Pisqa’ 3131
1
“He found him in a barren wasteland” (Dt.32:10)—
this him refers to Abraham.
An analogy—
A king went with his army into a wasteland.
They abandoned him in a dangerous place
—a place of cut-throats and bandits—
and vanished.
Now, a single warrior volunteered to serve him.
He said to the king:
M’Lord King! Don’t let your courage fail!
Rather, fear nothing.
By your life! I swear that I’ll not leave you
until you re-enter your palace and sleep in your own bed!
And, in similar fashion , it is said:
“And He said to him:
I am HASHEM, Who brought you out of Chaldean Ur” (Gn.16:7)—
[a wasteland, to the Land of Canaan]
2
“He surrounded him”2(Dt.32:10)—
in line with what is said:
“Then HASHEM said to Abram—
take yourself from out of your home-land . . .to the Land I will show you” (Gn.12:1)—
[from familiar to new surroundings].
“He sharpened his wisdom”3 (Dt.32:10)—
[by disclosing His will to Abraham].
Before Father Abraham came into the world,
the Blessed Holy One—so to speak—
was only the king of the Heavens,
for it is said:
“HASHEM, God of the Heavens,
who has taken me out of my father’s house” (Gn.24:7).
But once Father Abraham had come into the world,
he coronated Him [as king] over the Heavens and the Earth.
Accordingly, it is said:
“And I abjure you, in the name of HASHEM, God of the Heavens and God of the Earth” (Gn.24:2).
3
“He guarded him, as the pupil of His eye” (Dt.32:10)—
even had the Blessed Holy One
requested Abraham’s very eyeball,
he would have given it to Him!
And not only his eyeball—
but even his soul, which he loved most of all.
As it is stated:
“Take, now, your son,
your special one (yakhid)—namely, Isaac” (Gn.22:2).
Now, don’t we all know that Isaac
was his special son?
Rather, this refers to the soul,
as it is said:
“Spare my soul (nafshi)from the sword,
My special one (yekhidati) from the clutches of the dog” (Ps.22:21).
Another word:
“He found him in a barren wasteland” (Dt.32:10)—
this him refers to Israel,
As it is said:
“Like grapes in a wasteland, did I find Israel” (Hos.9:10).
“In a chaotic, howling desert” (Dt.32:10)—
in a dangerous place,
a place of cut-throats and bandits.
“He surrounded it” (Dt.32:10)—
[surrounding implies a gathering] in the presence of Mt. Sinai.
Accordingly, it is stated:
“Now, confine the people
roundabout (saviv), saying” (Ex.19:12)
“He sharpened his wisdom” (Dt.32:10)—
by means of the Ten Utterances.
This teaches that
when an Utterance emerged
from the mouth of the Blessed Holy One,
Israel could visualize it, illumine its meaning,
and determine how much hermeneutical tradition it disclosed,
and how much legal tradition it disclosed,
and how many logical deductions it disclosed,
and how many analogical inferences it disclosed.4
“He guarded him, as the pupil of His eye” (Dt.32:10)—
[This him refers to Israel, implying that]
at each and every Utterance, the people would [protect itself] by
running back and forth a distance of twelve mil.
But they never recoiled ether from the thunderings
or from the torches.5
4
Another word:
“He found him in a barren wasteland” (Dt.32:10)—
[this him refers to Israel, implying that]
everything was sufficiently prepared
for them in the wasteland.
A well gushed up for them;
manna descended for them;
quails were found for them;
clouds of glory encircled them!
“In a chaotic, howling desert” (Dt.32:10)—
in a dangerous place,
a place of cut-throats and bandits.
“He surrounded Him” (Dt.32:10)—
[this Him refers to the Holy One, Whose tent was surrounded]
by division-banners—
three from the north,
three from the south,
three from the east,
three from the west.
“He sharpened his wisdom” (Dt.32:10)—
in the form of two gifts.
For when one of the [gentile] nations stretched out his hand
to snatch some manna, none of it would remain in his hand.
If he tried to draw water from the well, none of it would remain in his hand.
“He guarded him, as the pupil of his eye” (Dt.32:10)—
Accordingly, it is said:
“Arise, HASHEM! Disperse your enemies!
May Your rivals scatter from before You!” (Nu.10:35).
5
Another word:
“He found him in a barren wasteland” (Dt.32:10)—
this implies [reference to Israel’s] impending future!
For it is said:
“Therefore, see how I speak invitingly to her,
leading her into the wasteland, so that I might speak intimately with her” (Hos.2:16).
“In a chaotic, howling steppe” (Dt.32:10)—
this refers to [captivity under] the four [gentile] Empires.6
Accordingly, it is stated:
“Who brought you through
This vast and horrific wasteland” (Dt.8:15).
“He surrounded him” (Dt.32:10)—
[this him is Israel, surrounded] by elders.
“He sharpened his wisdom” (Dt.32:10)—
that is, through the Prophets.
“He guarded him, as the pupil of His eye” (Dt.32:10)—
[This him is Israel].
He protected them from the Destroyers,7
so that they wouldn’t harm them.
Accordingly, it is stated:
“For he who so much as touches you
assaults the pupil of His eye” (Zekh.2:12).
- H:319-321;JN2:334-336.
- Heb: yisoveveinhu; root: s-b-b (s-w-b) “to surround, go around.”
- Heb: yivoneneihu; root: b-n-n (b-w-n) “to have insight, understand.”
- // Mechilta Ishmael, bakhodesh, par. 9. Cf. Pisqa’ot 306.16, 18, 317.3 for similar listing of rabbinic exegetical institutions embedded in the scriptural record.
- // T.Arakh.1:10.
- Normally identified with Persia, Media, Greece, and Rome. See Pisqa’ 317.4
- Heb: maziqim; a kind of destructive demon. Root: n-z-q, “damage.”