Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 32:11/אור החיים על דברים ל״ב:י״א
אכְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ. רַזַ״ל (ספרי) דָּרְשׁוּ מַה שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ בּוֹ, (עיין רש״י ז״ל) וְחוּץ מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם יִתְבָּאֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זַ״ל (ויקרא רבה יז:ד) כִּי כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְרִים רְצוֹנוֹ אֵין בַּעַל הַדִּין נוֹגֵעַ בַּנְּפָשׁוֹת תְּחִלָּה אֶלָּא מַתְחִיל לְהָעִירוֹ בְּנִגְעֵי בָּתִּים אַחַר כָּךְ בְּנִגְעֵי בְּגָדִים וְכוּ׳, וְהוּא מַאֲמַר ״כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ״ כְּמוֹ כֵן ה׳ מְעוֹרֵר בָּנָיו, גַּם מְעוֹרְרָם כְּפִי הַיְּכֹלֶת שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ עֲמוֹד בּוֹ, כְּאָמְרָם זַ״ל (בראשית רבה נה:ב) שֶׁאֵין ה׳ מְנַסֶּה הָאָדָם אֶלָּא בְּשִׁעוּר שֶׁיּוּכַל לִסְבּוֹל.
1 כנשר יעיר קנו, "He was like an eagle rousing its nest, etc." Our sages in the Sifri pursued their own path in interpreting this verse; we ourselves also pursue our own path based on Vayikra Rabbah 17,4 discussing the affliction of Tzoraat. As long as the Israelites serve the merciful judge (in a general way), G'd does not immediately afflict the persons but rather the קן, property, such as the houses of the Israelites. If this proves ineffectual, G'd affflicts the clothing, and only as a last resort does He afflict the body of the sinner. Moses uses the simile of the eagle to show that just as the eagle rouses its young first, so G'd rouses the children of man to warn that man has to put his spiritual house in order. Any afflictions are in keeping with the victim's ability to endure them. Compare Bereshit Rabbah 55,2 that G'd never subjects man to a trial which is beyond his capacity to survive intact spiritually.
בוְאָמְרוֹ ״יִפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו״ וְגוֹ׳, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם (ספרי דברים ג,כט) יְמִינוֹ פְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים, שֶׁאִם עַל יְדֵי הֶעָרָה שֶׁיָּעִיר ה׳ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְעוֹרְרוּ לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה, תֵּכֶף יְמִינוֹ פְּשׁוּטָה. וְאָמַר ״יִפְרֹשׂ״ לְעָתִיד, זֶה שִׁיעוּרָהּ, טַעַם שֶׁיִּפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו מֵעִיקָרָא הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיִּקָּחֵהוּ לְאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַחוֹזֵר בִּתְשׁוּבָה, שֶׁזּוּלַת זֶה לֹא הָיָה פּוֹרֵשׂ כְּנָפָיו.
2יפרש כנפיו יקחהו, "spreading its wings and taking it." We may understand this as being analogous to Sifri Devarim 3,29 that G'd's right hand is stretched out to welcome the repentant sinners. The previous arousal described in our verse leads to G'd stretching out His hand to those who have responded to the arousal. Moses uses the future tense when saying יפרש, "He will spread out," to indicate that the "whole reason G'd spreads out His wings" in the first place is in order to be able to "catch" the penitents. Were it not for the fact that He hopes for the Israelites to return to Him in penitence, He would not indulge in the gestures described here by Moses.
גיִשָּׂאֵהוּ עַל אֶבְרָתוֹ – וְאָמְרוֹ ״יִשָּׂאֵהוּ״ וְגוֹ׳, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (תיקוני זוהר תיקון ע קלא.) בְּפָסוּק (קהלת י:כ) ״וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגֵּיד דָּבָר״, כִּי יֵשׁ כַּת אַחַת שֶׁל מַלְאָכִים שֶׁנִּקְרָאִים בַּעֲלֵי כְּנָפַיִם, וְשֵׁרוּתָם הִיא שֶׁכָּל דִּבּוּר טוֹב וּבִרְכַּת ה׳ הַיּוֹצֵאת מִפִּי אִישׁ יְהוּדִי יִשָּׂאוּהָ כַּנְפֵיהֶם, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״יִשָּׂאֵהוּ עַל אֶבְרָתוֹ״, פֵּרוּשׁ יִשָּׂא הַבָּא מִמֶּנּוּ מֵהַטּוֹב.
3ישאהו על אברתו, "He will carry it on His pinions." This may be understood by reference to the Zohar volume one page 92 explaining Kohelet 10,20: "some winged creature may betray the matter." According to the Zohar there is a class of angels known as בעלי כנפים, "winged creatures." It is their task to relate to the heavenly regions every worthwhile thing a Jew has uttered and to use its wings for that purpose. Moses referred to G'd, i.e. His messengers, carrying such words which please the Lord to the celestial regions.