You shall make you no idols, neither shall you rear you up a graven image, or a pillar, neither shall you place any figured stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am Hashem your God.
verse value 5560 — יְהֹוָ֖ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "you·shall·not·set·up" (לֹֽא־תָקִ֣ימוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: to·you, to·you. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "idols" (אֱלִילִ֗ם), "or·a·carved·image" (וּפֶ֤סֶל), "or·a·pillar" (וּמַצֵּבָה֙). The root לכם appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 308x in Leviticus); "not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "upon·it" (root על, 127x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Onkelos
You shall not make idols for yourselves, and you shall not erect an image or a pillar for yourselves, and a stone for prostration you shall not place in your land to bow down upon it, for I am Hashem your God.
Rashi
לא תעשו לכם אלילם YE SHALL MAKE YOU NO IDOLS This command is repeated here with reference to one who has sold himself as a slave to a non-Jew in order that he should not say "Since my master is a libertine I will be like him; since my master worships idols, I will be like him; since my master desecrates the Sabbath, I will be like hin", on this account have these verses (v. 1 and v. 2) been stated. Indeed all these sections (these of the whole Sedrah) are stated in the sequence in which the incidents to which they refer actually occur. First Scripture warns the people about the seventh year's produce (not to do trade in them). If, however, one is covetous of money and brings himself under the constant suspicion of trading in the seventh-year fruits, he will at some time have to sell his movable property on account of his destitution. It is for this reason that Scripture put in juxtaposition to it (the“And when you make a sale [to your fellow-Jew]” (25:14) “or make a purchase from the hand…,” something that is transferred from hand to hand). If he still does not repent, he will eventually have to sell his inheritance (25:25). If he even then does not repent, he will eventually have to sell his home, and if even then, he does not repent, he will eventually have to borrow money with interest (verses 25:35-38). Now, the later the scenario in this passage, the more severe it is [i.e., first he sells his belongings, then his property, then his home and then even borrowing with interest which is more severe than selling one’s property; (Nachalath Ya’akov) thus, the passage continues accordingly, for] if he still does not repent, he will eventually have to sell himself [to his fellow Jew as a servant] (verses 25:39-46); and [finally,] if he has still not repented, not enough that he had to be sold to his fellow Jew - but he will [be forced to sell himself] even to a non-Jew! (Kiddushin 20a) ואבן משכית (a kind of mosaic pavement) — The word משכית is an expression denoting “covering”, similar to the verb in (Exodus 33:22) “I will cover thee (ושכותי) with my hand”. Such a mosaic is so called because people cover the ground with a pavement of stones להשתחות עליה TO PROSTRATE YOURSELVES UPON IT, not even to the Lord, since prostration involves stretching forth of hands and feet (the highest form of adoration) and Scripture forbids doing so outside the Temple (Megillah 22b)
Ramban
YE SHALL MAKE YOU NO IDOLS. “Scripture is speaking with reference to this person [mentioned above] who sold himself to an idolater, that he should not say, ‘Since my master worships idols, I will also worship them; Since my master is immoral, I too will be dissolute; since my master does not observe the Sabbath, I will also profane the Sabbath.’ Scripture therefore states, Ye shall make you no idols … Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My Sanctuary. Thus Scripture warned concerning [the observance of] the commandments.” This is the language of the Torath Kohanim, and the interpretation [thereof is as follows]: Scripture warned the servant who sold himself to an idolater to be heedful of the commandments concerning idolatry and the Sabbath, — as well as the reverence due to the Sanctuary, which he should come to on the festivals and treat with awe, and the same warning applies with regard to all the commandments. However, He mentioned only these commandments as they are the main ones, and they indicate [that the same principle applies] to all of them. Now some texts of the Torath Kohanim have this reading: “Scripture ‘mentioned here’ [the commandments,” instead of “Thus Scripture warned,” as stated above]. If this is the correct text, then the Rabbis [of the Torath Kohanim] alluded to [the concept] that all the commandments are included in the Sabbath and the Sanctuary. The person learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand. Bechukothai
Ibn Ezra
"You shall not make for yourselves idols" (אֱלִילִם) — because [the Israelite] was sold to a gentile, [Scripture] warned against idolatry: that [the slave] should not serve his master's idol, nor serve his master on the Sabbath — and for this reason the gentile acquires him.
Sforno
לא תעשו לכם, even though you yourselves are now subservient to the pagans, as for instance the Jew who was forced to sell himself to a pagan, you must not trade your dignity, i.e. your religion, for a religion which is totally useless. Although this whole line appears superfluous, as the Torah had spoken on this subject repeatedly, the Torah here inserts this line so that people who due to force of circumstances had to enter the service of pagans, and who attribute this to their own G’d having abandoned them, do not commit the additional error of thinking that Judaism no longer has a claim on them in such circumstances. In Ezekiel chapter 20 the prophet dealt with the people who wanted to know how G’d could still have a claim on them seeing he had “sold” them to the pagans into exile. The matter was compared to a husband who had divorced his wife and continued to dictate to her. One of the most convincing answers is that G’d continues to speak of “My servant David” in Samuel II 3,18, the same description G’d applies to Nevuchadnezzar in Jeremiah 28,9. In other words, no human being whether out of his own volition or because he considers himself rejected by G’d, is ever free from the obligation to serve the Creator, His ultimate Master. At the end of the תוכחה, the predictions of the retribution we will experience for failure to observe G’d’s commandments, (Leviticus 26,44) G’d is on record as saying that even when the Jewish people have reached a historic low in their fortunes, G’d did not despise them nor abandon them permanently.
Chizkuni
לא תעשו לכם אלילים, “do not make for yourselves idols;” this law is repeated as if a Jew is sold to a gentile the subject of making himself an idol out of frustration over what has befallen him is quite understandable. Compare Rashi and Sifra on this verse.
Rabbeinu Bahya
לא תעשו לכם אלילים, “Do not make idols for yourselves.” Here the Torah refers to the various forces named earlier whom people worship as אלילים from the root אילות, “strength, power,” calling such idols אלילים rather than אילים [which would mean something powerful, Ed.] in order to remind us of the impotence of such idols. Even though such idols may sometimes appear as very imposing and therefore powerful, the fact that their power is derived from outside influences makes them essentially weak, impotent. Having already mentioned אלילים, idols which are natural phenomena such as the sun and the moon, etc., the Torah goes on to mention man-made symbols such as statutes and pillars which were constructed in order to be recipients of the power presumed to reside within the aforementioned idols. All this leaves us with the question of why idolatry has been inserted into this paragraph altogether. Our sages in Sifra at the end of our portion answer that the Torah wants to contrast the situation of a Jew who has been sold to an idolater with the danger that being in such an environment he might fall victim to such religious tenets as are believed by his master. He might say to himself that seeing his (successful) master worships such forces it might be well for him to do the same. From this it is only a small step to argue that seeing the sexual mores of his master are quite permissive, he himself would also adopt such mores. Furthermore, seeing that his master does not observe the laws of the Sabbath, he, the servant and property of the Gentile would do the same. The Torah therefore warns that even though one is the employee or slave of such a Gentile this must not lead one to adopt his master’s religious practices. ואבן משכית לא תתנו בארצכם להשתחות עליה, “and you must not place a flooring stone made to show an image and bow down to it.” You are not even to use such an image to prostrate yourself to G’d in heaven (Maimonides Hilchot Avodah Zarah 6,6). The same rule applies to the planting of trees next to the Altar in the courtyard of the Temple (Halachah 9 in above-mentioned chapter by Maimonides). The reason for all this is that these were heathen practices at the time. Sifra Behar 9,5 sees in the word בארצכם, “in your land,” a limiting factor for this prohibition; “only in your land,” i.e. outside the Temple, must you not prostrate yourselves to the Lord G’d; inside the holy precincts of the courtyard of the Temple you are allowed to do so on the stones which cover the floor of that building.
Tur HaArokh
לא תעשו לכם אלילים, “You shall not make idols for yourselves.” This line is addressed to the unfortunate people who have been sold to idolaters. Even while in the service of idolaters the Torah urges such people to make an agreement with their employers that they need not violate primary laws of our faith, such as working on the Sabbath, to retain his belief in the sanctity of the Temple, etc., and to try and make the thrice annual pilgrimage there. Alternately, seeing the Torah had just written that all the Israelites are עבדי, “My servants,” it had to stress that under no circumstances are any of us to try and become someone else’s (idolatrous cults) servants. According to the Targum Yerushalmi the word שבתותי does not refer to the weekly Sabbaths but to the sh’mittah years, which the Torah has also described as “G’d’s Sabbaths.”
Rashbam
משכית, the word is derived from שכה in the same manner as מרבית is derived from רבה. It has no companion in the Bible except Psalms 73,7 עברו משכיות לבב, a reference to visions of one’s heart. Here too, the stone and its multi-coloured decorations are designed to awaken one’s fantasies.
Daat Zkenim
ואבן משכית, “nor any figured stone;” this describes a stone in which the figure or face of a human being has been carved out, so that it would serve as something to be worshipped. The root of the word משכית, is שכיה , “something admired by everybody for its beauty, (exquisite craftsmanship)
You shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am Hashem.
verse value 3623 — יְהֹוָֽה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "my·sabbaths" (אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י, 7 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 308x in Leviticus); "I" (root אני, 71x in Leviticus); "my·sabbaths" (root שבת, 32x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·fear', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י [my·sabbaths] (1513) + תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ [you·shall·keep] (946) + וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י [and·my·sanctuary] (460) + תִּירָ֑אוּ [you·shall·fear] (617) + אֲנִ֖י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3623.
Onkelos
My Sabbath days you shall keep, and toward My Sanctuary you shall be reverent; I am Hashem.
Rashi
'אני ה I AM THE LORD, Who am faithful to pay you your reward.
Ibn Ezra
"And My sanctuary you shall revere" — that he should come to the sanctuary on the three pilgrimage festivals. It is also possible that the reason for "You shall not make for yourselves idols" is that [Scripture] said, "They are My servants" — and since they are My servants, they shall serve Me alone and no others. "And a carved image" (פֶסֶל) — is well known. "And a pillar" (מַצֵּבָה) — for carving. "Figured stone" (מַשְׂכִּית) — a noun like מַרְבִּית, and its meaning is a stone with images drawn on it, from the root of "they passed through the figured things of the heart" (עָבְרוּ מַשְׂכִּיּוֹת לֵב) and "coveted objects" (שַׂכְיוֹת הַחֶמְדָּה). "You shall not place in your land" — this is the law regarding idolatry as practiced with Mercurius [i.e., Mercury-worship by stone-heaping]. "For I am Hashem your God" — to Me shall you bow down; so too in the Jerusalem Targum. "My Sabbaths you shall keep" — the sabbatical years. "And My sanctuary you shall revere" — the Jubilee year, for it is written, "It shall be holy for you." In my view, [the Torah] mentioned "My Sabbaths" in the sense of "From Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to bow before Me" — not because bowing before a figured stone was mentioned; the meaning is that you shall come each Sabbath to bow before Me, and not upon a figured stone but only [at] My sanctuary. Thus it mentioned the chosen day, for it is chosen for the service of Hashem as I have explained, and it also mentioned the chosen place. The reason for "I am Hashem" is that I rested from all labor on the Sabbath and My glory dwells in the sanctuary — therefore it used the word "revere."
Sforno
את שבתותי תשמורו, even during the period when you find yourselves in exile, even though that any rest observed during such periods is a reminder of your erstwhile freedom instead of your slavery in Egypt, and the fact that even G’d rested on the seventh day. ומקדשי תיראו; the holy sites of the Jewish people during the years of their exile, such as Torah academies and synagogues. Ezekiel 11,15 describes such buildings as מקדש מעט, a “miniature Temple.” Our sages state that he referred by this definition to Torah academies and synagogues.
Or HaChaim
את שבתתי תשמורו, "Observe My Sabbaths!" Why did the Torah again repeat the commandment to observe the Sabbath? I believe the Torah wanted to write the commandment of Sabbath-observance next to the commandment preceding it not to make anything resembling idolatrous symbols. This is the Torah's way of reminding us that just as idolatry or rather abstaining from it is equivalent to observing the entire Torah, so Sabbath-observance is also equivalent to observance of the whole Torah. [This does not absolve a person from the observance of any other commandment; it simply means that one demonstrates one's commitment to Torah by either Sabbath-observance or abstaining from anything idolatrous. Ed.] In addition to that the fact that the שמיטות are also called "Sabbaths" (compare 28,2) and that commandment is tied to reverence for the Holy Temple, we are reminded of the statement that the Holy Temple was destroyed due to the failure to observe the שמיטה laws (compare 26,34). The Torah linked Sabbath-observance to reverence for the Holy Temple to tell us not to become guilty of the destruction of the Temple due to failure to observe the Sabbath. We have pointed out previously that when G'd pours out His anger over stones and wood, this is one way of G'd's restraining His anger at human beings.
Chizkuni
את שבתותי תשמורו, “You shall keep My Sabbaths;” according to the understanding of Targum Yerushalmi, the Torah here speaks about the sh’mittah years every seventh year. Those years are also called Sabbaths. ומקדשי תיראו, “and revere My Sanctuary;” keep the Yovel year as a holy year. (This is the interpretation of Midrash Tanchuma)
Rabbeinu Bahya
את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו, “You are to observe My Sabbaths and you are to revere My Sanctuary.” According to Sifra Behar 9,6 this verse is a comprehensive warning to observe all the commandments. According to Nachmanides the Sifra means that by warning about the pitfalls of selling a Jew to a Gentile and what might happen to his religious observances while he is in the household of such a Gentile, the Torah effectively issues a warning concerning the observance of all the commandments. Once he is in the house of an idolater he is liable to stop all Jewish observances. Alternatively, we may see in the warning concerning the Sabbath and the Sanctuary a warning which embraces all the commandments, as between them they represent the whole Torah. אני ה, “I am the Lord.” These words are a reminder that G’d’s stature as the Lord means that He either rewards or punishes those that observe or transgress the laws of the Torah. Wherever the words אני ה' appear they mean that the commandment they refer to is a very important commandment and that G’d is the one Who rewards or punishes people who observe it or ignore it. This is the reason that this portion concludes with these two important commandments. It is natural that a king commands his subjects to respect and honour him. He does not need to explain why he demands such obeisance. It is enough for him to remind his subjects that he is the king. Tanchuma (Bereshit 12) in commenting on Genesis 41,44 draws a comparison for us from when Pharaoh said to Joseph: “I am Pharaoh but without you no one shall lift a hand or foot in the whole land of Egypt.” Pharaoh had already given Joseph his ring of office empowering him to exercise his authority. If the use of the word אני when spoken by a ruler who was only flesh and blood such as Pharaoh carried so much weight, imagine how much weight the word אני when spoken by G’d the ruler of the whole universe must carry. Solomon made a similar point in Kohelet 8,2 where he wrote: אני פי מלך שמור ועל דברת שבועת אלוהים, “whenever the word אני appears, I warn you to observe it carefully; it is an oath of G’d.”
Daat Zkenim
את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו, “You shall keep My Sabbaths, and revere My Sanctuary.” The Torah draws a clear parallel between the Temple and the Sabbath. It tells us that just as the observance of the Sabbath as a holy day is a permanent commandment the reverence for the Temple is similarly a commandment that has no time limit. [The temple site is sacred ground even when the temple is not standing. Ed.] This is the meaning of אות היא לעולם, “it is a sign forever.” (Exodus 31,17.)
If you walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them;
verse value 4183
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "them" (אֹתָֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·my·commandments" (וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "if·in·my·regulations" (אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י), "and·my·commandments" (וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·do" (root עשה, 94x in Leviticus); "if·in·my·regulations" (root חקה, 26x in Leviticus); "you·shall·walk" (root הלך, 20x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·walk', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י [if·in·my·regulations] (561) + תֵּלֵ֑כוּ [you·shall·walk] (456) + וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י [and·my·commandments] (953) + תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ [you·shall·keep] (946) + וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם [and·you·shall·do] (826) + אֹתָֽם [them] (441) = 4183.
Onkelos
If you walk in My statutes and you keep My commandments and perform them —
Rashi
אם בחקתי תלכו IF YE WALK IN MY ORDINANCES — One might think that this denotes the fulfilment of the commandments; but when Scripture states “and ye shall keep My commandments and do them”, it is plain that in this passage there is mentioned the “fulfilment of the commands”. How then must I explain אם בחקתי תלכו? As an admonition that you should study the Torah laboriously (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 1-2) ואת מצותי תשמרו AND TAKE HEED OF MY COMMANDMENTS — Study the Torah laboriously with the intention to take heed and to fulfil its teachings, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 5:1) “and ye shall learn them and take heed to do them".
Ibn Ezra
"If in My statutes" — "you shall keep and you shall do" — there is a commandment to learn, to teach, and to do.
Sforno
אם בחקותי תלכו, chukkot are like Royal decrees, something person has to be guided by if he expects his endeavours in life to prosper. The Hebrew expression describing the fact that one abides by them is called הליכה, “walking.” We have encountered this expression in connection with these חקים already in Leviticus 18,3, as well as in 18,4. We also find the term in the Books of Prophets, for instance in Ezekiel 33,15 בחקת החיים הלך, “he followed the laws of life.” ואת מצותי תשמורו; the term שמירה in connection with G’d’s commandments, [something intangible, so that the word “guarding” seems at first glance somewhat incongruous, Ed.] is the meticulous observance of them, i.e. performance in accordance with what they represent. It means that they cannot just be performed by rote but must be performed consciously as such. This has been spelled out by Sifri, Parshat Re-ay where the wording is: “שמור =study.” The thrust of our verse then is as follows: “if you will conduct yourselves in accordance with the practical part of My Torah, i.e. the performance of commandments requiring deeds, and you will study these laws in order to understand their purpose and in order to give meaning to your performance of these laws, you will accomplish that you will deserve the description of being a creature which reflects “His image.” ועשיתם אותם, if you will carry them out in the above-mentioned manner, not as servants who are afraid of incurring the wrath of their masters, this will be the “finishing touch” of your establishing a total claim to the land of your inheritance. You would demonstrate that you perform His will as if it were your own will. (Avot 2,4)
Or HaChaim
אם בחקותי תלכו, "If you walk in My statutes, etc." In Torat Kohanim they explain this as follows: "if the Torah had spoken only about בחוקותי, I would have assumed that what was meant were the מצות. Now that the Torah added the words ואת מצותי, the word בחקותי cannot apply to the מצות seeing the Torah already wrote about them. The additional word בחקותי therefore teaches us that that one has to toil in order to get Torah knowledge." The reason the Torah refers to toiling over Torah by using the expression חקה is because there is a commandment to study matters again and again even if one had already studied them several times and they have been well absorbed. G'd wants us to study Torah out of a fondness for it and this is why He formulated a statute to that effect. We find that our sages in Kohelet Rabbah 3 state that G'd decreed that we will forget part of what we learned in order that we should sit down and learn it repeatedly. The reason the word חקותי, "My statutes," is in the plural is an allusion to the two aspects of Torah, i.e. the oral as well as the written Torah. We have a tradition not to spell the word חקתי with the letter ו between the ק and the ת (which would normally indicate that the word is in the plural) in order to emphasise the essential unity of the oral and the written Torah. Another allusion in the plural ending of the word בחקתי is to the instruction G'd gave Joshua in Joshua 1,8 to study (review) Torah by day and by night. We must allocate time to Torah study both by day and by night. This makes Torah-study a dual activity. According to the traditional spelling the study occurs on the same day (date) (i.e. the day following the night) so that essentially we study Torah twice daily. Moreover, the plural hints at the fact that in order to observe G'd's commandments two elements are essential. One has to study Torah and teach it to others as the Torah says in Deut. 11,19: "teach them (the words of Torah) to your children, etc." The word בחקתי therefore refers to both of these activities forming part of walking in G'd's statutes. Moreover, there is the aspect of performing positive commandments and not violating negative commandments. These latter two activities are covered by the words את מצותי תשמרו ועשיתם. The reason the Torah uses the term הליכה, walking, when speaking about the חקים is to remind us that one needs to be occupied with matters of Torah even when engaged in walking on one's way, much as when the Torah said in Deut. 6,7 ובלכתך בדרך "and when you walk on the way." A second reason why the Torah uses the expression of "walking" in G'd's statutes is based on an interpretation of Vayikra Rabbah 35,1 of the verse in Psalms 119,59: "I have considered my ways and have turned back to Your decrees." According to the Midrash David had considered daily to do "his own thing" but had found that invariably his feet brought him to the Torah academy or the House of prayer. The lesson is that when one applies oneself to To...
Chizkuni
אם בחקתי תלכו, “If you will walk in My statutes;” if you will do what I decreed that you should do, also the clouds and the soil and the trees all of which have been created only for your sake, will do their share, as I have instructed them to do so.” (B’chor shor)
Rabbeinu Bahya
עטרת חכמים עשרם אולת כסילים אולת, ”The crown of the wise is their riches; the foolishness of fools is folly” (Proverbs 14,10). Solomon informed us here that wealth is an attribute possessed by the wise who benefit by it whereas for the sinners it is an attribute that causes them to stumble. When material wealth is in the hands of the wise person it is a crown and honor for him. The reason is simply that all the time the wise man lacks wealth his wisdom is held in low esteem and his words are not heeded as the general public equates wealth with competence of the person who possesses it. Not only this, but wealth is accompanied by authority to lend power to truth and to effectively denigrate lies, etc. Also, the wealthy wise man is able to spend his wealth in a manner where it does a great deal of good, which in turn will reflect credit upon him and enhance his reputation. The reverse is true when fools are wealthy as they boast about their wealth and they employ their wealth to strengthen other like-minded individuals, in the process increasing the amount of sin committed. The financial success of the sinner is always a danger as it serves the fools to maintain their sinful lifestyle, and encourages them to continue in their mistaken ways. Wealth is somewhat like the sun which performs contradictory actions. On the one hand, the sun’s rays bleach garments restoring their original whiteness, on the other hand, it blackens the skin of those who expose their skin to the sun on a regular basis. It is up to the recipient to either benefit or suffer from the rays of the sun. Similarly, it is up to the recipient to make proper or improper use of material wealth. For the former such wealth turns into a crown, for the latter it becomes a mark of his folly. The reason Solomon used the word אולת, “folly,” twice in this verse is to tell us that wealth for the foolish causes foolishness in the soul of the owners. The following rule governs the matter: wealth first corrupts the body of the foolish (sinful) owners, eventually further corrupting and destroying their souls. The wise, by contrast are on guard against the dangers inherent in owning wealth. As a result of their caution wealth becomes them, enhances their reputation so that they derive both physical and spiritual benefit from it as they are fully aware that wealth and success in this life are only preparatory steps for the needs of the soul so that it will acquire wisdom and perfect itself. Another lesson by Solomon concerning phenomena which appear at first glance as definitely desirable is found in Proverbs 15,21: “folly is joy for someone devoid of reason; a man of discernment walks a straight path.” Joy, abundant peace, i.e. unconcern about problems in the word, are a folly as they bespeak lack of sensitivity; only people practicing foolish pursuits enjoy such feelings. A discerning individual, instead of sitting back and enjoying his lack of immediate problems learns from this that he should use the opportunity to improve his character traits. This is why the Torah always holds out the promise of success in this world both for one’s body and for one’s soul when one performs the commandments written in the Torah. Such people are aware that the so-called serenity in this world is not an end itself seeing they are matters of interest only to the body, i.e. to the material parts of this universe. However, the purpose of the body, the material parts of this world, is to help us attain spiritual goals, i.e. to attain more knowledge about G’d. In this way we will ultimately attain the joy of receiving the radiations of light from His face. This is our real objective. The Torah therefore assures us that the path to achieving our true aim is via performance of the commandments which in due course will result in our acquiring the merit to enjoy eternal life, something we failed to achieve even with the help of the first and the second Temple. אם בחקותי תלכו ואת מצותי תשמרו ועשיתם אותם, “if you will walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and carry them out;” the statutes referred to here are the laws about Shemittah and Yovel which were mentioned in the previous portion. Now the Torah adds that if we observe this legislation G’d will provide rain at the appropriate time and will bless our harvests and all the growth of the earth in order to provide us with abundance of physical and material blessings.
Kli Yakar
“If you follow My statutes, etc.” Rashi explains that “you should toil in Torah, etc.” Even though Rashi arrived at this interpretation from the redundancy in the verses since keeping the commandments is already mentioned, nevertheless, the language itself also requires explanation. His [Rashi’s] intention is to divide this verse into three parts, corresponding to which and I will give is mentioned three times. In the first section it says, If you follow My statutes. This refers to toiling in Torah and establishing fixed times for Torah study as an unbreakable rule. For this reason, the language My statutes [bechukkotai] is used, as the intent is not about the statutory [arational] commandments since we do not find the language of “walking” or “following” used with them throughout the Torah. The Torah never says “walk in My statutes, which indicates that this ”walking“ refers to something that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not command directly, but rather something a person does of his own accord. Necessarily, this must be interpreted as something a person does naturally, as through habituation it becomes second nature. This can only apply to someone who establishes fixed times and rules for Torah study, accustoming himself to come to the house of study at a specific time until it becomes natural for his feet. This aligns with the Midrash (Rabbah 35:1) which says about If you follow My statutes: This is what is written I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies (Psalms 119:59). David said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ”Master of the Universe, each day I would plan to go to a certain place, but my feet would bring me to houses of study, etc.“ This happens only because he established fixed times for Torah study as an unbreakable rule, to the point that his feet would guarantee to take him to houses of study unconsciously, as they had become accustomed to it. Therefore, there was no need to command this to a person, because something done without conscious intention cannot be subject to a commandment — one cannot command the feet. Rather, it speaks of a situation where one has established fixed times for Torah study until, at that time, one’s feet go by themselves at the appointed time, which is called a ”statute“ [chok]. Regarding this it says, If you follow My statutes. Corresponding to this, it states, I will give your rains in their time. For the one who establishes fixed times for Torah study, this is his reward — that the rains will come in their proper time. As the Sages said (Taanit 7b), ”Rain is withheld only because of the sin of neglecting Torah study, as it is said Through laziness, the ceiling sags (Ecclesiastes 10:18).“ And perhaps for this reason it was said at the giving of the Torah. Even the heavens dripped before God, this is Sinai (Psalms 68:9) to teach that in the merit of studying Torah, which is from heaven, rain will descend from heaven, for “if there is no Torah, there is no flour” (Avot 3:21), and in the merit of “statute,” meaning setting fixed times for Torah study, the rains will come in their proper time. And what it says and you shall keep My commandments refers to the purpose that results from learning, for it leads to observing the negative and positive commandments. Regarding the negative commandments it says and you shall keep My commandments, because wherever it says “keep,” “lest,” or “do not,” it refers to a negative commandment (Eruvin 96a). And you shall do them refers to the positive commandments. And since it does not merely say “keep and do,” why does it need to write them? This teaches that the commandments require proper intention, which is what is meant by the word them. And then He detailed the reward for each of these three. Corresponding to the study of Torah alluded to in if you walk in My statutes, He says I will give your rains in their time. He does not simply say rains because He does not want to designate the reward for Torah study now, as this matter is already known that rain falls in the merit of Torah, and they are already your rains. Except that now an additional thing is that those rains which are already your rains and designated for you, now I will give them in their time in the merit of if you walk in My statutes, as has been explained. And the land will give its yield. For if there is Torah, there is flour [sustenance]. And the meaning of its yield [yevulah] is not “what you bring [movil] to it” as Rashi explains on the verse and your land will not give its yield (Deuteronomy 11:17). For if so, what is the novelty? Rather, later [in Deuteronomy] Rashi interprets from the extra word et [which indicates inclusion], as every “et” comes to include, and it includes that even what you bring to it, it will not give. But here “et” is not stated, and if so, everything is included in its yield, meaning what it typically brings to your home. For if not, why is “et” not stated here as it is later? Rather, here it means what it typically brings, and later from the extra “et” we derive that even what you bring to it [is included].And the vintage shall reach the sowing time. It does not say “for you” [regarding wine] because bread is a necessity that will be for you, but wine is a luxury, not for your pleasure but rather for the sake of fulfilling commandments. And you shall eat your bread to satisfaction. The letter “lamed” in l’sova [to satisfaction] indicates that one should not eat until completely full, but rather slightly less than full satiation, as doctors advise, so that one comes close to but does not reach complete fullness. And you shall dwell securely [literally, to security] in your land. The letter “lamed” in la’vetach [to security] indicates that satiation leads to security, as it is written He makes your borders peaceful; He satiates you with the finest wheat (Psalms 147:14). And our Sages said (Bava Metzia 59a), “When the measure of grain is exhausted from the jug, knocking [quarreling] comes.” And then He promised a reward for “and you shall observe My commandments.” That is, the negative commandments [prohibitions], and He said I will give peace in the land in the way our Sages said (Devarim Rabbah 4:4): “Guard My lamp that is in your hand, and I will guard your lamp that is in My hand.” And the general meaning of “guarding” is to refrain from doing something harmful, and if you guard yourself from doing things that harm you, I too will guard your lamp from all harmful things, and may there be peace within your walls. And the sword shall not pass through your land, etc. Because all the observance of negative commandments is passive [refraining from action], so too the protection from the sword and wild beasts is passive. Therefore it says they shall fall before you by the sword. Meaning, even though you pursue them, there is no need to actively pursue them, but rather through inaction they will fall to the sword on their own. And regarding what is written five of you will pursue a hundred, etc., where the calculation does not seem proportionate, the commentators explained that initially, before fear enters the hearts [of the enemies], five will pursue a hundred, and after this, when the enemies see that five pursue a hundred, then great fear will enter the hearts of the enemies and their strength will weaken until a hundred of you will pursue 10,000. And after that, great fear will increase upon them and your enemies will fall before you by themselves, even without any pursuit at all. And from, “And I will place My dwelling in your midst” He begins to promise the reward for fulfilling the positive commandments that are performed with actual hands, therefore I will place My dwelling, meaning the Holy Temple, as Rashi explains, because about it is said, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established (Exodus 15:17), for the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself established it with actual hands, as Rashi explained in Parshat Beshalach (15:17). And My soul will not reject you. This is an expression of displacement, as Rashi explains: Do not think that when I rest My Divine Presence in the Holy Temple, you will be pushed away and displaced from there because the bed is too short to stretch out on (Isaiah 28:20). Regardless, I will confine My Divine Presence among you in such a way that we will dwell together in one dwelling, even though the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him (1 Kings 8:27), and you will not be displaced from there. And some say I will place My dwelling in your midst literally, and do not think that when your soul, which I have placed within you, sees the Divine Presence, it will reject you and desire to cleave to the Divine Presence. Therefore, He says, My soul will not reject you, and soon it will be explained in another way.
Tur HaArokh
אם בחקותי תלכו....ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, “If you will follow My decrees…I shall provide your rains at their appropriate times.” Nachmanides comments that the reason that the Torah first lists timely rainfall as the reward for observing G’d’s statutes is that as a result of such rainfall the air of the country is cleansed and made softer, people are healthier, the yield of nature is enhanced and appears more appealing to the eye. As a result of all this, disease becomes more rare amongst the people, etc.; in other words, timely rainfall is an indispensable blessing that forms the basis of all the blessings nature has to offer. When nature provides its bounty, there are no aborted fetuses among man or beast, people and animals grow to their optimal size, man’s lifespan is lengthened, the last and ultimate of nature’s blessings.
Daat Zkenim
אם בחוקותי תלכו, ורדפו מכם חמשה מאה, “and five of you will put one hundred of your adversaries to flight;” there is something peculiar about the ratios here. Why would 100 Israelites be able to put 10000 adversaries to flight, not 2000 as we would have expected from the first example given? We can understand this better when comparing the efficacy of a prayer said in the privacy of one’s home, and a prayer said in the Synagogue when each person is part of a congregation. The latter prayers are far more effective, and presumably reach the throne of the Almighty more speedily. In Deuteronomy 32,30 Moses asked the rhetorical question of how it had been possible that under certain circumstances one gentile could put 1000 times his number of Israelites to flight, and only two enemies could put 10000 Israelites to flight? Besides, seeing that we have a tradition according to which blessings are always described as more powerful than corresponding curses, (Compare Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin, folio 100), how come Moses in Deuteronomy appears to paint the opposite of that scenario? Contrary to what we might think, that Moses in Deuteronomy 32,30 speaks about enemies chasing Israelites; he said that if the Israelites had only reasoned logically, they would have realised that the disproportionate numbers in both instances could only have occurred through direct intervention by Hashem. The gentiles had realised this in retrospect when the Israelites had fallen out of favour with their G–d. Previously they had mistakenly credited the Israelites with superhuman abilities. The best example of this completely unbelievable performance in battle, is found in the Book of Judges 15,16, where Samson has been credited with killing one thousand Philistines using only the jawbone of an ass as his weapon. A similar feat of unbelievable military success is reported in the Book of Samuel, I chapter 14, where King Shaul’s son Yonathan and his arms bearer, is credited with putting the Philistine army to flight, killing many on the way. Yonathan had seen a sign that G–d was on his side by judging the Philistines’ behaviour. [It is suggested that the reader read up that chapter in the Book of Samuel. Ed.]
then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
verse value 3887
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 3887 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·tree·of" (וְעֵ֥ץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·rains" (גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 296: the·earth, its·fruit. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "your·rains" (גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם), "in·their·time" (בְּעִתָּ֑ם), "its·produce" (יְבוּלָ֔הּ). The root נתן appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·grant" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "the·earth" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "the·open·field" (root שדה, 25x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·time', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֥י [and·I·will·grant] (866) + גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם [your·rains] (413) + בְּעִתָּ֑ם [in·their·time] (512) + וְנָתְנָ֤ה [and·it·shall·yield] (511) + הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ [the·earth] (296) + יְבוּלָ֔הּ [its·produce] (53) + וְעֵ֥ץ [and·tree·of] (166) + הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה [the·open·field] (314) + יִתֵּ֥ן [shall·yield] (460) + פִּרְיֽוֹ [its·fruit] (296) = 3887.
Onkelos
I will give your rains in their seasons, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will yield their fruit.
Rashi
בעתם [THEN I WILL GIVE YOU RAIN] IN ITS SEASON — i. e. at times when the rain is “seasonable”, at such moments when people do not usually go out on journeys, as, for instance, in the nights preceding the Sabbaths (Friday nights) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 1 1; cf. Taanit 23a). ועץ השדה AND THE TREES OF THE FIELD [SHALL YIELD THEIR FRUIT] — This refers to the wild trees; and even these will bear fruits in future (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 1 6).
Ramban
THEN WILL I GIVE YOUR RAINS IN THEIR SEASON. He mentioned the matter of rains first [of all the blessings] because if they come in their proper season, the air is pure and good and the springs and rivers are good [clear], and thus it [the rain] is a [prime] cause of physical health, and all produce will increase and be blessed by it, just as He said, and the Land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Thus because of this [pure state of the environment] people do not become sick, and none shall miscarry, nor be barren, even among their cattle, and they will live out [the full extent of] their days. For when the material frame [of human beings] is large and healthy, they can continue [in health] as in the days of Adam. Thus this [blessing — the rains in their seasons] is the greatest of all blessings [and therefore it is given first place].Now He said that the heavens will respond to the earth with rains in their seasons, and the earth shall respond with its “produce”, which includes vegetation and all moving creatures — cattle, beasts, creeping things and fowl, as well as fish — for the term ha’aretz [“the earth” or “the land,” in and ‘the land’ shall yield her produce] includes the whole of the lower sphere [i.e., everything under the sphere of the moon], just as [in the verses]: In the beginning G-d created the heaven and ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth); And the heaven and ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth) were finished; and similarly, Praise the Eternal from ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth), ye sea-monsters and all deeps, and so also in most verses in Scripture [where this word occurs]. Thus all things created in the lower spheres are “the produce of the earth.”
Ibn Ezra
The vav of "and I will give" (וְנָתַתִּי) is like the vav of "and the earth was formless and void" — and always when a word is accented on the last syllable together with a vav, the meaning is future; but if accented on the penultimate it is past, with rare exceptions. "Its yield" (יְבוּלָהּ) — from "for the mountains carry tribute (בּוּל) to him"; and we do not know whether the yod is a root letter or not, as with the word יָקוּם.
