(Devarim 32:19) "And the L-rd saw and thrust away": R. Yehudah says: At the (very) time that they are seen (favorably) by Him, they thrust Him away! "in anger at His sons and daughters."
(Ibid. 20) "And He said: I shall hide My face from them": The Holy One Blessed be He said: I shall remove My Shechinah from among you." I shall see mah acharitham": I shall know what their end will be.
They are "turncoats" (hafachpechanim), they are "runabouts." "sons without emun": You are sons without emunah (faith). You stood before Mount Sinai and said (Shemoth 24:7) "All that the L-rd spoke we will do and we will hear." I, too, said to you (Psalms 82:6) "You are angels." But since they said of the golden calf (Shemoth 32:4) "These are your gods, O Israel," I, too, said of you (Psalms, Ibid. 7) "but like men will you die." I brought you into the land of your forefathers and I gave you the Temple. I said to you: You will never be exiled from it. But since you said (II Samuel 20:1) 'We have no part in David," I, likewise, said to you (Amos 7:17) "And Israel will be exiled from its land." R. Dostai says: Read it not ("sons) without emun; but "without 'Amen.'" They did not want to answer "Amen" after the prophets when they blessed them. And thus is it written (Jeremiah 11:5) "in order to fulfill the oath that I swore to your forefathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as this very day." And not one of them opened his mouth and answered Amen, until Jeremiah came and answered Amen, as it is written (Ibid.) "And I answered and said: 'Amen, O L-rd!'"
(Devarim, Ibid. 21) "They incited Me with a no-god; they angered Me with their vanities': There are men who serve images, things that can be seen (in themselves), but they serve reflections of things, and not these alone, but (they serve) vapors that rise from pots, viz. "They angered Me with their vanities" (lit., "their vapors").
"And I will anger them with a no-people." Read it not "belo am" ("with a no-people"), but "balui am" ("the dregs of the people"), who are cast out of their houses.
(Devarim, Ibid. 22) "For a fire has been kindled in My wrath": When punishment emerges from the world, it does so only through wrath. Whence is it derived (that it descends) even into Gehinnom? From "and it shall burn to the nethermost pit."
"and it shall consume the land and its produce": Eretz Yisrael. "and it shall set ablaze the foundations of the mountains": Jerusalem, as it is written (Psalms 125:2) "Jerusalem — mountains surround it, and the L-rd surrounds His people."
Variantly: "and it shall consume the land and its produce": the world. "and it shall set ablaze the foundations of the mountains": the four exiles, viz. (Zechariah 6:1) "And I raised my eyes and I saw. And, behold, four chariots emerging from between the two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of copper."
(דברים לב יט) וַיַּרְא ה׳ וַיִּנְאָץ, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מִמַּה שֶּׁהִנְאָם מִשֶּׁלּוֹ מְנָאֲצִים לְפָנָיו.
(Devarim 32:19) "And the L-rd saw and thrust away": R. Yehudah says: At the (very) time that they are seen (favorably) by Him, they thrust Him away! "in anger at His sons and daughters."
רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: מַכְעִיס בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו. וַהֲלֹא דְּבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר: וּמָה בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּכְעִיסִים קְרוּיִים בָּנִים, אִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִים עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
R. Meir says: Now does this not follow a fortiori? If (even) when they anger Him they are called "sons," if they did not anger Him, how much more so!
(דברים לב כ) וַיֹּאמַר אַסְתִּירָה פָנַי מֵהֶם, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֲרֵינִי מְסַלֵּק שְׁכִינָתִי מִבֵּינֵיהֶם. אֶרְאֶה מָה אַחֲרִיתָם, וְאֵדַע מַה סּוֹפָם.
(Ibid. 20) "And He said: I shall hide My face from them": The Holy One Blessed be He said: I shall remove My Shechinah from among you." I shall see mah acharitham": I shall know what their end will be.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: הֲרֵינִי מוֹסְרָם בְּיַד אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְשַׁעְבְּדִים אוֹתָם.
Variantly: I shall relegate them to servitude in four exiles.
אֶרְאֶה מָה אַחֲרִיתָם, אֵדְעָה מָה בְּסוֹפָם. כִּי דוֹר תַּהְפֻּכוֹת הֵמָּה, דּוֹר הָפוּךְ, ״דּוֹר תַּהְפֹּךְ״ אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא דוֹר תַּהְפֻּכוֹת, הֲפַכְפְּכָנִים הֵם, פּוֹרְנִים הֵם.
"for they are a generation of tahpuchoth" It is not written "tahfoch," but "tahpuchoth."
בָּנִים לֹא אֵמֻן בָּם, בָּנִים אַתֶּם שֶׁאֵין בָּכֶם אֱמוּנָה, עֲמַדְתֶּם עַל הַר סִינַי וַאֲמַרְתֶּם (שמות כד ז): ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״, (תהלים פב ו): ״אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם״, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֲמַרְתֶּם לָעֵגֶל (שמות לב ד): ״אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל״, אַף אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם (תהלים פב ז): ״אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן״; הִכְנַסְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וּבָנִיתִי לָכֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה וְאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁלֹּא תִהְיוּ גּוֹלִים מִמֶּנּוּ לְעוֹלָם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֲמַרְתֶּם (ש״ב כ א): ״אֵין לָנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִד״, אַף אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי (עמוס ז יז): ״וְיִשְׂרָאֵל גָּלֹה יִגְלֶה מֵעַל אַדְמָתוֹ״. רַבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא לֹא אֵמֻן בָּם אֶלָּא ״לֹא אָמֵן בָּם״, שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רוֹצִים לַעֲנוֹת אָמֵן אַחַר הַנְּבִיאִים בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ מְבָרְכִים אוֹתָם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה יא ה): ״לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה״, וְלֹא הָיָה בָהֶם אֶחָד שֶׁפָּתַח פִּיו וְעָנָה אָמֵן, עַד שֶׁבָּא יִרְמְיָה וְעָנָה אָמֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם): ״וָאַעַן וָאֹמַר אָמֵן ה׳״.
