Comentários de Citação sobre Gênesis 42:30

ותדבר AND [MIRIAM AND AARON] SPAKE — The term דבר in every passage where it is used implies harsh language, for so it states, (Genesis 42:30) “The man, the lord of the land spake (דבר) roughly to us”. The term אמר, however, is always an expression denoting supplication, for so it states, (Genesis 19:7) “And he said (ויאמר) ‘I beg of you (נא), my brethren, do not so wickedly” ; (verse 6 of this chapter) “And He said (ויאמר), Hear, I pray you (נא), My words’ — for the word נא always expresses supplication (Sifrei Bamidbar 99).

Therefore it is said, “Give ear, O heavens,” referring to those who are higher in stature, as high as the heavens are above the earth. And I will speak, because all speech [dibur] is harsh, as it is written, The man, the Lord of the land, spoke harshly to us (Genesis 42:30). For those high in stature receive the discipline of harsh speech, but to those of lesser status, who are compared to the earth, it says, And let the earth hear the words of my mouth, for with them I need to speak with soft words.

But in the chapter [entitled] Haya Koreh (Berakhot 17b), it also says, "A heavenly echo goes out from Mount Chorev and says, 'The whole world is nourished because of Channina, my son, etc.'" - and there, no destruction is mentioned. So it is shown that it is because every heavenly echo is with the trait of [strict] justice (middat hadin). As behold, all expressions of speaking (dibbur) are a harsh language, such as, "The man, the master of the land, spoke to us harshly" (Genesis 42:30). And that is why he said, "a heavenly echo goes out from Mount Chorev." For this name - that which Mount Sinai was called, "Mount Desolation" - indicates the trait of justice. This is as it is found in the chapter [entitled] Rabbi Akiva (Shabbat 89b), "Mount Desolation - as destruction came from it to the nations of the world." Note that the name, "Desolation," is given to Mount Sinai, because destruction and devastation come to the nations of the world from it. And because it is called, "Mount Desolation," on account of the trait of justice which comes from it, he said, "Desolation" - which indicates the trait of justice - regarding the heavenly echo. As it is not applicable to explain there like here (in the previous paragraph). So this is certainly the main explanation.

כאשר התעו WHEN GOD (CAUSED ME TO WANDER — The verb is in the plural. Do not be surprised at this for in many passages words denoting Godship or denoting Authority are grammatically treated as plural, e. g., (2 Samuel 7:23) “Whom God went (הלכו plural) to redeem”; (Deuteronomy 5:23) “the living (חיים adjective, plural) God”; (Joshua 24:19) “a Holy (קדושים adjective, plural) God”. So, too, the idea of Authority is expressed by the plural form, as (39:20) “And the master of (אדני construct plural) Joseph took him” and as (Deuteronomy 10:17) “Lord of (אדני) lords (האדנים)”, and (42:30) “the lord of (אדני) the land”; as well as (Exodus 22:14) “if its owner (בעליו) be with it”, and (Exodus 21:29) “and warning has been given to its master (בעליו)”. If you ask why does it here use the term התעו, I reply, anyone who is exiled from his home and has no settled abode may be styled תועה a wanderer (or “one moving about aimlessly”), as (21:14) “And she, Hagar, went and strayed about (ותתע) in the wilderness”; (Psalms 119:176) “I have gone astray (תעיתי) like a lost sheep”, and (Job 38:41) “they wander (יתעו) through lack of food”, i.e. they go out and wander about to seek their food.

A holy God.⁶Why is this Name of God always in the plural form אל־הים instead of א־ל. In most places, every expression of rulership is found in the plural form, such as: “the ruler of the Land,”⁷ Bereishis 42:30. “The man the master of the land, אַדנֵי הָאָרֶץ spoke to us.” Here too, it should have been written אַדוֹן הָאֶָרֶץ in the singular. “the ruler of Yoseif,”⁸Bereishes 39:20. “if his master is with him,”⁹ Shemos 22:14. Here too it should have said אִם בַּעַל עִמוֹ in the singular referring to the owner. that God went to redeem¹⁰II Shmuel 7:23.. The reason for this is because this name is the name of power.