(Devarim 32:29) "If they were wise, they would understand this": If Israel looked into the words of the Torah, no nation could dominate them. And what did I say to them: Take upon yourselves the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, and strengthen each other in fear of Heaven, and treat each other with lovingkindness.
"How could one pursue a thousand": If you did not observe the Torah, how could I observe My assurance to you? I would desire that one of you pursue a thousand; and two, ten thousand. But now, one of them will pursue a thousand of you; and two, ten thousand.
"if their Rock had not sold them, and the L-rd (had not) delivered them (into their hands)": I do not deliver you into their hands of Myself, but through others. (And it already happened that the flies delivered them in Yehudah [by revealing their whereabouts]). R. Yehudah of Tivim says: Not as one says to his neighbor: "I am selling you a slave to be delivered at a certain time." But I am not like that. I sell and deliver (at once), as the unclean into the hands of the clean. And whence is it derived that only the unclean are "delivered" ("masgirim")? From (Leviticus 13:4) "And the Cohein shall 'deliver' ('hisgir', lit., 'close off') the plague-spot.
"For not as our rock is their rock": Not as the authority you give us is the authority you give them. When you give authority to them, they treat us with cruelty: they kill us, burn us, and crucify us.
"and our foes are judges": You wrote in our Torah that a foe does not judge and does not testify, viz. (Bamidbar 35:23) "And one who is not his foe" (shall testify against him), "and one who does not seek his evil" (shall judge him). And You have placed over us foes as witnesses and judges!
(Devarim, Ibid. 32) "For of the wine of Sodom is their wine": R. Yehudah expounds this as referring to Israel; and R. Nechemiah, as referring to the nations.
R. Yehudah understands this as meaning: Are you of the vine of Sodom or the planting of Amorah! Are you not of a holy planting? But they turned into (the opposite). As it is written (Jeremiah 2:21) "I had planted you from a choice vine, entirely of the seed of truth. How, then, have you turned yourself into an alien vine before Me!"
(Devarim, Ibid.) "Their grapes are grapes of gall ('rosh')": You are sons of the first man ("rishon," as in "rosh"), who decreed death upon all his descendants who came after him, until the end of all the generations.
"Bitter clusters ('ashkeloth') are theirs": your great men, whose awe "hangs" over you as a cluster. ("eshkol" connotes "greatness," as in (Michah 7:21) "There is no eshkol to eat, no 'ripe one' that my soul desires. The saint is vanished from the land, etc."
(Devarim, Ibid. 33) "The venom of snakes is their wine": The saintly and upright among you — their venom (of retribution) is as that of snakes. "and the cruel gall ('rosh') of asps" (is their cup of retribution): Your heads ("roshim", as in "rosh") (will be "bitten" by the cruel foe).
Variantly: "the venom of snakes is their wine": Your "moderate" ones, the fearers of sin among you — their venom will be as that of snakes. "and the cruel gall ('rosh') of asps": Your heads (roshim) will be like cruel asps (to you).
R. Nechemiah expounded it as referring to the nations, viz.: Most certainly you are of the wine of Sodom and of the planting of Amorah, disciples of the primal serpent, who deceived Adam and Eve.
"Bitter clusters are theirs": Your (the nations') great ones — their fear hangs over them (the Jews) as (the venom of) a snake. ("eshkol" connotes "greatness," as in (Michah 7:1-2) "There is no eshkol to eat, etc."
(דברים לב כט) לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֹאת, אִלּוּ הִסְתַּכְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לָהֶם לֹא שָׁלְטָה בָהֶם אֻמָּה וּמַלְכוּת, וְאֵין ״זֹאת״ אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד מד): ״וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה״. דָּבָר אַחֵר לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֹאת, אִלּוּ הִסְתַּכְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר לָהֶם יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם לֹא שָׁלְטָה בָהֶם אֻמָּה וּמַלְכוּת. וּמָה אָמַר לָהֶם – קַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיכֶם מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, וְהַכְרִיעוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה בְּיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, וְהִתְנַהֲגוּ זֶה עִם זֶה בִּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים.
(Devarim 32:29) "If they were wise, they would understand this": If Israel looked into the words of the Torah, no nation could dominate them. And what did I say to them: Take upon yourselves the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, and strengthen each other in fear of Heaven, and treat each other with lovingkindness.
(דברים לב ל) אֵיכָה יִרְדֹּף אֶחָד אֶלֶף, אִם לֹא עֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה הֵיאַךְ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה הַבְטָחַתְכֶם? שֶׁהֱיִיתֶם מְבַקְּשִׁים שֶׁאֶחָד מִכֶּם יִרְדֹּף אֶלֶף מִן הָאֻמּוֹת וּשְׁנַיִם יָנִיסוּ רְבָבָה, וְעַכְשָׁיו אֶחָד מִן הָאֻמּוֹת רוֹדֵף אֶלֶף מִכֶּם וּשְׁנַיִם מֵהֶם יָנִיסוּ רְבָבָה.
"How could one pursue a thousand": If you did not observe the Torah, how could I observe My assurance to you? I would desire that one of you pursue a thousand; and two, ten thousand. But now, one of them will pursue a thousand of you; and two, ten thousand.
אִם לֹא כִּי צוּרָם מְכָרָם וַה׳ הִסְגִּירָם, אֵינִי מַסְגִּיר אֶתְכֶם עַל יְדֵי עַצְמִי אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים. וּכְבָר הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהַזְּבוּבִים מָסְרוּ אוֹתָם בִּיהוּדָה. רַבִּי חֲנִינָה אִישׁ טִבְעִין אוֹמֵר: מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁאָמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ: עֶבֶד קִירִי אֲנִי מוֹכֵר לְךָ. אֲבָל אֲנִי אֵינִי כֵן, אֶלָּא מוֹכֵר אֲנִי וּמַסְגִּיר אֲנִי מִיָּד. [דָּבָר אַחֵר וַה׳ הִסְגִּירָם אֲנִי מוֹסֵר] אֶתְכֶם כִּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים. אוֹ [אֵינוֹ] אֶלָּא כִּטְהוֹרִים בְּיַד טְמֵאִים, הָא אֵין מַסְגִּירִים אֶלָּא טָמֵא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יג ד): ״וְהִסְגִּיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּגַע שִׁבְעַת יָמִים״.
"if their Rock had not sold them, and the L-rd (had not) delivered them (into their hands)": I do not deliver you into their hands of Myself, but through others. (And it already happened that the flies delivered them in Yehudah [by revealing their whereabouts]). R. Yehudah of Tivim says: Not as one says to his neighbor: "I am selling you a slave to be delivered at a certain time." But I am not like that. I sell and deliver (at once), as the unclean into the hands of the clean. And whence is it derived that only the unclean are "delivered" ("masgirim")? From (Leviticus 13:4) "And the Cohein shall 'deliver' ('hisgir', lit., 'close off') the plague-spot.
(דברים לב לא) כִּי לֹא כְצוּרֵנוּ צוּרָם, לֹא כְּתֹקֶף שֶׁאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָנוּ אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם, שֶׁכְּשֶׁאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָנוּ אֶת הַתֹּקֶף אָנוּ מִתְנַהֲגִים עִמָּהֶם בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת הַתֹּקֶף הֵם מִתְנַהֲגִים עִמָּנוּ בְּמִדַּת אַכְזָרִיּוּת, הוֹרְגִים מִמֶּנּוּ וְשׂוֹרְפִים מִמֶּנּוּ וְצוֹלְבִים מִמֶּנּוּ.
"For not as our rock is their rock": Not as the authority you give us is the authority you give them. When you give authority to them, they treat us with cruelty: they kill us, burn us, and crucify us.
וְאוֹיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִים, כָּתַבְתָּ בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאוֹיֵב לֹא דָּן וְלֹא מֵעִיד (במדבר לה כג): וְהוּא לֹא אוֹיֵב לוֹ יְעִידֶנּוּ (שם), וְלֹא מְבַקֵּשׁ רָעָתוֹ יְדִינֶנּוּ; וְאַתָּה מִנִּיתָ עָלֵינוּ אוֹיְבִים עֵדִים וְדַיָּנִים.
"and our foes are judges": You wrote in our Torah that a foe does not judge and does not testify, viz. (Bamidbar 35:23) "And one who is not his foe" (shall testify against him), "and one who does not seek his evil" (shall judge him). And You have placed over us foes as witnesses and judges!
(דברים לב לב) כִּי מִגֶּפֶן סְדֹם גַּפְנָם, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה דּוֹרְשׁוֹ כְּלַפֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל, רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה דּוֹרְשׁוֹ כְּלַפֵּי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.
