Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 6:8/אבן עזרא על דברים ו׳:ח׳
אוקשרתם לאות על ידך. מפורש:
1AND THOU SHALT BIND THEM FOR A SIGN UPON THY HAND. This has been explained.35
בלטטפת. אין למלה הזאת ריע במקרא והמכחשים אמרו שהוא מגזרת והטף אל דרום וזה לא יתכן כי שרש הטף נטף וזה חסר נו״ן וכפול הטי״ת:
2AND THEY SHALL BE FOR FRONTLETS. The word totafot (frontlets) is not found elsewhere in Scripture. Those who dispute the Rabbinic tradition36 is related to the word ve-hatef (and preach). Actually this opinion was quoted by Rashi in the name of Menachem ben Saruk, who, far from being a heretic, was an accepted tenth-century grammarian and Bible commentator. See I.E. on Ex. 13:16 (Vol. 2, p. 266). say that totafot is related to the word ve-hatef (and preach) in and preach toward the South (Ezek. 21:2). This is impossible, for the root of hattef is nun, tet, peh. However, there are two tets ands no nun in totafot.