ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף איכה 1:9

AND HE GIVE THEE ‘OTH’ (A SIGN) OR ‘MOFEITH’ (WONDER). A Sign [denotes a natural phenomenon serving as] a symbol of something similar that will take place afterwards, this being associated with the expression, every man with his own standard, ‘b’othoth’ (according to the ensigns).¹¹⁰Numbers 2:2. See Ramban there that on each of the ensigns there was some symbol representing the character of the tribe. For when a prophet comes and says “The following [natural] matter is to represent something which is to take place” that is termed an oth (a sign), similar to what is stated, Therefore, the Eternal Himself shall give you an ‘oth’ (a sign)¹¹¹Isaiah 7:14. that G-d is with us, [the omen being] the name of the son of the prophet’s wife, [“Immanuel,” meaning “G-d is with us”]¹¹¹Isaiah 7:14. The word oth is thus derived from at hah [“coming,” since the oth represents something about to come]. A mofeith (a wonder), on the other hand, applies to something novel which the prophet does before us, making some change in the natural order of the world, similar to what is stated, to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land;¹¹²II Chronicles 32:31. And I will show ‘moft him’ (wonders) in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire.¹¹³Joel 3:3. The word mofeith is thus a shortened form of mufleith (marvelous)¹¹⁴See Job 37:16: ‘mifl’oth’ (the wondrous works) of Him Who is perfect in knowledge. Ramban’s point is that the word mofeith is derived from mufleith with the letters lamed and aleph missing. — just like the expression ‘sheirith’ (the rest of) Israel¹¹⁵I Chronicles 12:38. In this instance the word sheirith drops the letter aleph which is found in she’eirith. [which is a shortened form of she’eirith]. The [Sacred] Language adopted the term to signify anything which is supernatural, just as it is stated, Thus Ezekiel shall be unto you ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder),¹¹⁶Ezekiel 24:24. and it is stated there, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; so shall thou be ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder) unto them,¹¹⁷Ibid., Verse 27. seeing that his actions were wondrous in the eyes of the beholders. The word mofeith [a derivative from pele — wonder] is thus similar in sense to the following expression, and she is come down ‘p’la’im’ (wonderfully).¹¹⁸Lamentations 1:9. So also: the signs ‘v’thimhaya’ (and wonders);¹¹⁹Daniel 3:32. how great are His signs, ‘v’thimhohie’ (and His wonders) how mighty they are!;¹²⁰Ibid., Verse 33. the signs ‘v’hamofthim’ (and the wonders),¹²¹Further, 29:2; 34:11. for the terms pele and teimah refer to the same topic. Now, in the departure from Egypt there were signs, these being the matters which Moses told them from the beginning, such as, by tomorrow shall this ‘sign’ be,¹²²Exodus 8:19. and there were wonders which were done spontaneously without previously informing Pharaoh about them [such as the splitting of the Red Sea]. So also, what is ‘the sign’ that I shall go up to the House of the Eternal?¹²³Isaiah 38:22. [King Hezekiah asked of the prophet Isaiah] that he should give him foreknowledge [by means of a sign that he would recover from his illness]. And in connection with that very sign it states that [the king of Babylon sent his princes to Hezekiah] to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land¹¹²II Chronicles 32:31. in order to learn how this novel matter had occurred among them.¹²⁴Ramban is evidently referring to all the various events described in II Chronicles 32:24-31 that occurred in the days of the Hezekiah — the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the hands of the Assyrians, etc. Thus the point is clearly established that an oth (a sign) is given before the event, while a mofeith (a wonder) is a supernatural event not announced beforehand. Hence Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will yet go up to the Sanctuary, while the king of Babylon seeks to inquire of the wonder which happened. Similarly, the rod which was turned to a serpent¹²⁵Exodus 7:15. He referred to as a sign¹²⁶Ibid., 4:17. when He informed the children of Israel thereby [of the purpose of Moses’ mission], and He called it a wonder¹²⁷Ibid., Verse 21. The Israelites did not require a miracle to prove the existence of G-d; to them the miracle was an oth, demonstrating that redemption was at hand. Pharaoh, on the other hand, did not believe in the G-d of Israel; to him, the miracle was a mofeith, a wondrous act entirely apart from any significance for the future (Malbim). when He performed it before Pharaoh as an unannounced miracle. Likewise, Just as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot for three years as ‘a sign’ and ‘a wonder’ upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia, so shall etc.,¹²⁸Isaiah 20:3-4. [implying that the same act can be simultaneously an oth and a mofeith], because in this act of the prophet, there was a sign foretelling what was to come, and a wonder in the practice of the prophet in walking that way.
If so, the meaning of the expression [before us], and he give thee a sign or a wonder is that he will say, “I am the prophet sent to you that you worship a particular idol, and this shall be ‘the sign’ for you: tomorrow there shall come the locust, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm.” Or he shall show them “a wonder:” he will cast down a rod before them and it will become a serpent. Now, in the Sifre the Rabbis have said:¹²⁹Sifre, Naso 23. “A sign is [identical to] a wonder and a wonder is [identical to] a sign except that the Torah refers [to them] in two terms.” Perhaps the intent of the Rabbis was [not to state that the terms are identical in meaning but that] there is no difference between the two or distinction in their legal status, and [therefore] it would have been sufficient to mention one. But the Torah wanted to elaborate on the matter saying in effect “whatever sign he gives you, from whatever signs [exist] on earth.”
Now, this man who calls himself “prophet” and commands [you] to worship idols is by way of the simple meaning of Scripture a prophet of an idol who says “The idol [Baal] Peor sent me to you declaring that he is god and he commanded that you worship him in a certain way.” It is he of whom Scripture further says, and he that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die,¹³⁰Deuteronomy 18:20. for all who prophesy in the name of other gods, do so in order that people worship them, because they are [that prophet’s] deities, and Scripture mentions him there, among the [general] false prophets. But what emerges from the words of our Rabbis¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. is that the prophet mentioned here prophesies in the name of G-d, saying “The Glorious Name¹³²Further, 28:58. sent me that you worship [Baal] Peor because he was His partner in creation,” or that he [Baal-peor] is greater than all the gods before Him and He desires that they worship him. And the Rabbis of blessed memory have mentioned¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. that even if he were to say that they should worship a certain idol but for one moment alone, for example, if he says, “Worship [Baal] Peor just this day alone and you will succeed in a certain project for such is the will before the Glorious Name” — that prophet is guilty of a capital offense. This, too, lies within the plain meaning of Scripture.
Thus Scripture commanded that we hearken not at all to him who prophesies in the name of G-d to worship the idols, nor take note of the signs and wonders that he will make. And it mentions the reason¹³³Verse 6 here: who brought you out of the land of Egypt. because we know from the exodus from Egypt which was an actual event — not a vision or a mirage — that the earth is the Eternal’s¹³⁴Psalms 24:1. and He is the Creator, the One Who wills all, and the Omnipotent, and there is no god beside Him, and we further know from the Revelation on Mount Sinai that face to face¹³⁵Above, 5:4. He commanded us to walk in this way, not to worship anything at all beside Him, and that He has not given His glory to another [deity].¹³⁶See Isaiah 42:8. This is the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.¹³⁷Verse 6. Thus the prophet hath spoken perversion against the Eternal¹³⁷Verse 6. Who never commanded him so, or he spoke perversion against His Glory, for it is not proper to worship another god.

לא נפלאת הוא ממך [FOR THIS COMMANDMENT …] IS NOT נפלאת FROM YOU i.e. is not concealed from you, just as it is said, (Deuteronomy 17:8): כי יפלא which is rendered in the Targum by “If there be concealed [from thee]”; and (Lamentations 1:9): ותרד פלאים which means, she went down into concealment, i.e. being covered and bound in the place of concealment.

He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Most commentators have said that the evil inclination draws its power from the primordial serpent. The evil inclination is at first like a spider’s thread, but later becomes like the thick ropes of a wagon. This is why it says he [man] will crush your [the serpent’s] head — for if one is quick to go out and fight against his evil inclination at the beginning [that is to say, at its first approach], then he will crush you, because it is easy for a person to overcome it and tear it away like breaking a spider’s thread. However, if at the start one gives place to his inclination and follows its advice day after day until it becomes as strong as wagon ropes, then it becomes difficult to overcome, and on the contrary, it will overcome you. This is why it says to the serpent and you will strike his heel, as the heel represents the end, meaning that if at the end one tries to fight against you, then you will strike him and overcome him, because it will be difficult for the person to break the wagon ropes from himself, as the evil inclination is already bound to him with bonds of love because of the pleasures, and it is difficult to separate from this uncircumcised and impure thing. This is also an allegory about repentance that a person does in his youth, meaning at the beginning of his days, when it is easy to leave his path. However, at the heel — at the end — when he is already accustomed to his ways, even when he grows old, he will not turn from it, and then you will strike him, This can also be said about severe transgressions — idolatry, forbidden relationships, murder, and their like — your inclination cannot make you transgress these so easily, for who would be foolish enough to turn here and who would listen to such a thing, to transgress these primary sins. But with the heel, meaning the light commandments that people trample with their heels, you will strike him because it will be easy for you to make him transgress these, as this is the way of the evil inclination — it begins with the heel and rises and seeps up to the head, like the venom of the snake that begins in the heel and continues to seep until it reaches the head. Similarly, the evil inclination begins by making a person transgress the light commandments that people trample with their heels, and after this, one transgression leads to another, and it will rise from the light to the severe ones until one’s sins go over his head, as it says For my iniquities have gone over my head (Psalms 38:5). This is an allusion about the transgressions that are the head of all transgressions, which is why it says Her impurity is in her skirts, she did not consider her end (Lamentations 1:9). For the wise person will take to heart that when the evil inclination comes to defile him in his skirts, meaning in the lower place like the heel, so it will rise from there and seep up, and his end will be bitter, for it will bring him up from light transgressions to severe ones. The wicked will not understand this, but the wise will understand.