Midrash · Halachah

Sifrei Devarim 328/ספרי דברים שכ״ח

א(דברים לב לה) אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ יֹאכֵלוּ, שֶׁהָיִינוּ נוֹתְנִים לָהֶם אַפְסַנְיוֹת וְעוֹשִׂים לָהֶם דּוֹנָאטִיבִי וּמַעֲלִים לָהֶם סְלָנְיָא.

1Pisqa’ 328¹⁷³1. “Who ate the fat of their sacrificial-offerings” (Dt. 32:38)—[these are provisions extorted by Rome’s army].For we gave them a food allowance,we supplied an allowance for personal expenses,and raised funds for an allowance of salt.“Let them arise and help you!” (Dt. 32:38)—

ביָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶם, ״יָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרוּ אֶתְכֶם״ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא יָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶם. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר: זֶה טִיטוּס הָרָשָׁע בֶּן אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל אַסְפַּסְיָנוֹס, שֶׁנִּכְנַס לְבֵית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים וְגָדַר שְׁתֵּי פָרוֹכוֹת בְּסַיִף, וְאָמַר: אִם אֱלוֹהַּ הוּא יָבוֹא וְיִמְחֶה.

2“Let them arise and help you help yourselves (ya`azeru ‘etkhem)”is not written:Rather, what is written?“Let Him . . . help you (ya`azerchem)¹⁷⁴ permitting the possibility of reading the verb in the singular, as in my transliteration from the Hebrew.—[since you have abandoned the Holy One,you can expect no help from Him].R. Nehemiah says:This [verse, “where are their gods?”]recalls the Wicked Titus,the son of Vespasian’s wife[who challenged the Holy One’s apparent inaction].He once entered the Most Holy,and slashed two altar Veilswith his sword, saying:If He is in fact God,let Him file an objection!¹⁷⁵

גאֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ יֹאכֵלוּ, אָמַר: הַלָּלוּ מֹשֶׁה הִטְעָם וְאָמַר לָהֶם: בְּנוּ לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ וְהַעֲלוּ עָלָיו עוֹלוֹת וְהַסֵּכוּ עָלָיו נְסָכִים, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כח ד) ״אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם״.

32. “Who ate the fat of their sacrificial-offerings” (Dt. 32:38)—[Titus¹⁷⁶] claimed thatMoses misguided these [gentiles] by saying to them:Build for yourselves an altar,and place Holocaust-offerings upon it,and offer Libation-offerings along with it,according to what is stated:“One sheep shall you prepare for the morningand the second prepare for the evening . . . and its Libation-offering” (Nu. 28:4-7)—[and eat the fat covering their innards]!¹⁷⁷ to be eaten, but must be immolated on the altar. So perhaps Moses’s deception lies in misinforming about the disposition of the proscribed fats. Hammer surmises: “probably, Titus implied . . . Moses and Aaron ate the sacrifices they commanded and thus deceived the people.’ (H:503, Pisqa’ 328, n.6).

דיָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶם יְהִי עֲלֵיכֶם סִתְרָה, עַל הַכֹּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹחֵל, עַל חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם פּוֹרֵעַ מִיָּד.

4“Let them arise and help you! Let Him be your shield!” (Dt. 32:38)—The Blessed Holy One pardons everything.But for desecration of the Name,He takes immediate retribution.