(Devarim 32:43) "The nations will praise His people": In the future, when the L-rd brings redemption to Israel, the nations will be wroth before Him, viz. (Psalms 99:1) "The L-rd has reigned; the peoples will be wroth." And this will not be the first time, for they were already wroth in the past, viz. (Shemoth 15:19) "The peoples heard (of the splitting of the sea); they were wroth."
But in the end, the peoples will praise Israel (for the fulfillment of their faith in the L-rd), viz.: "The nations will praise His people." And whence (do we derive the same for) heaven and earth? From (Isaiah 44:23) "Sing, O heavens, for the L-rd has wrought; shout (for joy), foundations of the earth!" And whence, mountains and hills? From (Ibid. 55:12) "The mountains and hills will break out in song before You, and all the trees of the field will clap hands." And whence, the (fore-) fathers and mothers? From (Ibid. 42:11) "The dwellers of the rock will sing; from the peaks of the mountains will they shout."
"For the blood of His servants shall He avenge, and vengeances will He return to His adversaries": two vengeances — one for the blood; one for the despoiling. And whence is it derived that every despoiling of Israel by the nations is accounted to them as having spilled innocent blood? From (Joel 4:2) "I will gather all of the nations, and I will bring them down to the valley of Yehoshafat and I will contend with them there for My people and My inheritance, which they scattered … (Ibid. 19) Egypt will become a desolation, and Edom a desolate desert, because of the despoiling of the children of Judah, their spilling of innocent blood in their land." At that time (Ibid. 20-21) "And Yehudah will dwell (secure) forever … And cleanse their blood (i.e., to forgive this bloodshed by the nations) — I will not cleanse it."
(Devarim, Ibid.) "and His earth will atone for His people": Whence is it derived that the killing of Israel by the nations atones for them (Israel) in the world to come? From (Psalms 79:1) "A psalm of Asaf: O G-d, nations have entered Your inheritance … (3) They have shed their blood like water … (8) Do not remember against us (our) first sins, etc." R. Meir was wont to say: All who dwell in Eretz Yisrael are atoned for by the land, as it is written (Isaiah 33:24) "The people that dwell in it (Eretz Yisrael) nesu sin." But I still would not know whether sin were removed from it or borne upon it, ("nesu" being susceptible of both meanings) — were it not written "and His earth shall atone for His people." And thus was R. Meir wont to say: "Whoever lives in Eretz Yisrael and recites the Shema morning and night, and speaks the holy tongue is a son of the world to come."
Great is "song," which obtains in the past, and obtains in the future, and obtains in time to come (the time of the Messiah) and obtains in the world to come.
(דברים לב מג) הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ, לְמָחָר כְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵבִיא גְּאֻלָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם מִתְרַגְּזִים לְפָנָיו, וְלֹא זוֹ תְּחִלָּה לָהֶם, שֶׁכְּבָר רָגְזוּ מִקֶּדֶם, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו יד): ״שָׁמְעוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן״.
(Devarim 32:43) "The nations will praise His people": In the future, when the L-rd brings redemption to Israel, the nations will be wroth before Him, viz. (Psalms 99:1) "The L-rd has reigned; the peoples will be wroth." And this will not be the first time, for they were already wroth in the past, viz. (Shemoth 15:19) "The peoples heard (of the splitting of the sea); they were wroth."
דָּבָר אַחֵר הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ, עֲתִידִים אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לִהְיוֹת מְקַלְּסִים לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ. וְאַף שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מד כג): ״רָנּוּ שָׁמַיִם כִּי עָשָׂה ה׳ הָרִיעוּ תַּחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ״. מִנַּיִן אַף הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה יב): ״הֶהָרִים וְהַגְּבָעוֹת יִפְצְחוּ לִפְנֵיכֶם רִנָּה״. מִנַּיִן אַף הָאִילָנוֹת? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה יב): ״וְכָל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה יִמְחֲאוּ כָף״. מִנַּיִן אַף אָבוֹת וְאִמָּהוֹת? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מב יא): ״יָרֹנּוּ יֹשְׁבֵי סֶלַע מֵרֹאשׁ הָרִים יִצְוָחוּ״.
But in the end, the peoples will praise Israel (for the fulfillment of their faith in the L-rd), viz.: "The nations will praise His people." And whence (do we derive the same for) heaven and earth? From (Isaiah 44:23) "Sing, O heavens, for the L-rd has wrought; shout (for joy), foundations of the earth!" And whence, mountains and hills? From (Ibid. 55:12) "The mountains and hills will break out in song before You, and all the trees of the field will clap hands." And whence, the (fore-) fathers and mothers? From (Ibid. 42:11) "The dwellers of the rock will sing; from the peaks of the mountains will they shout."