Or HaChaim
ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, "And I will provide your rains at their proper time." We must first understand why the verse commences with the letter ו seeing the verse is not preceded by another promise that this verse adds on to. If you accept my interpretation of the word תלכו itself being the promise in the last verse, there is no need to wonder about the letter ו at the beginning of this verse. The letter ו may also be justifiable in light of the plain meaning of this verse appearing to promise that there is a reward for observing the commandments in this life and that this reward is the beneficial rainfall. One might assume therefore that G'd has discharged His promise of rewarding us for מצוה-observance with economic prosperity. The letter ו indicates that prior to promising any benefit for our observance in this life the Torah had already promised reward in the hereafter in the previous verse. I have alluded to this in one of my commentaries on the words אם בחקתי תלכו. Alternatively, the key to the verse is the suffix כם in the word גשמיכם, "your rains." Normally, we would have considered that seeing the rain comes from heaven it is G'd's rain. The Torah had previously promised a reward in the hereafter, which is something no one in this world can experience. The Torah therefore wanted us to know that there is something over and beyond that in our world but that it emanates from the celestial spheres. In order that we should not look upon these rains as a reward for Torah observance G'd describes them as "your rains." It is something that is ours not as a result of our מצוה-observance but because the Torah scholars are the pillars of the world. Anyone who studies Torah is entitled to view them as something belonging to him. Perhaps it is this consideration which led Baba Kama 38 to conclude that since the Israelites can lay claim to the whole world based on this consideration, the properties of the Gentiles legally belong to them. [The Talmud there bases the ruling that the Jewish owner of an ox which gores an animal belonging to a Gentile does not have to pay compensation, on Chabakuk 3,6. Ed.] Another reason why the verse commences with the letter ו may be G'd telling us that although we receive the rain as a gift from Him, He does not consider it as belonging or having belonged to Him but as belonging to "you." The Torah is careful to use the word: "And I will give," to underline that it is the exclusive domain of G'd to provide rain both quantitatively and qualitatively. He alone can judge how much rain is needed by the earth in the land of Israel. This is the meaning of Vayikra Rabbah 28,3 that while man lies down to sleep G'd is busy gathering the clouds to provide rain. The word גשמיכם may be understood as a collective term for food or nourishment, both the kind which is required for the earth, and that which is required for the creatures inhabiting it. There is both spiritual and physical nourishment. The earth is recipient of nourishment ...
Chizkuni
גשמיכם בעתם, “your rains at their appointed times.” If these rains would descend at the wrong time they would make your crops rot instead of ripen.
And your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time; and you shall eat your bread until you have enough, and dwell in your land safely.
verse value 4937
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָכֶ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "vintage" (אֶת־בָּצִ֔יר, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·it·shall·overtake" (וְהִשִּׂ֨יג), "threshing" (דַּ֙יִשׁ֙), "vintage" (אֶת־בָּצִ֔יר). The root נשג appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·eat" (root אכל, 106x in Leviticus); "in·your·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "to·you" (root לכם, 62x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seed', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהִשִּׂ֨יג [and·it·shall·overtake] (324) + לָכֶ֥ם [to·you] (90) + דַּ֙יִשׁ֙ [threshing] (314) + אֶת־בָּצִ֔יר [vintage] (703) + וּבָצִ֖יר [and·vintage] (308) + יַשִּׂ֣יג [it·shall·overtake] (323) + אֶת־זָ֑רַע [seed] (678) + וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם [and·you·shall·eat] (497) + לַחְמְכֶם֙ [your·bread] (138) + לָשֹׂ֔בַע [to·satiety] (402) + וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם [and·you·shall·dwell] (758) + לָבֶ֖טַח [in·security] (49) + בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם [in·your·land] (353) = 4937.
Onkelos
The threshing will reach for you into the harvest, and the harvest will reach into the bringing forth of seed-grain, and you will eat your bread to satisfaction, and you will dwell securely in your land.
Rashi
והשיג לכם דיש את בציר AND YOUR THRESHING SHALL REACH UNTO THE VINTAGE — This means that there will be plenty of threshing-work so that you will be busy with it till the vintage, and with the vintage you will be busy till the time of sowing (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 1 7). ואכלתם לחמכם לשבע AND YE SHALL EAT YOUR BREAD TO THE FULL — This means, one will eat only a little and it will become blessed in his bowels (will fully satisfy him) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 1 7; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 25:19).
Ibn Ezra
"Threshing shall reach the vintage" — so it is clarified: "when you gather in your labors from the field" and the vineyard. "To satiety" (לְשֹׂבַע) — an infinitive noun. "In safety" (לָבֶטַח) — with the lamed; without it the meaning is the same, and similarly the word לְבָדָד. [The Torah] mentioned satiety first, for it is the essential matter. The reason for "and you shall dwell in safety" is that in times of famine people are driven from their place, as it says, "it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a wanderer and a fugitive."
Or HaChaim
והשיג לכם דיש את בציר. "And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, etc." This is the blessing applicable to the crop after it has been harvested. Our sages in Baba Metzia 42 have taught that when one enters one's barn in order to measure the size of one's crop one is to recite an appropriate prayer invoking G'd's blessing. If G'd would not bless the crop also after man had harvested it such a prayer would be inadmissible as one must not ask G'd for something that has already been determined. Please read my comments on Leviticus 25,21 on the words ועשת את התבואה. ואכלתם לחמכם לשובע, "and you will eat your bread to your satisfaction." This is the blessing G'd bestows on the food after we have eaten it and it is within our bowels as stated in Torat Kohanim who write "one eats a small amount and it is blessed within one's entrails." Another meaning of these words is that you will not suffer from a fairly common phenomenon that in spite of large quantities of food intake one does not feel satiated; G'd promises that one will feel completely satiated. Another meaning may be related to Megillah 7 where we are told of a popular proverb according to which the stomach is always able to accomodate an additional amount of good tasting food and although one previously had one's fill one can still enjoy this. The emphasis on the word לחמכם means that there is no need for relishes and other additions but that the bread itself will taste so well a person will not look for any additional condiments. There may also be a veiled promise here that even if one eats over and beyond what is needed such eating will not hurt one as opposed to Gittin 70. Still another lesson contained in our verse is related to Sotah 48 where the Mishnah describes the quality of fruit in the land of Israel as having declined dramatically both in taste and food value after the destruction of the Temple. The Mishnah meant that when the fruit contains what is described as שומן, a person eating thereof will experience the feeling of being sated. The reverse is the case when that element called שומן is absent. The Torah promises here that the feeling of satiation will be experienced even if one merely eats bread as G'd has endowed the grain with the element called שומן. וישבתם לבטח בארצכם, "and you will dwell securely in your land." This promise is most important because all the preceding promises are esentially meaningless unless one can live free from worry that an enemy will invade one's country. G'd promises continued prosperity uninterrupted by the need to defend one's country at the expense of growing crops. The word בארצכם underscores that the whole world will recognise that the land of Israel is rightfully yours. Another aspect of the blessing contained in this verse is that foreigners will perform the heavy labour in our country whereas the Israelites will "sit securely in your land," not even worrying that the foreign labourers may steal and cheat them out of their harvest.
Chizkuni
והשיג לכם דיש וגו, “and your threshing will extend, etc.;” just as you will be performing My commandments constantly without interruption, I will heap blessing after blessing upon you.” וישבתם לבטח בארצכם, “and you will live in your land feeling secure.” Previously, in 25,18, this has been worded slightly differently, when the Torah wrote: וישבתם על הארץ לבטח, “you will dwell on the land in security.” Here the Torah stresses the fact that G’d will consider the land as your land. However, during a famine, people will be exiled as it says: לא תוסף תת כחה לך. נע ונד תהיה בארץ, “the land will not continue to give you from its strength; you will be a nomad on earth wandering from place to place.” (Genesis 4,12) Or, as we find in Job 15,23: ?נודד הוא ללחם איה, “he wanders searching for bread, where is he?”
Tur HaArokh
וישבתם לבטח, “and you will dwell in security.” If there were to be famine, G’d forbid, this would result in people leaving the country.
And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
verse value 5311
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "wild·beast" (חַיָּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·lie·down" (וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "peace" (שָׁלוֹם֙), "and·you·shall·lie·down" (וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם), "one·who·frightens" (מַחֲרִ֑יד). The root ארץ appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·banish" (root שבת, 32x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one·who·frightens', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֤י [and·I·will·give] (866) + שָׁלוֹם֙ [peace] (376) + בָּאָ֔רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·lie·down] (768) + וְאֵ֣ין [and·no] (67) + מַחֲרִ֑יד [one·who·frightens] (262) + וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י [and·I·will·banish] (723) + חַיָּ֤ה [wild·beast] (23) + רָעָה֙ [vicious] (275) + מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ [from·the·land] (386) + וְחֶ֖רֶב [and·a·sword] (216) + לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ר [shall·not·cross] (703) + בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם [in·your·land] (353) = 5311.
Onkelos
I will give peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to disturb; and I will remove the harmful beasts from the land, and those who slay with the sword will not pass through your land.
Rashi
ונתתי שלום AND I WILL GIVE PEACE [IN THE [LAND— Perhaps you will say, “Well, there is food and there is drink; but if there is no peace, then all this is nothing!” Scripture therefore states after all these promises “I will give peace in the land”. Hence we may learn that peace counterbalances everything. In a similar sense it states: “Who makest peace and createst all things" (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 1 8). וחרב לא תעבור בארצכם NEITHER SHALL THE SWORD PASS THROUGH YOUR LAND — Surely it is unnecessary to say that they (enemies) will not enter your land to wage war (since this is implied in בארץ ונתתי שלום). But this means that they will not enter even to pass by way of your land [on their march from one country to another to wage war] (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 3).
Ramban
AND I WILL GIVE PEACE IN THE LAND — So that there will be peace among you, and no man shall fight against his brother, or “peace” may mean that He will cause evil beasts to cease out of the Land. Neither shall the sword go through your Land at all, but you will pursue your enemies, going forth against them in battle, and they will flee. And [the meaning of the verse] by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], is that He will give peace which will cleave to the [higher] “earth,” which is the all-inclusive peace which is equal to everything. AND I WILL CAUSE EVIL BEASTS TO CEASE OUT OF THE LAND. According to Rabbi Yehudah who said that He will remove them from the world [entirely, the verse] is [to be understood] in its plain sense — that evil beasts will not come into their Land. For since there will be plentitude and an abundance of blessings, and the cities will be full of people, [wild] beasts will not come into inhabited places. And according to Rabbi Shimon who says that He will cause them to cease from causing harm, the verse is stating: “and I will cause the evil of the beasts to cease out of the Land.” This is the correct interpretation for when [Israel] observes the commandments, the Land of Israel will be like the world was at its beginning, before the sin of the first man, when no wild beast or creeping thing would kill a man, just as the Rabbis have said: “It is not the wild ass that kills, but it is sin that kills.” It is [because of] this that Scripture says, and the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and similarly, and the cow and the bear shall feed … and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. For dangerous beasts only prey [on human beings] on account of the sin of man, because of which it was decreed upon him that he be a prey to their teeth, and preying was made a part of their nature so that they also prey on each other, as is well-known for having once preyed on man, they add [to this tendency that of preying on animals] so that they become more harmful. And so Scripture states, And he learned to catch the prey, he devoured men. Now at the time of the creation of the world, it is said of the beasts that He gave them the herb for food, as it is written, And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is a living soul, I have given every green herb for food, and Scripture states, and it was so, meaning that such was the nature with which they were endowed forever. It was [only] afterwards that they learned how to prey, on account of [human] sin which causes death, as I have explained. Now when slaughtering animals [for food] became permitted for the sons of Noah after the flood, He warned with reference to humans [that shedding their blood was forbidden saying], And surely your blood of your lives will I require … the life of man, but not the blood of one beast from the hand of another, for they were left to prey [on eac...
Ibn Ezra
"And I will give peace in the land" — among you. "And none shall make you afraid" — neither wild beast nor enemy; rather you will pursue the enemy and he will fall before you.
Or HaChaim
ונתתי שלום בארץ, "and I will grant peace to the land." Why did the Torah have to mention this seeing it had already promised us that we would dwell securely in our land? Perhaps the Torah refers to the people of Israel keeping the peace amongst themselves, that there would not be internal divisiveness. G'd promises to implant a tendency for mutual tolerance amongst the people. Remember that when the Torah speaks of the land it usually describes it as "your land," i.e. the land with a suffix. When the word ארץ is used without the suffix it refers to the whole earth. In this instance you find that G'd wants universal peace. When you consider the 70 bulls the Israelites offered in the Holy Temple on behalf of the Gentile nations on Sukkot, our rabbis in Sukkah 55 speak about this. Moreover, whenever wars occur on earth even people who are at peace in their respective countries worry about their becoming themselves involved in warfare. This is why the Torah adds the assurance ושכבתם ואין מחריד, "you will lie down to sleep without anyone frightening you." והשבתי חיה רעה מו הארץ, "and I will banish wild beasts from the land." In view of G'd having promised that everyone will dwell securely under his respective fig tree and vineyard it is likely that people will not travel a lot and the outlying roads may become relatively deserted so that the roaming beasts may lose their fear of man. G'd promises that He will see to it that there will be a decrease in such activities The word הארץ must be understood as the land where these wild beasts normally have their lairs and from where they forage. This explains why the Torah did not use the expression בארצכם in this instance.
Chizkuni
ונתתי שלום בארץ, “I will give peace in the land;” Rashi comments, paraphrasing Isaiah 45,7: עושה שלום ובורא את הכל, “making peace and creating the All.” [The best interpretation of why this is plausible, is that having created evil, the Creator is forced to establish peace, else the evil will ruin all that He had created prior to it. Ed.] והשבתי חיה רעה, “I will cause evil beasts to cease.” Isaiah has paraphrased this too, saying: Isaiah 65,25, “the lion will lie down peacefully next to the lamb.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
ונתתי שלום בארץ, “and I will provide peace on earth.” After G’d listed a whole string of blessings which He would provide, the Torah concludes with the ultimate blessing, peace. Our sages in Sifra Bechukotai 1,8 say that the blessing of peace is a reminder that regardless of how much food and drink a person has, if he is not blessed with peace and security the other blessings are of little value. To live in peace and security in Eretz Yisrael is as important as all the other blessings combined. A kabbalistic approach to the words: “I will grant peace in your land, etc.” This was a promise that the foundation of the universe (עולם) (known as the emanation יסוד) will remain connected to the ארץ of which the Torah spoke in Genesis 1,1 when mention of earth first occurs. That verse alluded to the mystical dimension of the ten emanations. It is this kind of “peace” with which the Jewish people residing in the land of Israel will be blessed as a consequence of keeping the laws of the Torah. This is the meaning of Solomon in Kohelet 3,11 גם את העולם נתן בלבם, “He also put the world into their heart.” The heart is another word for the earth in the universe, i.e. it is like a wheel within a wheel (Ezekiel 1,16) and the emanation known as כל suffuses everything, i.e. is בכל. Seeing that the abundance (of G’d’s blessings) emanates from the emanations נצח והוד to earth via the emanation יסוד, and the two emanations נצח והוד symbolise the למודי ה', the learned people who have intimate knowledge of the Lord, the sages (Berachot 64) stated that these Torah scholars help increase the peace which is found on earth. They proved this from a verse in Isaiah 54,13: וכל בניך למודי ה' ורב שלום בניך, “when all your children are imbued with knowledge of the Lord, there will be abundant peace among your children.”
Tur HaArokh
והשבתי חיה רעה מן הארץ. “I will remove wild beasts from the earth.” Nachmanides accepts the view of Rabbi Yehudah in Torat Kohanim that this verse refers to the removal of ferocious beasts from the land of Israel as the plain meaning. When these beasts observe that the cities are filled with thriving human beings, they will refrain from entering such populated areas. Rabbi Shimon, on the other hand, understands the verse to mean that G’d shall render these beasts harmless as far as the land of Israel is concerned. This appears as the correct interpretation according to Nachmanides. It is a promise that when the Jews observe the commandments they will not have to worry about such problems as wild beasts and the danger to life and property that these represent. As far as the land of Israel is concerned, the norms of the world will return to the idyllic conditions prevailing before man first sinned, when no creature harboured aggressive intentions against man and none of the beasts would even kill each other. Such conditions have been described by the prophet Isaiah 11,6-9 as a period when the wolf shall dwell with the sheep, the leopard will lie down with the kid, etc.” It teaches that the damage and harm caused by such beasts that we know as ferocious, predatory, was never an integral part of such creatures’ nature, but was only the result of their observing man ignore the Creator’s laws, which caused them to copy man’s corrupt ways. We know from the Torah’s report of the creation of all these beasts that they had been meant to feed only on grass, etc. (Genesis 1,30) In other words, the natural disposition of all of these animals is to feed on the vegetation the earth provides, as do the ruminants still, and their becoming flesh eaters was not part of G’d’s original plan. This is also why, originally, man was not allowed to feed on animal tissue. Only after the deluge was the eating of meat permitted to man, certain pre-historic conditions not being restored at that time. At the same time, however, G’d warned the beasts not to attack and maim or kill man, or He would punish them for doing so. (Genesis 9,5). If the animals’ pre-deluge nature had undergone a change for the better during their enforced stay in the ark, G’d would not have had to warn them not to employ their ferocious nature against man. The Torah now tells us that if and when life in the land of Israel will proceed on the lines envisaged by G’d for His people, He will neutralize that part of the animals’ nature that would pose a potential threat to their safety.
And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
verse value 1856
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "by·the·sword" (לֶחָֽרֶב, 4 letters) and the longest is "your·enemies" (אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·you·shall·chase" (וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם), "your·enemies" (אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·you" (root פנים, 102x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root רדף ("and·you·shall·chase") in Leviticus. First appearance of the root איב ("your·enemies") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·enemies', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·chase] (730) + אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם [your·enemies] (484) + וְנָפְל֥וּ [and·they·shall·fall] (172) + לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם [before·you] (230) + לֶחָֽרֶב [by·the·sword] (240) = 1856.
Onkelos
You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword.
Rashi
לפניכם לחרב [AND YE SHALL PURSUE YOUR ENEMIES AND THEY SHALL FALL] BEFORE YOU BY THE SWORD — one by the sword of the other (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 3).
Sforno
ורדפתם את אויביכם, beyond the boundaries of your country. ונפלו לפניכם לחרב, without your even having to fight them. This is what Isaiah 66,16 referred to: “for with fire will the Lord contend; with His sword against all flesh, and many shall be slain by the Lord.”
Or HaChaim
ורדפתם את אויביכם, "and you will pursue your enemies." Why does the Torah have to give the Israelites this assurance after having assured them of dwelling securely and no one frightening them? The assurances which preceded this verse related to Israel feeling secure from surrounding nations. The latter would neither cause death nor destruction. Now the Torah speaks about relations between Israel and the nations with Israel as the aggressor. The Torah assures Israel that the promise of safety from invasion does not mean that it ties Israel's hands versus its neighbours. The Torah therefore speaks of the Israelites pursuing their enemies. This reinforces the previous assurances. Even though Israel may have started a pre-emptive campaign against its enemies, G'd assures them of success. They will return to their country not having to fear retaliation. If the Torah called the opponents of Israel "enemies," this was not because they invaded the country but because they are enemies of the Lord. The wicked people amongst the Gentiles are always referred to as both G'd's enemies and hence our enemies. It is a law of nature that the Gentile nations hate us. ונפלו לפניכם לחרב. "and they will fall before you by the sword." The unusual לחרב instead of בחרב, by the sword, is a hyperbole. The way the enemies will fall before the Jewish armies will be similar to their falling by the sword. A moral-ethical approach to these words conjures up the deeds of the Hasmoneans. The historian Josephus describes seeing an angel of the Lord drawing his sword against the enemy. When the Torah speaks here of ונפלו, they will fall, it may refer to the thrusts of the sword by the angel.
Tur HaArokh
ונפלו לפניכם לחרב, “they (your enemies) will fall before you by the sword.” Nachmanides writes that first G’d assured the Jewish people that when they would keep His commandments, that if invaded, they would succeed in warding off the attackers and pursue them beyond their borders. He now repeats and reinforces this promise by describing that He would make the Israelites so full of self-confidence that five of them would put twenty times their number to flight. He also simultaneously makes their enemy display their fear of the pursuers. This is an additional promise as it is possible that their enemies would escape the sword by outrunning their pursuers. Ibn Ezra writes that the meaning of the repetition is to assure us that even if the enemy would attack repeatedly, they would fall by the sword until they would give up attacking the Jewish state.
And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
verse value 2181
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "from·you" (מִכֶּ֤ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·enemies" (אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 100: from·you, from·you. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·shall·pursue" (וְרָדְפ֨וּ), "hundred" (מֵאָ֔ה), "and·hundred" (וּמֵאָ֥ה). The root רדף appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·you" (root פנים, 102x in Leviticus); "from·you" (root מן, 41x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·shall·chase', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְרָדְפ֨וּ [and·shall·pursue] (296) + מִכֶּ֤ם [from·you] (100) + חֲמִשָּׁה֙ [five] (353) + מֵאָ֔ה [hundred] (46) + וּמֵאָ֥ה [and·hundred] (52) + מִכֶּ֖ם [from·you] (100) + רְבָבָ֣ה [ten·thousand] (209) + יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ [they·shall·chase] (300) + וְנָפְל֧וּ [and·they·shall·fall] (172) + אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם [your·enemies] (83) + לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם [before·you] (230) + לֶחָֽרֶב [by·the·sword] (240) = 2181.
Onkelos
Five hundred of you will pursue, and a hundred of you will cause ten thousand to flee, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.
Rashi
ורדפו מכם [AND FIVE] OF YOU SHALL PURSUE [A HUNDRED] — five of the weakest among you — and not alone of the most robust among you (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 4). חמישה מאה ומאה מכם רבבה FIVE [OF YOU SHALL PURSUE] A HUNDRED AND A HUNDRED… TEN THOUSAND — But is this the right proportion? Surely it should have stated only “and a hundred of you shall pursue two thousand (and not ten thousand)!? But the explanation is: a few who fulfill the commandments of the Torah cannot compare with the many who fulfill the commandments of the Torah (i. e. the greater the group of those loyal to the Torah, the greater is the morale and, under God’s blessing, the physical strength of each individual belonging to the group) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 4). 'ונפלו איביכם וגו AND YOUR ENEMIES SHALL FALL etc . — The repetition of this promise already expressed in v. 7 suggests that they will fall before you in a supernatural way (lit., not in the way of the world) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 4).
Ramban
AND YOUR ENEMIES SHALL FALL BEFORE YOU BY THE SWORD. He assured them at first that they would chase their enemies and that they would fall by their sword, and then He stated again by way of repetition [in the verse before us], and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword, in order to give them fortitude of heart and strength so that five [of them would not be afraid] to pursue a hundred. He [furthermore promised that He] would put faintness into the heart of their enemies, so that a hundred would [in fact] flee before five, and would all fall by the sword of the five, for it would be possible that they [a hundred people] would flee because of the sword and because of their fear, but that they would not be able to kill them by the sword because of their few numbers [therefore He mentioned specifically that they would be able to put them to the sword too]. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has said that this repetition [in our verse] means that they [the enemies] will fall continually, time after time, without regaining [their strength].
Ibn Ezra
Marvel at this: that a few of you will pursue many times more of the enemy. I have already informed you in Sefer ha-Moznayyim that ten, a hundred, a thousand, and ten thousand (רְבָבָה) are round counts, and it is the custom of one who exaggerates to say one in ten, as in "for we are now ten thousand times as many as they." Here [the Torah] adds that a hundred [of the enemy] will be pursued by five [of you], doubling the customary rate of exaggeration, so that each one of the hundred pursues a hundred [individually]. Some say that because individuals join forces the number grows — and so [it is with] "How should one pursue a thousand?" But this is unnecessary. "And your enemies shall fall" — and another time they shall fall, again and again, with no recovery.
Or HaChaim
ורדפו מכם חמשה מאה, "And five of you will put one hundred of them to flight, etc." The obvious difficulty in our verse is that the enemies will fall before the pursuing Jewish army. This promise included such assurances as that even ten thousand enemy soldiers would fall before as few as two Jewish soldiers. Why did the Torah now limit the blessing contained in the previous verse? I believe the verses have to be explained in accordance with what we learned in Sotah 11 that G'd always quantifies a blessing more generously than He quantifies a curse. [We have examples in Deut. 5,9-10 where G'd promises to remember sins for up to 4 generations whereas He will remember good deeds for up to two thousand generations. Ed.] Tossaphot query the fact that the Talmud phrases the principle as one that applies invariably, i.e. לעולם. They refer to Deut. 32,30 where the Torah asks rhetorically: "How was it that one (enemy soldier) could pursue a thousand Israelites and two could put ten thousand to flight?" Surely this is an example of the curse having been quantified as proportionately far more powerful than the blessing in our portion when you compare the numbers in both instances? They answer that in Deuteronomy 32 the Torah speaks only of pursuit and not killing and that this is is hardly a curse. In our portion the pursuit is described as resulting in our enemies dying. I find this an inadequate response to the question. There is a discussion in Moed Katan 16 about the exploits of David's heroes one of whom is described as having killed 800 of the enemy with a single arrow. David complained that the assurance that he could kill a thousand of the enemy with one stroke had not been fulfilled. A heavenly voice told him that the reason that G'd's promise had not been fulfilled fully was due to his own involvement with Uriah. It is clear from the Talmud in Moed Katan that David understood the promise in our verse to refer not merely to putting the enemy to flight but to killing him. If not, why did he complain about something G'd had never promised? We must assume therefore that both verse 7 and verse 8 speak of enemies dying. The way to answer the query of Tossaphot is best answered by reference to Torat Kohanim who understand the word מכם in verse 8 as a reference to the physically weakest of the Israelites. The wording in Torat Kohanim is: "from the weakest amongst you and not from the strongest amongst you." Why did Torat Kohanim add the words "and not from the strongest amongst you?" The obvious intention of Torat Kohanim was to emphasise that the words "from the weakest" should not be interpreted as "even from amongst the weakest amongst you, but should be understood as "the weakest amongst you excluding the strongest." In light of this it is not surprising that in this verse the Torah only speaks of a blessing extended to the physically weak members of the Israelites who are able to mount a pursuit in a ratio of five against a hundred. Amongst the Ge...
Chizkuni
ורדפו מכם חמשה מאה, ומאה מכם רבבה ירדופו “five of you will put one hundred 100 to flight, and one hundred of you will pursue ten thousand.” Because the merit of the numerous is greater. רבבה, “ten thousand;”
Rabbeinu Bahya
ורדפו מכם חמשה מאה, “and five of you will take up the pursuit of one hundred (of the enemy).” The verse goes on: “and one hundred of you (in units of five) will pursue ten thousand of the enemy.” When you understand the verse in this manner you will have no difficulty with the apparently inflated ratio of Israelites pursuing the enemy. The ratio of one Israelite to 20 of the enemy is the same in both parts of the verse. The sages (Sifra Bechukotai 2,4) were not fazed by the apparently lopsided ratio and explained that the power of a few people keeping the Torah is increased out of all proportion when the groups of Torah-observant people increase in number. This is why when there are large numbers of observant Jews they may even put one hundred times their number to flight.
Tur HaArokh
ורדפו מכם חמשה מאה, “and five of you will pursue a hundred.” When one is able to pursue 20, one would assume that 100 would be able to pursue two thousand, not ten thousand as described here. Some commentators explain the word מאה in our verse as meaning one hundred times five, i.e. 500 of you would pursue 10000 of the enemy. In this way the Torah’s original ratio would be maintained, but why would the Torah have to tell us something like this, something every youngster can figure out for himself? Ibn Ezra writes (referring the reader to his treatise on Hebrew grammar entitled sefer moznayim,) that it is customary for people describing unusual ratios, abnormal quantities, to use the ratios ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, as basics when discussing multiples. He sees the numbers 1-10 as a unit, followed by the numbers10-100, followed by the number 100-1000, and 1000-10000. He quotes Samuel II 18,3 כי עתה כמוני עשרת אלפים, “even if there were ten thousand such as we, etc.”, as an example for such figures of speech. [He means that the people saying this to their King, David, did not expect David to take their meaning literally. Ed.] The Torah here added an example of a multiple of 20 when describing the miraculous feats that would be performed by the Israelites when assured of G’d’s support. Some commentators reflecting on the Torah’s using the term רדף, and נוס as expressions for flight, explain that pursuit, רדיפה of people already running away requires relatively more people, than merely causing them to flee, i.e. נוס , or להניס. Whereas a ratio of 2 to 10000 may suffice for causing the enemy to flee, 1 to 1000 may be needed to ensure effective pursuit of those already in flight. Pursuit is ineffective unless it results in the fleeing warriors being killed. To do this a relatively greater number is required than to merely frighten them into fleeing.
And I will have respect to you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you; and will establish My covenant with you.
verse value 4978
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "you" (אֶתְכֶ֔ם, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·make·fertile" (וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 461: you, you, together·with·you. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·turn" (וּפָנִ֣יתִי), "and·I·will·make·fertile" (וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י), "and·I·will·multiply" (וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֖י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·you" (root אל, 59x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּפָנִ֣יתִי [and·I·will·turn] (556) + אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם [to·you] (101) + וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י [and·I·will·make·fertile] (711) + אֶתְכֶ֔ם [you] (461) + וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֖י [and·I·will·multiply] (633) + אֶתְכֶ֑ם [you] (461) + וַהֲקִימֹתִ֥י [and·I·will·maintain] (571) + אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י [my·covenant] (1023) + אִתְּכֶֽם [together·with·you] (461) = 4978.
Onkelos
I will turn with My Word to do good to you, and I will make you fruitful and increase you, and I will establish My covenant with you.
Rashi
ופניתי אליכם AND I WILL TURN UNTO YOU — This means, I will turn away from all My business in order to pay you your reward. A parable! To what may this be compared? To a king who hired labourers etc., just as is explained in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 5). והפריתי אתכם AND I SHALL MAKE YOU FRUITFUL — This, of course, means:in פריה ורביה in reproductive power (i. e. in numbers), but — והרביתי אתכם (which may denote: “I will make you large”) means in height (lit., erect stature) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 5). והקמתי את בריתי אתכם AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH YOU — a new covenant; not like that covenant which you broke by worshipping the golden calf), as it said, (Jeremiah 31:31-32): “[Behold, the days come, saith the Lord that] I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant [that I made with their fathers,… which My covenant they broke, but… I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts]” (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 5).
Ramban
AND I WILL MAKE YOU FRUITFUL. This means that they will all have children, fruit of the womb, and there will be no barren man or woman among them. And then He stated again, and I will multiply you, meaning that they will have many children, and will not be bereaved of them, because they will live out their days, and therefore they will be a large people.
Ibn Ezra
"And I will turn to you" — to increase your wealth, and to make you fruitful and multiply you in sons and daughters. The more correct view in my opinion is that "and I will make you fruitful" (וְהִפְרֵיתִי) is the opposite of "restraining the womb." "And I will uphold My covenant with you" — so that you will be as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the dust of the earth.
Sforno
ופניתי אליכם, after the destruction of the gentile nations, as predicted by Jeremiah 46,28 “I will totally wipe out all the nations…but I will not wipe you out totally.” והקימותי את בריתי, the covenant first mentioned in Genesis 17,7 to be “your G’d and that of your descendants after you.” אתכם, I will maintain it with you in your own right, because of your merit, not just because I remember having sworn to keep faith with your illustrious forefathers. This promise has been repeated in Ezekiel 37,27 as an eternally valid covenant, as well as in Isaiah 54,10 “My covenant of peace will never falter.”
Or HaChaim
ופניתי אליכם, "And I will turn to you, etc." This word is to be understood as similar to what we learned in Taanit 2 that G'd holds three keys; one of them is the key to לידה, to birth, i.e. procreation. This is why G'd had to say: "I will turn to you" before mentioning that He would make the Jewish people fruitful. The word ופניתי is indicative of G'd personally involving Himself in the fertility of the Jewish people instead of leaving the matter in the hands of the agent He has appointed as part of the laws of nature to deal with such tasks. It is also possible that when the verse continues with והרביתי אתכם, "I will multiply you," that this refers to a second key G'd holds in His hands, i.e. the key to פרנסה, livelihood. Adequate food assists physical growth. This may be why Torat Kohanim understand this blessing as contributing to the physical size of the Israelites. Moreover, we are taught in Sanhedrin 90 that the words והקימותי את בריתי אתכם at the end of our verse refer to the covenant with the dead that when the time comes their bodies will be resurrected. The word והקימותי then refers to the third key G'd holds in His hands, the key to life and death. The word ופניתי may thus be understood as G'd granting us access to all the three keys in His possession. Another aspect of this verse is related to the statement in Shabbat 156 that Israel is not subject to the restrictions inherent in the term mazzal, such as referred to by Isaiah 41,2 when he described Abraham as having thought his fate was determined by the constellation of Jupiter (compare page 1302). The word ופניתי simply means that G'd will turn aside the horoscopic influences and apply a different set of rules to the dispensation of the blessings involving the three areas to which G'd personally holds the keys. Although, according to Moed Katan 28, the three domains over which G'd holds the key are not subject to man's merit but to his mazzal, G'd will make an exception to this rule by "moving the relevant constellation (מפנה) "aside," to enable Israel to overcome negative influences. The expression לפרות refers to the ability to have children, the expression והרביתי אתכם refers to long life, similar to Deut. 11,21 למען ירבו ימיכם; the words והקימותי את בריתי refer to the supply of adequate sustenance. The reason that the Torah referred to the covenant here is because G'd had concluded such a covenant with Noach in Genesis 8,22 not to again destroy the seasons and the harvest they are to produce. Shavuot 36 comments on that verse in Genesis where G'd is reported as saying this "to His heart," that this is equivalent to an oath. In Genesis 9,12 G'd referred to the "sign of the covenant" i.e. the rainbow as a reminder of this covenant which included all the various promises made by G'd after Noach left the ark. The oath G'd swore at the time did not comprise the whole globe. After all, we all know that part of the surface of the globe does not produce crops in certain years due to...
Chizkuni
והקימותי את בריתי אתכם, “I will maintain My covenant with you.” This is the covenant I established with your forefathers that I will multiply you to become as numerous as the stars in heaven and the dust on the earth. (Genesis 26,4 and Genesis 28,14, Ibn Ezra)
Rabbeinu Bahya
ופניתי אליכם, “I will turn (My attention) to you, etc.” I will cause that My grace will remain attached to you. It is a well known fact that this state of affairs is the objective of the intelligence with which man has ben equipped. What is known as 'רצון ה', “G’d’s grace (goodwill),” is what עולם הבא, the world of the future, is all about. We have an allusion to this in Psalms 30,6 that רגע באפו חיים ברצונו, (normally translated as) “a moment of His anger is like a lifetime of His goodwill.” Here the meaning is understood to be the combined amount of time G’d is angry at the creatures in the terrestrial universe. Or, “G’d needs to vent His anger for a moment at the creatures in the terrestrial world in order for them to ultimately merit enjoying His goodwill in the world to come.” It is as a moment compared to the infinitely long time, “a lifetime.” He displays goodwill in the hereafter. When G’d speaks of והתהלכתי בתוככם, “I will walk among you,” in verse 12, we must not understand this in the purely physical sense, but according to Sifra Bechukotai 3,3 it means that in the future, in the hereafter we have described, the Lord will go for a walk among the righteous who have taken their places in that world. The word may be compared to when G’d used to “walk about” in Gan Eden, in Genesis 3,5. It is a metaphor for G’d’s attribute כבוד feeling at home among people. The written Torah, ever at pains to express concepts which do not exist on earth in language we understand, describes such concepts in words we can understand. The word בתוככם, “among you,” may be understood as related to something round, without beginning or end, a circle in which every spot is equidistant from the centre. People who dance in a circle are happy, seeing all of them are equidistant from the point which is the centre, i.e. in this instance the point where G’d is perceived to be. Having said that G’d will relate to the Jewish people like the point, centre inside a circle, the Torah goes on to describe the Lord as being G’d for the Jewish people (verse 13). This is an illustration of Isaiah 25,9 who speaks of the Jewish people saying (something sounding almost blasphemous) “here is this One who is our G’d.” This verse is describing graphically the closeness in terms of knowledge and intellectual appreciation of the Lord which will exist in that idyllic period. Just as certain people have intimate psychological knowledge and understanding of certain ones of their friends, so the righteous at that time will have insights into the way G’d operates. Naturally, the word “this” in the verse in Isaiah is not to be understood literally anymore than the mixed multitude speaking of the absent Moses in Exodus 32,1 when they said: “for this man Moses, etc.” meant by the word זה, “this,” that they could see Moses at that time. Seeing that Moses had been well known to the people, it was in order to refer to him as “this man,” even though he was not physically present and visible at that time. In other words, our paragraph is an illustration of the fact that there is reward in the hereafter for good deeds performed in this life. The Torah garbed this information in language we can understand, relying on our intellectual astuteness to understand what is meant. It is an unusual thing for the Torah to do this as the Torah does not generally spell out matters relating to the world of disembodied spirits. Even our prophets did not have a clear understanding of what goes on in that world, so that our sages in Berachot 34 went on record saying that all the prophecies of the prophets related only to matters on earth, no one having become privy to anything which goes on in that other world except G’d Himself.” Further proof that this paragraph does refer to matters transpiring in the afterlife is the indisputable fact that the promises recorded here have never come true in history, in life on earth.
