Cytowanie Komentarza do Psalmów 89:21

VV. 10 u. 11. ועברתם וגו׳ וישבתם וגו׳ וישבתם בטח וגו׳ והיה וגו׳. Die Erwählung einer Stätte für Gottes Gesetzesheiligtum zum bleibenden ewigen Vereinigungspunkt der Nation wird als letzter die völlige Besitznahme des Landes krönender Akt bestimmt. Wie die Erwählung eines Königs (Kap. 17, 15), soll auch die Erwählung einer fixierten Tempelstätte der völligen Eroberung und Sicherstellung des Landes nachfolgen, und zwar, wie Sanhedrin 20b erläutert wird, der feste Tempelbau zuletzt. Beider Bestimmung, König und Gottes Gegenwart im Tempel, gilt nicht sowohl nach außen, dem Schutze und der Landesverteidigung gegen äußere Feinde, als vielmehr der Verwirklichung der mit dem Gesetze gegebenen nationalen Aufgabe im Innern. So wird auch von David dieses Moment als ein solches geltend gemacht, daß nun die Zeit gekommen sein dürfte, dem Gottesheiligtum ein festes Haus zu errichten. ויהי כי ישב ׳המלך בביתו וד׳ הניח לו מסביב מכל איביו ויאמר המלך אל נתן הנביא וגו (Sam. II. 7, 1), und wird dort in der Gottesrede durch Natan der Bau einer bleibenden Tempelstätte in enge Verbindung gebracht mit der bleibenden Bedeutung der erwählten Davidischen Dynastie für Israels, ja, wie aus Davids Erguss (V. 19) sich ergibt, für der Menschheit fernste Zukunft – וזאת תורת האדם – ein Zusammenhang, der auf das ולשכנו תדרשו unseres Textes noch ein helles Licht zu werfen geeignet sein dürfte. Die bleibende Gottesstätte wird nicht früher erwählt, bis der Mann gefunden ist, der gewürdigt werden konnte, daß er und seine Nachkommen die bleibende nationale Spitze für die Verwirklichung der vom Gesetzesheiligtum aus zu emanierenden nationalen Bestimmung werden solle. Der Bau eines festen Tempelhauses bezeichnet zugleich den Stamm, in dessen Gebiet er aufgeführt steht, als einen solchen, in dessen Mitte die bleibende dynastische Führerschaft der Nation beruht. Darum, wie es dort Verse 6 und 7 heißt, war Gott so lange in Zelt und unfester Wohnung unter den Stämmen Israels gewandelt und hatte von keinem zur zeitlichen Führerschaft berufenen Stamm den Bau eines festen Hauses gefordert, bis er David "gefunden" (Ps. 89, 21), der sich dieser bleibenden Führerschaft würdig gezeigt. Das Zeltdach zu Schilo und der היתר במות zu den übrigen vorsalomonischen Zeiten, waren ebenso viele Wahrzeichen, daß die Nation noch des rechten Führers und der eigentlichen ewigen Gottesstätte zu harren hatte.

שמן משחת קדש יהיה זה לי, “this shall remain for Me oil of sacred anointment.” Nachmanides explains that actually we would have expected the Torah to write יהיה לאהרן ולבניו, “it shall be for Aaron and his sons.” The reason that he Torah did not phrase it in this manner but wrote: “it will be for Me (G’d),” is to make plain that in future generations High Priests and furnishings of the Temple, etc., would also have to be consecrated by the same mixture. We might have misunderstood the words “anyone who compounds its like or uses it to anoint a non-priest shall be cut off from his people,” as applicable to anyone not directly descended from Aaron. Had this been the correct interpretation the question would be how any of the kings of Israel (Yehudah) who were not descended from Aaron but from David could have been crowned using this oil? This is why the Torah wrote: “it shall be for Me,” to teach that the title כהן could also be applied to kings approved by G’d. Both descendants of Aaron and kings descended from David are to be treated as “anointed by the Lord.” We have a specific verse in which G’d commanded the prophet Samuel to go to Chevron and there to anoint one of Yishai’s sons i.e. David, as king (compare Samuel I 16,12). We have a further reference to this event in Psalms 89,21: “I have found David, My servant; anointed him with My sacred oil.” David meant: “with oil which is sacred for Me.” Keeping this thought in mind, the Torah added in verse 32: “it shall not be smeared on human flesh.” The word אדם in this verse makes sense only if it means “a person who is neither a priest nor a king descended from David.”
We need to understand why the Torah first wrote the paragraph about the anointing oil and only afterwards the paragraph about the components of the incense, [something that was offered on the altar twice every day. Ed.] The two different kinds of oil and incense respectively correspond to the “head and the foot.” The people who were smeared with the anointing oil were the heads of the nation, i.e. the spiritual head, the High Priest and the temporal head, the king. Heads wore crowns, i.e. the oil was smeared on in an arc describing the shape of the letter כ as symbolizing the shape of a crown. Oil is the choicest of all liquids. It was certainly appropriate to make the anointing fluid out of olive oil, appropriately aromated. We have pointed out earlier that the verse שאו ידיכם קדש describes hands raised above the head. The incense, which, as we also mentioned earlier, represents the attribute of Justice and the last letter ה in the tetragrammaton as the symbol of that attribute, is fittingly mentioned at the end of this legislation. You will note that in connection with the compounding of the oil of anointing G’d used the relatively harsh word וידבר when commencing His instructions to Moses. When He began the instructions about the incense and its components, etc., He began with the softer word ויאמר. This was probably in order to soften the impact of the fact that the קטורה appears usually in connection with G’d’s anger. The fact that it was used to assuage G’d’s anger, whether actual or potential, is reflected in the softer introduction with the word ויאמר.

