Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 337
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(דברים לב מח) וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת נֶאֱמַר בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. נֶאֱמַר (בראשית ז יג) ״בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה״ בְּנֹחַ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ דוֹר נֹחַ אוֹמְרִים: כָּךְ מִכָּךְ, אִם אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁים בּוֹ אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִים אוֹתוֹ, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא אָנוּ נוֹטְלִים כַּשִּׁילִים וְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת וּמְבַקְּעִים עָלָיו אֶת הַתֵּבָה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֲרֵינִי מַכְנִיסוֹ בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם, וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת יָבֹא וְיִמְחֶה. וּמַה רָאָה לוֹמַר בְּמִצְרַיִם (שמות יב מא) ״בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יָצְאוּ כָּל צִבְאוֹת ה׳״? לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ מִצְרִיִּים אוֹמְרִים: כָּךְ מִכָּךְ, אִם אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁים בָּהֶם אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִים אוֹתָם, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁאָנוּ נוֹטְלִים סַיָּיפִים וַחֲרָבוֹת וְהוֹרְגִים אוֹתָם בָּהֶם. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֲרֵינִי מוֹצִיאָם בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם, וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת יָבֹא וְיִמְחֶה. וּמַה רָאָה לוֹמַר כָּאן בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה? לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים: כָּךְ מִכָּךְ, אִם אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁים בּוֹ אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִים אוֹתוֹ, אָדָם שֶׁהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְקָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְהוֹרִיד לָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן וְהִגִּיז לָנוּ אֶת הַשְּׂלָו וְעָשָׂה לָנוּ נִסִּים וּגְבוּרוֹת, אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִים אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֲרֵינִי מַכְנִיסוֹ לַמְּעָרָה בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם, וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת יָבֹא וְיִמְחֶה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר.
Pisqa’ 337²¹¹
- “And HASHEM spoke to Moses in the very midst of the day” (Dt. 32:48)— In the very midst of the day is stated in three contexts The first concerns Noah.²¹², Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japhet—Noah’s sons—and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark” (Gn. 7:12-13). There it teaches that Noah’s generation would swear: By Such-and-Such! If we notice him at work, we won’t permit him to continue! And, not only this— but, we will take up picks and axes and chop up his ark for him! Said the Blessed Holy One: Listen up! At mid-day I plan to invite him into the ark. If anyone has a problem with that, let him come and file his complaint!2. Now, why did [the Torah] see fit, [during Israel’s enslavement] in Egypt, to repeat the formula, stating: “In the very midst of the day, all the Retinues of HASHEM went out” (Ex. 12:17). For the Egyptians would swear: By Such-and-Such! If we notice them at work, we won’t permit them to continue! And, not only this— but, we will take up swords and blades to kill them with! Said the Blessed Holy One: Listen up! At mid-day I plan to bring them out. If anyone has a problem with that, let him come and file his complaint!3. Now, why did [the Torah] see fit, in the present context [of Moses’ preparations for death,] to repeat the formula, stating: In the very midst if the day (Dt. 32:48)? For Israel would swear: By Such-and-Such! If we notice him preparing, we won’t permit him to continue! The man who brought us up from Egypt, split the sea for us, brought down the manna for us, caused the quail to come for us, and worked prodigious wonders for us— how can we let him leave us?²¹³ 9:2, 339.1 Said the Blessed Holy One: Listen up! At mid-day I plan to bring him to the grotto. If anyone has a problem with that, let him come and file his complaint! And that’s why it is said: “And HASHEM spoke to Moses in the very midst of the day” (Dt. 32:48).
footnotes: ²¹¹ H:346;JN2:390- 391. ²¹² The verse reads: “Now the rains came upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. In the very midst of the day ²¹³ Cf. Pisqa’ot