וּנְתָֽנְךָ֨ יְהוָ֤ה לְרֹאשׁ֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזָנָ֔ב וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְמַ֔עְלָה וְלֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה לְמָ֑טָּה כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע אֶל־מִצְוֺ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם לִשְׁמֹ֥ר וְלַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃
און גאָט װעט דיך מאַכן פֿאַר דעם קאָפּ און ניט פֿאַר דעם עק, און װעסט רק זײַן אױבן, און ניט זײַן אונטן, אױב דו װעסט צוהערן צו די געבאָט פֿון ה׳ דײַן גאָט, װאָס איך געביט דיר הײַנט צו היטן און צו טאָן,
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 28,13. He will make you only the head and not the tail; you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” At first glance there appears no need for the Torah to have written: ”and not the tail,” nor does there appear a need for the Torah to have written: “never at the bottom.”
However, on further consideration, we must consider that this universe is composed of three domains. 1) The domain of abstract thought. 2) The domain of speech (preparatory to translating thought into action) 3) The domain of action. All three domains exist only thanks to G’d, Who gave them “life.” The points of contact between these three domains are as follows. The beginning of the domain of “action” is very close to, i.e. touches, the end (bottom) of the domain of speech. The beginning of the domain of speech touches on the end of the domain of abstract thought. [The author, of course, views the domain of abstract speech as superior to that of the domain of speech, which, in turn, is superior to the domain of action, seeing that the domain of abstract thought is closest to the domain in which G’d formulated the plan to create the universe. Ed.] The “head” of the domain of thought “touches” the אין סוף, a “domain” beyond the universe, exclusively the Creator’s. It is this “domain” of which Moses speaks when he promises that the Jewish people, when at its best, will be לראש, “at the head, the top of the domain called: the domain of abstract thought.” The words: ולא לזנב, “and not at the tail,” refer to the lower end of the domain of abstract thought. When someone has attained the highest rank within the domain of speech, he is almost at the lowest level of the domain of abstract thought. The same is true of someone who has attained the highest rank in the domain of action being almost at the lowest level of the domain of speech. When someone has attained the highest rank in the domain of abstract thought there is no chance for him to become the “tail” of anything beyond that as there is nothing beyond. The Torah’s writing that Israel at its best will not be the “tail” is most appropriate therefore.
However, on further consideration, we must consider that this universe is composed of three domains. 1) The domain of abstract thought. 2) The domain of speech (preparatory to translating thought into action) 3) The domain of action. All three domains exist only thanks to G’d, Who gave them “life.” The points of contact between these three domains are as follows. The beginning of the domain of “action” is very close to, i.e. touches, the end (bottom) of the domain of speech. The beginning of the domain of speech touches on the end of the domain of abstract thought. [The author, of course, views the domain of abstract speech as superior to that of the domain of speech, which, in turn, is superior to the domain of action, seeing that the domain of abstract thought is closest to the domain in which G’d formulated the plan to create the universe. Ed.] The “head” of the domain of thought “touches” the אין סוף, a “domain” beyond the universe, exclusively the Creator’s. It is this “domain” of which Moses speaks when he promises that the Jewish people, when at its best, will be לראש, “at the head, the top of the domain called: the domain of abstract thought.” The words: ולא לזנב, “and not at the tail,” refer to the lower end of the domain of abstract thought. When someone has attained the highest rank within the domain of speech, he is almost at the lowest level of the domain of abstract thought. The same is true of someone who has attained the highest rank in the domain of action being almost at the lowest level of the domain of speech. When someone has attained the highest rank in the domain of abstract thought there is no chance for him to become the “tail” of anything beyond that as there is nothing beyond. The Torah’s writing that Israel at its best will not be the “tail” is most appropriate therefore.