Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 10:8/אבן עזרא על שמות י׳:ח׳
אויושב. מלת את כמו עצם הדבר וכאשר יאמר האדם אוהבי שהיו"ד סימן המדבר, או יאמר אוהב אותי, שהטעם עצמי הדבר שוה על כן אם אמר אומר כי ראובן הרג את שמעון. אז שמעון הרוג, אך באמור ראובן הרג שמעון הטעם שוה, כמו ורב יעבוד צעיר (ברא' כה כג) אשר ברא אלהים אדם (דבר' ד לב), ואל תחשוב כי מלת את לאות על הפעול בעבור שהוא נמצא כן ברבים, וימצא עם הפועל, ובא הארי ואת הדוב (ש"א יז לד) ואחרים ככה, ואמר ר' יהודה המדקדק, כי בעבור מלת את אמר ויושב ולא אמר ויושבו, ולפי דעתי כי אמר ויושב בעבור כי משה הוא העיקר, וככה ותדבר מרים ואהרן (במד' יב א) היא היתה עקר הדבור:
1WERE BROUGHT AGAIN. The word et indicates the thing itself.47 because our text reads, va-yushav et moshe ve-et aharon, (and Moses and Aaron were brought again). Now whether one says ha-adam ohavi (the man loves me), in which the yod is a first person pronominal suffix, or he says ha-adam ohev oti (the man loves me),48 is a form of et. the reference being to my very self,49 refers to the very persona. the meaning is one and the same. Therefore, if someone says re’uven harag et shimon (Reuben killed Simeon) he is telling us that Simeon has been slain. However, the same is the case if he says, re’uven harag shimon (Reuben killed Simeon).50 does not make a difference. Re’uven harag et shimon means the same as re’uven harag shimon. Ve-rav ya’avod tza’ir (and the elder shall serve the younger) (Gen. 25:23)51. and asher bara Elohim adam (that God created man) (Deut. 4:32)52. are similar. Do not think that et indicates the direct object because it is often found to be so used.53 It is also found before the subject, as in u-va ha-ari ve-et ha-dov (and when there came a lion, or a bear) (I Sam. 17:34)54 and many other similar cases. Rabbi Judah the grammarian says that Scripture reads, va-yushav (were brought again) rather than va-yushevu (were brought again)55 is in the singular. Its literal meaning is, was brought again. Since Scripture speaks of Moses and Aaron we would expect the plural, va-yushevu. because of the word et.56 is connected to the word et, which does not take on a different form before a plural, it too does not take on a plural form (Filwarg). However, I believe that Scripture reads, va-yushav because Moses was the most important one. Scripture similarly reads, va-tedabber miriam ve-aharon57 is a feminine singular. Since Scripture speaks of Miriam and Aaron we would expect a plural masculine. (And Miriam and Aaron spoke) (Num. 12:1) because Miriam was the main speaker.