| א. שאלות מבנה |
| A. Structural Questions |
According to the opinion of Abarbanel and several other commentators, one should see verse 15 as the beginning of a new stanza. Explain this division!
| ב. "לא ידעום" (1) |
| B. "That they knew not" I |
"... gods that they knew not, new gods that came up of late"
"אלוקים לא ידעום" – שאין אומות העולם מכירים אותם. "חדשים מקרוב באו" – שכל זמן שאחד מן האומות רואה אותם, אומר: "צלם יהודי הוא זה", וכן הוא אומר (ישעיה י' י') "כאשר מצאה ידי לממלכות האליל ופסיליהם מירושלם ומשומרון" – מלמד שירושלם ושומרון מספקות דפוס לכל באי עולם.
"gods they had not known": the nations did not know them. "new ones, newly come': Whenever a gentile saw it he would say "This is a Jewish image." As it is written (Isaiah 10:10) "Just as my hand has overpowered the kingdoms of the false god — and their graven images are from Jerusalem and Shomron" — whereby we are taught that Jerusalem and Shomron would supply molds (for images) to all comers.
1. Why did the authors of the Sifrei see fit to explain, "they had not known," with reference to the nations of the world, and not with reference to Israel?
2. מה ראה רש"י להעביר את דברי הספרי מד"ה "לא ידעום" לד"ה חדשים מקרוב באו?
2. Why did Rashi see fit to move the words of the Sifrei from s.v. they had not known, to s.v. new ones that came up of late?
3. In what way does the Sifrei veer from the simple meaning of Scripture, when it cites Isaiah 10:10 as a proof?
| ג. "לא ידעום" (2) |
| C. "That they knew not" II |
"... gods that they knew not, new gods that came up of late"
ד"ה חדשים מקרוב באו: מעולם לא נקראו אלוהות עד עכשו שהם פסלים (=מלשון פסל) לך (שמות ל"ד) והעמידום להם לאלוהות.
S.v. New gods that came up of late: They were never called gods until now that you have fashioned them (as in Exodus 34:1) for yourselves and you have raised them up to be gods.
ד"ה אלוהים לא ידעום: לא הכירו בהם שום תועלת ולא שום כח, ולא עשאום אלוהות כי אם ביצר הרע ולהכעיס, כי אף הם עצמם לא ידעום באלוהות, אלא יודעים שאין בהם ממש אלא יצר הרע. ור' יוסף קרא ז"ל פירש: "אלוהים לא ידעום" – בקב"ה נאמר (שמות ב') "וידע אלוקים", "כי ידעתי את מכאוביו", אבל הם לא ידעום בצרתם, ולא עזרו להם.
S.v. Gods that they knew not: They did not know any gain [from them], nor any power; so they did not make them into gods except from the evil impulse and to cause anger [to God]. For they themselves did not know them as gods, but rather knew that there was no substance to them. Rather it was from the evil impulse. And R. Yosef Kara, may his memory be blessed, explained: "Gods did not know them" - regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, it is stated (Exodus 2:25), "and God knew"; "I have known its sufferings" (3:7). But [these gods] did not know their difficulties, and did not help them.
1. What is the difference between this explanation and the explanation of the Sifrei?
2. What is the difference between Bekhor Shor's explanation and the explanation of R. Yosef Kara?
3. הסבר את הרעיון שבפירושו של הבכור שור.
3. Explain the idea within the explanation of Bekhor Shor.
| ד. פירוש המילה "תשי" |
| D. Explanation of the Word, Teshi |
"Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast teshi"
כל זמן שאני מבקש להיטיב אתכם - אתם מתישים כח של מעלה. עמדתם על הים, ואמרתם (שמות טו) זה אלי ואנוהו, ובקשתי להיטיב אתכם - וחזרתם ואמרתם (במדבר י״ד:ד׳) נתנה ראש ונשובה מצרים. ועמדתם על הר סיני, ואמרתם (שמות כ״ד:ז׳) כל אשר דבר ה' נעשה ונשמע, ובקשתי להיטיב לכם - חזרתם בכם ואמרתם לעגל (שמות ל״ב:ד׳) אלה אלהיך ישראל! הוי, כל זמן שאני מבקש להיטיב לכם - אתם מתישים כחו של מעלה:
Whenever I sought to confer good upon you, you "weakened (metishim) the celestial power" (i.e., Me): You stood at the Red Sea and said (Shemoth 15:2) "This is my G-d and I will extol Him," and I sought to confer good upon you, when you turned around and said (Ibid. 17:3) "Why did You bring us up from Egypt, etc." You stood at Sinai and said (Ibid. 29:7) "All that the L-rd spoke we will do and we will hear," and I sought to confer good upon you, when you turned around and said of the golden calf (Ibid. 32:4) "These are your gods, O Israel" — Whenever I sought to confer good upon you, you "weakened the celestial power." (Devarim, Ibid.)
1. What is the difference in the grammatical approaches of Rashi's two explanations?
2. שים לב: רש"י שינה במקצת מניסוח הדברים בספרי (מלבד השמטת כל הדוגמאות), בהוסיפו כמה מילים. מה תוקן והובהר על ידי כך?
2. Note that Rashi changed a little of the phrasing of the Sifrei (besides his removing all the examples) by his adding a few words. What is refined and clarified through that?
| ה. "צור ילדך תשי" |
| E. "Of the Rock that begot you, you were unmindful" |
"Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast unmindful"
You have rejected the Rock Who bore you The prophet speaks in wonderment: How could you have rejected the One Who bore you? The verse “look to the Rock from which you are hewn” [Isaiah 51: 1] provides an additional interpretation of the Rock Who bore you — that you are, as it were, made from Him, since everything exists only by strength of God (compare, “that spreads abroad the earth by myself” [Isaiah 44: 24]). The wonderment is against those errant of heart who have forgot this verse, as well as “this day have I begotten you” [Psalms 2: 7].
1. Why did he begin with the words, "The prophet speaks in wonderment?"
2. לשם מה הוא מביא את ישעיה (מ"ד כ"ד)?
2. What is the reason that he cites Isaiah 44:24?
3. מהם דבריהם של "תועי לב", ומהי תשובתו?
3. What are the words of "the errant of heart"; and what is his answer?
| ו. "לו חכמו" |
| F. If only they were wise" |
"lest they should say: Our hand is exalted, and not the Lord hath wrought all this."
"For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them."
"If only they were wise, they would understand this, They would discern their latter end."
ר' משה חפץ, מלאכת מחשבת (איטליה תכ"ג-תע"א):
הנה החכמה הנקנית בראיות קודמות היא חכמה אמיתית; אמנם בדברים אלוקיים אין רשות לנו להשכיל במוקדמות ודי לו לאדם שידע הדברים מן המאוחרות, כאשר נכיר מציאות ה' ממעשיו, ככתוב (תהלים י"ט) "השמים מספרים כבוד אל...". על זה נתרעם ה' יתברך, כי הגויים האלה האומרים "ידנו רמה ולא ה' פעל כל זאת", עד שלא הכירו אלוקים אפילו מן הפעולות; בהכרח, גוי אובד עצות המה ואין בהם תבונה. ואילו חכמו, ישכילו זאת לפחות להבין אמרי בינה מן המאוחרות והפעולות, אם לא מן המוקדמות, "ויבינו לאחריתם" – להשכיל הדברים מן האחרית, רצונו לומר: מן הפעולות, לדעת שיש אלוה הפועל כל זאת.
R. Moshe Chefetz, Melechet Machshevet (Italy, 1662-1511):
Behold that wisdom that is acquired by anticipatory proofs is true wisdom. However in theological matters, we are not allowed to contemplate prior [proofs. But rather] it is enough for man that he know the things by deduction, such that we recognize the existence of God from his actions; as it is written (Psalms 19:2), "The heavens recount the glory of God..." About this, God, may He be blessed, cries out, that these nations say, "Our hand is mighty, and it is not the Lord that has done all of this" - that they did not recognize God even from the actions. Perforce "They are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them." And if only they were wise, they would at least deduce from the results and the actions, to understand words of understanding - from that which follows, if not from that which precedes. "And they would understand from their results," to deduce things from the results - meaning to say from the actions - to know that there is a God that does all of this.
In what way does he veer from the standard understanding of verse 29?
| ז. שאלות בטעמי המקרא |
| G. Questions about the Cantillation of Scripture |
"לוּלֵ֗י כַּ֤עַס אוֹיֵב֙ אָג֔וּר פֶּֽן־יְנַכְּר֖וּ צָרֵ֑ימוֹ"
"But for fear of the taunts of the foe, Their enemies who might misjudge"
לולי כעס אויב אגור, that on account of the violent anti-semitism which the gentile nations would unleash against the small remnant of Jewish people so that in order to save themselves from further persecution they would פן ינכרו צרימו, attempt to divest themselves of their Judaism altogether
איזה פירוש נראה כקשה להתאימו לטעמים?
Which explanation seems difficult to fit with the cantillation?
"עֲלֵ֡ה אֶל־הַר֩ הָעֲבָרִ֨ים הַזֶּ֜ה הַר־נְב֗וֹ"
"Ascend on these heights of Abarim to Mount Nebo"
a. How is the phrase, "on these heights of Abarim," divided; and what we can learn from here about the possible combination of the cantillation marks, telisha katanah-kadmah-azla (which appear in this phrase)?
ב. היכן נסגר הפזר שבא במלה "עלה"?
b. From what is the pazer that comes under the word, "ascend," closing off?
"וּמֻ֗ת בָּהָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ עֹלֶ֣ה שָׁ֔מָּה"
"You shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend"
Why does, "You shall die," come with a revia and not with a mahpakh?