Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 6:16/אבן עזרא על דברים ו׳:ט״ז
אבמסה. שם מקום הנזכר ויקרא שם המקום מסה ונפתח הבי״ת כמו וזבח וצלמונע בקרקר ויפקדם בטלאים ושם פירשתיו והטעם שאמרו היש השם בקרבנו ואם הוא נעבדנו רק אין לך צורך לבד שתשמור מצותיו ואם אתה תעשה הטוב בעיניו יעשה לך כל טוב ויהדוף את כל אויביך:
1IN MASSAH. Massah is the name of a place mentioned earlier, And the name of the place was called Massah (Ex. 17:7). The bet which is prefixed to Massah is vocalized with a pattach43 (in Massah). The usual way to say in Massah is be-massah. like the bet prefixed to karkor in Now Zebah and Zalmona were in Karkor44. (Jud. 8:10), and the bet placed before Telaim in And numbered them in Telaim45, ba-talaim. (I Sam. 15:4). I explained it46 there. Massah was so called because Israel said, Is the Lord among us (Ex. 17:7).47. The latter means to test. If He is, then we will serve Him. [Moses told Israel:] you have no need to test God. All you have to do is observe His commandments. If you do what is good in His sight, the Lord will do to you all that is good for you and will thrust out all of your enemies.