(Ibid.) "All of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the leaders of Israel, who stand over Israel and (are ready to) give up their lives for them. Of Moses it is written (Shemoth 32:32) "And now if You will bear their sin, (good), but if not, erase me, I pray You, from Your book that You have written." Of David it is written (II Samuel 24:17) "I have sinned and I have transgressed, but these sheep, what have they done?"
(Devarim Ibid.) "and they planted themselves at Your feet": Though under constraint, though under the lash, though in captivity — (Devarim, Ibid.) "they bore Your words": They bore the yoke of Torah upon themselves, viz. (Shemoth 24:7): "All that the L-rd had spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."
Variantly: "He also loved the peoples": We are hereby taught that the Holy One Blessed be He did not apportion love to the nations of the world in the manner that He did to Israel. Know this to be so for they said that the theft of a gentile is permitted, and, of a Jew, forbidden. And it, indeed, transpired that the monarchy once sent two commissioners, instructing them: Go and make yourselves converts and see what the Torah of Israel is like. (They did so) and they went to R. Gamliel to Usha, and studied Scripture, Mishnah, Medrash, halachoth, and aggadoth. Before dying they said: All of your Torah is beautiful and praiseworthy, except for one thing — the theft of a gentile is permitted, and that of a Jew, forbidden — but we will not reveal this to the monarchy.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "And all of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the great ones of Israel, who make themselves hostages for Israel, as is written of Ezekiel, viz. (Ezekiel 4:4-6) "Lie upon your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it … and I have given you the years of their iniquity … And when you complete these, then you shall lie upon your right side a second time."
"and they planted themselves at your feet": Even though they bear the brunt of the (gentiles') anger, "they bear Your words": They take upon themselves the yoke of Your fear — (Shemoth 24:7) "All that the L-rd has spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."
Variantly: "He also loved the peoples": We are hereby taught that the L-rd loved Israel more than He had ever loved any nation or kingdom. "All of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the souls of the righteous which are reposited with Him in the "treasure-trove," as it is written (I Samuel 25:29) "May my lord's soul be bound up in the bond of life, with the L-rd your G-d." "And they planted themselves at Your feet": Even though (at the giving of the Torah) they recoiled twelve mil and returned twelve mil," they bore (the yoke of) Your words — "All that the L-rd has spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."
(דברים לג ג) אַף חוֹבֵב עַמִּים, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחִבֵּב הַמָּקוֹם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מַה שֶּׁלֹּא חִבֵּב כָּל אֻמָּה וּמַלְכוּת.
(Devarim 33:3) "He also loved the peoples": We are hereby taught that the L-rd loved Israel more than He had ever loved any nation or kingdom.
כָּל קְדוֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ, אֵלּוּ פַּרְנָסֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים אֶת נַפְשָׁם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. בְּמֹשֶׁה הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמות לב לב): ״וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ״. בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (דהי״א כא יז): ״הֲלֹא אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לִמְנוֹת בָּעָם״.
(Ibid.) "All of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the leaders of Israel, who stand over Israel and (are ready to) give up their lives for them. Of Moses it is written (Shemoth 32:32) "And now if You will bear their sin, (good), but if not, erase me, I pray You, from Your book that You have written." Of David it is written (II Samuel 24:17) "I have sinned and I have transgressed, but these sheep, what have they done?"
וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶיךָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֲנוּסִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלּוֹקִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּזוּזִים. יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ, מְקַבְּלִים עֲלֵיהֶם וְאוֹמְרִים (שמות כד ז): ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״.
(Devarim Ibid.) "and they planted themselves at Your feet": Though under constraint, though under the lash, though in captivity — (Devarim, Ibid.) "they bore Your words": They bore the yoke of Torah upon themselves, viz. (Shemoth 24:7): "All that the L-rd had spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."
