Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Leviticus 26:11/ספורנו על ויקרא כ״ו:י״א
אוְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם. תִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁתִּהְיוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּעֵד קֹדֶם הָעֵגֶל בְּאָמְרוֹ (שמות כ:כא) ״בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי אָבֹא אֵלֶיךָ״.
1ונתתי משכני בתוככם, “My Shechinah will reside amongst you, everywhere;” The meaning is that the close relationship which had existed between the Jewish people and its G’d before the sin of the golden calf would be restored. Prior to that traumatic break in the Israel-G’d relations, G’d had been on record (Exodus 20,21) בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבא רליך, “I will come to you to any place where My name will be mentioned.” [In other words, there was not even a need for a Sanctuary. Ed.]
בוְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם. לְעוֹלָם, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַגְלוֹתֵךְ״ (איכה ד:כב), וְכָאָמְרוֹ ״כֵּן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מִקְּצֹף עָלַיִךְ וּמִגְּעָר בָּךְ״ (ישעיהו נד:ט).
2ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם. Forever. This has been rephrased by Jeremiah in Lamentations 4,22 when he said that Israel would never again become subjected to exile. We find that Isaiah 54,9 writes in the same vein. [If I understand the author correctly, this whole passage is not to be interpreted as chronologically preceding the passage of the תוכחה, which predicts the retribution for non compliance with Torah legislation, but is the Torah’s vision of the ultimate idyllic future of the Jewish people on the soil of the Holy Land. Ed.]