Comentários de Citação sobre Deuteronômio 7:10

And this is what is deduced in Leviticus Rabbah (13:2): A parable of a doctor who came to visit two sick people, etc. Thus the gentiles who are not destined for the World to Come, like the herb of the field, [God] permitted them everything. But to Israel, who are destined for the World to Come, He commanded This is the living creature that you may eat. And perhaps for this reason it says This is the living creature even though it concludes with beast; nevertheless, it begins with living creature to tell you that all these restrictions are for the benefit of the soul, which is called living [chayah]. Indeed, this midrash agrees with our words in every respect, for otherwise, what reason did it see to give an explanation for this commandment — why it was not given to gentiles — more than for any other commandment in the Torah? Rather, certainly it came to resolve the extra wording of to them, which comes to exclude gentiles, and to tell you that presumably no gentile wants to fulfill any commandment unless he knows there is a benefit also in this world, since in any case he has no portion in the World to Come, as it is written And repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them (Deuteronomy 7:10). And so that the gentiles would not err and think that the reason for forbidden foods is for bodily health and they too would want to conduct themselves according to medicine, therefore it says the language to them, to tell you specifically to Israel, who are destined for the life of the World to Come, there is benefit in this commandment, but for gentiles there is no benefit in observing this commandment because in any case they are not destined for the life of the World to Come.

Even the wicked He rewards, etc. I.e. this verse seems repetitive. Since it is written, “God of faithfulness” then certainly He does not commit injustice. [Therefore Rashi explains that the verse means] that even to the wicked [Hashem acts justly]. One might have thought that Hashem does not pay them their reward, but simply He deducts any mitzvos from their sins, and He punishes only the remaining sins. Therefore it teaches that a sin is not offset by a corresponding mitzvah, but He pays reward for mitzvos in this world. As Scripture writes, “And He pays His enemy to his face [to destroy him]” (Devarim 7:10), in order that he receives their full punishment for his sins in the World to Come.

Another interpretation: He gave Isaac his portion in the World to Come, which is referred to as all that he had, because what Abraham chose as his portion - namely the reward of the World to Come - was what he was promised in the verse “your reward shall be very great” (Genesis 15:1). This is called all that he had absolutely, and strangers have no part in it. This is in contrast to what a person has in hand, something given from hand to hand, which is not absolutely his because strangers might plunder his efforts. Similarly, Monbaz said (Bava Batra 11a), “My fathers stored treasure in a place where human hands could reach; I stored treasure in a place where human hands cannot reach” - meaning his treasure is stored for the World to Come, a place where human hands have no control. Furthermore, it’s possible that in the middle of one’s life, one might abandon to others the wealth and walls that they built and planted. Therefore, the reward of this world is not absolutely his, except for the reward of the World to Come which is his alone. This portion he gave to Isaac, that he too would receive his share in the World to Come, for there is no reward for mitzvot in this world for the righteous. But to the sons of the concubines he gave gifts - things given from hand to hand - meaning they would receive their portion in this world, as it is said (Deuteronomy 7:10), He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. If a wicked person performs some mitzvah, the Holy One Blessed be He gives them their complete reward in this world. It’s possible that this is what Sarah prophetically meant when she said “the son of this maidservant shall not inherit with my son Isaac (Genesis 21:10). For at first glance, it seems she should have simply said ”the son of this maidservant shall not inherit from you.“ Rather, she meant to say that while the son of the maidservant deserved to inherit, he would not inherit equally with her son, as the inheritances are not equal - the son of the maidservant would inherit his portion in this world, as it is written (Genesis 21:13) I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation, meaning his portion in this world. But Isaac would receive his portion in the eternal world, after Ishmael had already received his portion. This is what is meant by he sent them away from Isaac his son eastward [kedmah, which can also mean, beforehand] - that they were given precedence in receiving their reward, similar to what is said about Jacob (Genesis 25:26) his hand grasping Esau’s heel, meaning his hand of dominion would grasp the end of Esau’s boundary, symbolized by the heel which is the end of the foot. This suggests that after Esau’s foot of pride is removed from the marketplace in this world, then Jacob’s dominion will begin. Thus Esau receives his reward first, and similarly, Abraham sent the sons of the concubines eastward to give them precedence in receiving their reward in this world - something given from hand to hand. This excludes the reward of the World to Come, enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence, to which the language of ”giving“ does not apply.

When the wicked flourish like grass they do not know that their flourishing is only to destroy them to eternity, for He recompenses His enemies to their face to destroy them.