Комментарий к Дварим 3:24

אדני אלהים O LORD, GOD — O Thou Who art. merciful (ה׳) in judgment (אלהים) (cf. Sifrei Devarim 26:10).

G-D THE ETERNAL — “merciful in judgment.” This is Rashi’s language. Now, the Rabbi did not consider that the first Divine Name is spelled with the letters Aleph Dalet and the second Name is spelled with the letters Yod Hei [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].⁸The gist of Ramban’s comment is as follows: The Divine Name which begins with the letters Aleph Dalet represents the attribute of justice; the Name beginning with the letters Yod Hei signifies the attribute of mercy. Since of the two Divine Names mentioned here in the verse, the first one is with Aleph Dalet and the second one with Yod Hei, Rashi should have interpreted them to mean, “Lord of judgment in the attribute of mercy,” instead of writing, “merciful in judgment,” implying that the first Name signifies mercy and the second one judgment. See further in Vol. II, p. 67. In this regard [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], the Rabbis have said:⁹Bereshith Rabbah 73:2. “Wherever Scripture states ‘the Eternal’ [i.e., the Tetragrammaton] it signifies the attribute of mercy, and [wherever it mentions] ‘G-d’ (Elokim) it indicates the attribute of judgment.”¹⁰And here, since it is the second of the two Divine Names that indicates the attribute of mercy, why then did Rashi put it first, writing “merciful in judgment?” Rather, the Divine Names written here mean: “Lord¹¹Since the Hebrew here is not Elokim but Ado noy (Lord), Ramban writes: “Lord etc.” in the attribute of mercy.” And so the Rabbis have said in [Midrash] Yelamdeinu:¹²On the term Yelamdeinu, see Vol. II, p. 131, Note 196. This Midrash is also found in Devarim Rabbah 2:8. — Now the text clearly indicates that Moses prayed that the judgment be mitigated with mercy, thus substantiating Ramban’s interpretation that the expression of the two Divine Names here means, “Lord of judgment in the attribute of mercy.” “Moses said to G-d: ‘Master of the worlds! If it is justly requested by me [that You grant my supplication] give it to me, and if it is not justly requested by me, have mercy on me,’ just as Abraham said, O Lord Eternal, what wilt Thou give me etc.”¹³Genesis 15:2. This is interpreted by the above Midrash as follows. “Said Rabbi Levi: Abraham said, ‘O Master of the universe. If it is justly requested by me that I have children, give them to me. And if it is not justly requested by me, then grant them to me in mercy.’ And similarly did Moses say etc.” Thus the parallel is drawn by the Midrash between Moses’ prayer here and that of Abraham. Now in the case of Abraham also etc. (see text). Also in the case of Abraham, the Divine Names are written in this order: the first one with Aleph Dalet, and the second with Yod Hei. And the purport of the section [before us] will be understood [by the fact that the Divine Names are written in this particular order]. For Moses stated va’ethchanan (and I besought) and he did not say va’ethpaleil (and I prayed), since he spoke in “supplication” [to the Glorious Name],¹⁴Ricanti. saying: “O Lord in Whom is the mercy, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant. Such was the beginning of my prophecy that You showed me Your glory — as it is written [at Moses’ first vision of G-d’s glory], And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon G-d¹⁵Exodus 3:6. — together with the greatness and the power,¹⁶I Chronicles 29:11. Here understood as Cabalistic references to the Divine Emanations. They are also referred to here in our verse: Thy greatness and Thy great hand. and I learned to know what deity is there in heaven or on earth from whom could come forth like Thy great works and Thy mighty prowess?” From here you will further understand the matter concerning which the Glorious Name was angry with Moses.¹⁷See Ramban to Numbers 20:4 (Vol. IV, pp. 217-219). See also further 4:21. However, the language of the Sifre is as follows:¹⁸Sifre, Vaethchanan 26. The text substantiates Ramban’s interpretation, that the first Divine Name mentioned here in the verse represents judgment, while the second one signifies mercy. Ramban introduces the text with the word aval (“however,” or “but”) as if to say: “while the text of the Midrash Yelamdeinu (mentioned above) is not so lucid on this problem — although this is surely its meaning — ‘however’ the text in the Sifre clearly states it to be so.” “Wherever Scripture mentions ‘the Eternal’ it signifies the attribute of mercy, as it is said, The Eternal, G-d, gracious and merciful,¹⁹Exodus 34:6. [and wherever it mentions] G-d (Elokim) it indicates the attribute of judgment, as it is said, before ‘ha’elohim’ (the judges) shall come the word of both. ”²⁰Ibid., 22:8. And the intent [of the Sifre] is to explain that the second [Divine] Name mentioned here indicates the attribute of mercy, this being the Proper Divine Name, while all other Names signify the attribute of judgment, like Elokim which is also a term for judges, and certainly the Name Aleph Dalet which is an expression of lordship.
Thus Moses completed the words of reproof with this episode in which he informed the people that their fathers caused themselves evil, and also caused him [Moses] to suffer punishment preventing them from going over into the Land. They, the children, however, will go over and inherit it, if they will not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation.²¹Psalms 78:8. Therefore he now began to warn them about the principles of the commandments that they should not add to them, neither diminish from them.

א־דני אלוקים אתה החילות להראות, "O Lord G'd, You have begun to show, etc." This (א־ד־נ־י) form of address may be understood as similar to Samuel I 3,18 where the High Priest Eli after being told by his pupil Samuel that G'd said that He would exact retribution from the house of Eli, reacted by saying: "My Master (א־ד־נ־י) will do whatever seems good in His eyes." Eli meant that when a master loses a servant such a loss is keenly felt by him; as a result, The Master would not agree to lose the servant unless He had good reason. When Moses used the word א־ד־נ־י in this instance he meant to say that his own success and wellbeing was a matter for his master (G'd) to evaluate.

החלות, as mentioned earlier in 2,25 היום הזה אחל תת פחדך, “from this day on I begin to place the fear of you, etc.” The letter ח in the word החלות is the reason why the letter ה preceding it has the vowel patach underneath it. Similar vowel patterns are observed when the letter ה precedes the letter ע, as in Isaiah 41,25 העיירתי מצפון, “I have roused him from the north.” We have the same pattern in Deuteronomy 30,19 when Moses says העידותי בכם היום, “I call as witness against you this day, etc.” Isaiah 9,3 is another example of this anomaly. When the letter following the letter ה does not belong to the group known as אחה"ע we would generally find a chataf patach under the letter ה.

ואת ידך החזקה, demonstrated by overriding well known laws of nature. No one but the Creator of the universe is able to do this. Moses credits G’d with having done all this only in order to be able to bring the Jewish people to the Holy Land. In view of the length to which G’d had gone to do this it behooves the people to do everything in order to justify their remaining in that land.

Hashem, Elokim. These two names control the world. The four letter name gives existence to everything, including all the forces of nature. The name Hashem controls those forces, like a master who does what he wishes with his property. Moshe asked that he should be permitted to enter the land of Israel through whichever attribute is appropriate. If he does not merit to enter with the attribute of splendor, which is personified by Moshe in the desert, let it be through the laws of nature, as he began in the fortieth year… This is the power of prayer, to mention the specific name appropriate to that which is being asked for.

Merciful in judgement. Rashi is answering the question: Hashem’s four-letter Name [Tetragrammaton] signifies His attribute of mercy, but the Name “Adonoy” signifies His attribute of justice [so how do we explain the two terms when they appear together]?. Therefore Rashi explains, “Merciful in judgement.” In other words, He judges with mercy, and not with harsh justice. An alternative approach is: Rashi is explaining why Hashem’s four-letter name here is vocalized as “Elohim,” with a chataf-segol, cholam, and chirik, and not in the usual manner? Therefore Rashi says, “Adonoy Elohim,” even though it is written as “Adonoy.” In other words, it is [primarily] the four-letter Name, but according to its vocalization it is as if “Elohim” were written. So Rashi explains: Even though the four-letter Name is Hashem’s attribute of mercy, it is vocalized as “Elohim” to signify that He is merciful in judgment. And the first Name of Adonoy that appears in the verse, Moshe only intended as an introductory remark, “My Master.” According to the first explanation, Rashi must have said, “Elohim,” because that is how the four-letter name is read. Although above in Parshas Lech Lecha it is written, “Adonoy Elohim what will you give me (Bereishis 15:2),” and Rashi offers no explanation. The answer is: The verse in Bereishis means to say: Whether out of justice, or whether out of mercy, I request for You to give me children because You had said to me, “Go for yourself from your homeland ... and I will make you into a great nation (Ibid. 12:1).” But here it is difficult to understand why it needs to say the Name Adonoy, which signifies Hashem’s attribute of justice.

V. 24. אדני: der du mich deines Dienstes gewürdigt, mich Werkzeug und Vollbringer deines Willens auf Erden hast sein lassen. Es ist der Name, der vor allem im Munde der Propheten und Gottesmänner wiederkehrt, ihre Beziehung zu Gott zu bezeichnen. יְהֶוִֺה: der als אלקים sich aussprechende שם הוי׳׳ה ist die als "Recht" sich offenbarende "Liebe". אדני spricht das völlige Bereitsein für alles, was Gott will, aus, die völlige Hingebung an den Gotteswillen; יְהֶוִֺה die völlige Überzeugung, dass auch richtend und versagend Gott nur die Liebe ist. Mit beidem spricht Mosche von vornherein es aus, wie er sich ohne Murren bescheiden werde, wenn Gottes Ratschluss ihm auch seinen letzten heißesten Wunsch zu versagen für recht befinden werde. Daher vielleicht auch das לאמר im vorigen Verse. Es ist ihm Bedürfnis, den Wunsch auszusprechen und ihn der göttlichen Erwägung zu unterstellen.

ה' אלוקים, the first name of G-d here is a reference to the attribute aleph dalet, not to the tetragram, (an attribute that can be used normally only by the High priest in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement). The second attribute used by Moses here is the tetragram. (Nachmanides)

אתה החלות להראות את עבדך THOU DIDST BEGIN TO SHOW THY SERVANT an opening to stand and offer prayer, although the decree has been enacted; he said to Him: I learned to do so from Thee, for Thou didst say to me, (Exodus 32:10; cf. Rashi thereon) "And now, leave Me alone”. Was I, then, holding Thee? But Thou didst say this to open the door and to show that it depended upon me to pray for them. Just so do I think to act now (Sifrei Devarim 27:2).

Your greatness. This is the greatness of nature.

An opportunity to stand and pray, etc. Otherwise, it should say, “You have shown Your servant etc.” As [the significance of, “You have begun to show,”] Rashi explains further on.

He also used the 4-lettered name of G'd with the vowels of the attribute of Justice, i.e. אלוקים. Rashi comments as follows: רחום בדין, (the word א־דני means) "the One who is merciful even while dispensing judgment." I have seen that Nachmanides criticises Rashi claiming that he overlooked the fact that the first word א־ד־נ־י is written with the letters א־ד, whereas the second name of G'd is spelled with the letter י־ה, and that our sages have said that whenever this combination of letters in the name of G'd occurs it refers to the attribute of Mercy. Thus far Nachmanides. [According to Rabbi Chavell, Nachmanides meant that only the combination of the letters י־ה describe the attribute of Mercy. Ed.] I believe that Rashi did not refer to the word א־ד־נ־י at all when he made his comment. Rather, he referred to the fact that although the vowels in the Ineffable Name Moses used here are the ones used for the attribute of Justice, i.e. elokim, the fact remains that even when G'd dispenses justice there is always an element of mercy present. This is the reason for the strange vowelling in this instance. Sifri also understands the word in this sense when the author commented: "הויה always means mercy, whereas אלוקים always means justice." Sifri clearly refers to the relative spelling (i.e. consonants) and reading (i.e. vowels) meaning different attributes.

אתה החלות, alles, was du mich bis jetzt hast erfahren lassen, ist nur der Anfang einer Einsicht in deine Größe und Allmacht. גדלך (siehe Bamidbar 14. 17). Gottes Größe ist die schöpferisch gestaltende, die Menschheit zu Seinem Ziele erziehende Kraft, ידך החזקה .)ספרי פנחס( גדלך זו מדת טובך: die alle widerstrebende Gewalten niederwerfende Macht. ׳אשר .אשר וגו gehört zu אשר כמעשיך וכגבורתך מי אל :כמעשיך וגו׳ אשר יעשה. Wir können einen solchen Relativsatz nicht fragend wiedergeben, sondern nur positiv verneinend: wie dessen Schöpfungen und Allmacht keine Macht im Himmel und auf Erden zu üben vermag. כמעשיך entspricht ידך החזקה :ובגבורתך ,גדלך.

אתה החלות להראות, “You have begun to show;” Moses refers to the conquest of the lands of Sichon and Og by the army of the Israelites, a feat which would have been unthinkable without G-d’s active intervention. Since he had been permitted to witness this, he pleaded to also be permitted to witness the conquest of the lands occupied by the other five Canaanite tribes.

