Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 34:6/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ד:ו׳
אויעבור. ואל תתמה בעבור שהשם קורא השם, כי הוא לבדו יודע ודעת וידוע וזה דבר עמוק הוא מאוד אמר הגאון כי השם הראשון דבק עם ויקרא, ואלו היה כן למה לא דבקו בעל הטעמים והנכון כי השם שתי פעמים כמו אברהם אברהם, יעקב יעקב, משה משה ככה תקרא וכתוב כי שלש עשרה מדות הם, והגאון אמר כי השם הנכבד במספר אם כן אינו מדה והשנית שהוא אדון וזאת טעות, כי הנכתב אינו אדון רק כנוי הוא כפי המדבר דרך כבוד ורב נסים אמר, כי מלת ארך אפים שתי מדות לטובים ולרעים, גם זה איננו נכון, כי לא תוסיף המדה בעבור שנוי האדם ועוד כי השם הוא ארך אפים לרשעים, ולא לאשר לא חטאו, והנה ונקה מדה בפני עצמה, עד הנה מספר י"ג מדות, ועל דרך הפשט, ונקה לא ינקה מדה אחת, כי ונקה שם הפעל הוא, כמו אם ענה תענה אותו (למעלה כב כב) רק למדנו ממלת ונקה לא ינקה שהוא לשובבים רק לשבים ינקה כדברי הנביאים על כן הושמה מלת ונקה ממספר המדות: ומלת פקד עון אבות. גם היא מדת רחמים, ודע כי שבעה הם בגדי כהונה, ובעבור שהציץ כמו תכשיט הכניסו במספר, והנה אחד עשר שבטים נולדו בפדן ארם, ובנימין לבדו נולד בארץ כנען, והנה כתוב על כולם אלה בני יעקב אשר יולד לו בפדן ארם (ברא' לה כו), כי אחר הרבים הלך ולא חש להציל האחד, וככה בשבעים נפש ירדו אבותיך מצרימה (דבר' י כב) ומנשה ואפרים לא ירדו כי שם נולדו, והנה השם הנכבד הכניסוהו במדות והוא שם העצם וכבר הזכרתי בפ' ואלה שמות כי פעמים הוא שם התואר, ופעמים מדה, והם שתים:
1AND THE LORD PASSED BY. Do not be amazed that the Lord called out, “the Lord,” for God alone is the knower, the content of his thought, and the object of his thought.28, because He and what He knows, in this case the Lord, are one and the same. This is a very difficult concept.29 towards explaining this concept. See p. 163 of Shlomo Pines’ translation. Saadiah Gaon says that the first Lord30. is connected to and proclaimed.31 Now if this is so, then why didn’t the master of the cantillical notes32 connect them?33 (and proclaimed) to the preceding word, panav. It does not connect it to Adonai, which follows. Actually, Scripture repeats the Lord’s name twice in our verse in the same manner that it repeats Abraham’s name in Abraham, Abraham (Gen. 22:11); Jacob’s name in Jacob, Jacob (Gen. 46:2); Moses’ name in Moses, Moses (Ex. 3:4).34 Our verse is to be similarly read.35 It is written36 that there are thirteen attributes.37 17b. Saadiah Gaon said that the Lord’s glorious name38 is included in the number. If so, then it is not an attribute.39 He also says that the second time the divine name40. is mentioned, it means Lord.41. Saadiah interprets this as, and YHVH proclaimed Adonai (Lord). According to Saadiah Gaon, YHVH YHVH (The Lord, the Lord) counts as two attributes. However, this is an error, for our verse does not read “Lord.”42. See note 41. The term Lord is an honorific substitute used by the reader.43, he reads it as Adonai (Lord). Rabbi Nissim says that the phrase long-suffering44. is really two attributes. God is long-suffering to the good and God is long-suffering to the bad. This too is incorrect, for an attribute is not to be added because of a change of persona.45 Furthermore, God is long-suffering to the wicked,46 not to the ones who have not sinned against Him.47 Observe. Ve-nakkeh (clear) is an attribute unto itself.48 (and that will by no means clear the guilty), which literally means clear, He shall not clear. Now “clear” is an attribute of mercy. He shall not clear is not an attribute of mercy. Hence the rabbis separated the two. See next note. The thirteen attributes end here.49. Hence this comment may be taken as a general statement. According to the plain meaning of the text, ve-nakkeh lo yenakkeh50 (and that will by no means clear the guilty) (v. 7) is one attribute,51 as referring to two attributes. See Yoma 86a, which interprets ve-nakkeh as referring to those who repent and lo yenakkeh to those who do not repent. for ve-nakkeh (clear) is an infinitive.52 It is similar to anneh (afflict) in anneh53 is an infinitive. te’anneh oto54 (if thou afflict them in any wise) (Ex. 22:22). Ve-nakkeh lo yenakkeh teaches that God will by no means clear the rebellious. God forgives only those who repent, as the prophets teach.55 (and that