Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 32

13He made them ‘ride on’ (i.e., subdue) the Land of Israel, the highest place on earth, in order that they might eat the quick-ripening produce of its fields. He nurtured them with honey from figs grown in soil hard as a rock, oil from olives grown in flint-stone,   יגיַרְכִּבֵ֨הוּ֙ עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי (כתיב על־במותי) אָ֔רֶץ וַיֹּאכַ֖ל תְּנוּבֹ֣ת שָׂדָ֑י וַיֵּֽנִקֵ֤הוּ דְבַשׁ֙ מִסֶּ֔לַע וְשֶׁ֖מֶן מֵֽחַלְמִ֥ישׁ צֽוּר:
יַרְכִּבֵהוּ על במתי אָרֶץ - He made them ride on the highest place on earth. The entire verse is to be explained in a manner similar to its literal translation:   יַרְכִּבֵהוּ על במתי אָרֶץ.  כָּל הַמִּקְרָא כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
יַרְכִּבֵהוּ וגו' - He made them ride… This terminology is used here since the Land of Israel is higher than all other countries.   יַרְכִּבֵהוּ וגו'.  עַל שֵׁם שֶׁאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת:
וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי - In order that they might eat the produce of its fields. This refers to the fruits of the Land of Israel, which sprout and ripen more quickly than any fruits of other countries.   וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי.  אֵלּוּ פֵרוֹת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁקַּלִּים לָנוּב וּלְהִתְבַּשֵּׁל מִכָּל פֵּרוֹת הָאֲרָצוֹת:
וַיֵּֽנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע - He nurtured them with honey from a rock. It happened once in Sichni that a man said to his son, “Go and bring me figs from the barrel.” He went and found honey floating at the top of the barrel. The son said to the father, “This is a barrel of honey!” The father replied to the son, “Sink your hand into it and you will retrieve the figs.”   וַיֵּֽנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע.  מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁאָמַר לִבְנוֹ בְּסִיכְנִי הָבֵא לִי קְצִיעוֹת מִן הֶחָבִית, הָלַךְ וּמָצָא הַדְּבַשׁ צָף עַל פִּיהָ, אָמַר לוֹ זוֹ שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ הִיא אָמַר לוֹ הַשְׁקַע יָדְךָ לְתוֹכָהּ וְאַתָּה מַעֲלֶה קְצִיעוֹת מִתּוֹכָהּ (ספרי):
וְשֶׁמֶן מֵֽחַלְמִישׁ צֽוּר - Oil from flint-stone. This refers to the olives of Gush-Chalav.   וְשֶׁמֶן מֵֽחַלְמִישׁ צֽוּר.  אֵלּוּ זֵיתִים שֶׁל גּוּשׁ חָלָב (ספרי):
במתי אָרֶץ - בָּמֳתֵי here denotes height.   במתי אָרֶץ.  לְשׁוֹן גֹּבַהּ:
שָׂדָי - here means “field.”   שָׂדָי.  לְשׁוֹן שָׂדֶה:
מֵֽחַלְמִישׁ צֽוּר - means the strength and hardness of a rock. When it is not connected to the next word it is vocalized חַלָּמִישׁ, but when it is connected to the next word, taking the construct form, it is vocalized חַלְמִישׁ.   מֵֽחַלְמִישׁ צֽוּר.  תָּקְפּוֹ וְחָזְקוֹ שֶׁל סֶלַע, כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ דָּבוּק לַתֵּיבָה שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו נָקוּד חַלָּמִישׁ וּכְשֶׁהוּא דָבוּק נָקוּד חַלְמִישׁ:
