האזינו השמים, “hearken o heaven, etc.;” the word האזינו is derived from אזן, “ear.” Moses asks the heavens and the earth to lend their ears to what he is about to say. This is a direct continuation of the last verse in the previous portion, Vayelech, in which he had announced this poem/song to the people. He now calls on the eternal heaven and earth to act as witnesses to what he had to say, seeing that he, as a mortal, cannot do so anymore.

האזינו השמים, “you have been witnesses when I gave the Torah to this people,” as Moses quoted G-d as saying in Exodus 20,20: כי מן השמים דברתי עמכם, “for I have spoken with you from the heaven”.

ותשמע הארץ, “hear o earth,” singular mode, there being only one earth, seeing that the people were standing on it when they had said: נעשה ונשמע, “we will carry out the laws of the Torah as soon as we will hear them” (Exodus 24,7).

האזינו, Moses addresses the heavens in the plural mode as the Sages suggested (in TB Hagiga 12b) there are seven different heavens.

ותשמע הארץ, But the earth is only one, therefore he addresses the earth in the singular mode.

האזינו השמים ותשמע הארץ, the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 1,2) took his cue from Moses, when he said: שמעו שמים והאזיני ארץ, “hear o heavens and give ear o earth;” when Moses recited this poem he was far from heaven, standing on earth; this is why the verb to describe hearing that he used was האזינו when addressing the heavens. One normally addresses first the people most distant and asks them to pay attention to what one has to say. Isaiah, who spoke at the instruction of the Lord, felt closer to heaven at that time, so that he reversed the use of the terms שמע and האזין respectively. When speaking to someone close by, the expression !האזין is not appropriate. Isaiah, at the time, considered himself as closer to heaven than to earth, seeing that he delivered a message from G-d in the heaven. Some commentators feel that exactly the opposite is true, and that the expression האזין, is the correct expression to be used when addressing someone close by, whereas the expression שמע is reserved for some further away. Moses who was so familiar with heaven and what goes on there, commenced with. האזינו therefore, and used the term שמע to call on the earth to listen, as by that time he was no longer at home on earth and had almost been completely absorbed by the heavenly regions.

השמים, with the definitive prefix ה, makes it plain that he addresses the whole range of angels who have their homes in heavenly regions.

והארץ, and similarly, all the forces active on earth as part of what we call: “nature.”

יערוף כמטר לקחי, “may my discourse come down as rain;” the words that I am going to address to you are not meaningless, but just as the value of the rain when it comes down to earth is not immediately visible and felt as a benefit, nonetheless eventually it is responsible for the growing and ripening of the fruit on the trees, and its benefit becomes evident.” An alternate interpretation of Moses’ introductory comments: may it be the Lord’s will that my words will not return to me empty, but that they will grow like fruit in your hearts and in the hearts of all those who listen to them. May they act like the dew on the earth which promotes the growth of the grain crops. Moses mentions four different directions on earth here, as we will see, and just as he has called heaven and earth as witnesses, he appeals separately to all the four winds blowing from the four directions on the surfaces of the earth, north and south, east and west. He implies that if the Jewish people will conduct themselves as G-d wishes them to conduct themselves, the winds from each of these four directions will blow beneficially for them. Moses now addresses the four winds of Heaven. Just as he asked Heaven and Earth testify, so does he request the Winds to serve as witnesses. And if the Jewish people will observe the Torah, then these witnesses will direct benevolent winds toward them

יערוף כמטר, this is a reference to west wind which originates in the neck of the world and usually brings rain in its wake.

תזל כטל אמרתי, “may my speech distil just as the dew.” This is a reference to the northern wind, which is pleasant just like the dew.

כשעירים עלי דשא, “as the small rain on the tender grass;” this is a reference to the wind blowing from the south which is stormy like its namesake, the billy goats.

כרביבים, “and like the showers on the herbs.” This is a reference to the east wind, which is beneficial for seedlings and which blows most of the day. According to the opinion of our author, the east wind blows mostly in the morning, the south wind around noon, the west wind at the beginning of the night, and the northern wind around midnight. The northern wind is prevalent during the summer, when it is welcome, whereas when it blows in the winter it is difficult to bear; the opposite is the case with the wind originating in the south. The western wind is difficult to bear at any time. Eastern winds are always welcome [I presume the latter observations are meant to describe human reactions, as opposed to the reactions of the earth. Ed.].