Kli Yakar
And I will establish My covenant with you. And you shall eat old [produce] very old [produce]. They needed a covenant concerning the produce of the sabbatical and jubilee years, that it should not rot, as Rashi explains regarding the covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:18). Therefore it says, And you shall eat old produce, very old produce, from previous years. And by way of allusion, it said, Even though it may happen at some point in time that I will make a new covenant with you, nevertheless the old covenant will not be broken, but will become secondary while the new covenant will be primary. And you shall clear out the old because of the new as it is written And they will no longer say, “As the Lord lives, who brought up [the children of Israel] from the land of Egypt.” But rather, “As the Lord lives, who brought up and who brought in [the seed of the house of Israel] from all the lands” (Jeremiah 23:7-8). And our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 12b): Not that the Exodus from Egypt will be completely uprooted, but it will become secondary, and the ingathering of the exiles will be primary. For the miracles of Egypt will be secondary to the great miracles that the Lord will perform in the future when He will make a new covenant with Israel. With this, the meaning of the verse is resolved, as its words seemed to contradict each other when it says you shall eat the old, very old, and afterward it says and you shall clear out the old because of the new. For and the old implies that before it becomes old, very old you shall clear it out. And because it mentioned an allusion about the redemption and about the exchange, it went back and mentioned an allusion that Israel would not be consumed in the length of the exile, saying, I will place My dwelling among you, and My soul shall not reject you (Leviticus 26:11). For mishkani [My dwelling] refers to the Tabernacle of Testimony, which is called “mishkan” because it was taken as a pledge [nimashken] for the sins of Israel. And it is common practice in the world that whoever has to give a pledge for their debt, the creditor does not collect lives [as payment]. Similarly, God gave Israel the Tabernacle in order to take it as a pledge if they sin, and His wrath would be spent on wood and stones. And by having a place to collect His debt from physical property, My soul shall not reject you. This means I will not need to “rob those who rob them of life” (based on Proverbs 22:23). And what is said in the curses, My soul will reject you (Leviticus 26:30) — this means that if even after the destruction you do not take moral instruction, for it first says I will break the pride of your strength (Leviticus 26:19), which Rashi explains as referring to the Temple, and afterwards it is written And if with this you will not listen to Me, etc. (Leviticus 26:27). Regarding this it says that after your pride and strength is already destroyed, and I no longer have a place to collect My debt except from your souls, therefore it says My soul will reject you. And what is written, I will not despise them nor reject them to destroy them completely (Leviticus 26:44) specifically means the rejection of complete destruction will not happen to them, but ordinary rejection of souls will occur if even after the destruction they are not disciplined.
Tur HaArokh
והפרתי אתכם, “I shall make you fruitful.” According to Nachmanides the meaning is that all the Israelites will not only conceive, but there will be no miscarriages among them. The Torah continues this them by adding והרבתי אתכם, “I shall multiply you,” meaning that you will have many children from each wife. As a result you will become a numerically powerful people.
And you shall eat old store long kept, and you shall bring forth the old from before the new.
verse value 2634
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "old" (יָשָׁ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·eat" (וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "long·stored" (נוֹשָׁ֑ן), "and·old" (וְיָשָׁ֕ן), "new" (חָדָ֖שׁ). The root ישן appears 3 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·eat" (root אכל, 106x in Leviticus); "because·of" (root פנים, 102x in Leviticus); "you·shall·take·out" (root יצא, 37x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'long·stored', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם [and·you·shall·eat] (497) + יָשָׁ֖ן [old] (360) + נוֹשָׁ֑ן [long·stored] (406) + וְיָשָׁ֕ן [and·old] (366) + מִפְּנֵ֥י [because·of] (180) + חָדָ֖שׁ [new] (312) + תּוֹצִֽיאוּ [you·shall·take·out] (513) = 2634.
Onkelos
You will eat the very old store, and you will clear out the old to make way for the new.
Rashi
ואכלתם ישן נושן AND YE SHALL EAT STORE OF FORMER YEARS (lit., ye shall eat old that has become old) — This involves a promise that the fruits (grain) will be fit to keep the whole year and will even be of such good quality as to become old, so that the old grain that has grown old, that which is in its third year, will be better for food than that of the last year (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 1; cf. Bava Batra 91b). וישן מפני חדש תוציאו AND YE SHALL CLEAR OUT THAT OF THE FORMER YEARS BECAUSE OF THE NEW — because the threshing floors in the fields will be full of new grain while the granaries are still full of the old, so that you will have to clear the granaries out into another place in order to place the new fruit in them (for this requires a dry place to preserve them, while the old fruit has already become dry and may therefore be removed from the granaries) (Bava Batra 91b)
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall eat old, well-aged [grain]" — marvel: you will be many, and from the abundance of produce whoever wishes will eat grain that is old, and even "well-aged" (נוֹשָׁן), which is older than the old — and it is in the passive (nif'al) conjugation. And there will be one who takes the old out of his house to make room for the new, because he has no room to store it there. One commentator says that the meaning of "you shall take out" is: to the field.
Sforno
ואכלתם ישן נושן, after the gentile nations have declined in numbers drastically, your farmers and your vine growers will increase and crops which had been sufficient for a year will become sufficient for a number of years. Not only will you have at your disposal quantity, but whatever you will grow yourselves will be a painless kind of farming, not backbreaking labour. (compare Psalms 72,16) and remember the saying of our sages in Baba Batra 90 that the land of Israel will grow ready made rolls for breakfast. וישן מפני חדש תוציאו, you will have enough to eat relying on the previous year’s harvest, even though you export some of that harvest to help needy people of other countries to support themselves. We know that this was the function of this surplus from Isaiah 60,12 כי הגוי והממלכה אשר לא יעבדוך יאבדו, “any nation or government which will not serve You will surely perish.” The reason why Israel would export matters which are a lifeline for itself to pagan nations is because in the meantime they had already harvested the crop of the new year so that there was no reason to fear that any shortage would develop in their own country. Otherwise they would be bound by the edict of our sages in Baba Batra 90 that nothing vital is to be exported from Israel, meaning grain, oil, or grapes. (wine).
Or HaChaim
ואכלתם ישן נושן, "And you will eat old store, long kept." This is a promise that the harvest which has been stored will not rot or become worm-eaten. On the contrary, you will experience that it improves with age. וישן מפני חדש תוציאו, "and you will bring forth the old from before the new." You will not bring it forth because it has become too old and inferior, but because you have to make room for the new harvest. The reason the Torah wrote this here and not earlier when the goodness of the land of Israel is extolled is that the Torah wants to make the point that although the population keeps increasing this does not mean that there will be a contraction of the surplus experienced previously. There will still be so much that the people will eat the old rather than to have to eat the new harvest right away.
Chizkuni
ואכלתם ישן נושן, “you shall eat from stores long kept.” Seeing that you will have been blessed with abundant crops, so that at the end of the harvesting season you still have surpluses from the previous harvests, they will become mixed, and during each year you will eat from the proceeds of two harvests.
Tur HaArokh
ואכלתם ישן נושן, “you will eat very old grain.” This is a promise that although you will keep increasing in numbers on the same amount of land, you will have enough grain left over at the end of a year so that even in the following year you will still eat from the previous year’s harvest.
Rashbam
וישן מפני חדש תוציאו, from the granaries in order to sell it forthwith. Compare Deuteronomy 14,28 תוציא את כל מעשר תבואתך ונתתה ללוי, ”you shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year and give it to the Levite, etc.”
And I will set My Tabernacle among you, and My Presence shall not be removed from you.
verse value 3215
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "my·soul" (נַפְשִׁ֖י, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·shall·not·spurn" (וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "my·Tabernacle" (מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י), "and·shall·not·spurn" (וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "my·soul" (root נפש, 58x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root געל ("and·shall·not·spurn") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·midst', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֥י [and·I·will·give] (866) + מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י [my·Tabernacle] (420) + בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם [in·your·midst] (488) + וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל [and·shall·not·spurn] (540) + נַפְשִׁ֖י [my·soul] (440) + אֶתְכֶֽם [you] (461) = 3215.
Onkelos
I will set My Tabernacle among you, and My Word will not remove you.
Rashi
ונתתי משכני AND I WILL SET MY DWELLING [AMONGST YOU] — This means the Temple at Jerusalem (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 2; Eruvin 2a). ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם This means AND MY SPIRIT SHALL NOT LOATHE YOU. The root געל wherever it occurs denotes the casting out (as though spewing) or something that has been absorbed in another substance. In a similar sense the verb is used in (II Samuel 1:21) “For there the shield of the mighty was נגעל, [the shield of Saul, as though it had never been anointed with oil]”, i. e. it did not show itself receptive to being anointed, but ejected, as it were, the oily substance with which it had been smeared; for they used to smear leather shields with boiled fat in order to make the blow of the arrow or the spear glide off, so that it should not penetrate the leather. (Thus, when two things have been in the closest association, the term געל may be used of that which finally discards the other. It spews it out, as it were, it is sick of it, loathes it.)
Ramban
AND I WILL SET MY TABERNACLE AMONG YOU. “This means the Sanctuary [at Jerusalem].” AND MY SOUL SHALL NOT ‘THIG’AL’ (ABHOR) YOU. “This means that My spirit shall not reject you. Every [form of the term] ge’ilah is an expression of spewing out something that has been absorbed in another substance, such as: for there ‘nig’al’ the shield of the mighty, meaning that the shield was not receptive to the oil with which it was anointed; for they used to anoint a leather shield with boiled [fat], in order to make the blows of arrows or spears glance off it, so that it should not pierce the leather.” This is Rashi’s language. But I do not know what would be the meaning of this, that the Holy One, blessed be He, should say that if we keep all the commandments and do His will, He will not reject us and His soul will not abhor us! Similarly when [speaking of] our transgressing His covenant [with us], and committing great provocations, He said, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them! And the prophet [Jeremiah] said at the time of cursing [i.e., the prediction of the destruction of the First Sanctuary], Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Hast Thy soul loathed Zion? But this subject is one of the secrets of the mysteries of the Torah. Scripture is thus stating that He will set His Tabernacle among us, and that “the soul” from which the Tabernacle comes, will not spew us forth as a pot which we scour in hot water [in order to cleanse it of substances it has absorbed], but instead our garments will always be white and new. For the term ge’ilah denotes, as Rashi said, “casting out,” related to the expression, his bull gendereth and doth not ‘yag’il’ (allow the cow to reject as loathsome), his cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. He states here My soul [and ‘My soul’ shall not abhor you] similar to the expression, the Eternal G-d hath sworn by His soul. And the prophet [Jeremiah] thus is saying by way of amazement: “Hast Thou loathed Zion, itself which is a city and a mother in Israel, and hast Thou cast her from before thee, so that all her sons are clothed with filthy garments, polluted [with sin]?”Now according to their simple sense, these blessings, which are many and [stated in] general terms [affecting the people as a whole], — such as rain, plenitude, peace and the fruitfulness of people — are unlike the blessings with which He has already blessed [the people] in brief, saying, And He will bless thy bread, and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. For there He assured them that their food and drink would be [a source of] blessing, so that no sickness will occur to our bodies, and therefore the organs of procreation will be complete and healthy and we will give birth properly, and live full lives, as He said, None shall miscarry, nor be barren in thy Land, the number of thy days will I fulfill, and similarly He said at the beginning, for I am the Eternal that healeth thee. The reason for this [division of the blessings ...
Ibn Ezra
"And I will place My dwelling" (מִשְׁכָּנִי) — do not fear that you will ever come to want, for My glory dwells among you, and I am not like a human being whose soul wearies of dwelling continually in one place. I will be your God and you will be My people, for to that end I brought you out from the land of Egypt. Moreover, when you go to the land of your enemies and the sanctuary is not with you, My glory will still walk in your midst.
Sforno
ונתתי משכני בתוככם, “My Shechinah will reside amongst you, everywhere;” The meaning is that the close relationship which had existed between the Jewish people and its G’d before the sin of the golden calf would be restored. Prior to that traumatic break in the Israel-G’d relations, G’d had been on record (Exodus 20,21) בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבא רליך, “I will come to you to any place where My name will be mentioned.” [In other words, there was not even a need for a Sanctuary. Ed.] ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם. Forever. This has been rephrased by Jeremiah in Lamentations 4,22 when he said that Israel would never again become subjected to exile. We find that Isaiah 54,9 writes in the same vein. [If I understand the author correctly, this whole passage is not to be interpreted as chronologically preceding the passage of the תוכחה, which predicts the retribution for non compliance with Torah legislation, but is the Torah’s vision of the ultimate idyllic future of the Jewish people on the soil of the Holy Land. Ed.]
Or HaChaim
ונתתי משכני בתוככם, "And I will place My Sanctuary among you." We must understand this in a sense similar to Psalms 78,60: "the tent He had set among men." The reference is to the souls of His holy people within whom G'd had made Himself at home. ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם, "and My soul will not abhor you." It was not enough to say that G'd will make His home inside people's souls seeing G'd was afraid that people would not take such a promise seriously. It seemed to exceed their fondest hopes. They could not imagine how a creature of flesh and blood could become "home" to G'd's presence. They would have imagined that G'd merely exaggerated out of His love for the Jewish people. People imagined something akin to what Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai explained in the Zohar volume 3 page 241 on Song of Songs 5,1: "I came to My garden My sister My bride, I ate My honeycomb and drank My wine, etc." The entire verse is a parable describing the relationship between a groom and his bride, i.e. G'd and the people of Israel. Rabbi Shimon's words are worth studying. Nothing in that verse is remotely comprehensible if we try and stick to the literal meaning. The very idea of someone such as G'd Who is totally spiritual being described in such physical terms is repulsive. What G'd is trying to say to the Jewish people is that although by definition His very Essence should be revolted at the mere thought of intimacy with His creatures made of flesh and blood, this will not be the case. והתהלכתי בתוככם, "And I will walk among you, etc." "Not only will I not find intimacy with you loathsome but I will continue to walk among you." The expression is one which one normally applies to kindred souls. It is remindful of a statement by our sages that seeing that the souls of the Jewish people originate in G'd's own Light, their having been despatched earthwards does not mean that they have become estranged from their sacred origin. The author continues in this vein elaborating on this concept of the intimacy that can exist between man and G'd and how through man's failure to choose the path of Torah this very intimacy turns into loathing. Another (esoteric) way of explaining our paragraph is to see in it both promises for success in this world as well as promises of even greater bliss in the hereafter. The paragraph commences with the promise of adequate food supply i.e. "I will provide your rains at the proper times," followed by a promise of a secure and serene existence in the Holy Land, i.e. "and you will dwell in it in safety." From here on in the Torah addresses blessings which will accrue in the hereafter. The most basic is "I will grant peace." Although man may live the life of the completely righteous, the fact is that the mere thought of leaving this life casts a pall over his serenity. This is especially so since man never knows when that day on which he will die will occur. G'd compensates us for this anxiety by promising that on the day such a person will depart this ...
Rabbeinu Bahya
ונתתי משכני בתוככם ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם, “I will place My Sanctuary among you and My spirit will not reject you.” The word געילה, is an expression of פליטה, “retching, vomiting.” We find the word in that sense in Samuel II 1,21 כי שם נגעל מגן גבורים, “for there (Gilboa) the shield of warriors lay rejected.” David (the author) meant that the shield of the Jewish warriors had rejected the oil of anointing applied to them. In a similar vein we can understand verse 44 in our chapter לא מאסתים ולא געלתים, {even when I punished them by exiling them) “I did not despise them or reject them.” G’d is saying that He did not drive the Jewish people away from Him. Onkelos translates the words ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם similarly, saying ולא ירחק מימרי יתכון. A kabbalistic approach: the word נפשי when applied to G’d is a reference to the Shechinah, an attribute of the Lord. We have another example of the use of this word in that sense in Psalms 24,4 אשר לא נשא לשוא נפשו, “who did not utter a false oath using His attribute of נפש.” The formula swearing an oath had first been used in the Ten Commandments where G’d forbade mentioning His name in vain with the words לא תשא את שם ה' אלוקיך לשוא, “do not utter the name of the Lord your G’d in vain” (Exodus 207). At that point Onkelos translated the same words i.e. לשום את שמו in Deut. 12,5 as לאשראה שכינתה, “to verify the Shechinah.” [The author quotes a number of scriptural texts all of which are supposed to prove that the attribute referred to here as נפש is the attribute of Justice. Seeing that the Torah had already mentioned that G’d had established His Sanctuary among us, i.e. that His presence was amongst the Jewish people, it would be a repetition to understand the word נפשי in our verse as a reference to the same attribute. It is far more likely then to refer to the attribute of Justice, and the Torah promises that even that attribute will not reject the Jewish people. One example where the word נפשי is obviously a reference to that attribute is Jeremiah 5,9 ואם בגוי אשר כזה לא תתנקם נפשי, “shall I not bring retribution to a nation such as this?” I have paraphrased and condensed this somewhat. Ed.]
Tur HaArokh
ונתתי משכני בתוככם, “I shall place My Sanctuary among you.” According to Ibn Ezra the meaning is that you should not worry that you will ever experience scarcity of basic supplies seeing that My glory dwells among you, and I am not like human beings whose nature it is to get bored with a certain location and to look for greener pastures. Furthermore, even if you will be forced to take up residence in the land of your enemies, where My Sanctuary will no longer be among you, My glory will not abandon you, so that you will have evidence that I will still consider Myself as your G’d, and all that this entails. This was the reason why I took you out of Egypt in the first place. Nachmanides explains the words והתהלכתי בתוככם, (verse 12) “I shall be taking walks among you,” to mean that My special providence which guides your fate will be in evidence just as when a king travels through his domain his impending presence will be advertised ahead of time and will be brought to the attention of the masses. He will be recognized as the One supplying his subjects’ needs. The Torah, at this stage, makes no mention of the reward for keeping the mitzvoth that accrues to us in the world of disembodied souls after our death. Neither does it mention the reward that accrues to such people after the resurrection of the dead in G’d’s own good time. There is no need to do this as such “reward” is an integral part of man’s having been created as G’d’s most favoured creature. This latter “reward” is automatic unless the creature (man) has forfeited it by committing serious sins without confessing them, repenting them and changing his way of life as a result of such repentance. (Nachmanides had explained his understanding of how this works in his commentary at the end of acharey mot, adding that the concept is rooted in the verse כי נר ה' נשמת אדם, “that the soul of man is part of G’d’s light.” Proverbs) The Torah by repeating all the time the words על הארץ, makes sure that we do not misinterpret the parameters within which all these blessings apply. He writes further that although all these blessings are of a collective nature, applying to the people as a whole on the understanding that the majority observes the Torah, as opposed to when the Torah, briefly, spoke about G’d blessing “your bread, etc.,” addressing each Israelite individually, in the singular mode, the difference is that even though collectively we may have lots of food and drink this does not necessarily mean that each one of us benefits in equal measure from such abundance of food and drink. Individual supervision by G’d of our well being, is always in the nature of a miracle, though not what we call a נס גלוי, a manifest miracle. When addressing the people in general terms such as here, this is part of השגחה כללית, G’d’s broad supervision of the nation (or nations as the case maybe) and this is made clear by the emphasis on the ארץ, i.e. nature, providing the visible aspects of these blessings. [Naturally, nature works under the guidance of Hashem, but that guidance is not usually manifest, and man does not attribute crop failures, destructive acts of nature by hurricanes, etc., to divine intervention, but to nature’s caprice. Ed.] Nachmanides quotes such phrases as שלום בארץ, לבטח בארץ, חיה רעה בארץ, חרב לא תעבור בארצכם, as examples of such indirect blessings, blessings emanating from השגחה כללית, G’d’s general supervision of the fate of man and nations. Anyone familiar with rainfall patterns realizes that if beneficial rains occur year after year at times when they are most welcome to the farmer that this is more than nature at work. It proves that nature is “inspired.” In other words, the Torah promises as a reward for collective mitzvah performance, and refraining from violating negative commandments, that “nature” will display its appreciation by making the individual as well as the national lives of the Jewish people free from the major problems life on earth is beset with. This, in turn, will convince the nations surrounding the Holy Land, that the Jewish G’d takes care of His own, and if G’d forbid, we should fail to live up to the standards expected of us, it will be the nations of the world who will be the first ones to attribute our misfortunes to G’d’s displeasure with the Jewish people, as pointed out by Moses in Deuteronomy To sum up, when the Jewish people behave in the manner expected of them, their lives will not be subject to natural law at all, but G’d will intervene on their behalf all the time, both manifestly and behind the scenes. Expressions such as אני ה' רופאך, “I the Lord am your Healer,” do not mean that G’d will have to heal our diseases when the medical practitioners are unable to do so, but the expression is an oblique way of saying that we will never even have occasion to call on the services of a physician made of flesh and blood. Righteous people in former times would not call on the services of a physician even when they did fall sick, but they would turn to the prophet during their time. When the Talmud B’rachot 60 states in connection with a short prayer invoking G’d’s help that one should say before undergoing even minor surgery, by adding אין דרכן של בני אדם לרפאות, mistakenly understood as “because man has not mastered the art of healing,” the meaning of the Talmud is that we are not to call on a physician as an alternative to G’d, but that the physician when becoming aware of our sickness is allowed to practice his art, as the Torah issued specific permission for him to do in Exodus 21,19 writing (about the physician) ורפוא ירפא, “he shall certainly provide the healing,” the assumption being that the physician does so at his own initiative. The Torah nowhere gave permission for the sick or injured Jew to turn to the physician instead of turning to G’d. [If many great scholars earned their livelihood by curing the sick, they did so primarily to help gentile patients. Ed.] It is interesting that the Torah commanded all of us to pay the physician for services rendered (Maimonides 1,1 hilchot chovel umazik) the reason being that Torah laws do not assume G’d’s miraculous intervention on our behalf, [we must not be arrogant enough to assume that we deserve such miracles. Ed.] After all, the Torah has told us כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ, “destitute people will never disappear from earth completely.” (Deut. 16,1) [I believe the author uses this verse to make sure that we do not use His intervention in our fates as an excuse not to do all we can to relieve all manner of pain, economic hardship, etc. among our fellow human beings if we feel that we can be helpful to them. Ed.] Nachmanides writes also that the blessings spelled out above never all materialized at any one time in Jewish history, as the conduct of the Jewish people thus far had never been on such a level that we deserved all of these blessings. This is precisely the reason why our sages when speaking of blessings, cite the ones mentioned here as the kind which are reserved for a future after the arrival of the Messiah, as only then will we be on the spiritual level when the conditions are ripe for the fulfillment of all these promises. Fulfillment of such promises as G’d walking with the righteous presupposes a kind of perfect world which is hardly conceivable until our total redemption from the galut.
And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be My people.
verse value 3059
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָכֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·walk" (וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·walk" (וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙), "and·I·will·be" (וְהָיִ֥יתִי), "you·shall·be·to·me" (תִּהְיוּ־לִ֥י). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·be" (root היה, 147x in Leviticus); "to·people" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus); "to·you" (root לכם, 62x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙ [and·I·will·walk] (876) + בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם [in·your·midst] (488) + וְהָיִ֥יתִי [and·I·will·be] (441) + לָכֶ֖ם [to·you] (90) + לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים [to·God] (116) + וְאַתֶּ֖ם [and·you] (447) + תִּהְיוּ־לִ֥י [you·shall·be·to·me] (461) + לְעָֽם [to·people] (140) = 3059.
Onkelos
I will cause My Shechinah to dwell among you, and I will be your God, and you will be a people before Me.
Rashi
והתהלכתי בתוככם AND I WILL WALK AMONG YOU — I will, as it were, walk with you in the Garden of Eden as though I were one of yourselves and you will not be frightened of Me. One might think that this implies: you will not fear (reverence) Me! Scripture however states, “but I will be your God” (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 3-4).
Ramban
AND I WILL WALK AMONG YOU. This means that My conduct with you will be well-known, as when a monarch walks in the midst of his army, supplying them with all their needs. This then is the way of the simple sense of the words of the covenant, and it is true, for so indeed will He do with them. Now Scripture did not mention here the reward of the existence of the souls in the World of Souls, and in the World to Come after the resurrection, for their existence [following the death of the body] is a matter of necessity in the way of creation, as I have explained in [the section on] excisions, this form of punishment being the “cutting off” of the guilty ones [from life eternal], and all the other [souls] will continue to exist on account of their fundamental nature inherent in their creation. But by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], these blessings [in this section] are also heavenly blessings in matters above, as I have explained. Thus, And I will give peace in the Land; and My soul shall not abhor you, and similarly, and I will walk among you, allude to the [Divine] attribute which our Rabbis have called Shechinah (the Divine Presence), of [the root found in the expression], And I will set ‘mishkani’ (My dwelling) among you, and as the Rabbis say: “The Shechinah (Divine Presence) dwells with Israel.” And in Bereshith Rabbah they have said: “The Divine Presence was mainly in the lower world.” Thus the Garden of Eden [i.e., the World of Souls] and the World to Come [after the resurrection] are mentioned here to those who know [the way of Truth].Now these blessings in their perfection will only occur when all Israel do the will of their Father [in heaven], and when [as a result of this] the structure of heaven and earth will be perfect, in accordance with its [original] plan. There are no other blessings in the Torah as perfect as these, which constitute the words of the covenant and the conditions between the Holy One, blessed be He, and us. Know, [however], that Israel never attained these blessings in their perfection, neither many of them [i.e., as a people] nor as individuals, since their merits were never sufficient for them, just as the Rabbis have said with reference to David’s [captains]: “And he [Adino the Eznite] lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. But he [David] was troubled about the [remaining] two hundred. Thereupon a Divine Voice came forth and said to him, Save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” Therefore you will find our Rabbis of blessed memory speaking of [the fulfillment of] these verses [containing the blessings] in the future [which is yet] to come. [Thus they have said]. “This teaches that a child of Israel will in the future stretch forth [his hand into the pupil of an adder’s eye, and remove his gall through his mouth.” Similarly they have said]: “The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future walk about with the righteous in the World to Come.” This is because...
Sforno
והתהלכתי בתוככם. The meaning of this reflexive conjugation is as if the Torah had written: “I will walk with you in whatever direction you are going, back and forth and sideways.” In other words, G’d says that He will not limit His benevolent presence to a single location or route of His choosing as it was as long as the Temple or Tabernacle stood, and only these locations were holy domains, the people having to come there if they wanted to experience sanctity and holiness. While it is true that this had been the primary objective in Exodus chapter 25 when the command to build the Tabernacle had first been issued, this was only an initial step in regaining the closeness between G’d and Israel which had been shattered due to the sin of the golden calf. During the immediate period being ushered in at that time, the operating clause for such manifestation of holiness would the words אשר אועד לך שמה, “where I choose to manifest Myself” (Exodus 30,6) Or Exodus 29,43 ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל, “I will manifest Myself there to the Children of Israel.”In the future, wherever the righteous would be found holiness would be present. This is the meaning of והתהלכתי בתוככם. At that time My glory will be manifest universally, not only within the confines of the Temple. This is the time of which Isaiah 66, 1-2 said “The heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool.” והייתי לכם לאלוקים, I will be a special G’d, yours alone. You will not have recourse to any other “leader,” any intermediary who will have an input into shaping your destiny. This is why your eternal existence will not again be threatened. This is the true significance of being בצלמי ובדמותי, “in My image (and in My form.”), meaning as it had been G’d’s original intention. This intention had been briefly realised again at the revelation at Mount Sinai, only to have again been aborted when the golden calf was made and the people danced around it. When G’d said in Exodus 6,7 “I will take you to be My people and to be your G’d, He had meant the restoration of man’s original perfection as he had been when first created, becoming the gift of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. On the other hand, Deuteronomy 29,12 when G’d also speaks of the result of the covenant being that He will be the G’d of the Jewish people, He did not refer to such lofty ideals at that time. At that point the Torah was satisfied with ensuring the uninterrupted function of the Tabernacle as the home of the Shechinah on earth. This was the reduced objective we had heard about in Exodus 29,45 when G’d spoke about making His residence among the Jewish people in that Tabernacle, not wherever they would be in areas beyond the Tabernacle. G’d would indeed be the Jewish people’s G’d, with all that this entails in terms of His personal providence, but He would not be described as dwelling “among” them, or “within” them, depending on how we want to understand the word בתוכם. However, we would be His people, if all our efforts would be desi...
Chizkuni
והייתי לכם לאלוקים, “and I will remain your G-d;” the word elohim here is used as a simile for judge, the one who will avenge the wrongs done to you by your enemies. (B’chor shor)
Kli Yakar
And I will walk among you. Rashi explained: “I will stroll with you in the Garden of Eden, etc.” His intention is to remove from our holy Torah any challenger or disputer who says, “I have a place to lodge [an objection] and say that since the primary reward for the soul is not mentioned in the Torah, then surely these commandments do not have the power to bequeath to those who perform them the spiritual reward in the world to come. The purpose of performing them is only to receive reward in this world, which is held in contempt.” Many complete and great [scholars] have already been aroused by this question, and seven opinions have come to resolve this doubt, which Abarbanel mentioned in his compilation and elaborated on them. I have come to be as brief as possible and to arrange them here in order to close the mouths of those who speak arrogantly against our holy Torah. The first opinion, which is the opinion of Maimonides, is that all these promises are not the main reward, and all the bad and good things mentioned here in this portion are matters concerning only the removal of obstacles. Meaning, if you observe My commandments, I will remove from you all obstacles such as wars, illnesses, famine, and sorrow, so that you will be able to serve God without any impediment. However, the main reward of the World to Come is not mentioned here, so that one would serve his Creator for its own sake, and not because of that reward or out of fear of punishment, as explained in the Book of Knowledge (Laws of Repentance 9:1). The second opinion is the view of Ibn Ezra, in Parashat Ha’azinu (32:39), and this is his language: “And according to my opinion, the Torah was given to everyone and not to one person alone, and the matters of the World to Come cannot be understood by one in a thousand because it is profound.” His view is that since it is difficult to conceptualize that reward [of the World to Come] because the physical cannot grasp the spiritual, therefore the Torah concealed this profound matter from the masses due to their limited understanding. The third opinion, which is the opinion of Rabbeinu Bachya the Elder, mentioned by Ibn Ezra in Parashat Ha’azinu and he leaned towards his words, and also Ramban leaned towards this opinion, is that all the promises in the Torah are above nature. For it is not natural that rain would fall when people observe the commandments and that rain would be withheld from the earth when they do not fulfill the will of the Blessed One. However, the ascent of the soul to its source is a natural phenomenon for the soul and is not miraculous. And since we find in the Torah the punishment of karet [spiritual excision] for the sinning soul, that it is cut off from its source, from this we can learn that if it does not sin, it will return to its dwelling place, to the place where its tent was originally. And it seems that regarding this it is said: Hope in the Lord and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it (Psalms 37:34). This means that in the same karet [excision] that is promised in the Torah for the wicked, you will see that there is spiritual reward that God will exalt you to inherit the land of life, for the soul will ascend to its source, which we learn from the fact that the Torah needs to specify that the souls of the wicked are cut off from there. The fourth opinion is: In those days, the entire world denied the divine providence of the blessed God, and they claimed that everything that happens in the world happens out of necessity and not by will. The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to affirm the cornerstone of providence through these promises, which their own eyes could see — that whoever does the will of his Creator is supervised for good with all these providential blessings. And if He had promised them spiritual reward, they would still remain in this denial, for one who wishes to lie will distance his witnesses. The essence of this opinion is that of Rabbeinu Nissim in the section of Genesis, and its root is in the book of the Kuzari (First Essay 104-106) when the Kuzari said to the Rabbi: “I see that the promises of others are fatter and richer than your promises.” The Rabbi replied to him: “But they are all after death, and there is nothing of them in life, nor anything that the senses can testify to.” The Kuzari said: “And I have not seen one of those who believe in those promises eager to acquire it quickly, but if it were in his power to delay it a thousand years, and that he would remain in the memory of the living and in the burden of this world and its many sorrows, he would choose this.” And this is truly a decisive answer, to say that the Torah promised the thing which a person greatly desires. The fifth opinion is that before receiving the Torah, they were worshiping stars and constellations and were performing special worship rituals to them in order to draw blessings for their crops and to bring rains in their proper times and other physical successes. And when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah and denied them those rituals, He needed to promise them that through observing the Torah they would also merit those promises, and that through the worship of stars and constellations they would lack all these things. But regarding the life of the World to Come, He did not need to promise them, because even through those [idolatrous] rituals they were not assured of it. And this is the opinion of Rav Saadia in his Book of Beliefs; and also in the Guide for the Perplexed, Part 3. The sixth opinion is: Since it is said And I will walk among you and I will place My dwelling in your midst, which refers to the connection of the Divine Presence to Israel even in this world where the soul is entangled with material substance, how much more so will it be attached to the Divine Presence after separating from the material body. Indeed, all that the false religions promise after death, the Torah promises to us even in the life of this world, and the prophecy found among us proves this. This opinion can also be found in the Rabbi’s response to the king of Khazar at the end of the first section of his book, and Rabbenu Nissim upheld this opinion in his Derash HaChadash. The seventh opinion is that all the promises mentioned in the Torah are for the nation as a whole, because the world is judged according to its majority, and the promises of rain, produce, peace, and similar matters will be for all of Israel as one. However, the spiritual reward for the World to Come is not for the nation as a whole, but each person individually is judged there according to his deeds. And these are alluded to in the commandments of honoring father and mother and sending away the mother bird [before taking eggs from a nest] for each person from Israel. This opinion is found in the Sefer HaIkarim and in Ramban’s commentary on Parshat Ekev (11:13) on the verse with all your heart — see there. Through these seven approaches those who speak arrogantly against our holy Torah are made to flee, besides what we have seen with our own eyes how great was God’s love for our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And if their success in this world were the end of their success, then what advantage did Abraham have over the wicked Nimrod? For the latter ruled over the entire world, while Abraham was wandering all his days, moving from tent to tent, from nation to nation. Similarly with Isaac and Jacob, we do not know what true reward they received, because if this reward promised to their descendants is the end of their reward, what benefit is there to [them]? For after their death, their descendants will inherit the land while they themselves left the world empty of all their labor. And even for the Israelites who inherit the land, what advantage do they have, even in times of prosperity, over all the kings of the earth who succeeded and ruled in the world like them, and some even more than them? This can only be because the abundant good hidden away for the righteous is the portion and inheritance of the forefathers and all their descendants like them, for there is one Torah for all of them.
I am Hashem your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright.
verse value 5278 — יְהֹוָ֣ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 5278 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֞י, 3 letters) and the longest is "upright" (קֽוֹמְמִיּֽוּת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 461: you, you. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "I·took·out" (הוֹצֵ֤אתִי), "from·being" (מִֽהְיֹ֥ת), "and·broke" (וָאֶשְׁבֹּר֙). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 308x in Leviticus); "who" (root אשר, 240x in Leviticus); "from·being" (root היה, 147x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'servants', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Onkelos
I am Hashem your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt from being slaves to them; I broke the yoke of the nations from upon you, and I led you out to freedom.
Rashi
אני ה׳ אלהיכם I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD [WHO BROUGHT YOU FORTH FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT] — I deserve that you should put your trust in Me that I am able to do all these things, for, behold, I brought you forth from the land of Egypt and have wrought great miracles for you (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 4). מטות are a kind of peg inserted in both ends of the yoke which hold back the strap from slipping off the head of the ox whereby the knot might become undone. Similar is (Jeremiah 27:2). “Make thee strips and poles (מטות)”; cheville, in old French, English pins. קוממיות means erect in stature (in contrast to the bent position of a person who is under a yoke) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 7).
Ibn Ezra
"The bars of your yoke" (מֹטֹת עֻלְּכֶם) — a figure of speech for the villager who plows his master's land; and the Israelites were made to toil in earthworks of construction, as it is indeed written. "Upright" (קוֹמְמִיּוּת) — with erect stature.
Sforno
קוממיות, the opposite of Isaiah 51,23: “your tormentors who have commanded you: ‘get down, that we may walk over you.’”
