"O that they were wise, that they understood this"

Synopsis

The rabbis speak about the admonishments that Moses made to Yisrael before he died, and how they were all connected to the Holy Name. Rabbi Aba says that the whole Torah is the Name of God. We hear that if Yisrael keep the commandments then Malchut will take revenge on their enemies. Rabbi Yehuda says that Abraham said Yisrael should be forced into exile rather than go to Gehenom because they could not bear both the years of exile and Gehenom too. God agreed that as long as Yisrael sinned they would fall into exile and be enslaved by their enemies.

Holy Name Moses Torah

241. "O that they were wise, that they understood this" (Devarim 32:29). Rabbi Yosi said, All the verses here are reproofs with which Moses admonished Yisrael, except for the Holy Name he disclosed at the beginning of his words, NAMELY, "BECAUSE I WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF HASHEM..." (IBID. 3), WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. Rabbi Aba said, Even the verses in which he admonished Yisrael are part of the Holy Name, because there is nothing in the Torah that is excluded from the Holy Name, as the whole Torah is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.

241. לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֺאת. א"ר יוֹסֵי, כָּל הָנֵי קְרָאֵי דְּהָכָא, אוֹכָחֵי אִינּוּן, דְּאוֹכַח לְהוּ מֺשֶׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּר הַהוּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּגַלֵּי בְּשֵׁירוּתָא דְּמִלוֹי. א"ר אַבָּא, וַאֲפִילּוּ מַה דְּאוֹכַח לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּכְלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא, דְּלֵית מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּנָפִיק מִכְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֺּלָּא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִינּוּן.

Earth Job Revenge Wicked Wickedness Zot (This, Fem.)

242. The verses WE HAVE EXPLAINED SO FAR are known TO EVERYONE, but since the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned in this portion, we had TO EXPLAIN THEM until now. But here it is written, "O that they were wise, that they understood this (Heb. zot)," assuredly zot, WHO IS MALCHUT. We have explained it in several places that if Yisrael knew how zot held to its punishments to take revenge on the wicked, "they would consider their latter end" (Devarim 32:29), and take care to be in it, THAT IS, TO KEEP ITS COMMANDMENTS, as it is written, "the earth," WHICH IS MALCHUT, "shall rise up against him" (Iyov 20:27).

242. וְהָנֵי קְרָאֵי יְדִיעָאן אִינּוּן. אֲבָל בְּגִין דִּשְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָשִׁים בְּהַאי פַּרְשְׁתָּא, אִצְטְרִיכְנָא עַד הַשְׁתָּא. וְהָכָא הָא כְּתִיב, לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֺאת, זֺאת וַדַּאי, וְהָא בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר אוֹקִימְנָא הַאי, דְּאִי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִנְדְּעוּן הַאי, אֵיךְ זֺאת אֲחִידָא בְּדִינוֹי לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִן חַיָּיבַיָּא, יָבִינוּ לְאַחֲרִיתָם, וְיִסְתָּמָרוּ לְמֶהֱוֵי בָּהּ. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לוֹ.

Revenge Ten Torah Zot (This, Fem.)

243. Another explanation for, "O that they were wise, that they understood this (Heb. ZOT)" is that when zot is attached to Yisrael, THAT IS, WHEN they keep the commandments of the Torah and dwell with it wholly, they shall know they have with them the help of zot in taking revenge on their enemies. And Yisrael, who are a minority among the nations shall know, "How should one man chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight" (Devarim 32:30). Who brought it about? Zot, which was wholly in them when they performed the commandments of the Torah. And it will never leave them, or leave wreaking vengeance for them ON THEIR ENEMIES.

243. ד"א לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֺאת. דְּאִיהִי מִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד נַטְרִין פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיַתְבִין עִמָּהּ בִּשְׁלָם, יִנְדְּעוּן דִּסְיַּיעְתָּא דְּהַאי זֺאת עִמְּהוֹן, לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִשַּׁנְאֵיהוֹן. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינּוּן זְעִירִין בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא, יִנְדְּעוּן, אֵיכָה יִרְדּוֹף אֶחָד אֶלֶף וּשְׁנַיִם יָנִיסוּ רְבָבָה. וּמַאן גָּרִים לְהוּ. הַאי זֺאת, דַּהֲוָה בְּהוּ בִּשְׁלָם, כַּד עַבְדִּין פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. וּלְעָלְמִין לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ, לְמֶעְבַּד לְהוּ נוּקְמִין.

Abraham Exile Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Rock Sin Slavery Year

244. "Unless their Rock had sold them, and Hashem had shut them up" (Ibid.). What is the reason "their Rock had sold them"? It is because, "Of the Rock that begot you you are unmindful" (Ibid. 18), as these structures do not properly rest in their place. "Their Rock had sold them:" Rabbi Yehuda said, This is Abraham, as we explained that Abraham said, Let Yisrael be forced into exile rather than go to Gehenom, because Yisrael cannot bear these years of exile and Gehenom. And the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him that as long as Yisrael sin they will fall into exile and their enemies will enslave them. For that reason, that "their Rock had sold them," surely, NAMELY ABRAHAM WHO DELIVERED THEM INTO EXILE, "and Hashem had shut them up," since He agreed with him.

244. אִם לֺֹא כִּי צוּרָם מְכָרָם וַיְיָ' הִסְגִּירָם. מ"ט כִּי צוּרָם מְכָרָם. בְּגִין צוּר יְלָדְךָ תֶּשִׁי, דְּתִקּוּנִין לָא שָׁרָאן כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ. אִם לָא כִּי צוּרָם מְכָרָם. א"ר יְהוּדָה דָּא אַבְרָהָם, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, דְּאָמַר אַבְרָהָם יִתְחַיְּיבוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, וְלָא יֵיעֲלוּן בַּגֵיהִנָּם דִּתְרֵין אִלֵּין גָּלוּתָא וְגֵיהִנָּם, לָא יִסְבְּלוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתְּכַם עַל יְדוֹי, דְּכָל זִמְנָא דִּי יְחוּבוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִפְּלוּן בְּגָלוּתָא, וְיִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּן בְּהוּ שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן. ובג"כ, צוּרָם מְכָרָם וַדַּאי, וַיְיָ' הִסְגִּירָם, וְאִסְתְּכַם עַל יְדוֹי.