Translator's Summary: Israel is described in Deut. 26:5 as becoming gadol (great), atzum (many), and rav (populous). How do these terms differ from one another? While the word atzum is taken to mean many people, the other two terms are given other meanings. Gadol refers to the spiritual stature of the Israelite people. The Haggadah tells us that Israel went into exile because of primordial sins but they were redeemed through their worthiness. Similarly, rav can be translated here as populous or as mighty, and tells how Israel became worthy of Exodus through two commandments: circumcision and the Passover offering. But what did Israel do to make them worthy of redemption? Drawing on a controversy between Rabbi Eleazer ben Kapar and Rabbi Matya ben Heresh in the Mechilta, Chida debates whether the Israelites were judged as Noahides or as Israelites/Jews and whether their redemption came about through the performance of the commandments of Passover and circumcision or because they rejected idolatry. The verses from Ezekiel quoted are taken as a sign of Israel’s willingness to risk their lives through circumcision and after tying the Pascal sheep to their bed post showed their complete trust in God and made them worthy of redemption. Of course this is never mentioned in the Haggadah!⁶⁶ — the blood of the Paschal lamb and the blood of circumcision to engage in for their redemption.” Note the order of the two appears backwards/ Chida offers several reasons why the Midrash places the commandment of the Passover offering before circumcision when, in fact, circumcision came first. And there they became a nation: This teaches that the Israelites were distinctive there. The word gadol has two meanings. It can mean gadol, great, in quantity or great, in quality. As is explained in Baba Batra,⁶⁷ “The second temple was greater in glory than the first temple...One said that it means that the Second Temple will be greater in size, and the other said that it was greater in years.” The sages disagreed about the meaning of gadol, which is used there, if it refers to the quantity of the temple or its quality. Here the plain meaning of the verse is that it refers to quantity, since it states, “They sojourned there few in numbers and they became a great nation.” But the Maggid states, “It teaches that the Israelites became distinctive.” Besides the plain sense meaning of the verse, that they increased in numbers, the comment adds that they were also a great nation in quality as well. This is hinted at by the word, sham, “there,” implying that even in the land of Egypt they were distinctive and great both in quantity and quality. It is also possible we learn that they were great in quantity from atzum, numerous, as is stated in Exodus, ⁶⁸ as in, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous (atzum) for us.” Since we have this word for numerous, we interpret gadol as referring to quality. The Rashbatz explains that distinctiveness refers to their forbearance from sexual immorality. Therefore the word sham is meant to imply praise for the offspring of Israel who, in an impure land, were restrained in their sexual behavior and they were not conquered by their sexual drives. This is great praise. l

footnotes: ⁶⁶ The actual mention of the double meaning “By your blood live” as a reference to the Passover offering and circumcision appears in the Mechilta, 12:6 -”The Holy One Blessed be He gave them two mitzvot ⁶⁷ Baba Batra 3a ⁶⁸ And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us.

They increased greatly, multiplied and became very, very mighty: The great rabbi of his generation, Rabbi Moses Ibn Habib,⁶⁹ in Jerusalem. (wikipedia) writes that this verse teaches that the Israelites increased and multiplied. You might think this caused additional suffering,. in exile and poverty in the land of their captivity⁷⁰ such an increase would have driven them to distraction. Where would they find enough bread for the young in addition to clothing so that pain was added to pain, for their children would cry (Job 38:41) out for food? To this one might answer “Very, very…” (miod miod) teaches us that the Israelites had a great amount of wealth, as in (in Deut. 6:5 b'chol mi'odech means “with all your money.”) Mi'od implies that the Israelites had great wealth and were not only rich but were able to satisfy their offspring. This is the teaching of Rabbi Ibn Habib. Following this interpretation, I will interpret the conclusion of the verse, “The land was filled with them.” Sota, 11b, states that when the Israelite women gave birth they did so in the field and the ground absorbed their offspring. They would bring their oxen and plow upon them, as it is written, “Upon my back the plowmen plowed…” (Ps. 129:3) When the children grew up, they would come to their homes like flocks of sheep. This is what the verse means, “And the Israelites multiplied and flourished…” And if you say these children were a source of stumbling and failure of nerve to the Israelites because it would have caused suffering and despair so that the Israelites would sigh under the hard labor and additionally they would have been choked by the increase in the number of children. Therefore Scripture states that they had great wealth (b'miod miod) with which God had blessed them as the Rabbi had taught. Thus, “The earth was filled with them” teaches us that they did not have troubles from the children since they left them in the field and God miraculously fed and raised them. l

footnotes: ⁶⁹ Moshe ibn Habib (1654–1696) was the Rishon LeZion (Sephardic chief Rabbi of Israel), Hakham Bashi (chief rabbi of the Ottoman Empire) and the head of a major yeshiva ⁷⁰ This expression is used in ll Chronicles 6:37-38