## Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy Chapter 10

###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:1:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:1:1)

**בָּעֵת הַהִיא וְגוֹ׳ פְּסָל לְךָ.** פֵּרוּשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁלּוּחוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְלֹא מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה, וְאַחַר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה הָעֵגֶל לֹא הָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְלוּחוֹת כָּזֶה, וְאָמַר ה׳ לְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּפְסוֹל אוֹתָם מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵם מִתְיַחֲסִים אֵלָיו, לִשְׁלוֹל הַמִּתְיַחֲסִים לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהֵם הָרִאשׁוֹנִים.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**בעת ההיא אמר ה׳ אלי, "At that time G'd said to me: 'hew for yourself,' etc."** Seeing that the materials for the first Tablets were G'd-made as opposed to the raw material being provided by Moses, and that after the episode of the golden calf the Israelites were no longer worthy of such Tablets, G'd told Moses to hew them out of materials that the Israelites were able to relate to, instead of G'd providing supernatural materials unfamiliar to the people which they were unable to relate to and to esteem properly.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:1:2
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:1:2)

וְגָמַר אוֹמֶר **וְעָשִׂיתָ לְּךָ אֲרוֹן עֵץ**, פֵּרוּשׁ, לְצַד שֶׁהֵם מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם צְרִיכִין מָקוֹם מוּכָן לְהִנָּתֵן בּוֹ, מַה שֶׁלֹּא צִוָּה ה׳ כֵּן לַעֲשׂוֹת אָרוֹן לַלּוּחוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים. וְהַטַּעַם, כִּי הֵם עוֹמְדִין בְּעַצְמָן וְלֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִין אָרוֹן לְבַד מֵאָרוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה בְּצַלְאֵל (שמות כה:י), וְעַיֵּן מַה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּפָסוּק ״וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ״ (דברים ט:יז). וְדִקְדֵּק לוֹמַר **וְעָשִׂיתָ לְּךָ** לְהָעִיר לְדַרְכֵּנוּ כִּי לְצַד שֶׁהֵם מַמָּשׁ שֶׁלְּךָ הוּא שֶׁאָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת אָרוֹן.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
G'd continued by telling Moses that he was to make a wooden ark for these tablets. The expression **"make for yourself"** a wooden ark does not mean that the ark would be Moses' property or would be paid for out of Moses' private funds; but, seeing that the materials the Tablets were made of were man-made, Moses was also to provide a man-made ark to house the Tablets. This is in sharp contrast to the first Tablets when G'd had not commanded that Moses bring an ark to the Mountain to house the Tablets. Seeing that the original Tablets were of material provided by G'd they did not need a protective cover such as an ark, other than the ark which G'd had commanded Betzalel to construct in Exodus 25,10. Compare what I have written on Deut. 9,17 in connection with the words מעל שתי ידי, "above my two hands." Moses was specific in repeating G'd's command ועשית לך, to teach us that inasmuch as the Tablets were really his (as opposed to the people's), it was appropriate that he be the one to construct the ark for them.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:5:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:5:1)

**כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוַּנִי ה׳.** פֵּרוּשׁ, כָּל הֶמְשֵׁךְ הַזְּמַן אֲשֶׁר צִוַּנִי, וְהַכַּוָּנָה הוּא לוֹמַר עַד כִּי יָבֹא זְמַן שֶׁהוֹצִיאָם מֵאוֹתוֹ אָרוֹן וּנְתָנָם בָּאָרוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה בְּצַלְאֵל.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**כאשר צוני השם, "as G'd commanded me."** Moses meant that all the time it took for him to bring the Tablets to the people and to place them in the ark constructed by Bezalel, the Tablets remained in the ark which he had constructed and taken up to Mount Sinai with him.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:12:1)

**וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה וְגוֹ׳ כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה וְגוֹ׳.** כַּוָּנַת הַכָּתוּב הִיא עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ, לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁתֵּי הַדְרָגוֹת שֶׁחָפֵץ ה׳ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עֲשׂוֹת, וְהֵם זוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִזּוֹ: אַחַת הִיא הַיִּרְאָה, לְמַעְלָה מִמֶּנָּה הָאַהֲבָה. וְאָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם כִּי אִם הַיִּרְאָה, וְטַעַם הַדָּבָר הִיא לְפִי שֶׁהַיִּרְאָה תְּסוֹבֵב אֶתְכֶם לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו, כִּי הַיָּרֵא לֹא יֶחְדַּל מִיִּרְאָתוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּאַחַת מֵאֶלֶף שֶׁעָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת. וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד מַגִּיעָתוֹ אֶלָּא עוֹד לוֹ ״וּלְאַהֲבָה אוֹתוֹ״, הֲרֵי שֶׁהַיִּרְאָה הִיא פֶּתַח לִכָּנֵס לְשַׁעַר הָאַהֲבָה. וְלָזֶה כְּשֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב **מָה ה׳ שׁוֹאֵל כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה**, דִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר **וְעַתָּה**, פֵּרוּשׁ, מַה שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹאֵל לְיִרְאָה הוּא עַתָּה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאַתָּה בָּא לִשָּׂא עֹל הָאֱלֹהוּת, אֲבָל אֵין זֶה תַּכְלִית מַה שֶׁחָפֵץ מִמֶּנּוּ עֲשׂוֹת, אֶלָּא שֶׁזֶּה יַעֲמִידֶנּוּ בְּגֶדֶר הָאַהֲבָה. וּלְדֶרֶךְ זֶה יִתְיַשֵּׁב מַאֲמַר **מָה** וְגוֹ׳ **כִּי אִם** וְגוֹ׳, שֶׁבְּעֵרֶךְ הָאַהֲבָה שֶׁהִיא דָּבָר הַמְּקֻוֶּה תִּהְיֶה הַיִּרְאָה מִלְּתָא זוּטַרְתִּי. וּבַגְּמָרָא שֶׁאָמְרוּ (מגילה כה.) אָטוּ יִרְאָה מִלְּתָא זוּטַרְתִּי וְכוּ׳, הַכַּוָּנָה הִיא כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּעֵרֶךְ מַשִּׂיגֶיהָ גְּדוֹלָה הִיא לֹא תִּקָּרֵא קְטַנָּה, הֲגַם שֶׁבְּעֵרֶךְ הָאַהֲבָה הִיא לְמַטָּה מִמֶּנָּה, וְתֵרֵץ לְגַבֵּי מֹשֶׁה וְכוּ׳ שֶׁגַּם בְּעֵרֶךְ הַמַּשִּׂיגִים יֶשְׁנָהּ בְּגֶדֶר קָטָן.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**ועתה ישראל…כי אם ליראה, And now, Israel, …except to revere the Lord, etc."** The thrust of this verse has to be understood along the following lines. We know that there are two different levels of serving G'd, 1) to serve Him out of fear, 2) to serve Him out of love. Moses tells the people that what G'd asks is only that they serve Him out of fear. The reason that G'd is satisfied with this level of service is because fear is an all-embracing emotion. When a person is afraid of the consequences of doing wrong he will make certain that he does not do anything wrong. Moreover, fear, i.e. reverence for G'd is a forerunner of love for G'd. Moses hints at this when he prefaces the verse with the word ועתה, "and now." He means that whereas **for now**, initially, all that G'd asks for is for you to fear Him, there will come a time when you will do more than that, i.e. to love Him. Once we approach this verse from this angle we can also understand the rhetorical "what is it that G'd asks…only that you fear Him." To the question that fearing the Lord is surely not such an easy thing, Moses implies that once you will have advanced to serving the Lord out of love you will realise that serving Him out of fear was really something minor by comparison. In absolute terms, serving the Lord out of fear is something very great indeed; in relative terms, i.e. after graduating to serving Him out of love, it is only a minor accomplishment. This is the best way to understand what we have been taught in this connection in *Megillah* 25: "is then serving G'd out of fear something so minor?


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:2
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:12:2)

**עוֹד** יִתְבָּאֵר עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ, לְפִי שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעַת אֱנוֹשׁ שֶׁהָעוֹבֵר פִּי ה׳ נִפְלֵאת הִיא מִמֶּנּוּ הַשָּׂגַת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, לָזֶה אָמַר אֵלָיו **וְעַתָּה** וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ ״וְעַתָּה״ הוּא תְּשׁוּבָה, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בראשית רבה כא,ו) אֵין ״וְעַתָּה״ אֶלָּא תְּשׁוּבָה, ״מָה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ שׁוֹאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ״ לְתַקֵּן מְשׁוּבָתְךָ כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה לְבַד, בָּזֶה יִתְרַצֶּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
This verse may also be understood as an opening for תשובה, penitence, by the person who transgresses one of G'd's commandments claiming that he simply does not understand why G'd wants him to keep such a commandment. Moses answers such a person by telling him "and **now.**" According to *Bereshit Rabbah* 21,6 the word עתה always is an opening for man to repent a sin. [The verse under discussion in that *Midrash* is Genesis 3,22 when G'd justifies expelling Adam from the garden of Eden. Ed.] According to that approach the words ועתה מה ה׳ אלוקיך שואל מעמך mean that G'd makes it very easy for us to become penitent. All we have to do is to demonstrate fear of the Lord. When we demonstrate such an attitude towards G'd He will be pleased with us already.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:3
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:12:3)

וְאָמְרוֹ **לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו** וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ויקרא רבה כא,ה): אִם עָשִׂיתָ חֲבִלּוֹת שֶׁל עֲבֵרוֹת, עֲשֵׂה כְּנֶגְדָּן חֲבִלּוֹת שֶׁל מִצְווֹת. וְכָתַב רַמְבַּ״ם בְּפֵרוּשׁ הַמִּשְׁנָיוֹת (סוף מסכת מכות): שֶׁאִם אָדָם לֹא יַכְעִיס בּוֹרְאוֹ בַּעֲבֵרוֹת, הֲגַם שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה אֶלָּא מִצְוָה אַחַת, יֵשׁ כֹּחַ בְּאוֹתָהּ מִצְוָה לְזַכּוֹתוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, עַד כָּאן. וְהִמְשַׁלְתִּי דָּבָר זֶה לִשְׁנֵי עַבְדֵי מֶלֶךְ: אֶחָד מִיָּמָיו לֹא הִכְעִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבָא לִרְאוֹת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֶן יוֹנָה לְמִנְחָה, וְאֶחָד הִכְעִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבָא לִרְאוֹת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּשׁוֹר אֶחָד. יֵשׁ מָקוֹם שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח הַמֶּלֶךְ לִקְרַאת מִנְחַת הָעוֹף וְיִכְעוֹס לִקְרַאת מִנְחַת הַשּׁוֹר, לְצַד הַהַכְעָסוֹת שֶׁקָּדְמוּ מִמֶּנּוּ. וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ כָּאן לְבַעַל הַתְּשׁוּבָה **לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו** וְגוֹ׳, לַעֲשׂוֹת חֲבִלּוֹת חֲבִלּוֹת שֶׁל מִצְווֹת.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
Moses continues ללכת בכל דרכיו "to walk in all His paths;" this can be understood in accordance with *Vayikra Rabbah* 21,5 that if you have committed a string of violations try and compensate for this by performing a string of commandments. Maimonides writes in his commentary on the Mishnah at the end of tractate *Makkot* that a person who has not angered G'd [by transgressing any negative commandment Ed.] will acquire merit both in this world and in the Hereafter as long as he performs a single commandment. Thus far Maimonides. I have compared the matter to two servants of a king, one of whom has never caused his monarch to be angry at him, and who now visits his king bearing a relatively inexpensive gift, a young dove. The second servant has a history of offending his monarch on repeated occasions; when he visits the king he tenders an ox as a gift. One could reason that the king has reason to be pleased with the offering of the dove and to be displeased with the offering of the ox in view of the previous acts of disobedience of the servant who now offers this gift. Moses here tells the penitent sinner to walk in "all the Lord's paths" i.e. to make up for it by performance of many commandments.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:4
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:12:4)

