אור החיים הקדוש · האזינו · חֲמִישִׁי

How should one chase... This is to be explained as a rebuke directed at the gentile nation, who fails to wake up and take notice even when confronted with a highly visible, shocking phenomenon, which is: "How could one chase a thousand," and so on. This means that one soldier from the gentile nations could pursue a thousand soldiers of Israel. For in all standard wars fought between the nations of the world, such a phenomenon is never found; no enemy ever attains such a degree of strength and dominance over other nations.

How should one chase a thousand... This means that one particular soldier from the nations could chase a thousand of Israel, and so on. See what I have written in Parashat Bechukotai on the verse (Leviticus 26:8), "And five of you shall chase a hundred," and so on.

Except their Rock had given them over... The word "Rock" (Tzuram) refers to the Attribute of Justice, just as I explained on the verse (Deuteronomy 32:4), "The Rock, His work is perfect." And the verse continues, "and Hashem delivered them up." This refers to the Attribute of Mercy joining together with the Attribute of Justice. For without this agreement of the Attribute of Mercy, Israel would never have suffered such a massive downfall as to have a thousand of them fall before a single enemy soldier.

For their rock is not as our Rock, and so on. This explains the reason why the nations will attribute the phenomenon of one of them chasing a thousand of Israel to the fact that their Rock sold them and Hashem delivered them. They will not attribute it to a lack of ability on Hashem's part, Heaven forbid.

This is similar to what Moshe said to Hashem during the incident of the spies, that the nations would misinterpret the event. For the strength of Israel is not like the strength of the nations. There is no idol that has ever endured for many days, based on the esoteric principle of the verse in Proverbs 12:19, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Go out and learn this from the idol Chemosh, after which most of the nations went astray, and which performed wonders, as written in the words of Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon. Yet, despite this, it became as if it had never existed, and many other idols met the same fate.

But our Rock is great in power, and we always rise in holiness. Even the nations of the world agree to this, as stated in the words of the prophet in Malachi 1:11, For My name is great among the nations. Therefore, when they see the downfall of Israel in this manner, they too will judge it so.

And this is the meaning of, Even our enemies themselves being judges. The word pelilim means judges, as in Exodus 21:22, And he shall pay as the judges determine. This means that they too will judge that their rock is not like our Rock. However, when they actually see the destruction of Israel, they will deny the truth, as it is written earlier in verse 27, Lest their adversaries should misinterpret... lest they should say, and so on.

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and so on. This verse explains the reason for their being sold into exile, as well as the reason for the earlier decree of "I said I would scatter them into corners" (Deuteronomy 32:26).

Regarding the expression "from the vine," I have already made known that for every holy concept, there is a corresponding counterpart in the impure side, the sitra achra. This is in keeping with the verse, "G-d has made even the one corresponding to the other" (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

Israel is compared to a holy vine, as the Sages taught in Bereishit Rabbah 99:8, based on the verse, "You plucked up a vine out of Egypt" (Psalms 80:9).

Correspondingly, when Israel acted wickedly, the Torah says of them, "their vine is of the vine of Sodom." This vine represents the evil tree of spiritual attachment that nurtures the wicked.

This is why the verse concludes, "their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter."

Since they only attach themselves to this evil source but their entire branch does not originate from it, the verse says "from the vine of Sodom" rather than saying "for their vine is the vine of Sodom."

The Torah chose Sodom out of all possible evil comparisons because the measure of Israel's sins had become full, just like Sodom.

The verse continues, "and of the fields of Gomorrah." Just as within the branches of the holy tree there are distinct spiritual levels, one above the other, where the higher level is described with a masculine term because it acts as a giver of influence, and the lower level is described with a feminine term because it receives that influence,

so too does the Torah compare their attachment to their evil root using two distinct levels. The first level is called a "vine," and the second level is called a "field." The wise student will understand the corresponding pattern in holiness, and his eyes will be enlightened.

Is not this laid up in store with Me, and so on. The meaning is: even though, because of the anger of the enemy, I refrained from executing upon Israel the judgment they deserved for their actions, they will not because of this be exempt from the punishment coming to them. Is it not laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries for the Day of Judgment?

And regarding this, the prophet said in Yeshayahu 10:3, And what will you do on the day of visitation? Go and learn how much Shmuel trembled from the fear of the Day of Judgment, as Chazal said in Chagigah 4b regarding the incident of the woman who conjured the dead.

Hashem repeated the idea by saying both laid up in store with Me and sealed up in My treasuries. This follows the path of what is written in Shemos 34:7, He bears iniquity, meaning He carries and delays the sin. But when it reaches the point where He says, as in Yeshayahu 1:14, I am weary of bearing them, He seals the sin in the treasuries. He Himself will then take vengeance on the evildoers by bringing out the sun from its sheath, as Chazal taught in Nedarim 8b, and the day of Hashem will burn them up. This is the meaning of the next verse, Vengeance is Mine, meaning that He Himself, as it were, will take vengeance.

