## Chizkuni, Deuteronomy

###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:1:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:1:1)

**אל כל ישראל**להשמיעם עשרת הדברות לנולדים אחר מתן תורה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אל כל ישראל, “to all of Israel;” they were to all have part in the reading of the ten Commandments by Moses by witnessing it. Everyone who had been born after the revelation at Mount Sinai was to be present.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:3:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:3:1)

**לא את אבתינו**לבדם **כרת, את הברית, כי אתנו אנחנו**דוגמא לא יקרא שמך עוד (יעקב) לבד כי אם ישראל עמו. כדאיתא במדרש תלים גבי מפי עוללים ויונקים יסדת עוז שאפילו העוברים במעי אמן קבלו את התורה וערבו את אביהן שיקבלו את התורה ונעשה כריסן של אמן שהיו עוברות מאירה כזכוכית והיו נראים ורואים פני שכינה וכשהקב״‎ה אומר אנכי ה׳‎ הן עונים אחריו הן. לא יהיה לך והם עונים אחריו לאו. וכן על כל הן הן ועל כל לאו לאו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
לא את אבותינו (לבדם) כרת את הברית כי אתנו אנחנו, “not only with our fathers (alone) did the Lord establish the covenant;” we find a similar formulation in Genesis 32,29 לבדם) לא יקרא שמך יעקב כי אם ישראל עמו), “your name will no longer be Yaakov, but the name Yisrael will henceforth be added to it.”We find a similar interpretation in the Midrash Tehillim on Psalms 8,3: מפי עוללים ויונקים יסדת עוז, “from the mouths of infants and sucklings You have founded strength.” This is interpreted to mean that even unborn children have received the Torah and are guarantors for this to their parents that they will observe the Torah in due course. The Midrash describes the unborn fetuses as having been given visions of G-d and having heard the Ten Commandments, and responded after each that they considered it as binding for them.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:3:2
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:3:2)

**כי אתנו אנחנו**אע״‎פ שיש עכשיו בנו כמה בני אדם שנולדו אחר מכן ולא היו במעמד אותו הברית מ״‎מ חלה עליהם הברית הכתוב כדכתיב פוקד עון אבות על בנים ועל בני בנים על שלישים ועל רבעים ועושה חסד לאלפים וגו'. דוגמא זו כתיב בפרשת נצבים ולא אתכם לבדכם אנכי כורת את הברית הזאת.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי אתנו אנחנו, “but with us here” (He concluded the covenant). Even though there are quite a few amongst us here to day who have not stood at Mount Sinai, not having been born yet, the covenant applies to them and is binding on them. [The answer to the question of how an unborn person can be held accountable for violating a covenant he had not been a party to when it was concluded, is that in Jewish law one may accept obligations on behalf of people who are not present and aware of it, provided that these obligations are for the benefit of the party on whose behalf these obligations have been accepted. Becoming part of G-d’s people is perceived of being such a benefit. Ed.] The proof that this is so is that G-d has told us that He is meting out penalties for up to the fourth generation after the sinner committed his sin, whereas He allows even the descendent 1000 generations down the line to participate in the reward given to his forbear for good deeds performed. (Exodus 20,6)


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:4:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:4:1)

**פנים בפנים דבר ה׳‎ עמכם**אנכי ולא יהיה לך.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
פנים בפנים דבר ה' עמכם, “The Lord spoke with you face to face;” Moses refers to the first two commandments that G-d addressed directly to all the people, before they asked Moses to become their gobetween as they found G-d’s voice too overpowering and were afraid of dying. (Compare verse 22)


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:5:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:5:1)

**אנכי עומד בין ה׳‎ וביניכם**להגיד לכם שאר הדברות.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אנכי עומד בין ה' ובינכם, “I stood between the Lord and between you;” I did so in order to convey the other eight commandments to you.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:5:2
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:5:2)

**ולא עליתם בהר לאמר**כשבא לאמר לכם עשרת הדברות.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולא עליתם בהר לאמר, and you did not ascend the Mountain;” you did not have to ascend the Mountain during the revelation of the Ten Commandments, nor as I did for 40 days thereafter in order to receive the whole Torah. (Ibn Ezra)


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:10:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:10:1)

**ולשמרי מצותו**כתיב מצותי קרי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולשומרי מצותו, “and to those who observe His commandments. The word מצותו is read as if it had been spelled מצותיו, “His commandments” (pl.)


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:12:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:12:1)

**שמור את יום השבת**בדברות הראשונות שבא להזכיר להם את יום השבת שנתן להם במרה נופל בו לשון זכור אבל כאן בדברות שניות שנאמרו בשנת הארבעים בשביל אותם שלא שמעו הראשונות, נופל בו לשון שמירה לפי שהענין לא היה חדש להם. ד״‎א **שמור את יום השבת**לשון ואביו שמר את הדבר המתן מבעוד יום מתי תבא שבת לקדשו כדר׳‎ ינאי שהיה מתעטף ואומר בואי כלה בואי כלה. דבר אחר זכור נאמר ליורדי הים ושמור ליושבי יבשה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
שמור את יום השבת, “to observe the Sabbath day.” In the first version of the Ten Commandments the Torah wrote: זכור את יום השבת, “to remember the Sabbath day.” This was in order to remind the people of the Sabbath each week as they were not to go out looking for manna. Now, in the fortieth year, when the people had been familiar with the manna since the day they were born, it was more appropriate for Moses to underline the importance of the observance of the commandments related to Sabbath observance. Another interpretation for the difference in the terminology used on these two occasions for the law to keep the Sabbath day. The expression שמר also means “to remember.” It was used first by Yaakov when Joseph related the dream to him in which sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him (Genesis 37,11) The word שמר refers to long term remembering. Yaakov/Joseph had to wait for 22 years until they understood the meaning of that dream. זכור, on the other hand, refers to remembering for a short period of time. This is like the person who waits all day long for the arrival of the Shabbat so that he can properly sanctify it, like Rabbi Yannai who would wrap himself in his tallit and stand at the eve of Shabbat at twilight, saying: Come, my bride; come, my bride. It is also possible that the expression זכור is addressed to people embarking on protracted voyages on the sea, where they may lose track of time, whereas the expression שמור is addressed to people living on dry land.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:12:2
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:12:2)

**כאשר צוך**פי׳‎ רש״‎י במרה. בדברות ראשונות נאמרה בם זכור דקאי הוא אשבת שנתן במרה לא הוזקק לכתוב כאשר צוך אבל בדברות הללו שלא נאמר בם זכור אלא שמור צריך לכתוב שם **כאשר צוך**כדי לפרש בו במרה לפי שמכאן ולהלן הזהירם על מצות שבת שנתן במרה ששם היה עיקר המצוה. וראיה לדבר מאגדת פסח אלו נתן לנו את השבת ולא קרבנו לפני הר סיני וכו'. ולפי הפשט **כאשר צוך**כלומר כמו שפי׳‎ לך הטעם בדברות הראשונות כי ששת ימים עשה ה׳‎ וגו'. ד״‎א בדבר שמור ובדבר כבד שייך למכתב בהו כאשר צוך לפי ששתיהם מצות עשה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כאשר צוך, “as He has commanded you.” Rashi comments that this commandment was first issued at Marah (Exodus 15,25.) When the first version of the Ten Commandments was read to the people, they were to remember that already at Marah they had received instructions about parts of the Sabbath legislation. In our paragraph, the people had to be reminded that actually the Sabbath legislation had preceded the revelation on Mount Sinai, and that the bulk of that legislation had been taught to the people already at Marah. We can find proof of this in the Haggadah shel Pessach, where the author, recounting 15 stages of gifts we had received from G-d, states specifically that if G-d had given us only the Sabbath, and never added the revelation at Mount Sinai, this too would have been ample reason to thank Him. According to the plain meaning of the words כאשר צוך is that G-d when He commanded us to observe the Sabbath by reminding us that we should emulate Him and rest on that day just as He had rested on that day. (Exodus 20 11) Still another interpretation: seeing that this expression also occurs in the fifth commandment, which follows immediately, and these two commandments comprise both negative and positive aspects, they are especially to be remembered for that feature. [This is according to the view that both the word זכור and the word שמור, mean: “to remember.” Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:15:1)

**וזכרת כי עבד היית**פי׳‎ הכתוב כאן הטעם מפני מה שובתים עבד ואמה שע״‎י כך שאתה והם עובדים כל ששת ימי המעשה ובשביעי נחים תזכור כי היית עבד כמוהו במצרים ויפדך ה', אבל בדברות הראשונות לא פי׳‎ הטעם שלא רצה להזכיר את גנותם בשמחתם ואע״‎ג דכתיב בהן בראשונות אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מ״‎מ דרך כבוד הזכירו. ד״‎א **וזכרת כי עבד היית**במצרים ויפדך הקב״‎ה משם למנוחה לכן ינוח עבדך ואמתך כמוך.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וזכרת כי עבד היית, “you shall remember that you used to be a slave;” the reason why this has been written here, i.e. that your male and female servants also have to rest on the Sabbath, is that we ourselves were slaves and did not enjoy the luxury of resting on the Sabbath. We must not treat our slaves as we have been treated. In the first version of the Ten Commandments that were given on a joyous occasion, the Torah did not want to dampen our sense of joy by reminding us of our low status in Egypt. It therefore omitted mentioning that we used to be slaves. [Besides, 49 days after having escaped from Egypt, who would need a reminder of that? Ed.] It was sufficient to emphasise that it was G-d Who had taken us out of Egypt, and that we had not staged a revolt to bring this about. (Exodus 20,2) An alternate interpretation: if G-d redeemed us from slavery and intolerable conditions and gave us the Sabbath as a reminder, our own slaves are certainly to be granted no less by us.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:2
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:15:2)

**כי עבד היית בארץ מצרים**ובדברות ראשונות כתיב כי ששת ימים עשה ה׳‎ את השמים וגו׳‎ לכך תקנו חכמים בקדוש שבת על הכוס זכר למעשה בראשית כמו שכתב בדברות שניות. אבל זמנים שלא נקבעו לזכר בראשית אין אומרים בהם אלא זכר ליציאת מצרים.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי עבד היית בארץ מצרים, “for you were a slave in the land of Egypt.” In this version of the Ten Commandments, G-d does not emphasise His being the Creator of the universe in six days, (Exodus 20,11) and this is why we mention this when we recite the blessing over wine when making kiddush, i.e. sanctifying the Sabbath. On other special occasions that do not symbolise the creation of the universe, we content ourselves with reminding ourselves of the making of the Jewish nation, i. e. זכר ליציאת מצרים, “a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt.”


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:3
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:15:3)

**על כן**שהקב״‎ה רוצה שתזכור **כי עבד היית.**

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
על כן, “therefore,” G-d wishes us to remember that our status in Egypt was a deplorable one, we were lowly slaves.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:16:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:16:1)

**ולמען ייטב לך**יתור הוא על הראשונות כלומר אם תכבדם הקב״‎ה יתן לך עוד שכר טוב, ולפי שהראשונות חסרות אות טי״‎ת כתב ולמען כדי להשלים בהם כל אותיות אלפא ביתא פשוטות וכפולות.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולמען ייטב לך, “and in order that it will go well with you;” in the first version of the commandment to honour our parents, this promise of a reward was absent. In other words, G-d promises an additional reward for honouring our parents. A careful reading of the first version of the Ten Commandments will reveal that the letter ט is the only letter of the Hebrew alphabet that did not appear in it. The second version therefore includes it, as that letter symbolises טוב goodness. Moses caught on to this and took it upon himself to make up for this deficiency by adding a line that included this letter.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:17:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:17:1)

**עד שוא**אפילו עדות בחנם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
עד שוא, “a vain witness.” If someone testifies against someone whom he had seen perform a crime deliberately, but his testimony is not supported by a second witness or there are two witnesses but the person was not warned about the consequences of his crime before performing it, he is not to come forward to bring a charge he knows that a conviction could not be obtained under these circumstances.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:17:2
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:17:2)

**לא תענה**כגון ראהו יחידי או שנים בלא התראה.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:18:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:18:1)

**ולא תתאוה**אין תאוה אלא בלב אם גמר בלבו ע״‎י תחנונים או ע״‎י רבוי רעים או ע״‎י אימתו שימכור לו חפצו, מיד עובר עליו בלא תתאוה הוציא חמדתו בפיו עובר בלא תחמוד, כולם ולא ולא לבד מלא תרצח שאין בו וי״‎ו. מתחלת אנכי עד ולשומרי מצותי אין בין דברות ראשונות לשניות שום שינוי לפי שהקב״‎ה חזר ופירשם כמו שמפורש בפרשת יתרו ולא רצה משה אפי׳‎ בפרשה זו לשנות בהם שום דבר. אבל השאר שחזר משה ופירשם אין חששא בשנוי המלות אחרי שהם שוות בטעם. וזה הכלל כל דבר שינוי במקרא תמצא בפעם שנית מלות שונות אך הטעם שוה, ומדברת לא תשא שאין בה שינוי אין להקפיד כי כך היה המקרא. ועשרת הדברות שבפרשת יתרו הם דברי הקב״‎ה בלי תוספת ומגרעת לבד למען ייטב לך כמו שפירש״‎י והם לבדם הכתובות על לוחות הברית. ואותם שבפרשה זו הם הם דברי משה וכאן סדרן משה אחר סברת הבחורים שתחלה חומדים אשה ואח״‎כ בית ואח״‎כ עבד ואמה ואח״‎כ שדות וחמורים. ובפרשת יתרו סדרם הקב״‎ה על סברת דעת אנשי חכמה שקונים תחלה בית ואח״‎כ אשה ואח״‎כ עבד ואמה ואח״‎כ שור וחמור.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולא תתאוה, “and you shall not covet.” The expression “to covet” is used only when it describes the desire of one’s heart, not when one plans to act upon that desire. (Ibn Ezra) As soon as someone becomes aware, that his neighbour, due to various kinds of pressure is known to consider selling it and instead of financially supporting his neighbour exploits his reduced circumstances, and decides in his mind to buy it from him, he has violated this commandment. When he expressed his intention by mouth, he has violated the commandment of לא תחמד, as written at the beginning of verse 18. All the last five commandments are introduced with the connective letter ו except for the first one in that string, the warning not to commit murder, i.e. לא תרצח. In all the Ten Commandments, commencing with the word: אנכי, until the words: ולשומרי מצותו at the end of verse 10, there is no difference between the wording of the first set of the Ten Commandments and the wording of the second set, as G-d repeated the wording, and therefore their meaning is identical in both instances. Moses had not intended to introduce any changes either. However, in the second version in our chapter, the changes that Moses did introduce did not change the meaning of the commandment. There is a general rule concerning when something in the Torah has been repeated, you will always find a minor change in the wording or spelling. The change you see was part of the original Torah scroll and has not been introduced subsequently. The Ten Commandments on the first set of the Tablets, which Moses had smashed and the Commandments on the second Tablets quoted in the Book of Deuteronomy are identical with the exception of that addition for the reason given for the commandment to honour one’s parents. What we see written down in the Book of Deuteronomy is the version of the second set of Tablets Moses received from G-d. Basically, the text in the Torah scroll Moses handed down to us is the one that represents Moses’ words. Here Moses arranged the order of the examples quoted in the tenth commandment, according to how people develop desires as they grow older. First they desire a better house, one that that they could not afford previously. Next, they desire a woman who they feel has more to offer them than the one they had married when relatively young and inexperienced. Next they also desire such assets as make life more comfortable, even if they have to acquire them by making someone who owns them part with theirs.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:19:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:19:1)

**קול גדול ולא יסף**כתרגומו ולא פסק כמו שדרשו רבותינו כל מ׳‎ יום שעמד משה בהר לא פסקו קולות מן ההר. ד״‎א לא הוסיף קולו לומר לכל ישראל יותר על עשרת הדברות דוגמא כי יסף מכאוב על מכאובי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
קול גדול ולא יסף, “with a strong voice that did not weaken;” according to our sages this voice continued to be heard during the entire forty days that Moses spent on Mount Sinai, immediately after the revelation. Another interpretation of that line: the words ולא יסף mean that the Israelites did not hear anything but the Ten Commandments, so as no to distract them. This would be in line with Jeremiah 45,3: כי יסף מכאוב על מכאובי,”for He had added to my grief.”


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:24:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:24:1)

**ואת תדבר אלינו**בנחת כקול משה ונוכל לשמעו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואת תדבר אלינו, “and you shall speak to us;” Moses’ voice, a voice familiar to them and not so overpowering, would be easier to bear, so that they could understand it better.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:26:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:26:1)

**מי יתן והיה לבבם**אעפ״‎י שיש בידי לתת, דברה תורה כלשון בני אדם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
מי יתן והיה לבבם , “Oh that they had such a heart, etc.;” even though it was within G-d’s power to grant the people such a heart, He preferred to use a syntax familiar to them.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:28:1
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:28:1)

**ואתה פה עמד עמדי**שוב לעמוד עמדי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואתה פה עמוד עמדי, “but as for you, stay here with Me!” G-d invites Moses to again spend time with Him by ascending the Mountain.


###### Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:28:2
[Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:28:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Deuteronomy/r/5:28:2)

**ועשו בארץ**וגו׳‎ הוא שנאמר למעלה ואותי צוה בעת ההיא ללמד לעשותכם בארץ וגו'.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ועשו בארץ, “in order that they will perform them in the land, etc.” Moses refers to what he had said in Deut. 4,14:, that the Lord had commanded him to teach the people His commandments.