כִּי דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו, שְׁתֵּי נְקָמוֹת, נָקָם עַל הַדָּם וְנָקָם עַל הֶחָמָס. מִנַּיִן שֶׁכָּל חָמָס שֶׁחָמְסוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם כְּאִלּוּ דָּם נָקִי שָׁפְכוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יואל ד): ״וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶת כָּל הַגּוֹיִם וְהוֹרַדְתִּים אֶל עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּי עִמָּם שָׁם עַל עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, (שם ד יט) ״מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁמָמָה תִהְיֶה וֶאֱדוֹם לְמִדְבַּר שְׁמָמָה, מֵחֲמַס בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁפְכוּ דָם נָקִי בְּאַרְצָם״. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה (שם), ״וִיהוּדָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וִירוּשָׁלַיִם לְדוֹר וָדוֹר וְנִקֵּיתִי דָּמָם לֹא נִקֵּיתִי וַה׳ שֹׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן״.
"For the blood of His servants shall He avenge, and vengeances will He return to His adversaries": two vengeances — one for the blood; one for the despoiling. And whence is it derived that every despoiling of Israel by the nations is accounted to them as having spilled innocent blood? From (Joel 4:2) "I will gather all of the nations, and I will bring them down to the valley of Yehoshafat and I will contend with them there for My people and My inheritance, which they scattered … (Ibid. 19) Egypt will become a desolation, and Edom a desolate desert, because of the despoiling of the children of Judah, their spilling of innocent blood in their land." At that time (Ibid. 20-21) "And Yehudah will dwell (secure) forever … And cleanse their blood (i.e., to forgive this bloodshed by the nations) — I will not cleanse it."
וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ, מִנַּיִן שֶׁהֲרִיגָתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַד אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם כַּפָּרָה לָהֶם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים עט א): ״מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֱלֹהִים בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ נָתְנוּ אֶת נִבְלַת עֲבָדֶיךָ שָׁפְכוּ דָמָם כַּמַּיִם״. דָּבָר אַחֵר וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ, מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁיְּרִידָתָם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים לְגֵיהִנָּם כַּפָּרָה הִיא לָהֶם? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מג ג): ״נָתַתִּי כָפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם כּוּשׁ וּסְבָא תַּחְתֶּיךָ מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ וַאֲנִי אֲהַבְתִּיךָ״. הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְכַפֶּרֶת עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה לג כד): ״הָעָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב בָּהּ נְשֻׂא עָוֹן״. עֲדַיִן הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי בִּדְלָא תָּלוּי, אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים אִם פּוֹרְקִים עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם עָלֶיהָ וְאִם נוֹשְׂאִים עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם עָלֶיהָ, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ הֱוֵי פּוֹרְקִים עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם עָלֶיהָ וְאֵין נוֹשְׂאִים עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם עָלֶיהָ. וְכֵן הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַדָּר בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְקוֹרֵא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שַׁחֲרִית וְעַרְבִית וּמְדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ הֲרֵי הוּא בֶּן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "and His earth will atone for His people": Whence is it derived that the killing of Israel by the nations atones for them (Israel) in the world to come? From (Psalms 79:1) "A psalm of Asaf: O G-d, nations have entered Your inheritance … (3) They have shed their blood like water … (8) Do not remember against us (our) first sins, etc." R. Meir was wont to say: All who dwell in Eretz Yisrael are atoned for by the land, as it is written (Isaiah 33:24) "The people that dwell in it (Eretz Yisrael) nesu sin." But I still would not know whether sin were removed from it or borne upon it, ("nesu" being susceptible of both meanings) — were it not written "and His earth shall atone for His people." And thus was R. Meir wont to say: "Whoever lives in Eretz Yisrael and recites the Shema morning and night, and speaks the holy tongue is a son of the world to come."
אָמַרְתָּ, גְּדוֹלָה שִׁירָה זוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ עַכְשָׁיו, וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ לְשֶׁעָבַר, וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
Great is "song," which obtains in the past, and obtains in the future, and obtains in time to come (the time of the Messiah) and obtains in the world to come.