Comentários de Citação sobre Jó 4:2

והאלוקים נסה, “and G’d tested.” Nachmanides describes the function of such “tests” as a device to ensure that the action undertaken by man under such conditions be perceived by him as absolutely free from external pressure, whereas from G’d’s perspective, of course, it is a commandment. (it is difficult to assume that G’d did not know beforehand how man would react to such a commandment.) G’d only wants to translate something He knew potentially into the domain of reality, a demonstration that what He knew man is capable of, man would actually carry out. Man cannot expect to be rewarded for potential acts of goodness, obedience, etc. In order to qualify for reward man must demonstrate that his goodness is more than just “potential.” Seeing that G’d’s objective is to reward man, there is no point in His subjecting the wicked to similar tests, as they will not only not garner the reward but incriminate themselves further by failing to carry out the command which constitutes the “test.” G’d subjects only the righteous to such tests, as He knows they will pass them with flying colours. Rash’bam explains the word נסה, as introducing a painful experience for the subject of such a test. An example of the use of the root נסה in such a context would be Exodus 17,7 where the Israelites had been tested in a painful manner in having gone without water before G’d provided same, miraculously. Other examples can be found in Job 4,2 or Psalms The reason Avraham was subjected to such a painful test was that although G’d had given him a son at the age of 100 years, he had seen fit to make a covenant with Avimelech covering hundreds of years in the future, when he did not even know yet if this son would not die before ever having sired any offspring himself. Avraham did not realize that G’d did not actually want him to slaughter Yitzchok, but only wanted him to “offer” him on the altar, as the words העלהו לעולה indicate. Some commentators understand the word נסה to mean “elevate to a higher stature” in a spiritual sense, such as Kings II The meaning would be parallel to נשאו with the letter ש instead of ס.

והאלוקים נסה את אברהם, G’d now subjected Avraham to a painful test, something which was bound to cause him grief. Whenever the root נסה occurs, such as in Job 4,2 or Exodus 17,7 or Psalms 26,2 the connotation is an unpleasant one for the one being subjected to it. In this instance, G’d, so to speak, indicated to Avraham that he had been foolish to think that he could guarantee’s Yitzchok’s and his descendants well being into the future, as he might have to terminate his life before he even had produced any offspring who would be called upon to honour his father’s deal with Avimelech. We find that the ark of the covenant spent seven months in Philistine captivity as a result of Avraham having made such an unauthorised pact with Avimelech (Samuel I 6,1). The seven months corresponded to the seven sheep Avraham had gratuitously given to Avimelech. G’d swore that as a result the Philistines would fight seven wars against the Israelites in which they would be victorious. These wars occurred during the time of Shimshon, Chofni, Pinchos, Sha-ul, and the three sons of Sha-ul who were killed. Another approach: as a result of Avraham’s high-handed act seven altars (public altars equivalent of temples) were destroyed by the enemies of the Jewish people after they entered the Holy Land Land, They were: Moses’ Tabernacle, Gilgal, Nov, Shiloh, Givon and the two Temples in Jesrusalem. (copied from Midrash Shemuel by the editor of Rash’bam) According to still another version G’d’s ark would repose in the land of the Philistines for 7 months.

"Who will show us good?" (מִי־יַרְאֵנוּ טוֹב - Mi yar'enu tov): [Regarding the next word, נְסָה - Nesah ("Bestow" / "Lift up")] Some say: That the word Nesah is from the verbs lacking the Lamed [final root letter] (alumei ha-lamed), [with the root being] נ-ס (N-S). And it properly should have been [formed] according to the pattern of [imperatives like] u-Re'eh ("and see!") and va-Aseh ("and do!"). And it appears in the form that it has [נְסָה, with the final Heh typical of this verb class], similar to (Psalm 119:117) "ve-esh'ah be-chukekha" ("and I will gaze upon Your statutes" - from root שעה). And it is correct [however] for the Heh [in נסה] to be like the Alef [of נשא - N-S-A, lift up], and the Samekh [in נסה] to be like the Shin [of נשא]. [Aside on verb types]: There are verbs called "lacking the Ayin" [middle root letter] (alumei ha-ayin), such as all the verbs [that appear to have only] two letters, like kam (קָם - arose) and shav (שָׁב - returned). And they are all as if one were to say [the imperatives] Kum! (קוּם) and Shuv! (שׁוּב), where the middle letter [Vav or Yod] is hidden (alumah), which corresponds to the Ayin [middle position] of the standard root pattern pa'al. [Returning to נסה]: And it is correct for the Heh to be like the Alef and the Samekh like the Shin, in the manner of (Numbers 6:26): "Yissa Ad-nai panav eilekha" ("May Ad-nai lift up His countenance upon you" - yissa from נשא), and like (Job 4:2): "Ha-nisah davar eilekha til'eh" ("If one attempts/lifts up a word to you, will you be weary?" - ha-nisah).

גם את הדבר הזה THIS THING ALSO — that My Shechinah shall not rest henceforth upon the other nations of the world, אעשה I WILL DO. And thus He did, for the prophetical words of Balaam (the heathen prophet) were not uttered by reason of the Shechinah resting upon him, but, as Scripture describes it, (Numbers 24:4) “[he saw the vision of the Almighty] fallen, but with eyes uncovered” (i. e. whilst fallen into a sleep his mental eyes were open and he saw in a dream what the Almighty was to reveal unto him) in a state of mind similar to that described by Job (Job 4:12) “a word was by stealth conveyed (יגנב) to me” — they (the heathen prophets) used to hear God’s message through a medium.