Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Ezekiel 39:11

Every valley shall be exalted. Every valley that is now low, shall then be exalted. The word גֶּיא valley is not in the construct state¹²From this remark it appears that I. E. read גֵּיא, and thought it therefore necessary to explain the difference between this word, used, as it seems, in the absolute state, and the same form 22:1 and Ez. 39:11 used in the construct state. No remark would have been required if I. E. had before him the reading גֶּיא adopted in the printed editions of the Bible. as in 22:1, and Ez. 39:11. It is, however, possible that it is in the construct state and some genitive is to be supplied; comp. מִלֵּיל (21:11).¹³See c. xv., Note 1.

ה' ילחם לכם, “Hashem will fight on your behalf!” It is known in kabbalistic circles that the attribute of Justice fights wars and dries out the sea. Why then did Moses mention the attribute Hashem in this verse? It was to teach that even in the execution of this great miracle the attribute of Hashem was also involved. At first glance it appears as if the attribute of Justice was stretched out over the Egyptians from one end of the sky to the other (figuratively speaking) and was bent on their total destruction as we know from verse 28 that “not one of them survived.” Nonetheless we find an involvement of the attribute of Mercy such as the fact that these people were interred (compare 15,12 תבלעמו ארץ), i.e. that the earth covered their remains. They did not simply disintegrate as did the people who died during the deluge.” Whenever the Torah speaks of G’d’s “right hand,” such as in Exodus 15,6 this is a reference to the attribute of Mercy. What was true in the past will also hold true in the future after the final war of Gog and Magog of which we are told that “G’d goes out and battles all these nations assembled against the Jewish people” (compare Zecharyah 14,3). No doubt that verse speaks of the attribute of Justice. In spite of this, we find even there an involvement of the attribute of Mercy as the prophet describes in detail the interment of the remains of the fallen Gentiles in that war (Ezekiel 39,11). “It will be on that day that I (Hashem) shall assign to Gog a burial, etc. etc.”

וכל אשר יקרא לו האדם נפש חיה, the meaning of this line is as if the Torah had written: וכל נפש חיה אשר יקרא לו האדם שם, “and any living creature whom Adam assigned a name, etc.” הוא שמו, that remained its name. We find something analogous in Ezekiel 39,11 מקום שם קבר, which is the same as if the prophet had written מקום קבר שם, “a place as a grave there.” There are numerous other examples of what we might consider at first glance as an unusual syntax. The name Adam assigned to each creature described the body, contours of the animal in question. The expression נפש חיה in our verse includes every creature that moves. This expression is the Torah’s way of telling us that Adam realised that no creature is really a “living” creature unless it consists of a male and a female of its species, ensuring that they can reproduce and keep the species alive. This brought home to him the full meaning of his having no female partner. He realised that G’d had done this in his own interest, to show the world that he was not on the same level as all the other creatures.

ויקח שם ויפת AND SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK — (literally, “And Shem took and Japheth”) It is not written here ויקחו ‘‘And they took”, but ויקח “And he took”, in order to teach regarding Shem that he devoted himself to this duty with more eagerness than Japheth. Therefore have Shem’s sons received the privilege of wearing the cloak that has fringes, and the sons of Japheth were privileged to receive honorable burial, as it is said, (Ezekiel 39:11) “I will give unto Gog (a descendant of Japheth) a place fit for burial [in Israel]”. But as for Ham who despised his father — of his descendants it is said (Isaiah 20:4) “So shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia (these were peopled by the children of Ham) young and old, naked and barefoot and with buttocks uncovered etc.” (Genesis Rabbah 36:6 and Tanchuma 1:2:15).