Pisqa’ 328¹⁷³

1. “Who ate the fat of their sacrificial-offerings” (Dt. 32:38)— [these are provisions extorted by Rome’s army]. For we gave them a food allowance, we supplied an allowance for personal expenses, and raised funds for an allowance of salt. “Let them arise and help you!” (Dt. 32:38)—

footnotes: ¹⁷³ H:339;JN2:373.

“Let them arise and help you help yourselves (yaazeru ‘etkhem*)” is not written: Rather, what is written? “Let *Him* . . . help you (*yaazerchem)¹⁷⁴ permitting the possibility of reading the verb in the singular, as in my transliteration from the Hebrew.— [since you have abandoned the Holy One, you can expect no help from Him].

This [verse, “where are their gods?”] recalls the Wicked Titus, the son of Vespasian’s wife [who challenged the Holy One’s apparent inaction]. He once entered the Most Holy, and slashed two altar Veils

If He is in fact God, **let Him file an objection!**¹⁷⁵

footnotes: ¹⁷⁴ MT’s consonantal text omits the waw, ¹⁷⁵ Cf. ARNB.7.

2. “Who ate the fat of their sacrificial-offerings” (Dt. 32:38)— [Titus¹⁷⁶] claimed that Moses misguided these [gentiles] by saying to them: Build for yourselves an altar, and place Holocaust-offerings upon it, and offer Libation-offerings along with it, according to what is stated: “One sheep shall you prepare for the morning and the second prepare for the evening . . . and its Libation-offering” (Nu. 28:4-7)— [and eat the fat covering their innards]!¹⁷⁷ to be eaten, but must be immolated on the altar. So perhaps Moses’s deception lies in misinforming about the disposition of the proscribed fats. Hammer surmises: “probably, Titus implied . . . Moses and Aaron ate the sacrifices they commanded and thus deceived the people.’ (H:503, Pisqa’ 328, n.6).

footnotes: ¹⁷⁶ The speaker’s identity is unclear. I follow H:339 and JN2:373 identifying Titus. ¹⁷⁷ The point is obscure, and my speculative solution is one of many. Instructions for the Holocaust-offering at Lv. 1:8-9 are clear that the fats surrounding the innards are not

“Let them arise and help you! Let Him be your shield!” (Dt. 32:38)— The Blessed Holy One pardons everything. But for desecration of the Name, He takes immediate retribution.