will be dead. However, the Holy One remains living forever and always. Therefore, you emperor, what is your good? The emperor said: look, your brothers are lying dead before you. Consider, do this. I will take a ring and throw it on the ground and you can bend down for the ring and not to the image, in the expectation that the people should think that you have bowed down because of my command. The child said: curses and laments over you, emperor. Woe to you. You want this for the sake of people and are ashamed before the people. Should I not fear the King of kings, the Holy One, who lives eternally and is the creator of the whole world? The emperor said: is there a God in the world? The child said: you fool, if our God did not exist how did the world come into existence? Your god stands nicely. It has a mouth and cannot speak. It has eyes and cannot see. It has ears and cannot hear. It has feet and cannot walk. However, our God, may His name be blessed, it is the opposite.