14cream from the milk of the herd, milk from the flock, the fat of fat lambs, fat rams from Bashan, he-goats, and wheat-kernels that were as fat as kidneys. You will drink fine, strong wine, the blood of the grape.   ידחֶמְאַ֨ת בָּקָ֜ר וַֽחֲלֵ֣ב צֹ֗אן עִם־חֵ֨לֶב כָּרִ֜ים וְאֵילִ֤ים בְּנֵֽי־בָשָׁן֙ וְעַתּוּדִ֔ים עִם־חֵ֖לֶב כִּלְי֣וֹת חִטָּ֑ה וְדַם־עֵנָ֖ב תִּשְׁתֶּה־חָֽמֶר:
חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַֽחֲלֵב צֹאן - Cream from the herd, milk from the flock. This indeed took place in the days of King Solomon, as it says: “ten fattened cattle, 20 grazing cattle, and 100 sheep.” 1   חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַֽחֲלֵב צֹאן.  זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ד') "עֲשָׂרָה בָקָר בְּרִאִים וְעֶשְׂרִים בָּקָר רְעִי וּמֵאָה צֹאן":
עִם־חֵלֶב כָּרִים - The fat of fat lambs. This took place in the days of the Ten Tribes (the Northern Kingdom of Israel), as it says: “they eat כָּרִים of the flock.” 2   עִם־חֵלֶב כָּרִים.  זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ו') "וְאֹכְלִים כָּרִים מִצֹּאן":
חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה - The fat of kidney-like [kernels of] wheat. This took place in the days of King Solomon, as it says: “and Solomon’s food each day was 30 kor of fine flour and 60 kor of coarse flour.” 3   חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה.  זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ה') "וַיְהִי לֶחֶם שְׁלֹמֹה וְגוֹ'":
וְדַם־עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה־חָֽמֶר - You will drink fine, strong wine, the blood of the grape. This took place in the days of the Ten Tribes, as it says: “those who drink wine out of basins.” 4   וְדַם־עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה־חָֽמֶר.  בִּימֵי עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים "הַשֹּׁתִים בְּמִזְרְקֵי יַיִן" (עמוס ו'):
חֶמְאַת בָּקָר - refers to the fat cream that is skimmed off the surface of the milk.   חֶמְאַת בָּקָר.  הוּא שֻׁמָּן הַנִּקְלָט מֵעַל גַּבֵּי הֶחָלָב:
וַֽחֲלֵב צֹאן - means: the milk of flocks. When חָלָב is connected to the next word, taking the construct form, it is vocalized חֲלֵב, as in: בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ “in its mother’s milk.” 5   וַֽחֲלֵב צֹאן.  חָלָב שֶׁל צֹאן, וּכְשֶׁהוּא דָבוּק נָקוּד חֲלֵב, כְּמוֹ "בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ" (שמות כ"ג):
כָּרִים - are lambs.   כָּרִים.  כְּבָשִׂים:
וְאֵילִים - Rams - is to be understood literally.   וְאֵילִים.  כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:
בְּנֵֽי־בָשָׁן - From Bashan. They were particularly fat.   בְּנֵֽי־בָשָׁן.  שְׁמֵנִים הָיוּ:
כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה - means: wheat kernels both as fat as the fat of kidneys and as large as a kidney.   כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה.  חִטִּים שְׁמֵנִים כְּחֵלֶב כְּלָיוֹת וְגַסִּין כְּכוּלְיָא:
וְדַם־עֵנָב - i.e., they drank good quality wine and when doing so, they tasted the taste of excellent wine.   וְדַם־עֵנָב.  תִּהְיֶה שׁוֹתֶה יַיִן טוֹב וְטוֹעֵם יַיִן חָשׁוּב:
חָֽמֶר - The Aramaic word for wine is חֲמָר. Here, however, חָמֶר is not a noun, but a description of fine taste; “vinos” in Old French. These two verses can also be explained allegorically, according to Onkelos’ translation: אַשְׁרִנּוּן עַל תָּקְפֵּי אַרְעָא וגו׳ “He settled them in the strongholds of the land….”   חָֽמֶר.  יַיִן בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי "חֲמַר", אֵין זֶה שֵׁם דָּבָר אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן מְשֻׁבָּח בְּטַעַם, ווי"נוש בְּלַעַז. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִקְרָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ אַחַר תַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל אֻנְקְלוֹס "אַשְׁרִינוּן עַל תָּקְפֵּי אַרְעָא וְגוֹ'":
15But Yeshurun became fat and kicked rebelliously. You became fat, thick, and covered with fat. It forsook God who made it, and scorned the rock of its salvation.   טווַיִּשְׁמַ֤ן יְשֻׁרוּן֙ וַיִּבְעָ֔ט שָׁמַ֖נְתָּ עָבִ֣יתָ כָּשִׂ֑יתָ וַיִּטּשׁ֙ אֱל֣וֹהַּ עָשָׂ֔הוּ וַיְנַבֵּ֖ל צ֥וּר יְשֻֽׁעָתֽוֹ:
עָבִיתָ - This denotes thickness.   עָבִיתָ.  לְשׁוֹן עֹבִי:
כָּשִׂיתָ - is equivalent to כָּסִיתָ – You covered yourselves, used as in: “for he covered (כִסָּה) his face with fat,” 6 like a man so full of fat inside that folds form on the exterior of his flanks, as that verse continues: “forming a mouth over his flanks.”   כָּשִׂיתָ.  כְּמוֹ כָּסִיתָ, לְשׁוֹן "כִּי כִסָּה פָנָיו בְּחֶלְבּוֹ" (איוב ט"ו), כְּאָדָם שֶׁשָּׁמֵן מִבִּפְנִים וּכְסָלָיו נִכְפָּלִים מִבַּחוּץ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שם) "וַיַּעַשׂ פִּימָה עֲלֵי כָסֶל":
כָּשִׂיתָ - “covering” can be expressed as an intransitive kal conjugation, as in: וְכֹסֶה קָלוֹן עָרוּם “but a shrewd man covers himself from disgrace.” 7 Were it written כִּשִּׂיתָ with a dagesh, it would imply that you covered others, as in: “for he covered (כִסָּה) his face.”   כָּשִׂיתָ.  יֵשׁ לָשׁוֹן קַל בִּלְשׁוֹן כִּסּוּי, כְּמוֹ "וְכֹסֶה קָלוֹן עָרוּם" (משלי י"ב), וְאִם כָּתַב כִּשִּׂיתָ, דָּגוּשׁ, הָיָה נִשְׁמָע כִּסִּיתָ אֶת אֲחֵרִים, כְּמוֹ "כִּי כִסָּה פָנָיו" (איוב ט"ו):
וַיְנַבֵּל צוּר יְשֻֽׁעָתֽוֹ - And scorned the rock of its salvation. They denigrated and shamed Him, as it says: “with their backs to the Sanctuary of God….” 8 There is no greater show of contempt than this.   וַיְנַבֵּל צוּר יְשֻֽׁעָתֽוֹ.  גִּנָּהוּ וּבִזָּהוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל ח') "אֲחוֹרֵיהֶם אֶל הֵיכַל ה' וְגוֹ'", אֵין לְךָ נִבּוּל גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה (ספרי):
16They provoked Him to jealousy by worshiping foreign deities. They angered Him with abominable acts.   טזיַקְנִאֻ֖הוּ בְּזָרִ֑ים בְּתֽוֹעֵבֹ֖ת יַכְעִיסֻֽהוּ:
יַקְנִאֻהוּ - means: they aroused His anger and His zeal.   יַקְנִאֻהוּ.  הִבְעִירוּ חֲמָתוֹ וְקִנְאָתוֹ:
בְּתֽוֹעֵבֹת - i.e., with abominable acts, such as homosexuality and sorcery, which are termed תּוֹעֵבָה “abomination.” 9   בְּתֽוֹעֵבֹת.  בְּמַעֲשִׂים תְּעוּבִים, כְּגוֹן מִשְׁכַּב זְכוּר וּכְשָׁפִים שֶׁנֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם תּוֹעֵבָה:
17They sacrificed to demons of no utility, to a deity whom they had not known, new deities that came into the pantheon of deities only recently; your fathers had neither feared them nor deified them.   יזיִזְבְּח֗וּ לַשֵּׁדִים֙ לֹ֣א אֱלֹ֔הַּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א יְדָע֑וּם חֲדָשִׁים֙ מִקָּרֹ֣ב בָּ֔אוּ לֹ֥א שְׂעָר֖וּם אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם:
לֹא אֱלֹהַּ - (lit.) That are not god. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: דְּלֵית בְּהוֹן צְרוֹךְ “that serve no purpose.” Were they to serve some purpose, there would not be such intense Divine vexation as there is now.   לֹא אֱלֹהַּ.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "דְּלֵית בְּהוֹן צְרוֹךְ", אִלּוּ הָיָה בָהֶם צְרוֹךְ לֹא הָיְתָה קִנְאָה כְפוּלָה כְּמוֹ עַכְשָׁו (ספרי):
חֲדָשִׁים מִקָּרֹב בָּאוּ - New [deities] that came recently. Even the nations were not familiar with them. A gentile who would see them would say, “This is a Jewish idol.”   חֲדָשִׁים מִקָּרֹב בָּאוּ.  אֲפִלּוּ הָאֻמּוֹת לֹא הָיוּ רְגִילִים בָּהֶם — גּוֹי שֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה אוֹתָם, הָיָה אוֹמֵר זֶה צֶלֶם יְהוּדִי:
לֹא שְׂעָרוּם אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם - means: “Your fathers did not fear them” - i.e., their hair (שַׂעֲרָתָם) did not stand on end before them. It is usual for a person’s hair to stand on end out of fear. So it is expounded in Sifrei. שְׂעָרוּם may also be explained as related to: “and שְׂעִירִים will dance there,” 10 where שְׂעִירִים are demons; the meaning would thus be: your fathers did not make such demon-gods.   לֹא שְׂעָרוּם אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם.  לֹא יָרְאוּ מֵהֶם — לֹא עָמְדָה שַׂעֲרָתָם מִפְּנֵיהֶם, דֶּרֶךְ שַׂעֲרוֹת הָאָדָם לַעֲמֹד מֵחֲמַת יִרְאָה, כָּךְ נִדְרַשׁ בְּסִפְרֵי. וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ עוֹד שערום לְשׁוֹן (ישעיה יג, כא) "וּשְׂעִירִים יְרַקְּדוּ שָׁם", שְׂעִירִים הֵם שֵׁדִים, לֹא עָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם שְׂעִירִים הַלָּלוּ:
18You have forgotten God, the rock who gave birth to you. You have forgotten God, who brought you forth from the womb.   יחצ֥וּר יְלָֽדְךָ֖ תֶּ֑שִׁי וַתִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֵ֥ל מְחֹֽלְלֶֽךָ:
תֶּשִׁי - means: you forget. But our rabbis expounded: When He wishes to bestow good upon you, you anger Him and weaken (מַתִּישִׁים) His power to bestow good upon you.   תֶּשִׁי.  תִּשְׁכַּח. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּשֶׁבָּא לְהֵיטִיב לָכֶם אַתֶּם מַכְעִיסִין לְפָנָיו וּמַתִּישִׁים כֹּחוֹ מִלְּהֵיטִיב לָכֶם (ספרי):
אֵל מְחֹֽלְלֶֽךָ - means: “God who brought you out of the womb,” related to: יְחוֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת “causes deer to give birth,” 11 חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה “pangs like those of a woman giving birth.” 12   אֵל מְחֹֽלְלֶֽךָ.  מוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵרֶחֶם, לְשׁוֹן (תהלים כט) "יְחוֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת", (תהלים מ"ח) "חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה":