Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Deuteronomy 17:3/ספורנו על דברים י״ז:ג׳
אאֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים. עֲצָמִים נִבְדָּלִים זוּלַת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ.
1אלוהים אחרים, independent ones, having no relation to Hashem whatsoever, but disembodied beings. ולשמש או לירח, which are physical bodies;
בוְלַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אוֹ לַיָּרֵחַ. שֶׁהֵם גַּשְׁמִיִּים.
2אשר לא צויתי, which I had not appointed to act independently of My will. This is in contrast to the philosophers of idolatrous religions who believe that G’d had appointed His agents to be in charge of a city each, within which they have power over life and death without reference to their Master. The inhabitants of each such city are under the illusion that by pleasing the local agent of G’d, their “patron saint,” their fates will be affected beneficially.
גאֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוִּיתִי. אֲשֶׁר לֹא מִנִּיתִי בְּשׁוּם מִנּוּי בְּחִירִי, שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹנָם, אֲבָל נָתַתִּי לָהֶם חֹק וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר. עַל הֵיפֶךְ מַחֲשֶׁבֶת עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת גִּלּוּלִים, שֶׁחָשְׁבוּ שֶׁלְּכָל עִיר וָעִיר יֵשׁ שַׂר יָכוֹל כִּרְצוֹנוֹ לְהֵיטִיב וּלְהָרַע, וְשֶׁהוּא מֵטִיב כְּשֶׁיַּעַבְדוּהוּ.