Rashi on TanakhDeuteronomy 29

Yet Adonoy did not grant you a knowledgeable mind. To recognize God’s benevolence, and adhere to him.

Until this day. I have heard: because on that day, when Moshe presented the Torah scroll to the sons of Levi — as it is written, “He presented it to the kohanim, the sons of Levi” — all Yisroel appeared before Moshe, and said to him: “Our master Moshe, we, too, stood at Sinai. We accepted the Torah, and it was given to us. How is it that you are empowering your fellow tribesmen over it, so that they may tell us, some day in the future, ‘It was never given to you, it was given to us”’? Moshe rejoiced over this matter, and it was concerning this that he said to them, “This day, you have become a nation, etc.” This day I understand that you are attached to, and crave, the Omnipresent.

Then when you came to this place. You now view yourselves in prominence and glory; do not rebel against the Omnipresent, do not become arrogant, observe the tenets of this covenant. Another interpretation of “God did not grant you a knowledgeable mind”; A man cannot fathom the full extent of his master’s thought, and the wisdom of his teaching, until forty years. Therefore, the Omnipresent was not exacting with you until this day. However, from this day forward, He will be exacting. Therefore: Observe the tenets of this covenant, etc. (Avodah Zorah 5.)

You stand, this day. This teaches that Moshe gathered them before the Holy One, may He be blessed, on the day that he died, to introduce them into the covenant.

Your tribal chieftains [lit. your chieftains, your tribes]. Your chieftains of your tribes.

Your elders and your law officers. In order of prominence, followed by “every man of Yisroel.”

From your wood cutters. This teaches that Canaanites came to convert during the days of Moshe, the way the Givonites came during the days of Yehoshua. This is why it is said, concerning the Givonites, “They, ‘too,’ acted cunningly.” Moshe assigned them to serve as wood cutters and water drawers.

For your passage. So that you pass into the covenant. But it would be improper to interpret this as “to cause you to pass,” but, rather, as “for your performance of them.”

For your passage into the covenant. Through a rite of passage. This is what those entering a covenant would do: a wall on either side, and they would pass between, as it is said, “the calf which they cut in two, then passing between its parts.”

In order to sustain you today as His people. He has committed Himself with such great effort, in order to sustain you before Him as a people.

And He will be for you a God. Because he spoke to you, and swore to your forefathers not to exchange their posterity for some other nation; He thus binds you with these oaths, so that you won’t incite Him, as He and you are inseparable. Until this point, my interpretation has followed the plain meaning of the text. According to Midrash Agadah: Why is the chapter of “You stand” adjacent to the imprecations? Because, when the Israelites heard nearly one hundred imprecations, besides the forty nine in Toras Kohanim, their faces blanched, and they said, ‘Who can survive these”? Moshe began soothing them. You stand, this day. You have greatly angered the Omnipresent, yet He has not destroyed you, you have endured before Him.

This day. Like the day which endures, turning dark, but then brightening. So has He given you light, and so shall He give you light in the future; while the imprecations and the suffering sustain you, and stand you before Him. The chapter above this, as well, is conciliatory, “You have seen everything, etc.” Another interpretation: You stand. Because the Israelites were passing from one leader to the next — from Moshe to Yehoshua — therefore, he arranged, for them, a standing assembly, in order to exhort them. Yehoshua did the same, and so did Shmuel — “Stand, and I shall censure you” — when they passed from his tutelage, and entered into the tutelage of Shaul.

And with those who are not here. Even with the generations destined for the future.

For you are aware, etc. Since you have observed the idolatrous Gentile nations, perhaps someone among you has been tempted to follow them — “Perhaps there is, among you, etc.” — therefore, I am compelled to adjure you.

Where you observed their abominations [lit. insects]. So called because they are loathsome, like insects.

Their loathsomeness [lit. excrement]. As they are putrid and disgusting, like excrement.

Wood and stone. Those of wood and stone, you saw in the open, as the Gentile was not apprehensive of its being stolen. However, those of silver and gold, are “with them,” in thickly panelled rooms, since they are apprehensive that they may be stolen.

Perhaps there is among you. In case there is, among you, whose thoughts stray today from accepting the covenant.

A root producing gall and bitter fruit. A root nurturing bitter herbs, like the bitter gidin herb, as if to say, producing growing evil within you.

He will imagine self-blessings. The word denotes blessing. He will imagine blessings of tranquility for himself, saying, ‘those imprecations will never be visited on me, undivided tranquility will be mine.’

Self-blessings [lit. “he will bless himself]. Bendira sei, “he will bless himself,” in Old French, like “he shall shave himself,” “and involve himself in prayer.”

I shall follow what my thoughts envision. What my thoughts see, like, “I see it, but it is not nearby.” As if to say, whatever I envision as desirable activity.

So that the unintentional may be added. Because I shall punish him additionally for his unintentional acts until now, which, I have overlooked; Now, however, he has provoked me into combining them with the intentionally sinful, and punishing him for everything. This, too, is Onkelos’ rendition: “In order to add, against him, the unintentional transgressions to the sinful ones” — so that I may add, against him, the unintentional to the intentionally sinful.

The unintentional [lit. besotted]. The unintentional transgression, like a drunken deed, enacted in a stupefied state.

The sinful [lit. thirsty]. Enacted with full knowledge and appetite.

Adonoy’s nostrils will fume. As a result of rage, body temperature rises, and the nostrils fume. Similarly, “Fumes arise from His nostrils.” Although this does not apply to the Omnipresent, Scripture addresses the listener’s ear in the way it is accustomed, and thus capable of grasping, in accordance with worldly conditions.

And His vengeful fury. This denotes fury, enprenment, adherence to the vengeance mode, without quarter.

Inscribed in this Torah scroll. But above, it says “In this Torah scroll,” “this” in the feminine gender modifies “Torah,” “this” in the masculine gender modifies “scroll.” By means of the cantillation punctuation, they are demarcated into two interpretations. In the chapter of imprecations, the tipcha cantillation symbol is placed under “in the scroll,” so that “this” and Torah” are attached. Therefore it says “this.” Here, however, the tipcha cantillation symbol is placed under “Torah,” so that “scroll” and “Torah” are attached. Therefore, the masculine gender follows, as the modification applies to “the scroll.”

Unknown to them. They had no notion that they possessed Divine omnipotence.

Which He had not apportioned to them. He did not allot them as their portion. Onkelos, however, renders, “and who did not benefit them” — did not grant them any benefit. The sense of “Who did not apportion” is, ‘The God whom they chose did not allot to them any inheritance or portion.’

And Adonoy forced them away. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, ‘[God] removed them.’ Similarly, “Behold, I shall force them away from their land.”

The hidden [matters] are Adonoy’s our God’s. If you should ask, ‘What are we capable of doing? You punish the community for an individual’s thoughts, as it is said, “Perhaps there is, among you, etc.,” and after, “They will see the plagues of that land.” Isn’t a man ignorant of his fellow’s secrets’? I will not punish you for the inscrutable, which is Adonoy’s our God’s — He will punish that individual. However, what is exposed is for us and our posterity, to eradicate evil from our midst. If we fail to implement justice against them, then the community will be punished. There are dots over ours and our children’s to teach that, even with regard to what is exposed, the community was not punished until they had crossed the Yarden, when they obligated themselves with the oath at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, and became accountable for one another.