ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף משלי 30:18

A Kabbalistic approach: When Moses asked: “please show me Your ways,” he meant “the paths of goodness by means of which you G’d guide and govern Your universe. It is the means by which You become known.” These are the paths of righteousness and kindness, the mark of the righteous person who is the foundation of the earth. Of such a righteous person David said in Psalms 145,17: “the Lord is righteous in all His ways.” These ways which Moses requested are the same as the ones described by Solomon as the ones which he considered beyond his ability to understand when he wrote: in Proverbs 30,18-19: “three things are beyond me, and four I do not know. The way an eagle flies in the sky, the way of a serpent over a rock, how a ship makes its way across the seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.” Solomon meant that the activity of the Just in this world which is described as “the foundation of the earth” is beyond his ability to understand. This is why he included in the random examples he chose both activities in the air, on the water, and activities performed by man. These three realms comprise the totality of the terrestrial universe. The birds roam the atmosphere; the free-roaming beasts roam the earth, the dust; the people traveling in ships roam the waters, and the human species comprised of males and females are what are meant by “the way of a man with a virgin.” Whereas Solomon understood these phenomena, what he did not understand was what is meant by the “activity of the righteous, the Just.” Moses sought clarification of the very thing Solomon failed to understand. [If I understand this correctly, both Moses and Solomon failed to understand how the activity of the Just is responsible for the continued existence of the universe so that it is termed “the foundation of the world.” Ed.] Moses said ואדעך, “so that I will know You,” meaning “so that I can properly appreciate Your uniqueness.”
למען אמצא חן בעיניך, “in order that I may find favour in Your eyes.” This teaches us that a person who properly appreciates the unity and uniqueness of the Lord will find favour in His eyes.
וראה כי עמך הגוי הזה, “and see that this nation is truly Your people.” He meant that seeing he was in charge of leading this people, G’d’s people, it was imperative that G’d should grant him these insights in order for him to discharge his duties optimally.
When G’d responded by saying פני ילכו, this was a reference to the angel Mattatron who is the instrument by means of which the Lord is known throughout the universe for the marvelous and sometimes dreadful events which He orchestrates. Observing these phenomena set in motion by this angel is what was meant in Exodus 14,31 when the Torah wrote: “Israel saw the great hand which the Lord had employed against Egypt, and the people were afraid and they believed in the Lord.”
The words והניחותי לך, “I will give you rest,” are derived from the word נחת רוח, “peace of mind.” G’d told Moses that he should not worry that He, G’d, would apply the yardstick of the attribute of Justice in its full measure when relating to the Jewish people but only what is known as the attribute of Justice in its diminished form. This form of the attribute of Justice co-opts a measure of the attribute of Mercy. The “messenger” (Mattatron) to whom G’d referred at this time is known as the attribute of כבוד, more popularly known as the Shechinah. This is the reason Onkelos translates the words פני ילכו as שכנתי תהך, “My Shechinah will go.”
Moses was not satisfied with this response, seeing that it represented the attribute of Justice, albeit, the watered down variety. This is why he insisted אם אין פניך הולכים אל תעלנו מזה, “if Your Presence does not go along do not bring us forward from here.” Moses meant that he did not want any intermediary to be the agent that would accompany the Jewish people on their journey. After all, when G’d took the people out of Egypt He had employed two attributes, both the יד החזקה and the כח גדול, “the strong hand (attribute of Justice) as well as the attribute of Mercy (Exodus 14,11). Our sages in the Haggadah shel Pessach used this wording to state that the process of redemption (killing the firstborn of Egypt while saving the firstborn of the Jews) was possible only because G’d did not entrust this to any of His agents. G’d personally involved Himself in that redemption. Moses demanded no less at this time. G’d consented to Moses’ request in this regard, saying: “also the thing that you have said I shall do for you have found favour in My eyes” (verse 17).
Seeing that G’d had responded favourably to his last request, Moses was now encouraged to ask for even more by saying: “please show me Your glory.” In this matter Moses did not elicit a positive response, G’d explaining that it was impossible to grant this request. Onkelos translates the words לא תוכל לראות פני, as לא תיכול למחזי אפי שכינתי, “you cannot see the face of My Shechinah.” Seeing that in Psalms 104,17 the Shechinah is referred to in terms of חסידה ברושים ביתה, that “the stork makes its home in the lofty cypress,” a simile for the far end of the אצילות, (a region of the celestial world), the near end of that region is understandably described as the “face,” פנים. When G’d said “there is a place beside Me,” He referred to the tail-end of that celestial region we described as אצילות, meaning that this was a region Moses would be able to see. This was not a new concession on the part of G’d, but merely a repetition in different words of what He had said previously when He told Moses: “I will make all My goodness pass before you.”
The expression אחורי derived from אחור refers to the “West.” similarly to Psalms 139,5 אחור וקדם צרתני, “You have shaped me at the rear and at the front (to look alike from both sides).” [the reference is to Adam prior to Eve having become a separate body. Ed.] It is well known that the Shechinah‘s residence is in the West. [Man (Adam) looked both to the west and to the east simultaneously at that stage of his existence. Ed] Though he was able to view the “western” end of the Shechinah he was not able to view its “eastern” end. Seeing that Moses had already attained a level enabling him to comprehend the emanations כבוד ותפארת, G’d said to Moses that he would enable him to comprehend the higher emanation חכמה also. This is the true meaning of the words וראית את אחורי. The letter א at the beginning of the word אחורי is not part of the word itself, which is derived from חיור a form of light. G’d told Moses that he would be able to see a reflection of G’d’s “Light.” The emanation חכמה, “wisdom” (its source) is also sometimes called לבנון, [from לבן “white,” i.e. reflecting all the light aimed at it. Ed.] “Seeing” that emanation חכמה was not merely for the sake of seeing it, but as our sages said (Berachot 7), G’d showed Moses the knot with which the phylacteries of the head are to be tied. The knot is formed in the shape of the letter ד, and it is a well known fact that the letter ד represents the foundation of all wisdom. This is spelled out in the Sefer Yetzirah in connection with the meanings of the letters בג’ד כפר’ת. Solomon has already alluded to this in Song of Songs 7,6 where he wrote ודלת ראשך כארגמן, “and your crowning braid is like purple.” He meant that this was the highest level of insight that could be achieved by man, the emanation כתר, the highest of the emanations, is not subject to man’s comprehension. This was meant by ופני לא יראו.
After these introductory remarks by G’d the Torah proceeds to describe (34,5) that G’d “descended” in a cloud and “stood” beside Moses proclaiming the holy name of the Lord.” The expression וירד, a word which we normally translate as “He descended” is here an expression of השגה, “achievement,” attainment.” The word is used in Talmudic Hebrew when describing that someone “descends” into the deeper meaning of something and as a result gains full understanding. The meaning of the entire verse is that Moses now attained a comprehension of the meaning of the holy name of G’d, the attribute כבוד, which is also known as שם with the vowel kametz. The word occurs in that connotation both in Genesis 2,10 and in Samuel II 6,2. In Genesis the meaning of the word is that from that location and upwards the disembodied beings, angels, would ascend to the higher celestial regions. In the book of Samuel where the author speaks of the Holy Ark, the meaning of that word is justified also as the “ark” is also known as shem, i.e. representing the name of G’d. We find that Moses had already been described as shem in 33,2.
When the Torah writes at this juncture: ויקרא בשם ה’, the meaning is that the attribute כבוד proclaimed this name of the Lord. The word בשם in this verse is a possessive clause of the word י-ה-ו-ה. This is also the way Onkelos understood it when he translated the sequence as בשמא דה’, “in the name of the tetragram.” When the Torah continues (verse 6) with ויעבור ה’ על פניו, the word Hashem here is a reference to the attribute כבוד. Seeing that this attribute is equivalent to the Shechinah, Onkelos translates the words as ואעבר ה’ שכינתה “G’d let His Shechinah pass before him (Moses).” The word ויקרא “He called out,” refers again to the subject, i.e. the attribute כבוד. It was this attribute which proclaimed the thirteen attributes of G’d and their functions which were revealed to Moses at this stage. These attributes were part of the emanation תפארת, “harmony,” the sixth emanation [commencing with the emanation מלכות at the lower end of the scale. Ed.] This emanation is equated with the attribute of Mercy, and all the 13 מדות, “virtues,” mentioned here are merely different nuances of the attribute of Mercy and how and when it is invoked. The word ויעבור introduces the point when G’d fulfills His previous promise אני אעביר כל טובי לפניך, “I will let all My goodness pass before you” (33,19). The Zohar (Parshat Vayakhel page 202), when referring to our verse refers to these 13 virtues as מכילין דרחמי, “degrees of mercy.”

Yet another Midrash found in Vayikra Rabbah 30,12 comments on the words פרי עץ הדר by saying that the reason the etrog tree is called הדר, is that it is the epitome of beauty in that it dispenses fruit, good taste, and a pleasant fragrance. The species listed next to it in the Torah, i.e. the lulav, the palm frond, while not providing us with its fragrance does yield fruit. The third species listed in the Torah, the myrtle, while giving off a pleasant fragrance does not provide us with any fruit. Finally, the willow is a plant which does not offer us either fruit or fragrance. The etrog is taken to represent the righteous person who is both a scholar and performs deeds of loving kindness and observes the commandments. The lulav represents the Torah scholars (fruit) who do not however, excel in the performance of good deeds. The third plant, the myrtle is symbolic of people who do perform good deeds (fragrance) but who have not acquired a proficiency in Torah. Finally, the last plant, the willow, represents the Jews who have neither Torah knowledge nor good deeds to their credit. G’d said here: ‘let them all come and form one bunch in My presence and I will pardon them for all their sins.”
