דברים ד׳:כ״ה-מ׳

ונושנתם. רָמַז לָהֶם שֶׁיִּגְלוּ מִמֶּנָּה לְסוֹף שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה כְּמִנְיַן "וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּם", וְהוּא הִקְדִּים וְהִגְלָם לְסוֹף שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים, וְהִקְדִּים שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים לִ"וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּם", כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקַיֵּם בָּהֶם כִּי אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ט') "וַיִּשְׁקֹד עַל הָרָעָה וַיְבִיאֶהָ עָלֵינוּ כִּי צַדִּיק ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ" – צְדָקָה עָשָׂה עִמָּנוּ שֶׁמִּהֵר לַהֲבִיאָהּ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים לִפְנֵי זְמַנָּהּ (סנהדרין ל"ח; גיטין פ"ח):

And have grown old. He hinted to them that they would be exiled from it at the end of eight hundred and fifty-two years, which is the numerical value [gematria] of וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּם . But he sent them into exile earlier — at the end of eight hundred and fifty years. He exiled them two years earlier than the numerical value of וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּם so they would not suffer the fulfillment of “that you will be completely removed [from the land].” And this is [the meaning of] what is said: “And Adonoy precipitated the evil, and He brought it upon us, for Adonoy our God is righteous.” He acted righteously [charitably צְדָקָה) with us, for He hastened to bring [the evil] two years before its time.

העידתי בכם. הִנְנִי מַזְמִינָם לִהְיוֹת עֵדִים שֶׁהִתְרֵיתִי בָכֶם:

I bring as witness against you. I have designated them to be witnesses that I have warned you.

ועבדתם שם אלהים. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, מִשֶּׁאַתֶּם עוֹבְדִים לְעוֹבְדֵיהֶם כְּאִלּוּ אַתֶּם עוֹבְדִים לָהֶם:

There you will serve gods. [This should be understood] as the Targum [has it]: Since you will serve those who worship them [idols] it will be considered as though you worship them [idols].

לא ירפך. מִלְּהַחֲזִיק בְּךָ בְּיָדָיו, וּלְשׁוֹן לֹא יַרְפְּךָ לְשׁוֹן לֹא יַפְעִיל הוּא – לֹא יִתֵּן לְךָ רִפְיוֹן, לֹא יַפְרִישׁ אוֹתְךָ מֵאֶצְלוֹ, וְכֵן "אֲחַזְתִּיו וְלֹא אַרְפֶּנּוּ" (שיר השירים ג') שֶׁלֹּא נִנְקַד אֶרְפֶּנּוּ; כָּל לְשׁוֹן רִפְיוֹן מוּסָב עַל לְשׁוֹן מַפְעִיל וּמִתְפַּעֵל, כְּמוֹ "הַרְפֵּה לָהּ" (מלכים ב ד') – תֵּן לָהּ רִפְיוֹן, "הֶרֶף מִמֶּנִּי" (דברים ט') – הִתְרַפֵּה מִמֶּנִּי:

He will not forsake you by not supporting you with His hands. The expression of לֹא יַרְפְּךָ is an expression signifying that He will not cause something — he will not cause you to be weakened [forsaken], for He will not separate you from Him. Similarly, “I grasped him and would not let him go,” the word אַרְפֶּנוּ is not vocalized אֶרְפֶֶּנוּ . The term רִפְיוֹן always refers to the causative or reflexive form — [one who forsakes others or one who causes himself to be forsaken], as for example: ”Leave her alone,” — let her be released. ”Leave Me alone” — release yourself from Me.

לימים ראשונים. עַל יָמִים רִאשׁוֹנִים:

The early years. Regarding the early years.

ולמקצה השמים. וְגַם שְׁאַל לְכָל הַבְּרוּאִים אֲשֶׁר מִקָּצֶה אֶל קָצֶה, זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, מְלַמֵּד עַל קוֹמָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם שֶׁהָיְתָה מִן הָאָרֶץ עַד הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְהוּא הַשִּׁעוּר עַצְמוֹ אֲשֶׁר מִקָּצֶה אֶל קָצֶה (סנהדרין ל"ח):

From one end of the heavens. Also inquire of all the creatures [that exist] from one end [of heaven] to the other end. This is its plain meaning; but a Midrashic explanation teaches us regarding the height of Adam which reached from earth to heaven, which is the same measurement as from one end [of the heavens] to the other end.