Chizkuni
מוטות עולכם, “the bars of your yokes.” This is a reference to yokes which force the bearer to incline his head and neck towards the ground. (B’chor shor) ואולך אתכם קוממיות, “I will enable you to walk upright with your heads held high.” This is reminiscent of Exodus 14,5 describing the Israelites as holding their heads high when leaving Egypt. (B’chor shor)
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואולך אתכם קוממיות, ”I made you walk erect.” [The author clearly understands this paragraph as promises for the future rather than as a record of the past. Ed.]. I (author speaking) have already mentioned previously that the promises made in this paragraph have never been fulfilled during the period when the two Temples were standing. They will, however, be fulfilled in the future. Our sages have used this verse to prove the height of average man will be 200 cubits, twice the height of Adam prior to his sin (Sanhedrin 100). We find a similar statement in Baba Batra 75, i.e. that the meaning of the word קוממיות in our verse is two heights of man according to the view of Rabbi Meir, or two hundred cubits as this is twice the height of the Temple of Herod (after restoration of the second Temple built in the days of Zerubabel). The Talmud in Sanhedrin 100 elaborates on the subject of phenomenal developments in the future by stating that G’d would bring to Jerusalem gemstones of gigantic proportions embedding them in the gates of Jerusalem, etc. In their discussion, the sages quote from Isaiah 54,12 that the gates of Jerusalem will be made of precious stones, etc. [I am condensing this as the reader can read up that section and more in the (translated) Talmud. The important thing is that the sages of the Talmud did not engage in metaphors here seeing that a student who had first ridiculed some of these predictions until he had been quoted the relevant verses from Scripture was fixed by an angry stare of his teacher as a result of which he died and his limbs turned into a heap of ashes. The fact that he did not believe his teacher until given proof was considered heresy, and the terrible punishment would not have been applied to matters which are merely metaphors. Ed.] The reason that this chapter containing the blessings begins with the letter א and ends with the last letter of the aleph bet, the letter ת, is to teach that all these blessings are not likely to become manifest in stages, in installments, but that when the Israelites will observe the Torah from א-ת, from the first letter of the aleph bet to the last letter, only then will all the blessings promised here become due. The paragraph dealing with a variety of curses in the event the Israelites would fail to observe the Torah’s commandments begins with the letter א in verse 14 and concludes with he letter ה at the end of verse 46. In other words, all these curses represent only half of the letters in the tetragramaton, the last half. This is what the psalmist referred to in Psalm 91,15 when he said עמו אנכי בצרה, “I remain with him (the Jewish people) when it is in distress.” If you will count the number of verses the Torah devoted to the list of blessings and the list of curses respectively, you will find that the Torah used more verses to describe the curses. This phenomenon is repeated in the Book of Deuteronomy where Moses composed both the blessings and the curses (with the approval of G’d). The psychology behind this phenomenon is to warn people of how much harm they will do to themselves if they do not follow the instructions and advice of the Torah to observe the commandments. We find a similar phenomenon already at the revelation at Mount Sinai when the attribute of Justice appeared as the awe-inspiring manifestation of thunder-lightning-smoke and trembling of the ground, whereas the attribute of Mercy was wrapped inside of this, not drawing attention to itself. This is in line with the statement of the sons of Korach in Psalms 45,14 that כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה, “that all the honour and glory of the King’s daughter is within,” i.e. that the attribute of כבוד is found not in the fancy garments described in that very verse but beyond it, inside it, where it is not visually imposing. [Elijah’s experience at Mount Chorev in Kings I 19,8 where after the powerful manifestations of other attributes, G’d, i.e. Hashem, finally appears to him as a mere whisper, was of the same kind. Ed.] A Midrash, aware of the tendency of people to read something negative into the relatively short list of blessings, warns us not to say that G’d did not offer many verses containing blessings but instead devoted so many verses to the list of curses and that this reflects on the preponderance of the attribute of Justice. We should note instead that the list of blessings commences with the letter א, i.e. אם בחקותי תלכו and concludes with the letter ת, i.e. the blessings cover all the letters of the aleph bet, whereas by contrast the curses begin with the letter ו and conclude with the letter ה, as if to show that they go in reverse order and do not even cover one single whole letter of the aleph bet. It is not the number of verses which reflects the relative strength of the attribute of Mercy and the attribute of Justice but the order in which these letters are arranged, i.e. the attribute of Mercy is far greater.
Rashbam
מוטות עולכם, similar to Jeremiah 27,2 עשה לך מוסרות, “make for yourselves thongs and bars, etc.” The thongs are used to connect the yoke of wood which is known as מוטות because it depresses the neck of the ox. קוממיות. When the yoke is removed he can hold his head high.
But if you will not heed Me, and will not do all these commandments;
verse value 2780
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·commandments" (אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "all·the·commandments" (אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "do" (root עשה, 94x in Leviticus); "and·if·not" (root אם, 41x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־לֹ֥א [and·if·not] (78) + תִשְׁמְע֖וּ [obey] (816) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + תַעֲשׂ֔וּ [do] (776) + אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת [all·the·commandments] (992) + הָאֵֽלֶּה [these] (41) = 2780.
Onkelos
But if you do not hearken to My Word and you do not perform all these commandments —
Rashi
ואם לא תשמעו לי BUT IF YE WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO ME to study the Torah laboriously in order to fathom the textual interpretation of the Sages…, I also will do this unto you, etc. One might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments! When, however, Scripture states immediately afterwards: “and ye will not do [all my commandments]”, it is evident that the fulfilment of the commandments is mentioned there! How, then, must I explain לא תשמעו לי? Obviously as meaning: “But if you will not hearken unto Me to study the Torah industriously” as I bid you do when I said אם בחקתי תלכו (cf. Rashi on v. 3). And what is the force of the word לי? (To express this idea would it not have sufficed to state: ואם לא תשמעו?) It implies that your disobedience is directed לי against Me. The word לי is used only in the case of such a one who knows his Master and yet of set purpose rebels against Him (i. e. the entire chapter containing these threats of punishment is addressed only to such a person, not to one who sins against God unwittingly). Similarly in reference to Nimrod: (Genesis 10:9) “a mighty hunter before (לפני) the Lord” which means that he knew Him and yet of set purpose rebelled against him. Similarly in reference to the men of Sodom: (Genesis 13:13) “[But the men of Sodom were] evil and sinful against the Lord ('לה) exceedingly” — they knew their Master and yet of set purpose rebelled against him (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 2 1-2; cf. Rashi on those two verses). ולא תעשו AND YOU WILL NOT DO — Because you will not learn you will not practice the commandments: thus you have two separate sins mentioned here (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 2 3).
Ibn Ezra
Empty-headed people have said that the curses are more numerous than the blessings — but they spoke untruth. Rather, the blessings were stated in general terms, while the curses were stated in detail, to make the listeners fear and tremble. One who examines [this] carefully will find my words verified. "All the commandments" — those written here.
Sforno
ואם לא תשמעו לי, to follow in My statues, as explained earlier ולא תעשו את כל המצות האלה, seeing that you did not follow in My statues it follows that you do not keep all My commandments but only those that find favour in your eyes.
Or HaChaim
ואם לא תשמעו לי, "And if you will fail to hearken to Me, etc." We need to know where obedience to G'd ever was something optional at the beginning of our portion so that the Torah would be justified in introducing this paragraph with the conditional "if." The paragraph should simply have commenced with the words: "If you despise My statutes, etc." Apparently, the wording of the Torah in this verse shows that the meaning of the opening paragraph of the portion "if you will walk in My statutes" refers to precoccupation with Torah study and not to performance of any specific commandmments. This is why the Torah is able to consider the alternative in our verse as something which is related to one's hearing. It is similar to Isaiah 55,3: "listen so that you will live," or Proverbs 1,5 "the wise will listen and increase learning." Inasmuch as the Torah intended to convey so many different lessons with the words אם בחקתי תלכו as I have demonstrated, the failure to exercise these options are at the root of all the misfortunes which will befall the Jewish people if they ignore such glorious opportunities as offered by the Torah in the opening verse of our portion. Furthermore, seeing that the Torah is about to discuss the result of not carrying out G'd's wishes the Torah pinpoints the root of such non-observance as being the failure to listen to the Torah's instructions by not studying the Torah. Concerning this we learned in Kidushin 30 that G'd told the Jewish people that the only antidote to the danger of succumbing to the temptations by the evil urge is Torah, i.e. study of Torah and performance of its precepts. Our paragraph is also concerned with awakening sleeping hearts. If someone pursues a path which is not good this is only proof that he has not acquired knowledge about G'd and the good he would derive by serving the Lord. We may therefore understand the conditional "if you will not listen" in the sense of "if you fail to understand." Failure to understand the advantages of serving the Lord may result in someone refusing to do so. The prophet Isaiah summed it up when he said that Israel went into exile as a direct result of lack of knowledge (Isaiah 5,13). Another message contained in our verse is derived from the Torah's emphasis on the words ולא תעשו את כל המצות, "and you will not perform all the commandments, etc." Seeing we have explained on the words אם בחקתי תלכו that one's preoccupation with Torah protects one against and saves one from the evil urge (Sotah 21), the Torah here spells out the condition both positively and negatively, i.e. what will happen if you study Torah for My sake, and what will happen if you do not study for the right reasons. G'd reminds us that even if we study Torah as long as we do not do so for the sake of G'd and perform the commandments, Torah will not act as a shield for us against the evil urge. Another nuance contained in our verse is the message that even preparedness to perform all the commandments is...
Chizkuni
את כל המצות האלה, “all these commandments;” if you will fail to observe any of these commandments;” [it would be impossible to ignore all of these commandments. Ed.] We find a parallel expression to the construction in Exodus 20,10: לא תעשה כל מלאכה, “you shall not do any work,” or in verse Exodus 22,21: כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון, “you are not to mistreat any widow or orphan.” [In both these verses the meaning of the word כל could not possibly be “all.” Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואם לא תשמעו לי, “and if you do not listen to Me, etc.” The Torah refers to the people not heeding the instruction to study Torah; it goes on to list a succession of seven different sins, each progressively more serious than the preceding one. The words ולא תעשון, “and you will not perform,” are a direct result of your failing to study Torah. The next sin which results from the previous one is that you will “despise My statutes.” The reason for this is that you do not know he reasons behind this legislation. Having reached the stage of rejecting part of My laws you will also find fault with My משפטים, social legislation, feeling revolted by them. Your negative attitude will include both such legislation involving stealing and robbery as well as regulations governing with whom you may have sexual intercourse. You, in common with the Gentiles, will find such legislation burdensome, often running counter to your natural instincts, especially when people whom you believe you love are forbidden to you as marriage partners. The Torah is aware of the impact of this legislation and this is why in verse 43, at the end of the paragraph, it repeats once more that your failure to observe these commandments is the principal cause of all the disasters predicted in this chapter. When the Torah speaks about לבלתי עשות את כל מצותי, “not to perform all My commandments” (verse 15), this is not a repetition but means that not only will you not observe My commandments but you will try to prevent others from performing them, i.e. the words mean: ”so that they will not be performed.” The words: “all My commandments,” mean that you have reached the stage when you deny the validity of any of My laws. This accounts for the sixth of the seven sins we said are listed in the introduction to the warning of retributive action by G’d. Finally, the seventh sin is described as להפרכם את בריתי, “to breach My covenant,” i.e. you deny the essential tenets of Judaism. The verses 14-15 are a model lesson of the Talmudic axiom that “one sin brings another sin in its wake.”
and if you shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhor My ordinances, so that you will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant;
verse value 6597
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 63 letters. The shortest word is "and·if" (וְאִ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·my·commandments" (אֶת־כׇּל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·if·in·my·regulations" (וְאִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י), "you·shall·reject" (תִּמְאָ֔סוּ), "shall·spurn" (תִּגְעַ֣ל). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "making" (root עשה, 94x in Leviticus); "your·soul" (root נפש, 58x in Leviticus); "and·if" (root אם, 41x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root מאס ("you·shall·reject") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י [and·if·in·my·regulations] (567) + תִּמְאָ֔סוּ [you·shall·reject] (507) + וְאִ֥ם [and·if] (47) + אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֖י [my·rules] (840) + תִּגְעַ֣ל [shall·spurn] (503) + נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם [your·soul] (490) + לְבִלְתִּ֤י [not·to] (472) + עֲשׂוֹת֙ [making] (776) + אֶת־כׇּל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י [all·my·commandments] (997) + לְהַפְרְכֶ֖ם [your·breaking] (375) + אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי [my·covenant] (1023) = 6597.
Onkelos
and if you despise My statutes, and if your souls loathe My laws, so as not to perform all My commandments, breaking My covenant —
Rashi
ואם בחקתי תמאסו AND IF YE WILL SCORN MY ORDINANCES — scorn those who practise them. משפטי תגעל נפשם [IF] YOUR SOUL LOTH MY JUDGMENTS — This implies hating the Sages. לבלתי עשות (lit., that my commandments should not be done) — this therefore implies that one prevents others from practising them. (That they themselves do not do them has already been stated in v. 14). את כל מצותי ALL MY COMMANDMENTS — This refers to him who denies the Divine origin of the commandments, asserting that I have not commanded them. It is for this reason that Scripture states, “all My commands” and does not state, as in v. 14, "all these commands”. להפרכם את בריתי TO MAKE VOID MY COVENANT — denying the great principle of the existence of God (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 2 3). — Thus you have here seven sins the first of which brings the second in its train and so on to the seventh. And these are: he has not studied and therefore has not practised the commandments; consequently he scorns others who do practise them, hates the Sages, prevents others from practising, denies the Divine origin of the commandments, and finally denies the existence of God.
Ramban
AND IF YE SHALL REJECT MY STATUTES. Because “statutes” are commandments the reasons for which have not been revealed to the majority of the people, therefore fools reject them, saying: “Why does G-d desire that I should not wear this garment which is woven with threads of linen and of blue wool? And how do we benefit by burning the [Red] Heifer, and sprinkling upon us the ashes thereof?” The “ordinances,” however, everyone desires and everyone needs, for there can be no civilized life for any people or country without ordinances. No one will reject the ordinances of: he that smiteth a man so that he dieth; and if men strive together; and the laws of the ox and the pit and the [four] guardians, and so on. However, the judgment that we execute upon those who transgress the commandments, such as one who has forbidden sexual intercourse, or profanes the Sabbath, or does [the sorcery of] the ov or yid’oni they will despise, because of [the necessity of keeping these] commandments, which constitute a heavy yoke upon the wicked. Therefore He said, and if your soul abhor Mine ordinances so that ye will not do all My commandments, for their abhorrence of the “ordinances” is in order that they should not keep the commandments. THAT YE MAKE VOID MY COVENANT. [This means that they desire] that the covenant be completely voided so that they will thus be without Torah, in order to permit themselves openly forbidden sexual intercourse, and every desire which is sweet to their soul. By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse means that this covenant will be made void and annulled, [this being] the opposite of [the Divine assurance], and I will give peace in the Land. It is with reference to this that He said, forasmuch as they voided My covenant, although I ruled over them, [meaning that] “because they annulled My covenant of peace, I Myself ruled over them.”
Ibn Ezra
"To annul them" (לְהַפְרְכֶם) — an unusual form grammatically, for the patterns of verbal noun forms vary.
Sforno
ואם בחקותי תמאסו, that you do not only ignore them but actively despise them; ואם את משפטי תגעל נפשכם, if you treat them as a person who deliberately spits something out because he detests it. You would not have any objective reason to do this as you are familiar with the purpose of such commandments, knowing them to be fair and just. לבלתי עשות את כל מצותי, your supposed detestation of My commandments was not an objective evaluation of them, but a signal that you wanted to throw off the yoke of Divine legislation, a deliberate act of disobedience. Our sages have often stated that the Israelites who worshipped idols were perfectly aware that these idols were totally helpless, could not help themselves, much less those who professed to worship them. If they worshipped them in spite of knowing that they were all nothing but sham, it was only in order to anger G’d. They did so in order to be free to practice incest in public. (Sanhedrin 63) The Prophet Hoseah 5,4 states explicitly when he writes: “their habits do not let them return to their G’d because of their lecherous impulse within them. They pay no heed to the Lord.” להפרכם את בריתי, in order not to be different from the other nations surrounding them, neither of whom have been burdened with ethical/moral legislation and rituals such as demanded of the Jewish people by the Torah. The prophet Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 20,32 already challenges the people who would use the fact that they were now in exile, apparently abandoned by their G’d, as an excuse do divest themselves of the claims the Torah makes on them. He accuses them as making all this an excuse to serve deities made of wood and stone.
Or HaChaim
ואם בחקתי תמאסו, "And if you will despise My statutes, etc." Why did the Torah have to repeat the conditional word ואם once more instead of being content with the opening word ואם in the previous verse? Besides, why did the Torah write בחקתי instead of merely חקתי תמאסו, "you will despise My statutes?" The letter ב is no more appropriate for describing a negative attitude to G'd's statutes than it would have been to the reference about G'd's social laws of which the Torah merely says את משפטי תגעל נפשכם, "your soul abhors My social laws" without adding the letter ב in front of the word משפטי. Moreover, why does the Torah again use the word ואם when speaking of our attitude to G'd's משפטים? Why did the Torah not simply lump together our attitudes to both G'd's statutes and G'd's social laws by writing ואם בחוקותי תמאסו, or something similar? Furthermore, why does the Torah describe the attitude of the sinners to the "statutes" as one of מאוס, i.e. "despicable," whereas the attitude to the social laws is described as תגעל נפשכם, "something your soul abhors," i.e. a stronger form of rejection? Having already described the sinful Israelites' attitude to G'd's respective commandments, why did the Torah have to elaborate that "they would refuse to carry out all these commandments?" The Torah had already mentioned in verse 14 that we speak about a situation when the Jews would not carry out the positive commandments! We had offered an explanation to that statement but we must not forget that the verse must make sense as it is written! What does the Torah mean by adding: "to break My covenant?" Clearly, we must understand the wording of these verses as corresponding to the manner in which Satan operates in seducing us into neglecting G'd's commandments. Satan is clever enough to attack the weakest link in the chain, i.e. observance of the commandments called חקים, the ones for which the Torah does not offer a reason and which we ourselves find impossible to rationalise. Satan appeals to us on two fronts; on the one hand he claims that it is impossible to believe that someone as clever as G'd could have legislated laws that appear to make no sense. Alternately, he argues that granted that G'd may indeed have legislated such a law, but surely the legislation was not meant to be understood literally. Once Satan finds that he has the attention of his prospective victim he begins to attack other commandments also even though they appear to have good reasons. He will then easily inveigle his victim to transgress one of G'd's commandments due to some ficticious argument he presented. The doubts he sowed in his victim's mind previously had already caused the victim to become somewhat removed from holiness. Once a person has committed the first sin without experiencing negative fallout it becomes ever easier for his evil urge to lead him further astray. Eventually the evil urge will convince a person that instead of facing punishment for each one of his transg...
Chizkuni
ואם בחקותי תמאסו, “but if you will despise My statutes;” this is the opposite of “if you will “walk” in My statutes, אם בחקתי תלכו, “when you will “walk” according to My statutes, because you find them appropriate.” ואם את משפטי תגעל נפשכם, “or if your souls despise My social laws;” this is the opposite of ואת מצותי תשמורו, “and you will observe My commandments.” לבלתי עשות, “by not performing (them);” this is the opposite of ועשיתם אותם, “and you will perform them” (in verse 3, of this chapter.) להפרכם את בריתי, “thereby breaking My covenant;” this is the opposite of והקימותי את בריתי אתכם, “I will maintain My covenant with you,” (in verse 9.)
Tur HaArokh
ואם בחוקתי תמאסו, “However, if you will despise My statutes, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the reason why the Torah described the חוקים, statutes, as the laws that the people would refer to with disdain, distaste, is, that no rational justification has been offered by the Torah for these kinds of laws. This is why fools jump to the conclusion that these laws are of no use or value to man. The social laws, משפטים, on the other hand, which any fool can understand as being useful tools in any society and which therefore should enjoy ready acceptance by the people, also do not fare better when they involve the violation of the Sabbath, the prohibition of sexual intercourse with family members or consenting adults, or when it involves forbidden foods. These restrictions are considered as capricious denial of a person’s freedom and therefore, in the right atmosphere, result in one’s feeling revulsion against them and the authority who imposed such laws. The Torah describes the people not observing those mishpatim as excusing themselves by their being revolted at the Creator Who demanded from them to so restrict their desires, i.e. that is the meaning of the words לבלתי עשות את כל המצות, “as a reason for not performing all the commandments.” Nachmanides goes on to write that the curses following contain allusions to both the first and the second exile of the Jewish people, as well as the total redemption that will follow the second exile. The references to חמנים “symbols of sun-worship” (verse 30) and גילולים, (man-made idols) (verse 31) were the major sins of the period of the first Temple; G’d predicts that He will have to destroy the Temple which the Torah calls “your Sanctuary,” on account of their sins. (Verse 31) The entire verse is a threat not to accept offerings tendered to Him. As a result of such rejection of even their offerings, the people would experience death by the sword, at the hands of ferocious beasts, as well as pestilence, famine, and, ultimately, exile if all that had not brought about a change in their attitudes. (Verses 32-33). During this exile the land would make up for all the sh’mittah years that the people had not observed while they were enjoying prosperity in their land. The seventy years of the Babylonian exile would match the number of years the sh’mittah legislation had been neglected. The redemption from that exile is not described as a real redemption, but only as a manifestation of the fact that G’d had not allowed His covenant with the Jewish people to become severed. (History records that men of the caliber of Daniel, Ezra and Nechemyah, did confess the guilt of their fathers, and this is why the second Temple endured for hundreds of years, though it lacked many features symbolizing the close ties between G’d and His people. The admonitions by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 28,15-68 describe the destruction of the second Temple and the vicissitudes that the remnant of the people would experience during the far longer second exile. During that lengthy paragraph the Torah does not refer to specific sins as it had done in our portion here. On the contrary, the wording there suggests that even relatively minor disobedience and failure to observe Torah in its entirety by all the people could bring about such a catastrophe as is described there most vividly. In fact, we know that during the existence of the second Temple large sections of the people did devote themselves to intensive Torah study and to meticulous observance of the Torah’s commandments, and still the Temple was destroyed and the people experienced terrible times, all because too many of them had become guilty of senseless hatred of one anther, totally unjustified and unjustifiable animosity between different sections of the society. The reason why the Torah does not bother to mention the manifestation of G’d’s displeasure by His refusal to accept the people’s sacrifices, is that heavenly fire had never resumed to consume these sacrifices as it had done during the hundreds of years that the first Temple had stood. In the admonition in Deuteronomy 28,49 we find the following line: ישא ה' עליך גוי מרחוק מקצה הארץ וגו', “Hashem will bring a nation against you from afar etc.,” a reference to the Romans, a nation described a speaking a tongue you are not familiar with. It is a nation not knowing the meaning of pity, etc. It is clear that these lines do not refer to the Babylonians who were relatively close at hand, and whose tongue the Israelites certainly were familiar with. The Assyrians who exiled the ten tribes while the Temple remained standing were even closer to the land of Israel in terms of physical distance. Seeing that the Jewish people had their historical roots in those Mesopotamian regions, the Torah in verse 49 in that chapter most certainly could not have referred to either one of those nations. It is clear from reading the remainder of that chapter that the exile we still find ourselves in at the time of writing these lines, is the one referred to by the Torah in that chapter in Deuteronomy. Verse 36 in which Moses predicts that the victorious nation will appoint a king over the Jewish people whom they never had heard of, is also clearly a reference to King Agrippas, (Herod). It was during his reign that the uprising against the Romans in the year 66 occurred which ended with the destruction of the second Temple. The covenant referred to in our portion is the one that we have to thank for the presence of the Shechinah during all the years of the first Temple, whereas the covenant in Deuteronomy, which enabled the Temple to be rebuilt, was of an inferior type of relationship with Hashem, seeing that only the כבוד השם, “G’d’s honour”, manifested itself during the over four hundred years that the second Temple was standing. This is what was meant by the author of Torat Kohanim who describes the admonitions in our portion as having originated from G’d Himself, directly, whereas those in Deuteronomy were initiated by Moses. [Reflecting the far weaker bond between G’d and His people during that era. Ed.]
I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall make the eyes to fail, and the soul to languish; and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
verse value 7070
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 92 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָכֶ֗ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·fever" (וְאֶת־הַקַּדַּ֔חַת, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "I·will·do·this" (אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־זֹּ֣את), "and·I·will·wreak" (וְהִפְקַדְתִּ֨י), "terror" (בֶּֽהָלָה֙). The root זרע appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·you" (root על, 127x in Leviticus); "and·they·shall·eat·it" (root אכל, 106x in Leviticus); "I·will·do·this" (root עשה, 94x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root ריק ("to·no·purpose") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Onkelos
so I too will do this to you: I will bring upon you terror in haste — the consumption and the fever that dim the eyes and cause the soul to pine — and you will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
Rashi
והפקדתי עליכם means, I will order upon you the following calamities. שחפת CONSUMPTION — A disease which swells the flesh, ampoules in old French; it resembles a thing that has been distended, the distension of which has become reduced — and the appearance of his (the sick man’s) face is thin and woebegone. קדחת is a disease which inflames the body, makes it hot and burning (feverish). It is similar in meaning to the verb in, (Deuteronomy 32:22) “For a fire burns (קדחה) in My nostril”. מכלות עינים ומדיבת נפש THAT THE EYES PINE AND CAUSE SORROW TO THE SOUL — The eyes look expectantly and pine to see that he (the sick) should be relieved and healed, and in the end it turns out that he is not healed, and the souls of his family grieve when he dies. Any desire that does not come to fulfilment and any hope deferred is termed כליון עינים, “pining of the eyes”. וזרעתם לריק AND YE SHALL SOW [YOUR SEED] IN VAIN — ye shall sow your seed but it shall not grow — and if it does grow, ואכלוהו איביכם YOUR ENEMIES SHALL EAT IT.
Ramban
APH ANI E’ESEH ZOTH LACHEM’ (ALSO I WILL DO THIS UNTO YOU). By way of the Truth, the meaning [of this verse is] as if it were inverted: ‘aph ani zoth e’eseh lachem’ [meaning: “also ani — the term for the Divine attribute called zoth, which signifies judgment — will do unto you”]. This is why He always mentions in this section the word ani (I): then will ‘ani’ (I) also walk; And ‘ani’ (I) also will smite you; and ‘ani’ (I) also will chastise you; and ‘ani (I) will bring the Land into desolation; ‘ani’ (I) also will walk contrary unto them. And in the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah [we find it interpreted]: “It will not suffice for Me [merely] to pronounce judgment [and have it executed by a messenger], but even I also will chastise [you], etc.”The principle [of this section] is that it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who makes this covenant, and this is the meaning of the expressions: seven for your sins; seven according to your sins. And the oaths are [thus] the oaths of the covenant, for the expressions are from the mouth of the Almighty, [speaking] in the language of the first person: ‘I’ will do; and ‘I’ will chastise; and ‘I’ will smite. Therefore Scripture states [concerning this covenant], which the Eternal made between Him and the children of Israel, for He by His Great Name made this covenant. But in the Book of Deuteronomy [Scripture] states, If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Eternal thy G-d, to observe to do all His commandments, and it continually mentions there an expression of cursing, thus it starts them [the words of the covenant] with: cursed shalt thou be, since the blessing is absent from them, and it further states, the Eternal will make. It is this which is the [intention of the] saying of our Rabbis: “The imprecations of the Book of Leviticus were [prounounced] in plural terms [if ‘ye’ will not hearken … if ‘ye’ shall reject …], and Moses, in saying them, said them from the mouth of the Almighty [stating: “Thus did the Holy One blessed be He, say unto me, ‘If ye will not hearken unto Me’ “], but those [imprecations mentioned] in the Book of Deuteronomy were [pronounced] in the singular [if ‘thou’ wilt not hearken … which I command ‘thee'…] and Moses in saying them said them [as though they came] from his own mouth, for the Almighty made Moses a messenger between Him and between all Israel.”Know and understand that these oaths [stated in this section] allude to the first exile [i.e., the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple], for it is with reference to the First Temple that all the words of this covenant, concerning the exile and the redemption therefrom, apply. For thus you will see in the exhortations [here] that He stated, And if ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhor Mine ordinances, and He further stated, that ye void My covenant, mentioning among them [the rejected statutes]: the high places [on which they offered forbidden sacrifices], sun-images, and idols,...
Ibn Ezra
"And I will appoint over you" — like an officer appointed over another who does with him as he pleases. "Terror, the wasting disease and the fever" — illnesses that are well known. The meaning of אֶת is "with." The meaning of "terror" (בֶּהָלָה) is that you will be terrified and not know what to do; some say that בֶּהָלָה means "suddenly." Many have said that the wasting disease and the fever are two diseases of the grain, like blight and mildew, for it is written, "because you will sow in vain" — but this is unnecessary, for the plain sense is that diseases will come upon them; and if marauders come to the villages they will eat the grain, since there is no one to go out and drive them off. The meaning of "which consume the eyes" is that these diseases dim the eyes and grieve the soul. The alef is missing from the word וּמְדַיְּבוֹת (and grieving) — and similarly the zayin from the word שֶׁקֶר. Some say that "the eyes" refers to the body because of the word מְדַיְּבוֹת נָפֶשׁ — but this is unnecessary.
Sforno
אף אני אעשה זאת לכם; I will do what you had meant to do when you broke the covenant, so that I on My part will also free from the obligations it imposed on Me. My undertaking had been to be your G’d as a direct protector instead of protecting them through intermediaries. והפקדתי עליכם בהלה, I will appoint over you “officials” of alarm, something along the line of Ezekiel 9,5 “then to these He said in my hearing: ‘follow him through the city and strike. Let your eyes neither spare nor show mercy.’” ואכלוהו איביכם. We have evidence of this prediction coming true repeatedly in the period of the Judges when such nations as Amalek, Midian, Aram, and others invaded the Land of Israel. (Judges 6,3)
Or HaChaim
אף אני אעשה זאת לכם, "I will also do this unto you, etc." The meaning of the word אני is the attribute of Mercy. G'd says that under the circumstances even the attribute of Mercy will agree to the acts of retribution the Torah is about to describe as being performed by the attribute of Justice. והפקדתי עליכם בהלה, "I will appoint terror to afflict you, etc." G'd's selection of the list of afflictions enumerated here corresponds to the negative virtues of the wicked. Inasmuch as their principal sin is the neglect of Torah study G'd measured the people with the same yardstick. Torah has been compared to fire (compare Jeremiah 23,29) "is not My word like fire says the Lord." You have to appreciate that the Torah brings out three good qualities in a man's soul. 1) Preoccupation with words of Torah effectively refines man's soul much as the fire of the crucible refines ore into pure metal. As a result such a person does not need to descend into שאול, hades, after he dies so that his soul will be cleansed by the fires of Hell. Chagigah 27 describes the fire of Torah as being more powerful than the fire of Gehinom. The fires of Gehinom will therefore not make any impression on the soul of a person who has spent his life in Torah study. This is why Shemot Rabbah 7,4 describes Gehinom as complaining that it does not like the righteous as they undermine its power and extinguish its fire. The second advantage derived by Torah is that it illuminates one's eyes. The Israelites require a great light in order to be able to benefit from the brilliance of the שכינה, G'd's presence. G'd gave us the Torah which is called light (compare Proverbs 6,23) out of His great love for us. Torah study will enhance our power of vision. The degree of one's perception of the divine is in direct ratio to the amount of Torah one has studied. Isaiah 42,7 calls all the people who have not studied Torah "blind ones," describing the power of Torah as making the blind see. The third advantage that accrues to the person who studies Torah is that it gladdens his heart; we know this both from Psalms 19,9: "G'd's precepts gladden the heart of man," as well as from Psalms 97,11: "and for the upright there is radiance." Just as there are three distinct advantages which accrue to people studying Torah there are three kinds of corresponding penalties for those who fail to do so. Instead of the purifying fire of Torah study, G'd will smite those who failed to study with a destructive kind of fire, שחפת וקדחת, different kinds of fever. The reason the Torah also speaks about בהלה, terror, is because it is the reverse of the peace of mind one experiences as the result of engaging in Torah study. Whereas G'd had granted מאור עינים, enhanced vision, to people immersing themselves in Torah, G'd will deprive those who failed to study Torah by מכלות עינים, failure of their eyesight. Whereas G'd had granted joy to the people who did study Torah, He will afflict those who failed to do so with מדיבת ...
Chizkuni
אף אני אעשה זאת לכם, “I also will do this to you.” The Torah warns that the punishment will fit the crime. He had promised that if we observe His commandments He will protect us against any and all possible diseases, (Exodus 15,26), whereas if we will break His covenant (deliberately and in order to affront Him) He will actively expose us to them. Instead of acting as your physician, as I did when you observed My statutes, I will allow all kinds of diseases to afflict you. בהלה, “terror,” the opposite of when I allowed you to go to sleep without worry, as spelled out in verse 6. בהלה את השחפת וגו, “even consumption and fever;” this is to be understood as a special kind of terror caused by your being feverish. The word את in this verse is to be understood as של, “of, caused by.”[There follow detailed examples of diseases and afflictions, the author trying to explain their equivalent in our language. I have decided to skip this, as the principle has been established. Ed.] ומדיבות נפש, “and mental depression.” This is the opposite mental state of someone lording it over slaves as in verse 13, where the Israelites are reminded how they had had a physical and mental state of being enslaved while in Egypt. Their renewed state of mental depression is the second type of plague that G-d will employ if the people continue to despise and ignore His laws. וזרעתם לריק זרעכם, “you will sow your seed in vain.” ואכלוהו אויביכם, “and your enemies will eat whatever these seeds produce. This is the opposite of the promise made in verse 5 if we observe the Torah. This is the fourth of the seven plagues threatened in verse 21.
Rabbeinu Bahya
אף אני אעשה זאת לכם, “also I will do this to you.” According to the plain meaning of the text, seeing that G’d’s mode of operation in our universe is based on the principle of reciprocity, מדה כנגד מדה, G’d says: “I will bring to bear upon you seven different kinds of retributions, each in response to one of your sins.” את השחפת ואת הקדחת, “swelling lesions and burning fever;” these are two separate punishments; in order that these phenomena not be considered as not life-threating, the Torah adds the words מחלות עינים ומדיבות נפש, “which cause the eyes to pine and the souls to languish;” [Our author would translate these words as “ruining the eyes and the soul, Ed.] When this (result) occurs this is the third of the seven retributions to be visited on the Israelites. וזרעתם לריק זרעכם ואכלוהו אויביכם, “you will sow your seed in vain as your enemies will consume them” (the harvest). The fifth is ונתתי פני בכם ונגפתם, “I will set My face against you and you will be routed by your enemies.” The sixth punishment is: “your foes will dominate you.” Finally, the seventh and last punishment is: “you shall flee though none pursues.” This then is the meaning of the words in verse 18 שבע על חטאתכם, “seven in response to your (seven) sins.” There is a second set of 7 different disasters beginning with verse 19 the first of which is: “I will break your proud glory;” the glory referred to is the Holy Temple. The Temple has been referred to as גאון עזכם, ”the pride of your power,” in Ezekiel 24,21. The second disaster is described as “your skies will turn to iron;” the third that “your earth will be like copper.” The fourth in this series are the words “so that your strength will be spent to no purpose.” The fifth is described as: “your land shall not yield its produce.” The sixth and seventh are the failure of the tree to yield (either its timber) or its fruit,“ The curse on the trees is divided into two parts, a) the tree will not yield; b) fruit. The words לא יתן, “it will not yield,” are used both for the tree and its fruit as separate contributions made by trees to man’s comfort. The Torah continues to list yet another seven kinds of disasters as follows: 1) “I will loose wild beasts against you;” this is actually a reference to three different forms of disasters as it includes free roaming beasts, domesticated four-legged animals, and all kinds of creeping creatures; 4) “they shall bereave you of your children;” 5) “they will kill your cattle;” 6) “they shall decimate you;” 7) they will make your roads desolate.” A fourth group of seven retributions begins with verse 23; it is introduced by the words: “if after all the foregoing you still have not been chastised to return to Me:” G’d now speaks about striking back at the Jewish people seven times for their sins. This group of plagues commences with 1) the avenging sword which avenges the breach of the covenant with G’d (verse 25); 2) “you will be delivered to your cities (do not venture outside);” 3) “I will send pestilence against you.” 4) “I will deliver you into he hands of your enemy.” 5) “I will break the staff of your bread” (by famine); 5) “ten women will bake bread having only one oven between them;” 6) “they will bring back your bread by weight” (sharing out merely crumbs) (verse 26). 7) “you will eat without becoming sated.” A fifth string of seven acts of retributions is in store for you if all the ones that have hit you thus far have failed to be effective. This string commences with verse 29: 1) eating your own children; 2) destruction of lofty buildings and decimating sun-gods. Casting your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; 4) “My spirit will reject you.” 5) Destruction of the cities. 6) Ruin of your temples by foreign troops. 7) refusal of G’d to accept your sacrificial offerings. In verse 32 the Torah speaks of: “I will make the land desolate.” This is not part of the disasters visited upon the Jewish people but it means that the conquerors will not feel at home in Eretz Yisrael after they have conquered it. A kabbalistic approach: the word אני, “I”, in the sequence אף אני אעשה זאת לכם in verse 16 is a reference to the attribute of Justice. In fact wherever this expression does occur when G’d is speaking it refers to that attribute of Justice. This consideration is what prompted Nachmanides to comment on verse 18 that the attribute אני is equivalent to the word זאת in that verse. The last letter ה in the tetragram alludes to this attribute, i.e. it is employed by G’d to discipline man at the time G’d is angry. This is the reason why the Torah writes in verse 18 ויספתי ליסרה אתכם, “I will continue to afflict and discipline you,” [this would be strange seeing that the Torah had not previously spoken about G’d “disciplining” the people. However, if אני and זאת are the same attribute the verse makes perfect sense. Ed.] The extra letter ה at the end of the word ליסרה instead of merely the word ליסר which we would have expected, refers to that last letter ה in the tetragrammaton which is the allusion to the attribute of Justice in that name Hashem. It is a reduced form of the attribute of Justice. The very word ויספתי implies something additional, not part of the essence. G’d Himself used this word when He said after the deluge (Genesis 8,21) לא אוסיף לקלל עוד את האדמה, “I will not add additional curses against the earth, etc.” This was a promise not to employ the attribute of Justice in a stronger form. [G’d’s “feelings” about man’s failures have been discussed at greater length on Genesis 6,6 both in the homiletical and kabbalistic sections of our author’s commentary. Ed.] When David says in Psalms 27,3 אם תקום עלי מלחמה בזאת אני בוטח, the proper way to understand this verse is that: “if war breaks out against me then I rely on the limiting factor of the attribute אני which is expressed by the use of the word זאת, i.e. a reduced form of the attribute of Justice.” We find another allusion to this meaning of the added letter ה at the end of a word where we would not expect it in Maleachi 3,7: שובו אלי ואשובה אליכם, “return to Me and I shall return to you.” The word should have been אשוב. The letterה at the end is an allusion to the reduced form of the attribute of Justice as represented by the last letter ה in the tetragram. We may therefore understand verse 18 to mean that “although I am the attribute of Justice, I do not relate to you with the full impact of Justice but restrain that attribute as is inherent in the word אני,” a reference to the reduced impact of the attribute of Justice when it is part of the tetragram, i.e. Hashem. As to the expression שבע על חטאתכם, normally translated as: “seven times on account of your sins,” the kabbalistic meaning is that these words were spoken by the attribute זאת, the one which had said ויסרתי, “I shall discipline,” and והכתי, “I shall strike;” this attribute is also known as שבע or בת שבע, the mother of Solomon. This is why the prophet Isaiah 50,1 said: ובפשעכם שלחה אמכם, “on account of your sins your mother was dismissed.” [Seeing that Bat Sheva, Solomon’s mother was in a state of incomplete divorce when she first encountered David, a divorce whose effectiveness depended on her husband’s not returning from war, the prophet compares her rejection, i.e. a conditional rejection, to the rejection of the Jewish people by G’d without a decree of divorce. This is presumably why Kabbalists describe the ”weaker” state of the attribute of Justice by calling that attribute שבע or בת שבע, Ed.]
Tur HaArokh
מכלות עינים, according to Ibn Ezra the diseases described here cause the afflicted person to feel that he had lost his eyesight. The expression מדיבות נפש describe the psychological havoc wrought by these diseases in those who suffer them. Some commentators understand the word עינים here as referring to the eyes separating from the rest of the body.
And I will set My face against you, and you shall be smitten before your enemies; they that hate you shall rule over you; and you shall flee when none pursues you.
verse value 3967
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "my·face" (פָנַי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "though·none·pursues" (וְאֵין־רֹדֵ֥ף, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 62: in·you, in·you. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·you·shall·be·routed" (וְנִגַּפְתֶּ֖ם), "and·shall·dominate" (וְרָד֤וּ), "your·foes" (שֹֽׂנְאֵיכֶ֔ם). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·face" (root פנים, 102x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·enemies', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֤י [and·I·will·give] (866) + פָנַי֙ [my·face] (140) + בָּכֶ֔ם [in·you] (62) + וְנִגַּפְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·be·routed] (579) + לִפְנֵ֣י [to·face·of] (170) + אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם [your·enemies] (83) + וְרָד֤וּ [and·shall·dominate] (216) + בָכֶם֙ [in·you] (62) + שֹֽׂנְאֵיכֶ֔ם [your·foes] (421) + וְנַסְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·flee] (556) + וְאֵין־רֹדֵ֥ף [though·none·pursues] (351) + אֶתְכֶֽם [you] (461) = 3967.
Onkelos
I will set My anger against you, and you will be broken before your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee with none pursuing you.
Rashi
ונתתי פני AND I WILL SET פני [AGAINST YOU] — i. e. פנאי שלי, My leisure, — I will turn away from all My other affairs in order to do you evil (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 17:20). ורדו בכם שנאיכם — These words mean exactly what they imply: THEY THAT HATE YOU SHALL RULE OVER YOU. — The Agadic explanation of the Torat Cohanim (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 4 1-5) on this section is as follows: אף אני אעשה זאת — I speak to you only with the expression אף. Similarly it states, (v. 41) “So, too, (אף) I will walk contrary unto them”. והפקדתי עליכם I WILL ORDER UPON YOU denotes that the calamities will come upon you from one to another — while the first will still be on visit to you (will afflict you) I will bring another and add it to that. בהלה is a plague that causes terror upon people. And what is that? It is an epidemic plague of pestilence. את השחפת THE CONSUMPTION — You may have a person that is sick and even confined to his bed, but his flesh is in a well-preserved state; therefore Scripture states, “I will visit you with שחפת” — that he will waste away. Or there are times that he may be wasting away but is calm and without fever, Scripture therefore states, “I will visit you with… קדחת” — that he will be in a fever. Or there are times that he may be in a fever but still cherishes the belief that he will recover (and therefore is easy in mind), Scripture therefore states, “I will visit you… with fever that shall make the eyes pine”. Or there may be the last stage when he cherishes no belief that he will recover, but others (his relatives) cherish the belief that he will recover, Scripture therefore states, “I will visit you with… fever… that shall cause sorrow of soul (utter despair). וזרעתם לריק זרעכם — One shall sow it (the soil) but it shall not grow grain. Well, then, what does it mean when it states that your enemies will come and eat?. How is this possible? But the explanation is: One shall sow it (the soil) the first year and it will not yield; the next year, however, it will yield, and then the enemies will come and will find grain for the time of siege, whilst those within the beleaguered city will die of famine because they will have gathered no grain the year before. Another explanation of וזרעתם לריק זרעכם is: Scripture is speaking in reference to your sons and daughters — you will rear them only after much toil but sin, the enemy, will come and destroy them, as it is said, (i. e. a similar thought is expressed in the text) (Lamentations 2:22) “those that I have swaddled and brought up mine enemy hath consumed”. ונתתי פני בכם — Even as it is stated in the case of the promise of good (v. 9), “I will turn (ופניתי) unto you” so is it stated also with regard to the threat of evil “I will set My face (פני) against you”. They (the Sages) illustrated this by a parable: it may be compared to the case of a king who said to his subjects, “I will turn away from all My other affairs and will devote myself to you alone — for evil”. ונגפתם לפני איביכ...
Ibn Ezra
"And I will set My face" — My wrath and My anger, as in "and her face was [no longer turned] to her" (וּפָנֶיהָ לֹא הָיוּ לָהּ). The meaning is that those who remain and have no disease — if they go out against the enemies they will be struck down before them, and sometimes they will flee though none pursues, as [was the case with] the camp of Aram.
Or HaChaim
ונתתי פני בכם, "And I will set My face against you, etc." The Torah speaks of G'd's angry "face." The reason that justice or judgment is called פנים, face, is that there is always a group of creatures whose whole intent is to bring about destruction. They are therefore described as "the face of G'd," i.e. the ones facing the presence of G'd. The words: "I will set My face against you" are addressed to these evil forces. The words: "and you will fall before your enemies" are about the Gentile nations all of which are branches of these forces of evil. The word פני may also mean that G'd will not hide His face from them even while He delivers the Israelites into the hands of their enemies, otherwise they would perish, G'd forbid. The Torah reveals the intent of G'd only at the very end of the passage in the words of verse 44. The reason the Torah writes the word בכם here is to emphasise that at this stage G'd's anger will become manifest against the people not against the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary will become the victim of G'd's anger only at a later stage than that discussed in our verse.
Chizkuni
ונתתי פני בכם, “I will set My face against you.” This is the opposite of ופניתי אליכם, “I will turn to you with goodwill.” This is the fifth of the seven plagues. ונגפתם לפני אויביכם, “you will be smitten before your enemies.” This is the reverse of the blessing that “you will pursue and overwhelm those who hate you.” This is the sixth of the seven plagues. ונסתם ואין רודף אתכם, “you will flee even when no one pursues you.” This is the reverse of the blessing that five of you will put to flight a hundred of your enemies. (verse 8) This is the seventh of the seven plagues that will befall you.
Tur HaArokh
ונתתי פני בכם, “I will set My face against you.” A reference to G’d’s anger. We find the word פנים used in this sense in connection with Hannah in Samuel I 1,18, when the prophet describes Hannah as having been appeased by the blessing of the High Priest Eli.
And if you will not yet for these things heed Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins.
verse value 3336
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·sins" (עַל־חַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·if·despite·these" (וְאִ֨ם־עַד־אֵ֔לֶּה), "to·discipline" (לְיַסְּרָ֣ה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "upon·your·sins" (root חטא, 65x in Leviticus); "sevenfold" (root שבע, 54x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root יסר ("to·discipline") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאִ֨ם־עַד־אֵ֔לֶּה [and·if·despite·these] (157) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תִשְׁמְע֖וּ [obey] (816) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + וְיָסַפְתִּי֙ [and·I·will·add] (566) + לְיַסְּרָ֣ה [to·discipline] (305) + אֶתְכֶ֔ם [you] (461) + שֶׁ֖בַע [sevenfold] (372) + עַל־חַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם [upon·your·sins] (588) = 3336.
Onkelos
And if even after these things you do not hearken to My Word, I will continue to chastise you seven times over for your sins.
Rashi
ואם עד אלה means AND IF, WHILE THESE ARE YET with you,לא תשמעו YOU WILL NOT HEARKEN, ויספתי — This together with ליסרה means, THEN I WILL ADD still other afflictions, שבע על חטאתיכם SEVEN punishments FOR THE seven SINS which were mentioned above (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 1).
Ibn Ezra
"And if until these [blows]" — these punishments. "Seven" — because it is a complete number it can be used in a plural sense, as in "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises" and "the barren one bears seven." The meaning of "on account of your sins" is not that I will add seven upon your sins, but rather I will add [punishment] one more time, as in "a great voice that added no more" (קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלֹא יָסָף). The meaning of "on account of your sins" is "because of your sins." Some say the number is meant literally; but the first interpretation is correct. For if we count: "I will break your mighty staff" (one), "the heavens as iron" (two), "and the earth as bronze" (three), "your labor in vain" (four), "and the land shall not yield its produce" (five), "and the tree of the field shall not give its fruit" (six) — these are six; and the blow of the wild beast makes seven.
Or HaChaim
לא תשמעו לי, "you do not listen to Me." Teshuvah is made conditional on "listening" to G'd, i.e. studying Torah. True repentance is impossible without Torah study. שבע על חטאתיכם "sevenfold for your sins." The Torah does not mean that G'd will exact seven retributions for each sin but that G'd will exact retribution for the sins of the Jewish people which number seven. The punishment will fit the crime both qualitatively and quantitatively. The seven sins consist of the following: 1) failure to listen; 2) failure to perform; 3) relating to the statutes with disdain; 4) loathing of G'd's social laws; 5) preventing others from performing the commandments; 6) breaking G'd's covenant; 7) remaining unaffected by G'd's penalties and thereby closing the gates of repentance. This explains what the sages meant when they said in Rosh Hashanah 16 that three books are open in front of G'd on New Year's Day; one contains the names of the totally wicked; one contains the names of the totally righteous, and one contains the names of the "average" people (the ones whose merits and demerits are in balance). The latter are given until the Day of Atonement to see if they will repent. If they fail to do so they will automatically be inscribed in the book of the confirmed sinners.
Chizkuni
ואם עד אלה, “if, as Rashi understands the word בעד, as בעוד, “still not,” we find a similar construction using this expression in Job 2,4: עור בעד עור, “skin for skin!” Compare also: ויסגור ה' בעדו, “G-d closed the door (of the ark) on his behalf.” (Genesis 7.16) ויספתי ליסרה אתכם, “I will continue to discipline you.” שבע, on account of the seventh year (sh’mittah) during which you did not release your hold on material possessions, especially by working the land. In the event you consider this interpretation far fetched, compare what the Torah writes in verse 34, where it describes the soil of the land of Israel making up during their exile for the years when its owners did not observe the shmittah legislation. על חטאתיכם, “for your (various) sins.” Compare Psalms 44,23 where the psalmist writes: כי עליך הורגנו כל היום, “since for Your sake we are being killed all day long.” (the word על being used in the same sense) Also compare Psalms 69,8:כי עליך נשאתי חרפה, “for on Your account I have been reviled.”
Kli Yakar
Seven for your sins. There is reason to consider that three times it says for your sins, and one time it inserts in the middle seven like your sins. There are also changes in language in these four places, and certainly these were not casual variations. It appears that initially it says seven for your sins corresponding to the seven sins that Rashi enumerated, and it says that the punishments will not be directly measure for measure, because each type adheres more to its own kind than to a different kind. Therefore, God in His mercy did not want the punishment to be of the same type as the sin, so that the punishment would not adhere to them strongly when similar types meet. However, afterward it says, If you walk with Me by chance. And you say that it is surely a coincidence for you and not that the hand of God did this, because you see that the punishments are not of the same type as the sin, I will add to you a punishment seven like your sins. This is precisely measure for measure, so that you will believe that it is not the snake that kills, but the sin that kills (Berakhot 33a). And if by these you are not disciplined, such that you brazen your faces to say in any case that it is a coincidence for you, and it will not help that I have seen to direct the punishments towards your sins, then I too will walk with you by chance. Because until now I have not left you to chance occurrences, and I chastised you Myself as a man disciplines his son, but since God does these things twice, three times with a man (Job 33:29) and it does not help, from now on I will abandon you to chance, and then the punishments will necessarily be seven for your sins. Not like your sins, because chance does not operate with providence to direct punishments corresponding to sins, and the number seven is also not providential, rather if all seven planets that operate by chance will affect you adversely, therefore they will be seven in number. And what is said, I will also strike you, this is not an actual direct blow, but rather this blow from Me is that I will abandon you to the chances of time, and they will affect you with evils without mercy, for there is no mercy in chance. But nevertheless, the matter is still in doubt, for perhaps chance will bring them good and it is not a certainty. Therefore it says, And if with this you will not listen to Me. And you will say in any case that it is a coincidence for you, I will walk with you with the fury of chance. It adds with the fury because I know how to time it when the celestial arrangement is in fierce, poured-out anger, and at that time I will make it rule over you, and then it will certainly affect you with evils without doubt.
Tur HaArokh
שבע על חטאתיכם, “seven ways for your sins.” According to Ibn Ezra the number seven here is not to be taken at face value, but it is a number representing some whole unit, some indivisible unit, such as Bileam asking Balak to build for him “seven” altars (Numbers 23,28), or Hannah’s prayer in Samuel I 2,5 claiming that the barren woman had given birth to “seven” children. [At that time, at least, she had given birth only to one child. Ed.]
Rashbam
שבע על חטאתיכם; meaning that you will be struck with many afflictions for your sins. The expression is similar to the use of the word שבע by Solomon in Proverbs 24,16 שבע יפול צדיק וקם, “the Just will fall seven times, (many times) and each time he will rise up again.” Compare also Isaiah using the word שבעתים, literally, “sevenfold,” to compare the light of the sun in the future. He means it will be immeasurably stronger than in the pre-messianic times. (Compare Isaiah 30,26) The same prophet also employs the word “seven” as meaning “many,” In Isaiah 4,1 when saying that many women will beg to be just allowed to use the name of a chosen man, asking not to be supported by him but just to be allowed to be known as belonging to that man.
And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass.
verse value 4593
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "your·power" (עֻזְּכֶ֑ם, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·your·earth" (וְאֶֽת־אַרְצְכֶ֖ם, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·break" (וְשָׁבַרְתִּ֖י), "the·pride·of" (אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן), "your·power" (עֻזְּכֶ֑ם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "and·your·earth" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·power', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְשָׁבַרְתִּ֖י [and·I·will·break] (918) + אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן [the·pride·of] (461) + עֻזְּכֶ֑ם [your·power] (137) + וְנָתַתִּ֤י [and·I·will·give] (866) + אֶת־שְׁמֵיכֶם֙ [your·skies] (811) + כַּבַּרְזֶ֔ל [as·the·iron] (259) + וְאֶֽת־אַרְצְכֶ֖ם [and·your·earth] (758) + כַּנְּחֻשָֽׁה [like·copper] (383) = 4593.
Onkelos
I will break the pride of your strength, and I will make your sky above you hard as iron so as to hold back rain, and the earth beneath you firm as bronze so as to yield no produce.
Rashi
ושברתי את גאון עזכם AND I WILL BREAK THE EXCELLENCY OF YOUR STRENGTH — This is a reference to the Temple; for thus does it state, (Ezekiel 24:21) “Behold I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength”. ונתתי את שמיכם כברזל ואת ארצכם כנחשה AND I WILL MAKE YOUR HEAVEN AS IRON AND YOUR EARTH AS COPPER — This threat is even severer than that of Moses, because there it says, (Deuteronomy 28:23) “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be copper, [and the earth that is under thee shall be iron]” which implies that the heaven will at least exude moisture (will give some humidity) just as the copper exudes moisture, whilst the earth will not exude just as iron does not exude, and so it will keep its fruit in good condition, since it will not be too humid. Here, however, Scripture threatens that the heaven will not exude moisture, just as iron does not exude, and there will therefore be draught in the world, whilst the earth will exude (be too humid) just as copper sweats, and it will consequently make its fruits perish (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 3).
Ibn Ezra
"The pride of your strength" — [meaning] satiety, as in "and Jeshurun grew fat and rebelled." And pride, if broken, falls and is brought low.
Sforno
ושברתי את גאון עזכם, by the destruction of the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Compare Psalms 78,60 “He forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had set among men.”
Or HaChaim
ושברתי את גאון עזכם, "And I will break the pride of your power." According to Torat Kohanim our verse speaks of the Holy Temple and its destruction. Seeing the Jewish people did not repent in spite of their afflictions G'd will deprive them of the Holy Temple. The Jews erred in thinking that as long as the Temple remained standing this was proof that G'd related to them positively.
Chizkuni
ושברתי את גאון עוזכם, “I will break the pride of your power;” this has to be contrasted with verse 13 where the Torah described G-d as breaking all the yokes that the Egyptians had used to keep the Israelites down. This is stage one in this process of humbling the Jewish people. Step two follows with: ונתתי שמיכם ברזל, “I will make your heaven as iron;” this is the contrast to verse 4 where rain was promised to fall at the appropriate time of the year. ואת ארצכם נחושת, “and your soil like copper.” This contrasts the word בעתם, “at their proper time” in verse 4 above. This was a separate blessing, i.e. the third one. The word נחושת, “copper,” is a noun, as in Psalms 18,35: ונחתה קשת נחושה זרועותי, “my arms can bend a bow of copper.”
Kli Yakar
“I will make your skies like iron and your land like copper.” And Moses said the opposite of this, your skies like copper and your land like iron (Deuteronomy 28:23). This is because most commentators agree that this entire rebuke relates to the destruction of the First Temple, while the rebuke in Parashat Ki Tavo relates to the destruction of the Second Temple. It is known that iron is harder than copper, and in the First Temple period, their main sin was against Heaven through worshipping stars and constellations, as it is said, Since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven (Jeremiah 44:18). Therefore, the heavens were harsher to them than the earth, as it is said, The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him (Job 20:27). For they also corrupted their ways on earth. But in the Second Temple period, they did not worship idols, and their main evil was on earth through baseless hatred and quarreling among themselves, and the land was corrupted as in the generation of the Flood. Therefore, the earth was harsher to them than the heavens.
Rashbam
ושברתי את גאון עוזכם, as we read in verse 26 בשברי לכם מטה לחם, “when I will break your proud glory,” (economic independence) Ezekiel 16,49 uses similar words to express the same thoughts In the aggadic literature the predictions are understood as predicting the destruction of the Temple. In Ezekiel 24,21 the Temple is referred to as גאון עזכם, “your pride and glory.” The plain meaning of the text is in accordance with what I explained as testified to by the end of the verse ונתתי שמיכם כברזל ואת ארצכם כנחושה, “I will make your skies like iron and your earth like copper.”
And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her produce, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
verse value 3815
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "its·produce" (אֶת־יְבוּלָ֔הּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 296: the·land, its·fruit. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·shall·be·spent" (וְתַ֥ם), "your·strength" (כֹּחֲכֶ֑ם), "and·it·shall·not·yield" (וְלֹֽא־תִתֵּ֤ן). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "and·it·shall·not·yield" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "your·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְתַ֥ם [and·shall·be·spent] (446) + לָרִ֖יק [to·no·purpose] (340) + כֹּחֲכֶ֑ם [your·strength] (88) + וְלֹֽא־תִתֵּ֤ן [and·it·shall·not·yield] (887) + אַרְצְכֶם֙ [your·land] (351) + אֶת־יְבוּלָ֔הּ [its·produce] (454) + וְעֵ֣ץ [and·tree·of] (166) + הָאָ֔רֶץ [the·land] (296) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יִתֵּ֖ן [yield] (460) + פִּרְיֽוֹ [its·fruit] (296) = 3815.
Onkelos
Your strength will be spent in vain, and your land will not give its produce, and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.
Rashi
ותם לריק כחכם AND YOUR STRENGTH SHALL BE SPENT IN VAIN — Behold, if a man does not toil in his field — neither tills, nor sows, nor weeds it, nor clears away the thorns, nor hoes it, and then at harvest time blight comes and strikes it (the field, i. e. destroys that which sprung up of itself), surely it does not matter much (he does not take it to heart). But if a man has toiled — he has ploughed, sown, weeded, cleared away the thorns and hoed it, and then blight comes and strikes it, surely then the teeth of that man become blunt! (a figurative expression for becoming speechless, terror-stricken) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 4). ולא תתן ארצכם את יבולה — This means, the earth shall not yield even as much as you brought to it at sowing-time (יבולה as passive participle with suffix of יבל “to bring”, may denote: that which is brought to it) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 4). ועץ הארץ AND THE TREE OF THE GROUND [SHALL NOT YIELD] — This implies that even from the very earth a curse will rest upon it — that it will not bring its fruits to development at the time when they should develop (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 4). לא יתן serves as the verb with what precedes and with what follows — with “tree” and with “fruit”. Thus we obtain a second sense — לא יתן פריו IT WILL NOT GIVE ITS FRUIT — when it does produce fruit, it will cast its fruits (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 4). This gives two curses, and so you have here seven punishments in all.
Ibn Ezra
"And your strength shall be spent in vain" — for you will have labored in working the land.
Or HaChaim
ותם לריק כחכם, "and your strength will be spent in vain." The meaning is the same as if the Torah had written ותם כחכם לריק, meaning that your entire efforts will be to no avail. The Torah had to tell us this as the power of destructive forces often is only partially effective.
Chizkuni
ותם לריק כוכחם, “your strength will be spent in vain.” This is the opposite of verse 5, ובציר ישיג את זרע, “and the grape harvest will last until it is time to sew again.” We find the expression כח used in connection with harvest in Genesis 4,12 when G-d tells Kayin that the earth will not continue to give its strength to him as it had cooperated with him in hiding his brother’s blood. This is the fourth curse. ולא תתן ארצכם את יבולה, “your land will not yield its harvest.” This is the fifth curse. לא יתן פריו, “the trees will not yield their fruit.” This is the sixth curse. According to Rashi, this is a twofold curse. (as it refers both to the trunks of the trees and their fruit)
Rashbam
כחכם, for the earth will no longer lend you its strength.
And if you walk contrary to Me, and will not heed Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
verse value 3540
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·your·sins" (כְּחַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·if·you·shall·walk" (וְאִם־תֵּֽלְכ֤וּ), "be·willing" (תֹאב֖וּ), "to·obey" (לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "upon·you" (root על, 127x in Leviticus); "with·me" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root קרי ("hostility") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־תֵּֽלְכ֤וּ [and·if·you·shall·walk] (503) + עִמִּי֙ [with·me] (120) + קֶ֔רִי [hostility] (310) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תֹאב֖וּ [be·willing] (409) + לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽ [to·obey] (440) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + וְיָסַפְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·add] (566) + עֲלֵיכֶם֙ [upon·you] (170) + מַכָּ֔ה [blow] (65) + שֶׁ֖בַע [sevenfold] (372) + כְּחַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם [as·your·sins] (508) = 3540.
Onkelos
And if you walk before Me in stubbornness and you are not willing to hearken to My Word, I will continue to bring upon you a blow seven times over according to your sins.
Rashi
ואם תלכו עמי קרי — Our Rabbis said (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 5): this word signifies “irregularly”, “by chance” (מקרה), which is a thing that happens only occasionally; thus this means: if you will follow the commandments irregularly. Menachem explains it as an expression for “refraining”. Similar is, (Proverbs 25:17) “Refrain (הוקר) thy foot [from thy neighbour’s house]”; (Proverbs 17:27) “of a refraining (יקר) spirit”. This meaning approximates to the translation given by Onkelos which is a term denoting “stubbornness” (קושי) — that they harden their hearts so as to refrain from coming near unto Me. שבע כחטאתיכם SEVEN ACCORDING TO YOUR SINS — i. e. seven other punishments. These words mean: I will bring upon you more plagues (ויספתי עליכם מכה) in number, seven, corresponding to your sins (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 5).
Ibn Ezra
"Contrary" (קֶרִי) — many have said its meaning is strength and stubbornness, like a man who steels his heart and does not fear lest he be overcome — and it has no cognate. Others say it is from the root of "all that befell them" (כָּל הַקֹּרוֹת), and the meaning is as the Philistines said: "it was not His hand that touched us; it is a chance occurrence" (מִקְרֶה הוּא). On both interpretations, a bet is missing, as [is common, as in] "for six days" or "so shall it be," [i.e.,] "you walk with Me in a manner of chance" — and I have shown you many such cases. What is written is "according to your sins" and not "in addition to your sins" — [rather,] "on account of your sins" is attached to "to chastise you," the meaning being: "because of your sins."
Or HaChaim
ואם תלכו עמי קרי, "and if you walk contrary unto Me, etc." Inasmuch as the afflictions which have been visited upon the Jewish people are clearly the hand of G'd, their failure to react is described as walking contrary to G'd. שבע כחטאתיכם, "seven times more, according to your sins." Even though the Israelites had not become guilty of additional sins the fact that they had not become penitent is accounted as if the sins had been committed anew.
Chizkuni
ואם תלכו עמי קרי, “but if you will walk with Me as if what happens to you is only coincidental;” שבע על חטאתכם, “seven plagues;” just as your sins were committed by ignoring the legislation governing activities in the seventh year.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואם תלכו עמי קרי, “and if you behave casually with me, etc. This is the way a Torah-oriented Jew relates to his experiences: if he is successful in his endeavours he does not credit his astuteness with his success but sees in it an act of loving kindness by Hashem; he certainly does not think that he was so deserving an individual that G’d rewarded him for his righteousness by granting him this success. This is the Torah’s warning in Deut. 9,5: “not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart are you coming to possess their land, etc.” However, if bad fortune strikes a Torah-observant Jew (or what he perceives as bad fortune), the first thing he must do is to confess his personal inadequacies and assume that the reason for his afflictions are sins which he committed; on no account is he to attribute his misfortune to “bad luck,” i.e. to coincidence. If he were to make the mistake of doing so he will find that G’d adds more such “bad luck” as a punishment for his mistaken attitude. In other words, the mistaken notion that his fate was due to coincidence, מקרה, causes G’d to add more such מקרים"“. This is what is meant when G’d said in verse 24: “also I will behave toward you with casualness.” The Torah repeats the same sentiment in verse 28 in an accentuated form. In that instance the קרי will be an expression of G’d’s anger, חמה. It will appear as if G’d is “unloading” a measure of such coincidences on the Jew who refuses to heed the warnings expressed here.
Tur HaArokh
קרי, Ibn Ezra writes that according to the opinion of many scholars, the expression is unique throughout Scripture, meaning that the person so described is so full of self confidence or obstinacy, that he fears nothing and no one. Others hold that the word is related to מקרה, happenings which are popularly attributed to pure chance. If so, the Jewish people are described as instead of taking their misfortunes as a sign of G’d’s displeasure, they attribute their misfortunes to pure chance. Still a third view understands the expression as describing a hindrance, obstacle, as in הוקר רגלך, “restrain your foot from going to a certain place.”
Rashbam
ואם תלכו עמי קרי, Menachem interprets the word קרי as related to Proverbs 28,17 הוקר רגלך, “restrain your foot.” This is nonsense. The word הוקר in Proverbs is derived from a group of verbs known as פ'ה, first root letter being the letter ה, as in Genesis 47,6 הושב את אביך, a transitive mode of the root ישב, meaning: “settle your father, etc.” The word קרי is derived from the root קרה as in Numbers 23,15, meaning: “if you will walk with Me as if your fate is subject to coincidences, totally arbitrary happenings, not subject to providence, as a person who walks haphazardly, not following a definitive direction.”
And I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your ways shall become desolate.
verse value 5632
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "in·you" (בָכֶ֜ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·cattle" (אֶת־בְּהֶמְתְּכֶ֔ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 461: you, you. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·send" (וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֨י), "wild·animal·of" (אֶת־חַיַּ֤ת), "and·it·shall·bereave" (וְשִׁכְּלָ֣ה). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·cattle" (root בהמה, 31x in Leviticus); "the·open·field" (root שדה, 25x in Leviticus); "and·it·shall·wipe·out" (root כרת, 20x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root שמם ("and·shall·be·deserted") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֨י [and·I·will·send] (759) + בָכֶ֜ם [in·you] (62) + אֶת־חַיַּ֤ת [wild·animal·of] (819) + הַשָּׂדֶה֙ [the·open·field] (314) + וְשִׁכְּלָ֣ה [and·it·shall·bereave] (361) + אֶתְכֶ֔ם [you] (461) + וְהִכְרִ֙יתָה֙ [and·it·shall·wipe·out] (646) + אֶת־בְּהֶמְתְּכֶ֔ם [your·cattle] (908) + וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה [and·it·shall·make·few] (145) + אֶתְכֶ֑ם [you] (461) + וְנָשַׁ֖מּוּ [and·shall·be·deserted] (402) + דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם [your·roads] (294) = 5632.
Onkelos
I will incite against you the wild beasts of the field, and they will bereave you and destroy your livestock, and diminish you, and your roads will become desolate.
Rashi
והשלחתי is an expression for “inciting”. ושכלה אתכם [I WILL INCITE THE WILD ANIMALS AGAINST YOU] WHICH WILL ROB YOU OF YOUR CHILDREN — I find here mention only of wild animals robbing them of their children, i. e. of animals whose nature consists in this (to attack human beings); whence do we know that cattle whose nature is not thus will also rob them of their children? Because it states in a similar series of threats (Deuteronomy 32:24) “I will also incite (אשלח) the teeth of cattle (בהמות) against them”. — Thus you have two of the seven calamities mentioned above (the attacks of wild beasts and of cattle). And whence do we know that it (the cattle) will kill by its bite? Because Scripture states immediately afterwards, “with the poison of serpents of the dust". How is it in the case of these (the serpents)? They bite and kill by their bite! So, too, will those (the cattle) bite and thus kill. There were indeed such years in the Land of Israel when both a tame ass bit someone and caused his death and the wild ass bit and caused death (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 6). ושכלה אתכם AND THEY WILL ROB YOU OF YOUR CHILDREN — This means your little children. והכריתה את בהמתכם AND THEY WILL DESTROY YOUR CATTLE — those being outside in the fields (and so unable to escape the attacks of wild beasts), והמעיטה אתכם AND REDUCE YOUR NUMBERS — you being inside in the houses (reduce your numbers and not destroy entirely, for some of you will be able to escape). ונשמו דרכיכם AND YOUR ROADS SHALL BE DESOLATE — both the highways and the by-paths (דרכיכם plural!) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 5 7). — Here again you have seven punishments: 1) the teeth of domestic animals, 2) the teeth of wild animals, 3) the venom of the crawling things of the dust, 4) and they will bereave , 5) utterly destroy, 6) and diminish, 7) and [your roads] will become desolate.
Ibn Ezra
"And I will send among you" — from the root of "I am sending against you" (הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ בָּךְ). "And it shall bereave you" (וְשִׁכְּלָה אֶתְכֶם) — by the slaying of the young. "And it shall diminish you" (וְהִמְעִיטָה אֶתְכֶם) — by the slaying of the adults. "And your roads shall become desolate" — for there is no safe road because of fear of the beasts that are not under human control, as I have explained.
Or HaChaim
חית השדה. "the wild beasts of the field." Inasmuch as the Israelites were guilty of behaving like animals they in turn will be afflicted by animals.
Chizkuni
והשלחתי בכם וגו, “I shall send forth against you, etc.;” this corresponds to the blessing in verse 6, where G-d promises to destroy or keep in check wild beasts as a reward for our keeping the Torah. Seeing that the positive virtues are always evident in greater measure than the negative ones, when speaking about the wild beasts in the blessings, when referring to the wild beasts in the curses, the Torah uses the whole species, חיה רעה, whereas when referring to them in the context of His blessings, He mentions only “free roaming animals of the field,” not the whole species. ושכלה אתכם,”He will cause you bereavement amongst your children;” this is the opposite of when in the blessings the Torah portrayed you as pursuing your enemies (verse 9). Now that you have suffered bereavements you will not have enough people left to pursue your enemies. והכריתה את בהמתכם, “it will destroy your cattle;” this corresponds to the blessing in verse 6 where wild beasts are destroyed, thus protecting your cattle against attack. The word מן הארץ, in verse 6, a second time is the link to the word from the land is the link to the והמעיטה, “it will diminish your numbers,” in our verse here. [The reader will notice to what length our author goes to demonstrate how the curses match the blessings throughout this chapter. Ed.] The word והמעיטה is exactly the opposite of the words והרביתי, “I will make more numerous,” in verse 9 of the blessings in our chapter. ונשמו דרכיכם, “your ways will become desolate.” This is the opposite of ונתתי שלום בארץ, “I will grant peace in your land;” [when no one will be scared to walk alone on these ways. Ed.] This is the conclusion of the seven curses as explained by Rashi.
And if in spite of these things you will not be corrected to Me, but will walk contrary to Me;
verse value 1759
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·if·in·these" (וְאִ֨ם־בְּאֵ֔לֶּה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·if·in·these" (וְאִ֨ם־בְּאֵ֔לֶּה), "you·shall·be·admonished" (תִוָּסְר֖וּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "with·me" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus); "and·if·in·these" (root אלה, 27x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאִ֨ם־בְּאֵ֔לֶּה [and·if·in·these] (85) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תִוָּסְר֖וּ [you·shall·be·admonished] (672) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֥ם [and·you·shall·walk] (501) + עִמִּ֖י [with·me] (120) + קֶֽרִי [hostility] (310) = 1759.
Onkelos
And if through these you are not chastened to follow My Word, and you walk before Me in stubbornness —
Rashi
לא תוסרו ליAND IF YOU WILL NOT BE CHASTISED — so that you should return unto Me.
Ibn Ezra
"You shall be chastised" (תִּוָּסְרוּ) — a future form in the nif'al conjugation.
then I also will walk contrary to you; and I will smite you, even I, seven times for your sins.
verse value 3071
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "sevenfold" (שֶׁ֖בַע, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·sins" (עַל־חַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·strike" (וְהִכֵּיתִ֤י), "even·I" (גַּם־אָ֔נִי). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "even·I" (root אני, 71x in Leviticus); "with·you" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus); "upon·your·sins" (root חטא, 65x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·hostility', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהָלַכְתִּ֧י [and·I·will·walk] (471) + אַף־אֲנִ֛י [even·I] (142) + עִמָּכֶ֖ם [with·you] (170) + בְּקֶ֑רִי [in·hostility] (312) + וְהִכֵּיתִ֤י [and·I·will·strike] (451) + אֶתְכֶם֙ [you] (461) + גַּם־אָ֔נִי [even·I] (104) + שֶׁ֖בַע [sevenfold] (372) + עַל־חַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם [upon·your·sins] (588) = 3071.
Onkelos
I will also walk with you in stubbornness, and I will strike you, even I, seven times over for your sins.
Ibn Ezra
"On account of your sins" — is attached to "and I will strike you."
Or HaChaim
והלכתי אף אני עמכם בקרי, "and then I will also walk contrary unto you." This means that from now on G'd will not bother any longer to make the afflictions fit the sins committed so that the very afflictions would serve as a reminder to do תשובה. Up until this point G'd had brought the kinds of retribution which could be traced to specific sins the people had been guilty of. Up until then G'd had done as the Psalmist describes in Psalms 62,13: "You pay each man according to his deeds." From now on the people will be deprived of the positive effect of the afflictions as they cannot relate them to any sins they have committed.
Chizkuni
והלכתי אף אני עמכם בקרי, “and I too will walk with you as if what happens to you is only coincidental, and not related to your disloyalty to Me.” [This will make it harder for you to return to Me in penitence, as you cannot see cause and effect in your history. Ed.] This is another example of the punishment fitting the crime.
Targum Yonatan
I will Myself also remember you adversely in the world, and will destroy you, even I, with seven plagues, for seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me.
And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and you shall be gathered together within your cities; and I will send the pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
verse value 5583
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "a·sword" (חֶ֗רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "vengeance·of·covenant" (נְקַם־בְּרִ֔ית, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "avenging" (נֹקֶ֙מֶת֙), "vengeance·of·covenant" (נְקַם־בְּרִ֔ית), "and·you·shall·be·gathered" (וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּ֖ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·you" (root על, 127x in Leviticus); "and·you·shall·be·delivered" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·bring" (root בוא, 81x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·your·cities', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהֵבֵאתִ֨י [and·I·will·bring] (424) + עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם [upon·you] (170) + חֶ֗רֶב [a·sword] (210) + נֹקֶ֙מֶת֙ [avenging] (590) + נְקַם־בְּרִ֔ית [vengeance·of·covenant] (802) + וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·be·gathered] (637) + אֶל־עָרֵיכֶ֑ם [to·your·cities] (371) + וְשִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי [and·I·will·send] (754) + דֶ֙בֶר֙ [pestilence] (206) + בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם [in·your·midst] (488) + וְנִתַּתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·be·delivered] (896) + בְּיַד־אוֹיֵֽב [into·the·hand·of·the·enemy] (35) = 5583.
Onkelos
I will bring upon you those who slay by the sword, and retribution will be exacted from you because you transgressed the words of the Torah; you will gather into your cities, and I will send pestilence among you, and you will be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
Rashi
נקם ברית [AND I WILL BRING UPON YOU A SWORD AVENGING] THE VENGEANCE OF THE COVENANT — Scripture speaks of “the vengeance of the covenant” because there is vengeance which is not mentioned in “The Covenant” (i. e. in this chapter of Scripture) being in the manner of other acts of vengeance (i. e. like the barbarous acts of revenge that are customary among other peoples, but which are not threatened in the Torah), and such a one was the blinding of the eyes of king Zedekiah (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 1; cf. 2 Kings 25:7). Another explanation of נקם ברית is that it means vengeance for My covenant which you have transgressed. Wherever “bringing of the sword” is mentioned in Scripture it signifies a war waged by the enemies’ armies. ונאספתם AND YE SHALL GATHER YOURSELVES from outside (from the open country) WITHIN YOUR CITIES on account of the state of siege (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 1). ושלחתי דבר בתוככם AND I WILL SEND THE PESTILENCE AMONG YOU, and through the pestilence it will happen, ונתתם ביד THAT YOU WILL BE GIVEN INTO THE HAND of the enemies who besiege you. This is because no corpse was permitted to remain in Jerusalem over night, and therefore when they would carry the corpse out of the city to bury it they would be given (they would fall) into the hands of their enemies (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 1).
Ibn Ezra
"Vengeance of [the] covenant" — therefore I said that this is the covenant made at Sinai, written in the portion [beginning] "These are the ordinances" (אֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים), on the day they took it upon themselves and said "We will do and we will obey" — at that moment the covenant was made, and the entire passage was declared to them. "And you shall be gathered into your cities" — because of the sword; and there I will send pestilence and famine, until you will be willing to be handed over to the enemy — and that is the meaning of "and you shall be given into the hand of the enemy." This is a form in the nif'al conjugation.
Sforno
והבאתי עליכם חרב, as happened repeatedly during the periods when Israel was governed by its kings even though the Temple was standing. Kings II 8,12 describes a meeting of the prophet Elisha with King Ben Haddad of Aram (Syria) in which the prophet tells the king that the reason he is weeping is because he foresees the death and destruction which this king will cause his homeland. נוקמת נקם ברית, vengeance for violating the covenant, the very vengeance which is mentioned in the Book of the Covenant, in the words of our sages (Ketuvot 30) “even though the institution of the Supreme Court became void, the penalties which this court was authorised to hand out have not become void.” [if someone guilty of such a penalty which could not be administered because we are in exile, forfeits the atonement which administering the penalty would grant him, so that he is in fact much worse off seeing the court could not convict him. Ed.] ונתתם ביד אויב, as happened to the Ten Tribes who were exiled by the King of Assyria.
Chizkuni
חרב, “sword,” this is the opposite of the promise in verse 6, that no sword will cross the boundaries of your land. Regarding this “sword,” Isaiah 1,20, has said that you will be devoured by it. נוקמת נקם הברית “it shall execute the vengeance of the covenant (that has been broken by you.) The Torah had warned of this already in Exodus 24,8, when it was first described as a great blessing for you. In Vayikra Rabbah 35,6, the author, quoting Isaiah 1,18, אם תאבו ושמעתם טוב הארץ תאכלו, speaks of if you will agree and listen you will eat of the best the earth has to offer,” adding that “you will be devoured by the sword if you do not listen.”Rashi adds on our verse that there is also a vengeance that is not related to this covenant between the Jewish people and their G-d, citing the gouging out of King Tzidkiyahu’s eyes for having broken a covenant with King Nebuchadnezzar. (Torat Kohanim) This is a form of vengeance not mentioned in the Torah. [The first time we encounter it occurs with Shimshon, whose eyes were gouged out by the Philisitines, but in his caseaccording to our sages, it was actually retribution not for what he had done to the Philistines, but by what he had done to himself by following his eyes when repeatedly choosing Philistine women to cohabit with. The Torah, and Shimshon’s father, had warned him not to rely on what his eyes saw when choosing a wife. Ed.] There is yet another kind of vengeance not mentioned in the Torah, which is also described as violation of a covenant; When the Torah wrote in Deuteronomy 28,69, at the end of Moses’ version of the reprimands, Tochachah, אלה דברי בהרית, “these are the words of (warning) of the covenant concluded with the people at Mount Chorev,” the very word: אלה “these,” hints to us that in addition to “these,” there may be other contractual and mutual obligations, but not necessarily the ones entered into at Mount Sinai. [Keeping one’s solemn promise surely did not have to become part of morality only after the Jewish people accepted the Torah. Our forefathers already encountered this problem in their lives, Ed.] ונאספתם אל עריכם, “you shall be gathered within your cities;” you will have to take refuge within the walls of your cities from the swords of your enemies. Even this defensive measure will prove useless; because pestilence will break out amongst you within these cities, and you will be delivered into the hands of your enemies. This is the second curse contrasted with verse 13 where G-d promised that He will lead us in upright and selfconfident posture. The third plague follows when the Torah writes here that we will be delivered to our enemies as opposed to verse 8, when the Jewish people were described as so powerful and feared that a mere one hundred of them put to flight 10000 of their attackers. This is the third of the seven curses, the fourth being that you will fall before your enemies instead of at least being able to save your lives.
Rashbam
נקם ברית, vengeance for the covenant which you broke. Compare what was written in verse 15.
When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight; and you shall eat, and not be satisfied.
verse value 4859 — אֶחָ֔ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֔ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·you" (לָכֶם֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "staff·of·bread" (מַטֵּה־לֶ֒חֶם֒, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 138: your·bread, your·bread. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "when·I·break" (בְּשִׁבְרִ֣י), "staff·of·bread" (מַטֵּה־לֶ֒חֶם֒), "and·they·shall·bake" (וְ֠אָפ֠וּ). The root לחם appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "and·you·shall·eat" (root אכל, 106x in Leviticus); "women" (root אשה, 75x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·weight', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 3 words.
Onkelos
When the staff of food supply is broken for you, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven, and they will dole out your bread by weight; you will eat and not be satisfied.
Rashi
מטה לחם THE STAFF OF YOUR BREAD: מַטֵּה — This expression denotes [a source of] “support”, similar to “staff (מַטֵּה) of strength” (Jeremiah 48:17). בשברי לכם מטה לחם WHEN I BREAK THE STAFF OF YOUR BREAD — This implies: “I will break for you every support of food”. These are the “arrows of famine” alluded to by Ezekiel (5:16), for he continues with exactly the same words: “and I will break your staff of bread” (cf. Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 2). בתנור אחד [TEN WOMEN SHALL BREAK YOUR BREAD] IN ONE OVEN — on account of scarcity of wood (fuel) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 2). והשיבו לחמכם במשקל AND THEY SHALL DELIVER YOUR OWN BREAD AGAIN BY WEIGHT, because the grain will rot and the bread will become פת נפולת (crumbly bread) and break into pieces in the oven, so that they (the women) will deliberately weigh the pieces in order to divide them between themselves (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 2). ואכלתם ולא תשבעו AND YE SHALL EAT AND NOT BE SATISFIED — This is a special curse that will take effect on the bread already in their stomach (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 2; cf. Rashi on v. 5). Thus you have seven punishments (alluded to in v. 24): (1) the attacking armies, (2) the siege, (3) the plague, (4) the destruction of food supply, (5) a lack of wood, (6) crumbly bread and (7) a curse in the intestines.
Ibn Ezra
"When I break" (בְּשִׁבְרִי) — this is an infinitive noun, and it comes like "when one lies down and when one rises up" (בְּשָׁכְבָּהּ וּבְקוּמָהּ). The meaning of "the staff of bread" is the support [of life] — it is a figure of speech; and in Isaiah it says "the staff of bread," for "bread sustains the heart of man." "Ten women" — this is a round count, for the custom of Israel was that each household baked its oven for itself to eat throughout the week, as the arrangement of the Sabbath loaves demonstrates. "And they shall bring back your bread by weight" — because it is so little. "And you shall eat and not be satisfied" — there is a [kind of] hunger in which one who eats little is satisfied; but you, though you eat much, will not be satisfied.
Chizkuni
בשברי לכם מטה הלחם, ”when I break your staff of bread;” this curse is the reverse of the blessing in verse 5 that we will eat our bread and find that it satisfies our requirements and we will be sated. This is the fifth curse. והשיבו לחמכם במשקל, “and they shall deliver your bread again by weight;” the vowel under the letter is a patach. Dough which has been put inside the oven for baking will be found not to have increased in weight. The entire expression symbolises how even the little that is available will be measured minutely. This curse is contrasted with the blessing in verse 10 where the abundance of food is described as lasting well into the next harvest season. It is the sixth of the seven curses. ואכלתם ולא תשבעו, “even when you eat that you will not experience the feeling of having been sated.” This is the opposite of the blessing in verse 10 that you will eat from grain long held in storage.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואפו עשר נשים, “and ten women will bake (in one oven).” This number is not to be understood literally, but is an example of an unusually large number, not appropriate for the subject under discussion. We find an example of this in Job 19,3 where he said: “you humiliate me ten times.” It means that Job complained about being humiliated time and again. The reason the number “ten” is used to illustrate such concepts of something occurring frequently is because this number is the conclusion of a number of digits which are all included in it. The number “seven” has similar properties as it includes all the days of the week, a recurring phenomenon. When Solomon writes in Proverbs 24,16 that a righteous person can fall seven times and recover, this does not mean that he cannot recover an eighth time, but that he can recover after having fallen many times. The Torah describes Yaakov as prostrating himself before his brother Esau “seven times” in Genesis 33,3. The number “seven” need not be understood literally but is a metaphor for “many times.” The reason that that number has become the symbol of “many times” may be that the only sequential combination of letters in the aleph bet which produces the number seven are the letters ג and ד, a combination of these two numbers as letters yields the word דג, fish, a species whose rate of multiplying is described as ישרצו, in Genesis 1,20 as “the waters shall teem with fish.” Yaakov applied this to human beings also when he blessed Joseph’s children wishing וידגו לרב בקרב הארץ, “may they increase abundantly as fish,” in Genesis 48,16. We may therefore view both the number seven and the number ten as metaphors for large numbers of something.
Rashbam
עשר נשים, meaning “many;” the number “10” is not to be understood literally. It is used in the same sense in Job 19,3 עשר פעמים תכלימני, “time and again you humiliated me.” בתנור אחד, for one woman does not have enough dough with which to fill the oven. והשיבו לחמכם במשקל, because it had been brought into the oven by weight, and according to the same weight it will be returned to the owners of the dough. The whole expression describes the minute amount of bread available. Ezekiel 4,16 graphically describes these conditions, writing “they shall eat bread by weight, in anxiety, and drink water by measure, in horror.” בשברי לכם מטה לחם, “when I break your staff of bread,” it will be baked and consumed strictly according to weight. ואכלתם ולא תשבעו, because the rations are so inadequate. Alternatively, the meaning is that “although you eat a lot of it, it will not satisfy because a curse rests on the bread.”
And if you will not for all this heed Me, but walk contrary to Me;
verse value 2277
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·if·in·this" (וְאִ֨ם־בְּזֹ֔את, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·if·in·this" (וְאִ֨ם־בְּזֹ֔את). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "with·me" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus); "and·if·in·this" (root זאת, 21x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאִ֨ם־בְּזֹ֔את [and·if·in·this] (457) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תִשְׁמְע֖וּ [hear] (816) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֥ם [and·you·shall·walk] (501) + עִמִּ֖י [with·me] (120) + בְּקֶֽרִי [in·hostility] (312) = 2277.
Onkelos
And if even then you do not hearken to My Word and you walk before Me in stubbornness —
Ibn Ezra
"And if in spite of this" — in spite of this blow. And so too "and if in spite of all these" — in spite of these mentioned blows.
then I will walk contrary to you in fury; and I also will chastise you seven times for your sins.
verse value 3650
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 44 letters. Verse gematria: 3650 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "sevenfold" (שֶׁ֖בַע, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·sins" (עַל־חַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "in·wrathful·hostility" (בַּחֲמַת־קֶ֑רִי), "and·I·will·discipline" (וְיִסַּרְתִּ֤י). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "even·I" (root אני, 71x in Leviticus); "with·you" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus); "upon·your·sins" (root חטא, 65x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·wrathful·hostility', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהָלַכְתִּ֥י [and·I·will·walk] (471) + עִמָּכֶ֖ם [with·you] (170) + בַּחֲמַת־קֶ֑רִי [in·wrathful·hostility] (760) + וְיִסַּרְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·discipline] (686) + אֶתְכֶם֙ [you] (461) + אַף־אָ֔נִי [even·I] (142) + שֶׁ֖בַע [sevenfold] (372) + עַל־חַטֹּאתֵיכֶֽם [upon·your·sins] (588) = 3650.
Onkelos
I will walk with you in the strength of fierce anger, and I will chastise you, even I, seven times over for your sins.
Ibn Ezra
"On account of your sins" — is attached to "and I will chastise you."
Chizkuni
ויסרתי, “I will chastise;” the vowels here are: sh’va, followed by chirik. [strong conjugation piel. Ed.]
Rashbam
ויסרתי, same as Deuteronomy 8,5 כאשר ייסר איש את הנו, “as a father who disciplines his son.” The word occurs in this sense also in Deuteronomy 21,18 ויסרו אותו, “after they disciplined him.” (physical punishment.) Similar constructions are found with the root ישב, as in Ezekiel 25,4 וישבו בך טירותם, “they will establish their palaces within you.”
Targum Yonatan
I will also remember you adversely in the world, and will chastise you, even I, with seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me.
And you shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall you eat.
verse value 2608
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "flesh·of" (בְּשַׂ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·eat" (וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "your·sons" (בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם), "your·daughters" (בְּנֹתֵיכֶ֖ם). The root אכל appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·sons" (root בן, 143x in Leviticus); "and·you·shall·eat" (root אכל, 106x in Leviticus); "flesh·of" (root בשר, 56x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·sons', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·eat] (497) + בְּשַׂ֣ר [flesh·of] (502) + בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם [your·sons] (122) + וּבְשַׂ֥ר [and·flesh·of] (508) + בְּנֹתֵיכֶ֖ם [your·daughters] (522) + תֹּאכֵֽלוּ [you·shall·eat] (457) = 2608.
Onkelos
You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat.
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters" — there is nothing more extreme than this famine.
Or HaChaim
ואכלתם בשר בניכם, "and you will eat the flesh of your own sons." The reason the Torah repeats this statement by also writing: "you will eat the flesh of your daughters" is to tell you that even after having eaten the flesh of their sons their pity will not have been stirred and they will continue by eating the flesh of their daughters. It is also possible that the Torah stresses that the sons will be eaten first so that they would not try and escape when they observed their parents getting ready to eat their daughters. The daughters were weaker and therefore less likely to escape. It is also possible that the reason the parents would eat the sons first is because according to Rashi on Shabbat 66 fathers display extraordinary leniency and mercy towards sons. Once they had consumed the sons they would certainly not feel any compunction about also consuming their daughters.
Chizkuni
ואכלתם בשר בניכם, “you will eat the flesh of your children.” This curse corresponds to the blessing in verse 9 והפרתי אתכם, “I will make you fruitful.”Some commentators understand this as referring to children who are from highly respected families getting married to families of far lower social standing, by trading their superior ancestry for making an alliance with a wealthier family through marriage. If so, this would be the first curse.
Targum Yonatan
And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters. Mosheh the prophet hath said, How heavy will have been the guilt, and how bitter those sins, that caused our fathers to eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters, because they kept not the commandments of the law!
And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your sun-pillars, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you.
verse value 6055
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 68 letters. The shortest word is "my·soul" (נַפְשִׁ֖י, 4 letters) and the longest is "your·high·places" (אֶת־בָּמֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·destroy" (וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֞י), "your·high·places" (אֶת־בָּמֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם), "your·sun-pillars" (אֶת־חַמָּ֣נֵיכֶ֔ם). The root פגר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus); "my·soul" (root נפש, 58x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·cut·off" (root כרת, 20x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·fetishes', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֞י [and·I·will·destroy] (765) + אֶת־בָּמֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם [your·high·places] (913) + וְהִכְרַתִּי֙ [and·I·will·cut·off] (641) + אֶת־חַמָּ֣נֵיכֶ֔ם [your·sun-pillars] (569) + וְנָֽתַתִּי֙ [and·I·will·give] (866) + אֶת־פִּגְרֵיכֶ֔ם [your·corpses] (754) + עַל־פִּגְרֵ֖י [upon·corpses·of] (393) + גִּלּוּלֵיכֶ֑ם [your·fetishes] (139) + וְגָעֲלָ֥ה [and·shall·spurn] (114) + נַפְשִׁ֖י [my·soul] (440) + אֶתְכֶֽם [you] (461) = 6055.
Onkelos
I will destroy your high places and cut down your sun-pillars, and I will cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and My Word will remove you.
Rashi
במתיכם YOUR HIGH PLACES — towers and castles. חמניכם SUN IMAGES — a kind of idols which they used to set on their roofs; and because they were placed in the sun (חמה) they are called “sun images” (חמנים) (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1 11). ונתתי את פגריכם AND I WILL CAST YOUR CARCASSES [UPON THE CARCASSES OF YOUR IDOLS] —[This actually happened, for it is related (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 4; Sanhedrin 63b) that] people were once swollen from starvation during a siege, and yet they took their idols from their bosom and kissed them, and whilst they were so doing each person’s belly burst open and he fell to the ground upon it (the idol). וגעלה נפשי אתכם AND MY SOUL SHALL LOATHE YOU — This refers to the departure of the Shechinah from their midst (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 4).
Ibn Ezra
There will be no place for you to cry out and pray to be saved from the famine, for I will destroy your high places (בָּמוֹתֵיכֶם), the sites of sacrifice. "Your sun-pillars" (חַמָּנֵיכֶם) — from the root of חַמָּה [sun]; they are houses made for prostrating oneself before the sun; the nun is a secondary addition, like the nun in נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת ["compassionate women"]. "Your corpses" (פִּגְרֵיכֶם) — your bodies, as in "a trampled corpse" (פֶּגֶר מוּבָס). "Your idols" (גִּלּוּלֵיכֶם) — a term of contempt for idolatry, from the root of "as the dung (הַגָּלָל) is cleared away." The meaning is: when you gather at idol-temples, there your enemies will kill you and will smash the form of your idols, and I will not save you. "And My soul shall abhor you" — [meaning] that the Divine Presence shall depart.
Sforno
ונתתי את פגריכם על פגרי גלוליכם, seeing that the city is under siege, as the Talmud Sanhedrin 63b relates about a certain encounter between Elijah the prophet and a young child suffering from hunger; when he urged the child to recite the שמע ישראל prayer so that he would be revived, the child refused even to utter the name of G’d, pulling out his particular miniature idol kissing it, and dying on the spot, instead.
Or HaChaim
וגעלה נפשי אתכם, "and My soul will abhor you." Why did the Torah have to spell this out? It is something that we can extrapolate from verse 11 where G'd had said that as long as the Israelites would observe the commandments they would be blessed in that G'd would not abhor them. Clearly such a blessing would not continue when the people turned sinful. If G'd wanted to write how blessings would be reversed during periods when the Jewish people rebelled against G'd, the Torah should have presented all of the previously mentioned blessings as being reversed. We must assume therefore, that G'd listed the various punishments independent of the fact that the blessings would now be absent. I believe the message of the verse is that even the righteous who would live during these times when the bulk of the people turned sinful would not enjoy a display of G'd's favour. We find a statement to this effect in Hoseah 4,5 that "even the prophet who is among you will stumble." Another meaning of all this is that the gift of prophecy will be withdrawn [or handed to totally ineffectual individuals such as children or idiots, Ed.] so that no longer will there be prophets to admonish the people. G'd's "soul" manifests itself through His communication with His prophets. This is just about the worst curse there is and it is the reason the Torah mentioned it only after having already listed many other curses. Tragically, we are still witnessing this curse as being in effect in our own days.
Chizkuni
והשמדתי את במותיכם והכרתי את חמניכם, “I will destroy your high places and cut down your sun pillars;” This is not part of the curses, as it refers simply to your idols being destroyed. חמניכם, from the word חמה, another word for “sun, שמש; the letter נ in this word is extraneous, just as the letter נ in the word נשים for “women” is extraneous in the expression: נשים רחמניות, (Lamentations 4,10) ונתתי את פגריכם על פגרי גלוליכם, “I will cast your carcasses next to the carcasses of your idols.” This curse corresponds to the blessing in verse 12: “I will be your G-d, and you will be My people.” This is the second curse. וגעלה נפשי אתכם, “My soul shall abhor you.” This corresponds to the blessing in verse 11 that “My soul will not abhor you.” This is the third curse.
Tur HaArokh
והשמדתי את במותיכם, “I will destroy your lofty buildings.” The meaning of this verse is that once the retribution starts there will no longer be a place from which to offer the prayers and to plead with G’d to halt the process. The reason is that G’d will destroy the locations of the altars where such prayers might have been accepted by a G’d so inclined. וגעלה נפשי אתכם, ”for My essence will despise you.” For as soon as I withdraw My Presence from you, your cities will be ruined.
Rashbam
על פגרי גילוליכם, because in the very houses which served as your temples you will be killed; there is a parallel verse in Jeremiah 7,32 describing the lack of suitable burial grounds for the dead.
And I will make your cities a waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors.
verse value 4116
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·sanctuaries" (אֶת־מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶ֑ם, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "your·cities" (אֶת־עָֽרֵיכֶם֙), "and·I·will·make·desolate" (וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖י), "your·sanctuaries" (אֶת־מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶ֑ם). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 188x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 86x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·sanctuaries', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֤י [and·I·will·give] (866) + אֶת־עָֽרֵיכֶם֙ [your·cities] (741) + חׇרְבָּ֔ה [ruin] (215) + וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖י [and·I·will·make·desolate] (767) + אֶת־מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶ֑ם [your·sanctuaries] (915) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + אָרִ֔יחַ [savor] (219) + בְּרֵ֖יחַ [the·odor·of] (220) + נִיחֹֽחֲכֶֽם [your·pleasing·odors] (136) = 4116.
Onkelos
I will make your cities a desolation and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will not accept the offerings of your assemblies with favor.
Rashi
ונתתי את עריכם חרבה AND I WILL MAKE YOUR CITIES WASTE — I might think that this means that they will be so waste that there will be no human being there (no inhabitants)! But when Scripture states (v. 32) “I will bring the land into desolation” its becoming desolate of human beings is expressed there. How, then, must I explain the words "[and I will make your cities] waste”? That there will not even be occasional passers to and fro — no occasional visitors (cf. Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 4). והשמותי את מקדשיכם AND I WILL BRING YOUR SANCTUARIES UNTO DESOLATION — I might think that this means they will be desolate of sacrifices! But when Scripture states, “and I will not smell [your pleasing odors]”, their being desolate of sacrifices is expressed there! How then must I explain והשמותי את מקדשיכם? As referring to their being abandoned by the bands of pilgrims — by the caravans of Israelites which used to prepare and to band together in order to pilgrim there (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 4). Thus again you have seven punishments: the eating of the flesh of their sons and daughters, the destruction of the high places, these make two. — The cutting off of the sun-images, however, is not reckoned as a separate punishment, for that statement means that through the destruction of the high places the sun-images which were placed on the top of the roofs would fall and so be destroyed. — “I will cast your carcasses etc.”, three; the departure of the Shechinah, four; the laying waste of the cities, the desertion of the Sanctuary by the pilgrim bands and “I shall not smell the pleasing odor of the sacrifices” — make altogether seven.
Ibn Ezra
"Then your cities shall become ruins and your sanctuaries shall be desolate" — in the beginning they were My sanctuary. "And I will not smell the savor" — the meaning is that the glory of Hashem fills heaven and earth, and yet it is written regarding Noah, "Hashem smelled the pleasing aroma" — the meaning being [now] that I will not accept a burnt offering from you thereafter.
Sforno
ונתתי עריכם חרבה, at the hands of the King of Babylon and his hordes. והשימותי את מקדשיכם, at the hands of the general Nevuzaradan. ולא אריח את ריח ניחוחכם, even though during the period in question there were priests, descendants of the illustrious High Priest Tzadok who faithfully performed the service in the Temple, including the daily incense offering, no doubt. This offering was rejected by G’d on account of the immense guilt the people had accumulated.
Or HaChaim
ונתתי את עריכם חרבה, "and I will turn your cities into ruins." The Torah means that not only will our cities no longer be a model for other nations but that they will be inferior to the civilisation of the Gentile nations. This is a source of great distress. Isaiah had this in mind when he described the cities of Yehudah and Zion as being turned into a desert (Isaiah 64,9) unless the Jewish people would mend their ways. והשימותי את מקדשיכם, "and I will make your Sanctuaries desolate." This is a reference to symbols of impurity in the Temple. The forces of the קליפה are also known as שממון. ולא אדיח בריח ניחחכם. "and I will not savour the fragrance of your sweet odours." This means that G'd will not even be pleased by the good deeds of the Jewish peolpe at that time. Good deeds also qualify for the description ריח ניחח, sweet odour. Jeremiah made the same point in Lamentations 3, 5 שתם תפלתי, "He shut out my prayers."
Chizkuni
עריכם חרבה, ”your cities will be waste;” this must be contrasted with the blessing in verse 5, “you will pursue etc.” This is the fourth curse. והשימותי את מקדשיכם, “I will lay waste your sanctuaries.” This is to be contrasted with the blessing of ונתתי משכני בתוככם, “I will set My Tabernacle amongst you in verse 11. This is the fifth curse. ולא אריח ברית ניחוחכם, “I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.” This may be contrasted with the blessing in verse 12: והתהלכתי בתוככם, “I will go for walks amongst you.” This is the sixth of the curses.
Rabbeinu Bahya
והשמותי את מקדשיכם, “I will make your Sanctuaries desolate.” The fact that the Torah still refers to these buildings as “sanctuaries,” is to teach us that even when they have been destroyed their sites retain their original sanctity (compare Megillah 28). We read in Midrash Tehillim (11,4) “Rabbi Pedot said that regardless of the Sanctuary being operative or destroyed, the Shechinah did not depart from that site as it is written in Psalms 11,4: ה' בהיכל קדשו ה' בשמים ה' בשמים כסאו, ‘the Lord is in His holy palace, the Lord- His throne is in heaven.’” The psalmist says that although G’d is in His Sanctuary in heaven on His throne, His Shechinah is in the Sanctuary on earth. The fact that this Sanctuary retains its sanctity is derived from Kings I 9,3: “My eyes and My heart will remain there forever.” Another verse in Scripture stating the same is found in Psalms 3,5: ”He answers me from His holy mountain selah,” (forever). Even though it is now only a mountain (as opposed to a Sanctuary) it retains its sanctity, selah. Another verse having a bearing on this subject is found in Micah 4,10: “for now you must leave the city and dwell (ושכנת) in the field;” the fact that the prophet says of G’d (Shechinah) that it will continue to “dwell,” means it will be at home. [According to the author’s version of Micah, the word we have as ושכנת was spelled as ושכנתי, “I will dwell”. Ed.] This means that although the area has become as desolate as a field, the Shechinah will continue to dwell there. Rabbi Acha said that the Shechinah has never departed from the Western Wall as it is written in Song of Songs 2,9: “there He stands behind our wall.”
Tur HaArokh
והשמותי את מקדשיכם, “I will utterly destroy your sanctuaries.” Note, that while G’d was in a benevolent state of mind He had described these sanctuaries as “My sanctuaries.” As soon as the Israelites became habitual sinners He no longer associated His name with these sanctuaries. Having first spoken only of the destruction of the cities and sanctuaries in the Jewish state, He now speaks of:
And I will bring the land into desolation; and your enemies that dwell in it shall be astonished at it.
verse value 2483
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. Verse gematria: 2483 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּֽהּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·make·desolate" (וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥י, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·I·will·make·desolate" (וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥י), "the·land" (אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ), "and·they·shall·be·desolate" (וְשָֽׁמְמ֤וּ). The root שמם appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·it" (root על, 127x in Leviticus); "the·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "I" (root אני, 71x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥י [and·I·will·make·desolate] (761) + אֲנִ֖י [I] (61) + אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ [the·land] (697) + וְשָֽׁמְמ֤וּ [and·they·shall·be·desolate] (392) + עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ [upon·it] (115) + אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֔ם [your·enemies] (83) + הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים [who·settle] (367) + בָּֽהּ [in·it] (7) = 2483.
Onkelos
I will lay the land waste, and your enemies who dwell in it will be desolate over it.
Rashi
והשמתי אני את הארץ AND I WILL BRING THE LAND INTO DESOLATION [AND YOUR ENEMIES WHO ABIDE IN IT SHALL BE DESOLATE UPON IT] — This was a kindly measure for Israel that the enemies would find no satisfaction in their (the Israelites') land and so it would become desolate of its inhabitants (of the enemies also, and Israel might again easily take possession of it) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 5).
Ibn Ezra
After [Scripture] mentioned your cities and your sanctuaries, it says "the land" — all the land of Israel. "And your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled" — so desolate will it be that even the enemies who dwell there will be appalled by it, the opposite of "the joy of all the earth."
Or HaChaim
והשמותי אני את הארץ, "And I will make the land desolate, etc." The reason the Torah uses the word אני although it is implied in the word והשמותי is to identify the Attribute of G'd causing this desolation. It is the attribute of mercy. Torat Kohanim explains that the desolation of the land is intended to deny our enemies the pleasure of what had been our land before they conquered it.
Chizkuni
והשמותי אני את הארץ, “I will bring the land into desolation;” ושממו עליה אויביכם, but your enemies will be amazed by the desolation in your country. Your cities will also become desolate, i.e. ארצכם שממה ועריכם יהיו חרבה. We find a repetition here.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ושממו עליה אויביכם, “your foes who dwell upon it will be desolate.” The desolation will be experienced by your enemies who will never feel comfortable in your land. This verse is good news for the Jewish people. G’d promises this in order that Jews in exile should never have to lament that seeing that they have been exiled from the Holy Land, others will now experience the pleasures to be experienced in that land. Thus far Sifra Bechukotai 6,8 on our verse. As a result the peoples who will dwell there will not engage in civilising the country which they took over as desolate; they will not wall their cities. Any nation attempting to rebuild this country will find themselves lacking in strength to do so. This is a tremendous source of encouragement for exiled Jews that the land awaits their eventual return to it before it will begin to bloom again.
Tur HaArokh
והשמותי אני את הארץ, “I will make the whole land desolate.” This is a reference to the entire Holy Land.
Rashbam
ושממו עליה איביכם, when they come there with the intention to settle in them. (compare Tzefaniah 2,15 כל עובר עליה ישרוק, יניע ידו, “everyone who comes by her hisses and gestures with his hand (in disgust).”
And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
verse value 3715
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "a·sword" (חָ֑רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·unsheathe" (וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·you" (וְאֶתְכֶם֙), "I·will·scatter" (אֱזָרֶ֣ה), "and·I·will·unsheathe" (וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י). The root חרב appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 147x in Leviticus); "your·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "after·you" (root אחר, 27x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'a·sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאֶתְכֶם֙ [and·you] (467) + אֱזָרֶ֣ה [I·will·scatter] (213) + בַגּוֹיִ֔ם [among·the·nations] (61) + וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י [and·I·will·unsheathe] (731) + אַחֲרֵיכֶ֖ם [after·you] (279) + חָ֑רֶב [a·sword] (210) + וְהָיְתָ֤ה [and·it·shall·be] (426) + אַרְצְכֶם֙ [your·land] (351) + שְׁמָמָ֔ה [desolation] (385) + וְעָרֵיכֶ֖ם [and·your·cities] (346) + יִהְי֥וּ [they·shall·be] (31) + חׇרְבָּֽה [ruin] (215) = 3715.
Onkelos
You I will scatter among the nations, and I will draw out after you those who slay by the sword; your land will be desolate, and your cities will become ruins.
Rashi
ואתכם אזרה בגוים AND I WILL SCATTER YOU AMONG THE NATIONS — This again was a harsh measure; because when the inhabitants of a country go into exile in one and the same place they have the opportunity to see each other and so find consolation for their bad lot. Israel, however, was scattered as though by a winnowing fan — as when a man winnows barley with a fan — when not even one grain of them adheres to the other (not even two grains remain in the same place; cf. Jeremiah 25:7) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 6). והריקתי — (lit., I shall empty out) — This term may be used for drawing the sword because when one draws the sword the scabbard becomes empty (cf. Rashi on Ex 15:9). A Midrashic explanation (referring the word והריקתי to the sword itself not to the scabbard) is the sword once drawn to pursue you will not soon return unto the scabbard — as a man pours out water and it can never return to the vessel that once contained it (i. e. I will, as it were, empty out the scabbard — pour forth the sword from it, and it shall never return, but always follow you) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 7). והיתה ארצכם שממה AND YOUR LAND WILL BE (REMAIN) DESOLATE — This implies that you will not soon return unto it, and on that account עריכם יהיו חריבה YOUR CITIES WILL BE WASTE, i. e. they will seem to you waste; for when a man is exiled from his house, or from his vineyard, or from his city, knowing that he is ultimately to return to it, it appears to him as though his vineyard or his house were not waste. —Thus is it explained in Torat Cohanim (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 7 1).
Ibn Ezra
"And I will scatter" (אֱזָרֶה) — in the pi'el conjugation with dagesh; and it is not enough that you are scattered, but also "I will unsheathe the sword after you." The meaning of "I will unsheathe" — out of its scabbard. "And your land shall be" — is attached to the following verse; the meaning being: when your land is desolate.
Sforno
ואתכם אזרה בגויים, a reference to the Israelites who emigrated to Egypt after the destruction of the Temple. והריקותי אחריכם חרב, a reference to Nevuchadnezzar’s sword, the latter invading Egypt as predicted by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 42,15.
Or HaChaim
ואתכם אזרה בגוים, "And you I will scatter among the nations." This verse is best explained in conjunction with what we have learned in Ketuvot 111 that G'd made the (Jews) people swear three (two) oaths at the time they went into exile.. 1) they would not try and recapture the land of Israel by force of arms; 2) they would not start a rebellion against their host countries while in exile. 3) G'd made the nations swear that they would not oppress the Jews excessively. In our verse the Torah alludes to two things. The word אזרה alludes to the oath not to try and recapture the land of Israel by force. The word בגוים refers to the oath not to start a rebellion against the host countries. The words והריקותי אחריכם חרב, "I will draw out the sword after you," is a threat that if the Israelites do not abide by the oaths mentioned G'd would make their lives הפקר, abandoned property. The words והיתה ארצכם שממה "your land will be waste-land," is the reason why G'd has to scatter the Israelites among the nations. Otherwise He could not fulfil His decree for the land to rest by not being worked and thus make up for the failure of the Jewish people to observe the שמטה years while they occupied the land. This is also why the Torah emphasises that all this would happpen while the Jewish people are in exile, i.e. ואתם, "as for you."
Chizkuni
How am I going to do this? ואתכם אזרה בגויים, “I will scatter you among the nations.” This is to be contrasted with verse 5 of the blessings where the Torah promised that you will dwell securely in your land. This is the seventh of the curses.
Then shall the land make up her sabbath years, all the days that it lies desolate while you are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and make up her sabbath years.
verse value 7425
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אָז֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "its·sabbath·years" (אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתֶ֗יהָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 1518: its·sabbath·years, its·sabbath·years. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "it·shall·make·up·for" (תִּרְצֶ֨ה), "and·shall·make·up·for" (וְהִרְצָ֖ת). The root ארץ appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "days·of" (root יום, 112x in Leviticus); "all" (root כל, 88x in Leviticus); "the·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root אז ("then") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·enemies', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Onkelos
Then the land will enjoy its sabbatical years all the days that it lies desolate while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbatical years.
