Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 32

7Remember the days of old; reflect upon the years of [other] generations. Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will inform you.   זזְכֹר֙ יְמ֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם בִּ֖ינוּ שְׁנ֣וֹת דֹּֽר וָדֹ֑ר שְׁאַ֤ל אָבִ֨יךָ֙ וְיַגֵּ֔דְךָ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְיֹֽאמְרוּ־לָֽךְ:
Remember the days of old what God did to past generations who provoked Him to anger.   זְכֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם  מֶה עָשָׂה בָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁהִכְעִיסוּ לְפָנָיו:
reflect upon the years of [other] generations [I.e.,] the generation of Enosh, whom [God] inundated with the waters of the ocean, and the generation of the Flood, whom [God] washed away. Another explanation is: [If] you have not set your attention to the past, then “reflect upon the years of generations,” i.e., to recognize the future, that He has the power to bestow good upon you and to give you as an inheritance the days of the Messiah and the world-to-come. — [Sifrei 32:6]   בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דֹּֽר וָדֹר  דּוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ שֶׁהֵצִיף עֲלֵיהֶם מֵי אוֹקְיָנוּס וְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל שֶׁשְּׁטָפָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר — לֹא נְתַתֶּם לְבַבְכֶם עַל שֶׁעָבַר, בינו שנות דר ודר — לְהַכִּיר לְהַבָּא, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לְהֵיטִיב לָכֶם וּלְהַנְחִיל לָכֶם יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא (עי' ספרי):
Ask your father These are the prophets, who are called “fathers,” as Scripture states regarding [Elisha’s crying out to] Elijah, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel!” (II Kings 2:12).   שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ  אֵלּוּ הַנְּבִיאִים שֶׁנִּקְרָאִים אָבוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ב') בְּאֵלִיָּהוּ "אָבִי אָבִי רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל" (ספרי):
your elders These are the Sages. — [Sifrei 32:7]   זְקֵנֶיךָ  אֵלּוּ הַחֲכָמִים:
and they will inform you the events of the former times.   וְיֹֽאמְרוּ־לָֽךְ  הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת:
8When the Most High gave nations their lot, when He separated the sons of man, He set up the boundaries of peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.   חבְּהַנְחֵ֤ל עֶלְיוֹן֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם בְּהַפְרִיד֖וֹ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם יַצֵּב֙ גְּבֻלֹ֣ת עַמִּ֔ים לְמִסְפַּ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
When the Most High gave nations their lot When the Holy One, Blessed is He, gave those who provoked Him to anger their portion, He flooded them and drowned them [i.e., that was their lot].   בְּהַנְחֵל עֶלְיוֹן גּוֹיִם  כְּשֶׁהִנְחִיל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַכְעִיסָיו אֶת חֵלֶק נַחֲלָתָן הֱצִיפָן וּשְׁטָפָם:
when He separated the sons of man When [God] scattered the Generation of the Dispersion [which built the tower of Babel], He had the power to remove them from the world [altogether], but He did not do so. Rather, “He set up the boundaries of peoples,” [i.e.,] He let them remain in existence and did not destroy them.   בְּהַפְרִידוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם  כְּשֶׁהֵפִיץ דּוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה הָיָה בְיָדוֹ לְהַעֲבִירָם מִן הָעוֹלָם, לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן אֶלָּא יצב גבלת עמים, קִיְּמָם וְלֹא אִבְּדָם:
according to the number of the children of Israel [God let man remain in existence] for the sake of a [small] number of the children of Israel who were destined to descend from the children of Shem, and [the sake of] the number of the seventy souls of the children of Israel who went down to Egypt, He “set up the boundaries of peoples,” [i.e., He separated man into seventy nations with] seventy languages.   לְמִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  בִּשְׁבִיל מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁעֲתִידִין לָצֵאת מִבְּנֵי שֵׁם, וּלְמִסְפַּר שִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְמִצְרַיִם הִצִּיב גבלת עמים — שִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן:
9Because the Lord's portion is His people. Jacob, the lot of His inheritance.   טכִּ֛י חֵ֥לֶק יְהֹוָ֖ה עַמּ֑וֹ יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב חֶ֥בֶל נַֽחֲלָתֽוֹ:
Because the Lord’s portion is His people And why did God go to all this effort [to save mankind]? “Because the Lord’s portion” was hidden within them [i.e., mankind] and was destined to come forth. And who is God’s portion? “His people.” And who is His people? “Jacob, the lot of His inheritance” - and he is the third among the Patriarchs. He is endowed with a threefold [parcel] of merits: The merit of his grandfather, the merit of his father, and his own merit-thus, totaling three, like a rope (חֶבֶל) composed of three strands [twined together for added strength (Sifrei 32:9)]. Thus, it was [only] Jacob and his sons who became God’s inheritance, not Ishmael, the son of Abraham, and not Esau, the son of Isaac.   כִּי חֵלֶק ה' עַמּוֹ  לָמָּה כָּל זֹאת? לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה חֶלְקוֹ כָּבוּשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם וְעָתִיד לָצֵאת, וּמִי הוּא חֶלְקוֹ? עמו. וּמִי הוּא עַמּוֹ? יַֽעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַֽחֲלָתֽוֹ וְהוּא הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בָּאָבוֹת, הַמְשֻׁלָּשׁ בְּשָׁלוֹשׁ זְכֻיּוֹת, זְכוּת אֲבִי אָבִיו וּזְכוּת אָבִיו וּזְכוּתוֹ, הֲרֵי ג', כַּחֶבֶל הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא עָשׂוּי בְּג' גְּדִילִים, וְהוּא וּבָנָיו הָיוּ לוֹ לְנַחֲלָה, וְלֹא יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אַבְרָהָם, וְלֹא עֵשָׂו בְּנוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק (עי' ספרי):
10He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling wasteland. He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them; He protected them as the pupil of His eye.   ייִמְצָאֵ֨הוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִדְבָּ֔ר וּבְתֹ֖הוּ יְלֵ֣ל יְשִׁמֹ֑ן יְסֹֽבְבֶ֨נְהוּ֙ יְב֣וֹנְנֵ֔הוּ יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּ כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֽוֹ:
He found them in a desert land God found them [i.e., Jacob’s sons] faithful to Him in a desert land, for they accepted His Torah, His sovereignty, and His yoke upon themselves-something that Ishmael and Esau did not do, as Scripture states, “The Lord… shone forth from Seir to them, and appeared from Mount Paran” (Deut. 33:2). [The Sages (Sifrei Deut. 33:2, Tanchuma Beracha 4) explain this to mean: God first went to the children of Esau (Seir) and offered them the Torah, but they refused to accept it; then He went and offered it to the children of Ishmael (Paran), and they also refused. See Rashi on that verse.]   יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר  אוֹתָם מָצָא לוֹ נֶאֱמָנִים בְּאֶרֶץ הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם תּוֹרָתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ וְעֻלּוֹ, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְעֵשָׂו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל"ג) "וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן":
and in a desolate, howling wasteland An arid, desolate land, a place of howling (יְלֵל) jackals and ostriches. Yet even there, Israel followed their faith. They did not say to Moses, “How can we go out into the deserts, a place of drought and desolation?” The verse attests to this: “When you went after Me in the desert” (Jer. 2: 2).   וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵל יְשִׁמֹן  אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וּשְׁמָמָה, מְקוֹם יִלְלַת תַּנִּינִים וּבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה, אַף שָׁם נִמְשְׁכוּ אַחַר הָאֱמוּנָה, וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה הֵיאַךְ נֵצֵא לַמִּדְבָּרוֹת מְקוֹם צִיָּה וְשִׁמָּמוֹן? כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיהו ב'), "לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר":
He encompassed them There [in the desert], [God] encompassed [Israel], surrounding them by [protective] clouds; He surrounded them with divisions in four directions, and He surrounded them with the underside of the mountain [Sinai], which He overturned [i.e., suspending it] over them like a tub [see Rashi on Exod. 19:17]. — [Sifrei 32:10]   יְסֹֽבְבֶנְהוּ  שָׁם סִבְּבָם וְהִקִּיפָם בַּעֲנָנִים וְסִבְּבָם בִּדְגָלִים לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת וְסִבְּבָן בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר שֶׁכָּפָהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם כְּגִיגִית (עי' ספרי):
