דברים ז׳

ונשל. לְשׁוֹן הַשְׁלָכָה וְהַתָּזָה, וְכֵן "וְנָשַׁל הַבַּרְזֶל" (דברים י"ט):

And He will cast out. This is an expression of casting away and displacing, and similarly, “And the iron flies off.”

ולא תחנם. לֹא תִתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן, אָסוּר לוֹ לָאָדָם לוֹמַר "כַּמָּה נָאֶה גוֹי זֶה". דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֲנִיָּה בָּאָרֶץ (עבודה זרה כ'):

And do not favor them. Do not hold them in esteem. It is forbidden to say, “How handsome is the heathen.” Another interpretation: do not give them an encampment (settlement) in the land.

כי יסיר את בנך מאחרי. בְּנוֹ שֶׁל גוֹי כְּשֶׁיִּשָּׂא אֶת בִּתְּךָ יָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד לוֹ בִתְּךָ מֵאַחֲרַי, לִמְּדָנוּ שֶׁבֶּן בִּתְּךָ הַבָּא מִן הַגּוֹי קָרוּי בִּנְךָ, אֲבָל בֶּן בִּנְךָ הַבָּא מִן הַגּוֹיָה אֵינוֹ קָרוּי בִּנְךָ אֶלָּא בְּנָהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא נֶאֱמַר עַל בִּתּוֹ לֹא תִקַּח כִּי תָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ מֵאַחֲרַי:

For he will turn your son away from me. If the son of the gentile will marry your daughter, he will turn away your son (grandson) whom your daughter will bear for him, from following after Me. From this we learn that your daughter’s son, who is born of a gentile, is considered your son; but your son’s son, born of a gentile woman, is not considered your son, rather her son; for it is not said [regarding the prohibition:] “Do not take his daughter for your son,” because she will turn [your (grand)son away from Me], but only that he (the gentile) will turn your son, etc.

מזבחתיהם. שֶׁל בִּנְיָן:

Their altars. Constructed of several stones.

ומצבתם. אֶבֶן אַחַת:

Their monuments. Made of a single stone.

ואשירהם. אִילָנוֹת שֶׁעוֹבְדִין אוֹתָן:

Their worship-trees. Trees which they worship.

ופסיליהם. צְלָמִים:

Their statues. Carved images.

לא מרבכם. כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ לְפִי שֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם מַגְדִּילִים עַצְמְכֶם כְּשֶׁאֲנִי מַשְׁפִּיעַ לָכֶם טוֹבָה, לְפִיכָךְ חשק … בכם

Not because of the multitude of your population. This is to be taken literally, but there is also a Midrashic interpretation: Because you do not magnify yourselves (boasting) when I shower you with goodness, therefore did [Adonoy] delight in you.

כי אתם המעט – הַמְמַעֲטִין עַצְמְכֶם, כְּגוֹן אַבְרָהָם שֶׁאָמַר (בראשית י"ח) "וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר", וּכְגוֹן מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן שֶׁאָמְרוּ (שמות ט"ז) "וְנַחְנוּ מָה", לֹא כִנְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר שֶׁאָמַר (ישעיהו י"ד) "אֶדַּמֶּה לְעֶלְיוֹן", וְסַנְחֵרִיב (שם ל"ו) שֶׁאָמַר "מִי בְּכָל אֱלֹהֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת", וְחִירָם שֶׁאָמַר (י"ח כ"ח) "אֵל אָנִי מוֹשַׁב אֱלֹהִים יָשַׁבְתִּי" (חולין פ"ט):

For you are the least. You diminish yourselves, as did Avrohom, who said, “I am but dust and ashes,” and like Moshe and Aharon who said, “What are we”? And you are not as Nevuchadnetzar, who said, “I will be compared to the Most High,” or like like Sancherev, who said, “Who are they among all the gods of these lands, [that have delivered their land out of my hand that Adonoy should deliver Jerusalem and of my hand”?] or like Chirom, who said, “I am a god, in the seat of God, I sit.”

כי אתם המעט. הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן דְּהָא:

For you are the least. Here the word כִּי is used to express “for.”

כי מאהבת ה'. הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא – לא מרבכם חשק ה' בכם, אֶלָּא מאהבת ה' אתכם:

Rather, out of Adonoy’s love. Here the word כִּי is used to express “rather.” “Not because of the multitude of your population, did Adonoy desire you, rather, out of Adonoy’s love for you.”

ומשמרו את השבעה. מֵחֲמַת שָׁמְרוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה:

And out of His keeping the oath. On account of His keeping the oath.

לאלף דור. וּלְהַלָּן (דברים ה') הוּא אוֹמֵר "לַאֲלָפִים". כָּאן שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ אֵצֶל לְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָיו, הוּא אוֹמֵר לאלף, וּלְהַלָּן שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ אֵצֶל לְאֹהֲבַי, הוּא אוֹמֵר לַאֲלָפִים (סוטה ל"א):

For a thousand generations. But below it states: “For thousands of generations.” Here where it is connected to “and for those who keep His commandments” [referring to those who do so out of fear] it states “for a thousand generations; but below it is connected to “for those who love Me” [referring to those who do so out of love, whose reward is greater,] it states for thousands of generations.

לאהביו. אֵלּוּ הָעוֹשִׂין מֵאַהֲבָה:

For those who love Him. They obey [God’s commandments] out of love.

ולשמרי מצותיו. אֵלּוּ הָעוֹשִׂין מִיִּרְאָה:

And for those who keep His commandments. Referring to those who do so out of fear.

ומשלם לשנאיו אל פניו. בְּחַיָּיו מְשַׁלֵּם לוֹ גְמוּלוֹ הַטּוֹב, כְּדֵי לְהַאֲבִידוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

And He pays His enemy to his face. During his lifetime He rewards him for his good deeds, in order to destroy him [from participating] in the World to Come.

היום לעשותם. וּלְמָחָר, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, לִטֹּל שְׂכָרָם (עירובין כ"ב):

Today, to fulfill. And tomorrow in the World to Come, [will you] receive the reward for them.

והיה עקב תשמעון. אִם הַמִּצְווֹת קַלּוֹת שֶׁאָדָם דָּשׁ בַּעֲקֵבָיו תשמעון.

In the future, as a consequence of your heeding. If, even the lesser commandments which a person [sometimes] treads on with his heels, you will heed, [then] —

ושמר ה' וגו'. יִשְׁמֹר לְךָ הַבְטָחָתוֹ (עי' תנחומא):

Adonoy, your God will preserve. . . He will keep his promise to you.

שגר אלפיך. וַלְדֵי בְקָרְךָ שֶׁהַנְּקֵבָה מְשַׁגֶּרֶת מִמֵּעֶיהָ:

The offspring of your cattle. The young of your cattle which the female casts out from her womb.

ועשתרת צאנך. מְנַחֵם פֵּרֵשׁ "אַבִּירֵי בָשָׁן" (תהילים כ"ב) – מִבְחַר הַצֹּאן, כְּמוֹ "בְּעַשְׁתְּרֹת קַרְנַיִם" (בראשית י"ד), לְשׁוֹן חֹזֶק, וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "וְעֶדְרֵי עָנָךְ". וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָם עַשְׁתָּרוֹת? שֶׁמַּעֲשִׁירוֹת אֶת בַּעֲלֵיהֶן (חולין פ"ד):

And the herds of your sheep. Menachem (ben Seruk) explains that אַבִּירֵי בָּשָׁן (the strong bulls of Bashan) means the choicest of the flock, similar to עַשְׁתְּרֹת קַרְנַיִם, which expresses strength. Onkelos translates it as herds of your sheep. Our Sages said: “Why are they called עַשְׁתָּרֹת ? “Because they enrich their owners.”

עקר. שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד:

A sterile male — who cannot beget children.

כי תאמר בלבבך. עַל כָּרְחֲךָ לְשׁוֹן דִּילְמָא הוּא, שֶׁמָּא תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבְךָ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם רַבִּים לֹא אוּכַל לְהוֹרִישָׁם, אַל תֹּאמַר כֵּן, לא תירא מהם, וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְפָרְשׁוֹ בְּאַחַת מִשְּׁאָר לְשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל כִּי שֶׁיִּפֹּל עָלָיו שׁוּב לֹא תִירָא מֵהֶם:

Perhaps you may think to yourself. You must agree that (כִּי) in this context is an expression of perhaps: Perhaps you may think to yourself “Because they are [so] many, I will be unable to dispossess them.” You should not say [think] so. Do not fear them. And it is impossible to explain [the word כִּי ] according to any of the other meanings of כִּי that would fit in with: Do not fear them.

המסת. נִסְיוֹנוֹת:

Tests. מַסֹת means tests.

והאתת. כְּגוֹן וַיְהִי לְנָחָשׁ (שמות ד'), וְהָיוּ לְדָם בַּיַּבָּשֶׁת (שם):

Signs. For example, “And it became a snake,” and “it became blood on the dry land.”

והמפתים. הַמַּכּוֹת הַמֻּפְלָאוֹת:

And the wonders — the wondrous plagues.

והיד החזקה. זוֹ הַדֶּבֶר:

The mighty hand. This refers to the pestilence.

והזרע הנטויה. זוֹ הַחֶרֶב שֶׁל מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת:

And the extended arm. This is a reference to the sword of the plague of (the Egyptian) first born.

הצרעה. מִין שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף שֶׁהָיְתָה זוֹרֶקֶת בָּהֶם מָרָה וּמְסָרַסְתָּן וּמְסַמְּאָה אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיוּ נִסְתָּרִין שָׁם (סוטה ל"ו):

The tzir’oh. This a flying insect which injected a poisonous substance into them, and castrated them and blinded them in every place where they would hide.

פן תרבה עליך חית השדה. וַהֲלֹא אִם עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֵין מִתְיָרְאִין מִן הַחַיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב ה') וְחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה הָשְׁלְמָה לָּךְ? אֶלָּא גָּלוּי הָיָה לְפָנָיו שֶׁעֲתִידִין לַחֲטֹא:

Lest the wild animals multiply against you. But is it not true that if they do the will of the Omnipresent they would not have to fear the beast, as it is said, “And the wild animals will be at peace with you”? However it was known to Him that they would sin in the future.

והמם. נָקוּד קָמָץ כֻּלּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מ"ם אַחֲרוֹנָה מִן הַיְסוֹד, וַהֲרֵי הוּא כְּמוֹ וְהָם אוֹתָם, אֲבָל "וְהָמַם גִּלְגַּל עֶגְלָתוֹ" (ישעיהו כ"ח) כֻּלּוֹ יְסוֹד, לְפִיכָךְ חֶצְיוֹ קָמָץ וְחֶצְיוֹ פַּתָּח, כִּשְׁאָר פֹּעַל שֶׁל שָׁלוֹשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת:

And will confuse them. Both syllables of the word הָמָם have a kometz vowel because the last mem is not part of the root. Thus וְהָמָם is the same as וְהָם אוֹתָם [and will confuse them]. However (the word וְהָמַם in the verse,) “And though the roller of his wagon was noisy,” the verb הָמַם consists entirely of root letters; therefore half of it has a kometz (הָ) and half of it has a patach (מַ) like any other verb of three letters.