Rashi
אז תרצה means: then the land shall appease the wrath of the Omnipresent who was angry because of the neglect of the Sabbatical years. והרצת — means, it will give satisfaction to the King as regards its Sabbatical years.
Ibn Ezra
"Then the land shall be appeased" (תִּרְצֶה) — this word is like "shall be completed" (תַּשְׁלִים); and so [with] "until he is satisfied, like a hired laborer by his day," for his guilt is appeased (נִרְצָה). "Its Sabbaths" — sabbatical years and Jubilees; and so it is written, "until the land was appeased of its Sabbaths" — and I explained it there. "The desolation" (הַשְּׁמָמָה) — a noun form, and noun patterns vary. The reason for "all the days of its desolation while you are in the land of your enemies" is that it shall lie waste because of you — then it shall rest and find repose, making up (לְמַלֵּא) for its Sabbaths.
Sforno
אז תרצה הארץ, the debt owed it will be paid. את שבתותיה, the sh’mittah and Yovel years which had not been observed. Chronicles II 36,21 mentions that the 70 years of exile corresponded to the years referred to.
Chizkuni
אז תרצה הארץ, “then the land be recompensed for the Sabbath (years) [during which it had been worked although it should have been allowed to rest. Ed.] After 6 of the evil decrees which we demonstrated as representing a measure for measure type of punishment have already been endured by you, i.e. you should work the land for six years consecutively and then let it rest during the seventh year, the land will finally enjoy a rest during the seventh year. It will make up for all the sh’mittah years you had not observed during the 70 years of your exile. [It will experience 70 consecutive such sh’mittah years. Ed.] תרצה; this expression also occurs in the sense in which we have translated it in Psalms 49,14: ואחריהם בפיהם ירצו, “and their descendants approve of them with what they have learned from their mouths.”A different approach to our verse: the word תרצה is to be understood as equivalent to תשלים, “will conclude.” Compare Job 14,6: עד ירצה כשכיר יומו, “until he finishes his day like a hireling.” Or: כי נרצה עונו, “for her sin has been expiated;” (Isaiah 40,2) A third interpretation: the meaning of the word is: “to become reconciled, to have made peace, settled a disagreement.” This would be reflected by Psalms 77,8: ולא יוסיף לרצות עוד, “and will He never again show favour?” Psalms 145,16, ומשביע לכל חי רצון, “and You feed every living creature to its heart content,” also reflects this sentiment. אז תשבת הארץ, “then the land will rest.” The letter ב has the vowel patach, [the word being a verb. Ed.]
Tur HaArokh
אז תרצה הארץ, “Then the land will be appeased.” Ibn Ezra, quoted only by Kimchi, explains the meaning of the word in Chronicles II 30,18 as תשלים, “complete, in the sense of “making up for lost time.” He quotes a parallel in Chronicles II 36,21 עד רצתה הארץ את שבתותיה, “until the land has made up for its Sabbaths.” The meaning is that only then will the guilt of the Jewish people be expiated. (Compare Isaiah, 40,2).
Cross-references: Leviticus 25:18; II Chronicles 36:21
As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest; even the rest which it had not in your sabbaths, when you dwelt upon it.
verse value 5255
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "being·desolate" (הׇשַּׁמָּ֖הֿ, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·your·sabbath·years" (בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶ֖ם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "did·not·rest" (לֹֽא־שָׁבְתָ֛ה), "in·your·sabbath·years" (בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶ֖ם), "while·you·dwelt" (בְּשִׁבְתְּכֶ֥ם). The root שבת appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 240x in Leviticus); "upon·it" (root על, 127x in Leviticus); "all·days·of" (root יום, 112x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'it·shall·rest', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: כׇּל־יְמֵ֥י [all·days·of] (110) + הׇשַּׁמָּ֖הֿ [being·desolate] (350) + תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת [it·shall·rest] (1102) + אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר [that] (902) + לֹֽא־שָׁבְתָ֛ה [did·not·rest] (738) + בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶ֖ם [in·your·sabbath·years] (1174) + בְּשִׁבְתְּכֶ֥ם [while·you·dwelt] (764) + עָלֶֽיהָ [upon·it] (115) = 5255.
Onkelos
All the days that it lies desolate it will have the rest it did not have during your sabbatical years when you were dwelling upon it.
Rashi
כל ימי השמה — The word השמה expresses the idea of something being done (passive infinitive; here Hophal); and the מ has a Dagesh in place of doubling that letter in the root שמם. את אשר לא שבתה BECAUSE IT DID NOT REST [IN YOUR SABBATHS] — The seventy years of the Babylonian exile exactly corresponded to the seventy Sabbatical and Jubilee years that were due in those years when Israel was provoking the anger of the Omnipresent whilststill in their land, i. e. in 430 years. Three hundred and ninety were their years of sin from the time they entered the Land until the Ten Tribes went into exile. The people of the Kingdom of Judah provoked Him still another forty years, — from the exile of the Ten Tribes until the destruction of Jerusalem (in the days of king Jehoiachin; cf. 2 Kings 24:10 ff.). It is this that is mentioned in the case of Ezekiel (4:4—6): “Moreover lie thou upon thy left, [and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be unto thee a number of days, even three hundred and ninety days…]. And again, when thou hast accomplished these, thou shalt lie on thy right side, and shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days [each day for a year have I appointed it unto thee]”. This prophecy was spoken to Ezekiel in the fifth year of king Jeoiachin’s captivity (cf. Ezekiel 1:2). They spent another six years in the Land until Zedekiah (the last king, who reigned eleven years) went into exile; thus you have altogether forty-six years. — And if you say “But this period must have covered more than forty-six years because the years of the reign of Manasseh (the son of Hezekiah during whose reign the Ten Tribes became exiled), were alone 55 years, and there followed other kings also until the destruction of the Temple!” Then I reply that Manasseh lived in a state of repentence 33 years of these and that the years of his wickedness with which alone we are concerned were only twenty-two, as it is said, (2 Kings 21:3) “For he (Manasseh)… made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel”, and Ahab reigned 22 years, just as they (the Rabbis) stated (i. e. they stated that this comparison of Manasseh with Ahab shows that the latter was wicked for 22 years only) in the chapter Chelek (Sanhedrin 103a). Then we have the years of his successor, Amon, two; eleven of Jehoiakin, and a similar number of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah — altogether 46 years. Now, go and calculate for four hundred and thirty-six years the number of Sabbatical and Jubilee periods contained in them and you will find that they are sixteen for every hundred years, viz., fourteen Sabbatical periods and two Jubilee-periods; so for four hundred years there are sixty-four. For the remaining thirty-six there are five Sabbatical periods, making seventy less one. There is yet one year over (the thirty-sixth, since five Sabbatical ...
Ibn Ezra
"All the days of its desolation it shall rest" — [meaning] the count of years that it shall rest; and this is explained in [the book of] Ezekiel.
Chizkuni
כל ימי השמה, “during all the years of its being desolate;” it will be as if emptied out of its people. תשבות, “it shall have rest;” the word is spelled with the vowel cholem, on account of the cantillation mark etnachta under it. Compare Psalms 114,3: הים ראה וינוס, “the sea saw and fled;” and verse 34 that we just read: והרצת את שבתתיה, “and repay her Sabbaths.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
בשבתכם עליה, “when you used to dwell on it.” From the words אז תרצה, “then it will be appeased,” in verse 34, up until the words בשבתכם עליה here, you will find ten references to Shemittah, in one form or another. The message is that the 70 years of exile in Babylon represented ten shemittah cycles. Seeing that the entire Torah is a string of allusions to the past and the future there is nothing surprising in this.
Rashbam
כל ימי השמה תשבות, for the 70 years of exile in Babylonia are to compensate for the years the land should have lain fallow during the sh’mittah and Yovel years. תשבות. Spelled plene, with the tone sign etnachta. If it were not for the tone sign it would have been spelled תשבת, tishbat, as in verse 34. Similar constructions are found in Genesis 11,28 וימת, or Genesis 39,12 וינס, whereas in Psalms 114,3 the spelling is וינוס, and in Genesis 5,5 it is וימות, all on account of the tone sign etnachta. (or end of verse).
And as for them that are left of you, I will send a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as one flees from the sword; and they shall fall when none pursues.
verse value 4706
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 75 letters. Verse gematria: 4706 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·you" (בָּכֶ֔ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·those·who·remain" (וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "faintness" (מֹ֙רֶךְ֙), "in·their·heart" (בִּלְבָבָ֔ם), "driven" (נִדָּ֔ף). The root רדף appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·bring" (root בוא, 81x in Leviticus); "in·lands·of" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "leaf" (root עלה, 74x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·enemies', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 10 words.
Onkelos
As for those who remain among you, I will bring faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a driven leaf will pursue them, and they will flee as one flees from before those who slay by the sword, and they will fall with none pursuing.
Rashi
והבאתי מרך AND I WILL SEND A FAINTNESS [INTO THEIR HEART] — מרך means timidity and faint-heartedness. The מ is an essential letter of the noun, which, however, is omitted in the root; as is the case with the מ in the nouns מועד and ומוקש. ונסו מנוסת חרב AND THEY SHALL RUN AWAY AS RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SWORD — as though pursuers were about to kill them. עלה נדף A RUSTLING LEAF — i. e. a leaf which the wind pushes along and beats it against another leaf, so that, in tapping it, it produces a sound. This, too, is its translation in the Targum: the sound of a leaf דשקיף — a term that signifies beating. The words (Genesis 41:6): שדופות קדים are rendered in the Targum by שקיפן קידום, beaten by the east wind, the first word being of the same meaning as משקוף, a lintel, that being the place against which the door beats. Similarly the Targum translation of חבורה, a wound, (Exodus 21:25), is משקופי (a spot that has been beaten).
Ibn Ezra
"Those who remain among you" — because [the previous verse] said "and I have unsheathed the sword after you." "Faintness" (מֹרֶךְ) — from the doubled-root verbs, as in "in the despair of their hands" (בְּמוֹעַל יְדֵיהֶם), from the root of "the faint-hearted" (רַךְ הַלֵּבָב). They will be so afraid that the sound of a driven leaf will pursue them — and it is an adjective form in the nif'al, with the root nun absorbed.
Or HaChaim
והנשארים בכם, "As to those of you who are still left, etc." Here the Torah refers to Israelites who continue in their wicked ways in spite of having experienced all the curses listed come true. At this stage G'd announces that such people would be afflicted with faint-heartedness while they are in exile and they would experience fear without cause and fall even without being pursued. In spite of all the terrible experiences the Jewish people undergo while in exile they will not be wiped out as a nation.
Chizkuni
והנשארים בכם והבאתי מורך בלבבם, “and I will bring faintness into the hearts of those that are left of them;” I shall continue to heap more curses upon them until they have endured 49 curses corresponding to the yovel cycle of 49 years that they have ignored. מורך בלבבם, this is the first plague; ורדף אותם קול עלה, “and even the sound of a leaf fluttering in the wind will frighten them.” This is the second plague. ונסו מנוסת חרב, “they will flee from it as if fleeing from a sword.” This is the third plague. ונפלו ואין רודף, “they will fall even though there was no pursuer.” This is the fourth plague.
Kli Yakar
And the sound of a driven leaf shall pursue them. This is what is written: And they shall stumble one upon another, for this speaks of the division of hearts that is more common among Israel than among all other nations, as it is said: And I will scatter [literally, winnow] you among the nations. Like a winnower where no one [piece] clings to another, so too Israel — even when they are in the land of their enemies, they are separated from one another, even though it is the way of exiles to comfort each other. But Israel is not like this, for they are scattered and separated even in exile, and each one pushes his fellow with force and seeks to remove him from his position, to overthrow and fall upon him, as in the curse of Ahijah the Shilonite, as it is said: And the Lord shall strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water (First Kings 14:15). For every reed is pushed and shaken by the wind blowing through it, and in addition to the push of the wind, each reed pushes its fellow. Thus, each reed is pushed twice: once by the wind, and a second time by its neighboring reed that pushes against it, and so on from one to another until they all stumble and fall. So too, every person of Israel is pushed by the wind, that is, by the kingdoms, as in Daniel’s prophecy that compared all four kingdoms to wind — not the wind of God — as it is said: And behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea (Daniel 7:2). And perhaps this great sea alludes to the Red Sea [Yam Suf, literally Reed Sea], which has reeds and rushes, and his intention refers to Israel like the parable of the reeds: In addition to the pushing of the nations against Israel, each one pushes his fellow into his pitfalls. Therefore, here he compares them to a driven leaf, for the leaf is very weak and is blown by the wind that blows through it, and nevertheless, each leaf pushes its fellow and strikes it. So too, every person of Israel in exile is like a leaf driven by the aforementioned wind, and nevertheless, he pursues his fellow to strike him with the whip of his tongue, either in front of the nations or with evil speech in the Jewish quarter, which is the sound of a leaf. Therefore, it immediately says: And they shall stumble one upon another. He further alludes with the “driven leaf,” to the abundance of mundane conversations spoken without truth throughout all the city streets. Just as it says And its leaf shall not wither (Psalms 1:3), which our Sages interpreted (Sukkah 21b) as referring to the mundane conversations of Torah scholars, etc., so too every person from Israel is pushed and pursued by the sound of a leaf, meaning the mundane conversations of evil speech that make their voices heard outside, a voice of affliction. The voice is the voice of deceit from a heart against those who lie down and are awake (Sanhedrin 29b), for the bearers of [evil] speech have made all of Israel hear that no one is innocent, as each one rejoices in their fellow’s misfortune, and it is like honey in their mouth, sweet if they find a place to speak negatively about their fellow. And how many are humiliated as this cup passes over them with no one saying “Stop.” And in our generation, this trait alone is sufficient [reason] for the prolonging of our exile.
Rashbam
מרך בלבבם, this does not mean that the heart has become soft, as in Deuteronomy 20,8 or as in Job 23,16, but the letter מ in the word מרך is an integral part of the word, not a preposition. In fact, even the emphasis is on that letter, as in the word אהל, tent. The word and its intonation is similar to Isaiah 58,13 וקראת לשבת עונג, and the word אוכל, ochel, which is intoned on the first syllable. The word מרך does not appear again in Scriptures.
And they shall stumble one upon another, as it were before the sword, when none pursues; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
verse value 2812
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "there·is·no" (אָ֑יִן, 3 letters) and the longest is "one·over·another" (אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֛יו, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·they·shall·stumble" (וְכָשְׁל֧וּ), "one·over·another" (אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֛יו), "as·before·the·sword" (כְּמִפְּנֵי־חֶ֖רֶב). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·there·shall·not·be" (root היה, 147x in Leviticus); "as·before·the·sword" (root פנים, 102x in Leviticus); "one·over·another" (root איש, 93x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there·is·no', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְכָשְׁל֧וּ [and·they·shall·stumble] (362) + אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֛יו [one·over·another] (338) + כְּמִפְּנֵי־חֶ֖רֶב [as·before·the·sword] (410) + וְרֹדֵ֣ף [and·pursuing] (290) + אָ֑יִן [there·is·no] (61) + וְלֹא־תִֽהְיֶ֤ה [and·there·shall·not·be] (457) + לָכֶם֙ [to·you] (90) + תְּקוּמָ֔ה [power·to·stand] (551) + לִפְנֵ֖י [to·face·of] (170) + אֹֽיְבֵיכֶֽם [your·enemies] (83) = 2812.
Onkelos
They will stumble over one another as before those who slay by the sword, with none pursuing, and you will have no power to stand before your enemies.
Rashi
וכשלו איש באחיו AND THEY SHALL STUMBLE ONE UPON ANOTHER — When they are running in order to escape they will stumble one against the other because they will be in a hurry to run away. כמפני חרב AS IT WERE BEFORE THE SWORD — i. e. as though they were fleeing from before murderers. It means that in their heart there will be timidity, and at every moment they will think that somebody is pursuing them. A Midrashic explanation of וכשלו איש באחיו is: one will stumble by reason of the sin of the other (באחיו is taken in the sense of: on account of the other), for all Israelites are held responsible for one another (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 7 5; Sanhedrin 27b).
Ibn Ezra
"Recovery" (תְּקוּמָה) — in the hif'il conjugation of the hollow-root (ayin-vav) verb, on account of the tav; and similarly תְּרוּמָה.
Chizkuni
וכשלו איש באחיו כמפני חרב ורודף אין, “they will stumble upon one another, as if on account of a sword although there is no pursuer;” there is some repetition here. ולא תהיה לכם תקומה, “you will not have the strength to stand up to your enemies.” This is the fifth curse.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וכשלו איש באחיו, “they will stumble over one another, etc.” According to Sanhedrin 27 the Torah means that they will stumble each over the sins committed by the other, i.e. their reciprocal responsibility which they disregarded became their undoing. This is also what Moses had in mind in Deut. 29,9 when he described each Israelite as “standing upright” at that time, (i.e. not stumbling over his fellow’s sins). The example for this reciprocal responsibility was illustrated most powerfully when because of failure to admonish Achan who had taken money from the loot of Jericho declared sacred for the Temple, this sin became the cause of Israel losing its first campaign after the capture of Jericho. (compare Joshua chapter seven with special emphasis on verse 11) [Contrary to Moses who had asked G’d in connection with Korach why the sin of one man should cause G’d’s anger against a whole nation, in Achan’s case G’d spelled out that it did. Ed.] G’d tells Joshua that “Israel has sinned;” He did not tell him that “an Israelite had sinned.” The whole nation was held responsible for the sin of an individual. An accessory after the fact, i.e. someone who does not admonish the sinner has made himself his partner. Seeing that what Achan had done could not have been concealed completely, there had already been many accessories. This incident prompted the sages in Shir Hashirim Rabbah 6,16 to comment that the use of the word "nut” in אל גנת האגוז ירדתי, “I went down to the nut-grove” (Song of Songs 6,11), describes that just as it is impossible to pluck one walnut without making the whole tree shake, so it is impossible for an individual to commit a sin without ripples of what he did affecting the entire Jewish people. This is what had bothered Moses in Numbers 16,22: “one man sinned and You are angry at the whole congregation!”
And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
verse value 1411
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "land·of" (אֶ֖רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·perish" (וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·you·shall·perish" (וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם), "and·it·shall·consume" (וְאָכְלָ֣ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·consume" (root אכל, 106x in Leviticus); "land·of" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'among·the·nations', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·perish] (453) + בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם [among·the·nations] (61) + וְאָכְלָ֣ה [and·it·shall·consume] (62) + אֶתְכֶ֔ם [you] (461) + אֶ֖רֶץ [land·of] (291) + אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם [your·enemies] (83) = 1411.
Onkelos
You will perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you.
Rashi
ואבדתם בגוים AND YE SHALL BE LOST AMONG THE NATIONS — when you are scattered about among the nations you will lose sight of each other (lit., “you will be lost from one another”) (cf. Rashi on v. 33; see also Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 8 1). ואכלה אתכם [AND THE LAND OF YOUR ENEMIES] SHALL EAT YOU UP — This refers to those who will die in exile (cf. Targum Jonathan on).
Ibn Ezra
"And the land shall consume you" — it is the way of all exiles who move to another place that a change of climate and water causes most of them to die.
Chizkuni
ואבדת בגויים, “you will perish among the nations.” This is the sixth curse. Exile is also called אובד, as we know from Psalms 119,176: תעיתי כשה אובד, “I have strayed like a lost sheep.” ואכלה אתכם ארץ אויביכם, “and the land of your enemies will eat you up." This is the seventh plague. What is meant here is that the frequent need for you to change your place of residence and to move to different climates, will not give you an opportunity to acclimatize to the climate and result in disease and death. (Ibn Ezra).
Tur HaArokh
ואכלה אתכם ארץ אויביכם, ”the land of your enemies will devour you.” This is characteristic of all people who are exiled to a strange country. The change of climate and water by themselves result in their being decimated in numbers.
And they that are left of you shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they waste away with them.
verse value 3429
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "in·you" (בָּכֶ֗ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·those·who·remain" (וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 156: shall·be·putrefied, shall·be·putrefied. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "for·their·iniquity" (בַּֽעֲוֺנָ֔ם), "for·the·iniquities·of" (בַּעֲוֺנֹ֥ת). The root מקק appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·lands·of" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "their·fathers" (root אב, 20x in Leviticus). First appearance of the root אף ("and·even") in Leviticus. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·enemies', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים [and·those·who·remain] (612) + בָּכֶ֗ם [in·you] (62) + יִמַּ֙קּוּ֙ [shall·be·putrefied] (156) + בַּֽעֲוֺנָ֔ם [for·their·iniquity] (168) + בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת [in·lands·of] (693) + אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם [your·enemies] (83) + וְאַ֛ף [and·even] (87) + בַּעֲוֺנֹ֥ת [for·the·iniquities·of] (528) + אֲבֹתָ֖ם [their·fathers] (443) + אִתָּ֥ם [together·with·them] (441) + יִמָּֽקּוּ [shall·be·putrefied] (156) = 3429.
Onkelos
Those who remain among you will waste away in their sins in the lands of your enemies, and also because of the evil sins of their fathers, which cling to their hands, they will waste away.
Rashi
בעונת אבתם אתם means if the iniquities of their fathers shall be with them, i. e. if they hold fast to (imitate) the doings of their fathers (cf. Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 8 2; Sanhedrin 27b). ימקו — This is an expression denoting “melting away” and therefore means the same as ימסו, “they shall melt away”. Similar to it are (Zechariah 14:12) “[their eyes] shall melt away (תמקנה) in their holes”; (Psalms 38:6) “My wounds נמקו, melt” (i. e. run with pus).
Ibn Ezra
"And those who remain" — of those who remain. "Shall pine away in their iniquity" (יִמַּקּוּ בַעֲוֹנָם) — on the pattern of יִסֹּבּוּ; both are doubled-root forms from the root of "his flesh shall rot away" (הָמֵּק בְּשָׂרוֹ), "it shall rot" (מָק יִהְיֶה). "And also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall pine away with them" — as it says, "Our fathers sinned" — and I explained this in the scroll of Lamentations.
Rashbam
ימקו from the word נמקו חבורותי, “my wounds stink and fester.” The construction is similar to יסעו and יסעו (yissu and yissa-u)
And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary to Me.
verse value 3892
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·that·they·walked" (אֲשֶׁר־הָֽלְכ֥וּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·they·shall·confess" (וְהִתְוַדּ֤וּ), "and·the·iniquity·of" (וְאֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן), "in·their·unfaithfulness" (בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם). The root עון appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 240x in Leviticus); "with·me" (root עם, 65x in Leviticus); "their·fathers" (root אב, 20x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·trespassed·against·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהִתְוַדּ֤וּ [and·they·shall·confess] (427) + אֶת־עֲוֺנָם֙ [their·iniquity] (567) + וְאֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן [and·the·iniquity·of] (533) + אֲבֹתָ֔ם [their·fathers] (443) + בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם [in·their·unfaithfulness] (182) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + מָֽעֲלוּ־בִ֑י [they·trespassed·against·me] (158) + וְאַ֕ף [and·even] (87) + אֲשֶׁר־הָֽלְכ֥וּ [in·that·they·walked] (562) + עִמִּ֖י [with·me] (120) + בְּקֶֽרִי [in·hostility] (312) = 3892.
Onkelos
They will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers in their faithlessness by which they dealt falsely before Me, and also that they walked before Me in stubbornness.
Ibn Ezra
"And they shall confess" — in the hitpa'el conjugation. "In the treachery that they committed against Me" — their fathers. "And also that they walked contrary to Me" — these [the sons], in stubbornness (בְּקֶרִי).
Sforno
והתודו את עונם, only some of them, as we know from Daniel and Ezra.
Or HaChaim
והתודו את עונם, "And they will confess their sins, etc." Earlier commentators have not explained these verses to our satisfaction; most of their commentaries are too far fetched to be taken seriously. One of the reasons is that there appears no reason why the Jewish people at that time should confess the sins of their ancestors. As soon as they confess their own sins they are no longer guilty of perpetuating the evil ways of their fathers (compare Berachot 7). Secondly, why did the Torah (verse 41) write: "also I will walk contrary unto them?" Why does the Torah mention a punishment after the people have already confessed their sins? Thirdly, why does the Torah speak about G'd bringing the Israelites into the land of their enemies when we have heard this already in verse 33? Fourthly, what is the meaning of the words או אז יכנע לבבם הערל, "or perhaps their uncircumcised heart will be humbled?" Nachmanides interprets the word "or" as alluding to the two possible causes of the eventual redemption. Either it would occur due to repentance on a nation-wide scale or it would occur because G'd's timetable had been exhausted and the Jews had experienced sufficient punishment during their long years in exile. I believe this is a very forced explanation.. I believe the appropriate approach to these verses is an examination of the causes of sinful conduct by the people. The people who experienced G'd's retribution on their own bodies had first observed how their fathers and forefathers had failed to observe the Torah and G'd had not seemed to react. The sinners appeared to have prospered. As a result of G'd's long-lasting patience, even reading in the Torah all the warnings about what would happen if we failed to observe the Torah or even listening to the warnings of the prophets became progressively less effective. The evidence of the people's eyes contradicted what they read in the Torah. As a result it became impossible to warn people of the disastrous results in store if they continued to ignore the Torah's precepts. In fact, the so-called facts undermined the people's belief in the whole concept of reward and punishment. This is why once G'd began to exact the retribution He had warned of such misfortunes as befell the Jewish people they would not be recognised as part of G'd's system of reward and punishment. Only after most of the dire warnings in the Torah had actually occurred, matching what the prophets had warned of for a long time, would the people begin to recognise it for what it was. G'd therefore demanded that when the time came the Israelites would not only have to acknowledge and confess their own sins, but unless they also confessed that their fathers and ancestors had been at fault, confessions of their own misdemeanours would not guarantee that this would not occur again. Confessing their fathers' sins reinforces the people's confession of their own sins as it deprives them of the argument that whatever sins they had committed were n...
Kli Yakar
And they will confess their sin, etc. The reason it says after the confession, I too will behave toward them with casualness, is because it states, in their treachery that they committed against Me. The letter bet [meaning “in”] in in their treachery [bema’alam] suggests that they continue to be treacherous, for it should have said, “They shall confess their sin and their treachery.” Rather, even though they confess and admit that this sin caused their troubles, nevertheless they continue to be treacherous, their impurity still within them. This is like the custom in our generation, where everyone admits that certain well-known sins cause all the hardships, yet they still do not repent from them, making their confession like one who immerses in a ritual bath while holding a reptile [which keeps them impure].Some say that they will not attribute [their suffering] to their sin alone, as they might say that their sins are not sufficient to bring all these plagues upon them, and they will attribute it also to the sin of their fathers. Therefore it says, I too will behave toward them with casualness, and then they will accept [the punishment for] their sin and attribute it to their own sin. But this interpretation is contradicted by what Daniel said: Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, etc. (Daniel 9:16).
I also will walk contrary to them, and bring them into the land of their enemies; if then perhaps their uncircumcised heart be subdued, and they then be paid the punishment of their iniquity;
verse value 3312
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 63 letters. Verse gematria: 3312 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "I·will·walk" (אֵלֵ֤ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring" (וְהֵבֵאתִ֣י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 150: with·them, shall·humble·itself. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "I·will·walk" (אֵלֵ֤ךְ), "or·then" (אוֹ־אָ֣ז), "shall·humble·itself" (יִכָּנַ֗ע). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "or·then" (root או, 101x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·bring" (root בוא, 81x in Leviticus); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·enemies', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Onkelos
I too will walk with them in stubbornness and bring them into the land of their enemies; or perhaps then their obstinate heart will be broken, and then they will accept punishment for their sins.
Rashi
והבאתי אתם AND I SHALL BRING THEM [INTO THE LAND OF THEIR ENEMIES] — I Myself shall bring them; this is a kindly measure for Israel in order that they should not say, “Since we are banished among the nations let us do like their doings”. “For”, says God “I will not suffer them to do this, but I will raise up My prophets and so bring them back under My wings, as it is said, (Ezekiel 20:30) “And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, — [that ye say, We will be as the heathens, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone]. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out, will “I” be king over you etc.” (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 8 5). או אז יכנע — The word או here has the same meaning as in (Exodus 21:36) או נודע כי שור נגח הוא (cf. Rashi on that verse and our Note thereon). The translation therefore is: “If then [their uncircumcised hearts] will be humbled”. Another explanation is that או means perhaps, — “perhaps then their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled”. ואז ירצו את עונם means, and they will atone for their iniquities by the punishments they will have suffered.
Ramban
O’ (OR) THEN PERCHANCE THEIR UNCIRCUMCISED HEART BE HUMBLED. “[The word o here has the same meaning] as in ‘o’ (or) it is known that the ox was wont to gore. Another interpretation is [that the word o means] ‘perhaps’ — perhaps then their uncircumcised heart will be humbled; and they then be paid the punishment of their iniquity, meaning that they will achieve atonement for their iniquities through their sufferings.” This is Rashi’s language. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that He is stating: “And I will bring them into the land of their enemies, o (either) until such time when their uncircumcised heart will be humbled, o (or) until the time when they will have been paid the punishment of their iniquity by the length of the exile.”Now it is after [the verse], and they shall confess their iniquity that He should have said, Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob etc., for what reason is there [to state here, between these two verses] and I will bring them into the lands of their enemies, since this is not a time when He would exile them and bring them into the lands of their enemies [since they have just confessed their sins]! Therefore Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra interpreted [the verse to mean]: “This also I did with them, that I punished them by bringing them into the land of their enemies in order to humble their uncircumcised heart.” And He mentioned this here [in order to indicate] that they confessed their sin “because it was I Who brought this about, for even at the time that they became corrupted, My intent was that they should repent and confess.”In my opinion He hints here [by placing the verses in this order] that [even] after the confession [of their sins], He will walk contrary to them and will still bring them into the land of their enemies until their uncircumcised heart is humbled, this being an allusion that He will bring them back into the Land but it will not be subdued before them; rather, they will have adversaries and enemies there, as it is said, And our adversaries said; And it came to pass when our enemies heard. The Land [at that time, when they returned from Babylon], was in the hands of foreign peoples, just as Ezra said in his prayer: Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the Land that Thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold we are servants in it. And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom Thou hast set over us because of our sins; also they have power over us, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
Ibn Ezra
"I too" — acted toward them [accordingly] and chastised them to bring them to the land of their enemies, until their uncircumcised heart is subdued — and I will yet explain this further. "And then they shall be appeased of their iniquity" (יִרְצוּ אֶת עֲוֹנָם) — they shall complete and pay [the penalty for] it.
Sforno
והבאתי אותם בארץ אויביהם, when they return from exile to the land of Israel at the command of King Cyrus, the land of Israel remained under the political power of the gentiles. We know this from Nechemyah 9, 36-37 “Today we are slaves, and the land You gave our fathers to enjoy is fruit and bounty-here we are slaves on it! On account of our sins it yields its abundant crops to kings whom You have set over us.” They rule over our bodies and our beasts as they please, and we are in great distress.”
Or HaChaim
אף אני אלך עמם בקרי, "Also I will walk with them as if accidental." Part of what the people have to acknowledge as part of their confession is that all G'd's retributions were justified. Even G'd's having withdrawn His personal supervision over the fate of the Jews must be acknowledged. והבאתי אותם, "and I will bring them, etc." This is also part of what the people will say as part of their confession. The fact that the Torah demands that the people acknowledge that their exile was part of G'd's punishment in line with His warnings indicates that they had previously denied that their exile was connected to their wrongdoing. The people had argued that if G'd really wanted to use His retribution to result in the people's repentance, exile was a peculiar means to achieve this. They reasoned that exile was bound to result in assimilation, the very reverse of what G'd wanted to achieve by disciplining His people. Such considerations reinforced the people's thinking that what had befallen them was accidental and not part of G'd's design. This is why G'd wrote that they have to confess also their erroneous assessment of why they had experienced all the curses predicted in the Torah. The words או אז mean that the exiled Israelites attribute their presence in other countries to be a result of natural migration or as an attempt by G'd to induce humility in them. G'd had known from experience that a sinner may humble himself such as Achav the king of Israel (Kings I 21, 27-29). Our sages in Berachot 7 have said that "better one severe chastisement which results in the sinner feeling humbled than 100 lashes of the whip (as these are effective only externally). Following such a humbling of oneself their guilt may become something they can acknowledge and come to terms with."
Chizkuni
אף אני אלך עמכם בקרי, “also I will walk with you as if what befalls you was coincidental; even though by now the people had confessed that they had sinned, seeing that they had not taken the next step and done penitence, I cannot relent yet.” או אז יכנע לבבם הערל, “if perchance their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled;” then I will remember My covenant, etc;” I will continue to reciprocate then in their favour, as recognition of their penitence; as we know from Hoseah 14,4: ומודה ועוזב ירוחם, “[inaccurate quote, the prophet says there that when the people no longer treat their man made idols as deities, they will experience G-d’s mercy. Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואז ירצו את עונם, “and then they shall atone for their iniquity.” This verse served the sages in Mechilta Bachodesh 10 as proof that afflictions suffered achieve atonement for the victim just as sacrifices offered achieve atonement; the word ירצו here and the same root used in connection with the sacrificial offerings, i.e. נרצה, is proof that the purpose and effect of such offerings is the same (Leviticus 1,4). Here the Torah speaks about afflictions suffered by the body, in Leviticus 1,4 the “physical affliction’s” equivalent is the financial expense involved in buying the animal which is killed.
Tur HaArokh
או אז יכנע לבבם הערל, “perhaps then their unfeeling heart will be humbled.” Rashi understands the word או in our verse as similar to Exodus 21,36 או נודע כי שור נגח הוא, “but if it becomes known that the ox is wont to gore.” [Rashi often views the word או as meaning: “if.” Ed.] Nachmanides considers that the meaning of the word here is that the Torah offers two different scenarios for the duration of the exile. It will either last until the people’s uncircumcised heart will become humbled, or until their sins have been expiated (in full) due to the length of the exile. The word או refers to what follows, i.e. “or the exile will last until the people experience a change of heart, and confess their guilt, etc., or it will last for such a long time that time itself will expiate for their sins as their suffering has been so prolonged.” After the Torah had already mentioned that the people did confess their guilt (verse 40) we would have expected that at that point G’d would remember them kindly, i.e. that He would remember His covenant with the patriarchs, but we would certainly not have expected to be told at this point that G’d would exile people who had just confessed their guilt. In tackling this apparently incomprehensible development described here, Ibn Ezra says that in verse 41 G’d takes credit for having brought about this confession, saying that the reason He had treated them so harshly, exiling them to a foreign and inhospitable country, was designed to bring about their confession and repentance. [In other words, whenever G’d chastises, exacts retribution, the purpose is not revenge, but punishment is G’d’s instrument in eventually refining His people by means of their experiences. Ed.] In my own view, (still Nachmanides writing) the meaning of these verses is that after the people have confessed their guilt G’d would relate to them בקרי, with casualness, bringing them to the land, [the land of Israel] but that they would not conquer it as did Joshua, but it would still be populated by their enemies who would cause them much grief as we know from Nechemyah 4,5 and Ezra chapter 9 (Ezra’s prayer) [The second commonwealth was firmly established as Jewish both physically and spiritually only many years after Zerubavel’s return there with about 43000 of his fellow Jews. In his prayer, Ezra had described himself and his fellow Jews as slaves in their own land. Ed.]
Daat Zkenim
או אז יכנע לבבם הערל, “if then per chance their uncircumcised heart be humbled;” the Torah here refers to the desecration of the Sabbath by the people, (which is the seventh day of the week), or their failure to circumcise their sons on the eighth day after they had been born. [The numerical value of the letters in this words אז יכנע לבבם, in this verse would be equivalent to this interpretation.]
then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
verse value 5288
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "and·even" (וְאַף֩, 3 letters) and the longest is "my·covenant" (אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 1023: my·covenant, my·covenant, my·covenant. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "Jacob" (יַעֲק֑וֹב), "Isaac" (יִצְחָ֜ק), "Abraham" (אַבְרָהָ֛ם). The root זכר appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "and·I·will·remember" (root זכר, 26x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jacob', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְזָכַרְתִּ֖י [and·I·will·remember] (643) + אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י [my·covenant] (1023) + יַעֲק֑וֹב [Jacob] (188) + וְאַף֩ [and·even] (87) + אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֨י [my·covenant] (1023) + יִצְחָ֜ק [Isaac] (208) + וְאַ֨ף [and·even] (87) + אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֧י [my·covenant] (1023) + אַבְרָהָ֛ם [Abraham] (248) + אֶזְכֹּ֖ר [I·will·remember] (228) + וְהָאָ֥רֶץ [and·the·land] (302) + אֶזְכֹּֽר [I·will·remember] (228) = 5288.
Onkelos
I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham I will remember; and the land I will remember.
Rashi
וזכרתי את בריתי יעקוב THEN I WILL REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB — In five places in Scripture it (the name יעקב) is written plene (יעקוב) and the name אליהו is written defectively in five places, to intimate that Jacob — as it were — took one letter of his (Elijah’s) name as a pledge that at some future time he should come and proclaim the good tidings of his descendants’ redemption (cf. Midrash חסירות ויתירות). וזכרתי את בריתי יעקוב THEN I WILL REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB [AND ALSO MY COVENANT WITH ISAAC, AND ALSO MY COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM WILL I REMEMBER] — Why are they (the patriarchs) enumerated here in a reverse order (in contrast to e. g., Exodus 32:13, where it states: 'לאברהם ליצחק ולישראל וכוזכור )? It is to say: Jacob the youngest among the patriarchs is worthy of this that, through his merits, his children should be redeemed; if he be not sufficiently worthy, behold, the merit of Isaac is with him; if that does not suffice, behold, then there is Abraham with him who is surely worthy enough! And why does Scripture not use the word “remember” in connection with Isaac’s name? Because this is unnecessary, for — says God, as it were — the ashes of Isaac (who according to My command to Abraham was to become a burnt offering) are ever visible before Me as though they were heaped up lying upon the altar (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 8 6-7).
Ramban
THEN WILL I REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that this [is a case where a word] draws along with itself another [similar] word, thus meaning: “Then will I remember My covenant, the covenant with Jacob. Similarly: the prophecy of Oded the prophet; your heads of your tribes. And the Land I will remember. The meaning thereof is that I will remember the Land, and that it was paid its Sabbaths and lay forsaken without them, and I will remember that they have atoned for their iniquity.”It is possible according to the way of Truth, [the mystic doctrines of the Cabala], that He is saying: “And I will remember Jacob and Isaac and Abraham, who are the men of the covenant,” for all attributes are so called when they are in the covenant; “v’ha’aretz (and the earth), which is composed of them all, I will remember among them.” Our Rabbis have so alluded. Thus they said: “And why does He mention the merit of ha’aretz with them? Said Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: This is like the case of a master who had three daughters, and one maidservant who raised them. Whenever the master asked about the welfare of his daughters, he would say: ‘Ask on my behalf about the welfare of she who raises them.’”
Ibn Ezra
"And I will remember My covenant" — [this phrase] draws itself and what follows it [in its scope], and so it reads: "And I will remember My covenant, the covenant of Jacob" — like "and the prophecy of Oded the prophet," which is equivalent to "and the prophecy, the prophecy of Oded the prophet," and [like] "your heads, your tribes" which means "your heads, the heads of your tribes." The Gaon [Saadia] says that the reason [the covenant of] Jacob is mentioned first is that all his years were [lived] within the covenant.
Sforno
וזכרתי את בריתי, by allowing the second Temple to be built.
Or HaChaim
וזכרתי את בריתי יעקוב, "And I will remember My covenant, the one with Jacob, etc." The Torah announces here that whereas the confession of their guilt helps to reduce the severity of the afflictions to which G'd subjects the Jewish people, G'd has to invoke the merit of the patriarchs in order to restore them to their former status The verse also supplies an additional reason for G'd having driven the Jewish people into exile into the land of their enemies. The abuse the people would be subjected to there will become the catalyst that will make G'd remember the merit of the patriarchs. In addition, G'd will remember the sad state of the Holy Land while its people are absent. If G'd had not first exiled the Jews He would not have any reason to remember the land itself with special kindness. As it is, the sequence וזכרתי את בריתי….והארץ אזכר makes perfect sense. את בריתי יעקוב, if the merit of Jacob suffices, all well and good; if not G'd will also invoke the merit of Isaac, etc.
Chizkuni
וזכרתי את בריתי יעקב, “I will remember My covenant with Yaakov;” seeing that none of Yaakov's children were disloyal to his teachings, the Torah did not use the word “אף,” “anger,” in connection with Yaakov, as during all his 147 years he had been loyal to G-d, and that is also why the Torah here mentions the word: “My covenant,” first. [According to Ibn Ezra, not all the years that Avraham lived were lived after G-d had made a covenant with him. Yaakov also experienced prophetic insights at an earlier age than his father and grandfather. Ed.] והארץ אזכור, “and I will remember the land (fondly).” This statement annuls the two statements in verses 32 and 20 in which the bounty of the land was denied to the errant Jewish people.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וזכרתי את בריתי יעקב, “I shall remember My covenant with Yaakov, etc.” Here the Torah lists the names of the patriarchs in the reverse order of their historical roles. The reason for this, according to the plain meaning of the text, is that Yaakov was mentioned first so that if the (unexpired) merit of Yaakov sufficed to activate G’d’s attribute of Mercy the merits of the other patriarchs, i.e. our spiritual capital, would not have to be invoked. If the sins to be offset by the merits of the patriarchs were greater than the combined unused merits of Yaakov, G’d promises to also invoke the merits of Yitzchak, and failing this the merits of Avraham. The expression “I will remember,” is used only in connection with Yaakov and Avraham; G’d does not need to “remember” the merits of Yitzchak as the heap of ashes of the ram burned in his stead is constantly present in G’d’s eye (Compare Rashi). A Midrashic approach (found in Vayikra Rabbah 36,4): when mentioning the memory of Avraham and Yitzchak the Torah adds the word אף to signify that both these patriarchs had also sired and raised an Ishmael and Esau respectively, thus causing G’d to become angry; in connection with Yaaov that word is missing seeing all his children remained true to their father’s teaching, to Torah-values. The Torah has listed the merits of the patriarchs. How do we know that G’d will also invoke the merits of the four matriarchs? These are alluded to by the extra word את before mention of the word בריתי, “My covenant.” The word את describing the matriarchs is not unique in our verse. We find this word as referring to three of the matriarchs when Yaakov tells his sons that these three matriarchs had been buried either by him or his forefather in the cave of Machpelah (compare Genesis 47,31). This is also confirmed by Sifra Bechukotai 8,8. Personally, I believe that the word אף used in connection with G’d remembering Yitzchak and Avraham respectively is an allusion to the attribute of Justice such as in Genesis 18,23 האף תספה צדיק עם רשע. Both Avraham and Yitzchak had an equal part in the binding of Yitzchak, each one of them suppressing their natural instincts; Avraham suppressed the father’s instinct by demonstrating obedience to G’d and being prepared to slaughter his son, whereas Yitzchak suppressed the natural survival instinct by not challenging his father who made him the victim of G’d’s commandment and by submitting to being slaughtered. When the Torah wrote on that occasion (Genesis 22,6) “they both walked together,” the point of that statement is to show that both father and son shared equally in that merit, they both had the same thing in mind, namely to submit to the attribute of Justice. In our verse the name Yaakov is spelled with the extra letter ו, something quite unusual which we find only on five occasions in the entire Bible. This corresponds to five other places in the Bible where the name Elijah, normally spelled as אליהו is spelled with the letter ו at the end of his name missing, i.e. as אליה. According to Rashi what all this means is that Yaakov took a letter from Elijah’s name as a guarantee, as collateral, that the prophet would make an appearance on earth announcing the advent of the redemption of the Jewish people. Another Midrashic comment (Vayikra Rabbah 36,4) relates to why the Torah mentions the merit of the earth, i.e. the soil of the Holy Land, as a factor in evoking the attribute of Mercy. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish explains this by means of a parable. A king had three daughters who were being raised by one female governess. Whenever he inquired after the welfare of his daughters, he added that they should also concern themselves with how that governess was faring. Thus far the Midrash. In other words, the Holy land is our governess and contributes much to the welfare of the Jewish people. Looked at with a little more sophistication, the three בנות, daughters, in that parable are metaphors for the attributes and merits of the patriarchs. A kabbalistic approach: The reason that the Torah mentions Yaakov first in the list of the patriarchs is because he represented the attribute זכור which is an alternate name for the attribute of Mercy. The Torah wanted to arrange the attributes (or emanations) in ascending order. There are a total of seven such attributes of which Yaakov represents four, i.e. he is always perceived as accompanied by two עמודי שמים, heavenly pillars, plus the קו האמצעי, the centre “line” of the diagram of emanations (which we mentioned many times). This “centre line” which also reconciles the left and right side of the emanations, is represented here by the additional letter ו in Yaakov’s name. Then there are the attributes represented by Avraham and Yitzchak (one each) plus the earth (Eretz Yisrael) which completes the seventh attribute. Each one of the patriarchs is described by the Torah as “My covenant”, [a reference to the patriarchs in their functions as the celestial counterparts of the physical patriarchs we are familiar with. Ed. ]. The land of Israel which formed part of the covenant G’d concluded with each of the patriarchs is an integral part of that “covenant” and this is why it is mentioned here. We find this order of the attributes alluded to more clearly in Deuteronomy 4,37 where Moses said: ויוציאך בפניו בכחו הגדול ממצרים, normally translated simply as: “He took you out before Him with His great strength from Egypt.” [According to the Kabbalists these adjectives have more profound meaning, hence the author explains. Ed.] The word בפניו is a reference to Yaakov as we know from Psalms 24,6 מבקשי פניך יעקב סלה, “those who seek Your Presence, Yaakov, forever.” The word בכחו in that verse in Deut. refers to Yitzchak, [traditionally a symbol of גבורה, strength. Ed.] whereas the word הגדול refers to Avraham . Another reason why Yaakov has been mentioned first in the list of the patriarchs is in order for the attribute כבוד to look first at the image engraved in the chayot of the מרכבה, and thereby evoke feelings of mercy toward the Jewish people. [I suppose the reference is to the often mentioned tradition that Yaakov’s features are engraved on the throne of G’d in the celestial regions. Ed.] The reason that Yaakov’s name here is spelled with the extra letter ו is a reference to the fact that he represents the sixth of the emanations, תפארת, harmony. This letter is also one found in the tetragrammaton... ...[At this point the author refers to details of the vision of Ezekiel in chapter one of his book, in speculations about the four chayot mentioned having four faces each, etc. I have omitted this as it is of interest only to advanced students of Kabbalah. Ed.] In order to avoid any misunderstanding, (author ‘s words), the Midrash which referred to the patriarchs as “daughters being raised by a governess” does not understand the reference to the patriarchs as to their celestial counterparts but as being to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov as we know them as the ancestors of the Jewish nation.
Kli Yakar
“And I will remember My covenant with Jacob, etc.” The reason why the forefathers are mentioned in reverse order is because in every generation, Israel uses up the merit of the forefathers. Therefore, He mentions them in reverse order, in a “not only this, but also that” manner. For example, someone who has three purses of money, with 100 gold coins in each, and begins to spend from the first purse at the beginning of the month of Nisan, from the second in the month of Iyar, and from the third in Sivan — it is obvious that there will always be more money in the later purse than in the earlier one, from which he has already spent for many days. Therefore, He says: “Not only the merit of Jacob,” who came later — it is obvious that his merit hasn’t been fully consumed because it is recent — “but also My covenant with Isaac,” who preceded Jacob, and for many days Israel has been using up his merit, as his descendants immediately and promptly began to use up his merit. You might have thought that it had already been consumed, so Scripture teaches us and also My covenant with Isaac. And not only Isaac, but even the covenant with Abraham, which is very old and ancient — you might have thought that it had already been consumed, so Scripture informs us and also My covenant with Abraham, because his merit is preserved for every generation. “And I will remember the land.” For the land has grounds to complain and say, “If Israel sinned, what did the land do wrong that the afflictions of the land are brimstone and salt, a burning of all its land (Deuteronomy 29:22), and it is written there (29:23), And all the nations will say, ”Why has the Lord done this to this land?“” Meaning, what was the land’s sin and wrongdoing? And so our Sages of blessed memory said (Nedarim 81a) that when asked why the land was destroyed, neither the prophets nor the ministering angels could explain, etc., as will be explained later in Parshat Nitzavim, with God’s help. Therefore it says, And I will remember the land.
For the land shall lie forsaken without them, and shall be paid her sabbaths, while she lies desolate without them; and they shall be paid the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected My ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes.
verse value 6760
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 78 letters. Verse gematria: 6760 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·them" (מֵהֶ֜ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "its·sabbath·years" (אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתֶ֗יהָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 85: from·them, from·them. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·shall·make·up·for" (וְתִ֣רֶץ), "in·being·desolate" (בׇּהְשַׁמָּהֿ֙), "and·they" (וְהֵ֖ם). The root הם appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·land" (root ארץ, 77x in Leviticus); "their·soul" (root נפש, 58x in Leviticus); "from·them" (root הם, 38x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·iniquity', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Onkelos
The land will be forsaken of them and enjoy its sabbatical years while lying desolate without them; and they will accept punishment for their sins — curses instead of blessings I brought upon them — because they despised My laws and their souls abhorred My statutes.
Rashi
יען וביען BECAUSE AND BECAUSE [THEY REJECTED MY ORDINANCES] — i. e. it is a retribution — and a retribution, too, that they have rejected My ordinances.
Ramban
And the Land shall lie forsaken without them. This means that even after the remembring [of the covenant and the Land] it shall lie forsaken without them, hinting that even after the decree of Cyrus [granting the Jews in Babylon permission to return and rebuild the Temple], the Land will still lie forsaken without them and her Sabbatical years, until nineteen years after the Temple was rebuilt; and then they sanctified the city [of Jerusalem] with two thanks-offerings, and the sanctity of the Land was restored, and they made the covenant, and declared [among other conditions] and that we would forego the Seventh year and the exaction of every debt. All events that happened to them [at the beginning of their return to the Land after the Babylonian exile] are alluded to in this section.
Ibn Ezra
"And the land shall be forsaken by them" — the meaning is: I will also remember the land, which paid off the Sabbaths and was abandoned by them; and I will also remember that they have atoned for their iniquity. "Because, and because" (יַעַן וּבְיַעַן) — the first corresponds to "My ordinances they despised" and the second to "and My statutes their soul abhorred"; the bet is secondary, as in the [word] בָּרִאשֹׁנָה.
Sforno
והארץ תעזב מהם, on account of the destruction that took place.
Or HaChaim
והארץ תעזב מהם…יען וביען, "And the land shall be forsaken without them..…because, even because, etc." The words יען וביען may be understood as expressing a sentiment similar to that of Jeremiah 9,12. The Talmudists (Baba Metzia 85) had grappled with the question why the land should have to be punished for the sins of the Israelites. Finally, G'd Himself explained the reason through the words of Jeremiah we have quoted. Once the people had failed to observe the Torah, the land itself was no longer interested in being occupied by the Jewish people. This reason becomes more plausible in view of the Torah's statement that during the years of Israel's exile the land had a chance to experience the many שמטה years Israel had ignored. We therefore have two good reasons why the punishment of exile was appropriate. The words יען וביען reflect these two reasons. The Torah repeats once more: 1) במשפטי מאסו, i.e. neglect of the Shemittah legislation; 2) ואת חקתי געלה נפשם, "and their soul abhorred My statutes;" they hated Torah study. It is clear from the end that if the Israelites had been guilty of only one of these categories of sins their punishment would have taken a different form altogether. If the people had only neglected to study the Torah but had observed the shemittah legislation at least they would not have experienced exile.
Chizkuni
ותרץ הארץ את שבתותיה, והם ירצו את עונם, “and the land will be paid her Sabbaths, and they shall be paid for their sins.” This is the retribution for 49 years of ignoring the yovel legislation during which also seven sh’mittah years were ignored. There will be reconciliation between the people and their G-d. They will be penitent, admitting that what they had been made to suffer was only because of their disloyalty to their G-d, and their totally negative attitude to His Torah. An alternate interpretation of this verse: “they will complete thee punishment for their sins”. A similar construction to this would be found in Samuel I 28,10: אם יקרך עון בדבר הזה, “if you would be punished for a sin on account of this matter.“ [King Shaul to the witch of Endor. Ed.]
Kli Yakar
For the land shall be forsaken of them and it shall appease its sabbaths. Because initially it [the land] was demanding justice for its humiliation and the nullification of its sabbatical years, and after judgment was executed upon the sinners, then the land will be forsaken of them and will no longer complain about the nullification of its sabbaths, and it shall appease means it will be appeased in the matter.
Tur HaArokh
והארץ תעזב מהם, “and the land will be bereft of them.” Nachmanides explains that even after Cyrus’s permission to return to the land of their fathers it took 19 years before the land was sufficiently firmly in the hands of the returning Israelites until the shmittah regulations could be observed again after the Temple had been completed etc. etc. Chapter 10 in Nechemyah describes some of the formalities in restoring sanctity to the land of Israel. In short, our verses are a preview of what happened to the Jewish people during the period of Ezra and Nechemyah, after the return to their homeland. יען וביען.”because and because;” according to Ibn Ezra the One “because” refers to the people having despised G’d’s social legislation, משפטי מאסו, whereas the second “because” refers to their having been revolted by G’d’s statutes, וחוקותי געלה נפשם.
Rashbam
והארץ תעזב מהם, according to the number of years the sh’mittah legislation has been ignored so that their sin can be expiated. After that, the promise of verse 45 that G’d will remember the covenant with the patriarchs can be fulfilled. יען וביען במשפטי מאסו ואת חקותי געלה נפשם, the first word יען refers to the mishpatim, the second to the chukkim.
And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them; for I am Hashem their God.
verse value 4640 — יְהֹוָ֖ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·did·not·spurn·them" (וְלֹֽא־גְעַלְתִּים֙, 9 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "and·yet·even·this" (וְאַף־גַּם־זֹ֠את), "when·they·are" (בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֞ם), "I·did·not·reject·them" (לֹֽא־מְאַסְתִּ֤ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 308x in Leviticus); "when·they·are" (root היה, 147x in Leviticus); "for" (root כי, 81x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'together·with·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאַף־גַּם־זֹ֠את [and·yet·even·this] (538) + בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֞ם [when·they·are] (463) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֗ם [their·enemies] (68) + לֹֽא־מְאַסְתִּ֤ים [I·did·not·reject·them] (582) + וְלֹֽא־גְעַלְתִּים֙ [and·I·did·not·spurn·them] (590) + לְכַלֹּתָ֔ם [to·destroy·them] (520) + לְהָפֵ֥ר [to·annul] (315) + בְּרִיתִ֖י [my·covenant] (622) + אִתָּ֑ם [together·with·them] (441) + כִּ֛י [for] (30) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם [their·God] (91) = 4640.
Onkelos
Yet even so, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away and I will not abhor them to destroy them utterly, to break My covenant with them; for I am Hashem their God.
Rashi
ואף גם זאת AND YET FOR ALL THIS — i. e., but also (אף) even though (גם) I shall execute on them this (זאת) punishment which I have mentioned when they shall be in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them to make an end of them and to make void My covenant which has thus far been with them (viz., the covenant 'כי אני ה אלהיהם that I, the Lord, would be their God).
Ibn Ezra
"Yet even for all this" (וְאַף גַּם זֹאת) — an expression of emphasis; one [such particle] would suffice, and all of Scripture [occasionally] does this, as in "Is it only through Moses?" and "Is it because there are no graves?" "I have not despised them to destroy them" — only to chastise them until their heart is subdued. "I have not abhorred them" (גְּעַלְתִּים) — I have turned away from them, or My soul was revolted by them. "To annul My covenant" — which I swore to them; and even if they have annulled My covenant, as it is written, I will not annul My covenant with them, for I am God.
Or HaChaim
ואף גם זאת בהיותם, "And yet even when they are in the land of their enemies, etc." How can this verse which speaks of a favour G'd does to the exiled Jewish people be part of this sequence of dire predictions? Perhaps this is a reference to the earlier part where G'd explained that He was entitled to withdraw His providence from the people because they had accused Him of having done so. G'd goes on record that He does not withhold His supervision from the people and does not despise them [even though the people may not be aware of it. Ed.] The verse may also supply another consideration why exile actually saved the Jewish people. We explained, based on Midrash Tehillim 69 that G'd vented His anger on the stones and the trees in order to spare as many of the human beings as possible. Had the Jews remained in the land of Israel they themselves would have experienced G'd's anger on their bodies, much as did the land itself. Moreover, the presence of a people who had formerly been so exalted with Jerusalem as their capital, now languishing in foreign lands, maltreated by pagan kings, would satisfy even the attribute of Justice so that it would not insist on their utter destruction. The words ואף גם זאת are therefore to be understood as the cause why G'd wanted the Israelites to experience exile among foreign and hostile nations. להפר בריתי אתם, "to break My covenant with them." This is the covenant not to exchange the Jewish people for another nation, a covenant G'd kept for the people who experienced the Exodus. It is the deeper meaning of the words: "for I am the Lord their G'd." The sign of the covenant is that G'd does not adopt another nation in our place. G'd's promise at the time of מתן תורה that the Jewish people would be an עם סגולה וממלכת כהנים was equivalent to a covenant. The verse may also refer to the second party to the covenant, the Torah, who would be orphaned if G'd destroyed the Jewish people seeing no one would observe it. G'd would therefore have broken His covenant both with the Jewish people and with the Torah.
Chizkuni
ואף גם זאת בהיותם בארץ אויביהם, “and yet, in spite of their being in the land of their enemies, etc.;” what has been left for the surviving Israelites who have been deprived of all that had made their lives worth living?” G-d promises that the most precious of their possessions, the Torah, they had not been deprived of, and this will make them distinguished even when in exile and the nations look down upon them. This is what the famous liturgist had in mind when he composed the phrase: ואין שיור רק התורה הזאת, “there is nothing left except this Torah.” [zechor brit, recited as part of the selichot, near the end of the Ne’ilah prayer on the Day of Atonement.” Ed.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואף גם זאת, “But in spite of all this, etc.” according to the plain meaning of the text the Torah assures us that even when the Jewish people will be in exile G’d will not despise them there but will keep His covenant with them. A Midrashic approach based on Sifra quoted presently: the word זאת refers to the Torah in which it is written וזאת התורה, “this” is the Torah (Deut. 4,44). The verse is a hint that the Torah will not depart from the Jewish people when they are in exile. This promise is parallel to a similar promise by Moses in Deut. 31,21 כי לא תשכח מפי זרעו, “she will not be forgotten from the mouth of its offspring.” Our sages in Sifra Bechukotai 8,10 used this verse to say that the only thing which the Jewish people will retain of all their former glory and which will ensure that they are not totally despised is the Torah. If this had been taken from them also they would be entitled to claim that G’d had totally despised them and been revolted by them. לא מאסתים, “I do not despise them.” This is a reference to exile under Emperor Vespasianus. ולא געלתים, “and I do not reject them,” during the days of the Greek dominance of the land of Israel. לכלותם להפר בריתי אתם, “to annul My covenant with them.” This is a reference to the time of Haman. כי אני ה' אלוהיהם, “for I am the Lord their G’d.” This refers to the period known as Gog and Magog. This is a period when no creature will be able to dominate or rule over the Israelites. When you review this whole paragraph starting with the words ואם לא תשמעו in verse 14 until the conclusion of verse 43, you will find that it contains 390 words. This is the total number of years that the tribes sinned in the land of Israel prior to heir being exiled. The period commenced with the declaration in Samuel II 20,1: “we do not have a share in David nor a common inheritance with the son of Yishai.” [This was Sheva ben Bichri’s call to rebellion against the Kingdom of David and occurred during the last years of David’s reign. Ed.] You will find that in Chronicles I 16,16 the word יצחק in the reference to ושבועתו ליצחק, is spelled with the letter ש instead of the letter צ, thus hinting at 390 years after which that oath that the land of Canaan would belong to the descendants of Yitzchak might expire. [The commonly accepted text of the Bible does not show that letter ש, though I have found that in Cassel’s version of comparative spellings in the Bible it is given as an alternate spelling. Ed.] It is assumed that G’d had sworn to Yitzchak that if his descendants would not sin for more than 390 years He would not decree exile for them. This is also alluded to in Ezekiel 4,5-6: “and I will impose upon you 390 days (years), corresponding to the days of their guilt; and so you shall bear the guilt for the House of Israel. When you have completed these, you shall lie another forty years on your right side, and bear the guilt of the House of Yehudah. One day for each year I impose upon you.” A kabbalistic approach: The words ואף גם זאת are meant to include the כנסת ישראל the spiritual concept of the people of Israel. [The word אף then is understood as “also.” Ed.] The כנסת ישראל is known as זאת, as we know from Psalms 118,23 מאת ה' היתה זאת, “the כנסת ישראל emanated from the Lord,” (as well as from Genesis 49,28), and the verse would contain a promise that wherever the physical people of Israel would be exiled to an element of the Shechinah would remain with them. This is the deeper meaning of the words in verse 44: “I will not despise them and reject them to the point of totally destroying them.” This idea is also reflected in the hymn composed by Assaph (Psalms 80,15) “look down from heaven and see; take note of this (זאת) vine.” The words “look down from heaven and see,” are similar to Kings I 8, 32 ואתה תשמע השמים, “and You will listen (to the prayer) from heaven.” The words ופקד גפן זאת, “and take note of this vine,” should be understood as “and take not of the vine of זאת,” i.e. of the כנסת ישראל known as זאת. Among his other words Assaph also explained here that this vine known as זאת is well known through the wickedness referred to in verse 14 of the same Psalm as חזיר מיער, where the letter ע is suspended. The suspension of that letter is supposed to allude to the religion of the Romans. I have already mentioned this in connection with Genesis 36,31 about the kings of the Kingdom of Edom who preceded the first Jewish king. (See verse 39 there commencing with the words: “A Midrashic approach”. Ed.). Remember that according to the Kabbalists there is a considerable difference between the meaning of the word גם and the word אף although both are used as forms of “also.” The word אף always refers to the addition of the attribute of Justice, whereas the word גם refers to the addition of the attribute of Mercy. The word גם is perceived as an abbreviation of the word גמילות חסדים, “performance of deeds of loving kindness.” One such example would be found in Genesis 30 6 וגם שמע בקולי, “and He also listened to my voice (in prayer, Rachel speaking).” According to this we may understand the words ואף גם זאת as a combination of the attribute of Justice and the attribute of Mercy as represented by the attribute זאת.
Tur HaArokh
לא מאסתים לכלותם, “I did not despise them to the extent that I would wipe them out completely. I chastised them only sufficiently to discipline them by means of chastisements until they would humble their hearts. להפר בריתי, ”to violate My covenant.” The covenant which I swore to them.” Even though they, on their part have violated this covenant, I will not annul it seeing that I am G’d.
But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am Hashem.
verse value 5059 — יְהֹוָֽה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·brought·them·out" (הוֹצֵֽאתִי־אֹתָם֩, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 75: to·them, to·them. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "the·ancients" (רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים), "I·brought·them·out" (הוֹצֵֽאתִי־אֹתָם֩). The root הם appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 308x in Leviticus); "which" (root אשר, 240x in Leviticus); "to·be" (root היה, 147x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·ancients', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 11 words.
Onkelos
I will remember for them the covenant of the first ones whom I brought out from the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, to be their God; I am Hashem.
Rashi
ברית ראשנים THE COVENANT OF THE ANCESTORS — i. e. of the twelve Tribes (cf. Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 8 10).
Ramban
AND I WILL FOR THEIR SAKES REMEMBER THE COVENANT OF THEIR ANCESTORS. This means that I will remember it for their sakes whether in the Land or outside the Land, both in the [first] exile alluded to here and likewise throughout all generations. This is the sense of the expression in the sight of the nations [And I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors … in the sight of the nations], for He will do [good] to them because of His Great Name, so that it be not profaned among the nations, but not for their sake, since they have not repented, and [thus] their iniquities have not been forgiven. And so did our Rabbis say: “I will not reject them in the days of Vespasian. Neither will I abhor them in the days of Greece. [Neither will I abhor them] to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them in the days of Haman. For I am the Eternal their G-d in the days of Gog and Magog.”
Ibn Ezra
"And I will remember for them" — forever. "The covenant of the ancestors" — this is the covenant made at Sinai; and [the Torah] calls that generation "ancestors" in contrast to the children who would go into exile in the land of their enemies. Some say this refers to the patriarchs of the world. The meaning of "whom I brought out" is: those to whom I swore to bring their children out of bondage; but the first interpretation seems correct to me.
Sforno
וזכרתי להם, during the ingathering of the exiles. אשר הוצאתי...להיות להם לאלוקים, the principal reason I redeemed them from Egypt was to become their exclusive G’d, as we know from Exodus 19,6 ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש, “you are to become for me a Kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” The corruption you have become guilty of since will be reversed in the days of the Messiah and the world to come. 'אני ה, “I have not changed; any deterioration in the Jewish people’s condition is completely the result of their own doing. I will eventually successfully complete My plan, something that I have had in mind since time immemorial, but I have never revealed My timetable.”
Or HaChaim
וזכרתי להם כרית ראשונים, "And I will remember for their sakes the covenant with the ancestors, etc." Torat Kohanim asks: "whence do we know that G'd concluded a covenant with the tribes?" They quote our verse as the source. Perhaps we should understand this in the way Jeremiah quotes G'd as remembering the time after the crossing of the sea of reeds when the Israelites willingly followed G'd into the desert, etc. (compare Jeremiah 2,2). G'd goes on record here that He will remember such deeds by our forefathers to their descendants in due course. The word ראשונים refers to the first ever generation of the Jews as a people G'd concluded a covenant with.
Chizkuni
וזכרתי להם ברית ראשונם, “I will remember in their favour the covenant with the earlier generations;” from this verse we learn that the covenant was concluded with the different tribes [at the time when the people left Egypt]. The curses, i.e. admonitions, we have just read are referred to as the brit, covenant, as spelled out in Deuteronomy 28,69: אלה דברי הברית מלבד הברית אשר כרת אתם בחורב, “these are the words of the covenant, apart from the covenant He made with them at Mount Chorev.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
וזכרתי להם ברית ראשונים, “I will remember for their benefit the covenant with the ancients, etc.” After the Torah had mentioned the word וזכרתי in verse 42 referring to the three elder patriarchs who are already in the celestial regions, the Torah now applies the same wording to the covenants concluded with the people at Mount Sinai both in connection with the first and the second set of Tablets; it assures the Jewish people that the promises inherent in those covenants will also not be nullified by G’d entirely. The latter covenants are the ones concluded with the יוצאי מצרים, the participants in the Exodus from Egypt as opposed to the “earlier” ones referred to as ראשונים. This is why the Torah added here: 'אשר הוצאתי אותם מארץ מצרים לעיני הגוים להיות להם לאלוהים אני ה', “whom I took out of the land of Egypt in full view of all the nations, in order to be and remain their G’d, I am the Lord.” it is as if the Torah had added: “and in order to say to them at Mount Sinai: “I am the Lord your G’d who has taken you out of Egypt from the house of bondage, etc.” (Exodus 20,2). A kabbalistic approach: the words ברית ראשונים, refer to the covenant with the first three emanations, the “first” ones compared to the following seven emanations. Grammatically, this is a construction similar to the one in Job 15,7 הראשון אדם תולד, “are you the first human being ever born?” [The point is that the word ראשון does not have to mean the objectively first, but is a word used relative to other, even identical phenomena which become manifest later in time. Ed.] Seeing that the Torah had mentioned the three “elder” patriarchs not in their genealogical order (compare verse 42) and I had explained that though three patriarchs are mentioned by name that the verse spoke of seven different attributes (emanations), now that the Torah again uses the term וזכרתי, “I will remember,” it refers to the fact that there had been a previous “remembrance” of the patriarchs in order to complete the בנין, the structure. Furthermore, the attribute of Mercy which was alluded to in the extra letter ו in the spelling of the name יעקוב, which is part of the seven attributes alluded to in that verse, is an aspect of the attribute of Mercy which also contains part of the attribute of Justice. In order to reassure the people in exile, G’d promises here that He will particularly remember the first set of “remembrance” in which the attribute of Mercy was portrayed as “self-sufficient,” not diluted through incorporating part of the attribute of Justice. Such an assurance was deemed necessary at this point seeing that the attribute which took the people out of Egypt was the attribute אני, a form of the attribute of Justice, and the declared objective was “to be their אלוהים, G’d,” as the attribute of Justice.
Tur HaArokh
וזכרתי להם ברית ראשונים, “I will remember for them the covenant with the ancients.” Nachmanides sees in this a promise that G’d will remember the covenant with the ancients (the patriarchs) both when the Jewish people are in the Holy Land and when they will be in exile. He sees in the words לעיני הגוים, “in full view of the gentile nations,” an allusion to the enduring nature of G’d’s special relationship with the Jewish people. Ibn Ezra writes that the meaning of the words וזכרתי להם ברית ראשונים, refer to the covenant concluded at the revelation at Mount Sinai; [after all the era the Torah refers to here when speaking of the exile of the Jewish people is more than 1000 years in the future, so that people alive at that time will consider that covenant without problem as “the covenant concluded with the ancients.” Ed.] There are some scholars who understand the words ברית ראשונים, ”covenant with the ancients” as the covenant concluded with the patriarchs in which G’d promised redemption from Egypt after bondage and harsh treatment. According to this opinion this is why the Torah here has added “whom I took out of Egypt in full view of all the nations.”
Rashbam
ברית ראשונים, for whose sake I took them out of Egypt in the first place.
These are the statutes and ordinances and the Teachings, which Hashem made between Him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.
verse value 4170 — אֵ֠לֶּה = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֠לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֠לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·rules" (וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 68: between·him, and·between. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Leviticus. Unique to this verse in Leviticus (hapax): "the·laws" (הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים), "and·the·rules" (וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮), "and·the·Teachings" (וְהַתּוֹרֹת֒). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 308x in Leviticus); "that" (root אשר, 240x in Leviticus); "sons·of" (root בן, 143x in Leviticus). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֵ֠לֶּה [these] (36) + הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים [the·laws] (163) + וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮ [and·the·rules] (490) + וְהַתּוֹרֹת֒ [and·the·Teachings] (1017) + אֲשֶׁר֙ [that] (501) + נָתַ֣ן [gave] (500) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + בֵּינ֕וֹ [between·him] (68) + וּבֵ֖ין [and·between] (68) + בְּנֵ֣י [sons·of] (62) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + בְּהַ֥ר [in·mountain·of] (207) + סִינַ֖י [Sinai] (130) + בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה [in·hand·of·Moses] (361) = 4170.
Onkelos
These are the statutes and the laws and the Torah that Hashem gave between His Word and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.
Rashi
והתורת AND THE TORAHS… [WHICH GOD GAVE… IN MOUNT SINAI BY THE HAND OF MOSES] — (The plural is used because there are two Torahs:) one in writing and one by word of mouth (the Oral Law). This verse therefore tells us that all (both) of them were given by God to Moses on Sinai (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 8 10).
Ibn Ezra
"These are the statutes and the ordinances" — they are those written in the portions [beginning] "And he heard" (וַיִּשְׁמַע) and "These are the ordinances" (וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים) and the portion of [Mount] Sinai. "Which Hashem gave between Himself and the children of Israel" — a hint at the covenant of Mount Sinai, for after the Tabernacle was made and the Glory was in the Tent of Meeting, Moses did not ascend Mount Sinai again. [Scripture] also mentions the passage of [monetary] valuations (הָעֶרְכִין) because it was spoken at Mount Sinai, for so it is written at the end; since the opening of [the book of] Numbers says: "Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting" — and this is in the book of Leviticus.
Sforno
אלה החקים, all the commandments recorded already before the commencement of the portion of בחקתי, which began with the words אם בחקתי תלכו, are part of the “package” consisting of statues, social laws and moral/ethical laws the observance of which will be reflected by the Jewish nation either receiving blessings or, G’d forbid, curses. This is the covenant to which Moses referred in Deuteronomy 28,69 when he wrote: “apart from the covenant which He concluded with them at Chorev.” ביני ובין בני ישראל, G’d had vowed to bestow the blessings if the people merited them, and the people accepted the curses as being deserved in the event that they would not obey G’d’s instructions. However, the legislation which follows now, regarding the evaluations of people in terms of subjectively defined vows, in terms of the firstborn and in terms of their donating property to the temple treasury, etc., all of this was only legislated after the covenant had already been entered into, even though the words “at Mount Sinai” have been used by the Torah in describing this legislation. When the Torah repeats in chapter 27,34 “these are the commandments G’d commanded Moses to relate to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai,” it added these words to make clear that although these laws also originated at Mount Sinai, they were not part of the laws covered by the covenant, i.e. laws which if violated might bring on the terrible retribution described in chapter 26.
Rashbam
בהר סיני ביד משה, just as the whole chapter commences with the subject of the sh’mittah legislation (25,1) so it concludes with linking the retribution as being the result of neglect of that important commandment. The subject matter of both the portion Behar and Bechukotai deals almost exclusively with the release of the land or the slaves, freeing slaves (Jewish ones, not bodily owned) and freeing land which had been sold only due to economic necessity. The importance the Torah attaches to these commandments is underlined by their being repeatedly mentioned as originating at Mount Sinai.
Onkelos
Rashi
Ramban
Ibn Ezra
Sforno
Chizkuni
Rabbeinu Bahya
Tur HaArokh
Rashbam
Daat Zkenim