Core Themes in Kli Yakar's Torah Commentary

וְטַעֲמוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר שֶׁקִּיּוּם שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ תָּלוּי בַּתּוֹרָה, לְפִי שֶׁהָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים הֵם שְׁנֵי הֲפָכִים, וּצְרִיכִים לְאֶמְצָעִי הַמְצָרְפָם, וְהוּא הָאָדָם הַמֻּרְכָּב מִן חוֹמֶר וְצוּרָה, וְהַרְכָּבָה זוֹ הִיא עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה. כִּי זוּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הָיָה הָאָדָם נִמְשָׁל לַבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא הָיָה בּוֹ חֵלֶק מִן הָעֶלְיוֹנִים. לְפִיכָךְ הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה מֵשִׂים שָׁלוֹם בֵּין פָּמַלְיָא שֶׁל מַעְלָה וְשֶׁל מַטָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מִתְנַגְּדִים זֶה לָזֶה, כִּי הָאֶמְצָעִי מְצָרְפָם. זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר: ״יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי״, כִּי כָל נִצּוֹק חִבּוּר, וּכְמוֹ הַמָּטָר הַיּוֹרֵד מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם עַד לָאָרֶץ דּוֹמֶה כְּאִלּוּ הוּא מְחַבֵּר שָׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ, כִּי כָל נִצּוֹק דּוֹמֶה לְחִבּוּר, כָּךְ ״לִקְחִי״, דְּהַיְינוּ הַתּוֹרָה הַלְּקוּחָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ, הִיא מָקוֹם דְּנָשְׁקֵי אַרְעָא וּרְקִיעַ.

The reason for this matter, that the existence of heaven and earth depends on the Torah, is because the higher and lower realms are two opposites and require an intermediary to connect them. This intermediary is man, who is composed of matter and form, and this combination is by way of the Torah. For without the Torah, man would be compared to an animal and would have no part of the higher realms. Therefore, one who engages in Torah creates peace between the heavenly and earthly hosts so that they will not oppose each other, because the intermediary connects them. This is what is meant by My teaching shall drop as the rain (Deuteronomy 32:2), because every flow is a connection, like the rain that descends from heaven to earth, appearing as if it connects heaven and earth, for every flow resembles a connection. Similarly, My teaching, meaning the Torah that was taken from heaven to earth, is the place where earth and firmament kiss.

וְהִנֵּה קָרוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ טַעַם אַחֵר, עַל מָה שֶׁיִּחֵס שְׁנֵי תְּרוּמוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת אֶל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלֹא הַשְּׁלִישִׁית, לְפִי שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם גֶּדֶר עֲנָוָה וְהַכְנָעָה בֵּין הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, שָׁם חֶבְיוֹן עֻזּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַשּׁוֹכֵן אֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ. אֲבָל בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ נִדְנוּד גַּאֲוָה, אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רוֹצֶה לְיַחֵד שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שָׁם. לְפִיכָךְ שְׁנֵי תְּרוּמוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁהָיָה יַד כָּל אָדָם שָׁוֶה בָּהֶם, כִּי ״הֶעָשִׁיר לֹא יַרְבֶּה וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט״, וְאֵין מָקוֹם לְשׁוּם אֶחָד לְהִתְפָּאֵר עַל חֲבֵרוֹ לוֹמַר ״תְּרוּמָתִי גְּדוֹלָה מִתְּרוּמָתְךָ״, אוֹתָן יִחֵס הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ אֵלָיו. כִּי בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה נֶאֱמַר ״וְיִקְחוּ לִי״ – לִשְׁמִי, כִּי כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה תְּחִלַּת פָּרָשַׁת מִקֵּץ וּבְפָסוּק ״בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי״ (שמות כ כא) שֶׁכָּל אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל מוֹרִים עַל גֶּדֶר הָעֲנָוָה, עַיֵּן שָׁם. וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה אָמַר ״תְּרוּמָתִי״. וְכֵן הַדָּבָר הַנַּעֲשֶׂה מִן שְׁנֵי תְּרוּמוֹת אֵלּוּ דּוֹמֶה אֶל הַתְּרוּמָה עַצְמָהּ, כִּי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁכֻּלָּן הָיוּ שָׁוִין בָּהּ וְלֹא הָיָה בָּהּ שׁוּם הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת לְאֶחָד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, כָּךְ נַעֲשֶׂה מִתְּרוּמָה אַחַת הָאֲדָנִים. כִּי כָל הָאֲדָנִים הָיוּ שָׁוִים אֶחָד כְּמוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ, וְהָיוּ תַּחְתּוֹנִים לְכָל הַבִּנְיָן כְּאַסְקֻפָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת, וְהָיוּ יְסוֹדוֹת לְכָל הַבִּנְיָן. כִּי ״כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עוֹשֵׂיהֶם״, כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָעוֹשִׂים הַנְּדָבָה הַהִיא הָיוּ שָׁוִין בַּנְּתִינָה וְלֹא הָיָה לְשׁוּם אֶחָד מֵהֶם הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, כָּךְ נַעֲשׂוּ מֵהֶם אֲדָנִים אֵלּוּ הַמּוֹרִים עַל גֶּדֶר הָעֲנָוָה. כִּי הָעֲנָוָה הִיא יְסוֹד הַבִּנְיָן אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל נָכוֹן, וְנִקְרְאוּ בְּשֵׁם אֲדָנִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּמַשְׁמָעוּתוֹ לְשׁוֹן אַדְנוּת וּשְׂרָרָה, יַעַן כִּי כָּל מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאַסְקֻפָּה הַנִּדְרֶסֶת מִלְּמַטָּה, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדוֹן מִלְמַעְלָה. כִּי כָל הַמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַגְבִּיהוֹ, וְעוֹשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ יְסוֹד וְנוֹשֵׂא לְכָל הַבִּנְיָן כַּאֲדָנִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ יְסוֹד וְנוֹשֵׂא לְכָל הַבִּנְיָן. וְכֵן מִלַּת ״נָשִׂיא״ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ שֶׁהוּא נוֹשֵׂא אֶת אֲחֵרִים, כִּי כֻלָּם נִשְׁעָנִים עָלָיו. וּמִתְּרוּמָה שְׁנִיָּה הֵבִיאוּ קָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר, שֶׁהָיוּ גַּם כֵּן שָׁוִים בְּכָל יוֹם, כֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד בַּבֹּקֶר וְהַשֵּׁנִי בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם, וּכְתִיב (תהלים נא יט) ״זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה״, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר תַּכְלִית הַזְּבָחִים לְהָבִיא אֶת הָאָדָם לִידֵי רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה, וְעַל כֵּן יִחֲסָהּ גַּם כֵּן אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי״, לְפִי שֶׁהַתְּרוּמָה וְהֶעָשׂוּי מִמֶּנָּה הַכֹּל מוֹרֶה עַל גֶּדֶר הָעֲנָוָה. עַל כֵּן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״זוֹ הִיא תְּרוּמָתִי״. אֲבָל תְּרוּמָה שְׁלִישִׁית שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ הַכֹּל שָׁוִין בָּהּ וְהָיוּ מִתְחַלְּפִים בְּפָחוֹת וְיָתֵר, כִּי הֶעָשִׁיר הַנּוֹתֵן הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ לוֹ מָקוֹם לְהִתְנַשְּׂאוּת עַל הֶעָנִי לֵאמֹר ״יֵשׁ לִי חֵלֶק גָּדוֹל בְּבֵית אֱלֹהֵינוּ יוֹתֵר מִן הֶעָנִי בְּהַרְבּוֹתִי מֹהַר וּמַתָּן״, עַל כֵּן נַעֲשׂוּ מִמֶּנָּה כָּל כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ, כְּמוֹ הָאָרוֹן וְהַמְּנוֹרָה וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְיֶתֶר הַכֵּלִים. וּבְלִי סָפֵק שֶׁהָיָה יִתְרוֹן לִקְצָתָם עַל קְצָתָם, כִּי זֵר הָאָרוֹן הוּא כְּנֶגֶד כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה, וְזֵר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כְּנֶגֶד כֶּתֶר כְּהֻנָּה, וְזֵר הַשֻּׁלְחָן כְּנֶגֶד כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּפִי קְדֻשַּׁת הַכֵּלִים הָיָה לוֹ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיַחֵס נְדָבָה זוֹ אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם מֵאַחַר שֶׁמִּצַּד גְּבִיַּת הַנְּדָבָה הָיָה שָׁם צַד גַּאֲוָה וְהִתְנַשְּׂאוּת לַמַּרְבֶּה עַל הַמַּמְעִיט, עַל כֵּן לֹא יִחֲסָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵלָיו.

And it is reasonable to understand another reason, for why He attributed the first two donations to the Holy One, blessed be He, but not the third. Because everywhere that there is humility and submission among the lower beings, there dwells the hidden might of the Holy One, blessed be He, who resides with the crushed and lowly of spirit. But in every place where there is a hint of pride, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not want to associate His blessed name there. Therefore, the first two donations, in which all people were equal, for the rich did not give more and the poor did not give less, and there was no place for anyone to boast over his fellow saying “my donation is greater than yours” — those He attributed to Himself. For in the first it is stated, and they shall take for Me, for My name, as we have already explained above at the beginning of Parashat Miketz and in the verse in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned (Exodus 20:21) that all the letters of the great Name indicate humility, see there. And in the second He said My donation. And so the thing made from these two donations resembles the donation itself, for just as everyone was equal in it and there was no one elevating himself above his fellow, so too from the first donation were made the sockets [adanim], as all the sockets were equal, one like the other, and they were at the bottom of the entire structure like a threshold that is trodden upon, and they were the foundations for the entire structure. “For like them are those who make them,” for just as those who gave that donation were equal in their giving and none of them was elevated above his fellow, so too were made from them these sockets that indicate humility, for humility is the foundation of the structure upon which the entire house of Israel is established. And they are called “adanim” [sockets], which has the connotation of Lordship [adnut] and authority, because anyone who makes himself like a threshold that is trodden upon from below becomes a Lord from above, for whoever humbles himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, elevates him and makes him a foundation and support for the entire structure, like these sockets that were the foundation and support for the entire structure. And so too the term “nasi” [prince/leader] means that he bears [nosei] others, for they all lean upon him. And from the second donation they brought communal offerings, which were also equal every day, one lamb in the morning and the second in the evening, and it is written (Psalms 51:19) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, meaning the purpose of sacrifices is to bring a person to a state of a broken spirit. Therefore, He also attributed it to Himself, as it is said, take My donation, because the donation and what is made from it all indicate the virtue of humility. Therefore, the Holy One said, This is My donation. But the third donation, in which not everyone was equal and they varied between less and more, because the rich person who gives more has room to feel superior over the poor person, saying, “I have a greater share in the house of our God than the poor person through my abundant giving,” therefore from it were made all the holy vessels, like the Ark, the Menorah, the Table, the Altar, and the rest of the vessels. And without doubt there was superiority of some over others, because the crown of the Ark corresponds to the crown of Torah, and the crown of the Altar corresponds to the crown of priesthood, and the crown of the Table corresponds to the crown of kingship. And even though according to the holiness of the vessels, the Holy One should have attributed this donation to Himself, nevertheless, since in the collection of the donation there was an aspect of pride and superiority of those who gave more over those who gave less, therefore the Holy One did not attribute it to Himself.

דָּבָר אַחֵר, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל מִצְוֹת אֵלּוּ הֵם חוֹבַת הַגּוּף וְאֵינָן תְּלוּיִין בָּאָרֶץ, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּבִים בָּהֶם בֵּין בָּאָרֶץ בֵּין בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, בֵּין בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם בֵּין בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵינוֹ קַיָּם, חוּץ מִן שְׁנֵי מִצְוֹת אֵלּוּ ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ אֵינָן מִתְקַיְּמִים כִּי אִם בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יוֹשְׁבִים עַל אַדְמָתָם וְיָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו אֲלֵיהֶם וּמְדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם בְּנוֹכֵחַ, כִּי אֵינָן בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים. אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁגָּלוּ הַבָּנִים מֵעַל שֻׁלְחַן אֲבִיהֶם, אָז ״אָנֹכִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״ אֵינוֹ מְקֻיָּם, כִּי כְבָר אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (כתובות קי:) שֶׁהַדָּר בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ דּוֹמֶה כְּאִלּוּ אֵין לוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ כוּ׳, וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים״ אֵינוֹ מְקֻיָּם, לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹכֵחָה (דברים כח סד) ״וַעֲבַדְתֶּם שָׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים״. פֵּרַשׁ רַשִׁ״י: מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁאַתָּה מַעֲלֶה מַס לְכוֹמְרֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ עֲבָדָם, עַד כָּאן. דִּבֵּר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁתֵּי מִצְוֹת אֵלּוּ דַּוְקָא בְּנוֹכֵחַ, כִּי בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַצְלָחָתָם נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כו ט) ״וּפָנִיתִי אֲלֵיכֶם״, וְאָז הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים, וּבַזְּמַן הַהוּא מִתְקַיְּמִים שְׁתֵּי דִּבְּרוֹת אֵלּוּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״עַל פָּנַי״. אֲבָל שְׁאָר הַדִּבְּרוֹת מִתְקַיְּמִים אַף בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים, עַל כֵּן הֵם נֶאֱמָרִים בִּלְשׁוֹן נִסְתָּר. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (מכות כד.) ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה שְׁמַעֲנוּם, הִזְכִּירוּ דַּוְקָא כִּנּוּי לְשׁוֹן גְּבוּרָה כְּלַפֵּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי זֶה נֶאֱמַר עַל הַזְּמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּשַׁלְוָתָם, וּבַזְּמַן הַהוּא מוֹסִיפִין כֹּחַ בִּגְבוּרָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה. אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁהֵם בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים הֵם מְתִישִׁין כֹּחוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ילקוט האזינו תתקמה) שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מוֹסִיפִין כֹּחַ בִּגְבוּרָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יד יז) ״וְעַתָּה יִגְדַּל נָא כֹּחַ ה׳״. וְהָרְשָׁעִים מְתִישִׁין כֹּחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״צוּר יְלָדְךָ תֶּשִׁי״. וְכָל זֶה נֶאֱמַר מִצַּד הַמְקַבְּלִים, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין שִׁנּוּי לְמַעְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (מלאכי ג ו) ״אֲנִי ה׳ לֹא שָׁנִיתִי״. אַךְ תַּשּׁוּת כֹּחַ זֶה הוּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁעֲוֹנוֹתָיו יִלְכְּדוּ אֶת הָרָשָׁע וְדִינוֹ חָרוּץ לְהַפְסִיק שֶׁפַע הַצִּנּוֹרוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ, נִרְאֶה כְּאִלּוּ יֵשׁ חָלִילָה תַּשּׁוּת כֹּחַ לְמַעְלָה אֲשֶׁר מָנְעָה מִלְּהֵטִיב עִמּוֹ. אֲבָל הַצַּדִּיקִים גּוֹרְמִים הַשְׁפָּעַת הַצִּנּוֹרוֹת, וְעַל יָדָם נִרְאֵית גְּבוּרָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה. וּמַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם״, וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר ״אֲשֶׁר בָּרָאתִי שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ״, לְפִי שֶׁהָרוֹצֶה לְשַׁקֵּר יַרְחִיק עֵדָיו, שֶׁהֲרֵי דָּבָר זֶה לֹא רָאוּ. עַל כֵּן הִזְכִּיר לָהֶם הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, וְכֵן תִּמְצָא בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר. וַ״אֲשֶׁר בְּרָאתִיךָ״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, לְפִי שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין יג:) נוֹחַ לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא מִשֶּׁנִּבְרָא, וְלֹא בָּא כָּאן לְהַזְכִּיר כִּי אִם הַטּוֹבוֹת אֲשֶׁר הֵטִיב לָהֶם, כִּי בַּעֲבוּרָם הֵם חַיָּבִים לְעָבְדוֹ.

Another explanation, Since all these commandments are obligations of the body and are not dependent on the land, and Israel is obligated to observe them whether in the land [of Israel] or outside it, whether during the time when the Temple exists or when it doesn’t exist, except for these two commandments I am [the Lord your God] and You shall have no [other gods] which are not fulfilled except when Israel dwells on their land and God makes His face shine upon them and speaks to them directly, for they do not exist with the hiding of [God’s] face. But at the time when the children are exiled from their Father’s table, then I am the Lord your God is not fulfilled, as our Sages already said (Ketubot 110b) that one who dwells outside the Land [of Israel] is like one who has no God, etc. And You shall have no other gods is not fulfilled because it is said in the rebuke (Deuteronomy 28:64) And there you will serve other gods. Rashi explained: “Since you pay taxes to the priests of idolatry, the verse considers it as if you worshipped them.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke these two commandments specifically in direct address, because when Israel is successful, it is said (Leviticus 26:9) I will turn to you. And then the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks with them face to face, and at that time these two commandments are fulfilled, therefore it says before Me. But the rest of the commandments are fulfilled even when Israel is in a state of the hiding of [God’s] face, therefore they are stated in third person. And this is what was said (Makkot 24a) I am and You shall have no we heard from the mouth of the Might. They specifically mentioned the attribute of Might regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, because this was said about the time when Israel is in tranquility, and at that time they add strength to the Might above. But at the time when they are in a state of the hiding [of His] face, they weaken His strength, as it were, as our Sages said (Yalkut Shimoni, Ha’azinu 945) that the righteous add strength to the Might above, as it is said (Numbers 14:17) And now, may the strength of the Lord be increased. And the wicked weaken His strength, as it is said The Rock who bore you, you weakened. And all this is said from the perspective of the receivers, for in truth there is no change above, as it is written (Malachi 3:6) I am the Lord, I have not changed. But this weakening of strength occurs at the time when a wicked person’s sins have captured him and his judgment is decided to cut off the flow of the channels from him. It appears as if there is, heaven forbid, a weakening of strength above which prevented [God] from doing good to him. But the righteous cause the flowing of the channels, and through them the Might above is seen. And as for what is said, “who brought you out of the land of Egypt,” and it does not say, “who created heaven and earth” — this is because one who wishes to lie will distance his witnesses, as this matter [of creation] they did not see. Therefore, He mentioned to them the thing which they saw with their own eyes. And so you will find in the book of the Zohar. And who created you is not said because our Sages of blessed memory said (Eruvin 13b) that it would have been better for man not to have been created than to have been created. And here, He only came to mention the good things that He did for them, because on account of these they are obligated to serve Him.

וְהִנֵּה קָרוֹב לִשְׁמוֹעַ שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר ״בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, הוּא מְדַבֵּר בִּכְלַל הַהֲמוֹן עָם, כִּי כֻלָּם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵמָּה, אֲבָל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר ״יִשְׂרָאֵל״ הוּא מְדַבֵּר עִם הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר כָּל אֶחָד בְּשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא יְכֻנֶּה וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ. וּלְפִי שֶׁגְּדוֹלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלֵיהֶם מוּטָל לְהוֹכִיחַ אֶת הָעָם, וְאִם לֹא יוֹכִיחוּם אֲזַי אַשְׁמַת הָעָם תְּלוּיָה בָּהֶם, עַל כֵּן זֵרְזָם מֹשֶׁה עַל זֶה, יַעַן שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם מָקוֹם לִפְטוֹר מִן הָעוֹנֶשׁ בְּאָמְרָם שֶׁגָּלוּי לָנוּ שֶׁאֵין הַתּוֹכָחָה מוֹעֶלֶת, כִּי לֹא תּוֹעִיל הַתּוֹכָחָה לְעַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף, לְפִי שֶׁאִם לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ גָּלוּי, לִפְנֵיהֶם מִי גָּלוּי? וְכֵן הֶאֱשִׁימָם הַנָּבִיא בְּאָמְרוֹ (ירמיה ב ח): ״וְאַחֲרֵי לֹא יוֹעִילוּ הָלָכוּ״, שֶׁתָּלוּ הֶעְדֵּר הַתּוֹכָחָה בְּטַעֲנַת שֶׁלֹּא יוֹעִיל לָהֶם כִּי לֹא אָבוּ שְׁמוֹעַ, וְזֶה בֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ טַעֲנָה, כִּי עַל כָּל פָּנִים הַמּוֹכִיחַ יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם לִמֵּד אוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ הַתּוֹכָחָה, כִּי כָל מוֹכִיחַ הָרוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִים וְלֹא יִבְעֲטוּ בְּתוֹכַחְתּוֹ, אָז יוֹכִיחֵם בְּרֶמֶז וְלֹא בְּפֵרוּשׁ, בְּאוֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא יָבִין דְּבָרָיו כִּי אִם זֶה הַמַּרְגִּישׁ בְּעַצְמוֹ כִּי הוּא זֶה הָאִישׁ, אֲבָל בְּתוֹכַחַת מְגֻלָּה מִסְתָּמָא יִבְעַט. לָכֵן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּקְרָא הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת, הֵמָּה הַדִּבְרֵי מוּסָר שֶׁבְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ, וְהֵמָּה ״נֶגֶד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל״, כִּי כָּל תּוֹכָחָה הִיא דְּבָרִים קָשִׁים הַמִּתְנַגְּדִים אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְרָא אוֹתָם ״בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם״, הַיְינוּ בְּרֶמֶז שֶׁדּוֹמֶה לִמְדַבֵּר בִּלְחִישָׁה, בְּאוֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס כִּי אִם בְּאָזְנֵי זֶה הַיּוֹדֵעַ בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בַּדָּבָר. וְזֶהוּ הָרֶמֶז בְּאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל כָּל הַגְּדוֹלִים אֲשֶׁר בְּשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכֻנּוּ, וּמַה דִּבֵּר לָהֶם, הַיְינוּ ״בַּמִּדְבָּר בָּעֲרָבָה״ וְגוֹ׳, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר מִמֶּנִּי תִּרְאוּ וְכֵן תַּעֲשׂוּ, לְהוֹכִיחַ בְּרֶמֶז, כִּי זֶה סִבָּה גְדוֹלָה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹכָחָה. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כִּי דַּוְקָא אֶל הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁקָּרָא ״יִשְׂרָאֵל״ דִּבֵּר בְּרֶמֶז מֵחֲמַת הַכָּבוֹד, אֲבָל בְּסָמוּךְ נֶאֱמַר ״דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, דְּהַיְינוּ הַהֲמוֹן עָם, וְלָהֶם לֹא חָלַק כָּבוֹד אֶלָּא בְּפֵרוּשׁ אָמַר לָהֶם מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְרַגְּלִים וְהָעֵגֶל, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַגְּדוֹלִים מִסְּתָמָא לֹא נֶאֶשְׁמוּ בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר בְּרֶמֶז, מִכָּל מָקוֹם מֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחוּם תָּלָה הָאַשְׁמָה בָּהֶם בְּרֶמֶז. וְנִרְאֶה לִי לְיַשֵּׁב בָּזֶה מַה שֶּׁהִקְשׁוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים, לָמָּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר ״וַיְהִי בְּאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה״ בִּתְחִלַּת הַפָּרָשָׁה. לְפִי שֶׁעִקַּר טַעַם שֶׁל הוֹדָעַת זְמַן זֶה, טַעֲמוֹ לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁהַתּוֹכָחָה טוֹבָה לִהְיוֹת סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מוֹכִיחוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וּמוֹכִיחוֹ, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁמָּא הַיּוֹם אוֹ מָחָר יִהְיֶה לוֹ מָקוֹם לוֹמַר אֶל הַמּוֹכִיחוֹ: טוֹל קוֹרָה כוּ׳ (ערכין טז:), וְדָבָר רַע כָּזֶה אִם הוּא אֶפְשָׁרִי לְהִמָּצֵא אֵצֶל כְּלַל הַהֲמוֹן עָם, מִכָּל מָקוֹם כָּל אִישׁ חַיִל רַב פְּעָלִים בַּל יִשָּׂא עַל שְׂפָתָיו דִּבּוּר כָּזֶה. לְפִיכָךְ תּוֹכָחָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁהָיְתָה אֶל הַגְּדוֹלִים לְבַד, לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לִכְתֹּב זְמַן זֶה, כִּי אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְׁאָר זְמַנִּים תּוֹכָחָה לָהֶם טוֹבָה, כִּי לֹא יִבְעַט לוֹמַר: טוֹל קוֹרָה, כִּי אִם הֶעָצֵב נִבְזֶה הָאָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי בוּז, וְכָל אִישׁ יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עַל פִּיו דִּבּוּר כָּזֶה. וְעוֹד שֶׁדַּוְקָא הַתּוֹכָחוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ, מִן ״וַיְהִי בְּאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה״ וְגוֹ׳ וָהָלְאָה, בָּהֶם יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מוֹכִיחוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וּמוֹכִיחוֹ לֵאמֹר: טוֹל קוֹרָה כוּ׳, אֲבָל תּוֹכָחָה רִאשׁוֹנָה זוֹ הָאֲמוּרָה בְּרֶמֶז, אֵין לָחוּשׁ לָזֶה, כִּי כָּל אֶחָד יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּלֹא יוֹדֵעַ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: תּוֹכָחָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, לְפִי שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה מֵעַצְמוֹ אֲמָרָם, עַל כֵּן הִזְכִּירָהּ בְּרֶמֶז, כִּי הָיָה יָרֵא פֶּן יִכָּוֶה בְּגַחַלְתָּן, כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרָה לוֹ כְּשֶׁאָמַר ״שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמּוֹרִים״ (במדבר כ י). אֲבָל בְּסָמוּךְ נֶאֱמַר: ״דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אוֹתוֹ אֲלֵיהֶם״, הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר דְּבָרִים כַּהֲוָיָתָן.

And now it is reasonable to understand that whenever it mentions “the children of Israel,” it is speaking about the general masses of the people, for they are all the children of Israel. But in places where it mentions “Israel,” it is speaking to the great individuals of Israel, each of whom is called by the name of Israel the patriarch and resembles him. And since the great individuals of Israel have the obligation to rebuke the people, and if they do not rebuke them, then the guilt of the people rests upon them, therefore Moses urged them about this. This is because they have no excuse to exempt themselves from punishment by saying, “It is revealed to us that rebuke will not be effective because rebuke will not help a stiff-necked people.” For if it is revealed before God, who has revealed it to them? And the prophet similarly blamed them, saying And after things that do not profit they have gone (Jeremiah 2:8). They attributed their lack of rebuke to the claim that it would not benefit the people because they refused to listen, but this is truly not a valid claim because in any case, the one who rebukes should do his part. Nevertheless, he taught them the way of rebuke, for any rebuker who wants his words to be heeded and not rejected should rebuke with hints rather than explicitly, in a way that only the person who feels within himself that he is the one being addressed will understand the words. But with open rebuke, they will likely reject it. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, told Moses to read this Torah, which refers to the words of moral instruction in this portion, and these are directed at all of Israel, because all rebuke consists of harsh words that challenge all of Israel. And he should read them “in their ears,” meaning with hints, which is like speaking in whispers in a way that will only enter the ears of the one who knows within himself that he is guilty of the matter. And this is the hint in These are the words that Moses spoke to all the great individuals who are called by the name of Israel. And what did he speak to them? In the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc. — meaning, “Learn from me and do likewise” to rebuke with hints, for this is a significant factor in the acceptance of rebuke. And some say that specifically to the great ones, whom he called “Israel,” he spoke in hints out of respect, but in the following it says Moses spoke to the children of Israel meaning the common people, and to them he did not show respect but explicitly told them about the incident of the spies and the golden calf. And even though the great ones presumably were not guilty of all the things he spoke about in hints, nevertheless, since they did not rebuke the people, he attributed the blame to them in hints. And it seems to me that this resolves what the commentators have asked: why doesn’t it say “And it was in the fortieth year” at the beginning of the portion? Because the main reason for mentioning this time is to inform us that rebuke is best given close to death so that one does not rebuke and then rebuke again. That is to say, perhaps today or tomorrow the rebuked person would have a chance to say to the rebuker, “Remove the beam from your own eye, etc.” (Arakhin 16b). And such a bad thing, while it might possibly be found among the general populace, nevertheless, any person of valor with many accomplishments would never utter such words. Therefore, for the first rebuke, which was directed only to the great ones, there was no need to write this timing, because even at other times, rebuke is good for them, as they would not kick back by saying “Remove the beam from your own eye,” which only a despicable, contemptible person who holds onto cords of scorn would say. And any God-fearing person would not let such words be heard from his mouth. Furthermore, specifically the rebukes that were said explicitly, from And it was in the fortieth year and onward, for these there is concern that one should not rebuke and then rebuke again, lest they say “Remove the beam, etc.” But regarding this first rebuke, which was said in hints, there is no concern for this, because each person can act as if he does not know [it is a rebuke]. Another explanation: The first rebuke, since Moses said it on his own initiative, therefore he mentioned it in a hint, because he was afraid lest he be burned by their coals, as happened to him when he said Listen now, you rebels (Numbers 20:10). But shortly after it says Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had commanded him for them — he needed to say the words as they were [directly].

״וּבָאוּ״, מֵעַצְמָם מַשְׁמָע, וּמִי יִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם שֶׁאָמַר ״וְהִשִּׂיגֻךָ״? הַבֵּאוּר הוּא, שֶׁכָּל הָרוֹדֵף אַחַר הַשְּׂרָרָה, הִיא בּוֹרַחַת מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהַבּוֹרֵחַ מִן הַשְּׂרָרָה, הַשְּׂרָרָה רוֹדֶפֶת אַחֲרָיו (תנחומא ויקרא ג). וְהַשְּׂרָרָה מָקוֹר לְכָל הַבְּרָכוֹת, כִּי מַה שֶּׁקָּנָה עֶבֶד קָנָה רַבּוֹ.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ וְגוֹ׳. מַה הָיָה הַמִּקְרָא חָסֵר אִם הָיָה אוֹמֵר ״לֶךְ לְךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ״, וְלָמָּה הִזְכִּיר פְּרָטִים אֵלּוּ ״מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ״? גַּם מִלַּת ״לְךָ״ צָרִיךְ בֵּאוּר, כִּי אֵין מַשְׁמָעוּתוֹ ״לְךָ לַהֲנָאָתְךָ״. גַּם מַה שֶּׁפֵּרֵשׁ הָרַמְבַּ״ן שֶׁהוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן ״אֵלֶךְ לִּי אֶל הַר הַמּוֹר״ (שיר השירים ד, ו) לֹא נִרְאֶה, כִּי גַם ״לִי״ גַּם ״לְךָ״ יִהְיֶה לוֹ בֵּאוּר אַחֵר, הַיּוֹתֵר קָרוֹב לִפְשׁוּטוֹ. וְנִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁהֶעְתִּיקוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵעִנְיָן לְעִנְיָן כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמְּחַנְּכִין הַתִּינוֹק, כִּי אוּלַי יִהְיֶה קָשֶׁה עָלָיו לְקַבֵּל הַכֹּל בְּבַת אַחַת. עַל כֵּן עָשָׂה לוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ חֲלוּקּוֹת וְהֶעְתִּיקוֹ אֶל עִנְיָן רְבִיעִי. כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לַעֲזֹב אַרְצוֹ, וְזֶה שְׁאֵלָה קְטַנָּה, יַעַן כִּי אֵין לָאָדָם תּוֹעֶלֶת מֵאַרְצוֹ יוֹתֵר מֵאֲרָצוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת, כִּי אִם הַשֵּׁם וְהַכָּבוֹד הַמְדֻמֶּה שֶׁעוֹשִׂין לוֹ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמַּכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ. וְזוּלַת זֶה אֵין לוֹ שָׁם עֵזֶר וָסַעַד מִכָּל אַנְשֵׁי אַרְצוֹ הָרְחוֹקִים, וּבְנָקֵל יִתְפַּתֶּה לְעָזְבָם. וְאַחַר כָּךְ, כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵסִיחַ מִלִּבּוֹ כָּל אַרְצוֹ, אָמַר: פֶּן יִהְיֶה נַפְשׁוֹ קְשׁוּרָה בְּאַנְשֵׁי מוֹלַדְתּוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ קְצָת עֵזֶר וָסַעַד מֵהֶם, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת שֶׁהָאֶחָד נִכְנָס בָּעֳבִי הַקּוֹרָה בְּעַד שְׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ, וְלֹא יִתְּנוּ לְזָרִים מָקוֹם לִמְשׁוֹל בָּהֶם. וְזֶה תּוֹעֶלֶת קְצָת יוֹתֵר מֵהָרִאשׁוֹן. וְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְפַּתָּה גַּם לָזֶה, חָשַׁשׁ פֶּן תִּדְבַּק נַפְשׁוֹ בְּבֵית אָבִיו שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שָׁם תּוֹעֶלֶת נוֹסָף עַל כָּל אֵלּוּ, וְהוּא תּוֹעֶלֶת מָמוֹן, כִּי ״בַּיִת וָהוֹן נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת״ (משלי יט, יד). נוֹסָף עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי קֻרְבָה אֵלּוּ, יֵשׁ קֻרְבָה רְבִיעִית, כִּי אָדָם קָרוֹב אֵצֶל עַצְמוֹ יוֹתֵר מִכָּל שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי קְרוֹבִים אֵלּוּ. עַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר ״לֶךְ לְךָ״ – לְעַצְמוּתְךָ, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְאָדָם שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר לֻקַּח מִשָּׁם. וּלְמַעְלָה פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית (בראשית ג:כג) פֵּרַשְׁתִּי שֶׁקָּאֵי עַל הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, כִּי אָדָם מִמְּקוֹם כַּפָּרָתוֹ נִבְרָא, וּמְקוֹרוֹ מֵהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, כִּי מִשָּׁם לֻקַּח עֲפָרוֹ. וְדֶרֶךְ הַסֻּלָּם שֶׁבְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁלְּמַטָּה, מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה, עוֹלִים וְיוֹרְדִים בּוֹ הַנְּשָׁמוֹת הַטְּהוֹרוֹת. אִם כֵּן, שָׁם עַצְמוּת הַגּוּף, וְשָׁם חֶבְיוֹן עֻזָּהּ שֶׁל הַנְּשָׁמָה. וְאִם כֵּן, אָדָם קָרוֹב אֵצֶל עַצְמוּתוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר מִכָּל מִינֵי קְרוֹבִים שֶׁהִזְכִּיר, עַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר ״לֶךְ לְךָ״. וְכֵן נֶאֱמַר לָשׁוֹן זֶה בָּעֲקֵדָה (בראשית כב:ב) ״וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה״ וְגוֹ׳. וּבִשְׁנֵיהֶם לֹא גִּלָּה לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם מִיָּד, כִּי כָּאן נֶאֱמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ״, וּבָעֲקֵדָה נֶאֱמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ״. לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְגַלּוֹת לְאַבְרָם מְקוֹם מוֹצָא הַגּוּף וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ, עַד אֲשֶׁר יַעֲרֶה עָלָיו מִמָּרוֹם רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ תְּחִלָּה. כִּי מֵהַיָּדוּעַ (תנחומא בא ה) שֶׁאֵין הַנְּבוּאָה שׁוֹרָה בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. וְאִם כֵּן, כָּל זְמַן הֱיוֹתוֹ בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, עַד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בּוֹ רוּחַ נְבוּאָה, לֹא יֵדַע וְלֹא יָבִין מַהוּת הַנְּשָׁמָה אֲשֶׁר מְקוֹרָהּ מֵהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, וַאֲפִלּוּ מַהוּת יְצִירַת הַחֹמֶר מִשָּׁם לֹא יָבִין, עַד בּוֹאוֹ אֶל תּוֹךְ הָאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, מָקוֹם מוּכָן אֶל הַנְּבוּאָה. אָז הֶרְאָה לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מַעֲלוֹת הַמָּקוֹם הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַהוּא, וְאֵיךְ הוּא מָקוֹם לְעַצְמוּתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, כִּי שָׁם בֵּיתוֹ וּמְקוֹם חָצְבָהּ שֶׁל הַנְּשָׁמָה, וּמַחְצַב הַחֹמֶר, אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲבוּרוֹ רָאוּי לוֹ לַעֲזֹב כָּל אֵלּוּ וְלֵילֵךְ לְהִדָּבֵק בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ הַהוּא, כִּי שָׁם יַגִּיעַ אֶל דְּבֵקוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה. וְזֶה שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י ״הָלוֹךְ וְנָסֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה״ – לֵילֵךְ לִדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה.

“And God said to Abram, ‘Go forth, etc.’” What would the verse have been lacking if it had simply said “Go forth to the land that I will show you”? Why did it need to specify these details from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house? Also, the word lecha [for yourself] needs explanation, as it doesn’t mean “go for your benefit.” Furthermore, the Ramban’s interpretation that it’s similar to the phrase I will go for myself to the mountain of myrrh (Song of Songs 4:6) doesn’t seem correct, as both “li” and “lecha” should have a different explanation that’s closer to the simple meaning. It appears to me that the Holy One, Blessed be He, moved him from one matter to another, like how we educate a child, because perhaps it would be difficult for him to accept everything at once. Therefore, He made three divisions and moved him to a fourth matter. Initially, He asked him to leave his land, which was a small request, since a person doesn’t gain more benefit from his own land than from other lands. The only benefit is the fame and imagined honor people give someone in a place where they know him, but beyond this, he has no help or support from all the people of his land who are not related, so it’s easy to be persuaded to leave them. Then, after he removed his whole land from his heart, He addressed the possibility that his soul might be bound to the people of his kin, from whom he had some help and support, as families typically do, where one person bears the burden for his relatives and they don’t allow strangers to dominate them. This offered somewhat more benefit than the first. After he was persuaded of this too, there was concern that his soul might cling to his father’s house, where he had additional benefit beyond all these, namely the benefit of wealth, as house and wealth are inherited from fathers. Beyond these three types of closeness, there is a fourth type of closeness, for a person is closer to their own essence than to all these three types of relatives. Therefore, it says lech lecha [go to yourself] — to your essence, just as it was said to Adam to work the ground from which he was taken. And earlier in the book of Genesis (3:23), I explained that this refers to Mount Moriah, because Adam was created from the place of his atonement, and his origin is from Mount Moriah, as his dust was taken from there. And through the ladder in the lower Temple, which is aligned with the upper Temple, pure souls ascend and descend. Therefore, there lies the essence of the body, and there is the hidden strength of the soul. Thus, a person is closest to their own essence more than all types of relatives mentioned, therefore it says lech lecha. The same expression is used regarding the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22:2), And go for yourself to the land of Moriah. In both instances, the location was not immediately revealed to him, as here it says which I will show you, and in the Binding it says which I will tell you. This is because the Holy One, Blessed be He, did not want to reveal to Abraham the place of origin of body and soul until His holy spirit would first be poured upon him from above. For it is known (Tanchuma Bo 5) that prophecy does not rest outside the Land of Israel, and therefore as long as he was outside the Land, until he had the spirit of prophecy, he could not know or understand the essence of the soul whose source is from Mount Moriah, and even the nature of physical creation from there, he could not understand. Only upon entering the Holy Land, a place suited for prophecy, did the Holy One, Blessed be He, show him the virtues of that holy place and how it is the place of man’s essence, for there is his home and the source from which the soul is hewn, and the quarry of matter. For this reason, it was proper for him to leave all these and go to cleave to that holy place, for there he would achieve attachment to the Divine Presence. And this is what Rashi explained about journeying toward the Negev — to go to the south of Jerusalem and Mount Moriah.

וְיָתֻרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן. מָצִינוּ שָׁלֹשׁ לְשׁוֹנוֹת בְּעִנְיָן זֶה: וְיָתֻרוּ, וְיַחְפְּרוּ, וַיְרַגְּלוּ, כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמְרוּ (דברים א כב): ״נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ״. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר: ״וְיָתֻרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן״. וּבַמְרַגְּלִים כְּתִיב (שם א כד): ״וַיְרַגְּלוּ אוֹתָהּ״. לְפִי שֶׁשָּׁלֹשׁ דֵּעוֹת הָיוּ בְּאוֹתָהּ עֵצָה, כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר ״וְיָתֻרוּ״, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּמַשְׁמָעוּתוֹ גַּם לְשׁוֹן יִתְרוֹן, כִּי רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַרְאוֹת לָהֶם יִתְרוֹן הָאָרֶץ עַל כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות ג ח): ״וּלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה״, וְטוֹבָה זוֹ הִיא הַטּוֹבָה הָרוּחָנִית מִצַּד הֱיוֹתָהּ אֲוִירָא דְּמַחְכִּים (ב״ב קנח:), כִּי זֶה הֲכָנָה אֶל הָאָדָם לָבֹא עַל יָדוֹ לִכְלַל הַטּוֹבָה הָאֲמִתִּית, כִּי אֵין לְאָדָם יִתְרוֹן תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ זוּלָתוֹ וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ זֶה בַּכֹּל הִיא (קהלת ה ח). אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת הָיְתָה עִמָּהֶם, כִּי תָּמִיד הָיוּ מְבַקְשִׁים תּוֹאֲנָה לָשׁוּב מִצְרָיְמָה, וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ ״וְיַחְפְּרוּ״, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּמַשְׁמָעוּתוֹ לְשׁוֹן חֶרְפָּה, כִּי עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ רָצוּ לִרְאוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם מָקוֹם לָלוּן וְלוֹמַר ״נִתְּנָה רֹאשׁ וְנָשׁוּבָה מִצְרָיְמָה״. אֲבָל מִכָּל מָקוֹם לֹא בִּקְשׁוּ שֶׁיּוֹצִיאוּ מִלִּבָּם דִּבָּה שִׁקְרִית. וְהַמְרַגְּלִים הִשְׁחִיתוּ הִתְעִיבוּ יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁבִּקְשׁוּ מֵהֶם, וְהוֹצִיאוּ מִלִּבָּם מִלִּין שְׁקָרִים כְּדֶרֶךְ כָּל הוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל הַמַּפְלִיג כָּל דָּבָר לְהַגִּיד יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁרָאָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״וַיְרַגְּלוּ אוֹתָהּ״. כִּי רֶגֶל לְשׁוֹן רָכִיל כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ רַשִּׁ״י עַל פָּסוּק לֹא תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל (ויקרא יט טז). גַּם יִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ מַה שֶּׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר ״וְיָתוּרוּ״, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא רֹאשׁ לְכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת עַל יְדֵי כַּמָּה מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת כְּפוּלוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת עַל כָּל שְׁאָר הָאָרֶץ. וְכֵן מֵבִיא בַּיַּלְקוּט פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ (יג תשמג) עַל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּסוּק ״וְרֹאשׁ עַפְרוֹת תֵּבֵל״ (משלי ח כו), וְהֵמָּה עָשׂוּ בְּהֵפֶךְ זֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁהִיא פְּחוּתָה מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת, כִּי אֶרֶץ אוֹכֶלֶת יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ הִיא, וְהוֹרִידוּהָ מִמַּדְרֵגַת הָרֹאשׁ אֶל מַדְרֵגַת הָרֶגֶל. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״וַיְרַגְּלוּ אוֹתָהּ״, שֶׁעָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ לְמִדְרַס רֶגֶל, כְּרֶגֶל זֶה הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבְּכָל הַגּוּף. וּבֶאֱמֶת הִיא רֹאשׁ לְכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת, כִּי מִטַּעַם זֶה נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל מָקוֹם לְשׁוֹן עֲלִיָּה בַּהוֹלֵךְ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ ״נִתְּנָה רֹאשׁ וְנָשׁוּבָה מִצְרָיְמָה״, מָצִינוּ נְתִינָה לְשׁוֹן שְׁבִיקָה, כְּמוֹ ״לֹא יִתֵּן אֶתְכֶם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לַהֲלֹךְ״ (שמות ג יט), תַּרְגּוּמוֹ ״לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹק״, כָּךְ אָמְרוּ כָּאן נִשְׁבּוֹק הָרֹאשׁ, אוֹתָהּ אֶרֶץ שֶׁאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים כִּי הִיא רֹאשׁ לְכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת, וְנָשׁוּבָה מִצְרָיְמָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהִיא לְמַטָּה מִמַּדְרֵגַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

“And they shall spy out the land of Canaan.” We find three expressions on this matter: scout [v’yaturu], search [v’yachperu], and spy out [va’yeraglu]. For the Israelites said, Let us send men ahead of us and they shall search the land for us (Deuteronomy 1:22), but the Holy One, blessed be He, said, They shall scout the land of Canaan. And regarding the spies it is written, And they spied it out (Deuteronomy 1:24). This is because there were three different intentions in this plan. The Holy One, blessed be He, said “v’yaturu” [they shall scout], which also implies the language of “yitron” [advantage/benefit], because God wanted to show them the advantage of the land over all other lands, as it is written, And to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land (Exodus 3:8). This goodness refers to the spiritual goodness due to it being “avira d’machkim” [air that makes one wise] (Bava Batra 158b), as this is a preparation for a person to attain true goodness, since a person has no advantage under the sun besides this, and the advantage of the land is in everything (Ecclesiastes 5:8). But the Israelites had a different spirit with them, as they were constantly seeking pretexts to return to Egypt. Therefore, they said “v’yachperu” [they shall search], which implies a sense of “cherpah” [disgrace/shame], because they wanted to see the nakedness of the land in order to have an opportunity to complain and say, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Nevertheless, they did not request that the spies fabricate false slander. The spies, however, corrupted and abominated even more than what was asked of them, and fabricated falsehoods from their hearts, in the manner of all talebearers who exaggerate everything to say more than what they saw. Therefore, it says va’yeraglu [and they spied] it, because regel is the language of “rachil” [gossip/slander], as Rashi explained on the verse You shall not go about as a talebearer (Leviticus 19:16). It is also possible to explain what God said: “and they shall scout.” For in truth, that land is superior to all other lands due to many doubled good qualities that it possesses, excelling above all other lands. Similarly, the Yalkut brings in this section (13:1343) regarding the Land of Israel, the verse and the beginning of the dust of the world (Proverbs 8:26). But they [the spies] did the opposite, saying that it is inferior to all lands because it is a land that consumes its inhabitants. They lowered it from the rank of the head to the rank of the foot; therefore it says and they spied it out [vayiraglu]. They made it like the treading of a foot [regel], like the foot which is the lowliest part of the entire body. But in truth it is the head of all lands, and for this reason the term “going up” is used everywhere regarding one who goes to the Land of Israel. And about this they said, Let us appoint a head and return to Egypt. We find that the term “appointment” [netinah] can mean “abandonment,” as in The king of Egypt will not allow you to go (Exodus 3:19), which Targum translates as “will not abandon” [yishbok]. Thus they said here, “Let us abandon the head” — that land which you say is the head of all lands — “and return to Egypt,” even though they say that it is below the rank of the Land of Israel.

וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר. וּבְפָרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא כְּתִיב: ״מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד״, לְפִי שֶׁבַּפַּעַם הַהוּא לֹא יָכֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן, עַל כֵּן הָיְתָה הַקְּרִיאָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אֶל חוּץ לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, אֲבָל בְּאֶחָד בְּאִיָּיר כְּבָר הָיָה מֹשֶׁה יָכוֹל לָבוֹא אֶל תּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל, בָּא אֵלָיו הַדִּבּוּר בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסוֹף פָּרָשַׁת נָשֹׂא. וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ בְּמַה שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ רַשִׁ״י שָׁם, בָּא כָּתוּב הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִכְרִיעַ כוּ׳. וּמַה שֶּׁנָּקַט ״בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד״ לְהוֹדִיעַ טַעַם לְמִסְפָּר זֶה, וְהוּא לְפִי שֶׁבָּא לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם, לְשׁוֹן לְהַשְׁרוֹת מוֹרֶה עַל הַעֲמָדַת הַשְּׁכִינָה דִּירַת קֶבַע שָׁמָּה וְאֵין דִּירַת קֶבַע בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, עַל כֵּן בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּבוֹ בַּיּוֹם יָרְדָה הַשְּׁכִינָה לְתוֹךְ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְאַחַר שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם שֶׁנִּרְאָה שֶׁעָשָׂה לוֹ ה׳ מָדוֹר בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים דִּירַת קֶבַע, מְנָאָם בְּאֶחָד בְּאִיָּיר. וְלֹא מְנָאָם תֵּכֶף בְּאֶחָד נִיסָן כִּי עֲדַיִן לֹא הֶחֱזִיק בְּמָדוֹר זֶה. וְנִרְאֶה לִי לִתֵּן טַעַם לְמִנְיָן זֶה בִּזְמַן הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה, לְפִי שֶׁאָמְרוּ רז״ל אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָחוֹת מֵעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י לו): ״וּבְנֻחֹה יֹאמַר שׁוּבָה ה׳ רִבְבוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״. וְטַעֲמוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר לְהַשְׁווֹת מַלְכוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּאַרְעָא כְּעֵין מַלְכוּתָא דִרְקִיעָא, כְּאָמְרוּ רז״ל (תנחומא וישלח ב): בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְלָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַר סִינַי יָרְדוּ עִמּוֹ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף מֶרְכָּבוֹת שֶׁל מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח יח): ״רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים רִבֹּתַיִם אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן ה׳ בָּם״, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ מִסְפָּר זֶה אָז ״ה׳ בָּם״, הַשְּׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בָּם. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּמַחֲנֵה לְוִיִּם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ מַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה שֶׁהָיוּ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף (במדבר ג לט). עַל כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לִמְנוֹת גַּם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵידַע אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם כַּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁרְאוּיִין לְהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּכָל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, saying.” And in the portion of Leviticus it is written from the Tent of Meeting, because at that time Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting as the cloud rested upon it; therefore, the calling to him was from the Tent of Meeting to outside the Tent of Meeting. But on the first of Iyar, Moses was already able to enter inside the tent, so the speech came to him in the Tent of Meeting from above the Ark cover, as is mentioned at the end of the portion of Naso. And there is no need for Rashi’s explanation there that “the third verse came and reconciled…” And the reason it specifies in the Tent of Meeting is to explain the reason for this counting, which is because He came to rest His Divine Presence among them. The term “to rest” indicates establishing the Divine Presence as a permanent dwelling there, and a permanent dwelling requires no less than 30 days. Therefore, on the first of Nisan, the Tabernacle was erected, and on that same day the Divine Presence descended into the Tent of Meeting. After 30 days, when it appeared that God had established for Himself a permanent dwelling in the lower realms, He counted them on the first of Iyar and did not count them immediately on the first of Nisan, because He had not yet taken firm possession of this dwelling. And it seems to me to give a reason for this counting at the time of the Shekhinah’s dwelling, because our Sages of blessed memory said that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not cause His Divine Presence to dwell upon Israel with fewer than twenty-two thousand, as it is said, And when it rested, he would say: Return, O Lord, to the myriads of thousands of Israel (Numbers 10:36). And the reason for this is to make His blessed kingdom on earth resemble the kingdom of heaven, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Tanchuma Vayishlach 2), “At the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai, twenty-two thousand chariots of ministering angels descended with Him, as it is said, God’s chariots are myriads, thousands of angels; the Lord is among them (Psalms 68:18).” That is to say, when this number exists, then the Lord is among them — the Divine Presence dwells among them. And so we find in the camp of the Levites, which was called the camp of the Divine Presence, that they were twenty-two thousand (Numbers 3:39). Therefore, it was necessary to count Israel as well, to know if they had this number, which makes them worthy of having the Divine Presence dwell within each and every tribe.

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק וְגוֹ׳. פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י הוֹאִיל וְהִזְכִּירוֹ סִפֵּר בְּשִׁבְחוֹ, וּלְפִי זֶה הָיָה לוֹ לְסַפֵּר בְּשִׁבְחוֹ סוֹף בְּרֵאשִׁית (ה:לב) כִּי גַם שָׁם הִזְכִּירוֹ. אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כָּאן ״אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת״ וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אֵלֶּה״ פָּסַל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, לוֹמַר לְךָ שֶׁכָּל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶן אֵינָם נִקְרָאִים תּוֹלָדוֹת כִּי יִמָּחֶה זִכְרָם בַּמַּבּוּל וְהָיוּ כְּלֹא הָיוּ, אֲבָל אֵלֶּה נִקְרְאוּ תּוֹלָדוֹת קַיָּימִים, עַל כֵּן הוּצְרַךְ כָּאן לוֹמַר טַעַם טוֹב לָמָּה נִשְׁאֲרוּ אֵלּוּ יוֹתֵר מִזּוּלָתָם, לְפִי שֶׁ״נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים״ וְגוֹ׳, עַל כֵּן הָלְכוּ כָּל תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְכָל הַתּוֹלָדוֹת הַקְּדוּמִים לַחֲרָפוֹת וּלְדִרְאוֹן עוֹלָם. וּלְדָבָר אַחֵר שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁעִקַּר תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, הִזְכִּיר ״אֵלֶּה״ לְמַעֵט סְתָם תּוֹלָדוֹת, לוֹמַר לְךָ אֵלֶּה הֵם עִקַּר תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו. וְנִזְכַּר זֶה כָּאן לְפִי שֶׁכָּבַשׁ ה׳ מַעְיָינוֹ וְלֹא הוֹלִיד הַרְבֵּה בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת, וְאוּלַי יִצְטַעֵר נֹחַ עַל זֶה, עַל כֵּן אָמַר שֶׁזּוּלַת זֶה הָיוּ לוֹ הַרְבֵּה תּוֹלְדוֹת מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, טוֹב מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת. אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו. לְפִי שֶׁדּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל הִשְׁחִיתוּ הִתְעִיבוּ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי הַשְׁחָתוֹת שֶׁנִּזְכְּרוּ בַּפָּרָשָׁה, וְהֵם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וְגָזֵל, עַל כֵּן הִקְדִּים לוֹמַר שֶׁנֹּחַ הָיָה גָּדוּר בִּשְׁלָשְׁתָּם. כִּי ״אִישׁ צַדִּיק״ – הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה גּוֹזֵל מִשֶּׁל אֲחֵרִים. ״תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו״ – הַיְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה גָּדוּר מֵעֲרָיוֹת, כִּי נוֹלַד מָהוּל וְהָיָה תָּמִים. ״אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ״ – לֹא פָּנָה אֶל אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים. אֲבָל דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל פָּרְצוּ גֶּדֶר שְׁלָשְׁתָּן.

These are the generations of Noah — Noah was a righteous man, etc. Rashi explains that since the Torah mentioned him, it records his praise. According to this explanation, it should have recorded his praise at the end of Genesis, since he is also mentioned there. However, since it says here, These are the generations, and wherever it says “these” it excludes what came before, this comes to tell you that all the previous generations are not called [true] generations because their memory would be erased in the flood and they would be as if they never existed. But these are called lasting generations. Therefore, here it needed to give a good reason why these remained more than others — because Noah was a righteous and perfect man, etc. Therefore, all his generations went on to eternal life while all the previous generations went to eternal shame and contempt. And according to another explanation that Rashi gives — to teach you that the main “offspring” of the righteous are their good deeds — the word these comes to exclude ordinary offspring, telling you that these [good deeds] are his main generations. This is mentioned here because God restrained his fountain and he didn’t have many sons and daughters. Perhaps Noah was distressed about this, therefore it says that besides this, he had many generations of good deeds, which are better than sons and daughters. A righteous and perfect man he was in his generations. Since the generation of the flood corrupted and acted abominably in three types of corruptions that are mentioned in the Torah portion — namely idolatry, sexual immorality, and theft — therefore the Torah prefaces by saying that Noah fenced himself off from all three of these. For [when it says] righteous man — this means that he did not steal from others; perfect was he in his generations — this means that he fenced himself off from sexual immorality, as he was born circumcised and was perfect. Noah walked with God — he did not turn to other gods. However, the generation of the flood breached the boundaries of all three of these.

וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ׳. אָלֶ״ף שֶׁל וַיִּקְרָא קְטַנָּה, כְּאִלּוּ נֶאֱמַר ״וַיִּקָּר״, וְטַעֲמוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר לְהַשְׁווֹת נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה אֶל נְבוּאַת בִּלְעָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן ״וַיִּקָּר״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ספרי ברכה לט) ״וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה״, אֲבָל בָּאֻמּוֹת קָם, וּמַנּוּ? בִּלְעָם. וְאֵין הַפֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּלְעָם שָׁוֶה לְמֹשֶׁה בַּנְּבוּאָה, חָלִילָה, אֶלָּא כָּךְ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה הִשִּׂיג יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה רָאוּי לְהַשִּׂיג עַל פִּי הֲכָנָתוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לד י) ״אֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ ה׳״, אֲשֶׁר יָדַע אֶת ה׳ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לְךָ שֶׁהוּא מִצַּד הֲכָנָתוֹ לֹא יָדַע אֶת ה׳ עַל זֶה הָאֹפֶן, כִּי אִם ה׳ יְדָעוֹ וְנָתַן לוֹ תּוֹסֶפֶת שֶׁפַע בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר בִּזְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל שְׁאָר נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל אֶחָד לֹא הִשִּׂיג יוֹתֵר מִכְּדֵי הֲכָנָתוֹ, אֲבָל בְּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם קָם אֶחָד לִכְבוֹדָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִשִּׂיג יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה רָאוּי לְהַשִּׂיג עַל פִּי הֲכָנָתוֹ. וְהִנֵּה מֵהַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁהַנָּבִיא מַשִּׂיג אֶת הָרָאוּי לוֹ עַל פִּי הֲכָנָתוֹ, אוֹתָהּ נְבוּאָה דְּבוּקָה בּוֹ בְּעֶצֶם, וְהָעַצְמוּת קִנְיָן דָּבוּק לֹא יִפָּרֵד מִמֶּנּוּ, אֲבָל כָּל מַה שֶּׁמַּשִּׂיג יוֹתֵר מִכְּדֵי הֲכָנָתוֹ, זֶהוּ אֶצְלוֹ בְּמִקְרֶה וְלֹא בְּעֶצֶם, וְרַק מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הוּא. עַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר לְשׁוֹן ״וַיִּקָּר״ בְּמֹשֶׁה וּבְבִלְעָם, לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁוִים בָּזֶה, בְּמַה שֶּׁהָיְתָה בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם הַשָּׂגַת מִקְרִית נוֹסָף עַל הָרָאוּי לָהֶם מִצַּד עַצְמוּתָם. וּבְזֶה מְיֻשָּׁב מַה שֶּׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י, ״וַיִּקָּר״ לְשׁוֹן אַרְעַי וּלְשׁוֹן טֻמְאָה, וְהָיָה דַּי בְּאֶחָד מֵהֶם לִתֵּן הֶבְדֵּל בֵּין ״וַיִּקָּר״ לְ״וַיִּקְרָא״, אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁרַשִׁ״י סוֹבֵר גַּם כֵּן שֶׁנְּבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה הָיְתָה בְּמִקְרֶה וְלֹא בְּעֶצֶם מִצַּד הֲכָנָתוֹ, וּלְפִי זֶה קָשֶׁה לוֹ לָמָּה לֹא נִכְתַּב ״וַיִּקָּר״ בְּלֹא אָלֶ״ף כְּלָל. עַל כֵּן בָּא כִּמְתָרֵץ וְלוֹמַר, לְפִי שֶׁלְּשׁוֹן ״וַיִּקָּר״ מַשְׁמַע לְשׁוֹן אַרְעַי, דְּהַיְנוּ הַמִּקְרֶה, וּמַשְׁמַע גַּם לְשׁוֹן טֻמְאָה, וְזֶה אֵינוֹ שַׁיָּךְ כְּלָל כְּלַפֵּי מֹשֶׁה חָלִילָה. לְכָךְ נִכְתְּבָה הָאָלֶ״ף אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִלְּשׁוֹן מִקְרֶה שֶׁל טֻמְאָה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם נִכְתְּבָה הָאָלֶ״ף זְעֵירָא לִקְרוֹת ״וַיִּקָּר״, לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁגַּם נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה הָיְתָה אַרְעַי וּבְמִקְרֶה מִצַּד הֱיוֹתָהּ נוֹסָף עַל הֲכָנָתוֹ כָּאָמוּר, וְאִיפְּכָא לֵיכָּא לְמֵימַר כְּלָל. וְיָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁזֶּהוּ דַּעַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ כִּדְמַסִּיק בַּיַּלְקוּט (תלא) בְּפָסוּק זֶה, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: ״יָכוֹל לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמוֹ דִּבֶּר ה׳ עִם מֹשֶׁה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ׳לֵאמֹר׳, לְצֹרֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּבֶּר עִמּוֹ וְלֹא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמוֹ״. וּמִדְרָשׁ זֶה מְחֻסַּר בֵּאוּר, כִּי אֵיךְ יַעֲלֶה עַל הַדַּעַת לוֹמַר שֶׁדִּבּוּר שֶׁל כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת יִהְיֶה לְצֹרֶךְ מֹשֶׁה בִּלְבָד, וְכִי הוּא בִּלְבָד שָׁמַע ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״? אֶלָּא וַדַּאי שֶׁבְּמַעֲלוֹת הַנְּבוּאָה הוּא מְדַבֵּר, שֶׁזָּכָה מֹשֶׁה לְ״וַיִּקָּר״, וְהַיְנוּ לִנְבוּאָה מִקְרִית שֶׁנִּתּוֹסְפָה לוֹ יָתֵר מִכְּדֵי הֲכָנָתוֹ, שֶׁדִּבֶּר ה׳ אִתּוֹ פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים בִּזְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא בַּעֲבוּר עַצְמוּתוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר: ״לְצֹרֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּבֶּר עִמּוֹ״, לְצָרְכָּם זָכָה לְהוֹסָפָה זוֹ וְלֹא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמוּתוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל״, בֵּי״ת מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת לְשׁוֹן בַּעֲבוּר. וּלְפִיכָךְ כְּשֶׁחָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה ״לֶךְ רֵד״ מִגְּדֻלָּתְךָ, וְהַיְנוּ מִתּוֹסֶפֶת שֶׁפַע זֶה שֶׁנִּתַּן לוֹ בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאַחַר הַמְּחִילָה הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁחָזַר מֹשֶׁה לְקַדְמוּתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לג יא) ״וְדִבֶּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים״, וּפֵרוּשׁ זֶה דָּבָר יָקָר. וּבַיַּלְקוּט מַסִּיק לָמָּה מַתְחִילִין הַתִּינוֹקוֹת לִלְמוֹד מִן פָּרָשַׁת קָרְבָּנוֹת, מָה הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת טְהוֹרִים אַף הַתִּינוֹקוֹת כֵּן. וְזֶה מְבֹאָר עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמַּסִּיק בַּיַּלְקוּט פָּרָשַׁת פִּינְחָס (במדבר כח:ג) ״כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה״ שֶׁמְּכַבְּסִים עֲוֹנוֹת הָאָדָם וְעוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ כְּתִינוֹק בֶּן שָׁנָה. בַּעֲבוּר זֶה הָאָלֶ״ף קְטַנָּה רֶמֶז שֶׁהַקְּטַנִּים יַתְחִילוּ כָּאן, וְלִמּוּד זֶה הוּא בָּרֹאשׁ כְּאָלֶ״ף רֹאשׁ לָאוֹתִיּוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר: אָלֶ״ף לְשׁוֹן לִמּוּד, כְּמוֹ ״וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ חָכְמָה״ (איוב לג:לג), רֶמֶז שֶׁאֵין הַלִּמּוּד מִתְקַיֵּם כִּי אִם בְּמִי שֶׁמַּקְטִין אֶת עַצְמוֹ. וְכֵן רֶמֶז שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה זָכָה לִקְרִיאָה זוֹ לְפִי שֶׁהִקְטִין אֶת עַצְמוֹ וּבָרַח מִן הַשְּׂרָרָה וְאָמַר ״לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי״ (שמות ד:י), כִּדְמַסִּיק בַּיַּלְקוּט (תכז).

And He called to Moses, etc. The alef of vayikra [and He called] is small, as if it said “vayikar” [and He happened upon]. The reason for this is to equate Moses’ prophecy with that of Balaam, about whom the term vayikar is used, as it is written (Sifri Berachah 39) And there has not arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, but among the nations one did arise, and who was he? Balaam. This does not mean that Balaam was equal to Moses in prophecy, God forbid, but rather this is the interpretation: Moses attained more than what he was worthy of attaining based on his preparation, as it is written whom the Lord knew (Deuteronomy 34:10). It does not say “who knew the Lord,” but rather to tell you that from his own preparation, he did not know the Lord in this manner, but rather the Lord knew him and gave him additional divine abundance in Israel meaning for the merit of Israel. And all other prophets of Israel each did not attain more than their preparation warranted. But among the nations of the world, one arose for the honor of Israel who attained more than what he was worthy of attaining based on his preparation. Now, it is known that whatever a prophet attains that is appropriate to him according to his preparation, that prophecy adheres to him essentially, and what is essentially acquired remains attached and does not separate from him. But whatever one attains beyond his preparation is contingent to him and not essential, and it is only a gift from God. Therefore, the term vayikar is applied to both Moses and Balaam to indicate that they were equal in this aspect, in that both of them had a contingent attainment beyond what was appropriate to them based on their own essence. And with this is resolved what Rashi explained, that vayikar [ויקר — “he encountered”] is a language of casualness and impurity, and one of these would have been sufficient to distinguish between vayikar and vayikra [ויקרא — “he called”]. However, since Rashi also believes that Moses’s prophecy was contingent and not inherently from his preparation, this raises the difficulty: why wasn’t vayikar written without an aleph at all? Therefore, he comes to explain that the term vayikar“ suggests both casual occurrence, meaning happenstance, and also suggests impurity, which is completely inappropriate regarding Moses, heaven forbid. Therefore, the aleph was written for Moses to exclude him from the language of impure chance. Nevertheless, a small aleph was written to be read as vayikar indicating that even Moses’s prophecy was casual and contingent, in that it exceeded his preparation as mentioned, and the opposite cannot be said at all. It is possible that this is the view of the Midrash, as concluded in Yalkut (431) on this verse, which states: ”One might think that God spoke with Moses for his own sake; therefore Scripture says to say — it was for Israel’s sake that He spoke with him, not for his own sake.“ This Midrash requires explanation, for how could it occur to anyone to say that the speech regarding all the commandments was for Moses alone? Did he alone hear I am and You shall have no other gods? Rather, certainly it refers to the levels of prophecy, that Moses merited vayikar — meaning a contingent prophecy that was added to him beyond his preparation, that God spoke with him face to face for the sake of Israel and not because of his own essence. This is what is meant by ”for Israel’s sake He spoke with him“ — for their needs he merited this addition, and not for the sake of his own essence, as it is written And there arose no prophet in Israel. The letter ”bet“ in b’Yisrael serves as ”for the sake of.“ Therefore, when Israel sinned, Moses was told Go down from your greatness, meaning from this additional divine flow that was given to him for Israel’s sake. And after the forgiveness, it needed to be explained that Moses returned to his former state, as it says And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face (Exodus 33:11). And this explanation is precious. In the Yalkut it concludes why children begin to learn from the section of sacrifices, just as the sacrifices are pure, so too are the children. This is explained according to what the Yalkut concludes in the portion of Pinchas (28:3) that lambs [kevasim] in their first year wash away [mekavsim] a person’s sins and make him like a one-year-old child. Because of this, the alef [in the word “Vayikra”] is small, hinting that small children should begin [their learning] here, and this learning is at the beginning, like the alef is at the head of the letters. Another explanation: “alef” is a term for learning, as in I will teach you [aalefekha] wisdom (Job 33:33), hinting that learning only endures in one who makes himself small [humble]. It also hints that Moses merited this calling because he made himself small and fled from authority, saying I am not a man of words (Exodus 4:10), as concluded in the Yalkut (427).

וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי. בְּקִיחָה זוֹ בָּאוּ הַרְבֵּה פֵּרוּשִׁים יַעַן כִּי לֹא פֹרַשׁ אִם קִיחָה בַּיָּדַיִם אוֹ בִּדְבָרִים, כְּמוֹ ״קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם״ (במדבר ח ו). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁכָּל הַסִּפּוּר נִמְשַׁךְ עַד בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן, שֶׁלָּקַח לוֹ לְמַחֲלֻקְתּוֹ אֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן כִּי רָאָה לְלַקֵּט אֵלָיו כָּל מָרֵי נֶפֶשׁ, וְיָדַע כִּי נַפְשָׁם מָרָה עַל הַבְּכוֹרָה שֶׁנִּלְקְחָה מֵרְאוּבֵן. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב נְטָלָהּ וְלֹא מֹשֶׁה מִכָּל מָקוֹם עַל יְדֵי שֶׁתַּחֲזֹר כָּל שְׂרָרָה לִבְעָלֶיהָ יַחְשְׁבוּ שֶׁגַּם לָהֶם תַּחֲזֹר הַבְּכוֹרָה וְיַסְכִּימוּ עִם קֹרַח. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁלָּקַח לוֹ לַטַּעֲנָה אֶת בֶּן יִצְהָר, כִּי זֹאת הָיְתָה עִקַּר טַעֲנָתוֹ לוֹמַר אֲחֵי אַבָּא אַרְבָּעָה הֲווֹ כו׳, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֲנִי בֶּן יִצְהָר מִי רָאוּי לִטֹּל הַשְּׁנִיָּה כְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ״י. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים וָי״ו שֶׁל וְדָתָן נוֹסֶפֶת כְּוָי״ו שֶׁל ״וְאַיָּה וַעֲנָה״ (בראשית לו כד), וּבֵאוּרוֹ שֶׁלָּקַח אֶת דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם לְצָרְפָם אֵלָיו. וְנָכוֹן לוֹמַר שֶׁתַּרְוַיְהוּ אִיתַנְהוּ, שֶׁלָּקַח לוֹ לְטַעֲנָה מָה שֶׁהוּא בֶּן יִצְהָר, וְלָקַח לוֹ גַּם אֶת דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם וְאוֹן, וּלְפִי זֶה לֹא תִּהְיֶה הַוָּי״ו נוֹסֶפֶת. וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ (במ״ר יח ג) אָמְרוּ ״וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח״, מַה לָּקַח, טַלִּית שֶׁכּוּלּוֹ תְּכֵלֶת כוּ׳. וּמַסִּיק שֶׁשָּׁאַל עוֹד: בַּיִת מָלֵא סְפָרִים אִם חַיָּב בִּמְזוּזָה כוּ׳, בִּשְׁלָמָא צִיצִית דָּרַשׁ סְמוּכִין, מִדְּסָמִיךְ ״וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח״ לְפָרָשַׁת צִיצִית, אֲבָל מְזוּזָה מַאן דְּכַר שְׁמֵיהּ. וְנִרְאֶה לִי דְּמַפֵּיק לָהּ מִדִּכְתִיב ״וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים פֶּתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם״, לָמָּה לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב ״פֶּתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם״, אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּצְאוּ נִצָּבִים לְחָרֵף וּלְגַדֵּף עַל הַמְּזוּזָה שֶׁבְּפֶתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם. וְהִנֵּה קֹרַח חָלַק עַל פָּרָשַׁת צִיצִית, וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם הוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד לַחֲלוֹק עַל מִצְוַת הַמְּזוּזָה שֶׁבְּפֶתַח הָאֹהֶל, כִּי אָמְרוּ שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה בָּדָה מִלִּבּוֹ שְׁתֵּי מִצְווֹת אֵלּוּ, וְהָיָה זֶה מֵעֵין מַחֲלוֹקְתָּם, כְּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַב רַבֵּינוּ בְּחַיֵּי, כִּי אָמְרוּ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁטַּלִּית שֶׁכּוּלּוֹ תְּכֵלֶת הַסְּבָרָא נוֹתֶנֶת שֶׁהוּא פָּטוּר מִצִּיצִית, וְכֵן בַּיִת מָלֵא סְפָרִים פָּטוּר מִמְּזוּזָה, כָּךְ בִּזְמַן שֶׁכָּל הָעֵדָה קְדוֹשִׁים אֵינָן צְרִיכִין לְמַנְהִיג. וְעוֹד רָמוּז בָּזֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁעִקַּר טַעַם שְׁנֵי מִצְווֹת אֵלּוּ לִהְיוֹת לָאָדָם כְּמַזְכִּירִים אֶת מִצְווֹת ה׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם״ וְגוֹ׳, וְכֵן הַמְּזוּזָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּזְכֹּר אֶת ה׳ בְּבוֹאוֹ וּבְצֵאתוֹ, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁכָּל הָעֵדָה קְדוֹשִׁים אֵינָן צְרִיכִין לְדָבָר הַמַּזְכִּיר, כִּי בְּלָאו הָכֵי ה׳ לְנֶגְדָּם תָּמִיד, הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ וְכָל מִצְווֹתָיו, וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ בָּהֶם כִּי אִם לַאֲנָשִׁים שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים. וּמִטַּעַם זֶה נֶעֶנְשׁוּ הֵמָּה וְטַפָּם. וְיֵשׁ לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן, אִם קֹרַח וַעֲדָתוֹ חָטְאוּ, טַף לָמָּה בָּאִים לְעֹנֶשׁ זֶה. אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁחָלְקוּ עַל צִיצִית וּמְזוּזָה, וּמַסִּיק בְּפֶרֶק בַּמֶּה מַדְלִיקִין (שבת לב:): ר׳ יְהוּדָה וְר׳ מֵאִיר, חַד אָמַר בָּנִים מֵתִים בַּעֲוֹן צִיצִית, וְחַד אָמַר בַּעֲוֹן מְזוּזָה כוּ׳. וְטַעַם לִשְׁנֵיהֶם אֶחָד הוּא, לְפִי שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם בָּאוּ לְזִכָּרוֹן, כִּי הַמְּזוּזָה לִהְיוֹת ה׳ לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו תָּמִיד בְּבוֹאוֹ וּבְצֵאתוֹ, וְהַצִּיצִית לְזִכְרוֹן הַמִּצְווֹת, וּכְתִיב (הושע ד ו): ״וַתִּשְׁכַּח תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם אָנִי״, כִּי עַל יְדֵי שֶׁתִּשְׁכַּח תּוֹלְדוֹת הַמַּעֲשִׂים הַטּוֹבִים, אֶשְׁכַּח גַּם סְתָם תּוֹלְדוֹתֶיךָ. וְעוֹד, שֶׁהַבָּנִים עָנָף מִמֶּנּוּ כְּצִיצִית שֶׁהֵם עָנָף מִן הַבֶּגֶד.

And Korach, son of Yitzhar, son of Kehat, son of Levi, took. Regarding this “taking,” there are many interpretations because it is not specified whether the taking was physical [with hands] or verbal, like take the Levites (Numbers 8:6). Some say that the whole story continues until [the mention of] the sons of Reuben, meaning that he took the sons of Reuben for his dispute, because he sought to gather to himself all those with bitter souls, and he knew that they were bitter about the birthright that was taken from Reuben. And even though it was Jacob who took it away and not Moses, nevertheless, by [arguing that] all authority should return to its original owners, they would think that their birthright would also be returned to them, and thus they would agree with Korach. Some say that he took for his argument the fact that he was the son of Yitzhar, for this was his main argument, saying “my father’s brothers were four…” and since I am the son of Yitzhar, who is more worthy to take the second [position of leadership], as Rashi explained. And some say that the “vav” of and Datan is additional, like the “vav” of and Ayah and Anah (Genesis 36:24), and the meaning is that he took Datan and Aviram to join him. And it is correct to say that both interpretations are valid: That he took for his argument the fact that he was the son of Yitzhar, and he also took Datan and Aviram and On. According to this, the “vav” would not be additional. And in the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:3) they said, “And Korach took” — what did he take? A garment entirely of blue, etc. And it concludes that he also asked about a house full of books, whether it requires a mezuzah, etc. The interpretation about tzitzit is understood as a connection to the adjacent text, since the story of Korach follows the passage about tzitzit, but how was mezuzah even mentioned? It seems to me that this is derived from the verse and Dathan and Abiram came out standing at the entrance of their tents. Why did it need to specify the entrance of their tents? Rather, they stood there to insult and blaspheme regarding the mezuzah at the entrance of their tents. Behold, Korach disputed the passage about tzitzit, and Dathan and Abiram added further dispute about the commandment of the mezuzah at the entrance of the tent, claiming that Moses had fabricated these two commandments from his own imagination. This was consistent with the nature of their dispute, as Rabbi Bachya explained: they argued that just as a garment entirely of blue logically should be exempt from tzitzit, and a house full of books should be exempt from mezuzah, so too when the entire congregation is holy, they have no need for a leader. Furthermore, this hints that the main reason for these two commandments is to serve as reminders of God’s commandments, as it is written and you shall see it and remember, etc. Similarly, the mezuzah serves to remind one of God when entering and exiting. And at a time when the entire congregation is holy, they need no reminder, for God and His commandments are constantly before them regardless, and such reminders are only necessary for people who might forget God. For this reason, they and their children were punished. One should consider: if Korach and his assembly sinned, why should their children be punished? But it is because they disputed tzitzit and mezuzah, and it is concluded (Shabbat 32b) by Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir — one said children die for the sin of neglecting tzitzit, and one said for the sin of neglecting mezuzah, etc. The reasoning for both is the same, as both exist as reminders: the mezuzah is to keep God before one’s eyes constantly when entering and exiting, and the tzitzit is a reminder of the commandments. And it is written Because you have forgotten the Torah of your God, I too will forget your children (Hosea 4:6). For by forgetting the generation [toledot] of good deeds, I will also forget your offspring [toledot] in general. Additionally, children are a branch of the person, just as tzitzit are branches from the garment.

וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה. הוֹסִיף וָי״ו בְּמִלַּת ״וְאֵלֶּה״, גַּם אָמַר מִתְּחִלָּה ״הַבָּאִים״ לְשׁוֹן הֹוֶה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר ״אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ״ לְשׁוֹן עָבָר, לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה (בראשית נ כו) ״וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם״, וְאַחֲרֵי מוֹת יוֹסֵף לֹא הָיוּ פְּנֵי הַמִּצְרִים עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם, וְהָיוּ מַרְגִּישִׁים אָז הַבִּיאָה לְמִצְרַיִם כְּאִלּוּ בָּאוּ בַּפַּעַם הַהוּא לְמִצְרַיִם. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״וְאֵלֶּה״ מוֹסִיף עַל עִנְיָן רִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁמִּצַּד מִיתַת יוֹסֵף דּוֹמֶה כְּאִלּוּ עַכְשָׁיו הֵמָּה בָּאִים. אֲבָל מִכָּל מָקוֹם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹסֵף מֵת, הִנֵּה יַעֲקֹב לֹא מֵת, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״אֵת יַעֲקֹב״, שֶׁהָיוּ עֲדַיִן עִם יַעֲקֹב וּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב עָמַד לָהֶם, וּזְכוּת מָה שֶׁהָיוּ גְּדוּרִים מֵעֲרָיוֹת וְלֹא רָצוּ לִשָּׂא מִן הַמִּצְרִיּוֹת שְׁטוּפֵי זִמָּה, וְנָשְׂאוּ נָשִׁים כֻּלָּם קֹדֶם בּוֹאָם לְמִצְרַיִם, זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ״. וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י לְהוֹדִיעַ חִבָּתָן שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ לַכּוֹכָבִים כוּ׳. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כִּי הַכּוֹכָב אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה בַּיּוֹם, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הוּא בְּנִמְצָא גַּם בַּיּוֹם, כָּךְ הַצַּדִּיק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁנִּמְשַׁל לַיּוֹם, יֵשׁ לוֹ מְצִיאוּת וְאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה וְאֵינוֹ אָבֵד כִּי אִם לְדוֹרוֹ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים לְהֵפֶךְ, כִּי הַכּוֹכָב אֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה כִּי אִם בַּלַּיְלָה, כָּךְ אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק זוֹרֵחַ אַחַר הֶעֱרֵב שִׁמְשׁוֹ, כִּדְאִיתָא (קהלת יב, ב) ״עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֶחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״ וְגוֹ׳. וְלִי נִרְאֶה, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל עִקַּר שֵׁם טוֹב שֶׁל אָדָם אֵינוֹ נִכָּר כִּי אִם אַחַר מוֹתוֹ, כִּי בְּחַיָּיו אֵין הַדָּבָר יָדוּעַ אִם יִשָּׁאֵר בְּצִדְקָתוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם ד, ב) ״וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים״, כִּי בְּחַיָּיו אֵין מָקוֹם לְסִפּוּר שִׁבְחוֹ, כִּי מִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם יִשָּׁאֵר בְּצִדְקָתוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה בְמִצְרָיִם״, פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י שֶׁבָּא לְהוֹדִיעַ צִדְקָתוֹ שֶׁעָמַד בְּצִדְקָתוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה וְעַד סוֹף, כִּי סוֹף כָּל דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע, עַל כֵּן סִפֵּר שִׁבְחוֹ אַחַר ״וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם״ (בראשית נ, כו). וּבָזֶה נִמְשְׁלוּ לַכּוֹכָבִים הַנִּרְאִים אַחַר שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה, כָּךְ אַחַר הֶעֱרֵב שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם נִרְאֶה צִדְקָתוֹ אִם נִשְׁאַר בּוֹ עַד סוֹפוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דניאל יב, ג) ״וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד״, כִּי הַמַּצְדִּיק רַבִּים אֵין חֵטְא בָּא לְיָדוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה הוּא בְּגֵהִנֹּם וְתַלְמִידוֹ בְּגַן עֵדֶן (יומא פז.), וּבוֹ מִלְּתָא דִּפְסִיקָא שֶׁאוֹרוֹ מַזְהִיר כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד אַף אַחֲרֵי מוֹתוֹ. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַצְדִּיק רַבִּים, אֵינוֹ מִלְּתָא דִּפְסִיקָא שֶׁיִּשָּׁאֵר בְּצִדְקוֹ לְעוֹלָם.

And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt. The Torah added the letter “vav” [meaning “and”] to the word “ve’eleh” [“and these”], and also initially said “haba’im” [“who are coming”] in the present tense, but then said “ish uveito ba’u” [“each man and his household came”] in the past tense. This is because it was said above: and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt (Genesis 50:26). After Joseph’s death, the Egyptians were no longer favorably disposed toward Israel as before, and they then felt their coming to Egypt as if they had just arrived in Egypt at that moment. Therefore it says “ve’eleh” [“and these”], adding to the previous matter, because due to Joseph’s death, it was as if they were now arriving. Nevertheless, although Joseph died, Jacob did not die. Therefore it says “et Ya’akov” [“with Jacob”], because they were still with Jacob, and Jacob’s merit protected them. [They were protected] by the merit of their being fenced off from sexual immorality, as they did not want to marry Egyptian women who were steeped in lewdness, and they all married wives before coming to Egypt. This is what it means by saying “ish uveito ba’u” [“each man and his household came”]. And these are the names of the children of Israel. Rashi explains that this is to make known their preciousness as they are compared to stars, etc. Some say that just as a star, even though it is not visible during the day, nevertheless exists during the day, so too the righteous person in the World to Come, which is compared to day, has existence although they are not seen, and are only lost to their generation. And some say the opposite, that just as a star is only visible at night, so too the light of the righteous shines after their sun sets, as it is said: Before the sun darkens, etc. (Ecclesiastes 12:2). And it appears to me that the main good name of a person is only recognized after their death, because during their lifetime it is not known whether they will remain in their righteousness, as it is written: And I praise the dead (Ecclesiastes 4:2), because during their lifetime there is no place to tell their praise, for who knows if they will remain in their righteousness. And this is what is meant by And Joseph was in Egypt — Rashi explains that this comes to make known his righteousness, that he remained righteous from beginning to end. For at the end of all matters, everything is heard, therefore his praise is told after he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. And in this they are compared to stars which are visible after the setting of the sun; similarly, after a person’s sun sets, their righteousness is visible if it remained with them until their end. And this is what is written: And those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3). For one who leads many to righteousness will not come to sin, so that they should not be in Gehenna while their students are in the Garden of Eden (Yoma 87a). And for such a person, it is definite that their light will shine like the stars forever and ever, even after their death. But one who does not lead many to righteousness — it is not definite that they will remain in their righteousness forever.

וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן. הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ״וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ יְשִׁיבַת אָבִיו״, אוֹ ״וַיָּגָר יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו״, וְעוֹד ״בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן״ לָמָּה לִי? אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁמַּאֲשִׁים אֶת יַעֲקֹב עַל שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לֵישֵׁב בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה יְשִׁיבָה שֶׁל קֶבַע, לִהְיוֹת כְּתוֹשָׁב בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בִּמְקוֹם מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, כִּי אָבִיו לֹא כֵן עָשָׂה, אֶלָּא הָיָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּגֵר וּכְאוֹרֵחַ נָטָה לָלוּן, לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת״ (בראשית כו, ג). הִזְכִּיר לְשׁוֹן ״גּוּר״, כִּי רָצָה ה׳ שֶׁלֹּא יְבַקֵּשׁ יְשִׁיבָה שֶׁל קֶבַע בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כִּי אֵין לוֹמַר שֶׁלְּכָךְ הִזְכִּיר לְשׁוֹן ״גּוּר״ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה בְּאוֹתוֹ פַעַם דָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לוֹ, וְהַדָּר בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה נִקְרָא ״גֵּר״, עַל זֶה אָמַר ״בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן״. וּבְאוֹתָהּ אֶרֶץ הָיָה יִצְחָק תּוֹשָׁב, כִּי שֶׁלּוֹ הִיא, שֶׁכֵּן אָמַר אַבְרָהָם ״גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי עִמָּכֶם״ (בראשית כג, ד) – ״אִם תִּרְצוּ הֲרֵינִי גֵר, וְאִם לָאו אֶטְּלֶנָּה מִן הַדִּין״ כוּ׳, אִם כֵּן גַּם יִצְחָק הָיָה תּוֹשָׁב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן, כִּי יְרֻשָּׁה הִיא לוֹ, וּמַהוּ זֶה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ״? אֶלָּא וַדַּאי שֶׁעַל גֵּרוּת הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אָמַר לוֹ כֵן, שֶׁלֹּא יְבַקֵּשׁ לוֹ יְשִׁיבָה שֶׁל שַׁלְוָה אֲפִלּוּ בָּאָרֶץ שֶׁלּוֹ, כִּמְדַיֵּר בֵּי דַיָּרָא (ראש השנה ט:). וְיַעֲקֹב לֹא לָמַד מִמֶּנּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, עַל כֵּן קָפְצָה עָלָיו רָגְזוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף. דָּבָר אַחֵר, שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לְאַבְרָהָם ״כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ״ (בראשית טו יג), וְגַם יַעֲקֹב יֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק בִּפְרִיעַת חוֹב זֶה, וְהוּא בִּקֵּשׁ יְשִׁיבָה שֶׁל שַׁלְוָה בִּמְקוֹם מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו. כִּי מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק הִתְחִיל הַגֵּרוּת, וְאַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק הָיוּ מַחֲזִיקִים אֶת עַצְמָם כְּגֵרִים וְהָיוּ נָדִים וּמְטוּלְטָלִים מִמַּסָּע לְמַסָּע, וְלֹא הָיוּ קוֹנִין נַחֲלַת שָׂדֶה וָכֶרֶם, וְהַכֹּל עָשׂוּ כְּדֵי לְשַׁלֵּם מְהֵרָה חוֹב ״כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ״. בִּשְׁלָמָא עֵשָׂו שֶׁהָלַךְ לוֹ אֶל אֶרֶץ, שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר ״אֵין לִי חֵלֶק בַּמַּתָּנָה שֶׁל אֶרֶץ הַזֹּאת, וְלֹא בִּפְרִיעַת הַחוֹב״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ רַשִׁ״י סוֹף פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַח עַל פָּסוּק ״וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ״ (בראשית לו ו). אֲבָל יַעֲקֹב הָיָה בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְרָצָה לְקַבֵּל חֵלֶק בְּמַתְּנַת הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא רָצָה לְשַׁלֵּם חוֹב ״כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ״, עַל כֵּן קָפְצָה עָלָיו רָגְזוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן״, וְאִלּוּ לֹא בָּטְלָה מִיַּעֲקֹב יְשִׁיבָה שֶׁל מְנוּחָה, לֹא הָיוּ יָמִים אֵלּוּ עוֹלִים לוֹ לְמִסְפַּר אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְהָיָה מִתְאַחֵר הַקֵּץ בְּהֶכְרֵחַ.

“And Jacob settled in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.” The text should have said “And Jacob settled in the land where his father settled,” or “And Jacob sojourned in the land where his father had sojourned.” Furthermore, why do I need [the phrase] in the land of Canaan? Rather, this comes to criticize Jacob for seeking to establish permanent residence in this world, to be like a permanent resident in this world in the place where his father had merely sojourned. For his father did not act this way, but rather was in this world like a stranger and like a traveler stopping overnight. This is because the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him [Isaac], Sojourn in this land (Genesis 26:3). He used the language of sojourn because God wanted him not to seek permanent residence in this world. And you cannot say that He used the language of sojourn because at that time he was dwelling in a land not his own [and one who dwells in a foreign land is called a stranger], for regarding this the verse specifically states in the land of Canaan. And in that land, Isaac was [actually] a resident because it was his, as Abraham had said, I am a stranger and a resident among you (Genesis 23:4) — [meaning] “if you agree, I am a stranger, but if not, I will take it by right…” Therefore, Isaac too was [technically] a resident in the land of Canaan, as it was his inheritance. So what did God mean by telling him to sojourn in the land? Rather, certainly He was speaking about the temporary nature of [life in] this world, that one should not seek a peaceful settlement even in his own land, like one who [permanently] dwells in a dwelling. And Jacob did not learn from him to do likewise, therefore the tribulation of Joseph jumped upon him. Another interpretation: It was already said to Abraham your offspring will be strangers (Genesis 15:13), and Jacob also had a portion in paying this debt, yet he sought a peaceful dwelling in his father’s place of residence. For from the time Isaac was born, the period of being strangers began, and Abraham and Isaac considered themselves as strangers and were wandering and moving from journey to journey, and they did not purchase inheritances of field and vineyard. They did all this in order to quickly pay the debt of your offspring will be strangers. Understandably, Esau who went to another land — it makes sense when he said “I have no portion in the gift of this land, nor in paying the debt,” as Rashi explained at the end of Parshat Vayishlach on the verse and he went to a land (Genesis 36:6). But Jacob was in the land of Canaan, and wanted to receive a portion in the gift of the land, yet did not want to pay the debt of your offspring will be strangers. Therefore, the distress of Joseph jumped upon him. This is why it says in the land of Canaan, and if Jacob’s peaceful dwelling had not been nullified, these days would not have counted toward the 400 years, and the appointed end [of the exile] would have necessarily been delayed.

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד. פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י, שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֻמּוֹת, לֶעָתִיד יִהְיֶה ה׳ אֶחָד. בֵּאוּר הָעִנְיָן כִּדְאָמַר רַבִּי אַחָא בַּר חֲנִינָא, כְּתִיב: ״בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה׳ אֶחָד״ (זכריה יד ט), אַטּוּ הָאִידְנָא לָאו אֶחָד הוּא? אֶלָּא לֹא כָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, כִּי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת הוּא אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״, וְעַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת רָעוֹת הוּא אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת״, אֲבָל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא עַל כֻּלָּם יֹאמְרוּ ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״ (פסחים נ.), לְפִי שֶׁבְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מִצַּד שֶׁרוֹאִין פְּעֻלּוֹת הַפְכִּיּוֹת לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב, עַל כֵּן יָצְאוּ קְצָתָם לְמִינוּת לוֹמַר שְׁתֵּי רָשֻׁיּוֹת הֵן, כִּי מֵהַתְחָלָה אַחַת לֹא יֵצְאוּ שְׁנֵי הֲפָכִים, כַּמְבֹאָר לְמַעְלָה פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית (א ה) בְּפָסוּק ״וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד״. אֲבָל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁכְּבָר נִשְׁכְּחוּ כָּל הַצָּרוֹת, וְכֻלָּם מְשַׁבְּחִים וְאוֹמְרִים עַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״, וְלֹא יִרְאוּ אָז הַהַפְכִּיּוּת, עַל כֵּן יִהְיֶה ה׳ אֶחָד בְּפִי כֹל וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד, כִּי שִׁנּוּי הַשֵּׁמוֹת מִדִּין לְרַחֲמִים יְסַבֵּב לָהֶם טָעוּת זֶה, לְפִיכָךְ ״ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ״, הַיְינוּ שֵׁם שֶׁל דִּין וְרַחֲמִים שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל לְבַד מְיַחֲסִים אוֹתָם לְאֵל אֶחָד, וְלֶעָתִיד יִהְיֶה ״ה׳ אֶחָד״ כִּי לֹא יִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ כֻּלָּם כִּי אִם בְּשֵׁם שֶׁל רַחֲמִים. ה׳ אֶחָד. בְּמִלַּת ״שְׁמַע״ הָעַיִ״ן גְּדוֹלָה, וּבְמִלַּת ״אֶחָד״ הַדָּלֶ״ת גְּדוֹלָה, רֶמֶז לְמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (תוס׳ חגיגה ג: ד״ה מי כעמך) שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְעִידִין זֶה עַל זֶה כוּ׳ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה מג י): ״אַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם ה׳״. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אָמְרוּ שֶׁהֶרְאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִלִּין (ברכות ז.). וְעִנְיַן קֶשֶׁר זֶה הוּא כִּדְמַסִּיק (שם ז.) תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל מָרֵי עָלְמָא מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ כוּ׳, וּמַסִּיק שָׁם שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶם: ״אֶת ה׳ הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַה׳ הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם״, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אַתֶּם עֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתִי חֲטִיבָה אַחַת בָּעוֹלָם, ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״, גַּם אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶתְכֶם חֲטִיבָה אַחַת בָּעוֹלָם כוּ׳. וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִלִּין, כִּי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָנוּ קוֹשְׁרִים כַּחוֹתָם עַל לֵב וּזְרוֹעַ יִחוּד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כֵּן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵשִׂים אוֹתָנוּ כַּחוֹתָם עַל לִבּוֹ, וְכַחוֹתָם עַל זְרוֹעוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָנוּ גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. וְזֶהוּ הַקֶּשֶׁר שֶׁבֵּינֵינוּ עִם בּוֹרְאֵנוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁשְּׁנֵינוּ מְעִידִין זֶה עַל זֶה עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁבָּא לִרְאוֹת כָּךְ בָּא לֵרָאוֹת. וְזֶה עִנְיָן נָכוֹן מִצַּד פְּשׁוּטוֹ.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Rashi explains that He is our God and not the God of the nations; in the future, the Lord will be one. Explanation of the matter, as Rabbi Acha bar Chanina says, it is written, On that day, the Lord shall be One (Zechariah 14:9). Is He not One now? Rather, [it means that] the World to Come will not be like this world. For in this world, over good tidings one says, “Blessed is He who is good and does good,” and over bad tidings one says, “Blessed is the true Judge.” But in the World to Come, for all events they will say, “He who is good and does good” (Pesachim 50a). Because in this world, since people see opposite actions — to harm or to benefit — therefore some of them have gone into heresy, saying there are two authorities, for from a single source two opposites cannot emerge, as explained above in Genesis (1:5) on the verse And there was evening and there was morning, one day. But in the World to Come, when all troubles will have been forgotten, and everyone will praise and say for good tidings, “He who is good and does good,” and they will not see opposites, therefore the Lord will be One in everyone’s mouth and His name One. For the change in names from judgment to mercy causes them this error. Therefore, The Lord our God — that is, the name of judgment and the name of mercy that only Israel attributes to one God — and in the future the Lord shall be One, for all will use only the name of mercy. Hashem is One. In the word “Shema” the letter “Ayin” is large, and in the word “Echad” the letter “Dalet” is large, hinting at what they said in the Midrash (Tosafot Chagigah 3b, s.v. “Mi K’amcha”) that the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel bear witness to each other, etc., as it is written (Isaiah 43:10), You are My witnesses, says Hashem. And our Sages of blessed memory said that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the knot of [His] tefillin (Berachot 7a). The meaning of this knot is as explained (ibid.) regarding what is written in the tefillin of the Master of the Universe, etc. And it concludes there that it is written in them, You have distinguished Hashem today and Hashem has distinguished you today (Deuteronomy 26:17-18). The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “You have made Me a singular entity in the world through Hear O Israel, Hashem our God, Hashem is One, and I will make you a singular entity in the world, etc.” This is the concept of the knot of tefillin, because just as we bind as a seal upon our heart and arm the unity of the Holy One, blessed be He, so too does the Holy One, blessed be He, place us as a seal upon His heart and as a seal upon His arm, to make us one nation in the land. This is the bond between us and our Creator, may He be blessed, that we both testify to each other regarding the matter of unity, in the manner that “as one comes to see, so does one come to be seen.” This is a correct idea according to the simple meaning.

אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְכוּ׳, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ הָאוּמּוֹת לִסְטִים אַתֶּם וְכוּ׳. וְקָשֶׁה, וּמַה בְּכָךְ אִם יֹאמְרוּ ״לִסְטִים אַתֶּם״? וְכִי בַּעֲבוּר זֶה יְשַׁנֶּה סֵדֶר הַתּוֹרָה? תְּשׁוּבָה לָזֶה: לְפִי שֶׁדָּבָר זֶה גּוֹרֵם כְּפִירָה בָּעִקָּר, כִּי יֹאמְרוּ ״לֵית דִּין וְלֵית דַּיָּן״ וְ״כָּל דְּאַלִּים גָּבַר״, כִּי אִלּוּ הָיָה לָעוֹלָם מַנְהִיג הַמְסַדֵּר עִנְיָנוֹ מוֹצָאוֹ וּמוֹבָאוֹ, לָמָּה לֹא מִיחָה בָּכֶם כְּשֶׁלְּקַחְתֶּם בִּזְרוֹעַ דֶּרֶךְ לִסְטִיּוּת אַרְצוֹת שִׁבְעָה אוּמּוֹת. כִּי מִטַּעַם זֶה לֹא נֶחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּינָן שֶׁל דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל כִּי אִם בַּעֲבוּר הַגָּזֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי כח:כד): ״גּוֹזֵל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וְאוֹמֵר אֵין פָּשַׁע, חָבֵר הוּא לְאִישׁ מַשְׁחִית״, כִּי מַה שֶּׁחֵטְא זֶה גָּדוֹל מִזּוּלָתוֹ אֵינוֹ בַּעֲבוּר עֶצֶם הַחֵטְא כִּי אִם בַּעֲבוּר הָרָעָה הַנִּמְשֶׁכֶת מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁהַחוֹטֵא בְּגָזֵל לֹא יָשִׂים אָשָׁם בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וְיֹאמַר ״אֵין פָּשַׁע״ כִּי אֵין אֱלֹהִים שׁוֹפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ, וְעַל כֵּן הוּא חָבֵר לְאִישׁ מַשְׁחִית, רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר לְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם (בראשית ו:יב): ״כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶת דַּרְכּוֹ״, כִּי גַּם הֵמָּה כָּפְרוּ בָּעִקָּר וְאָמְרוּ (איוב כא:טו): ״מַה שַּׁדַּי כִּי נַעַבְדֶנּוּ״ וְגוֹ׳. וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת חָמָס וְגָזֵל בָּאָרֶץ. וּלְפִי שֶׁמְּנִיעַת הַגָּזֵל יְסוֹד לְכָל הָאֱמוּנָה, עַל כֵּן הִקְדִּימוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהִזְהִיר עָלָיו בְּמִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״ (שמות יב:ב), כִּי שָׁם נֶאֱמַר ״מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן״ (שמות יב:כא) – מִשֶּׁלָּכֶם לְהוֹצִיא הַגָּזוּל, כֵּן פֵּרַשׁ בַּעַל הַטּוּרִים. וְכֵן יִצְחָק כְּשֶׁצִּוָּה לְהָבִיא לוֹ שְׁנֵי גְּדָיֵי עִזִּים, אֶחָד לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח, אָמַר ״וְצוּדָה לִּי צָיִד״ (בראשית כז:ג), פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י: מִן הַהֶפְקֵר וְלֹא מִן הַגָּזֵל. וּלְפִי שֶׁעֵשָׂו לְבָבוֹ לֹא כֵן יְדַמֶּה, כִּי אִם לָצוּד צַיִד לְהָבִיא אֲפִלּוּ מִן הַגָּזֵל, עַל כֵּן סִבֵּב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיא כִּי אִם יַעֲקֹב שֶׁהָיָה נִזְהָר בְּגָזֵל. וְכֵן שׁוֹר שֶׁהִקְרִיב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עבודה זרה ח.) שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ קֶרֶן אֶחָד בְּמִצְחוֹ, לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁלְּפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן קֶרֶן אֶחָד, רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר שֶׁהָיָה יְחִידִי בָּעוֹלָם וְלֹא הָיָה גּוֹזֵל מִשּׁוּם בְּרִיָּה, עַל כֵּן נִתְקַבֵּל קָרְבָּנוֹ. וְכָל זֶה כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק הַגָּזֵל וְהַלִּסְטִיּוּת הַמֵּבִיא לִידֵי כְּפִירָה וּמִינוּת. וּמַה שֶׁאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק ״לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל״ וְכוּ׳. אֵין הַפֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא יִכְתֹּב בַּתּוֹרָה כְּלָל כָּל הַסִּפּוּר שֶׁמִּבְּרֵאשִׁית עַד ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״ (שמות יב:ב), שֶׁהֲרֵי יֵשׁ בּוֹ צֹרֶךְ גָּדוֹל בְּסִפּוּר חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם כִּי הוּא מְפַרְסֵם מְצִיאוּת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְסִפּוּר דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל מְפַרְסֵם הַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְשָׂכָר וְעֹנֶשׁ, מִלְּבַד מַה שֶּׁנִּכְתְּבוּ בּוֹ כַּמָּה מִצְווֹת: אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי לְנֹחַ, וּמִילָה לְאַבְרָהָם, וְגִיד הַנָּשֶׁה עַל יְדֵי יַעֲקֹב. אֶלָּא שֶׁרָצָה לוֹמַר, מֵאַחַר שֶׁעִקַּר הַתּוֹרָה לְמִצְוֹתֶיהָ נִתְּנָה, אִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ לְהַתְחִיל הַתּוֹרָה בְּמִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, וְסִפּוּר זֶה מִבְּרֵאשִׁית עַד ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״ דַּי בָּזֶה כְּשֶׁיִּקְבָּעֶנּוּ בְּסוֹף הַתּוֹרָה. עַל זֶה בָּא כִּמְתָרֵץ וְאָמַר: אִלּוּ הָיָה כּוֹתֵב כֵּן, הָיָה מֵעִיקָּרָא דְּדִינָא פִּרְכָא, וְהָיָה בָּזֶה נְתִינַת יָד לַפּוֹשְׁעִים לִפְקֹר עַל הַתּוֹרָה, וּבְקָרְאוֹ ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״ כָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּפָקַר טְפֵי, וְיֹאמְרוּ: ״וַדַּאי מֹשֶׁה בָּדָא מִלִּבּוֹ מִצְוָה זוֹ, כִּי אֵיךְ יְצַוֶּה ה׳ בּוֹ עַל הַגֶּזֶל בְּאָמְרוֹ ׳מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם׳ מִשֶּׁלָּכֶם דַּוְקָא, וַהֲרֵי אַתֶּם לִסְטִים כִּי לְקַחְתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שֶׁבַע אֻמּוֹת וְלֹא מִחָה בָּכֶם ה׳!״ – כִּי אוּלַי לֹא יִקְרָא הַתּוֹרָה מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד סוֹף. עַל כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְהַקְדִּים סִפּוּר חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא עַל יְדֵי לִסְטִיּוּת לָקְחוּ כִּי אִם בְּצֶדֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּט. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים קיא:ו-ז): ״כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם, מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט, נֶאֱמָנִים כָּל פִּקּוּדָיו״, כִּי עִקַּר הַגָּדָה זוֹ שֶׁהִגִּיד כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו לְעַמּוֹ הַכֹּל הָיָה כְּדֵי לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט, שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה וְהַלּוּחוֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים, וְהַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדַיִם (שוח״ט תהלים קלט:ה) הַכֹּל בֶּאֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט שֶׁהוּא מוֹנֵעַ הַלִּסְטִיּוּת, וְנֶאֱמָנִים כָּל פִּקּוּדָיו – הַפִּקּוּדִים אֲשֶׁר פָּקַד ה׳ עַל אַרְצוֹת שֶׁבַע אֻמּוֹת, כִּי בִּרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם, וַיַּפְקֵד הַמֶּלֶךְ ה׳ פְּקִידִים אֲחֵרִים עָלֶיהָ. וּלְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ, הֻצְרַךְ לְהַתְחִיל הַתּוֹרָה מִבְּרֵאשִׁית לְפַרְסֵם אֱמוּנַת הַחִדּוּשׁ, כִּי זֶה יְסוֹד לְכָל הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי לוּ הוּנַח שֶׁהָעוֹלָם קַדְמוֹן – אֵין מָקוֹם לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הַבְּנוּיָה עַל יְסוֹד הַבְּחִירָה. עַל כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְהַנִּיחַ הַיְסוֹד תְּחִלָּה.

Rabbi Yitzchak said: “The Torah did not need to begin [with the creation story] … rather [it began with creation] so that the nations would not say ‘you are thieves.’” This raises a difficulty: Why should it matter if they call us thieves? Should the Torah’s order be changed because of this? The answer is that this matter leads to denial of fundamental principles, for they will say “there is no law and no Judge” and “might makes right.” For if the world had a ruler who arranges its affairs, its comings and goings, why did He not protest when you took the lands of the seven nations by force through thievery? For this same reason, the decree against the generation of the flood was sealed only because of theft, as it is written: One who robs his father and mother and says “it is not wrong” is a companion to a destroyer (Proverbs 28:24). The reason this sin was considered greater than others is not because of the essence of the sin itself, but because of the evil that stems from it — for one who sins through theft does not consider himself guilty and says “there is no wrong,” [believing] there are no divine judges on earth. Therefore, he is a companion to the destroyer — meaning to the generation of the flood, about whom it is said for all flesh had corrupted its way (Genesis 6:12), for they too denied fundamental principles and said What is the Almighty that we should serve Him (Job 21:15)? This leads to violence and theft in the land. Since the prevention of theft is fundamental to all faith, the Holy One, blessed be He, prioritized it and warned about it in the first commandment This month shall be for you (Exodus 12:2), for there it states Draw forth and take for yourselves sheep (Exodus 12:21) — from what belongs to you, excluding what is stolen, as explained by the Baal HaTurim. Similarly, when Isaac commanded to bring him two young goats, one to make as a Passover sacrifice, he said Hunt game for me (Genesis 27:3) — Rashi explains: from ownerless property, not from theft. And because Esau’s heart was not so inclined, but rather to hunt game even through theft, therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged that only Jacob, who was careful about theft, would bring it. Likewise regarding the ox that Adam offered as a sacrifice, our Sages said (Avodah Zarah 8a) that it had one horn on its forehead. This indicates that just as Adam was “one horn,” meaning he was alone in the world and could not steal from any creature, therefore his sacrifice was accepted. All this is to distance oneself from theft and robbery which leads to denial and heresy. Regarding what Rabbi Yitzchak said, “There was no need to begin [the Torah with ‘In the beginning’]” — The interpretation is not that the Torah should completely omit the entire narrative from Genesis until This month shall be for you (Exodus 12:2), because there is great importance in relating the story of Creation as it publicizes the existence of the Blessed God, and the story of the Generation of the Flood publicizes His Divine providence in terms of reward and punishment. This is besides the fact that several commandments were written in it: the prohibition of eating from a living animal given to Noah, circumcision to Abraham, and the sciatic nerve prohibition through Jacob. Rather, he meant to say that since the Torah was primarily given for its commandments, it should have begun with the first commandment, and this narrative from Genesis until This month shall be for you could have been placed at the end of the Torah. To this comes the answer explaining that if it had been written this way, there would have been an objection to the law from the outset, giving wrongdoers an opportunity to reject the Torah. When reading This month shall be for you, they would certainly rebel even more and say, “Surely Moses invented this commandment himself, for how could God command against theft by saying: Draw forth and take for yourselves [specifically from your own], when you yourselves are robbers who took the lands of the seven nations, and God did not protest!” — for perhaps they wouldn’t read the Torah from beginning to end. Therefore, it was necessary to preface the story of Creation to teach that they did not take the land through robbery, but rather with righteousness and justice. This is what is meant by the verse (Psalms 111:6-7): He declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of nations. The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are faithful. For the main purpose of this declaration of “the power of His works to His people” was to teach that “the works of His hands are truth and justice” — that the Torah and the tablets are the work of God, and the righteous who were created with two hands (as mentioned in Midrash Shocher Tov, Psalms 139:5) — all of it is with truth and justice, which prevents robbery. All His precepts are faithful — the appointments that God made regarding the lands of the seven nations, for by His will He gave it to them, and by His will He took it from them, and the King, God, appointed other officials over it. According to its simple meaning, the Torah needed to begin with In the beginning (Genesis 1:1) in order to publicize the belief in the world’s creation, as this is a fundamental principle for the entire Torah. For if one were to assume that the world was eternal, there would be no place for accepting the Torah, which is built upon the foundation of free choice. Therefore, it was necessary to establish this fundamental principle first.

וְהִקְדִּים לְפָרָשָׁה זוֹ עִנְיַן קְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה ״וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ״, כָּךְ בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ נִרְמָז כָּל עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, כִּדְאָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי (עיין בויק״ר כד ה), עַל כֵּן הִקְדִּים הַקְּדֻשָּׁה לְחַבֵּב עֲלֵיהֶם הַמִּצְווֹת לוֹמַר שֶׁעַל יְדֵיהֶם יִזְכּוּ לְמַעֲלַת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה. וְאַל תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַקְּדֻשָּׁה מִלְּתָא זוּטַרְתָּא הִיא, ״כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי״, הַקָּטֹן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם לְדַמּוֹת הַצּוּרָה לְיוֹצְרָהּ כִּבְיָכוֹל? וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אָמְרוּ (ויק״ר כד ו): כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁתִּמְצָא גָּדֵר עֶרְוָה שָׁם תִּמְצָא קְדֻשָּׁה. וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ שֶׁלְּשׁוֹן ״גָּדֵר״ מוֹרֶה עַל הַדָּבָר הַמֻּתָּר מִצַּד הַדִּין וְעוֹשִׂין סְיָג וְגָדֵר לְהִתְרַחֵק מִן הָאִסּוּר. עַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא גָּדֵר עֶרְוָה שָׁם תִּמְצָא קְדֻשָּׁה, כִּי כָל קְדֻשָּׁה הַיְינוּ אַף בַּדָּבָר הַמֻּתָּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ספרי ראה קב): קַדֵּשׁ עַצְמְךָ בַּמֻּתָּר לְךָ. וּקְדֻשַּׁת הַנָּזִיר יוֹכִיחַ. עַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁנִּזְכָּר גָּדֵר עֶרְוָה אַתָּה מוֹצֵא קְדֻשָּׁה. וְכֵן בְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה, ״אַל תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה״, דְּהַיְינוּ בַּמֻּתָּר לָהֶם, עַל כֵּן קְרָאָם ״גּוֹי קָדוֹשׁ״. וְכֵן כָּאן נֶאֱמַר ״לֹא תִקְרְבוּ לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָה״, קְרִיבָה הַמְּבִיאָה לִידֵי גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְהוּא גָּדֵר וְסְיָג לָעֶרְוָה. וְכֵן אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וַחֲלָלָה מִדְּבָרִים הַמֻּתָּרִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַכֹּהֵן צָרִיךְ גָּדֵר וּסְיָג לֶאֱסוֹר לוֹ אַף הַמֻּתָּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּדֵי לְקַדְּשׁוֹ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה יְתֵרָה. וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ״, יֵשׁ בְּמַשְׁמָעוּתוֹ לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, וּלְשׁוֹן הוֹדָעַת הָעִנְיָן, כְּמוֹ ״וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ״ שֶׁהוּא הוֹדָעַת הָעִנְיָן, כָּךְ הוֹדִיעַ לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל הַגְּדוּרִין מֵעֲרָיוֹת, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם.

And He prefaced this portion with the matter of the sanctity of Israel, for as it is written before the giving of the Torah, And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), so too in this portion all ten commandments are alluded to, as Rabbi Levi said (see Vayikra Rabbah 24:5). Therefore, He prefaced [it] with sanctity to endear the commandments to them, saying that through them they will merit the level of sanctity. And do not say that sanctity is a minor matter, for I am holy — is it insignificant in your eyes to liken the design to its Creator, as it were? And our Sages said (Vayikra Rabbah 24:6), “Wherever you find a fence around sexual immorality, there you will find sanctity.” And you already know that the term “fence” indicates something permitted by the law, yet we make a safeguard and fence to distance ourselves from prohibition. Therefore, they said that wherever you find a fence around sexual immorality, there you will find sanctity, because all sanctity refers even to that which is permitted, as our Sages said (Sifrei Re’eh 102), “Sanctify yourself with what is permitted to you.” And the sanctity of the Nazirite proves this. Therefore, they said that in a place where a fence around sexual immorality is mentioned, you find sanctity. So too at the giving of the Torah, Do not approach a woman (Exodus 19:15), meaning even what was permitted to them, therefore He called them a holy nation. And similarly here it says, Do not approach to uncover nakedness (Leviticus 18:6) — an approach that leads to sexual immorality, which is a fence and safeguard against sexual immorality. Likewise, A woman who is a prostitute or defiled (Leviticus 21:7) refers to things permitted to ordinary Israelites, but the priest needs a fence and safeguard to forbid even what is permitted to an Israelite, in order to sanctify him with tremendous sanctity. And regarding what it says “You shall be holy,” there is in its meaning both a language of command and a language of informing about the matter, similar to and you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6) which is informing about the matter. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, informed them of the reward for those who fence themselves off from forbidden sexual relationships, that through this they will be holy to their God.