ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף דברים 4:8

ויקרא את עשו בנו הגדול, “he called in Esau his elder son.” Both his father and his mother referred to Esau as גדול, “senior.” Rivkah is on record as doing so in verse 15 when the Torah tells us where Esau kept his valuable clothes. G’d, on the other hand, referred to Esau as קטן, “junior.” We know this from Ovadiah 2 הנה קטן נתתיך בגוים, “here I have made you junior amongst the nations.” The meaning of the word גדול is justified according to the popular proverb לקבל תורא טבחא, “one hands over the fully grown ox for slaughter.” Compare Isaiah 34,6: “For the Lord holds a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.” The prophet speaks of retribution being meted out to the descendants of Esau. Ed.] On the other hand, the reason the description “junior” when applied to Yaakov may be appropriate on occasions is that in verse 30 where he is so described by his mother, G’d retaliated in due cause by referring to Israel as ומי גוי גדול בארץ, “who is a great nation on earth such as Israel” (Deut. 4,5).

ואעשך לגוי גדול, “and I will make you into a great nation.” Our sages (Bereshit Rabbah 39,15) explain that being a traveler, a nomad, brings in its wake three negative phenomena. It results 1) in a decrease of one’s fertility; 2) a decrease of one’s financial resources; and 3) in a decrease of one’s standing amongst one’s peers. G-d promised Avraham that he would not suffer from these negative phenomena. By saying: “I will make you into a great nation,” G-d told Avraham that his ability to procreate would not only not suffer but would be enhanced. By adding: “I will bless you,” G-d hinted that Avraham would prosper financially. By further adding “I will make your name great,” He countered Avraham’s concern that his standing amongst his peers would decline due to his becoming a nomad.
It is noteworthy that G-d did not use the customary expression ואשימך לגוי גדול, “I will let you become a great nation,” but He said ואעשך לגוי גדול, “I will make you into a great nation.” This is equivalent to G-d saying: “I will make you into an entirely new phenomenon.” The expression G-d used is comparable to when the Torah said (1,7) ויעש אלוקים את הרקיע, “G-d made the sky.”
The deeper meaning of the words לגוי גדול, “to a great nation,” is a reference to the Jewish nation which is described in Deut. 4,8 as ומי גוי גדול אשר לו חקים ומשפטים צדיקים, “and who else is a great nation which has righteous decrees and ordinances?” The words: “I will make you into a great nation,” are alluded to when we refer to G-d as the G-d of Avraham,” the words “I will bless you,” are alluded to when we refer to G-d as “the G-d of Yitzchak;” the words “and I will make your name great,” are alluded to when we speak of G-d as “the G-d of Yaakov.” The words והיה ברכה “and be a blessing,” prompted our sages when they formulated the first benediction in the principal עמידה prayer to conclude with reference to Avraham only when we say מגן אברהם, “the shield of Avraham” at the conclusion of that benediction.
The deeper meaning of these words והיה ברכה, “and be a blessing,” is that G-d had said: ”up until now when I created My universe and it needed My blessing in order to endure I blessed Adam and Chavah as we read (1,28) ‘G-d blessed them.’” This was repeated when Noach and his family required G-d’s blessing after the deluge in order to rebuild mankind. At that point (9,1) the Torah wrote: “G-d blessed Noach and his sons, etc.” From here on is the power to bless was entrusted to Avraham who could use it to bless whomever he saw fit to qualify for a blessing.

Another part of that same Midrash understands the opening words of the verse as meaning that in this world the Jewish people would count according to the moon, i.e. that the moon is given to the Jewish people as a gift in order that they can count their months by means of it. The moon is considered as superior to the sun as it is visible by day and by night, suggesting that the Jewish people have an existence both in this world and in the world to come. The descendants of Esau, however, count in this world by means of the orbits of the sun which has been described in the Torah (Genesis 1,16) as “the great luminary.” In the future, however, this great luminary will be made subservient to those who will be called “small,” by G’d, (compare Jeremiah 49,15) “For I will make you smallest among nations, etc.” [The prophet addresses Edom, the spiritual descendant of Esau]. At that time the (previously) small luminary, i.e. the Jewish people, will become big, the nation whom G’d calls big as we read in Deuteronomy 4,8 “and which is a great nation such as this, etc.” The descendants of those who count according to the sun’s orbits will eventually be judged by means of the sun, i.e. they will be burned by the fiery heat of the sun as we know from Malachi 3,19.
The entire matter can be understood by means of a parable. A king got engaged to a lady and wrote her a marriage settlement in which he gave her a few relatively minor gifts. Once the marriage was consummated, he wrote her a contract bequeathing to her very large gifts. The relationship between G’d and the Jewish people is somewhat similar. In this world G’d got “engaged” to the Jewish people as we know from Hoseah 2,21: “I will espouse you forever.” At that stage of our relationship with G’d He gave us only the moon, as we read in our verse “this moon is for you.” However, in the days of the messiah there will occur the consummation of our relationship with G’d. We know this from Isaiah 54,5 “for He who is your mate is the One Who has made you. The Lord G’d of Hosts is His name.” When that time arrives G’d will hand over to Israel all that is spelled out in the second marital agreement. According to Shemot Rabbah end of chapter 15, this is the meaning of Daniel 12,3 “and the knowledgeable will be radiant like the brightness of the expanse of the sky.”
We find an interesting halachah in Tractate Sofrim 19,10 as well as in the Jerusalem Talmud (Berachot 9,2) that one does not recite the benediction over the new moon except on the night following the Sabbath when one is still in a state of “fragrance,” i.e. surrounded by the joyful aura of the Sabbath and wearing Sabbath garments. When reciting this benediction one is to stand at attention facing the moon and to jump up and down three times reciting the formula: “blessed be your Creator, blessed be the One Who sanctifies you. Just as I jump in your direction without being able to touch you (with harmful intent) so those who wish to harm me may jump without achieving their aim. May fear and trepidation overcome all those; since Your arm is mighty may they be struck dumb as stone” (Exodus 15,15).