Rashi on TanakhEzekiel 20

to inquire of the Lord concerning their needs, and if He does not listen to us, neither will we be punished for the sins in our hands, for He has already sold us, and He has nothing on us. If a master has sold his slave, or a husband has divorced his wife, does one have anything on the other? And from the conclusion of the matter you learn [this], from the reply that he gave them (verse 32): “What enters your thoughts, etc.”

I will not be inquired of by you! in your request. Yet at the end of this Book (36:37): He says: “I will...be inquired of by the house of Israel.” This is one of the places that teach us that the Holy One, blessed be He, recants on evil. And regarding matters similar to this, it is said (Num. 23:19): “He says but He does not do.” Midrash of Rabbi Tanchuma (Vayera 13).

Will you contend with them Heb. הֲתִישְׁפֹּט, an expression of contending.

On the day I chose Israel This hatred was pent up before the Omnipresent close to nine hundred years from [the days] that they were in Egypt until [those of] Ezekiel but His love had shielded them. Now that they had increased their transgressions, though, it was awakened, and concerning this it is stated (Prov. 10:12): “Hatred arouses quarrels [but love covers up all transgressions].”

And I said to them Aaron proclaimed this prophecy to them before the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to Moses in the thorn bush. This is what was said to Eli (I Sam. 2:27): “Did I appear to the house of your father when they were in Egypt, etc.?”

But they rebelled against Me They are the wicked, the majority of Israel, who died in the three days of darkness, as it is said (Exod. 13:18): “and the children of Israel went out of Egypt, (חֲמֻשִּׁים)”one out of fifty, and some say, one out of five hundred.

that it should not be desecrated That My Name should not be desecrated; since I became known to them and I promised to take them out, and the Egyptians recognized that they are My people, if I were to destroy them their enemies would say, “Because He has not the ability to take them out.”

to be for a sign It is a great sign for them, that I gave the day of My resting to them for a resting. Behold this is a phenomenal manifestation that I hallowed them to Myself.

they walked not in My statutes They tested Me with the calf, and in Rephidim [i.e., showing unwillingness] to receive the Torah, and they left over some of the manna.

and My Sabbaths they desecrated Some of the people went out to gather manna.

But the children rebelled against Me The tribe of Dan, and likewise those who became attached to Baal Peor after the generation of the wilderness had died out.

to scatter them Back then, I promised them to scatter them (Deut. 4:25ff.): “When you will beget children and children’s children, etc. [the Lord will scatter you among the nations, etc.].”

statutes that were not good I delivered them into the hands of their temptation to stumble over their iniquity, and so did Jonathan render: And I delivered them into the hands of their foolish temptation, and they went and made decrees that were not good, and practices by which they cannot live.

And I defiled them with their gifts Those gifts that I legislated for themto hallow for Me every firstborn—I delivered them into the hands of their temptation: to pass those firstborn to the Molech. Hence the statutes that are not good.

in order that I lay them desolate Heb. אֲשְּׁמֵם. I shall lay them desolate and destroy them. אֲשְּׁמֵם, is an expression of שְּׁמָמָה, desolation. Whoever explains it as an expression of אַשְּׁמָה, guilt, errs, because the ‘aleph’ is not part of the radical.

that they know when I will bring upon them the evil.

this too they continued to do when I brought them into the land.

So its name was called Bamah A pejorative: i.e., of what (בַּמֶה) importance is it?

in the way of your forefathers, etc. [This is] a rhetorical question. Is this proper, that you should have defiled yourselves in the way of your forefathers, and I should be inquired of by you to reply to your question?

And when you take your gifts And with the taking of your gifts that you should have given Me, and you take them from Me to cause your firstborn to pass to idols.

But what enters your mind Heb. והעלה על-רוחכם [lit. what ascends upon your spirit], what ascends upon your mind.

‘Let us be like the nations’ Let us break off His yoke from our necks since He sent us away from Him.

shall not come about For you already accepted upon yourselves of your own free will in the days of Joshua, as it is written (Josh. 24:1): “And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel,” and the entire episode.

the wilderness of the peoples That is the wilderness through which they [the children of Israel] traveled for forty years, and so did Hosea prophesy (2:16): “and I will...lead her into the desert.” That is the desert of Sihon and Og. Ezekiel called it the wilderness of the peoples because many nations bordered upon it.

under the rod That you shall be subordinate to Me and to My chastisement.

into the transmission of the covenant The covenant that I transmitted to you.

And I shall separate Heb. וּבָרוֹתִי, an expression of ברר [selecting, separating].

from the land of their sojournings From the land of their exile I shall take them and slay them in the wilderness.

go worship and do not show the nations that you are called by My Name by coming to the prophet to inquire of him [about the] Torah, and, after he tells you My words, not hearkening to Me, as the matter that is stated (33:32): “And behold you are to them like the song of the flutes, etc.” They hear your words, but they do not carry them out.

with your gifts and with your idols For you separate the first born to be designated as a firstborn as I commanded you, but once My Name is called upon the thing, you sacrifice them to idols.

and the first of your food Heb. מַשְׂאוֹתֵיכֶם, like מִשְׁאַרוֹתֵיכֶם your kneading troughs, an expression of food, like (Exod. 21:10): “her food (שְּׁאֵרָה), her clothing, or her conjugal rights shall not be diminished.” Menachem also (p. 168) associated it in this manner.

and you will quarrel Heb. וּנְקֹטֹתֶם, an expression of quarreling (קְטָטָה). Another explanation, following the Targum: וְתִּידַנְקוּן, and so does Jonathan render (9:4) הַנֶאֱנָחִים: “and those who groan,” demonir in Old French, to melt away.