כְּ֭תֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָ֣ה תִפּ֑וֹל וְ֝אֶזְרֹעִ֗י מִקָּנָ֥ה תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃
então caia do ombro a minha espádua, e separe-se o meu braço da sua juntura.
Rabbeinu Bahya
את גדלו ואת ידו החזקה וזרועו הנטויה, “His greatness, His powerful hand and His outstretched arm” Every intelligent person knows that terms such as “hand,” “arm,” “mouth,” “nose,” etc., cannot be applied to G’d in the literal sense of these words. They merely represent celestial equivalents of extensions of the essence of G’d just as these parts of the body are extensions of the essence of people on earth, extensions which enable the essence to carry out its will. Every such term used by the Torah in connection with G’d describes a specific function such an extension performs. Just as we do not call a “hand” once “a hand,” and another time “a foot,” the same is true of these terms when used in connection with G’d. We do not lump “arm” and hand together when describing these organs as part of a human being. Similarly, we do not do so when we describe them as extensions of the essence of G’d.
The definition of יד, “hand,” includes the surface of the hand up until the beginning of the fingers. The part from the wrist to the elbow is known as קנה, whereas the part from the elbow up is known as זרוע. This is the part of the arm on which we put the phylacteries. On occasion this is known as the higher region of the hand, the part on the same level as the heart. Concerning this arm the sages in Menachot 43 said that proof that Israel is beloved of the Lord is that He assigned this part of the arm for them to place the phylacteries of the hand, and the head to place the phylacteries of the head. The proof that the part of the arm above the elbow is called זרוע is found in Job 31,22 כתפי משכמי תפול ואזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my arm drop off my shoulder; my forearm break off at the elbow.” Job enumerated parts of the arm beginning with his shoulder, followed by זרוע, continuing with קנה, the arm below the elbow, the part which links up with the hand.
We find similar terminology in the Mishnah in Oholot 1,8 where 248 limbs (bones) of man are enumerated, thirty of them being considered part of the פסת היד, ‘the hand;’ 6 of these bones of the hand are attributed to each of the fingers. The Mishnah enumerates 2 bones as being part of the forearm (below the elbow) and 2 more as part of the elbow, one in the upper arm and four in the shoulder. This Mishnah is proof that the part called קנה are the bones linking the hand to the elbow. The term עציל is a word found in the Baraitha describing the word מרפק in the Mishnah (elbow). In Biblical language the עציל of the Baraitha is identical with אציל as described in Ezekiel 13,18 על כל אצילי ידי, “upon all my elbows.” Targum Yonathan clearly translates the word אצילי as “my elbows,” [in contrast to Rashi who considers it as “my armpits”. Ed.]
In Massechet Sofrim 3,15 we find the halachah “a man is not to place a Torah scroll upon his knees and hold it down with his elbows (so it does not fall) as it is unseemly (to place one’s weight upon the Torah scroll).” Having explained the difference between יד and זרוע, the author of Masechet Sofrim continues: “it is a well known fact that the זרוע is “greater” (more powerful) than the יד, seeing the power of the hand is derived from the arm and not vice versa.” This makes it clear that whenever the Torah speaks of both hand and arm, the arm is always considered as describing something even more forceful than the hand.
The definition of יד, “hand,” includes the surface of the hand up until the beginning of the fingers. The part from the wrist to the elbow is known as קנה, whereas the part from the elbow up is known as זרוע. This is the part of the arm on which we put the phylacteries. On occasion this is known as the higher region of the hand, the part on the same level as the heart. Concerning this arm the sages in Menachot 43 said that proof that Israel is beloved of the Lord is that He assigned this part of the arm for them to place the phylacteries of the hand, and the head to place the phylacteries of the head. The proof that the part of the arm above the elbow is called זרוע is found in Job 31,22 כתפי משכמי תפול ואזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my arm drop off my shoulder; my forearm break off at the elbow.” Job enumerated parts of the arm beginning with his shoulder, followed by זרוע, continuing with קנה, the arm below the elbow, the part which links up with the hand.
We find similar terminology in the Mishnah in Oholot 1,8 where 248 limbs (bones) of man are enumerated, thirty of them being considered part of the פסת היד, ‘the hand;’ 6 of these bones of the hand are attributed to each of the fingers. The Mishnah enumerates 2 bones as being part of the forearm (below the elbow) and 2 more as part of the elbow, one in the upper arm and four in the shoulder. This Mishnah is proof that the part called קנה are the bones linking the hand to the elbow. The term עציל is a word found in the Baraitha describing the word מרפק in the Mishnah (elbow). In Biblical language the עציל of the Baraitha is identical with אציל as described in Ezekiel 13,18 על כל אצילי ידי, “upon all my elbows.” Targum Yonathan clearly translates the word אצילי as “my elbows,” [in contrast to Rashi who considers it as “my armpits”. Ed.]
In Massechet Sofrim 3,15 we find the halachah “a man is not to place a Torah scroll upon his knees and hold it down with his elbows (so it does not fall) as it is unseemly (to place one’s weight upon the Torah scroll).” Having explained the difference between יד and זרוע, the author of Masechet Sofrim continues: “it is a well known fact that the זרוע is “greater” (more powerful) than the יד, seeing the power of the hand is derived from the arm and not vice versa.” This makes it clear that whenever the Torah speaks of both hand and arm, the arm is always considered as describing something even more forceful than the hand.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וקשרתם לאות על ידך , “you shall tie them as a sign on your hand.” This refers to the phylactery worn on the arm and we have a tradition that in this instance the word “your hand” refers to the left hand as that word depicts the left hand as we know from Isaiah 48,13: אף ידי יסדה ארץ וימיני טפחה שמים, “also My hand founded the earth and My right hand spread out the skies.” Another verse in which the word יד clearly refers to the left hand is found in Judges 5,26: ידה ליתד תשלחנה וימינה להלמות עמלים, “her hand reached for the tent pin (Yael’s), her right hand for the workman's hammer.” Also in Exodus 13,16 the Torah speaks of ידכה “your hand,” with the weak ending, i.e. the letter ה at the end indicating that it refers to the weaker hand, i.e. the left hand.
Our sages in Menachot 37 cite a tradition according to which the place on the arm where the phylactery is to be fastened is above the elbow opposite the heart. Just as the phylactery of the head is to be placed on the highest part of the head, so the phylactery of the hand is to be fastened at the highest part of the arm, where the muscle bulges. If the Torah had intended the phylactery (the housing with the parchment) to be worn on the hand itself, i.e. on the back of the hand, this would not have been opposite the heart. Besides, that part of the body is not known as “hand,” but as קנה. Seeing that our tradition stipulates that the phylactery be fastened opposite the heart, the only logical spot is the upper arm. Job 31,22 speaks about אזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my forearm break off at the elbow.” Our sages in Menachot 43 view the Jewish people as especially beloved of G’d seeing He made them wrap the phylacteries around their heads and arms respectively. They also point to the words: “you shall tie them as a sign” as the source for making a knot when tying the phylacteries. The very knot is a “sign”, i.e. this is the hint that all the detailed laws about the phylacteries have been given to Moses at Mount Sinai, i.e. they cannot be arrived at by the use of the exegetical tools at our disposal (Menachot 35).
Our sages in Menachot 37 cite a tradition according to which the place on the arm where the phylactery is to be fastened is above the elbow opposite the heart. Just as the phylactery of the head is to be placed on the highest part of the head, so the phylactery of the hand is to be fastened at the highest part of the arm, where the muscle bulges. If the Torah had intended the phylactery (the housing with the parchment) to be worn on the hand itself, i.e. on the back of the hand, this would not have been opposite the heart. Besides, that part of the body is not known as “hand,” but as קנה. Seeing that our tradition stipulates that the phylactery be fastened opposite the heart, the only logical spot is the upper arm. Job 31,22 speaks about אזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my forearm break off at the elbow.” Our sages in Menachot 43 view the Jewish people as especially beloved of G’d seeing He made them wrap the phylacteries around their heads and arms respectively. They also point to the words: “you shall tie them as a sign” as the source for making a knot when tying the phylacteries. The very knot is a “sign”, i.e. this is the hint that all the detailed laws about the phylacteries have been given to Moses at Mount Sinai, i.e. they cannot be arrived at by the use of the exegetical tools at our disposal (Menachot 35).
Ibn Ezra
cruel implacable. The ’ alef is extraneous, like the ’ alef in “finger” and in “arm” [cf. Jeremiah 32: 21 ; Job 31: 22].