Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 32

29Were they wise, they would understand this. They would understand the reason behind all that befell Israel in their end.   כטל֥וּ חָֽכְמ֖וּ יַשְׂכִּ֣ילוּ זֹ֑את יָבִ֖ינוּ לְאַֽחֲרִיתָֽם:
יָבִינוּ לְאַֽחֲרִיתָֽם - They would understand their end - i.e., they would consider and reflect on the punishment that befell Israel in the end.   יָבִינוּ לְאַֽחֲרִיתָֽם.  יִתְּנוּ לֵב לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן לְסוֹף פֻּרְעֲנוּתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל:
30They should have asked, “How could one of us pursue 1,000 of them, and two of us cause 10,000 of them to flee, were it not that God, their rock, sold them, and that God handed them over to us?”’—   לאֵיכָ֞ה יִרְדֹּ֤ף אֶחָד֙ אֶ֔לֶף וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יָנִ֣יסוּ רְבָבָ֑ה אִם־לֹא֙ כִּֽי־צוּרָ֣ם מְכָרָ֔ם וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה הִסְגִּירָֽם:
אֵיכָה יִרְדֹּף אֶחָד - How could one pursue - i.e., one of them – “1,000” of Israel –   אֵיכָה יִרְדֹּף אֶחָד.  מִמֶּנּוּ אלף מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל:
אִם־לֹא כִּֽי־צוּרָם מְכָרָם וה' הִסְגִּירָֽם - Were it not that their rock sold them and that God handed them over - i.e., that He had “sold” them, delivering them into our hand; “delivrer” in Old French.   אִם־לֹא כִּֽי־צוּרָם מְכָרָם וה' הִסְגִּירָֽם.  מְכָרָם וּמְסָרָם בְּיָדֵנוּ, דליב"ר בְּלַעַז:
31Moses said, They should have understood that their rock is not like our rock, yet now our enemies judge us.”   לאכִּ֛י לֹ֥א כְצוּרֵ֖נוּ צוּרָ֑ם וְאֹֽיְבֵ֖ינוּ פְּלִילִֽים:
כִּי לֹא כְצוּרֵנוּ צוּרָם - Their rock is not like our rock. The enemy should have understood all this, that God delivered them into their hands, and that therefore neither they nor their gods can claim victory, for until now their gods could do nothing at all against our Rock, for their rock is not like our Rock. Every instance of צוּר in Scripture means “rock.”   כִּי לֹא כְצוּרֵנוּ צוּרָם.  כָּל זֶה הָיָה לָהֶם לָאוֹיְבִים לְהָבִין שֶׁהַשֵּׁם הִסְגִּירָם וְלֹא לָהֶם וְלֵאלֹהֵיהֶם הַנִּצָּחוֹן, שֶׁהֲרֵי עַד הֵנָּה לֹא יָכְלוּ כְּלוּם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כְּנֶגֶד צוּרֵנוּ, כִּי לֹא כְסַלְעֵנוּ סַלְעָם; כָּל צוּר שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן סֶלַע:
וְאֹֽיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִֽים - means: and now our enemies judge us. This must be because our Rock “sold” us to them.   וְאֹֽיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִֽים.  וְעַכְשָׁו אוֹיְבֵינוּ שׁוֹפְטִים אוֹתָנוּ, הֲרֵי שֶׁצוּרֵנוּ מְכָרָנוּ לָהֶם:
32—“I would have done this to Israel since their vine is the vine of (i.e., they act like) Sodom, and their deeds are from the field of Gomorrah. Their grapes are the grapes of bitterness, and therefore their clusters from which they squeeze wine (i.e., their rewards) deserve to be bitter.   לבכִּֽי־מִגֶּ֤פֶן סְדֹם֙ גַּפְנָ֔ם וּמִשַּׁדְמֹ֖ת עֲמֹרָ֑ה עֲנָבֵ֨מוֹ֙ עִנְּבֵי־ר֔וֹשׁ אַשְׁכְּלֹ֥ת מְרֹרֹ֖ת לָֽמוֹ:
כִּֽי־מִגֶּפֶן סְדֹם גַּפְנָם - Since their vine is the vine of Sodom. This refers to v. 26, above: “I said to Myself, ‘I will cast them off and erase their memory,’” because their acts are like those of Sodom and Gomorrah.   כִּֽי־מִגֶּפֶן סְדֹם גַּפְנָם.  מוּסָב לְמַעְלָה — אָמַרְתִּי בְּלִבִּי אַפְאֵיהֶם וְאַשְׁבִּית זִכְרָם לְפִי שֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂיהֶם מַעֲשֵׂי סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה:
שדמת - are grain fields, as in: “and the fields (וּשְׁדֵמוֹת) yield no food”; 1 “in the fields (בְּשַׁדְמוֹת) of Kidron.” 2   שדמת.  שְׂדֵה תְּבוּאָה, כְּמוֹ "וּשְׁדֵמוֹת לֹא עָשָׂה אֹכֶל" (חבקוק ג'), "בְּשַׁדְמוֹת קִדְרוֹן" (מלכים ב כ"ג):
עִנְּבֵי־רוֹשׁ - Grapes of (lit.) gall. A bitter herb.   עִנְּבֵי־רוֹשׁ.  עֵשֶׂב מַר:
אַשְׁכְּלֹת מְרֹרֹת לָֽמוֹ - Their clusters are bitter - i.e., they deserve bitter beverages, as their punishment is according to their actions. Onkelos translates it similarly: וְתֻשְׁלָמַת עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן כִּמְרָרוּתְהוֹן “The recompense for their actions is like their bitterness.”   אַשְׁכְּלֹת מְרֹרֹת לָֽמוֹ.  מַשְׁקֶה מַר רָאוּי לָהֶם, לְפִי מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם פֻּרְעֲנוּתָם, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס "וְתוּשְׁלָמַת עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן כִּמְרָרוּתְהוֹן":
33Their wine (i.e., their cup of punishment) is like the venom of dragons, like the cruel, poisonous venom of snakes.   לגחֲמַ֥ת תַּנִּינִ֖ם יֵינָ֑ם וְרֹ֥אשׁ פְּתָנִ֖ים אַכְזָֽר:
חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם יֵינָם - Their wine is the venom of dragons. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: הָא כְמָרַת תַּנִּינַיָּא כָּס פֻּרְעֲנוּתְהוֹן – Behold, the cup of their drink of retribution is as bitter as serpents’ poison.   חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם יֵינָם.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "הָא כְמָרַת תַּנִּינַיָּא כֹּס פּוּרְעֲנוּתְהוֹן", הִנֵּה כִמְרִירַת נְחָשִׁים כּוֹס מִשְׁתֵּה פֻּרְעֲנוּתָם:
וְרֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים - And the poison of snakes - is this cup of theirs, for this snake bites cruelly; i.e., a cruel enemy will come and exact retribution from them.   וְרֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים.  כּוֹסָם שֶׁהוּא אכזר לַנָּשׁוּךְ, אוֹיֵב אַכְזָרִי יָבֹא וְיִפָּרַע מֵהֶם:
34Is not all that they do stored away with Me? Is it not all sealed in My memorys storehouses?   לדהֲלֹא־ה֖וּא כָּמֻ֣ס עִמָּדִ֑י חָת֖וּם בְּאֽוֹצְרֹתָֽי:
הֲלֹא־הוּא כָּמֻס עִמָּדִי - Is it not stored away with Me. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it. Do they think I have forgotten their actions? They are all stored away and preserved before Me.   הֲלֹא־הוּא כָּמֻס עִמָּדִי.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, כִּסְבוּרִים הֵם שֶׁשָּׁכַחְתִּי מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, כֻּלָּם גְּנוּזִים וּשְׁמוּרִים לְפָנַי:
הֲלֹא־הוּא - Is it not - i.e., the fruit of their vine and the produce of their fields – “stored away with Me?”   הֲלֹא־הוּא.  פְּרִי גַפְנָם וּתְבוּאַת שַׁדְמוֹתָם — כמס עמדי:
35I have many means by which to avenge them, and I will use these means to repay them when their ‘foot’ (i.e., the merit of their ancestors) falters. For the day of their calamity is nearby, and their destiny will come upon them quickly.”   להלִ֤י נָקָם֙ וְשִׁלֵּ֔ם לְעֵ֖ת תָּמ֣וּט רַגְלָ֑ם כִּ֤י קָרוֹב֙ י֣וֹם אֵידָ֔ם וְחָ֖שׁ עֲתִדֹ֥ת לָֽמוֹ:
לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם - (lit.) Mine is vengeance, and it will repay - means: with Me the punishment of vengeance is prepared and ready, and it will repay them according to their deeds; i.e., the vengeance itself will pay them their due. Some explain וְשִׁלֵּם as a noun, equivalent to וְשִׁלּוּם “and payment.” A similar noun form is: וְהַדִּבֵּר אֵין בָּהֶם “they do not possess the utterance,” 3 where it is equivalent to וְהַדִּבּוּר. And when will I exact retribution from them? –   לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם.  עִמִּי נָכוֹן וּמְזֻמָּן פֻּרְעֲנוּת נָקָם, וִישַׁלֵּם לָהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, הַנָּקָם יְשַׁלֵּם לָהֶם גְּמוּלָם. וְיֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים ושלם שֵׁם דָּבָר, כְּמוֹ וְשִׁלּוּם וְהוּא מִגִּזְרַת "וְהַדִּבֵּר אֵין בָּהֶם" (ירמיהו ה') — כְּמוֹ וְהַדִּבּוּר. וְאֵימָתַי אֲשַׁלֵּם לָהֶם?
לְעֵת תָּמוּט רַגְלָם - When their foot falters - i.e., when the merit of their ancestors, on which they rely, is exhausted.   לְעֵת תָּמוּט רַגְלָם.  כְּשֶׁתִּתֹּם זְכוּת אֲבוֹתָם שֶׁהֵן סְמוּכִים עָלָיו:
כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם אֵידָם - For the day of their calamity is nearby - This means: When I wish to bring the day of their calamity upon them, it is close at hand and ready before Me to inflict it through many agents.   כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם אֵידָם.  מִשֶּׁאֶרְצֶה לְהָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹם אֵידָם קָרוֹב וּמְזֻמָּן לְפָנַי לְהָבִיא עַל יְדֵי שְׁלוּחִים הַרְבֵּה:
וְחָשׁ עֲתִדֹת לָֽמוֹ - This means: And future events will befall them speedily.   וְחָשׁ עֲתִדֹת לָֽמוֹ.  וּמַהֵר יָבוֹאוּ הָעֲתִידוֹת לָהֶם:
וְחָשׁ - וְחָשׁ. is similar to: “let him hurry and hasten (יָחִישָׁה).” 4 Up to this point, Moses used words of rebuke as testimony against them, so that this song act as a witness. He was effectively saying, “When punishment befalls them, they will know that I warned them in advance.” From this point on, he testified to them – using words of comfort – what would happen to them once the punishment is over, in accordance with all that he said above: 5 “When all these things come upon you – the blessing and the curse…God, your God, will bring back your exiles….”   וְחָשׁ.  כְּמוֹ "יְמַהֵר יָחִישָׁה" (ישעיהו ה'); עַד כָּאן הֵעִיד עֲלֵיהֶם מֹשֶׁה דִבְרֵי תּוֹכֵחָה לִהְיוֹת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לְעֵד, כְּשֶׁתָּבֹא עֲלֵיהֶם הַפֻּרְעָנוּת יֵדְעוּ שֶׁאֲנִי הוֹדַעְתִּים מֵרֹאשׁ, מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ הֵעִיד עֲלֵיהֶם דִּבְרֵי תַנְחוּמִין שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם כִּכְלוֹת הַפֻּרְעָנוּת, כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לְמַעְלָה, "וְהָיָה כִי יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ וְגוֹ' הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה וְגוֹ' וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְגוֹ'":
36Moses said, “After God will have chastised His people, He will relent of His anger toward His servants. When He sees that the strength of their enemies is growing, and that no one among His people is being saved, either by a ruler or by one who strengthens them,   לוכִּֽי־יָדִ֤ין יְהֹוָה֙ עַמּ֔וֹ וְעַל־עֲבָדָ֖יו יִתְנֶחָ֑ם כִּ֤י יִרְאֶה֙ כִּי־אָ֣זְלַת יָ֔ד וְאֶ֖פֶס עָצ֥וּר וְעָזֽוּב:
כִּֽי־יָדִין ה' עַמּוֹ - After God will have chastised His people - i.e., when He will execute judgment against them with these punishments described for them above. An example of similar usage is: “for with them He judges (יָדִין) nations,” 6 meaning: He chastises nations. כִּי in this context does not mean “for,” giving a reason for what was previously stated, but denotes the beginning of a sentence, as in: כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ “When you enter the land.” 7 It thus means: When these punishments befall them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, relents regarding His servants, to have mercy upon them once again, etc.   כִּֽי־יָדִין ה' עַמּוֹ.  כְּשֶׁיִּשְׁפֹּט אוֹתוֹ בְּיִסּוּרִין הַלָּלוּ הָאֲמוּרוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ "כִּי בָם יָדִין עַמִּים" (איוב ל"ו) — יְיַסֵּר עַמִּים. כִּי זֶה אֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן דְּהָא, לָתֵת טַעַם לַדְּבָרִים שֶׁל מַעְלָה, אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן תְּחִלַּת דִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ (ויקרא כ"ה) "כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ", כְּשֶׁיָּבֹאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מִשְׁפָּטִים הַלָּלוּ וְיִתְנַחֵם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל עֲבָדָיו לָשׁוּב וּלְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם:
יִתְנֶחָם - denotes a change of thought, for good or for bad.   יִתְנֶחָם.  לְשׁוֹן הִפּוּךְ הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה לְהֵיטִיב אוֹ לְהָרַע:
כִּֽי יִרְאֶה כִּֽי־אָזְלַת יָד - When He sees that (lit.) the hand is progressing - i.e., when He sees that the enemy’s hand is steadily bearing stronger on them, and there is no one among them who is עָצוּר or עָזוּב.   כִּֽי יִרְאֶה כִּֽי־אָזְלַת יָד.  כְּשֶׁיִּרְאֶה כִּי יַד הָאוֹיֵב הוֹלֶכֶת וְחוֹזֶקֶת מְאֹד עֲלֵיהֶם, ואפס בָּהֶם עצור ועזוב:
עָצוּר - means: one saved by an עוֹצֵר (“restrainer”) and ruler, who restrains them.   עָצוּר.  נוֹשַׁע עַל יְדֵי עוֹצֵר וּמוֹשֵׁל שֶׁיַּעֲצֹר בָּהֶם:
עזוב - עָזוּבmeans: one saved by an עוֹזֵב (“strengthener”). עוֹצֵר is a ruler, so called because he keeps the people from dispersing when they go into battle against the enemy; “meintenant” in Old French. עָצוּר – is thus the person saved by the ruler’s restraint. עָזוּבmeans “strengthened,” as in: “they reinforced (וַיַּעַזְבוּ) Jerusalem up to the wall”; 8 “How has the praised city not been fortified (לֹא עֻזְּבָה)?” 9 עָצוּר is thus “meintenud” in Old French, and עָזוּב is “enforcied.”   עזוב.  עַל יְדֵי עוֹזֵב; עוֹצֵר הוּא הַמּוֹשֵׁל הָעוֹצֵר בָּעָם שֶׁלֹּא יֵלְכוּ מְפֻזָּרִים בְּצֵאתָם לַצָּבָא עַל הָאוֹיֵב, בְּלַעַז מיינטינ"דור; עצור, הוּא הַנּוֹשָׁע בְּמַעֲצוֹר הַמּוֹשֵׁל; עזוב, מְחֻזָּק, כְּמוֹ (נחום ג') "וַיַּעַזְבוּ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עַד הַחוֹמָה"; "אֵיךְ לֹא עֻזְּבָה עִיר תְּהִלָּה" (ירמיהו מ"ט), אינפורצדו"ר:
37He will say, ‘Where are their false deities that they served, or the rock in whom they trusted for protection,   לזוְאָמַ֖ר אֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ימוֹ צ֖וּר חָסָ֥יוּ בֽוֹ:
וְאָמַר - He will say - i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, will say about them:   וְאָמַר.  הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם:
אי אלהימו - Where are their deities? - i.e., the idols that they served.   אי אלהימו.  עבודה זרה שֶׁעָבְדוּ:
צוּר חָסָיוּ בֽוֹ - The rock in whom they trusted - i.e., the rock in which they would find shelter from the heat and the cold, i.e., in which they trusted to shield them from evil.   צוּר חָסָיוּ בֽוֹ.  הַסֶּלַע שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְכַּסִּין בּוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַחַמָּה וְהַצִּנָּה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהָיוּ בְטוּחִין בּוֹ לְהָגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם מִן הָרָעָה:
38who “ate” the fat of their sacrifices and “drank” the wine of their libations? Let these deities arise and help you! Let that rock be your protection!   לחאֲשֶׁ֨ר חֵ֤לֶב זְבָחֵ֨ימוֹ֙ יֹאכֵ֔לוּ יִשְׁתּ֖וּ יֵ֣ין נְסִיכָ֑ם יָק֨וּמוּ֙ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶ֔ם יְהִ֥י עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם סִתְרָֽה:
אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ - That the fat of their sacrifices - that those deities would “eat,” meaningthat they would offer up to them,” and similarly, that those deities “would drink the wine of their libations.”   אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ.  הָיוּ אוֹתָן אֱלֹהוֹת אוֹכְלִים, שֶׁהָיוּ מַקְרִיבִים לִפְנֵיהֶם, וְשׁוֹתִין יין נסיכם:
יְהִי עֲלֵיכֶם סִתְרָֽה - Let it be your protection - i.e., let that rock be your shelter and refuge.   יְהִי עֲלֵיכֶם סִתְרָֽה.  אוֹתוֹ הַצּוּר יִהְיֶה לָכֶם מַחֲסֶה וּמִסְתּוֹר:
39See, now, that it is I who raises up and I who cuts down, and there is no deity on par with Me. I kill and I bring to life; I strike and I heal, and no one can deliver those who rebel against Me from My hand.   לטרְא֣וּ | עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י אֲנִ֧י אָמִ֣ית וַֽאֲחַיֶּ֗ה מָחַ֨צְתִּי֙ וַֽאֲנִ֣י אֶרְפָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין מִיָּדִ֖י מַצִּֽיל:
רְאוּ עַתָּה - See now - i.e., Understand from the punishment that I brought upon you, from which you had no savior, and from the salvation through which I will save you, with no one to protest against Me from doing so.   רְאוּ עַתָּה.  הָבִינוּ מִן הַפֻּרְעָנוּת שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיכֶם וְאֵין לָכֶם מוֹשִׁיעַ, וּמִן הַתְּשׁוּעָה שֶׁאוֹשִׁיעֲכֶם וְאֵין מוֹחֶה בְיָדִי:
אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא - It is I, I. The repetition of אֲנִי conveys: It is I who humbles and it is I who elevates.   אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא.  אֲנִי לְהַשְׁפִּיל וַאֲנִי לְהָרִים:
וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי - And there is no deity on par with Me - i.e., who can stand up against Me to object.   וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי.  עוֹמֵד כְּנֶגְדִּי לִמְחוֹת:
עִמָּדִי - here means: who is comparable to Me or like Me in any way.   עִמָּדִי.  דֻּגְמָתִי וְכָמוֹנִי:
וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּֽיל - And no one can deliver from My hand - those who rebel against Me.   וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּֽיל.  הַפּוֹשְׁעִים בִּי: