Комментарий к Дварим 4:24

That is that He commanded us to associate with the sages, to gather with them and to constantly be involved with them in all manner of work and interaction - in eating and drinking and business, so that it comes to us to imitate their actions and believe the truth of their words. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "and to Him shall you cling" (Deuteronomy 10:20). And this command has also already been repeated - "and to cling to Him" (Deuteronomy 11:22). And in the Sifrei (Sifrei Devarim 49:2), it appears, "'And to cling to Him' - cling to the sages and their students." And they accordingly brought a proof about this obligation of a person - to marry the daughter of a Torah scholar, to feed Torah scholars and to give them business - from His saying, "and to Him shall you cling": And they said, "And is it possible for a person to cling to the Divine Presence? And behold, it is written (Deuteronomy 4:24), 'For the Lord, your God, is a consuming fire!' Rather, anyone who marries his daughter to a Torah scholar, or who marries the daughter of a Torah scholar or who benefits a Torah scholar - Scripture considers it as if he clung to the Divine presence." (See Parashat Ekev; Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 6.)

אל קנא A JEALOUS GOD — jealous to take vengeance, in O. F. emportment; glowing in his anger to exact punishment from those who worship idols (cf. Rashi on Numbers 25:11).

אש אוכלה הוא, a fire which consumes other fire, thereby destroying the soul together with the body.

He is jealous to take vengeance, etc. Rashi explains: He is not called “jealous,” because He has the attribute of jealousy (God forbid), for He is neither jealous, nor angry, nor quarrelsome. Rather, He is called “jealous,” because He quarrels and shows anger to punish idol worshippers. Since the vengeance only comes as a result of the jealousy, therefore “A jealous Almighty,” is written instead of, “A vengeful Almighty.”

V. 24. אש אכלה ,כי ה׳ אלהיך וגו׳: alles andere verliert neben Ihm seine Existenz. אל קנא: er ist קונה שמים וארץ, er steht über allem und jeglichem als Eigner und macht sein Hoheitsrecht an allem und jedem geltend. Ausschließende Einzigkeit ist sein Wesen. Du kannst nichts neben Ihn stellen, kannst Ihn in keiner Weise dem Kreise anderer Existenzen durch bildliche Darstellung einreihen, ohne Ihn ganz und gar zu verleugnen. Nur in Seiner außersinnlichen, durch nichts darstellbaren. nur dem denkenden Gedanken zugänglichen, einzigen persönlichen Wahrheit bleibt er dir der allgegenwärtige, alles tragende, allem Sein vorangehende, alles Sein bedingende Seiende, dem jeder Atemzug deines Wesens zuwallt und jede Regung deines Lebens dient (vergl. zu Schmot 20, 5).

אש אוכלה הוא, “He, (the Lord) is a devouring fire.” He is comparable to a devouring fire.

א-ל קנא, [I am paraphrasing the author here. Ed.] Jealousy is based on someone observing that something contractually exclusively his, as for instance the, fidelity of his wife- is being offered or provided for someone else. If a master’s servant provides the services he is supposed to provide only for his master to others, this arouses the master’s jealousy. If a Jew in any shape or form makes available to idolatrous cults the services he is supposed to perform for G’d, he arouses G’d’s jealousy.