They are "turncoats" (hafachpechanim), they are "runabouts." "sons without emun": You are sons without emunah (faith). You stood before Mount Sinai and said (Shemoth 24:7) "All that the L-rd spoke we will do and we will hear." I, too, said to you (Psalms 82:6) "You are angels." But since they said of the golden calf (Shemoth 32:4) "These are your gods, O Israel," I, too, said of you (Psalms, Ibid. 7) "but like men will you die." I brought you into the land of your forefathers and I gave you the Temple. I said to you: You will never be exiled from it. But since you said (II Samuel 20:1) 'We have no part in David," I, likewise, said to you (Amos 7:17) "And Israel will be exiled from its land." R. Dostai says: Read it not ("sons) without emun; but "without 'Amen.'" They did not want to answer "Amen" after the prophets when they blessed them. And thus is it written (Jeremiah 11:5) "in order to fulfill the oath that I swore to your forefathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as this very day." And not one of them opened his mouth and answered Amen, until Jeremiah came and answered Amen, as it is written (Ibid.) "And I answered and said: 'Amen, O L-rd!'"
(דברים לב כא) הֵם קִנְאוּנִי בְלֹא אֵל כִּעֲסוּנִי בְּהַבְלֵיהֶם, יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם עוֹבֵד לְצֶלֶם דָּבָר הָרוֹאֶה אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל הֵם עוֹבְדִים לְבָבוּאָה, וְלֹא לְבָבוּאָה בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא לְהֶבֶל זֶה שֶׁעוֹלֶה מִן הַקְּדֵרָה, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּעֲסוּנִי בְּהַבְלֵיהֶם.
(Devarim, Ibid. 21) "They incited Me with a no-god; they angered Me with their vanities': There are men who serve images, things that can be seen (in themselves), but they serve reflections of things, and not these alone, but (they serve) vapors that rise from pots, viz. "They angered Me with their vanities" (lit., "their vapors").
וַאֲנִי אַקְנִיאֵם בְּלֹא עָם, אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא בְּלֹא עָם אֶלָּא בְּלוּי עָם, אֵלּוּ הַבָּאִים מִתּוֹךְ הָאֻמּוֹת וּמַלְכֻיּוֹת וּמוֹצִיאִים אוֹתָם מִתּוֹךְ בָּתֵּיהֶם.
"And I will anger them with a no-people." Read it not "belo am" ("with a no-people"), but "balui am" ("the dregs of the people"), who are cast out of their houses.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: אֵלּוּ הַבָּאִים מִבַּרְבַּרְיָא וּמִמַּרְטַנְיָא וּמְהַלְּכִים עֲרוּמִים בַּשּׁוּק. אֵין לְךָ אָדָם בָּזוּי וּפָגוּם בָּעוֹלָם אֶלָּא הַמְהַלֵּךְ עָרוֹם בַּשּׁוּק.
Variantly: Those who come from Barbaria, Tunos, and Mauritania, who walk naked in the marketplace, there being nothing more despicable to the L-rd.
בְּגוֹי נָבָל אַכְעִיסֵם, אֵלּוּ הַמִּינִים. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים יד א): ״אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים״
"With a nation, naval, I shall anger them": These are the heretics, viz. (Psalms 14:1) "The naval says in his heart: 'There is no G-d.'"
(דברים לב כב)כִּי אֵשׁ קָדְחָה בְאַפִּי, כְּשֶׁהַפֻּרְעָנוּת יוֹצְאָה מִלְּפָנַי אֵין יוֹצְאָה אֶלָּא בְּאַף. וּמִנַּיִן אַף בְּתוֹךְ גֵּיהִנֹּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתִּיקַד עַד שְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית.
(Devarim, Ibid. 22) "For a fire has been kindled in My wrath": When punishment emerges from the world, it does so only through wrath. Whence is it derived (that it descends) even into Gehinnom? From "and it shall burn to the nethermost pit."
וַתֹּאכַל אֶרֶץ וִיבוּלָהּ, זוֹ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַתְּלַהֵט מוֹסְדֵי הָרִים, זוֹ יְרוּשָׁלִַם, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכה ב): ״יְרוּשָׁלִַם הָרִים סָבִיב לָהּ״.
"and it shall consume the land and its produce": Eretz Yisrael. "and it shall set ablaze the foundations of the mountains": Jerusalem, as it is written (Psalms 125:2) "Jerusalem — mountains surround it, and the L-rd surrounds His people."
דָּבָר אַחֵר וַתֹּאכַל אֶרֶץ וִיבוּלָהּ, זֶה הָעוֹלָם וּמְלוֹאוֹ, וַתְּלַהֵט מוֹסְדֵי הָרִים, אֵלּוּ אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת, וְאוֹמֵר (זכריה ו א) ״וְהִנֵּה אַרְבַּע מַרְכָּבוֹת״ וְגוֹ׳.
Variantly: "and it shall consume the land and its produce": the world. "and it shall set ablaze the foundations of the mountains": the four exiles, viz. (Zechariah 6:1) "And I raised my eyes and I saw. And, behold, four chariots emerging from between the two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of copper."