THEREFORE THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD. Since the Lord multiplied you, you are obligated to love Him. Our verse adds always.¹

footnotes: ¹ Thus our verse does not merely repeat Deut. 10:12.

I SPEAK NOT WITH YOUR CHILDREN THAT HAVE NOT KNOWN. The answer is², but your eyes have seen (v. 7).³ It⁴ (v. 7). means these wonders are not future phenomena which your children shall see. On the contrary, you yourselves have witnessed them.

footnotes: ² The question raised by our verse is, “If God did not speak with their children, to whom was He speaking?” ³ In other words, verse 7 concludes the thought raised in our verse. I.E.’s point is that our verse is to be understood, I speak not with your children…but with you whose eyes have seen the great deeds that God wrought. ⁴ …but your eyes have seen

HIS GREATNESS, HIS MIGHTY HAND, AND HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARM. In taking you out of Egypt.

AND HIS SIGNS, AND HIS WORKS. Unto Pharaoh, for he was most important.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Our verse mentions Pharaoh, either because he was the most important Egyptian or because he was the main source of Israel’s trouble (Weiser).

HE MADE…TO OVERFLOW. The word hetzif (made to overflow) is related to the word tzafu (flowed)⁶. in Waters flowed over my head (Lam. 3:54).

footnotes: ⁶ From the root tzadi, vav, feh

DESTROYED THEM. Its meaning is, their children did not arise in their place to be like them.⁷. However, the Egyptians were not wiped off the face of the earth. Hence I.E.’s interpretation that the meaning of our verse is, God destroyed the type of Egyptians who enslaved and pursued the Israelites.

footnotes: ⁷ Our verse tells us that God destroyed the Egyptians unto this day

AND WHAT HE DID UNTO YOU IN THE WILDERNESS. The reference is to the manna.

AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS.⁸ The reference is to their wives and to their children.

footnotes: ⁸ Literally, and their houses.

AND EVERY LIVING SUBSTANCE. Yekum (substance) is an all-inclusive term.⁹ usually applies to living creatures. I.E. points out that here it applies to all sorts of property.

footnotes: ⁹ Yekum

THAT FOLLOWED THEM. Be-raglehem (that followed them) means because of them.¹⁰ literally means at their feet. Hence I.E.’s comment. On the other hand, the term may be taken literally.¹¹ Since you have seen all of this,¹² take heed so that you observe God’s commandments.¹³

footnotes: ¹⁰ Be-raglehem ¹¹ That is, those who walked in their footsteps, that is, those that followed them. ¹² The acts of God described in verses 1-6. ¹³ I.E.’s paraphrase of verses 7 and 8.

AND POSSESS. The resh in vi-yerishtem (and possess) is vocalized with a chirik¹⁴ is the word yerashtem plus the conversive vav. Thus our word should have read vi-yerashtem. Hence I.E.’s comment. because the vav¹⁵. is vocalized with a chirik.

footnotes: ¹⁴ Rather than with a pattach. Vi-yerishtem ¹⁵ Of vi-rishtem

FOR THE LAND. Here is another reason why you are obligated to observe God’s commandments. The land is not like the land of Egypt. On the contrary, the land needs God to keep His eye on it.¹⁶ The meaning of our verse can be understood with the following parable. The Lord will act like a person who sees all that the land needs and will give everything in its time.

footnotes: ¹⁶ The land requires God’s supervision.

FROM THE BEGINNING. Me-reshit (from the beginning) is spelled without an alef.¹⁷ is usually spelled with an alef. There are many such instances.¹⁸ is dropped. Scripture therefore¹⁹ goes on to say, And it shall come to pass (v. 13); and I will give the rain of your land in its season (v. 14).²⁰ This is what Scripture means by the eyes of the Lord are always upon it.²¹

footnotes: ¹⁷ The world reshit ¹⁸ Where a silent alef ¹⁹ That is, because the land requires God’s supervision. ²⁰ That is, Scripture states that God will give rain in its season if Israel observes God’s laws, because the land requires God’s supervision. God will care for the land if Israel observes His commandments. ²¹ It means that God looks upon the land to see whether the inhabitants are observing His laws.

THE FORMER RAIN. The word yoreh (former rain) refers to rain which indicates²² literally means to show or teach. a good year. It comes at the beginning of the year.²³

footnotes: ²² The word yoreh ²³ The early rain is an indicator of an abundance of rain.

AND THE LATTER RAIN. The meaning of malkosh (the latter rain) is known.²⁴ refers to the early rain, then malkosh must refer to the later rain.

footnotes: ²⁴ If yoreh

AND THOU SHALT EAT AND BE SATISFIED. This refers to thy corn, and thy wine (v. 14), not to that which comes immediately before it²⁵ namely, grass in thy fields.

footnotes: ²⁵ Literally, near it.

HER FRUIT. I have previously explained the meaning of yevulah (her fruit).²⁶

footnotes: ²⁶ See I.E. on Lev. 26:4.

AND YE PERISH QUICKLY. They will be exiled from the land like those who perish in hunger.²⁷ Now, since the land is good, you are therefore obligated to take these words to heart.²⁸

footnotes: ²⁷ In other words, you will be driven from the land by hunger. ²⁸ So that you are not exiled from the land.

FOR FRONTLETS. Its meaning has been explained.²⁹ If you will take My words to heart, you will not be exiled from the land, and your days upon the land shall be as long as the days of the heaven above the earth.

footnotes: ²⁹ See I.E. on Deut. 6:8.

FOR IF YE SHALL DILIGENTLY KEEP. The meaning of our verse is: I told you that you will quickly be driven from the good land.³⁰ Know that you will not initially enter the land, and you will not be victorious if you do not keep the commandments of God.³¹

footnotes: ³⁰ If you worship idols. ³¹ The section dealing with exile from the land precedes our section. Scripture in effect says: not only will you be exiled from the land if in the future you worship idols, but if you do so now, you will not even be permitted to enter the land.

TO LOVE. With your heart.

TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS. Not to change or overturn.³²

footnotes: ³² God’s laws.

AND TO CLEAVE UNTO HIM. Ultimately.³³ This is a great secret.³⁴, p. 143.

footnotes: ³³ When the soul leaves the body. ³⁴ According to I.E. cleaving to God entails leading a life wherein one strictly observes God’s commandments, masters the sciences, learns about the throne of glory, and masters the secret of the chariot seen by Ezekiel. See The Secret of the Torah

BEHOLD. Moses speaks to each individual.³⁵ (behold) is in the singular. That which follows is in the plural. Hence I.E.’s comment.

footnotes: ³⁵ The word re’eh

THE BLESSING, IF YE SHALL HEARKEN. For if you hearken, behold, you are blessed.³⁶ A blessing means an addition of the good.³⁷ A curse means a diminution.³⁸ The word kelalah (curse) is related to the word kallah (light).³⁹

footnotes: ³⁶ If you observe the commandments, you will automatically be blessed. ³⁷ Such as children, wealth, strength, health, and the like. See I.E. on Gen. 2:3 (Vol. 1, p. 50). ³⁸ Of the good. See I.E. on Gen. 3:14 and the notes thereto (Vol. 1, p. 70). ³⁹ When one is cursed, the good which he has is taken away. He is therefore “lighter.”

THAT THOU SHALT SET THE BLESSING. Verbally,⁴⁰ means utter the blessings. as in and he shall put them⁴¹ upon the head of the goat (Lev. 16:21).⁴²

footnotes: ⁴⁰ Set the blessing ⁴¹ The sins of Israel. ⁴² One cannot put sins on a goat. Hence it means to confess the sins over the goat.

BEYOND THE JORDAN. To one standing on the side of the wilderness.⁴³ generally applies to the eastern bank of the Jordan. I.E. points out that here it applies to the western bank of the Jordan. It is also called beyond the Jordan to one standing on the eastern bank, which contains the wilderness.

footnotes: ⁴³ The eastern bank of the Jordan, where Israel presently was. Beyond the Jordan

BEHIND THE WAY OF THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN. This means when you follow the western road you will find them.⁴⁴

footnotes: ⁴⁴ The mountains.

IN THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES THAT DWELL IN THE ARABAH. For there are Canaanites who dwell in the mountain.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁵ Hence Scripture delineates which group of Canaanites it speaks of.

OVER AGAINST GILGAL. The mountains are long.⁴⁶ Look. Moses specified the place⁴⁷ by command. Over against Gilgal is similar to and pursued as far as Dan (Gen. 14:14).⁴⁸ It is possible that it was prophetically stated,⁴⁹ or we are dealing with two names.⁵⁰

footnotes: ⁴⁶ Hence Scripture delineates which part of the mountain is to be involved in the ritual. ⁴⁷ Of the ritual. ⁴⁸ Gilgal received its name in the days of Joshua. See Josh. 5:9. The question thus arises how could Moses employ a name which was not in existence during his lifetime. Hence I.E. points out that our verse is similar to Gen. 14:14. There, Scripture uses the term Dan with regard to an episode in the life of Abraham, even though the place could not have had this name in Abraham’s time, for Dan was named after the son of Jacob. ⁴⁹ That Moses used the name Gilgal prophetically. ⁵⁰ Two places with the same name. Gilgal in Josh. 5:9 is not the same as the Gilgal mentioned in our verse. The same would apply to Dan in Gen. 14:14.

OVER AGAINST. The word mul means over against.

BESIDE THE TEREBINTHS OF MOREH. This is the same place as mentioned in the days of Abraham.⁵¹ Scripture will later on state the blessings and the curses.

footnotes: ⁵¹ See Gen. 12:6.

FOR YE ARE TO PASS OVER. This means, thus shall you commence to do and the land will be yours eternally for an inheritance.