and bestowed understanding upon them There [God bestowed upon them] Torah and understanding.   יְבוֹנְנֵהוּ  שָׁם בְּתוֹרָה וּבִינָה:
He protected them from snakes, serpents, and scorpions, and from [hostile] nations.   יִצְּרֶנְהוּ  מִנָּחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב וּמִן הָאֻמּוֹת:
as the pupil of his eye This refers to the black part of the eye, from which the light is reflected outward. Now, Onkelos renders יִמְצָאֵהוּ as: “He provided their needs,” that is, God provided Israel with all their needs in the desert. [The use of the word מָצָא is] similar to [its use in the verses], “[Will flock and cattle be slaughtered for them] to provide (וּמָצָא) them?” (Num. 11:22), and “The mountain is not enough (יִמָּצֵא) for us” (Josh. 17:16).   כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינֽוֹ  הוּא הַשָּׁחֹר שֶׁבָּעַיִן שֶׁהַמָּאוֹר יוֹצֵא הֵימֶנּוּ. וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם יִמְצָאֵהוּ — "יַסְפִּיקֵהוּ כָּל צָרְכּוֹ בַמִּדְבָּר", כְּמוֹ (במדבר י"א) "מָצָא לָהֶם", (יהושע י"ז) "לֹא יִמָּצֵא לָנוּ הָהָר":
He encompassed them [Rendered by Onkelos :] “He made them encamp round about His Divine Presence”-the Tent of Meeting [where the Divine Presence rested] was in the middle [of the camp] and the four divisions [i.e., the tribal camps, surrounded it] from all four directions.   יְסֹֽבְבֶנְהוּ  "אַשְׁרִינוּן סְחוֹר סְחוֹר לִשְׁכִנְתֵּיהּ", אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בָּאֶמְצָע וְאַרְבָּעָה דְגָלִים לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת:
11As an eagle awakens its nest, hovering over its fledglings, it spreads its wings, taking them and carrying them on its pinions.   יאכְּנֶ֨שֶׁר֙ יָעִ֣יר קִנּ֔וֹ עַל־גּֽוֹזָלָ֖יו יְרַחֵ֑ף יִפְרֹ֤שׂ כְּנָפָיו֙ יִקָּחֵ֔הוּ יִשָּׂאֵ֖הוּ עַל־אֶבְרָתֽוֹ:
As an eagle awakens its nest He guided them [Israel] with mercy and compassion like an eagle, which is merciful towards its own fledglings and does not enter its nest suddenly. [Rather,] it beats and flaps its wings above its young between one tree and another, between one branch and another, in order that its young should awaken and have the strength to receive it.   כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ  נִהֲגָם בְּרַחֲמִים וּבְחֶמְלָה, כַּנֶּשֶׁר הַזֶּה רַחְמָנִי עַל בָּנָיו, וְאֵינוֹ נִכְנָס לְקִנּוֹ פִּתְאֹם עַד שֶׁהוּא מְקַשְׁקֵשׁ וּמְטָרֵף עַל בָּנָיו בִּכְנָפָיו בֵּין אִילָן לְאִילָן, בֵּין שׂוֹכָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּעוֹרוּ בָּנָיו וִיהֵא בָהֶם כֹּחַ לְקַבְּלוֹ (ספרי):
awakens its nest [I.e.,] it awakens its fledglings.   יָעִיר קִנּוֹ  יְעוֹרֵר בָּנָיו:
hovering over its fledglings [The eagle] does not impose its [whole] body upon them. Rather, it hovers above them, touching them and yet not quite touching them. So too, is the Holy One, Blessed is He. [As in the verse:] “We did not find the Almighty great in power” (Job 37:23). When He came to give the Torah to Israel, He did not reveal Himself to them from one direction [thus concentrating His power at one point, as it were], but rather, from four directions, as Scripture states, “The Lord came from Sinai, and shone forth from Seir to them, and appeared from Mount Paran” (Deut. 33:2). [This accounts for three directions.] The fourth direction is referred to in [the verse], “God comes from Teman” (Hab. 3:3). - [Sifrei 32:11]   עַל־גּֽוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף  אֵינוֹ מַכְבִּיד עַצְמוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶלָּא מְחוֹפֵף — נוֹגֵעַ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹגֵעַ (תלמוד ירושלמי חגיגה ב') — אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּאּ, "שַׁדַּי לֹא מְצָאנֻהוּ שַׂגִּיא כֹחַ" (איוב ל"ז) כְּשֶׁבָּא לִתֵּן תּוֹרָה לֹא נִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵרוּחַ אַחַת אֶלָּא מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "ה' מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן" (דברים ל"ג), "אֱלוֹהַּ מִתֵּימָן יָבוֹא" (חבקוק ג') — זוֹ רוּחַ רְבִיעִית (ספרי):
spreading its wings, taking them When it [the eagle] comes to move [its fledglings] from place to place, it does not pick them up with its feet, as do other birds. Other birds are afraid of the eagle, which soars very high and flies above them. For this reason, it [the other bird] carries them with its feet because of the eagle [above them]. The eagle, however, is afraid only of an arrow. Therefore, it carries its young on its wings, saying, “It is better that an arrow pierce me, rather than pierce my young.” So too, the Holy One, Blessed is He, [says]: “I carried you on eagles’ wings” (Exod. 19:4). [I.e.,] when the Egyptians pursued [the children of Israel] and overtook them at the [Red] Sea, they cast arrows and catapulted rocks [at Israel]. Immediately, “The angel of God moved… [behind them… and the pillar of cloud] came between the camp of Egypt [and the camp of Israel]” (Exod. 14:19-20) [for Israel’s protection]. — [Mechilta 19:4]   יִפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו יִקָּחֵהוּ  כְּשֶׁבָּא לִטְּלָם מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם אֵינוֹ נוֹטְלָן בְּרַגְלָיו כִּשְׁאָר עוֹפוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁשְּׁאָר עוֹפוֹת יְרֵאִים מִן הַנֶּשֶׁר שֶׁהוּא מַגְבִּיהַּ לָעוּף וּפוֹרֵחַ עֲלֵיהֶם, לְפִיכָךְ נוֹשְׂאָן בְּרַגְלָיו, מִפְּנֵי הַנֶּשֶׁר, אֲבָל הַנֶּשֶׁר אֵינוֹ יָרֵא אֶלָּא מִן הַחֵץ, לְפִיכָךְ נוֹשְׂאָן עַל כְּנָפָיו, אוֹמֵר מוּטָב שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס הַחֵץ בִּי וְלֹא יִכָּנֵס בְּבָנַי, אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (שמות י"ט) "וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים" — כְּשֶׁנָּסְעוּ מִצְרַיִם אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְהִשִּׂיגוּם עַל הַיָּם הָיוּ זוֹרְקִים בָּהֶם חִצִּים וְאַבְנֵי בָּלִיסְטְרָאוֹת, מִיָּד "וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ' וַיָּבֹא בֵּין מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ'" (שמות י"ד):
12[So] the Lord guided them alone, and there was no alien deity with Him.   יביְהֹוָ֖ה בָּדָ֣ד יַנְחֶ֑נּוּ וְאֵ֥ין עִמּ֖וֹ אֵ֥ל נֵכָֽר:
[So] the Lord guided them alone God guided them safely and alone in the desert.   ה' בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ  נִהֲגָם בַּמִּדְבָּר בָּדָד וּבֶטַח:
and there was no alien deity with him Not one of the deities of the nations had the power to display its might and to wage war with them [i.e., with Israel]. Our Rabbis, however, explained [this whole verse] as referring to the future [i.e., “(So) the Lord will guide them….”] (Sifrei 32:12), and Onkelos renders [this verse] likewise. But I say that these are words of reproof. [Moses] called upon heaven and earth as witnesses, and this song [i.e., parashath Ha’azinu] would [also] be a witness, that eventually [Israel] would betray [God], and they would neither remember what God did for them in the past [generations], nor [would they bear in mind] what He was destined to do to them. Hence, this [verse] should be understood to refer to both [the past and the future]. And [therefore] this whole passage is apropos of [the phrase]: “Remember the days of old; reflect upon the years of [other] generations” (verse 7)-thus [God] did for them, and thus will He do for them in the future. [The passage is admonishing Israel:] They should have remembered all this.   וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָֽר  לֹא הָיָה כֹחַ בְּאֶחָד מִכָּל אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם לְהַרְאוֹת כֹּחוֹ וּלְהִלָּחֵם עִמָּהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְרָשׁוּהוּ עַל הֶעָתִיד וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס, וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר דִּבְרֵי תּוֹכֵחָה הֵם לְהָעִיד הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וּתְהֵא הַשִּׁירָה לָהֶם לְעֵד שֶׁסּוֹפָן לִבְגֹּד וְלֹא יִזְכְּרוּ לֹא הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה לָהֶם וְלֹא הַנּוֹלָדוֹת שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם, לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ לְיַשֵּׁב הַדָּבָר לְכָאן וּלְכָאן. וְכָל הָעִנְיָן מוּסָב עַל זכר ימות עולם בינו שנות דר ודר, כֵּן עָשָׂה לָהֶם וְכֵן עָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת, כָּל זֶה הָיָה לָהֶם לִזְכֹּר: