BUT THE SEVENTH YEAR ‘TISHM’TENAH U’N'TASHTAH’ (THOU SHALT LET IT REST AND LIE FALLOW). “Tishm’tenah — by not tilling it. U’n'tashtah by not eating of its produce after ‘the time of removal.’³⁵⁸ Another interpretation: Tishm’tenah — from real work, such as plowing and sowing; u’n'tashtah — from hoeing or manuring it.” This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct, for according to the law of the Torah we have only been warned against plowing and sowing in the seventh year, but hoeing and manuring, and even weeding, hoeing under the vines, and cutting away thorns, and all other forms of agricultural work, are not forbidden by law of the Torah. This is the conclusion that the Rabbis came to [after a discussion of this matter] at the beginning of Tractate Moed Katan in the Chapter Mashkin:³⁵⁹ that the Merciful One forbade only plowing and sowing in the seventh year, but did not prohibit secondary kinds of work [such as hoeing, manuring, etc.], which are all forbidden only by Rabbinic ordinance, and the verse mentioned [there in the Talmud] in connection with these secondary kinds of work is a mere support in the Scriptural text.³⁶⁰ Note 449. Similarly, the law of “removal”³⁵⁸ is not derived from this verse [as Rashi explained here]. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “Tishm’tenah means: every creditor ‘shamot’ (shall release) that which he hath lent unto his neighbor.³⁶¹ — U’n'tashtah means that you should not sow your field.” But it is not a correct comment. Instead, [the true explanation is that] Scripture first said, six years thou shalt sow and gather in the increase thereof,³⁶² but the seventh year ‘tishm’tenah’ — you should not sow your land; u’n'tashtah — you should not gather in its increase, but instead you are to leave it so that the poor of your people and the beasts of the field may eat the fruits of the tree and the produce of the vineyard. In a similar sense is the verse, ‘v’nitash’ the seventh year,³⁶³ [which thus means: “and we will not gather in the increase of the field in the seventh year”].

footnotes: ³⁵⁸ See Leviticus 25:6-7. The produce of the Sabbatical year which grows of its own accord may be eaten by humans and animals in the house, as long as the wild beasts are able to eat of that produce in the field. But when it is no longer found by the wild beasts in the field, the food has to be “removed” from the house and made available to all alike. ³⁵⁹ Literally: “We may water” [an irrigated field…]. — Moed Katan 2 b-3a. ³⁶⁰ See in Seder Yithro ³⁵⁸ See Leviticus 25:6-7. The produce of the Sabbatical year which grows of its own accord may be eaten by humans and animals in the house, as long as the wild beasts are able to eat of that produce in the field. But when it is no longer found by the wild beasts in the field, the food has to be “removed” from the house and made available to all alike. ³⁶¹ Deuteronomy 15:2. ³⁶² Verse 10. ³⁶³ Nehemiah 10:32.

L’MA’AN’ (THAT) THINE OX AND THINE ASS MAY HAVE REST. Because the word l’ma’an is like ba’avur (“in order that”), we must explain³⁶⁴ neither can it be referring to a case where the owner works together with the animal, for if that were so, why does the Torah not mention that the reason is that he himself should have rest? Hence Ramban explains the verse in the following way: “Six days thou shalt do thy work in such a manner as if it were all completed by the Sabbath-day, so that the animal can have rest by itself on that day.” that the verse is stating: “Six days you shall do all your work in the house and in the field, in order that the ox and the ass may have rest on the seventh day. And the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed — in order that they all be witnesses to the Creation.” The verse here is then similar in meaning to: Bake that which ye will bake.³⁶⁵ Similarly He said, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work,³⁶⁶, 20:9. as I have explained there.

footnotes: ³⁶⁴ Ramban’s intention is as follows: It cannot be said that the command here is directed to the owner himself, that he should rest on the Sabbath, since it says clearly ‘in order that’ thine ox… may have rest; ³⁶⁵ Above, 16:23. In other words, bake on the sixth day double in order that you should not have to bake on the Sabbath. Here likewise a similar thought is expressed: do all your work in six days so that the animal can have rest on the seventh day. ³⁶⁶ Ibid.

AND IN ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU TAKE YE HEED. Rashi explained: “This verse is intended to bring every positive commandment also under the term of a prohibition,³⁶⁷ on the festival of Succoth] he has also violated thereby a negative commandment as expressed in the verse before us. for wherever the term shmirah (taking heed) or shvithah³⁶⁸” is not found in our Rashi. And correctly so, for the term shvithah can indicate a positive commandment, such as: and on the seventh day ‘tishboth’ (thou shalt rest) — Verse 12. is used in the Torah, it signifies an admonition in the place of an express prohibition.” Now according to his explanation, Rashi will have to say that this verse is a lav sh’bichlaluth [a negative admonition expressed in general terms, so that violation of any or all of the prohibitions included under it does not render one liable to punishment].³⁶⁹ For if that were not so, the court would have to administer whipping to anyone who fails to fulfill any of the positive commandments of the Torah; but in such a prohibition which includes many matters without mentioning specifically any particular transgression, everyone would agree that no whipping is incurred on account of its breach. But [if so, there is the following difficulty with Rashi’s explanation]: the Rabbis have already said³⁷⁰ that the term hishamer (take heed) used in connection with a positive commandment, carries the force of an additional positive commandment; in that case, He has added here [not a negative commandment as Rashi has it], but a mere positive one [since the statement, and in all things that I have said unto you ‘tishameru’ (take ye heed), refers to the positive commandments mentioned in the preceding Verses 10-12]! In the Mechilta the Sages differed as to the explanation of this verse and interpreted it in many ways. In accordance with the plain meaning of Scripture, the explanation of the verse is: “and in all things that I have said unto you concerning other gods take ye heed,” for the verse is to be connected with its continuation, [which states: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth]. Thus He is stating: Of all the many admonitions that I have said to you concerning other gods, take great heed; do not worship them, nor bow down to them, condemn to death anyone who sacrifices to them, and make no graven image, nor any manner of likeness. Moreover, take heed not to mention the name of their gods, such as Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milkom the god of the children of Ammon,³⁷¹ and Ashima the god of Hamath.³⁷² Neither let there be heard out of thy mouth their name, even without the epithet of deity, such as merely mentioning Milkom or Ashima; instead you are to mention them in a manner of condemnation: “the abhorrent thing of Moab,” “the abomination of the children of Ammon.” Or, the expression lo yishama (neither let there be heard), means: let it not be heard from its worshipper through your dealings with him, similarly to that which our Rabbis have said,³⁷³ that one should not make a business—partnership with an idolator, for it might lead to him swearing by his deity. It is possible that lo tazkiru (make no mention) is transitive, meaning: do not mention the name of other gods to their worshippers, such as saying, “By your god! deal kindly with me.” Neither let there be heard out of thy mouth the mention of his name at all. It is this which is said in the Book of Joshua, Neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, nor serve them.³⁷⁴ He added prohibitions in that verse, in order to explain that the admonition here covers not mentioning or causing anyone whomsoever to swear by the foreign gods.

footnotes: ³⁶⁷ So that if one fails to fulfill a positive commandment [as e.g. taking the Lulav ³⁶⁸ “Or shvithah ³⁶⁹ This term is applied to a verse which covers many different prohibitions, none of which is specifically indicated, and therefore the court does not administer punishment for violation thereof. — See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, p. 11, Note 1, for full explanation of this term. ³⁷⁰ Erubin 96a. The opinion is that of Rabbi Ilai. ³⁷¹ I Kings 11:33. ³⁷² II Kings 17:30. ³⁷³ Sanhedrin 63b. ³⁷⁴ Joshua 23:7.

AND THE FEAST OF HARVEST, THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THY LABORS, AND THE FEAST OF INGATHERING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. I do not know why Scripture mentions the names of the festivals with the definite article since He has not yet commanded about or mentioned them at all till now, and it ought to have said first: “and you shall keep a feast of harvest, the first-fruits of your labors,” just as He said in the Book of Deuteronomy, And thou shalt keep a festival of weeks unto the Eternal thy G-d.³⁷⁵ But perhaps because He had already said, Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me in the year,³⁷⁶ and further explained, The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep… in the mouth of Aviv,³⁷⁷ [literally: “maturity”] means the month when the grain becomes full in its ripe state (Rashi). It is the month of spring. meaning that you are to make sure that the Passover festival is observed at the beginning of the month of Aviv, He referred back [to these verses] and said, “And as for the other festival, make sure that it be the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labors, and as for the third one, make sure that it be the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year. Now all these festivals are thus named with reference to man’s activities in the field, in order that he give thanks for them to G-d who guards the ordinances of heaven,³⁷⁸ and brings forth bread out of the earth³⁷⁹ to satisfy the longing soul, and the hungry soul He hath filled with good.³⁸⁰, 107:9. This is Scripture’s intention in using here the expression: el pnei Ha’adon Hashem (three times in the year shall all thy males appear — ‘before the Master, the Eternal’),³⁸¹ for He is the Master who provides the needs of His servants, and when they take their part from before Him, they come to Him to see what He commands them to do. Thus the expression el pnei is like ‘liphnei’ (“before”) — before the Master. But by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the word pnei is derived from the term panim [literally: “face”], and I have already alluded to the explanation of panim in the Ten Commandments.³⁸² This is why He said Ha’adon Hashem (the Master, the Eternal), just as He said the second time, the Master, the Eternal, the G-d of Israel.³⁸³ here is not in the grammatical form of construct with the word Hashem; this is evident from the same expression which occurs a second time [in 34:23] where it is written Hashem Elokei Yisrael, thus indicating that here too the word Hashem is not in construct with Ha’adon (Abusaula). Similarly: *Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Master of all the earth;*³⁸⁴ Tremble, thou earth, ‘miliphnei’ (at the presence) of the Master.³⁸⁵ which is suggestive of panim, as mentioned above (Abusaula).