את גדלך [TO SHOW] THY GREATNESS — This means Thy attribute of goodness. Similarly it states, (Numbers 14:17, 18) "And now, I beseech Thee, let the strength of my Lord be great, [according as thou hast spoken, saying: The Lord is long-suffering and of much mercy, etc."].

And Your powerful hand. This controls nature. This is by way of analogy. Just as one who holds a turbine which is turned by water power, or fire, has the ability to stop the turbine. This is the meaning of “hand.” This is the miraculous power which holds the spheres of nature which turn with strength.

And now please magnify the Might. Afterwards it is written, “Adonoy said, ‘I have forgiven you as you said.’” In other words: Your attribute of goodness is that you forgive those who transgress Your will.

The reason Moses employed a name for G'd which incorporates both attributes becomes clear when you refer to my explanation of the word לאמור at the end of the last verse. I explained that as soon as Moses' own prayer had been accepted he meant to pray on behalf of the whole generation. Moses felt that the degree against himself could be voided merely by an appeal to the attribute of Justice, whereas in order to void the decree against the people of the Exodus it required the application of G'd's attribute of Mercy. Tanchuma illustrated this with a parable. [the version of this parable in my edition of the Tanchuma is substantially different, but I am quoting the version the author describes. Ed.] A king who wanted to marry a certain lady dispatched messengers to examine the lady in question and to present her with his marriage proposal. The messengers went and came back with the report that they could not have found an uglier person than the lady in question. One of the patrons of the bride-to-be heard about this negative report and told the king that there was not a more beautiful lady in the whole kingdom than the one the king wanted to marry. The father of the bride told the King's messengers that on no account would he allow them to be present at the wedding as they had shamed the bride. When the patron who had sung the praises of the bride wanted to take part in the wedding celebrations the father would not allow him to enter either. The patron remonstrated saying to the father of the bride: "I have praised her although I have never met her, and I told the king that she is the fairest in the land." Moses used a similar argument when he pleaded with G'd. He considered it unfair that he who had been instrumental in promoting the wedding between Israel and G'd and the land of Israel should not be allowed to attend the wedding, the consummation of the deal. Moses' argument was that even if G'd applied the yardstick used by the attribute of Justice, he should be allowed to enter the Holy Land. This is the reason he mentioned the attribute of Justice. He alluded to the element of mercy by punctuating the Ineffable Name in this unusual manner as this related to his prayer for the people as a whole as I explained on the word לאמור. He made a point of using the name for the attribute of Justice as he has been quoted as only praying for himself. [The Torah does not record vowels, only consonants. The reader has to supply the vowels himself. Ed.] He used the indirect reference to the attribute of Mercy, as his prayer for the people as a whole remained potential rather than actual as long as his prayer on his own behalf had not been accepted.

כמעשיך, “as Your (other) works;” all of which demonstrate Your superior wisdom.

ואת ידך AND THY [STRONG] HAND — This refers to Thy right hand which is extended to all who enter the world (all human beings) [to receive them in penitence] (Sifrei Bamidbar 134:5).

That can perform Your deeds. This refers to the laws of nature, which are written many times in the account of creation using the language of “performing.”

Which is extended to all who enter the world. It is extended to accept whoever repents. This is also part of Moshe’s prayer.

It is also possible that Moses had to allude to the attribute of Mercy in G'd's name precisely because he demanded to be heard as a matter of justice rather than merely as a matter of mercy. Who is so righteous that he can demand to be judged by the pure attribute of Justice? We have it on the authority of Psalms 143,2 "for before You no creature is in the right."

וכגבורתך, ”and Your superior abilities.”

החזקה [THY] STRONG [HAND] — I speak of it as Thy strong hand, because by showing mercy Thou forcibly (בחזקה) subduest the attribute of strict justice (Sifrei Bamidbar 134:5).

And Your acts of power. This is Hashem’s ability to grasp with great power the spheres of nature and to change them, as we have said.

You subdue with [Your] compassion, etc. This is also part of Moshe’s prayer. But it does not mean the same as, “For by [My] strong hand he will let them go (Shmos 6:1),” for how does this relate to Moshe’s prayer?

