Mei HaShiloach · Volume I, Deuteronomy, Nitzavim, Chapter 1
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אתם נצבים היום וכו' מחטב עציך עד שאב מימיך וכו'. ע"ז אמר שלמה המלך ע"ה (משלי ל',י"ט) דרך גבר בעלמה, היינו כענין יפתח שאמרו חז"ל (ראש השנה כ"ה:) יפתח בדורו כשמואל בדורו. ביאר זה, כי יפתח השלים בעולמו כל מה שרצה הש"י ממנו כשמואל בדורו, וע"ז תמה שהע"ה ואמר (משלי ל',י"ח) שלשה המה נפלאו ממני וארבעה לא ידעתי, דרך גבר בעלמה היינו המובחר בישראל, כמו שהוא משלים רצון הש"י, כמו כן בעלמה היינו הקטן בישראל, וזה פי' אתם נצבים היינו שאתם מקושר בהש"י, ראשיכם היינו מדרגה גדולה עד שואב מימיך שהוא מדרגה הקטנה, כלכם אתם מקושרים בהש"י, חטב עציך היינו מי שיש לו יראה פחותה, שואב מימיך היינו אהבה פחותה.
“You are standing today … from your wood choppers to your water carriers .…” (Devarim, 29:9) On this King Shlomo said (Mishlei, 30:19), “the way of a man with woman.”33This is one of the four matters that perplexed King Shlomo, that one involved in promiscuity would not fear God and look at the end of his actions [Ibn Ezra]. Almah is here translated as “woman,” but it really means a young woman no longer a virgin [Metsudat Tsion], and he is also perplexed that no signs of the action remain for either involved, as would be recognizable with a virgin [Metsudat David]. The Holy Isbitser will interpret this in a different realm from these commentators. This is as it was with Yiftach, of whom our sages said (Rosh Hashanah, 25b), “Yiftach was in his generation as Shmuel was in his.” This means that Yiftach has completed all that God asked from him in this world as Shmuel had done in his generation. This perplexed King Shlomo, and he said (Mishlei, 30:18), “three things are beyond me, and four I did not know … the way of man with woman.” This means the choicest elements in Israel, like the one who completes God’s will, and in this way, “with the young woman [b’almah],” meaning it is so also with the meekest of Israel. This is the explanation of “You are standing.” That is to say, you are connected to God. “Your leaders,” meaning those at the greatest level; “your water carriers,” to the lowest level; “all of you” are bound up with God. “Your wood choppers” means those with the least fear of Heaven, and “your water carriers” are those with the least love of God.34Simply put, all, from the highest to the lowest, are deeply connected to God, and it seems that “the way of man with woman” is being taken out of the context of physical union, to say that it is a wonder to King Shlomo how all elements in Israel at their core experience an intense spiritual union with God.*“Wood choppers” cut to pieces and thereby utilize the attribute of gevurah [power] to have the strength to chop to bits, and this brings yirah (awe and reverence) to the Soul. “Water carriers”: water always naturally flows and represents pleasure, which draws one after itself, associated with the attribute of chesed (kindness) (Tanya). Since here they are mentioned at the bottom of the list, it implies those who are deficient in there qualities. Nonetheless, they are still really linked Above. [Hagahot Peretz]
אתם נצבים היום וכו' מחטב עציך עד שאב מימיך וכו'. ע"ז אמר שלמה המלך ע"ה (משלי ל',י"ט) דרך גבר בעלמה, היינו כענין יפתח שאמרו חז"ל (ראש השנה כ"ה:) יפתח בדורו כשמואל בדורו. ביאר זה, כי יפתח השלים בעולמו כל מה שרצה הש"י ממנו כשמואל בדורו, וע"ז תמה שהע"ה ואמר (משלי ל',י"ח) שלשה המה נפלאו ממני וארבעה לא ידעתי, דרך גבר בעלמה היינו המובחר בישראל, כמו שהוא משלים רצון הש"י, כמו כן בעלמה היינו הקטן בישראל, וזה פי' אתם נצבים היינו שאתם מקושר בהש"י, ראשיכם היינו מדרגה גדולה עד שואב מימיך שהוא מדרגה הקטנה, כלכם אתם מקושרים בהש"י, חטב עציך היינו מי שיש לו יראה פחותה, שואב מימיך היינו אהבה פחותה.
“You are standing today … from your wood choppers to your water carriers .…” (Devarim, 29:9)
On this King Shlomo said (Mishlei, 30:19), “the way of a man with woman.”33This is one of the four matters that perplexed King Shlomo, that one involved in promiscuity would not fear God and look at the end of his actions [Ibn Ezra]. Almah is here translated as “woman,” but it really means a young woman no longer a virgin [Metsudat Tsion], and he is also perplexed that no signs of the action remain for either involved, as would be recognizable with a virgin [Metsudat David]. The Holy Isbitser will interpret this in a different realm from these commentators. This is as it was with Yiftach, of whom our sages said (Rosh Hashanah, 25b), “Yiftach was in his generation as Shmuel was in his.” This means that Yiftach has completed all that God asked from him in this world as Shmuel had done in his generation. This perplexed King Shlomo, and he said (Mishlei, 30:18), “three things are beyond me, and four I did not know … the way of man with woman.” This means the choicest elements in Israel, like the one who completes God’s will, and in this way, “with the young woman [b’almah],” meaning it is so also with the meekest of Israel. This is the explanation of “You are standing.” That is to say, you are connected to God. “Your leaders,” meaning those at the greatest level; “your water carriers,” to the lowest level; “all of you” are bound up with God. “Your wood choppers” means those with the least fear of Heaven, and “your water carriers” are those with the least love of God.34Simply put, all, from the highest to the lowest, are deeply connected to God, and it seems that “the way of man with woman” is being taken out of the context of physical union, to say that it is a wonder to King Shlomo how all elements in Israel at their core experience an intense spiritual union with God.*“Wood choppers” cut to pieces and thereby utilize the attribute of gevurah [power] to have the strength to chop to bits, and this brings yirah (awe and reverence) to the Soul. “Water carriers”: water always naturally flows and represents pleasure, which draws one after itself, associated with the attribute of chesed (kindness) (Tanya). Since here they are mentioned at the bottom of the list, it implies those who are deficient in there qualities. Nonetheless, they are still really linked Above. [Hagahot Peretz]