footnotes: ³⁷⁵ Deuteronomy 16:9. ³⁷⁶ Verse 14 here. ³⁷⁷ Verse 15. — Aviv ³⁷⁸ Jeremiah 33:25. ³⁷⁹ See Psalms 104:14. ³⁸⁰ Ibid. ³⁸¹ Verse 17 here. ³⁸² Above, 20:3. ³⁸³ Further, 34:23. — Ramban’s intention is to suggest that el pnei Ha’adon ³⁸⁴ Joshua 3:11. ³⁸⁵ Psalms 114:7. The allusion is here to the word ‘miliphnei’

THOU SHALT NOT OFFER THE BLOOD OF MY SACRIFICE WITH LEAVENED BREAD. “You shall not slaughter the Passover-offering on the fourteenth day of Nisan before you have removed the leavened bread [from your possession].” This is Rashi’s language. Do not interpret the meaning of this statement of Rashi to refer to the removal of unleavened bread, [and that the verse tells us] that this must take place before the time of slaughtering the Passover-offering, just as is mentioned in the first chapter of Tractate Pesachim:³⁸⁶ (further 34:25), which means: “do not slaughter the Paschal-lamb while the leavened bread is still there.” And since the time for the slaughtering of the Paschal-lamb begins after the sixth hour, we therefore deduce that unleavened bread is forbidden from that time on. When the Gemara further asked: “Perhaps the Torah meant a separate time for each individual, [so that if he slaughtered it on the ninth hour of the day, he would not be in violation of the law against keeping unleavened bread till such time]? To this the answer is given: “The Merciful One has declared a time for the slaughtering of the Passover-offering [for all alike, and He did not distinguish between one person and another]. — Ramban is now writing that Rashi’s explanation was not prompted by this text of the Gemara, for reasons explained further on. “The Merciful One has declared a time for the slaughtering of the Passover-offering for all alike” — for this interpretation is not the real point of the verse in accordance with the final decision of the law mentioned there. For there is no prohibition³⁸⁷ commandment, thus one who failed to remove it from his possession after the sixth hour of that day, has thereby violated a positive commandment. But there is no negative commandment to cover this matter. Hence the verse before us which is a negative commandment cannot be establishing the time for the removal of unleavened bread, since that is covered only by a positive commandment. This is the intention of Ramban’s words. according to the law of the Torah requiring the removal of unleavened bread on the day before Passover, not even is there a prohibition against eating it [but the violation of a positive commandment].³⁸⁸ commandment of the Torah covering it, but one who eats it violates thereby a positive commandment, since he had failed to destroy the unleavened bread beforehand. See, however, “the Commandments,” Vol. II, p. 196, where Rambam differs on this point and counts a specific negative commandment, wherein we are forbidden to eat unleavened bread after the middle of the fourteenth of Nisan. But the subject of the verse as established according to the final decision of the law, is an admonition against slaughtering the Passover-offering with leavened bread, meaning that none of the company who have been counted to eat of this Passover-offering, may have leavened bread remaining in their possession at the time it is slaughtered. And so Rashi explained it in the section of Ki Thisa.³⁸⁹ Now the verse should have read, “Thou shalt not slaughter with unleavened bread My sacrifice” [omitting the word: dam — blood], for the blood is not “slaughtered.” But in the opinion of our Rabbis³⁹⁰ this comes to include the sprinkling, so that the priest who sprinkles the blood of the offering is also forbidden to have leavened bread in his possession. The verse thus states: “Do not slaughter the Passover-offering with unleavened bread, and neither [sprinkle] the blood of My sacrifice,” That is, and neither let the blood of My sacrifice be with unleavened bread. It is an elliptical verse.

footnotes: ³⁸⁶ Reference is to the question that was asked in the Gemara Pesachim [4 b-5 a]: how do we know that unleavened bread is forbidden by law of the Torah after six hours on the fourteenth day of Nisan? To this Rava answered that we derive it from the verse, Thou shalt not slaughter… ³⁸⁷ Ramban’s point is that the duty of removing from one’s possession unleavened bread on the fourteenth day of Nisan, is a matter of a positive ³⁸⁸ Here too Ramban’s opinion is that there is no negative ³⁸⁹ Further, 34:25. “This is an admonition addressed to him who slaughters the offering, as well as to him who sprinkles its blood [on the altar], or to one of the company [that joined together to eat the Paschal-lamb]” (Rashi). ³⁹⁰ Mechilta here on the Verse.