דָּבָר אַחֵר אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא חָלַק לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חִבָּה לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁחָלַק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁכֵּן, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמְרוּ: גְּזֵלוֹ שֶׁל נָכְרִי מֻתָּר וְשֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אָסוּר. וּכְבָר שָׁלְחָה מַלְכוּת שְׁנֵי סַרְדִיטְיָאוֹת וְאָמְרָה לָהֶם: לְכוּ וַעֲשׂוּ עַצְמְכֶם יְהוּדִים וּרְאוּ תּוֹרָתָם מַה טִּיבָהּ. הָלְכוּ אֵצֶל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לְאוּשָׁא, וְקָרְאוּ אֶת הַמִּקְרָא וְשָׁנוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁנָה מִדְרָשׁ הֲלָכוֹת וְהַגָּדוֹת. בִּשְׁעַת פְּטִירָתָם אָמְרוּ לָהֶם: כָּל הַתּוֹרָה נָאָה וּמְשֻׁבַּחַת חוּץ מִדָּבָר אֶחָד זֶה שֶׁאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים: גְּזֵלוֹ שֶׁל גּוֹי מֻתָּר וְשֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אָסוּר, וְדָבָר זֶה אֵין אָנוּ מוֹדִיעִים לַמַּלְכוּת.
Variantly: "He also loved the peoples": We are hereby taught that the Holy One Blessed be He did not apportion love to the nations of the world in the manner that He did to Israel. Know this to be so for they said that the theft of a gentile is permitted, and, of a Jew, forbidden. And it, indeed, transpired that the monarchy once sent two commissioners, instructing them: Go and make yourselves converts and see what the Torah of Israel is like. (They did so) and they went to R. Gamliel to Usha, and studied Scripture, Mishnah, Medrash, halachoth, and aggadoth. Before dying they said: All of your Torah is beautiful and praiseworthy, except for one thing — the theft of a gentile is permitted, and that of a Jew, forbidden — but we will not reveal this to the monarchy.
כָּל קְדוֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶיךָ, אֵלּוּ גְּדוֹלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁמִּתְמַשְׁכְּנִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בִּיחֶזְקֵאל (יחזקאל ד ד-ו): ״וְאַתָּה שְׁכַב עַל צִדְּךָ הַשְּׂמָאלִי וְאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ אֶת שְׁנֵי עֲוֹנָם לְמִסְפַּר יָמִים וְכִלִּיתָ אֶת אֵלֶּה וְשָׁכַבְתָּ עַל צִדְּךָ הַיְמָנִי״.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "And all of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the great ones of Israel, who make themselves hostages for Israel, as is written of Ezekiel, viz. (Ezekiel 4:4-6) "Lie upon your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it … and I have given you the years of their iniquity … And when you complete these, then you shall lie upon your right side a second time."
וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶיךָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם מַכְעִיסִים וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם חוֹטְאִים. יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרוֹתֶיךָ, מְקַבְּלִים עֲלֵיהֶם עֹל תּוֹרָתֶךָ (שמות כד ז): ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״.
"and they planted themselves at your feet": Even though they bear the brunt of the (gentiles') anger, "they bear Your words": They take upon themselves the yoke of Your fear — (Shemoth 24:7) "All that the L-rd has spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: אַף חוֹבֵב עַמִּים, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחִבֵּב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מַה שֶּׁלֹּא חִבֵּב כָּל אֻמָּה וּמַלְכוּת. כָּל קְדוֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶיךָ, אֵלּוּ נַפְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים שֶׁהֵן נְתוּנוֹת בָּאוֹצָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ש״א כה כט): ״וְהָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנִי צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״. וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶיךָ, וַאֲפִילּוּ הֵם נִרְתָּעִים לַאֲחוֹרֵיהֶם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מִיל וְחוֹזְרִים שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מִיל. יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרוֹתֶיךָ, מְקַבְּלִים עֲלֵיהֶם ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״.
Variantly: "He also loved the peoples": We are hereby taught that the L-rd loved Israel more than He had ever loved any nation or kingdom. "All of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the souls of the righteous which are reposited with Him in the "treasure-trove," as it is written (I Samuel 25:29) "May my lord's soul be bound up in the bond of life, with the L-rd your G-d." "And they planted themselves at Your feet": Even though (at the giving of the Torah) they recoiled twelve mil and returned twelve mil," they bore (the yoke of) Your words — "All that the L-rd has spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."