Еврейская мысль к Дварим 28:10

Shemot Rabbah 42, answers the question from where Moses took the authority to kill Jews found worshipping the calf, by referring us to G-d’s own example on the occasion of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Tower of Bable respectively. In either case, G-d had proceeded to mete out punishment after He had investigated the facts. Similarly, Moses, G-d’s trusted servant, was expected to carry out this task as G-d’s messenger. When the Levites had completed their task, Moses addressed the nation exhorting them to remain loyal to G-d, and thus turn away His wrath. He pointed to the example of their fellow Jews the Levites, who had demonstrated such loyalty by disregarding family ties when the law required that their closest relatives be executed. He explained that all that is needed to qualify for G-d’s blessing, is loyalty. (Exodus 32,29) On the morrow, after the three thousand had died, Moses said to the people that they too had sinned gravely by having demanded proof of G-d’s existence and power. Also, they should have prevented the three thousand from dancing around the calf. Therefore, it was now necessary for Moses to ascend the mountain and plead for forgiveness. Moses uses both understatement and exaggeration in his plea, in order to present a credible defense. By describing the sin as the construction of a golden deity, he exaggerated its importance. By pointing out that it had been removed, and that the guilty had been punished, and that none of those witnessing the punishment had protested the death of the guilty, he prayed that surely the time had come to forgive the remainder of the nation for this episode. G-d’s reply "whosoever has sinned against Me, I will wipe out from My book," is not a direct response to Moses’s request. Moses had spoken about the book "You have written," meaning the Torah, whereas G-d referred to the book of life, a book which G-d retains for His own exclusive use. The people were to be punished by acts of G-d only, since no human witnesses were at hand to testify to their culpable participation in the construction of the golden calf. However, G-d reserved the right to exact such punishment whenever an occasion would arise in the future to punish them for other misdeeds. For the present therefore, G-d says to Moses "lead this people to the place I have said to you." We read in verse 35, "G-d smote the people because they had made the calf that Aaron had made." The repetition of the words "they had made...Aaron had made," indicates that the intentions of the people and the intentions of Aaron had been quite different from one another. Aaron's part in it had been merely incidental, the real culprit having been the people. Nonetheless, Aaron reproaches himself after two of his sons have died, saying "all these things have happened to me," when in fact we had not read of anything else happening to him. 11) Since the progress of the Jewish people from now on was to be under the guidance of an angel, (Exodus 33, 1-3) the people thought that the Divine Presence would no longer be among them. They mourned this news by failing to wear their jewelry. Since they had not actually removed their jewelry from themselves, there was reason for Moses to command them to "remove" it. Apparently, some of the people had put on their jewelry. Why did some people wear their jewelry, whereas others did not? If we follow the tradition that the "jewelry" were the phylacteries of the head, the latter could be viewed as a protective device while worn. When in mourning, wearing such phylacteries is forbidden. The Jews who did not wear their phylacteries considered themselves in mourning, having heard G-d’s decree. Others considered themselves in the category of "outcasts," and as such Jewish halachah requires the continued wearing of phylacteries. The difference between the two groups stemmed from which part of G-d’s stricture they considered as paramount. (33,5) If they considered the reference to them as "a stiffnecked people" as paramount, they would be in mourning. If they considered the words "I will not go up with you" as paramount, they would view themselves as outcasts. When G-d used the words "children of Israel," a term of endearment at one and the same time, this was proof to those who continued to wear their phylacteries that it was the danger to their souls that was the greater source of worry. G-d having rescinded His descision to abandon the Jewish people, they were told not to grieve more than their brethren who had mourned their physical fate and had therefore divested themselves of their phylacteries. The commandment to the last group to remove their phylactries also, is a commandment to downgrade the state of their despair to a level in which they only mourned the physical consequences arising out of the episode of the golden calf. When Moses realised that the people were in a state of banishment, he had to remove his tent from their midst, or he would have forfeited further communication from the shechinah, since the latter would not communicate with him as long as he was amidst the banished.

The sukkah and the lulav: The content of the sukkah and the lulav is [as follows]: Behold it is that the clouds of glory with which the Holy One, blessed be He, surrounded Israel had a great spiritual effect - in addition to their physical purpose, which was to cover them and protect them. And it was that just like Israel found itself separated alone, and lifted up from the earth by these clouds; so too were they brought to an emanation that housed them separately from all the nations, literally uplifted and removed them from the world itself and actually made them superior to all the nations of the world. And this matter occurred at that time to Israel, when they reached the highest level fit for them. And this effect was passed on to each person in Israel for all generations. For indeed the light of holiness is drawn from in front of Him, may He blessed, and surrounds every righteous person in Israel, separates him from all people, raises him above them and places him higher than all of them - and this is something that is renewed in Israel by the sukkah on the festival of Sukkot. And with the waving of the lulav (palm frond) and its [three associated] species, the light of God, blessed be He, shines upon the heads of Israel and crowns them in such a way that their fear falls upon all of their enemies. And that is what is written (Deuteronomy 28:10), "And all the nations of the world will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you." And they would have even openly attained this matter right away, if sins had not prevented it. However the thing is nevertheless ready to go into effect in its time. And through the details of the commandment of the lulav - its wavings and its circlings - this matter is fulfilled, to strengthen the control of God, blessed be He, over the heads of Israel and to bring down their enemies in front of them; until they themselves will choose to be their servants. And this is the matter that is stated (Isaiah 49:23), "they shall bow to you, face to the ground, etc." [and] (Isaiah 60:14), "Bowing before you, shall come the children of those who tormented you." For all will subjugate themselves and bow down to them to receive - through them - the bright light of God, blessed be He, that rests upon them. And see that their pride will be lowered and they will humble themselves below Israel. And they will repent through them to His service, may He be blessed. So all of the matter of the lulav and its details follow this, as we have written.

The main thing of all - is to complete the conditions of slavehood and to designate G-d alone with masterhood - that all this be wholeheartedly and faithfully, and through this one's love of G-d will be wholehearted and likewise will be G-d's love towards him, as written "You have declared the L-ord this day to be your G-d...And the L-ord has declared you this day to be His treasured people" (Devarim 26:17-18), and "to make you supreme, above all the nations that He made" (Devarim 26:19), and "Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the L-ord is called upon you, and they will fear you" (Devarim 28:10).