וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הוֹי֩ לִֽמְתַפְּר֨וֹת כְּסָת֜וֹת עַ֣ל ׀ כָּל־אַצִּילֵ֣י יָדַ֗י וְעֹשׂ֧וֹת הַמִּסְפָּח֛וֹת עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־קוֹמָ֖ה לְצוֹדֵ֣ד נְפָשׁ֑וֹת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשׁ֖וֹת לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה׃
At sabihin mo: Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Walang-Hanggan: Sa aba ng mga babaeng nagtatahi ng maliliit na unan para sa lahat ng kili-kili, at gumagawa ng mga talukbong para sa ulo ng bawat tao anuman ang kanyang taas, upang manghuli ng mga kaluluwa! Huhulihin ba ninyo ang mga kaluluwa ng Aking bayan, at ang mga kaluluwa ay bubuhayin ninyo para sa inyong sariling pakinabang?
Rabbeinu Bahya
את גדלו ואת ידו החזקה וזרועו הנטויה, “His greatness, His powerful hand and His outstretched arm” Every intelligent person knows that terms such as “hand,” “arm,” “mouth,” “nose,” etc., cannot be applied to G’d in the literal sense of these words. They merely represent celestial equivalents of extensions of the essence of G’d just as these parts of the body are extensions of the essence of people on earth, extensions which enable the essence to carry out its will. Every such term used by the Torah in connection with G’d describes a specific function such an extension performs. Just as we do not call a “hand” once “a hand,” and another time “a foot,” the same is true of these terms when used in connection with G’d. We do not lump “arm” and hand together when describing these organs as part of a human being. Similarly, we do not do so when we describe them as extensions of the essence of G’d.
The definition of יד, “hand,” includes the surface of the hand up until the beginning of the fingers. The part from the wrist to the elbow is known as קנה, whereas the part from the elbow up is known as זרוע. This is the part of the arm on which we put the phylacteries. On occasion this is known as the higher region of the hand, the part on the same level as the heart. Concerning this arm the sages in Menachot 43 said that proof that Israel is beloved of the Lord is that He assigned this part of the arm for them to place the phylacteries of the hand, and the head to place the phylacteries of the head. The proof that the part of the arm above the elbow is called זרוע is found in Job 31,22 כתפי משכמי תפול ואזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my arm drop off my shoulder; my forearm break off at the elbow.” Job enumerated parts of the arm beginning with his shoulder, followed by זרוע, continuing with קנה, the arm below the elbow, the part which links up with the hand.
We find similar terminology in the Mishnah in Oholot 1,8 where 248 limbs (bones) of man are enumerated, thirty of them being considered part of the פסת היד, ‘the hand;’ 6 of these bones of the hand are attributed to each of the fingers. The Mishnah enumerates 2 bones as being part of the forearm (below the elbow) and 2 more as part of the elbow, one in the upper arm and four in the shoulder. This Mishnah is proof that the part called קנה are the bones linking the hand to the elbow. The term עציל is a word found in the Baraitha describing the word מרפק in the Mishnah (elbow). In Biblical language the עציל of the Baraitha is identical with אציל as described in Ezekiel 13,18 על כל אצילי ידי, “upon all my elbows.” Targum Yonathan clearly translates the word אצילי as “my elbows,” [in contrast to Rashi who considers it as “my armpits”. Ed.]
In Massechet Sofrim 3,15 we find the halachah “a man is not to place a Torah scroll upon his knees and hold it down with his elbows (so it does not fall) as it is unseemly (to place one’s weight upon the Torah scroll).” Having explained the difference between יד and זרוע, the author of Masechet Sofrim continues: “it is a well known fact that the זרוע is “greater” (more powerful) than the יד, seeing the power of the hand is derived from the arm and not vice versa.” This makes it clear that whenever the Torah speaks of both hand and arm, the arm is always considered as describing something even more forceful than the hand.
The definition of יד, “hand,” includes the surface of the hand up until the beginning of the fingers. The part from the wrist to the elbow is known as קנה, whereas the part from the elbow up is known as זרוע. This is the part of the arm on which we put the phylacteries. On occasion this is known as the higher region of the hand, the part on the same level as the heart. Concerning this arm the sages in Menachot 43 said that proof that Israel is beloved of the Lord is that He assigned this part of the arm for them to place the phylacteries of the hand, and the head to place the phylacteries of the head. The proof that the part of the arm above the elbow is called זרוע is found in Job 31,22 כתפי משכמי תפול ואזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my arm drop off my shoulder; my forearm break off at the elbow.” Job enumerated parts of the arm beginning with his shoulder, followed by זרוע, continuing with קנה, the arm below the elbow, the part which links up with the hand.
We find similar terminology in the Mishnah in Oholot 1,8 where 248 limbs (bones) of man are enumerated, thirty of them being considered part of the פסת היד, ‘the hand;’ 6 of these bones of the hand are attributed to each of the fingers. The Mishnah enumerates 2 bones as being part of the forearm (below the elbow) and 2 more as part of the elbow, one in the upper arm and four in the shoulder. This Mishnah is proof that the part called קנה are the bones linking the hand to the elbow. The term עציל is a word found in the Baraitha describing the word מרפק in the Mishnah (elbow). In Biblical language the עציל of the Baraitha is identical with אציל as described in Ezekiel 13,18 על כל אצילי ידי, “upon all my elbows.” Targum Yonathan clearly translates the word אצילי as “my elbows,” [in contrast to Rashi who considers it as “my armpits”. Ed.]
In Massechet Sofrim 3,15 we find the halachah “a man is not to place a Torah scroll upon his knees and hold it down with his elbows (so it does not fall) as it is unseemly (to place one’s weight upon the Torah scroll).” Having explained the difference between יד and זרוע, the author of Masechet Sofrim continues: “it is a well known fact that the זרוע is “greater” (more powerful) than the יד, seeing the power of the hand is derived from the arm and not vice versa.” This makes it clear that whenever the Torah speaks of both hand and arm, the arm is always considered as describing something even more forceful than the hand.
Ibn Ezra
ומאציליה And from the chief men thereof, who are distinguished from the rest;17אצל to be on the side. Hi. to set aside, to separate, to distinguish. אציל adj. distinguished, noble, chief. comp. ואצלתי and I will take (Num. xi. אצילי .(17 . the nobles of (Ex. 24:11). ומאציליה can also be explained from between her arms.18Comp. אצילי armholes (Ez. 13:18.)