Cytowanie Komentarza do Przysłów 25:11

וידבר ה' אל משה לאמור, “G’d spoke to Moses for him to communicate.” According to the plain meaning of the text the word לאמור means that Moses was to relay the instructions received from G’d to the people. Alternatively, the word could mean that in addition to what the Torah has spelled out clearly for all to read and understand there are hidden meanings to be deciphered by those who apply themselves to Torah-study in depth. The נגלה, the revealed part, are the details of the commandment. The נסתר, the mystical, hidden aspect of this portion, is that which not everybody can grasp even if he tries. There have always been aspects of Torah not accessible to the average person. This is what David said (Psalms 62,12) “G’d has said one thing; yet I have heard two.” A single communication may contain more than one message. Solomon echoed the same sentiment when he said: “a word spoken properly is like golden apples set in silver” (Proverbs 25,11). In this verse Solomon compared the matters which are revealed to silver, whereas matters concealed he likened to gold, i.e. they had first been overlaid, made invisible by silver.

What does the wise child ask? What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments which the Lord our God commanded us: This passage is found in Parshat Va-etchanan (Deut. 6:20) It continues: "You shall say to your children: 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and the Lord freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lord performed before our eyes marvelous and awesome signs and portents in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his household.'" (Deut. 6: 21-22) This was the answer to the wise child. There is no doubt that a wise person is praised for his intellect, and his choice of words are a reflection of his intellect. In the words of Proverbs, 25:11: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." This means that the wise person, when he asks a question or makes a statement does not repeat himself; each word deals with a separate matter and he chooses his words wisely.
This is the intent of the wise child's question. When he asks about "these testimonies, statutes and judgments," he understands that there are different types of commandments regarding the Festival and Passover offering. For instance, we learn that the offering must be a male lamb; only those appointed to the offering were allowed to eat it; it had to be roasted; and it had to be consumed by midnight, as Scripture says, "This is the law of Passover." (Ex. 12:43) The wise child knows that these details are testimonies that teach us important matters about the reason for the offering. They testify to the events of the Exodus from Egypt. But he also asks regarding the statutes and judgments relating to the Passover offering; for example, "do not break the bones of the offering" and other details. One of the central statutes is the commandment to eat the Passover offering when one is already satiated from the festive meal, at the end of the meal, rather than when one normally eats one's favorite dish at the beginning of the meal. What purpose is there in eating delicacies on a full stomach and he is no longer able to eat any more? So you should explain to him, "You shall instruct him…no dessert (Afikomen) ought to be set before him after the Passover offering." That is, do not say, afiku mahn, "bring out the sweets" after the meal in order to remove the taste of meat from his mouth at the conclusion of the meal. That is why the Afikomen is delayed to the end of the meal. We can now explain the wise child's insightful question. We now eat an olives-size of sh'murah matzah at the end of the meal as a reminder of the Passover offering.
We now understand why the wise child asks this question the way he does. He sees that members of his household and those appointed to eat their Passover offering sitting together. Each is given only a bit to eat of the offering at the end of the meal. He also sees that they are meticulous about eating it, something that they do not normally do at other times. He asks, "What are these testimonies and statutes…" That is, generally it is the custom when people gather to celebrate an occasion with the members of their household, they leave their house afterwards to visit their friends' houses. If it is because of the preciousness of the Passover offering that they gathered, then why don’t they send portions to their neighbors as we do on other occasions. The wise child does not remove himself from the gathering; rather, he says "which the Lord our God commanded you." He says "you" because he knows that the commandment was not given to him because he is still a minor. Yet he has already accepted upon himself the yoke of the commandments which is why he says, "the Lord our God."

וגם הקמתי וגו׳ ALSO I SET UP [MY COVENANT WITH THEM TO GIVE THEM THE LAND OF CANAAN], and yet when Abraham wished to bury Sarah he could not obtain a grave until he purchased one at a high price. So, too, in the case of Isaac, people strove with him for possession of the wells which he had dug. Similarly, of Jacob it is stated, (Genesis 33:19) “He purchased a parcel of field,” in which to pitch his tent. Yet none of them criticised My dealings with them, whilst you say “Wherefore hast Thou done so evil [to this people!]” — But this Midrashic exposition does not fit in with the text for several reasons. Firstly, because Scripture does not state “And they did not ask of Me regarding my Name, the Lord”. And if you say in refutation of my objection that they did not mean that ושמי ה' לא נודעתי actually signifies that they did not ask what is My Name, but it means “He did not tell them that this was His Name and yet they did not ask Him what it was”, then I reply that these words cannot mean that He did not tell them His name, for at the very first when He revealed Himself to Abraham at the Covenant “between the pieces’’ it is said, (Genesis 15:7) “I am the Lord (אני ה׳) who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees”. Further (secondly), how does the context run on to the statements which Scripture places after the above verses, viz., “And I have also heard etc.” and “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel etc.”? Therefore I say: let Scripture be explained in its literal sense so that each statement fits into its proper setting, but the Midrashic exposition may also be given, if you like, as it is said (Jeremiah 23:29) “Is not my word like as fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer which, by the force of its own blow, the rock at which it strikes shatters in pieces”.

it is well-founded Heb. אפונה. Your fear is settled and based in my heart. אפוּנה is an expression of (Prov. 25:11): “a word spoken with proper basis (אפניו)”; on its basis.

How clear Heb. נמרצו, like (I Kings 2:8), “a clear curse (נמרצת),” an expression of (Prov. 25:11) “a word spoken with proper basis.” and similarly (Ps. 119:103), “How clear (נמלצו) are Your words to my palate.” All of them are expressions of clarification (מליצה), and the “lammed” is converted to a “resh.”