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense. This will be explained in light of what Chazal said in Avodah Zarah 3b, that in the future to come, Hashem will bring out the sun from its sheath. The wicked will be judged by it, and it will burn them, while the righteous will be healed by it. This is the meaning of His statement, "Vengeance is Mine, and recompense" , meaning, vengeance for the wicked, and recompense of a good reward for the righteous.

Against the time when their foot shall slip. This refers to the secret of the teaching in Sotah 49b regarding the footsteps of the Mashiach. It refers to the clarification and extraction of the sparks of holiness from the feet of Samael, which occurs when the foot of the doers of wickedness slips and falters, and when the life-force that sustains them is completely finished, as is known to those who study the hidden wisdom of Kabbalah. (The supplied Hebrew citation has a page discrepancy; the phrase footsteps of Mashiach appears in Sotah 49b.)

For the day of their calamity is at hand, and so on. This corresponds to the statement of the prophet in Zephaniah 1:7, "For the day of Hashem is at hand."

And the things that are to come upon them shall make haste. These are the future consolations. Once the doers of wickedness receive their full retribution, Hashem will immediately hasten to fulfill the promises of the future destined for the righteous.

For Hashem will judge His people, and so on. After the Torah finished describing the matter of those who anger Hashem, tracing their path all the way to their ultimate end, it returns to offer a comforting promise to the collective whole of Israel, assuring them that He will not contend with them forever.

The meaning of "For Hashem will judge His people" is that He will bring to trial and weigh the cups of poison and suffering that they have already passed through. He will look upon the troubles that have passed over the righteous, some of whom were killed, some burned, and some flayed. For the sake of these righteous ones who suffered so deeply, He will relent. This is what is meant by "And relent for His servants", meaning, for their sake He will relent and say, "The troubles of the exile are already enough."

Furthermore, He will relent when Hashem sees that Israel has no strength left to rescue themselves from the exile, and the righteous no longer have the power to chastise those who anger Hashem with a rod of moral instruction. Additionally, there will no longer remain among Israel great men, prophets, seers, or possessors of the divine inspiration, such that "there is no cluster of grapes to eat," as in Micah 7:1. This is the meaning of "When He sees that their strength is gone" (literally, "the hand is gone").

And because of this, "there is no one to restrain them" (atzur). This is explained in the sense of First Samuel 9:17, "this one shall rule (ya'atzor) over My people", meaning, there is no power left in the leaders who guide the people in the ways of Hashem to direct them. And "abandoned" (v'azuv), meaning, because of this lack of leadership, the common people are left abandoned to their own devices.

Where is their God? In the Ohr HaChaim's reading, Israel will say this. Although their conduct is not fitting, they will still bring their plea before Hashem, referred to here as the Rock, in Whom they have taken refuge.

Even when Israel acts wickedly and transgresses some of Hashem's mitzvos, all their refuge remains in Hashem. For His sake they endure poverty and humiliation, and they are killed for the sanctification of His Name. They remain waiting for the Rock Who will redeem them. This is what the words in Whom they took refuge express.

The words who ate the fat of their sacrifices are Hashem's response to Israel's plea. The sequence runs as follows: Hashem will judge His people and relent over what His servants suffered. He will also see that their strength is gone. Israel then makes the plea described in the preceding pasuk, and Hashem responds concerning those who ate the fat of their sacrifices: let them arise. The people will recognize that these supposed recipients of their offerings cannot help or save. They will recognize that Hashem alone saves, leading to the concluding declaration, See now that I, I am He.

Regarding the words, "Let them rise up and help you, let him be your protection": This addresses two types of idolaters. There is one who worships an idol as an absolute god, and there is another who worships an idol merely as an intermediary. Hashem forbade both types of worship, as we explained in its place on the verse, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image..." (Exodus 20:4). Therefore, corresponding to the one who worships an idol as an intermediary, the verse says, "Let them rise up and help you", meaning a simple assist, since they made the idol for this purpose, to help mediate between themselves and the Hashem, Master of the world. Corresponding to the one who worships an idol as an absolute god, the verse says, "Let him be your protection," as they look to it for ultimate shelter.

The Torah repeats the word "I" twice, saying "I, even I, am He." This corresponds to the two errors of idolatry that we alluded to in the previous verse. To address the first error, He says "I", meaning, and not any other being whom you mistakenly think is a complete god. To address the second error, where people make an idol to serve as an intermediary, He says "I am He", meaning, I alone. He then concludes by saying, "and there is no god with Me," meaning there is no intermediary between Me and the created beings.

The verse continues, "I kill, and I make alive." This addresses the sect of those who say that the force behind bad occurrences is not the same force behind good occurrences, claiming instead that there are two distinct powers. To counter this, He says, "I kill, and I make alive." He adds that this is not only true regarding these major matters of life and death, but even regarding the specific details of painful events: "I have wounded, and I heal." Our Sages of blessed memory also expounded on this verse in tractate Pesachim 68a; one may look up their words there.

The verse concludes, "And there is none that can deliver out of My hand." This means that ultimately, all created beings will die. For this reason, the verse is precise in its phrasing, saying "and there is none out of My hand" rather than saying "and there is no savior from My hand."