Pisqa’ 329178H:340; JN2:379. 1. “Look now! For I—yes, I—am He!” (Dt.32:39) This [repetition of I] refutes those who claim that there is no authority in Heaven! As for those claiming [on this basis] that there are two authorities in Heaven, you may respond to them as follows— but hasn’t it already been written: “And there is no God beside Me—I kill and give life” (Dt.32:39)?179Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, shirah, 4. Or, [for the sake of argument,] can we stipulate that He has no power to kill or give life, nor to work evil, nor to cause good? The Teaching states [to the contrary]: For I—yes, I—am He! I kill and I give life!” (Dt.32:39) And, moreover: “Thus said HASHEM, King of Israel and its liberator, HASHEM of Retinues! I am the first and I am the last, and beside me there is no God!” (Is.44:6)
“I kill and I give life” (Dt.32:39); “Let my soul die the death of the upright!” (Nu.23:10); “May Reuben live and not die!” (Dt.33:6); And, “And he will revive us in two days” (Hos.6:2) Shall I infer that death befalls one individual, and life enters another, [but a person cannot be revived after dying]? The Teaching states: “I have wounded, and I heal” (Dt.32:39)— just as a wound and its healing occur in one [lifetime], so, too, death and revival occur in one [lifetime].
3. “And none can rescue from my hand” (Dt.32:39)— fathers cannot rescue their children [from God’s hand]. [This is why] Abraham could not rescue Ishmael, and Isaac could not rescue Esau. I might infer only that fathers cannot rescue their children. On what basis do I know that brothers cannot rescue brothers? The Teaching states: “A person can surely not redeem his brother!” (Ps.49:8)— Isaac could not rescue Ishmael, and Jacob could not rescue Esau. Now, even if a person gave [to another] all the wealth of the world, he cannot give him the ransom-value of his life, as it is said: “A person can surely not redeem his brother . . ., for the redemption-price of their soul is beyond value” (Ps.49:8-9)— the soul is so precious, that when person comes to sin against it, there is no making it whole again.
(דברים לב לט) רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא, זוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה לָאוֹמְרִים אֵין רָשׁוּת בַּשָּׁמַיִם. הָאוֹמֵר שְׁתֵּי רָשׁוּיוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם, מְשִׁיבִים אוֹתוֹ וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ: וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר כָּתוּב וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי. אוֹ כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כֹּחַ לֹא לְהָמִית וְלֹא לְהַחֲיוֹת וְלֹא לְהָרַע וְלֹא לְהֵיטִיב? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה מד ו): ״כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגֹאֲלוֹ ה׳ צְבָאוֹת אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים״.
Pisqa’ 329178H:340; JN2:379.
1. “Look now! For I—yes, I—am He!” (Dt.32:39)
This [repetition of I] refutes those
who claim that there is no authority in Heaven!
As for those claiming [on this basis] that
there are two authorities in Heaven,
you may respond to them as follows—
but hasn’t it already been written:
“And there is no God beside Me—I kill and give life” (Dt.32:39)?179Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, shirah, 4.
Or, [for the sake of argument,]
can we stipulate that
He has no power to kill or give life,
nor to work evil, nor to cause good?
The Teaching states [to the contrary]:
For I—yes, I—am He! I kill and I give life!” (Dt.32:39)
And, moreover:
“Thus said HASHEM, King of Israel and its liberator, HASHEM of Retinues!
I am the first and I am the last,
and beside me there is no God!” (Is.44:6)
דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, זֶה אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּע הַבְטָחוֹת שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם רֶמֶז לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים.
2. Another word:
“I kill and I give life!” (Dt.32:39)—
this is one of four promises that
He made to them,
hinting at the revival of the dead:
אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, (במדבר כג י) ״תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים״, (דברים לג) ״יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת״, (הושע ו ב) ״יְחַיֵּנוּ מִיּוֹמָיִם״, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי מִיתָה בְּאֶחָד וְחַיִּים בְּאֶחָד, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מָחַצְתִּי וַאֲנִי אֶרְפָּא, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמַּכָּה וּרְפוּאָה בְּאֶחָד כָּךְ מִיתָה וְחַיִּים בְּאֶחָד.
“I kill and I give life” (Dt.32:39);
“Let my soul die the death of the upright!” (Nu.23:10);
“May Reuben live and not die!” (Dt.33:6);
And, “And he will revive us in two days” (Hos.6:2)
Shall I infer that death befalls one individual,
and life enters another,
[but a person cannot be revived after dying]? The Teaching states:
“I have wounded, and I heal” (Dt.32:39)—
just as a wound and its healing occur in one [lifetime],
so, too, death and revival occur in one [lifetime].
וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל, אֵין אָבוֹת מַצִּילִים אֶת הַבָּנִים, לֹא אַבְרָהָם מַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְלֹא יִצְחָק מַצִּיל אֶת עֵשָׂו. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא אָבוֹת שֶׁאֵין מַצִּילִים אֶת הַבָּנִים, אַחִים אֶת אַחִים מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (תהלים מט ח): ״אָח לֹא פָדֹה יִפְדֶּה אִישׁ״, לֹא יִצְחָק מַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְלֹא יַעֲקֹב מַצִּיל אֶת עֵשָׂו. וַאֲפִלּוּ נוֹתֵן אָדָם לוֹ כָּל מָמוֹן שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם אֵין נוֹתְנִין לוֹ כָּפְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם): ״אָח לֹא פָדֹה יִפְדֶּה אִישׁ וְיֵקַר פִּדְיוֹן נַפְשָׁם״. יְקָרָה הִיא נֶפֶשׁ זוֹ, שֶׁכְּשֶׁאָדָם חוֹטֵא בָּהּ אֵין לָהּ תַּשְׁלוּמִים.
3. “And none can rescue from my hand” (Dt.32:39)—
fathers cannot rescue their children [from God’s hand].
[This is why] Abraham could not rescue Ishmael,
and Isaac could not rescue Esau.
I might infer only that
fathers cannot rescue their children.
On what basis do I know that
brothers cannot rescue brothers?
The Teaching states:
“A person can surely not redeem his brother!” (Ps.49:8)—
Isaac could not rescue Ishmael,
and Jacob could not rescue Esau.
Now, even if a person gave [to another]
all the wealth of the world,
he cannot give him the ransom-value of his life,
as it is said:
“A person can surely not redeem his brother . . .,
for the redemption-price of their soul is beyond value” (Ps.49:8-9)—
the soul is so precious,
that when person comes to sin against it,
there is no making it whole again.