Nitzavim, Aliyah 3 נצבים, שלישי

כי אתם ידעתם וגו'. לְפִי שֶׁרְאִיתֶם הָאֻמּוֹת, וְשֶׁמָּא הִשִּׂיא לֵב אֶחָד מִכֶּם אוֹתוֹ לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵיהֶם, פן יש בכם וגו', לְפִיכָךְ אֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְהַשְׁבִּיעֲכֶם:

For you are aware, etc. Since you have observed the idolatrous Gentile nations, perhaps someone among you has been tempted to follow them — “Perhaps there is, among you, etc.” — therefore, I am compelled to adjure you.

ותראו את שקוציהם. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֵם מְאוּסִים כַּשְּׁקָצִים:

Where you observed their abominations [lit. insects]. So called because they are loathsome, like insects.

גלליהם. שֶׁמֻּסְרָחִים וּמְאוּסִין כַּגָּלָל:

Their loathsomeness [lit. excrement]. As they are putrid and disgusting, like excrement.

עץ ואבן. אוֹתָן שֶׁל עֵצִים וְשֶׁל אֲבָנִים רְאִיתֶם בַּגָּלוּי, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הַגּוֹי יָרֵא שֶׁמָּא יִגָּנְבוּ, אֲבָל שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב עמהם, בְּחַדְרֵי מַשְׂכִּיתָם הֵם, לְפִי שֶׁהֵם יְרֵאִים שֶׁמָּא יִגָּנְבוּ (תנחומא):

Wood and stone. Those of wood and stone, you saw in the open, as the Gentile was not apprehensive of its being stolen. However, those of silver and gold, are “with them,” in thickly panelled rooms, since they are apprehensive that they may be stolen.

פן יש בכם. שֶׁמָּא יש בכם:

אשר לבבו פנה היום. מִלְּקַבֵּל עָלָיו הַבְּרִית:

Perhaps there is among you. In case there is, among you, whose thoughts stray today from accepting the covenant.

שרש פרה ראש ולענה. שֹׁרֶשׁ מְגַדֵּל עֵשֶׂב מַר כַּגִּידִין שֶׁהֵם מָרִים, כְּלוֹמַר — מַפְרֶה וּמַרְבֶּה רֶשַׁע בְּקִרְבְּכֶם:

A root producing gall and bitter fruit. A root nurturing bitter herbs, like the bitter gidin herb, as if to say, producing growing evil within you.

והתברך בלבבו. לְשׁוֹן בְּרָכָה, יַחֲשֹׁב בְּלִבּוֹ בִּרְכַּת שָׁלוֹם לְעַצְמוֹ לֵאמֹר, לֹא יְבוֹאוּנִי קְלָלוֹת הַלָּלוּ, אַך שלום יהיה לי:

He will imagine self-blessings. The word denotes blessing. He will imagine blessings of tranquility for himself, saying, ‘those imprecations will never be visited on me, undivided tranquility will be mine.’

והתברך. בנדי"רא שו"יא בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ וְהִתְגַּלָּח, וְהִתְפַּלֵּל:

Self-blessings [lit. “he will bless himself]. Bendira sei, “he will bless himself,” in Old French, like “he shall shave himself,” “and involve himself in prayer.”

בשררות לבי אלך. בְּמַרְאִית לִבִּי, כְּמוֹ (במדבר כ"ד) "אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב", כְּלוֹמַר, מַה שֶּׁלִּבִּי רוֹאֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת:

I shall follow what my thoughts envision. What my thoughts see, like, “I see it, but it is not nearby.” As if to say, whatever I envision as desirable activity.

למען ספות הרוה. לְפִי שֶׁאוֹסִיף לוֹ פֻּרְעָנוּת עַל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה עַד הֵנָּה בְשׁוֹגֵג, וְהָיִיתִי מַעֲבִיר עֲלֵיהֶם, וְגוֹרֵם עַתָּה שֶׁאֲצָרְפֵם עִם הַמֵּזִיד וְאֶפָּרַע מִמֶּנּוּ הַכֹּל, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס "בְּדִיל לְאוֹסָפָא לֵהּ חֶטְאֵי שָׁלוּתָא עַל זְדָנוּתָא" — שֶׁאוֹסִיף לוֹ אֲנִי הַשְּׁגָגוֹת עַל הַזְּדוֹנוֹת:

So that the unintentional may be added. Because I shall punish him additionally for his unintentional acts until now, which, I have overlooked; Now, however, he has provoked me into combining them with the intentionally sinful, and punishing him for everything. This, too, is Onkelos’ rendition: “In order to add, against him, the unintentional transgressions to the sinful ones” — so that I may add, against him, the unintentional to the intentionally sinful.

הרוה. שׁוֹגֵג, שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה כְאָדָם שִׁכּוֹר שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעַת:

The unintentional [lit. besotted]. The unintentional transgression, like a drunken deed, enacted in a stupefied state.

הצמאה. שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה מִדַּעַת וּבְתַאֲוָה:

The sinful [lit. thirsty]. Enacted with full knowledge and appetite.

יעשן אף ה'. עַל יְדֵי כַעַס הַגּוּף מִתְחַמֵּם וְהֶעָשָׁן יוֹצֵא מִן הָאַף, וְכֵן (שמואל ב כ״ב:ט׳) "עָלָה עָשָׁן בְּאַפּוֹ", וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין זוֹ לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, הַכָּתוּב מַשְׁמִיעַ אֶת הָאֹזֶן כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהִיא רְגִילָה וִיכוֹלָה לִשְׁמֹעַ כְּפִי דֶרֶךְ הָאָרֶץ:

Adonoy’s nostrils will fume. As a result of rage, body temperature rises, and the nostrils fume. Similarly, “Fumes arise from His nostrils.” Although this does not apply to the Omnipresent, Scripture addresses the listener’s ear in the way it is accustomed, and thus capable of grasping, in accordance with worldly conditions.

וקנאתו. לְשׁוֹן חֵמָה, אנפרטמי"נט, אֲחִיזַת לְבִישַׁת נְקָמָה וְאֵינוֹ מַעֲבִיר עַל הַמִּדָּה:

And His vengeful fury. This denotes fury, enprenment, adherence to the vengeance mode, without quarter.

הכתובה בספר התורה הזה. וּלְמַעְלָה הוּא אוֹמֵר "גַּם כָּל חֳלִי וְכָל מַכָּה … בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת"? הַזֹּאת — לְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה מוּסָב אֶל הַתּוֹרָה, הַזֶּה — לְשׁוֹן זָכָר מוּסָב אֶל הַסֵּפֶר, וְעַל יְדֵי פִסּוּק הַטְּעָמִים הֵן נֶחֱלָקִין לִשְׁתֵּי לְשׁוֹנוֹת, בְּפָרָשַׁת הַקְּלָלוֹת הַטִּפְּחָא נְתוּנָה תַּחַת בְּסֵפֶר, וְהַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת דְּבוּקִים זֶה לָזֶה, לְכָךְ אָמַר הַזֹּאת, וְכָאן הַטִּפְּחָא נְתוּנָה תַּחַת הַתּוֹרָה, נִמְצָא סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה דְּבוּקִים זֶה לָזֶה, לְפִיכָךְ לְשׁוֹן זָכָר נוֹפֵל אַחֲרָיו, שֶׁהַלָּשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל הַסֵּפֶר:

Inscribed in this Torah scroll. But above, it says “In this Torah scroll,” “this” in the feminine gender modifies “Torah,” “this” in the masculine gender modifies “scroll.” By means of the cantillation punctuation, they are demarcated into two interpretations. In the chapter of imprecations, the tipcha cantillation symbol is placed under “in the scroll,” so that “this” and Torah” are attached. Therefore it says “this.” Here, however, the tipcha cantillation symbol is placed under “Torah,” so that “scroll” and “Torah” are attached. Therefore, the masculine gender follows, as the modification applies to “the scroll.”

לא ידעם. לֹא יָדְעוּ בָהֶם גְּבוּרַת אֱלֹהוּת:

Unknown to them. They had no notion that they possessed Divine omnipotence.

ולא חלק להם. לֹא נְתָנָם לְחֶלְקָם; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "וְלָא אוֹטִיבָא לְהוֹן", לֹא הֵטִיבוּ לָהֶם שׁוּם טוֹבָה; וְלָשׁוֹן לֹא חָלַק — אוֹתוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁבָּחֲרוּ לָהֶם לֹא חָלַק לָהֶם שׁוּם נַחֲלָה וְשׁוּם חֵלֶק:

Which He had not apportioned to them. He did not allot them as their portion. Onkelos, however, renders, “and who did not benefit them” — did not grant them any benefit. The sense of “Who did not apportion” is, ‘The God whom they chose did not allot to them any inheritance or portion.’

ויתשם ה'. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וְטַלְטְלִינוּן", וְכֵן "הִנְנִי נֹתְשָׁם מֵעַל אַדְמָתָם" (ירמיהו י"ב):

And Adonoy forced them away. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, ‘[God] removed them.’ Similarly, “Behold, I shall force them away from their land.”

הנסתרת לה' אלהינו. וְאִם תֹּאמְרוּ מַה בְּיָדֵנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת? אַתָּה מַעֲנִישׁ אֶת הָרַבִּים עַל הִרְהוּרֵי הַיָּחִיד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם אִישׁ וְגוֹ'", וְאַחַר כָּךְ "וְרָאוּ אֶת מַכּוֹת הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא", וַהֲלֹא אֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ טְמוּנוֹתָיו שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ אֵין אֲנִי מַעֲנִישׁ אֶתְכֶם עַל הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת, שֶׁהֵן לַה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ, וְהוּא יִפָּרַע מֵאוֹתוֹ יָחִיד, אֲבָל "הַנִּגְלוֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ" לְבָעֵר הָרָע מִקִּרְבֵּנוּ, וְאִם לֹא נַעֲשֶׂה דִּין בָּהֶם יֵעָנְשׁוּ הָרַבִּים. נָקוּד עַל לנו ולבנינו לִדְרֹשׁ שֶׁאַף עַל הַנִּגְלוֹת לֹא עָנַשׁ אֶת הָרַבִּים עַד שֶׁעָבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן, מִשֶּׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה בְּהַר גְּרִזִים וּבְהַר עֵיבָל וְנַעֲשׂוּ עֲרֵבִים זֶה לָזֶה (סוטה ל"ז; עי' סנהדרין מ"ג):

The hidden [matters] are Adonoy’s our God’s. If you should ask, ‘What are we capable of doing? You punish the community for an individual’s thoughts, as it is said, “Perhaps there is, among you, etc.,” and after, “They will see the plagues of that land.” Isn’t a man ignorant of his fellow’s secrets’? I will not punish you for the inscrutable, which is Adonoy’s our God’s — He will punish that individual. However, what is exposed is for us and our posterity, to eradicate evil from our midst. If we fail to implement justice against them, then the community will be punished. There are dots over ours and our children’s to teach that, even with regard to what is exposed, the community was not punished until they had crossed the Yarden, when they obligated themselves with the oath at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, and became accountable for one another.