Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:5/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ג:ה׳
אוחדלת. כמו חדל לך (דה"ב כה טז) מעשות הדבר וכן ושמרת (דבר' יז י) והטעם חדל שנעזוב הדבר לו לבדו רק תתיר עמו הקשרים ותעזוב המשא ויפול מזה הצד ומזה הצד ויקום החמור, ויש אומרים כמו ויעזבו ירושלים (נחמיה ג ה) לטעון המשא בדרך רחוקה:
1THOU SHALT FORBEAR. Ve-chadalta (thou shalt forbear) is similar to chadal (forbear) (II Chron. 25:16), the meaning of which is, forbear from doing this thing.29 (forbear) implies forbear from doing this thing. II Chronicles reads, forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? I.E. says this should be interpreted as forbear from doing this thing; why shouldest thou be smitten? Ve-shamarta (and thou shalt observe) (Deut. 17:10) is similar.30 (and thou shalt observe) is followed by la’asot (to do). According to I.E. this shows that even in cases where ve-shamarta is not explicitly followed by la’asot (to do), the latter is implied. The meaning of ve-chadalta ma’azov lo (thou shalt forbear to pass by him) is, forbear from leaving the matter31 to him alone. On the contrary, assist him in opening the knots32 and leave the burden as it is,33 and it will fall down on both sides of the donkey.34 (thou shalt surely release it with him). The beast will then rise.35 Some say36 that its meaning37 (thou shalt surely release) (see Krinsky and Filwarg). is similar to va-ya’azevu (and they restored) in and they restored Jerusalem (Neh. 3:8), its meaning being, thou shalt surely load the burden. However, this is far-fetched.