Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Deuteronomy 32:4/ספורנו על דברים ל״ב:ד׳

אהַצּוּר. בִּלְתִּי מִשְׁתַּנֶּה, לֹא קָצְרָה יָדוֹ מֵהוֹשִׁיעַ וְלֹא כָבְדָה אָזְנוֹ מִשְּׁמוֹעַ, וְגַם כֵּן לֹא תַיַּחֲסוּ אֵלָיו עָוֶל, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁיְּדַעְתֶּם בְּמוֹפְתִים כִּי תָמִים פָּעֳלוֹ בַּמְּצִיאוּת, עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרֹעַ.
1Do not relate to Him differently on account of what you hear in my song about Israel’s future. Do not come to the mistaken conclusion that G’d will ever change and that the experiences that will befall the Jewish people during the course of history, and which I am about to foreshadow, are evidence of His changing and possibly becoming the Jewish people’s enemy. You are very well aware through the variety of miracles He has performed on your behalf that הצור, He remains the Rock and His actions are always motivated by pure motives. This being so, if at times He does not appear to help you, save you, this is not due to a weakening on His part, neither is He hard of hearing so that He did not hear your pleas; never ascribe any injustice to Him;
בוּבָזֶה נוֹדָע כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט. דַּרְכֵי טוֹבוֹ וּמִדַּת דִּינוֹ כֻּלָּם מִשְׁפָּט בְּלִי סָפֵק.
2כל דרכיו משפט, all of His paths are justice;
גאֵל אֱמוּנָה. נֶאֱמָן בְּמַה שֶּׁנִּשְׁבַּע לָאֲבוֹת לְהֵיטִיב לַבָּנִים בִּזְכוּתָם שֶׁל אָבוֹת.
3א-ל אמונה, a totally reliable and loyal G’d is He; when He swore to the patriarchs that He would perform deeds of love for their children on account of these patriarchs’ merit;
דוְאֵין עָוֶל. בַּהֲבִיאוֹ פֻּרְעָנוּת.
4ואין עול, never false, even when He visits retribution on you.
הצַדִּיק. צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב, וּבְצִדְקָתוֹ לֹא יִטּוֹש אֶת עַמּוֹ.
5צדיק, because He is so righteous He will not abandon you even in exile
ווְיָשָׁר הוּא. שֶׁלֹּא לִקְפֹּחַ שְׂכַר כָּל בְּרִיָּה, וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשׂוֹנְאָיו אֶל פָּנָיו, וּלְפִיכָךְ מַאֲרִיךְ וּמֵיטִיב לָאֻמּוֹת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
6וישר הוא, not withholding from anyone of His creatures the reward due to it for any good deeds. This is the reason why He often appears as being overly patient before He pays back certain people for their sins. He has to reward, pay, those who hate Him while they are still on earth as they have already forfeited any portion they claimed to life in the hereafter.