וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔ד מֶ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתִי עָ֑תָּה הֲל֖וֹא דָּבָ֥ר הֽוּא׃
At sinabi ni David: “Ano ba ang ginawa ko ngayon? Hindi ba't salita lamang iyon?”
Tosafot Yom Tov
ONE WHO PROFANES KODASHIM. Talmud, Sanhedrin 99a: the Sages taught: “for he has scorned the word of G-d” (Numbers 15:31)... based on this, R. Elazar HaModa`i said, One who profanes kodashim, etc., along with the entire text of our mishna. Rashi ad loc. explains: one who profanes the kodashim and one who dishonors the holidays are both included in the category of one who “has scorned the word of G-d.” Rashi in his commentary here writes that the passage in Sanhedrin does not include “one who embarrases his friend in public,” and he does not know how it is derived from the verse, but our editions of Sanhedrin do have it. Midrash Shmuel writes that he has “scorned the word of G-d” because there is no greater apikoros than one who embarrasses his friend in public.
I would say that such a one has “scorned the word of G-d [Heb. d’var Hashem bazah]” because man is created in the image of G-d and is therefore himself “the word of G-d,” i.e. the idea or matter of G-d and His image. Davar can be said in the sense of “thing, matter, idea” as in the verse “is it not a davar?”111Unlike many of the commentaries on Samuel, who understand David’s answer to Eliab to have been a dismissive “isn’t it just talk?”, Tosafot Yom Tov seems to understand that David’s answer was to defend his interest in the war by saying “isn’t it an [important] matter?” (1 Samuel 17:29). Also, the verse “and G-d said, ‘Let us make man in Our image’” is one of the ten “sayings”112Avot 5:1.—therefore, he has “scorned the word of G-d.” [*Per the Talmud in Rosh HaShanah 32a which Rav quotes in Avot 5:1, which says that “In the beginning” is also one of the “sayings,” for the verse says “the heavens were made by the word of G-d” (Psalms 33:6).]
I would say that such a one has “scorned the word of G-d [Heb. d’var Hashem bazah]” because man is created in the image of G-d and is therefore himself “the word of G-d,” i.e. the idea or matter of G-d and His image. Davar can be said in the sense of “thing, matter, idea” as in the verse “is it not a davar?”111Unlike many of the commentaries on Samuel, who understand David’s answer to Eliab to have been a dismissive “isn’t it just talk?”, Tosafot Yom Tov seems to understand that David’s answer was to defend his interest in the war by saying “isn’t it an [important] matter?” (1 Samuel 17:29). Also, the verse “and G-d said, ‘Let us make man in Our image’” is one of the ten “sayings”112Avot 5:1.—therefore, he has “scorned the word of G-d.” [*Per the Talmud in Rosh HaShanah 32a which Rav quotes in Avot 5:1, which says that “In the beginning” is also one of the “sayings,” for the verse says “the heavens were made by the word of G-d” (Psalms 33:6).]