OR WHOSOEVER PUTTETH ANY OF IT UPON A ZAR'… — “When it is not required [for anointing a person] into the [high-] priesthood or kingship.” This is Rashi’s language. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra retorted that zar in this connection means anyone who is not of the seed of Aaron and his sons mentioned,¹³⁷For since He mentioned first (in Verse 30): And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, it follows that the expression, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a ‘zar’ means that anyone who is not of the seed of Aaron is a zar (a stranger). So why did Rashi say that the oil may also be used for the anointing of a king? just like the verse, and the ‘zar’ that draweth nigh shall be put to death,¹³⁸Numbers 1:51. “Shall be put to death — by the hand of Heaven” (Rashi). which means any stranger not included in those mentioned. Similarly: There shall no ‘zar’ eat of the holy thing,¹³⁹Leviticus 22:10. [which means anyone not of the seed of Aaron]; to the end that no ‘zar’ that is not of the seed of Aaron, draw near…¹⁴⁰Numbers 17:5. It is for this reason that [Ibn Ezra] thought that the anointing of Solomon¹⁴¹I Kings 1:39. which was done by Zadok [the priest] taking the horn of oil out of the Tent,¹⁴¹I Kings 1:39. — which refers to the Oil of Anointment [which Moses prepared] — was a special, temporary decree by authority of prophecy [permitting the oil to be used upon one who was not of the seed of Aaron]. But this is not the opinion of our Rabbis.¹⁴²For according to the Talmud (Kerithoth 5 b) every High Priest who would be appointed was to be anointed with this oil, as were also some of the kings. Generally an heir to the throne of Israel did not have to be anointed, though in order to avoid disputes over the royal succession [as was the case with Solomon] anointing was resorted to. See further on this topic “The Commandments,” Vol. I, p. 45.
And I say that [the opinion of our Rabbis is borne out by the language of the verse]. For Scripture states, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations,¹⁴³Verse 31. and it would have been correct if it were to say instead, “This shall be a holy anointing oil for Aaron and his sons throughout their generations,” just as He said in the case of the garments, And the holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him;¹⁴⁴Above, 29:29. or that He say, “And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me, and it shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.” But now that He mentioned only them, [And Aaron and his sons thou shalt anoint] and then continued by saying that it should not be put upon any zar, it could mean that [the prohibition extends] to all people [even High Priests after Aaron] except those mentioned specifically [i.e., Aaron and his sons] ! Similarly He said, Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured,¹⁴⁵Verse 32. [which might be taken to mean upon anyone’s flesh — even that of the High Priests after Aaron], and yet Scripture explicitly states, And the anointed priest that shall be in his [Aaron’s] stead, from among his sons!¹⁴⁶Leviticus 6:15. This shows that it is impossible to say that the High Priests after Aaron should not be anointed with this oil. And if so, the question appears why did Scripture use here language which might indicate the opposite, as explained above? But such is the explanation etc. But such is the explanation: He commanded that at the moment Aaron and his sons should be anointed with this oil, and then He continued, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto Me,¹⁴³Verse 31. — to anoint with it My holy anointed ones whom I will choose — throughout your generations,¹⁴³Verse 31. and it shall not be put upon a zar (stranger) whom I have not designated unto Me. It is for this reason that kings and High Priests were anointed with this oil, for both of them are “the anointed ones of G-d.” Thus it is written, I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him¹⁴⁷Psalms 89:21. — meaning, with the oil which is the holy anointing oil unto Me. And the meaning of the verse, Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured,¹⁴⁵Verse 32. is as an admonition to all men [even to Aaron and his sons after they have been anointed with it], since He did not say, “upon the flesh of a zar shall it not be poured.” Thus the purport thereof is that he [Moses] is to pour of the oil upon Aaron’s head in order to anoint him, and then he is to anoint also his sons, but he is not to pour this oil upon any man, even upon the anointed priests, merely as people apply good oils to their bodies in order to scent themselves with hands soaked in oil, after bathing, something like it is said, Wash thyself and anoint thee;¹⁴⁸Ruth 3:3. Then I washed thee with water… and I anointed thee with oil.¹⁴⁹Ezekiel 16:9. This is the plain meaning of the verse and its intention. And so did our Rabbis say:¹⁵⁰Kerithoth 7a. “How do we know that if the High Priest took some of the oil of anointment which was upon his head and put it upon his stomach, that he is liable [to punishment]? Scripture therefore says, Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured.”¹⁴⁵Verse 32.