ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף תהילים 73:25

Midrash Pessikta d’Rav Kahana (volume I page 75 edition by Dov Mandelbaum) comments as follows: The word פרה, cow, is a reference to Egypt, compare Jeremiah 46,20: “Egypt is a handsome heifer.” The word אדומה, red, is a reference to Babylon, compare Daniel 2,38: “you are the head of gold (red).” The word תמימה, unblemished, is a reference to the kingdom of the Medes as we know from Rabbi Chiyah bar Aba who described the kings of that kingdom as תמימים, unblemished. The only complaint G’d had against these kings was that they practiced idolatry, a tradition they had carried on from their forefathers. The words: “which does not have a blemish,” refer to Alexander the great. When Alexander came face to face with the High Priest Shimon Hatzadik he got off his horse and stood at attention in greeting him. He said: “blessed be the G’d of Shimon Hatzadik.” His adjutants asked him why he showed such deference to a mere Jew? He explained to them that before every victorious battle the image of this man had appeared to him. The words: "“which has not worn a yoke,” refer to the kingdom of Edom (Rome). This kingdom completely rejected obeisance to G’d even blaspheming Him, as we know from Psalms 73,25: “Whom else have I in heaven? And having you I want no one else on earth.” [This Midrash attributes these blasphemous words quoted by the psalmist to the kingdom of Edom. Ed.]. The words: “and you shall give her to Eleazar the priest and he will take it outside the camp, etc.,” are an allusion to the future when the protective angel of that kingdom will be expelled from the celestial regions. G’d will slaughter this angel representing Edom. We know this from Isaiah 34,6: “for the Lord holds a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.” Rabbi Berechyah commented on that verse and on our verse (5) “he shall burn the cow in front of his eyes,” that this corresponds to Daniel 7,11: “I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed, and consigned to the fire’s burning.” The words: “its skin, its flesh and its blood with its dung shall he burn,” are an allusion to what we read in Ezekiel 27,27: “your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors and your pilots, the men who made your repairs those who carried on your traffic, and all the fighting men within you, all the multitude within you, shall go down into the depths of the sea on the day of your downfall.” Thus far Midrash Pessikta d’Rav Kahana.

V. 5. ואהבת ist die unmittelbare Konsequenz aus ד׳ אחד: die Einheit des Lebens aus der Einheit Gottes. אהב: wie bereits wiederholt bemerkt, bedeuten die פ׳׳א-Wurzeln den Begriff der beiden letzten Buchstaben individualisiert, entweder reflexiv wie אמר: sich austauschen, oder als Terminativ wie אכל: vernichten zur Selbstergänzung. In אהב kommen beide Bedeutungen zusammen. הב: geben, bringen; אהב: sich hingeben und: zu sich bringen. Es ist die Gesinnung, die durch gänzliche Selbsthingebung die innigste Annäherung des andern erstrebt, d. i. Liebe, die innigste Vereinigung zweier Wesen, die sich hingibt und den andern ans Herz drückt. יאהבת את ד׳ אלהיך בכל לבכך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך heißt somit: Suche die Gottesnähe mir Dahingebung deines ganzen Herzens, deiner ganzen Seele und deines ganzen Vermögens. Alles, was du denkst und sinnst, alles, was du strebst und willst, und alles, was du hast, sei dir nur Mittel, habe nur Wert für dich, um damit die Gottesnähe zu gewinnen, um damit Gott dir nahe zu bringen, nicht umgekehrt; suche nicht Gott, um, was du denkst und willst und hast oder haben möchtest, zu gewinnen und zu erhalten. Die Nähe Gottes sei dir das höchste Gut, das Gut an sich. Wie David die Gottesliebe ausdrückt: ואני קרבת אלהים לי טוב (Ps.73, 28); מי לי בשמים ועמך לא חפצתי, בארץ כלה שארי ולבבי צור לבבי וחלקי אלחים לעולם (daselbst 25, 26).

כנשר יעיר קנו, “Like an eagle arousing its nest;” Moses compares G’d’s attribute כבוד to the eagle, the king of the birds. Similarly, the attribute כבוד is perceived as the “king” of all the disembodied spirits. Just as the eagle takes its young, carrying them on top of its wings, guiding them to various places, so G’d alone, guides the Jewish people (in the desert). He did not employ the help or assistance of any other deity. We have a similar verse in Psalms 73,25: “Whom else do I have in heaven except You?” Assaph means that we rely neither on angels nor any other celestial forces but only on G’d directly. He goes on saying: “having You I want no one on earth.” Furthermore, elaborating on the comparison with the eagle, “just a the eagle renews itself from time to time, so Israel does renew itself from time to time.” The author cites Isaiah 40,31 יעלו אבר כנשרים as meaning that the eagle produces new wings from time to time. He quotes Psalms 103,5 as confirmation of the verse in Isaiah.