1The first 36 lines of the Hebrew text are not Translated. AND IN ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU TAKE YE HEED, ETC. Note the passive form tishameru (take heed, lit. ye shall be guarded). We may translate: “From the penalties which I have threatened for a breach of My service ye shall be guarded, so that no harm shall come to you”, and therefore, MAKE NO MENTION OF THE NAME OF OTHER GODS. These words may also be expounded thus: ‘Ye shall not bring it about that ye shall fall among the nations in a strange land so that there be fulfilled concerning you the words of Scripture: “and there shalt thou serve other gods, etc.” (Deut. 28, 36).’
R. Judah connected this text with the verses: “Hear, O my people, and I will admonish thee…. There shall no strange god be in thee… I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt, etc.” (Ps. 81, 9-11). ‘These verses’, he said, ‘David uttered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and they should be well pondered. “Hear, O My people”, is a reminder of the repeated admonitions of the Torah and of the Holy One, blessed be He, to man, and all for the benefit of man, that he observe the commands of the Torah, for when one. observes the ordinances of the Torah and diligently studies it, it is as though he diligently studied the Divine Name.
For the whole Torah is an enfolding of the one Divine Name, the most exalted Name, the Name that comprehends all other names; and hence if one diminishes it, even by a single letter, it is as though he made a gap in the Divine Name. Hence, according to our teaching, the words, “and make no mention of the name of other gods”, signify “thou shalt not add to the Torah nor diminish from it”.’ R. Hiya said: ‘ “The name of other gods” signifies profane books which do not issue from the side of the Torah, and hence we are forbidden to study them: NEITHER LET IT BE HEARD OUT OF THY MOUTH, that is, we may not even mention them nor receive teaching from them, especially concerning the Torah.’
R. Judah expounded the passage as follows. ‘For what reason is the precept concerning other gods closely followed by the precept, THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SHALT THOU KEEP? Because the nonobservance of this festival betokens lack of faith in the Holy One, blessed be He, since that festival is closely associated with Him.’ R. Isaac said: ‘It is the same with the other feasts and festivals, as they all are closely bound up with the most exalted Divine Name. Hence the dictum, that religious faith is closely bound up with the three festivals.’
(שמות כ״ג:י״ג) וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וְגוֹ'. מַאי תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ, תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וַדַּאי, מַאי אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם, כְּלוֹמַר דְּאַגְזִימִית לְכוֹן עַל מֵימָר פּוּלְחָנִי. תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ, דְּלָא יַמְטֵי עֲלֵיכוֹן שׁוּם בִּישׁ. תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ מֵהַהִיא שְׁמִירָה וּנְטוּרָא דִּילִי בִּלְבַד. וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לא תַזְכִּירוּ, לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. דָּבָר אַחֵר וְשֵׁם אֱלהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ, כְּלוֹמַר, לא תְּסַבְּבוּן, דְּתִפְּלוּן בֵּינִי עֲמַמְיָא בְּאַרְעָא אַחֲרָא. וִיקוּיָם בְּכוּ מַה דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים כ״ח:ל״ו) וְעָבַדְתָּ שָׁם אֱלהִים אֲחֵרִים וְגוֹ'.
1The first 36 lines of the Hebrew text are not Translated. AND IN ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU TAKE YE HEED, ETC. Note the passive form tishameru (take heed, lit. ye shall be guarded). We may translate: “From the penalties which I have threatened for a breach of My service ye shall be guarded, so that no harm shall come to you”, and therefore, MAKE NO MENTION OF THE NAME OF OTHER GODS. These words may also be expounded thus: ‘Ye shall not bring it about that ye shall fall among the nations in a strange land so that there be fulfilled concerning you the words of Scripture: “and there shalt thou serve other gods, etc.” (Deut. 28, 36).’
דָּבָר אַחֵר וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (תהילים פ״א:ט׳) שְׁמַע עַמִּי וְאָעִידָה בָּךְ וְגוֹ', לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֵל זָר וְגוֹ'. אָנֹכִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְגוֹ'. הָנֵי קָרָאן, אֲמָרָן דָּוִד בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, וְאִית לְאִסְתַּכָּל בְּהוּ. שְׁמַע עַמִּי בְּכַמָּה אַתְרִין אַזְהָרָא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְבַּר נָשׁ. בְּכַמָּה אַתְרִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַזְהִיר בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ. וְכֹלָּא לְתוֹעַלְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ. בְּגִין דְּיִנְטַר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּיִנְטַר אָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בָּהּ, כְּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
R. Judah connected this text with the verses: “Hear, O my people, and I will admonish thee…. There shall no strange god be in thee… I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt, etc.” (Ps. 81, 9-11). ‘These verses’, he said, ‘David uttered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and they should be well pondered. “Hear, O My people”, is a reminder of the repeated admonitions of the Torah and of the Holy One, blessed be He, to man, and all for the benefit of man, that he observe the commands of the Torah, for when one. observes the ordinances of the Torah and diligently studies it, it is as though he diligently studied the Divine Name.
דְּתָנֵינָן, אוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַאן דְּמִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ, כְּמַאן דְּמִשְׁתַּדַּל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא, חַד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא. שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה, שְׁמָא דְּכָלִיל כָּל שְׁמָהָן. וּמַאן דְּגָרַע אוֹת חַד מִינָהּ, כְּאִילּוּ עָבִיד פְּגִימוּתָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. תָּאנָא, וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ, לֹא תּוֹסִיף עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא תִּגְרַע מִינָּהּ. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, דָּא מַאן דְּיִתְעֲסָק בְּסִפְרִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּלָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. לָא יִשָּׁמַע עַל פִּיךָ, דְּאָסוּר אֲפִילּוּ לְאַדְכְּרָא לוֹן, וּלְמֵילַף מִנַּיְיהוּ טַעֲמָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא.
For the whole Torah is an enfolding of the one Divine Name, the most exalted Name, the Name that comprehends all other names; and hence if one diminishes it, even by a single letter, it is as though he made a gap in the Divine Name. Hence, according to our teaching, the words, “and make no mention of the name of other gods”, signify “thou shalt not add to the Torah nor diminish from it”.’ R. Hiya said: ‘ “The name of other gods” signifies profane books which do not issue from the side of the Torah, and hence we are forbidden to study them: NEITHER LET IT BE HEARD OUT OF THY MOUTH, that is, we may not even mention them nor receive teaching from them, especially concerning the Torah.’
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתְנֵי הָכִי, מַאי טַעֲמָא כְּתִיב וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר. אֶלָּא, מַאן דְּלָא נָטִיר הַאי, כְּמַאן דְּלָא נָטִיר מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. מִשּׁוּם דְּבֵיהּ אֲחִידָא מִלָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, וְכֵן בְּכָל שְׁאַר זִמְנִין וְחַגִּין, דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ אֲחִידָן בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה. וְעַל דָּא תָּנִינָן, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב שָׁלשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה, מִשּׁוּם דִּבְהוּ תַּלְיָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא.
R. Judah expounded the passage as follows. ‘For what reason is the precept concerning other gods closely followed by the precept, THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SHALT THOU KEEP? Because the nonobservance of this festival betokens lack of faith in the Holy One, blessed be He, since that festival is closely associated with Him.’ R. Isaac said: ‘It is the same with the other feasts and festivals, as they all are closely bound up with the most exalted Divine Name. Hence the dictum, that religious faith is closely bound up with the three festivals.’