הנהיה כדבר הגדול הזה. וּמַהוּ הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל, השמע עם וגו':

Did anything ever happen comparable to this great event? And what is this great event? [See next verses] Did any people [ever hear], etc.

או הנסה אלהים. הֲכִי עָשָׂה נִסִּים שׁוּם אֱלוֹהַּ לבוא לקחת לו גוי וגו', כָּל הֵהִי"ן הַלָּלוּ תְּמִיהוֹת הֵן, לְכָךְ נְקוּדוֹת הֵן בַּחֲטָף פַּתָּח: הֲנִהְיָה, הֲנִשְׁמַע, הֲשָׁמַע הֲנִסָּה:

Did any god ever miraculously [come]. Has any god ever performed such miracles to come and take for himself a nation, etc. All these letters hei (ה) are interrogative prefixes, and are therefore vocalized with chataph patach: הֲנִהְיָה — Did anything ever happen. הֲנִשְׁמַע — Did anyone ever hear הֲשָׁמַע — Did any people ever hear. הֲנִסָּה — Did any god ever miraculously.

במסת. עַל יְדֵי נִסְיוֹנוֹת הוֹדִיעָם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו, כְּגוֹן "הִתְפָּאֵר עָלַי" (שמות ח') אִם אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, הֲרֵי זֶה נִסָּיוֹן:

Through tests. By means of tests, he made His mighty deeds known to them, for example: “Glorify yourself at my expense,” whether I will be able to do so. This is an example of a test.

באתת. בְּסִימָנִין, לְהַאֲמִין שֶׁהוּא שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, כְּגוֹן "מַה זֶּה בְיָדֶךָ" (שם ד'):

With signs. With signs to confirm that he [Moshe] is the messenger of the Almighty, for example, “What is that in your hand.”

ובמופתים. הֵם נִפְלָאוֹת, שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם מַכּוֹת מֻפְלָאוֹת:

With wonders. These refer to the wonders that He brought upon them — the astonishing plagues.

ובמלחמה. בַּיָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי ה' נִלְחָם לָהֶם" (שם י"ד):

Through warfare. [This refers to the episode] of the [Reed] Sea, as it is said, “For Adonoy is fighting for them.”

הראת. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "אִתְחֲזֵיתָא"; כְּשֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּבָּ"ה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה פָּתַח לָהֶם שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִים, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁקָּרַע אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים כָּךְ קָרַע אֶת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְרָאוּ שֶׁהוּא יְחִידִי, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת":

You have been shown. The word הָרְאֵתָ according to Targum Onkelos means “You were shown.” When the Holy One, blessed is He, gave the Torah, He lay open for them the seven heavens. And just as he split [opened] the upper spheres so too did He split the lower spheres, and thus they saw that He is the only One. It is therefore stated: “You have been shown that you might know.”

ותחת כי אהב. וְכָל זֶה תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר אָהַב:

Because He loved [your fathers]. And all this was because He loved [your fathers].

ויוצאך בפניו. כְּאָדָם הַמַּנְהִיג בְּנוֹ לְפָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ וְגוֹ' וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם" (שם). דָּ"אַ, ויוצאך בפניו – בִּפְנֵי אֲבוֹתָיו, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "נֶגֶד אֲבוֹתָם עָשָׂה פֶלֶא" (תהילים ע"ח); וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ עַל שֶׁהִזְכִּירָם בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְתָבָם בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד – ויבחר בזרעו אחריו:

And He took you out before Him. Like a man who leads his son before him, as it is said, “the angel of God moved [from its position] when it traveled in front of the Israelite camp, and went behind them.” Another explanation: “And He took you out in His Presence,” in the presence of their fathers, as it is said, “In the presence of their fathers, He did wonders.” Do not be puzzled that it refers to them (the fathers) in the singular for it has [already] written about them in the singular, “And He chose his descendants after him.”

ממך מפניך. סָרְסֵהוּ וְדָרְשֵׁהוּ: לְהוֹרִישׁ מִפָּנֶיךָ גּוֹיִם גְּדוֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים מִמְּךָ:

[Stronger] than you from before you. Invert [the order of the verse] and then explain it: “to expel from before you nations greater and stronger than you.”

כיום הזה. כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רוֹאֶה הַיּוֹם:

Like this day. Just like you see this day.