Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Jeremias 10:16

There is, however, another approach to the meaning of the words “and the one who curses you I shall curse.” It may refer to King Nimrod.” The Torah did not need to write the word ומקללך in the plural as once G’d curses the King of a nation this means that the entire nation will suffer the curse. It appears likely that the people of Ur Casdim engaged in a variety of forms of idolatry, different sections of the populace believing in and worshiping different deities. Some people served the Moloch, believing that if they sacrificed one of their children to that god, he in turn would grant them success in the rest of their endeavours. The Moloch’s priests promised that his adherents would become great nations. Other people, interested less in political success but in economic success, would worship another deity which symbolised such success. Still others believed that by worshiping the right deity they themselves might be appointed by that deity to become its prophet and to enjoy its powers on earth. Considering all these factors, G’d promised Avraham that He would make him into a great nation, that He would bless him, that He would make him a great name, and that he himself would become a source of blessing, all in order to counter the various claims to the contrary which the different followers of different deities promised to their followers. These words were a message that all the claims made by the various priests of the various deities were devoid of content and that they had no power to influence their followers’ fates either positively or negatively. None of the forces of nature considered as primary sources of power by those who worshiped them has the power to cause any changes in the universe except within the parameters set for them by their Creator. They most certainly could not act in a manner which is the opposite of their generally perceived function. It was extremely foolish to expect that a planet such as Mars which is perceived as a harbinger of war and bloodshed should become a source of blessing.
This is why G’d added: “and I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I shall curse,” to underline that only G’d Himself is the source of both blessings and curses. The only power in the universe which is able to influence events in our lives in either direction is the Creator Himself who has created the other forces to act as His agents. This is what the prophet meant when he said (Jeremiah 10,16) לא כאלה חלק יעקב כי יוצר הכל הוא, “not like this is the portion of Yaakov; for it is He who formed all things.” He meant that both good and evil emanate only from Him. This is also why Isaiah 45,7 said: “I the Lord do all these things.”

שני גדיי עזים טובים, “two choice kids.” Rivkah specifically commanded Yaakov to bring her two choice kids. The question that is almost forced upon one is: “did Yitzchak consume two whole young kids every day?” According to Bereshit Rabbah 65,14 the marriage contract between Rivkah and Yitzchak made her a daily allowance of two young kids (so that she was not encroaching on her husband’s property when slaughtering these animals and selecting the most tasty parts thereof to prepare for him). Rabbi Chelbo, in the same Midrash, concentrates on the word טובים which appears superfluous seeing that Yaakov had no reason to select mediocre or undernourished kids. He says that the word is an allusion to what was going to prove “good,” i.e. beneficial for Yaakov and his descendants. Seeing that these kids would be the instrument of securing the blessings for Yaakov they would prove to be “good” for him. In addition, they would prove to be good for Yaakov’s children as they would be the principal sin-offerings offered on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16,5) securing forgiveness for the Jewish people, Yaakov’s descendants. “They are good for you,” i.e. Yaakov’s ascendancy over Esau who is described as an איש שעיר, “a demonic individual,” was due to the scapegoats one of which was offered to the azzazel, the spiritual equivalent of Satan-Esau by the Jewish people as something like a bribe. (compare Bereshit Rabbah 14 that the words ונשא השעיר עליו את כל-עונותם, “he (the scapegoat) will carry (figuratively speaking) upon himself all their sins,” refer to the sins committed when no warning had been received by the perpetrators. The sinners were תם, not rebellious. Seeing that Yaakov has been described as איש תם, it was appropriate that such an animal should serve as the instrument of atonement for his descendants.
The delicacies which Rivkah instructed her son Yaakov to enable her to prepare for Yitzchak were not of the type of free-roaming beasts to be found in the field, but they were domesticated animals. This is why she emphasised: “please go to the flocks.” Yaakov, after all, was not a hunter; he was a homebody, a dweller of tents who despised the sword as an instrument to gain one’s livelihood. The Israelites never offered sacrifices from categories of animals which are free-roaming, not domesticated. The prophet Jeremiah characterised the distinction between the Jewish people and the Gentiles when he said (Jeremiah 10,16) “not like these is the portion of Yaakov.” The word חלק means either “portion,” or it can mean “smooth” (with different vowels). The prophet referred to Yaakov as being a smooth-skinned man (according to 27,11). As a result of these considerations, Yaakov’s descendants were never told to offer sacrifices from the free-roaming beasts but only from the domesticated beasts as the Torah said (Leviticus 1,2) אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה' מן הבהמה, “anyone of you who wishes to offer a sacrifice to G’d, from the domesticated beasts, etc.”

Each one of these seventy celestial “princes” is a part of the nation he represents, unlike Yaakov (Jeremiah 10,16) of whom the prophet said לא כאלה חלק יעקב כי יוצר הכל הוא, “unlike these is the portion of Yaakov, for it is He Who forms all things.” Just as the Jewish people do not need intermediaries before G’d but have direct access to Him, so the Hebrew tongue is superior to all the other languages in the world. It is G’d’s own language and as such it is as superior to other languages as is G’d Himself to any of the agents He has appointed in this world to do His bidding.
This is what our sages in Shabbat 12 alluded to when they said: “when someone asks in Aramaic (in his prayer) for whatever he needs, the angels will not assist him (add their pleading on his behalf) as the angels do not understand that language.” This poses a problem as we have already stated that the great planet is more knowledgeable than man, and the angels are certainly more knowledgeable than that great planet; if man knows Aramaic, why does not that angel understand that language? Besides, we have a tradition that both Joseph (Sotah 37) and Mordechai knew all the seventy languages (compare Megillah 13).