**עוֹד** יְכַוֵּן הַכָּתוּב לְנִסְתָּרוֹת ה׳ עַל פִּי דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת, כִּי בְּאֶמְצָעוּת מַעֲשֵׂה הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים יִתְיַחֲדוּ עַנְפֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְכֵן לְהֵפֶךְ בְּסוֹד (משלי טז:כח) ״וְנִרְגָּן מַפְרִיד אַלּוּף״ – אַלּוּפוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. וּבָא לְהָעִיר כָּאן עַל הַדָּבָר הַבָּא מִמַּעֲשֵׂה אָדָם, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ **מָה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֹׁאֵל** וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ בְּחִינַת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה הַנִּקְרֵאת ״מָה״ שֶׁהִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה, כְּאָמְרָם בַּגְּמָרָא (סוטה יא.) בְּפָסוּק ״וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ״ וְגוֹ׳ שֶׁכָּל הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר בַּשְּׁכִינָה, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: ״מַה״ דִּכְתִיב ״וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה״ וְגוֹ׳, הֲרֵי שֶׁמִּזֶּה עַצְמוֹ מוֹכִיחִים כִּי ״מָה״ הִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
On a mystical level our verse also targets the hidden connections, i.e. interactions known only to G'd whereby man's actions in our world help unify branches of sanctity in the celestial regions. The same occurs in reverse, of course. Proverbs 16,28 ונרגן מפריג **אלוף**, "a quarrelsome one alienates his friend," refers to the **אלופו** של עולם. [Just as man's sins create a chasm between him and his Creator, so his מצוה-performance can close any chasm which existed between man and G'd. Ed.] Moses hints at this interaction. In terms of sanctity, the word מה refers to the presence of G'd, שכינה, as explained by the Talmud *Sotah* 11 in connection with Exodus 2,4: "his sister (Moses' sister Miriam) stood from afar to know what would happen to him." Rabbi Yitzchok demonstrates there how every word in that verse can be viewed as referring to celestial powers, and he understands the verse as speaking about the שכינה. Just as the word מה in that verse is a reference to the שכינה, so the word מה in our verse refers to the שכינה.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:5
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:12:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:12:5)

**וְזֶה** מַסְכִּים וְהוֹלֵךְ גַּם כֵּן לְמַה שֶׁהֵעִירוּ אוֹתָנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּדִבְרֵיהֶם שֶׁאָמְרוּ (תנחומא קרח יב) אַל תִּקְרֵי ״מָה״ אֶלָּא ״מֵאָה״, שֶׁהֵם מֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת שֶׁהִיא סוֹד כְּלָלוּת הָעֲשִׂירִיּוֹת, וְהִסְמִיךְ לְזִכְרוֹנָם שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה הוּא יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, זוֹ הִיא שְׁאֵלַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעִמָּךְ. וְדִקְדֵּק לוֹמַר **וְעַתָּה** לְהָעִיר שֶׁאֵין כֹּחַ בָּאָדָם לְהַשִּׂיג עֲשׂוֹת זֶה אֶלָּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֲבָל אַחַר מוֹתוֹ הֲגַם שֶׁיַּפְלִיא עֲשׂוֹת לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה פְּעֻלָּה וְהָיָה כְּאֶחָד מֵהַמַּלְאָכִים. וּמָצִינוּ שֶׁרַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה יִחֲסוּ עוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְשָׁעָה, כְּאָמְרוֹ (שבת לג:) מַנִּיחִים חַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְעוֹסְקִים בְּחַיֵּי שָׁעָה. וּלְדֶרֶךְ זֶה יִתְיַשֵּׁב אָמְרוֹ **כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה** כְּמִין חֹמֶר, כִּי בְּעֵרֶךְ הַמּוּשָּׂג בַּמּוּשְׂכָּל כִּי רַב הוּא יִקְטַן הַמִּפְעָל, הֲגַם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הִתְעַצְּמוּת לְהַשִּׂיגוֹ, עִם כָּל זֶה מֻפְלָא הוּא הַנִּסְבָּב מֵהַטּוֹרַח.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
This approach is also in accordance with what our sages said in *Tanchuma Korach* 12 אל תקרי מה אלא מאה, "do not read מה, but 100, a reference to the 100 benedictions a person is supposed to recite daily. [This entire fascinating passage in the *Tanchuma* commences already with the mystical significance of the number 100. For instance, the words לך לך at the beginning of Genesis 12 are understood in terms of their numerical value i.e. 50+50 =100. This was a hint that Abraham's son Isaac would be born when Abraham was 100 years old. Ed.] It is important to associate G'd's ineffable name (י־ה־ו־ה) with the number 100, hence we have to recite 100 benedictions using the ineffable name of G'd. Moses says that basically, this is what G'd asks of the Jewish people, i.e. to create a unity between the Jewish people and G'd and His name. The reason Moses had to say ועתה, "and now," is because this is something that man **can only do in this life**. Once he finds himself in the hereafter, -though he may accomplish many outstanding tasks,- he cannot perform deeds as he will be like the angels, i.e. beings without a body. We find that our sages have compared this world to שעה, "an hour," when they described the kind of people who set more value by things which occur in this life though it is so transient. The wording in *Shabbat* 33 is: "they ignore eternity in favour of focusing on the life comprising an hour." When you pursue this approach, the words כי אם ליראה assume the meaning of some kind of material, i.e. the "fear" Moses is speaking about is quasi something tangible. Moses means that although when looked at in terms of something abstract "fear" may be something very great, hard to attain, once we reduce it to tangible terms it becomes much smaller, even though, admittedly, one needs spiritual resources in order to attain it. Moses,' or rather, G'd's message is that the beneficial result of fearing the Lord will be proportionately far greater than the effort invested in attaining such a result.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:15:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:15:1)

**כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה.** פֵּרוּשׁ, כְּסֵדֶר שֶׁאַתֶּם בְּיוֹם זֶה שֶׁהָיְתָה הָעֵדָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּכוֹשֶׁר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהֵעִיד הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁכּוּלָּם הָיוּ דְבוּקִים בַּה׳ וְגוֹ׳ חַיִּים (דברים ד:ד), וְהַכַּוָּנָה בַּמַּאֲמָר שֶׁזּוּלַת סֵדֶר זֶה אֵין בְּחִירָה בָּהֶם, הֲגַם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ זַרְעָם שֶׁל הַחֲשׁוּקִים, אִם יַרְשִׁיעוּ לֹא יֵחָשְׁבוּ זַרְעָם. וְהָיוּ לְךָ יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְעֵשָׂו לְאוֹת, שֶׁעֵינֵינוּ רוֹאוֹת הֱיוֹתָם בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע״ (בראשית כא:יב, נדרים לא.):

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**כיום הזה, as of this day.** Moses means that the Jewish people are a worthy community as he had already testified in Deut. 4,4 that "you all cleaved to G'd and stayed alive." The message is that were it not for that merit, the mere fact that they were the descendants of the patriarchs whom G'd had liked would not have helped them if they had been wicked. The best proof for the truth of this statement is the fact that Ishmael, also a son of Abraham, or Esau, a son of Isaac and a grandson of Abraham were not chosen and only some of the descendants of Isaac developed into the Jewish people. (compare *Nedarim* 31).


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:17:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 10:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/10:17:1)

**אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים.** פֵּרוּשׁ, אֱלֹהֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים הַנִּקְרָאִים אֱלֹהִים, דִּכְתִיב (איוב א,ו) ״וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים״. **וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים** הֵם שַׁלִּיטֵי עוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ (בראשית מב:ל) ״דִּבֶּר הָאִישׁ אֲדֹנֵי הָאָרֶץ״. וְהֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר גַּם פְּרָט אַדְנוּת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי אֲדוֹנִים שֶׁל מַטָּה אֵין בְּיָדָם הַבְּחִירָה לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּחֶפְצָם וּרְצוֹנָם, אֶלָּא הוּא אָדוֹן עֲלֵיהֶם לְהַטּוֹתָם לַאֲשֶׁר יַחְפּוֹץ, וְהוּא מַאֲמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי כא:א) ״לֶב מֶלֶךְ בְּיַד ה׳״.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**אלוקי האלוקים ואדוני האדנים, "The G'd of gods and the Lord of lords, etc."** The first statement means that He is the G'd of the angels who are often described as אלהים, such as in Job 1,6 ויבאו בני האלוהים. The expression אדני האדנים refers to terrestrial rulers. Compare Genesis 42,30 דבר **האיש אדני הארק** אתנו קשות, "the man who is the ruler of the land spoke harshly to us." The reason Moses also had to mention terrestrial rulers is so that we should not think that these rulers are free to do as they please; Moses reminds us that G'd exerts some pressure on those rulers. This is what Solomon meant in Proverbs 21,1: "the heart of the king is in G'd's hand, He directs it to whatever direction He desires."