We find a similar approach expressed by our sages when they examined the eleven spices which made up the incense offered in the Temple both mornings and evenings. The function of the incense was, of course, to provide a pleasant fragrance and for this purpose the Torah listed 11 different ingredients as well as the proportion in which these were to be mixed. Nonetheless, one of these ingredients is evil-smelling, not adding but detracting from the overall fragrance. The ingredient is known as חלבנה, galbanum. We have it on the authority of Keritot 6 that by itself this galbanum was exuding a bad smell. According to our sages there the reason that G’d wanted this ingredient to be part of the incense was to symbolise the fact that when sinners are part of a group of righteous people and surrounded by them, the fragrance of the good deeds performed by the righteous will neutralise the evil smell exuded by the sinner. When this is the case, G’d will accept the repentance from both the righteous and the sinners, each for the sins they are guilty of.
Another exegesis by our sages in connection with these four species of plants: they are an allusion to the four kingdoms which host the Jewish people in exile. The author of that Midrash says that the four species waved by the Jewish people on Sukkot atone for the sins which resulted in the four exiles which we have been subjected to, and performance of that commandment redeems us from the respective exiles. The etrog represents the Babylonian Empire. Just as the etrog is the colour of gold, so the Babylonians set much stock by gold. Daniel 2,38 describes King Nevuchadnezzar by addressing him as “the head of gold.” The second species, the palm frond of the date palm, is symbolic of the kingdom of the Medes (exile under Achashverosh). The lulav is a long branch of the tree; Haman was hung on a gallows (tree) fifty cubits high. The third species, the myrtle branches, are symbolic of the exile under the Greeks. Just as the myrtle branch gives the appearance of consisting of a variety of plaits, so the Greek Empire was composed of a variety of fabrics. (i.e. each province was allowed its own king). The fourth species, the willow branches represent the Roman Empire, our present exile. Just as the colour of the willow branch (stem) is red, the Roman Empire is perceived of as “red,” i.e. the kingdom descended from the “red one,” Esau.
Tanchuma Emor 20 in interpreting the somewhat enigmatic verse in Proverbs 30,18 that “four are amongst the things I do not know,” explains that Solomon speaks of the four species. [He meant that the significance of precisely the selection of these four plants as the ones with which we perform the commandment escaped him. Ed.] In Proverbs 30,24 Solomon adds the words: “four are the smallest of the world yet they are the wisest of the wise.” The Midrash understands these enigmatic comments to mean that although these four plants are seemingly some of the most insignificant phenomena on earth they are at the same time the most sophisticated, as by means of them the merits or demerits of people are deeply affected. They influence the decision made by the Creator regarding His creatures’ future lives.
Still another comment based on this type of approach: etrog and lulav respectively are an allusion to the reward we can expect for performance of G’d’s commandments both here on earth and in the world to come, respectively. The myrtle and the willow branch are symbols of different ways of repentance, submitting to painful affliction and humbling oneself. The fruit of the tree called hadar points to the reward received for the commandments performed in this world as the tree grows from year to year, (compare Sukkah 35, that the fruit does not fall off the tree if not harvested). The words כפות תמרים are an allusion to the reward for merits accumulated in this life in the world after death, seeing that the lulav is so much bigger than the etrog and we have been assured that the reward in this life equals only dividends as compared to the capital payable in the life in the future. The leaves of the lulav grow in an ever upwardly direction, reminiscent of the greater value of the rewards it represents being so much greater in the hereafter. Moreover, the date palm does not yield fruit till after seventy years, a clear indication that it symbolises man’s reaping the “fruits” of a meritorious life in the hereafter. The average life span of man is seventy years as we know from Psalms 90,10.
The myrtle branches (leaves) contain some bitter ingredient although its fragrance is very sweet; this is an allusion to the path of repentance containing painful episodes. Man is to afflict himself by means of fasting and self-flagellation. He who employs these means to assist in his path of repentance will ensure that his “fragrance” will waft heavenward. The willow branch is an allusion to humility and self-deprecation; to symbolise this we do not find the willow growing in mountainous parts of the earth; it grows only near water, low-lying areas. This is to remind the repentant sinner to humble himself as a result of which he will achieve atonement and will be forgiven. In accordance with this whole approach it is appropriate that one holds the three species lulav, myrtle, and willow in the right hand in order to point at the great reward in store for us in the hereafter, the eternal life; by the same token, the etrog which symbolises reward for our good deeds in this world is to be held in our left hand. Traditionally, the “left” describes the terrestrial world, whereas the “right” symbolises the celestial regions in which our souls will dwell after they leave our bodies. This is the way the Talmud Shabbat 63 interprets Proverbs 3,16: “Length of days is in the right hand, in her left hand riches and honour.” The way our sages arrive at this interpretation is by saying that those people who do the “right” things deserve to enjoy eternal life; the ones who concentrate on subordinate values, i.e. “leftists,” will be rewarded only with material rewards such as riches and honour in this world.