will by no means clear the guilty) must apply only to those who do not repent. The word ve-nakkeh was therefore counted as one of the thirteen attributes.56 is short for ve-nakkeh lo yenakkeh. The phrase poked avon avot (visiting the iniquity of the fathers) (v. 7) is also an attribute of mercy.57; i.e., God does not clear the wicked, but he visits their sins on their children if their children are evil. So Filwarg. Filwarg interprets thus because I.E. considers ve-nakkeh as the last of the 13 attributes. Note that there are seven priestly garments.58 However, the plate59, the plate worn on the forehead of the high priest. See Ex. 28:36-38. was counted among the priestly garments60 because it is similar to an ornament. Look. Eleven tribes61 were born in Paddan-aram. Benjamin alone was born in the land of Canaan.62 However, Scripture writes concerning all of them, These are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Paddan-aram (Gen. 35:26). It does so because Scripture speaks of the majority.63 It is not concerned with excluding the one exception.64 Scripture similarly states, Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons (Deut. 10:22). However, Manasseh and Ephraim65 did not descend to Egypt, for they were born there.66 Now, they included the Lord’s revered name among the attributes even though it is a proper name.67 I have already mentioned in the Torah portion Ve-Ellah Shemot that the name YHVH (Lord) is at times an adjective68 and at times an attribute.69 38 reads: “The name YHVH is at times an adjective, that is, an attribute.” This reading is superior to the ones in the printed texts. The Lord, the Lord (YHVH YHVH) are two attributes.
בומלת אל. שלישית:
2[GOD.] The word El (God) is the third attribute.
גרחום. רביעית:
3MERCIFUL. Rachum (merciful) is the fourth attribute.
דוחנון. חמישית:
4AND GRACIOUS. Chanun (gracious) is the fifth attribute.
הארך אפים. ששית:
5LONG-SUFFERING. Erekh appayim (long-suffering) is the sixth attribute.
וורב חסד. שביעית:
6AND ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS. Rav chesed (abundant in goodness) is the seventh attribute. The word rav (abundant) is also connected to the word emet (truth).70 (and abundant in goodness and truth). According to I.E. this should be read as if written, and abundant in goodness, and abundant in truth.
זומלת רב. תשרת בעבור אחרת: ורב אמת. שמינית:
7TRUTH. Rav emet (abundant in truth) is the eighth attribute.
חנוצר חסד לאלפים. תשיעית:
8KEEPING MERCY UNTO THE THOUSANDTH GENERATION. Notzer chesed la-alafim (keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation) is the ninth attribute.
טנושא עון. עשירית:
9FORGIVING INIQUITY. Nose avon (forgiving iniquity) is the tenth attribute.
יונושא פשע. אחת עשרה:
10TRANSGRESSION. Nose pesha (forgiving transgression) is the eleventh attribute.71 (forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin). I.E. believes that this should be interpreted as if written, forgiving iniquity, forgiving transgression, and forgiving sin.
יאונושא חטאה. שתים עשרה:
11SIN. Nose chatta’ah (forgiving sin) is the twelfth attribute.
יבונקה. שלש עשרה:
12CLEAR. Ve-nakkeh (and clear) is the thirteenth attribute.
יגוהשם שהוא תאר כולל הנכבדים והגויות ועליונים ושפלים:
13[THE LORD.]72 The name of the Lord, when an adjective, includes angels73 and humans, those above and those below.74
ידואל. כמו תקיף שיעשה הנכון בחכמה:
14GOD. The term El (God) means powerful. He wisely does that which is proper.
טוורחום. כדרך כרחם אב על בנים (תה' קג יג) שישמרם שלא יפלו:
15MERCIFUL. As in Like as a father hath mercy75 upon his children (Ps. 103:13). He watches over them so that they do not fall.
טזוחנון. כדרך כי חנון אני (למעלה כב כו) להושיע מי שנפל ולא יוכל קום:
16GRACIOUS. As in for I am gracious (Ex. 22:26), to save the one who falls and is unable to rise.76 (gracious) to mean compassionate.
יזארך אפים. שלא יכעוס מהרה על הרשע:
17LONG-SUFFERING. He does not become quickly angry at the wicked.
יחורב חסד. לצדיק ולרשע:
18AND ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS. To the righteous and the wicked.
יטורב אמת. שימלא ויקיים דברו:
19ABUNDANT IN TRUTH. He fulfills and keeps His word.