כי שם ה' אקרא, “for I will proclaim the Holy Name of the Lord;” this refers to Moses’ previous reference to heaven and earth; he tells his people that at all times they need to proclaim the greatness of the Lord both in heaven an on earth; this is similar to the psalmist proclaiming in Psalms 69,35: הללוהו שמים וארץ, “praise the heavens and the earth!” The psalmist also phrases this thought when he said (Psalms 19,2) השמים מספרים כבוד אל, “the heavens tell of the glory of G-d.” We do all this whenever we read the Torah in public and a forum of ten male adults is present. The prophet Jeremiah, 33,25, has taught us that G-d is on record as saying that if it were not for His covenant with the Jewish people, He would not consider it worthwhile to have created the universe, i.e. day or night and all of nature that goes with it. The letters in the names of G-d themselves provide a hint, 6 letters which in addition to the four directions of earth point to heaven and earth themselves, [i.e. the number 6 reminding us of the number of days G-d took to create our universe.]

כי שם ה' אקרא, these words have been interpreted by the author of the Targum Jerusalem (32.3) as meaning that Moses prophesied: “woe to you sinful the gentiles who mention the Holy Name of the Lord;” Even the angels are not able to pronounce that holy name until after the Jewish people here on earth have proclaimed it in the kedushah, by saying: קדוש קדוש קדוש three times. It was Moses who here provided the key to praising G-d in this mode. There are 21 words from the beginning of our portion, containing 85 letters. According to the Sifri, Moses said: “I am satisfied to be immediately behind in rank to seven angels,” i.e. to recite the holy Name of G-d after these twenty one words. This is the reason why the sages arranged for the part of our daily prayers known as “kedushah” to comprise a total of 21 words. [The 21 words are: נקדש את שמך בעולם כשם שמקדישים אותו בשמי מרום, וכן כתוב על יד נביאך וקרא זה אל זה ואמר קדוש קדוש קדוש. In the corresponding morning kedushah prayer on Sabbath mornings, there are 85 words, beginning with: נקדישך ונעריצך כסוד שיח שרפי קודש המקדישים שמך בקודש וגו'. We are not allowed to pronounce the critical words: קדוש קדוש קדוש until after an introduction of 85 words. The same is true of the kedushah prayer in the mussaph service, which commences with words: 'כתר יתנו לך המוני מעלה וגו.]

הצור תמים פעליו, “The Rock, all of whose works are perfect;” this is again a reference to the “heaven and earth,” and the four directions on earth, north south, east and west.

תמים פעליו, all of G-d’s activities are performed in a perfect manner, as opposed to the works performed by man. When a human being constructs a building it will always be found that when he reviews it, that he had omitted something which needs replacing, adding, removing, or changing. Not so with anything G-d has constructed. One of the reasons man cannot complete something perfectly at the first try is that he has not created the raw materials that he uses in the building’s construction.

כי כל דרכיו משפט, “for all His ways are just;” Moses wants to tell the Jewish people that although in the limited time that man spends on earth he cannot always live long enough; however, all that G-d has planned works out perfectly in the end, the fact is that G-d judges His people first for their wrong doings, (something that results in their repentance and rehabilitation) whereas He deals with the gentile nations later but they will not then have a chance to rehabilitate themselves.) The details of how this works will be spelled out in the verses following.

שחת לו לא בניו, “Is corruption His? No His children’s is the blemish.” Did G-d cause them to become corrupted, so that they would no longer be His children? Compare Hoseah 2,1: !לא עמי אתם, “You are not My people!” Rather it was your sins which have made you corrupt, so that you are no longer fit to be identified with your “father” in heaven.

בניו מומם, “His children have become blemished, have caused it themselves;” Compare Leviticus 22,25, (according to Seforno) כי משחתם בהם מום בם, “for their corruption is within them, not only external.”

?הלה' תגמלו זאת, ”is this how you requite the Lord?” Do you repay His favours to you by worshipping other deities?

ולא חכם, ”you surely are most unwise!” You have not acquired any wisdom. The word is a verb, i.e. החכים, “he became wise.” The reason why we have two vowels kametz here is on account of the phrase here terminating with the dividing cantillation sign etnachta.

קנך, from תקון, healthy, in good condition. Compare Psalms 78,54: הר זה קנתה ימינו, “His right hand had acquired this mountain.”

זכור ימות עולם, “remember the days of old;” Moses now proceeds to remind the people of a whole list of acts of loving kindness G-d had performed for them (B’chor shor)

בינו שנות דור ודור, “consider the years of many generations.” G-d had prepared a specific land on earth for the Jewish people already long before they had come into existence. (B’chor shor)

בהנחל עליון גוים, “When the Most High gave to the gentile nations, etc.;” He allocated to each nation its territory on earth.

בהפרידו בני אדם, “at the time when He separated the children of man,” i.e. after the destruction of the Tower they had built. (Genesis chapter 11, 19)

יצב גבולות עמים למספר בני ישראל, “He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the Children of Israel.” He set aside 12 portions of land for the as yet unborn 12 founding fathers of the Jewish nation. There is a tradition that the twelve sons of Canaan (listed in Genesis chapter 10, where eleven have been named) who used to be slaves of the descendants of Shem, son of Noach, as per the curse of their grandfather Noach, received the lands which in due course were taken over from them by the 12 tribes of Israel under the leadership of Joshua. When the Israelites took over, the former inhabitants had no legal claim against the at all, as whatever slaves “own,” is really the property of their masters, and seeing that the Israelites were descendants of Shem, the Canaanites’ master, they had not had any title to that land ever. It is not surprising that one these tribes of Canaan split into two, during the approximately 300 years between the end of the deluge and the time of Avraham. The author has mentioned this tradition already in his commentary on Leviticus 20,24.

כי חלק ה׳ עמו, “for the portion of the Lord is His people.” He took His own share just as all the nations of the earth took a share each. (B’chor shor)

יעקב חבל נחלתו, “Yaakov the lot of His inheritance;” there is a repetition here as the word חבל is understood as meaning the same as the word חלק. We find this word used in this sense in Psalms 16.6: חבלים נפלו לי, “tracts of land have fallen to my lot;” the same word is also used as meaning: “inheritance,” as one measures land by using a חבל, “rope.” (B’chor shor)

בדד ינחנו, “the Lord all by Himself did lead him;” in the Sifri, the word ינחנו is perceived as derived from מנוחה “rest;” G-d is understood by Moses as promising that in the future the Jewish people will experience rest and contentment in the world.

ירכיבהו על במותי ארץ, “He would make him ride on the high places on the earth;” we have a parallel of this promise in Isaiah 58,14: והרכבתיך על במותיך תדרוך, “I’ll set you astride the heights of the earth.”

במותי ארץ, “the princes of the earth;” as in Deuteronomy 33 29: ואתה על במותימו תדרוך, “and you shall tread on their high places.” The letter ו is extraneous, and the letter מ should have a short vowel kametz, chataf kametz.

ויניקהו דבש מסלע, “He made him suck honey from a rock;” this is a reference to the honey from dates which grows on palm trees between rocks and in the mountains. An alternate interpretation: the honey found in the crags of rocks is bee honey, as the bees hide it there. (B’chor shor) This would be in accordance with Rabbi Joseph quoted in the Targum when interpreting the line; כאשר תעשינה הדבורים, “as the bees produce”, on Deuteronomy 1,44.

ושמן מחלמיש צור, “and oil out of a flinty rock.” It is the habit of olive trees to grow in areas surrounded by rocky earth., on Deuteronomy 1,44.

עם חלב כליות חטה, “with the kidney fat of wheat.” With the fat from the best grades of wheat, i.e. this kind of wheat is likened to the fat surrounding the kidneys. The kernels of such wheat are described as big as a kidney. These kernels have an indentation and a shape similar to kernels of wheat.

עשהו, “Who made him;” the word: עשה here is a simile for wealth, עושר, as in Numbers 24,18: וישראל עושה חיל, where it means that Israel is abandoning the G-d who has made it wealthy.” [This editor admits that he has not understood the interpretation nor its comparison to Numbers 24,18.]

לשדים, “to demons;” the word is derived from the root שדד, “to ruin, lay waste.” Demons have that effect on the brains of human beings. (B’chor shor)

לא ידעום, “that they have not known;” the brain of human beings is described as not possessing knowledge, as opposed to G-d Who is always described as “knowing,” i.e. וידע אלוקים, (Exodus 2,25) or כי ידעתי את מכאוביו, ”for I have known its pains;” (Exodus 3, 7) The socalled “deities” which idolaters worship have absolutely no knowledge of the emotions of the people who worship them. As to the reason why such “deities” cannot help their worshippers, this is because they are new, often even of more recent origin than their worshippers, .חדשים מקרוב באו

לא שערום אבותיכם, “your fathers had not been in dread of them.” (their hairs, שער, did not stand on edge in fear of them.) Seeing that they did not punish your forefathers, פקד, you had no reason to fear them and sinned relentlessly.

צור ילדך, “of the Rock that begot you,” the word is used in the conjugation kal, actively, although its meaning is causative; we find an example of this mode in Genesis 10,24: וארפכשד ילד את שלח, “and Arpachshad sired Shalach,” instead of הוליד. Similarly, in the same verse: ושלח ילד את עבר, “and Shalach sired Ever.”

תשי, “was unmindful;” the letter י in this word, is just like the letter י in Jeremiah 18,23: אלתמחי, where it is also superfluous and the prophet could have written: אל תמח, “do not wipe out!”

מחוללך, “that bore you;” a reminder how when you were (brought out of Egypt you danced for joy and sang songs; מחולות, dances.

אסתירה פני מהם, “I will hide My face from them;” by doing so I will await what awaits them when I do not supervise their fate every minute. We will see how useful the stars will be which they worship instead of Me. (B’chor shor)

כי דור תהפוכות המה, “for they are a perverse generation;” only yesterday they said: “we will carry out everything the Lord bids us to do as soon as we will hear the details;” (Exodus 24,7) today they say to a golden calf: “you have taken us out of Egypt.” (Exodus 32,4)

בלא עם, “with a vile nation.” (literally, a nonation). Compare Isaiah 23,13: "זה העם לא היה" “this nation never existed.”

כי אש קדחה באפי, “for a fire is kindled in My ostril;” the jealousy kindled that fire in G-d’s nostril. An alternate interpretation of this simile: though written in the active mode, this word is to be understood as if it had been written in the passive mode, i.e. נקדחה. We have other examples of words written in the active mode actually portraying something that has happened, i.e. passive; one such example is found in Genesis 14,3: כל אלה חברו, “all these (kings) came together,” whereas we would have expected the reflexive/passive mode נתחברו. (Compare Ibn Ezra)

ותאכל ארץ ויבולה, “ it has consumed the earth and its produce.” This happened in order to starve your people.

ותלהט מוסדי הרים, “and sets ablaze the foundations of the mountains.” Anyone hiding beneath the mountains will be forced to flee from fear of the approaching enemies. As an example, we may recall Judges 6,2, when the Israelites had dug tunnels to hide in caves from their adversaries under the mountains. An alternate interpretation of this simile: “setting the base of mountains ablaze,” means that they could not flee there on account of the fire.

אספה, “I will heap;” from the word אסיפה, collecting. The root is used also in Numbers 32,14: לספות עוד על חרון אף ה', “to augment still further G-d’s anger.

מזי רעב, “the wasting due to famine;” burned by hunger; compare Daniel 3,19, למזי לאתונא, “to heat up the kiln;”

ולחמי רשף, “their flesh consumed by the vultures;” compare Proverbs 9,5: לכו לחמו בלחמי, “come and eat my bread;” (compare the commentaries on that phrase there.) Compare also Job 5,7: ובני רשף יגביהו עוף, “as the sparks fly upwards.”

אמרתי אפאיהם, “I said I would make an end of them;” the word is related to פיאה, “corner, remnant,” I would not even leave a remnant of them. (B’chor shor)

ולא ה' פעל כל זאת, “and that not the Lord had brought all this about.” [Moses is quoting the enemies of the Jewish people. Ed.] They deny that our misfortune was G-d’s way of chastising His people.

כי גוי אובד עצות המה , “for they are a people void of counsel;” There are two opposing interpretations in the Sifri concerning who are the subject in this phrase; according to Rabbi Yehudah, the subject are the Jewish people; according to Rabbi Nechemyah, the subject are the gentile nations, who have no concept of how G-d’s ways of educational punishment works. According to RabbiNechemyah the words refer to what the gentile nations were quoted as saying in verse 27. According to Rabbi Yehudah, the Jewish people had rejected all the sound advice G-d had given them about how to live their lives by following the rules of the Torah.

לו חכמו, “if they (the Israelites) had been wise;” ישכילו זאת, “they would understand this;” Moses will elaborate on what the “this” is.

יבינו לאחריתם, “they would understand that what has happened to them lately had been the natural result of their disloyalty to the covenant they had entered into with Hashem. What should have made them realise all this?

איכה ירדוף וגו, “how could one chase a thousand? How could a situation have changed so radically that whereas previously one Israelite could put 1000 gentiles to flight, and two Israelites could put ten thousand adversaries to flight, whereas now one gentile can put one thousand Israelites to flight, whereas by now the situation is reversed? Not only must we marvel at this fact but we must ask ourselves why something like this could have happened? Is it not obvious that this could only have happened because our “Rock” has abandoned us? Our author sites as proof that Moses was not exaggerating (Judges 20,10).

רבבה, “ten thousand;”

ושנים יניסו רבבה “and two men can put ten thousand of their adversaries to flight;” in other words, one can even put five thousand of the enemy to flight. When the Israelites were loyal to the Torah, the Torah described Leviticus 26,8, five as putting one hundred of the enemy to flight. When they were disloyal to the Torah the ratio of their enemies putting them to flight is multiplied; in fact when the Israelites pursue their enemies they catch them so fast that no astronomical figures have to be mentioned. The enemies fall before them like flies, do not need to be pursued for any great distance. When the Torah speaks of us fleeing, it does not mention being killed, rather it mentions that we will be so nervous that even when no pursuer is in sight we will flee. (Leviticus 26,17)

כי לא כצורנו צורם, “for not like our Rock, is their “rock;” this is still part of the rhetorical question asked by Moses in verse 30: “how can one man pursue one thousand?” In spite of all this, our enemies still insist on sitting in judgment of us! Our erstwhile success and present failure can only be ascribed to Divine interference both then and now. It is due to their Rock having sold them because of their sins.”

כי מגפן סדום גפנם, “for is then their vine of the vine of Sodom, and are then their grapes those that originate in Amora? (sister city of Sodom of old) Are all their thoughts sinful as the ones from those two cities, and is there nothing remotely sacred left in their philosophies? Did I not plant them as noble vines, etc.? (Jeremiah 2,21)

הלא הוא כמוס עמדי, “is this not laid up in store with Me?” Moses refers to the day when retribution for all their sins will come, as will be explained forthwith.

לי נקם ושלם, “vengeance is Mine and recompense;” G-d will pay back to the Jewish people for all the sins that He had to watch them indulge in.

וחש עתידות למו, “and the things that are to come will make haste in arriving. This is one of the examples of masculine and feminine modes being used apparently indiscriminately. [The word עתידות is in the feminine mode, whereas the word למו, is an adjective in the masculine mode. Ed.] Other examples of such inconsistent grammatical combinations are found in: Deut, 22,23: כי יהיה נערה בתולה, when there is (masculine pronoun) “when there is a young virgin;” or in Deut. 21,3: והיה העיר הקרובה, “and the nearest city will be etc.; the word עיר is feminine, where as the pronoun והיה is in the masculine mode. The author quotes more such examples. And so in this verse: וחש is masculine and עתידות feminine. Ed.]

כי ידין, “for He will judge, etc.” this kind of judgment involves the sinner having to endure painful experiences on his body. An example of this is found in Job 36,31: בם ידין עמים, “by means of these things He controls people” (judges people), giving or denying them their food supply.

ועל עבדיו יתנחם, “and He will repent Himself for His servants.” When His erstwhile servants who had become disloyal but had subsequently done penitence, He will repent His harsh decrees. We find confirmation of this in Jeremiah18,8.

כי יראה כי אזלת יד, “when He sees that its strength is spent;” compare Isaiah 51,21: ושכורת ולא מיין, “and drunk but not from wine.”

ואמר אי אלהימו, and it is said: “where are their deities?” (a mocking question by Israel’s enemies) It makes fun of the people whom G-d had spent so much effort to redeem from Egypt, and who by now have fallen so low. All the deities they worship now in lieu of their G-d do not have the power between them to help them.

אשר חלב זבחימו יאכלו, “who did eat the fat of their sacrifices;” the sacrifices offered by the gentile nations to their respective deities. The fact is that the gentiles themselves consume the “offerings” they present to their inert deities.

יקומו ויעזרכם, “let them arise now and help you!” The Israelites will say this about the deities of the gentiles when the time for their own salvation has come.

ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא, “See now that I, even I am He;” thus says the Lord to the nations that had enslave Israel.

כי אני אני הוא, “I am the One Who will not change, always remain the same;”

אני אמית ואחיה, “I kill and I resurrect;” about Him it has been said: ובלע המות לנצח, “He will do away with death forever;” (Isaiah 25,8) now the time has come that I will bring to life מחצתי, “I have wounded;” a reference to what He did to the Israelites in the not too distant past; ואני ארפה, “and I heal;” from now on I will heal them to remain well permanently.

כי אשא אל שמים ידי, “for I lift up my hand to heaven;” as do human beings in order to ensure that the people present will listen to them.

ותאחז ידי, and My hand will hold on to judgment;” holding on to the sword with one’s hand, in order to administer justice.

אשכיר חצי מדם, “I will make My arrows drunk with blood.” Concerning this we read in Ezekiel 21,12: הנה באה ונהיתה נאם ה', “Behold!, it comes and has happened.” אשכיר חצי מדם, “how is it possible for arrows to become drunk with blood? The meaning is that G-d will make others drunk when they see what His arrows have accomplished. (Sifri)

וחרבי תאכל בשר, “and My sword shall devour flesh.” How is it possible for a sword to devour flesh? It means that G-d will arrange for others to be fed with meat as a result of what My sword has accomplished. This can be compared to what Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 39,17: בן אדם אמור לצפור כל כנף ולכל חית השדה האספו מסביב על זבחי, “Now you, Ben Adam, says My Lord, Hashem, say to every winged bird and to the beasts in the field: ‘gather around Me, and take part in My feast,’ etc.” Our author quotes several more verses from Scripture containing a similar message; (Ezekiel 39,18, 39,19, including the use of the word “becoming drunk.”) This is the interpretation given by Sifri.

מדם חלל ושביה, “from the blood of the slain and the captives (wounded?)” from what My arrows have done to the slain and the wounded of My people

מראש פרעות אויב, “from the longhaired head of the enemy.” This verse has been truncated; it should read: מפרעות ראש אויב, “from the long haired enemy chiefs.”

Rabbi Nechemyah interprets the whole sequence commencing with verse 27:

27.דינו רמה וגו' פן יאמרו, completely differently, understanding it as being addressed to the nations of the world.

28. כי גוי אובד עצות המה, “for any of the gentile nations are each a nation completely deprived of counsel, seeing that they do not even observe the seven basic laws given by the Lord to all of mankind, and they do not practice them.

29. לו חכמו, “had they possessed any wisdom;” if they had possessed any wisdom they would have understood that if one man could have put a thousand of the enemy to flight, this could never have been possible by natural means, but only because this one man had been supported by a superior heavenly force, i.e. the G-d Who had taken the Jewish people out of Egypt. Similarly, if now one of their enemies could frighten a thousand of them, this could also only have been possible because their G-d had abandoned them at that point.

יבינו לאחריתם, they would have realised that something similar or worse would happen to them for having enslaved the Jewish people, G-d’s people, as we know from verse 35 וחש עתידות למו, “this will come to pass speedily.”

30. אם לא כי צורם מכרם, “unless their Rock had sold them.” This is the only reason why a single gentile had been able to put a thousand of them to flight. All of this the gentile nations should have understood.

31. כי לא כצורנו צורם, “for their Rock is not like our rock, i.e. weak.” This is also why our enemies, the Jewish people, in the past had been able to lord it over us.

32. כי מגפן סדום גפנם, “why did their Rock sell them? Because they acted as if their origin had been the vines of Sodom, and because they behaved at if they had been planted in Amorah. We have proof of this from the writings of Isaiah 3,9: “they avow their sins like Sodom and they do not conceal them.” None of them are good, they have all become confirmed sinners, but for the longest time due to G-d’s patience He had not demanded an accounting from them.

34. הלא הוא כמוס עמדי, “what the gentile nations have been saying about My people, i.e. that they originated in Sodom and Amorah, is quite untrue; in fact I, the Lord have planted them as a noble plant.” (Jeremiah 2,21)

35. לי נקם ושלם, “vengeance is Mine and the right to pay back the gentile nations;”לעת תמוט רגלם, “at the time when their feet shall slip.” (that of the gentile nations) כי קרוב ים אידם, “for the day of their calamity is near.”

36. כי ידין, “for He will judge (those nations);” כי יראה, “when He sees;” Why will He choose that time to exact vengeance? because these nations had taken advantage of the Jewish people when these had been at a low point in their fortunes.

37. The gentile nations had called out with glee: “where is their famous G-d now?”

38. אשר חלב זבחימו יאכלו, “the G-d of Israel will consume the fate of its offerings;” יקומו ויעזרכם, “may they (these deities) arise and help you.” Seeing that the gentiles have blasphemed in such a manner the G-d of Israel will duly punish them.

39. ראו עתה כי אני הוא, the reader is referred to the author’s commentary on this verse above.

ואין מידי מציל, “and no one can save them from My hand.” This is G-d’s reply to the sarcastic words of the gentiles in verse 38.

הרנינו גוים עמו “sing aloud o you nations!” this is not a song of joy but a lament, similar to what we read in Lamentations 2,19: קומי רני בלילה, “arise cry out in the night!” These words are addressed to the nations which have enslaved the Jewish people. Why are these nations now to sing songs of mourning? Because G-d is avenging the innocent blood of Jews that has been spilled by them. An alternate interpretation of the words הרניו, etc.; “sing a song of praise nations, before the Lord!” Who are the “nations” that are supposed to sing this song of praise? The Israelites His people, seeing that He has avenged their blood. A third interpretation of this line: all the nations are urged to sing of praise of G-d’s people, the Jewish people. He has avenged their oppressors, i.e. the blood of His servants.

וכפר, “and make expiation;” the word is used as one indicating pacification, appeasement. Compare Genesis 32,21, when Yaakov sends costly gifts to his brother Esau in order to make him forget that he had once taken his blessing The word by which he described this was אכפרה פניו, “I wish to appease him.”

אדמתו עמו, “for the land of His people.” In classical Hebrew we find words where the letter ו is missing at the beginning of the word, such as Leviticus 21,14 וחללה זונה where we would have expected a connective letter ו at the beginning of the word זונה. Another example of that letter being missing is found in Chabakuk 3,11: ,שמש ירח עמד זבולה, “sun (and) moon stand still on high,” where the connective letter ו is missing before the word ירח, “moon.” In our verse also the letter ו is missing at the beginning of the word עמו, His people. G-d wishes to appease the earth of the Holy Land for having burdened it with absorbing blood shed of innocent Jews, by taking His revenge from the antisemites.

ויבא משה וידבר, “Moses came and spoke, etc.” this is a reference to what we read in Deut: 31,30: “Moses spoke in the ears of the people, etc.;”

הוא והושע בן נון, “he and Joshua son of Nun;” They had both been commanded by G-d in chapter 31,14: “present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting and I will issue a command.” There is also another occasion when G-d commands Moses and Joshua simultaneously, to write down Moses’ parting song/poem for the people (in verse 19 chapter 31.) Why does the Torah here call Joshua by his birth name Hoshea? It is the custom of kings to instruct their servants in this manner Compare Joseph in Genesis 41,45, or Daniel and Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah being commanded by the king to change their Hebrew names (Daniel 1,7). In this instance, now that Joshua has become the King of the Israelites, he is addressed again by his original name of Hosea. Nonetheless, seeing the people had been used to his name Joshua already, this name is used in Scripture in most instances.

כי לא דבר רק הוא מכם, “for it is no vain thing for you;” You will not perform all these commandments without compensation. If you do not study the Torah you will not know when you will be guilty of transgressing a law and will die on account of this. (A reference to actively transgressing negative commandments) By the same token you will not know which commandments to fulfill in order to qualify for the rewards in store for you, and you will miss out on that.

בעצם היום הזה, “on this very day,” when he composed the song.

אשר על פני יריחו, “facing Jericho, with only the river Jordan intervening in between.