אתה החלות, "You have begun, etc." The Sifri offers three possible meanings for the word החלות 1) The word is derived from התחלה, beginning. 2) It is an expression for prayer similar to Maleachi 1,9 ועתה חלו נא פני קל, "and now implore the favour of the Lord!" 3) it means to release, i.e. to release from a vow, etc. Moses said to G'd: "You have released me from my vow" when You said to me in Exodus 3,10 "take My people out of Egypt." At the time I told You that I had already sworn an oath to my father-in-law Yitro that I would not leave him as we know from Exodus 2,21: "Moses agreed to dwell with the man, etc." The word ויאל is used when one swears an oath. Moses argued that if G'd had seen fit to release him from that oath, He could release Himself from His own oath not to let him enter the Holy Land. Another meaning of the word is "opening." Moses said "You have provided an opening for me to implore You by prayer when You said to me in Deut. 9,32: 'let Me be so that I can destroy them, etc.' Did Moses then restrain G'd? The meaning is that G'd had opened a door for Moses by these words encouraging him to pray." We are therefore entitled to understand the word as meaning "prayer." Another explanation sees in the opening for prayer a reference to the time Moses granted the lands of Sichon and Og to the tribes of Reuven and Gad. He had provided an opening for possible cancellation of that vow. This latter explanation [that the word החלות means an opening to cancel a vow. Ed.] seems somewhat strange. What proof could Moses bring from the time G'd had released him from his vow to remain with Yitro? Moses' vow on that occasion had been easy to cancel as he had a ready answer saying that had he known at the time that G'd would call upon him to lead the Jewish people to freedom he would never have made such a vow. What possible opening was there for G'd to rescind His own oath seeing that when G'd swears an oath all future possibilities are known to Him and He could never plead insufficient knowledge of the future as a reason to cancel His vows!

אשר מי אל וגו׳ FOR WHAT GOD IS THERE [… WHO CAN DO ACCORDING TO THY WORKS] — Thou art unlike a mortal king who has counsellors and assessors who would prevent him when he wishes to show kindness and to forgo, what is due to him: Thou, however, — there is none who can prevent Thee if Thou pardonest me and dost annul Thy decree (Sifrei Devarim 27:6). But according to its plain sense it means: "Thou hast begun to show Thy servant the war with Sihon and Og, as it is written, (Deuteronomy 2:31) “Behold I have begun to give [Sihon and his land] before thee"; let me behold also the war with the thirty-one kings of Canaan.

You are unlike a king of flesh and blood. This is also part of Moshe’s prayer. But it does not mean that there is none like You, as in, “For there is no power like You, etc. (Tehillim 81:8).” For how does this relate to Moshe’s prayer?

Who has advisors and critics, etc. The term סנקנתדרין means “critics.”

This problem may be solved when we review what Maimonides wrote in chapter six of his treatise Hilchot Shevuot. He writes: "If someone swore an oath and did not regret it, and is intent on keeping his oath, the court has to examine if keeping his oath would prevent this person from fulfilling some positive commandment or from maintaining peaceful relations with his peers. If keeping the oath were to result in either of these results, the court has to engage in negotiations with that person until it convinces him that had he been fully aware of these consequences he would not have sworn the oath in question. After that they will release him from the obligation which the oath entails." This teaches us that even if no "opening" existed for the court to cancel the vow, one uses one's intelligence to create such an "opening." This is what Moses had in mind when he said: "You have provided an opening already when You prevailed upon me to be released from my vow though I had not expressed any desire to be released from it." The proof that Moses did not ask to be released from his vow is found in Exodus 3,10 where G'd commences a campaign of seven days trying to convince Moses to accept His mission. Moses now argued that G'd could apply this procedure to His own oath not to let him enter the Holy Land even if there had not been a prima facie opening for releasing Himself from His oath. Moses, after all, was desirous of fulfilling the positive commandment of living in the Holy Land, as evidenced by his words: "let me cross so that I can see the good land, etc."

Should you argue that the situation is totally dissimilar to the one discussed by Maimonides, and it was not G'd who would perform a commandment as a result of releasing Himself from His oath but Moses, the answer is that the reason Moses described himself as את עבדך, "with Your (G'd's) servant," was to hint that it was a well known fact that whatever belongs to the servant belongs to the Master, i.e. G'd would share equally in Moses' performing the commandment of living in the Holy Land.

But according to its simplistic sense [it means]; You have begun to show your servant, etc. Also according to its simplistic sense it is part of Moshe’s prayer. In other words: Since You have begun to show me the two wars with Sichon and with Og, show me also the wars with the thirty-one kings.