(Devarim, Ibid. 32) "For of the wine of Sodom is their wine": R. Yehudah expounds this as referring to Israel; and R. Nechemiah, as referring to the nations.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: וְכִי מִגֶּפֶן סְדוֹם אַתֶּם אוֹ מִמַּטַּעְתָּהּ שֶׁל עֲמוֹרָה אַתֶּם? וַהֲלֹא אֵי אַתֶּם אֶלָּא מִמַּטַּע קֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה ב כא): ״וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק כֻּלֹּה זֶרַע אֱמֶת״.
R. Yehudah understands this as meaning: Are you of the vine of Sodom or the planting of Amorah! Are you not of a holy planting? But they turned into (the opposite). As it is written (Jeremiah 2:21) "I had planted you from a choice vine, entirely of the seed of truth. How, then, have you turned yourself into an alien vine before Me!"
עֲנָבֵימוֹ עִנְבֵי רוֹשׁ, בָּנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אַתֶּם, שֶׁקָּנַסְתִּי עָלָיו מִיתָה וְעַל תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו הַבָּאִים אַחֲרָיו עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "Their grapes are grapes of gall ('rosh')": You are sons of the first man ("rishon," as in "rosh"), who decreed death upon all his descendants who came after him, until the end of all the generations.
אַשְׁכְּלוֹת מְרֹרוֹת לָמוֹ, הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁבָּכֶם מָרָתָם פְּרוּסָה בָּהֶם כְּאֶשְׁכּוֹל, וְאֵין אֶשְׁכּוֹל אֶלָּא גָּדוֹל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מיכה ז א): ״אֵין אֶשְׁכּוֹל לֶאֱכוֹל בִּכּוּרָה אִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי״.
"Bitter clusters ('ashkeloth') are theirs": your great men, whose awe "hangs" over you as a cluster. ("eshkol" connotes "greatness," as in (Michah 7:21) "There is no eshkol to eat, no 'ripe one' that my soul desires. The saint is vanished from the land, etc."
(דברים לב לג) חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם יֵינָם, הַחֲסִידִים וְיִרְאֵי שָׁמַיִם שֶׁבָּכֶם חֲמָתָם כְּתַנִּינִים. וְרֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים אַכְזָר, שֶׁיְּהוּ רָאשִׁים שֶׁבָּכֶם כְּפֶתֶן זֶה שֶׁהוּא אַכְזָרִי.
(Devarim, Ibid. 33) "The venom of snakes is their wine": The saintly and upright among you — their venom (of retribution) is as that of snakes. "and the cruel gall ('rosh') of asps" (is their cup of retribution): Your heads ("roshim", as in "rosh") (will be "bitten" by the cruel foe).
דָּבָר אַחֵר: חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם יֵינָם, שֶׁהַמְּתוּנִים וְיִרְאֵי חֵטְא שֶׁבָּכֶם חֲמָתָם כְּתַנִּינִים. וְרֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים אַכְזָר, רָאשִׁים שֶׁבָּכֶם כְּפֶתֶן זֶה שֶׁהוּא אַכְזָרִי.
Variantly: "the venom of snakes is their wine": Your "moderate" ones, the fearers of sin among you — their venom will be as that of snakes. "and the cruel gall ('rosh') of asps": Your heads (roshim) will be like cruel asps (to you).
רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה דּוֹרְשׁוֹ כְּלַפֵּי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם: וַדַּי מִגֶּפֶן שֶׁל סְדוֹם אַתֶּם, וּמִמַּטַּעְתָּהּ שֶׁל עֲמוֹרָה אַתֶּם, תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל נָחָשׁ הַקַּדְמוֹנִי אַתֶּם שֶׁהִטְעָה אֶת אָדָם וְחַוָּה.
R. Nechemiah expounded it as referring to the nations, viz.: Most certainly you are of the wine of Sodom and of the planting of Amorah, disciples of the primal serpent, who deceived Adam and Eve.
אַשְׁכְּלוֹת מְרֹרוֹת לָמוֹ, שֶׁהַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁבָּכֶם מָרָתָם פְּרוּסָה בָהֶם כְּנָחָשׁ, אַשְׁכְּלוֹת מְרֹרוֹת לָמוֹ, וְאֵין אֶשְׁכּוֹל אֶלָּא גָּדוֹל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם): ״אֵין אֶשְׁכּוֹל לֶאֱכוֹל״.
"Bitter clusters are theirs": Your (the nations') great ones — their fear hangs over them (the Jews) as (the venom of) a snake. ("eshkol" connotes "greatness," as in (Michah 7:1-2) "There is no eshkol to eat, etc."