BEHOLD, I SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE THEE. “Here they were informed that they would sin [by worshipping the golden calf] and that the Divine Glory would be saying to them, For I will not go up in the midst of thee.³⁹¹ FOR MY NAME IS IN HIM. This is connected with the beginning of this verse: Take heed of him, for My Name is associated with him. Our Rabbis explained³⁹² that the angel referred to is Mattatron³⁹³]. whose name in numerical value is equal to that of his Master, for the sum of the letter-numbers of the name Mattatron is equal to that of Sha-dai (Almighty).”³⁹⁴ All this is the language of Rashi. In Eileh Shemoth Rabbah³⁹⁵ I have likewise seen that one of the Sages interprets the verse in this way, referring to the worshipping of the calf. But one must ask that [we find that] this decree of I send an angel before thee did not actually take place, for the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Moses, And I will send an angel before thee… for I will not go up in the midst of thee,³⁹⁶ but Moses pleaded for mercy on this and said, *If Thy presence go not, carry us not up hence. For wherein now shall it be known that I have found grace in Thy sight, I and Thy people? is it not in that Thou goest with us?*³⁹⁷, Verses 15-16. And the Holy One, blessed be He, consented to him and told him, I will do also this thing that thou hast spoken.³⁹⁸, Verse 17. Thus also did the Rabbis interpret it:³⁹² “Even as a guide we refused to accept him, as it is written, If Thy presence go not, carry us not up hence.”³⁹⁷, Verses 15-16. The answer according to this opinion of the Rabbis is that this decree was not fulfilled in the days of Moses, and it is with reference to this that Moses said, So that we are distinguished, I and Thy people,³⁹⁹, Verse 16. and G-d answered him, For thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name,³⁹⁸, Verse 17. and He further said, And all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Eternal [that I am about to do];⁴⁰⁰, 34:10. however, after the death of Moses our Teacher He did send with them the angel. It is with reference to this that Scripture states: *And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him: ‘Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? ‘And he said: ‘Nay, but I am captain of the host of the Eternal; I am now come.’*⁴⁰¹ And there you will see that Joshua asked him, *What saith my lord unto his servant?*⁴⁰², Verse 14. Now the angel did not command Joshua anything in connection with his appearance to him, but merely told him, Put off thy shoe from off thy foot,⁴⁰³, Verse 15. nor did he explain why he came. But the vision was for the purpose of informing Joshua that from now on there would be an angel sent before them to go out in the host in battle. It is with reference to this that he said, I am now come.⁴⁰¹ And so did the Sages say in the Tanchuma:⁴⁰⁴, 18. “The angel said to Joshua: ‘I am he who came in the days of Moses your master, and he pushed me away and did not want me to go with him.’” The Rabbis have also said expressly:⁴⁰⁵ “The promise that Israel would not be turned over to ‘a captain’ all the days of Moses now became void; thus as soon as Moses died ‘the captain’ returned to his position, for Joshua saw him, as it is said, And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho… And he said, ‘Nay, but I am captain of the host of the Eternal; I am now come.’⁴⁰¹ This is why it is said, Behold, I send an angel before thee.” By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], this angel they were promised here is the redeeming angel⁴⁰⁶, 31:13) where he quotes this text of Ramban, and explains that the reference is to the Shechinah (the Divine Glory). See in the text Note 419. in whom is the Great Name, for in Y-a-h the Eternal is an everlasting Rock.⁴⁰⁷ This is [what He meant when] He said, I am the G-d of Beth-el,⁴⁰⁸ for it is the custom of the King to dwell in His Palace. He is called mal’ach (angel) because the whole conduct of this world is by that attribute. And our Rabbis have said³⁹² that this is Mattatron, a name which signifies “the guide of the road” — I have already explained this in Seder Bo³⁹³]. — and this is the sense of the phrase here, [Behold, I send an angel before thee,] to keep thee in the way. — And to bring thee into the place which I have prepared, referring to the Sanctuary, as it is written, the Sanctuary, O Eternal, which Thy hands have established.⁴⁰⁹ The meaning of the expression: which I have prepared, is “for Myself, to be My holy and beautiful house,”⁴¹⁰ for there the Throne is perfect. I will yet mention⁴¹¹ the Rabbis’ meaning in saying that Mattatron’s name [in the sum of letter-numbers] is even as the Name of his Master. His voice is thus the voice of the living G-d, and it is mandatory upon us to hearken to His voice by the mouth of the prophets. Or the meaning may be that “they should not mutilate the shoots” of faith⁴¹² and thus come to abandon the Oral Torah, just as the Rabbis have interpreted:⁴¹³ “And they have spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel⁴¹⁴ — this refers to the Oral Torah.” Thus the explanation of the expression, and hearken unto his voice,⁴¹⁵ is “to My words.” Similarly He said, But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak.⁴¹⁶ Onkelos hinted at this, for he translated [‘ki sh’mi b’kirbo’ — for My Name is in him]: “for in My Name is his word,” as he speaks with it. He said, Then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies,⁴¹⁶ for even with the attribute of mercy I will be an enemy to them; and an adversary unto thine adversaries — through him, [the angel], through the attribute of justice. Hence He explained, For Mine angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorite etc. and the Canaanite etc. and I will cut him off,⁴¹⁷ when he will bring you to them, that we may know that it is He [through the attribute of justice] that will cut them off. He mentioned them in the singular [“and I will cut him off], for He will cut them all off as if they were one man. Now when this angel dwelled in the midst of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have said, For I will not go up in the midst of thee⁴¹⁸ — [for He said] for My Name is in him, so He was in the midst of Israel! But when they sinned by worshipping the golden calf He wanted to remove His Divine Glory⁴¹⁹ from their midst, and that one of His angels should go before them as His messenger, and Moses pleaded for mercy, and He again caused His Divine Glory to dwell amongst them as before. There I will explain the verses, with the help of G-d. The Rabbis have also hinted to this in Midrash Rabbah⁴²⁰ in that section. Thus they said: “Behold, I send an angel. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: ‘The one who guarded the fathers will guard the children.’ And thus you find with Abraham, that when he blessed Isaac he said, He will send His angel before thee.⁴²¹ In the case of Jacob we find [that he blessed Joseph’s sons by saying], The angel who hath redeemed me etc.⁴²², 48:16. He said to them: ‘He redeemed me from the hand of Esau; He redeemed me from the hand of Laban; He fed me and sustained me in the years of famine.’ Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses: ‘Now too, the one who guarded the fathers will guard the children,’ as it is said, Behold, I send an angel before thee.” Again the Rabbis have said there clearly:⁴²³ “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: ‘Be heedful of the messenger, for he does not go back on his mission; he is the attribute of justice, be not rebellious against him, etc.’”⁴¹⁵ In any case, according to all authorities the Midrash I have mentioned is true, that as long as Moses lived the angel who was captain of the host⁴⁰², Verse 14. did not go with them, for Moses filled his place, similarly to that which is said, And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed.⁴²⁴ And in the days of Joshua it was necessary that the angel captain of the host of the Eternal⁴⁰², Verse 14. come to him to fight their battles, this being Gabriel who fights for them, and this was why Joshua saw him with his sword drawn in his hand,⁴²⁵ because he came to execute vengeance upon the nations, and chastisements upon the peoples.⁴²⁶

footnotes: ³⁹¹ Further, 33:3. ³⁹² Sanhedrin 38b. ³⁹³ See Ramban above, 12:12 [beginning: I will execute judgments ³⁹⁴ The number of each is three hundred and fourteen. ³⁹⁵ Shemoth Rabbah 32:7. ³⁹⁶ Further, 33:2-3. ³⁹⁷ Ibid. ³⁹⁸ Ibid. ³⁹² Sanhedrin 38b. ³⁹⁷ Ibid. ³⁹⁹ Ibid. ³⁹⁸ Ibid. ⁴⁰⁰ Ibid. ⁴⁰¹ Joshua 5:13-14. ⁴⁰² Ibid. ⁴⁰³ Ibid. ⁴⁰¹ Joshua 5:13-14. ⁴⁰⁴ Tanchuma Mishpatim ⁴⁰⁵ Shemoth Rabbah 32:4. ⁴⁰¹ Joshua 5:13-14. ⁴⁰⁶ Genesis 48:16. See Ricanti (ibid. ⁴⁰⁷ Isaiah 26:4. ⁴⁰⁸ Genesis 31:13. ³⁹² Sanhedrin 38b. ³⁹³ See Ramban above, 12:12 [beginning: I will execute judgments ⁴⁰⁹ Above, 15:17. ⁴¹⁰ See Isaiah 64:10. ⁴¹¹ Further, 24:1 (towards the end). ⁴¹² See Vol. I, p. 155. ⁴¹³ P’sichta Eichah Rabbathi, 2. ⁴¹⁴ Isaiah 5:24. ⁴¹⁵ Verse 21. ⁴¹⁶ Verse 22. ⁴¹⁶ Verse 22. ⁴¹⁷ Verse 23. ⁴¹⁸ Further, 33:3. ⁴¹⁹ See above Note 406. ⁴²⁰ Shemoth Rabbah 32:8. ⁴²¹ Genesis 24:7. The words were actually addressed by Abraham to Eliezer — but the goal of Eliezer’s mission was for Isaac’s blessing. ⁴²² Ibid. ⁴²³ Shemoth Rabbah 32:4. ⁴¹⁵ Verse 21. ⁴⁰² Ibid. ⁴²⁴ Above, 17:11. ⁴⁰² Ibid. ⁴²⁵ Joshua 5:13. ⁴²⁶ Psalms 149:7.

For he will not pardon your transgression; for My Name is in him.⁴¹⁵ He is saying: “Be not rebellious against him, for he will not pardon your transgression if you rebel against his word, for he who rebels against him, rebels against the Great Name which is in him, and he deserves to be cut off by the attribute of justice.” It is possible that the expression My Name is in Him, is connected to the above verses: hearken to his voice, for My Name is in him, and his voice is the voice of the Supreme One.

footnotes: ⁴¹⁵ Verse 21.

THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN TO THEIR GODS, NOR SERVE THEM. The Torah has warned against idolatry in many places, and even though there are excessive verses on this subject, the redundancy is not a matter to be concerned about, for because the matter is so stringent — since he who acknowledges the divine nature of the idols, thereby denies the whole Torah⁴²⁷, 54. — therefore the Torah warns against it again and again, like one who says to his servant: “remember continually and do not forget the great principle which I have commanded you, since everything depends on it.” It is possible that in the Ten Commandments He warned against making an idol and worshipping it, and now He warned that if they find a ready-made idol which is worshipped by the nations in the land, that they should not worship it at all, but they should uproot it from the land.

footnotes: ⁴²⁷ Sifre R’ei

NOR DO AFTER THEIR DEEDS. This may possibly be an admonition against adopting the “ways of the Amorites” [i.e., superstitious practices] which the Sages have enumerated,⁴²⁸ just as He warned against them in another place, saying, Neither shall ye walk in their statutes,⁴²⁹ on which the Rabbis commented:⁴³⁰. “These statutes refer to the ‘ways of the Amorites’ which the Sages have enumerated.” A more all acceptable interpretation is that He is warning here against worshipping an idol in the particular manner in which it is ordinarily worshipped, even if it is a disgraceful act [such as excreting to Baal Peor], just as the Rabbis have interpreted⁴³¹ the verse, *Take heed… that thou enquire not after their gods, saying: ‘How used these nations to serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.’*⁴³² Thus the meaning of the verse here is as follows: He said, [in the Ten Commandments 20:5], Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, “serving” usually being an act of honor that a servant does to his master, and then He said, additionally that even if that act is not one of honor but is disgusting, such as in connection with Baal Peor which one worships by excreting before it, or throwing a stone at Merkulis,⁴³³ nonetheless if that is the customary manner of worshipping them, you may not do such acts at all. Similarly the Rabbis have said:⁴³⁴ “Even if he intends to worship Peor in this ignominious way, and even if he intends to throw a stone to Merkulis in a contemptible manner [he is still liable].”

footnotes: ⁴²⁸ Shabbath 67a. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 28-29. ⁴²⁹ Leviticus 18:3. ⁴³⁰ Sifra ibid ⁴³¹ Sanhedrin 61b. ⁴³² Deuteronomy 12:30. ⁴³³ I.e., Mercury, the Roman divinity, who was worshipped by throwing stones to his statue. ⁴³⁴ Sanhedrin 64a.

AND YE SHALL SERVE THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D, AND HE WILL BLESS THY BREAD, AND THY WATER. The intention of this verse is as follows. Most idolators acknowledge and know that the revered G-d is G-d of gods, and Lord of lords,⁴³⁵ and they do not intend to worship the idols themselves, but they think that because of these acts of worship they will have success in their endeavors. Thus when they worship the sun it is because they have found it to have a beneficial power over their crops, and they find the moon to have influence over fountains and all deep waters, and similarly [they attribute powers] to all the hosts of heaven. They are even more inclined to think that they will be greatly benefitted by worshipping the angels, since they are invested with dignity through ministering before the Great G-d. Therefore this verse states that only through the worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, can you have success and protection, and the uprooting of idolatry⁴³⁶ will not cause damage; on the contrary, it will add goodness and blessing to you, for the Holy One, blessed be He, will bless your “bread,” this being a term which includes all manner of food, and will bless your “water,” which is a generic term for all liquids that people drink. The blessing referred to means increase, so that you will have an exceeding abundance of them.

footnotes: ⁴³⁵ Deuteronomy 10:17. ⁴³⁶ As commanded in Verse 24.

AND I WILL TAKE SICKNESS AWAY FROM THE MIDST OF THEE. That is to say, through them [the bread and water that I will bless], I will free you from disease, for when your food and drink are good and healthy, they do not cause sicknesses but, on the contrary, heal you. And He states⁴³⁷ furthermore that there will not be amongst you a woman that miscarries, a miscarrying womb⁴³⁸ nor one barren of the womb and with dry breasts,⁴³⁸ for when food and drink and the air are blessed, human bodies become healthy and the organs of reproduction are able to function properly. The verse⁴³⁷ singles out women because they are liable to miscarriage, and sterility too is more common amongst them than amongst men. It is possible that [male sterility] is included in the expression, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee, for barrenness is a sickness in bodies. He addresses Himself without specifications to men, and afterwards He mentioned the women, as He said, there shall not be male or female barren among you.⁴³⁹ The meaning of the expression in thy land, [None shall miscarry, nor be barren, in thy land],⁴³⁷ is to include also the animals, just as He said there, or amongst your cattle.⁴³⁹ The number of thy days I will fulfill⁴³⁷ means that one will not die prematurely in battle, nor through an epidemic caused by a change in the atmosphere, but only at a ripe age, whatever happens to be the normal span of life during that particular generation, such as seventy or eighty years as in the generation of King David.⁴⁴⁰ I have already mentioned⁴⁴¹, and on Genesis 17:1 (Vol. I, p. 215). that these are all miracles, G-d showing wonders in the heavens and in the earth⁴⁴² for the sake of those who do His will. And then He said that just as He will do on their behalf a sign for good,⁴⁴³ so will He do to their enemies for bad; He will give them a trembling heart,⁴⁴⁴ (Verse 27). and in the chambers terror.⁴⁴⁵, 32:25. — Ramban derives this from the expression here: And I will cause discomfort to all the people to whom thou shalt come. Moreover, He will send the tzir’ah amongst them,⁴⁴⁶ this being a certain kind of hornet of the family of the bee. The Sages mention it continually:⁴⁴⁷ “Bees’ honey, hornets’ honey.” The meaning of the verse is that He will send this plague through the atmosphere of their land, like the locust that He had sent in Egypt: the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, His great army⁴⁴⁸ which came in the days of Joel. The meaning of the expression, and she [the hornet] will drive out the Hivite etc.,⁴⁴⁶ is that this will be the cause of their being driven out of the land, for since the hornets will cover the face of the earth⁴⁴⁹ and darken it, they will not be able to go into battle. Moreover, it will eat up all their produce in the field, similar to that which is said in the imprecations, Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in; for the locust shall consume it, etc.;⁴⁵⁰ All thy trees and the fruit of thy land shall the locust possess.⁴⁵¹, Verse 42. Similarly He said here that He will do such things to our enemies. Scripture mentioned here the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite,⁴⁴⁶ [and not the other four nations as well], because it adopted here a shortened form, and the intention is to all those mentioned above.⁴⁵² The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the majority of these three nations [mentioned here] did not go out to battle and thus avoided being killed by the sword, because they remained strongly enclosed in their fortified places. It is against them that He sent only this form of death [through the hornet], in a similar manner to that which is said of Egypt, And thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians.⁴⁵³ It is this which He said in the Book of Deuteronomy: Moreover the Eternal thy G-d will send the hornet amongst them, until they that are left, and they that hide themselves, perish from before thee,⁴⁵⁴ and it is this hornet that crossed the Jordon with Joshua.⁴⁵⁵ cross the Jordan but merely “placed themselves on the east bank of the Jordan and from there injected the poison against them” applies to the hornet of the days of Moses. The one in the days of Joshua did cross the Jordan. This distinction is made in Sotah 36a. So did the Rabbis conclude in Tractate Sotah,⁴⁵⁵ cross the Jordan but merely “placed themselves on the east bank of the Jordan and from there injected the poison against them” applies to the hornet of the days of Moses. The one in the days of Joshua did cross the Jordan. This distinction is made in Sotah 36a. saying that the hornet injected a poison into them which caused their death, and indeed there is nowadays also in the hornet a poisonous substance which harms or even kills the victim. And it is written in the Book of Joshua: And ye went over the Jordan, and came unto Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand,⁴⁵⁶ and it is further written there, And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.⁴⁵⁷, Verse 12. The phrase which drove them out⁴⁵⁷, Verse 12. refers to those that are left⁴⁵⁴ amongst them, for after I delivered into your hand all the nations mentioned, I sent the hornet to drive out those that are left and they that hide themselves. He mentioned the two kings of the Amorites,⁴⁵⁷, Verse 12. meaning Sichon and Og whom He had referred to earlier. All this you have done not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.⁴⁵⁷, Verse 12. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that the tzir’ah refers to a disease in the body, the word being of the root tzara’ath (leprosy). But there is no need for this interpretation. And ye shall serve the Eternal your G-d⁴⁵⁸ means that service [by offering or prayer] is to be devoted to the Proper Name [i.e., the Tetragrammaton]. The verse stating and He will bless… and I will take, [thus changing from the third-person pronoun to the first-person pronoun], is similar to the verse and thou wilt keep all His statutes… for I am the Eternal that healeth thee.⁴⁵⁹ I have already explained it, and the person learned [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand the verse here from what I have written there.

footnotes: ⁴³⁷ Verse 26. ⁴³⁸ Hosea 9:14. ⁴³⁸ Hosea 9:14. ⁴³⁷ Verse 26. ⁴³⁹ Deuteronomy 7:14. ⁴³⁷ Verse 26. ⁴³⁹ Deuteronomy 7:14. ⁴³⁷ Verse 26. ⁴⁴⁰ See Psalms 90:10. ⁴⁴¹ Above at the beginning of Seder Va’eira ⁴⁴² Joel 3:3. ⁴⁴³ Psalms 86:17. ⁴⁴⁴ Deuteronomy 28:65. — Ramban derives this from the phrase written here: I will send My terror before thee ⁴⁴⁵ Ibid. ⁴⁴⁶ Verse 28. ⁴⁴⁷ Machshirin 6:4. ⁴⁴⁸ Joel 2:25. ⁴⁴⁶ Verse 28. ⁴⁴⁹ Above, 10:5. ⁴⁵⁰ Deuteronomy 28:38. ⁴⁵¹ Ibid. ⁴⁴⁶ Verse 28. ⁴⁵² Verse 23. See Ramban above, 3:8 as to why the Girgashite [the seventh one] is omitted. ⁴⁵³ Above, 10:6. ⁴⁵⁴ Deuteronomy 7:20. ⁴⁵⁵ Rashi’s statement that the hornets did not ⁴⁵⁵ Rashi’s statement that the hornets did not ⁴⁵⁶ Joshua 24:11. ⁴⁵⁷ Ibid. ⁴⁵⁷ Ibid. ⁴⁵⁴ Deuteronomy 7:20. ⁴⁵⁷ Ibid. ⁴⁵⁷ Ibid. ⁴⁵⁸ Verse 25. ⁴⁵⁹ Above, 15:26. In that case too the pronouns change.

THOU SHALT MAKE NO COVENANT WITH THEM, NOR WITH THEIR GODS. He warned here against making a covenant with them [the seven nations] to save them and keep them alive; nor with their gods, this being a warning against making a covenant with the nations to leave them their idols, but instead we are to destroy them and break their pillars in pieces.⁴⁶⁰ It is possible that the verse is stating that we are not to make a covenant with them and their gods together, but we are to destroy them and break their idols in pieces, and the intention is to state that as long as they worship their gods we are not to make any covenant with them, but if they accepted upon themselves not to worship the idols, we may leave them unharmed.

footnotes: ⁴⁶⁰ Verse 24.

KI’ (FOR) THOU WILT SERVE THEIR GODS, ‘KI’ (FOR) THEY WILL BE A SNARE UNTO THEE. “Both words ki here have the meaning of asher (that),⁴⁶¹ as meaning “for,” as explained further on. — The J.P.S. translation using the words “for” follows thus Ramban’s interpretation. and we find this in many places. This is the meaning of the [Aramaic word] ie which is one of the four usages of the word ki as we find in many places,⁴⁶² and this [Aramaic word ie is the Hebrew] im which in many verses has the meaning of asher (that), etc.” Thus far is Rashi’s language. But it is not so.⁴⁶³ would mean “when that,” and the second ki would mean only “that” — thus: “lest they make you sin against Me when that you serve their gods that will be a snare against you” (Mizrachi). The two identical Hebrew words thus have different meanings in the same verse. Instead, the meaning of the verse is: “They shall not dwell in thy land for they will be a snare unto thee lest they make thee sin against Me, for you will serve their gods.” Similarly He said, Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest they be a snare in the midst of thee.⁴⁶⁴ The meaning of this verse is that their dwelling in your land will be a snare unto you and a source of stumbling, lest they make you sin against Me through their evil ways and their corrupt doings, for you will serve their gods when they will persuade and beguile you to do so.

footnotes: ⁴⁶¹ Rashi’s interpretation of the verse is thus as follows: “The idolators shall not dwell in your land lest they make you sin against Me ‘that’ you serve their gods ‘that’ it be a snare against you.” Ramban will explain the word ki ⁴⁶² See Rosh Hashanah 3 a, Rashi, and Gittin 90a. ⁴⁶³ For according to Rashi the first ki ⁴⁶⁴ Further, 34:12.