ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא ואין אלקים עמדי אני אמית ואחיה מחצתי ואני ארפא ואין מידי מציל
See now that it is Me; I am the One! There is no other G-d besides me. I cause death and I bring to life; I injure and I heal; and no one can rescue from My Hand. (Devarim 32:39)
"R'u atoh ki ani ani hu" – See now that it is Me
See in order to immediately repent ("atah" refers to teshuvah). “I am I.” I remain the same as your sins do not ch"v diminish HaShem in any manner. Thus, verse clarifies that just as before you have sinned I was close to you, so too, I remain the same, eager to be close to you. All I ask of you is to repent. (Rabbi Hersch Lisker in Ach Pri Svuoh)
"R'u ki ani ani hu v'ein elohim imodi" - See that I indeed I am He and there is no other power with Me
Rabbi Elazor of Amsterdam explains this according to what is written in the Rekanti and Megaleh Amukos. There are 955 strata of heavens. The first 900 strata have angels residing in them who ascend in greatness from strata to strata. However, the top fifty-five levels of heaven are devoid of angels. This is alluded to in the verse Devarim 10:14, "Hein laShem hashomayim ushmei hashomayim." "Hein" equals fifty-five, so the verse is saying that the fifty-five heavens closest to HaShem are uniquely His with no angels residing there. Rabbi Elazor of Amsterdam says that Moshe pierced through all 955 levels of heaven with the power of the verses of Devarim, which total 955 verses. From our verse "R'u" until the completion of the Torah there are fifty-five verses. As Moshe penetrated each heaven with another verse of Devarim, he saw angels at each level until he reached level 901. In our verse which is the 901st verse of Devarim, Moshe is saying, "See that I am He," meaning that HaShem is here alone, "v'ein elohim imodi," and there is no other power with Me, as from this level and upwards, no angels reside.
As an aside, the Divrei Chanoch says that with this piece of information that there are 55 strata of heavens that are uniquely HaShem's residence above the 500 strata of heavens that are shared with angels, we can penetrate the words of the Ibn Ezra on Koheles 5:7. On the words "Govoah al govoah" “the heights upon the heights”, Ibn Ezra comments that he who knows the hidden secret of HaShem knows that they are fifty-five. These words are very cryptic. According to the above he might very well be referring to the highest 55 strata of the heavens, the "high above high."
Ani Ani – I indeed I am
Rabbi Shlomo Kluger asks that the repetition of the word "ani" is not explained according to the above insight. He offers that Rashi in numerous places in the Torah on the words "Ani HaShem" explains these words to mean either "I am trustworthy to carry out retribution," or "I am trustworthy to give a reward." (REWARD: Shmos 6:2, Vayikrah 18:5, 18:6, 19:16, 22:33, 23:22, 26:2 - PUNISHMENT: Shmos 6:2, Vayikrah 19:16, Bemidbar 15:41) How indeed can the same words connote totally opposite concepts, reward and punishment? We must say that even punishment is to be considered a positive act, as it either prods a person to walk the straight and narrow or cleanses his sins.
This is the intention of these words in our verse. See that "ani" when used by retribution and "ani" when used by reward are both positive, "v'ein Elokim imodi," there is no negative punishment involved, as the word "Elokim," which connotes strict punishment, is not with Me, only the words "ani HaShem," the appellation of mercy.
I cause death and I bring to life
Proof of revival of the dead (Pesachim 68a)
"I wounded and I heal, and there is no rescuer from My hand."
It should have said the reverse, "There is no rescuer from My hand; I wound and I heal"?
An ill chassid who many doctors were unable to help, desperately visited his Rebbe for a blessing and advice. He was told, "Consult the professor in the town of Anipoli. He will cure you." The ailing chassid spared no effort or money and made the arduous trip. Upon arrival, he was disappointed to learn that there was no professor, no doctor, and not even a medical attendant in the tiny hamlet of Anipoli. Dumbfounded, he returned to his Rebbe and told him that in Anipoli there were no medical experts.
"Then tell me," asked the Rebbe, "What do the people of Anipoli do when someone, G-d forbid, is sick?"
"What do they do?" said the chassid, "I suppose they have no other option but to trust in HaShem and ask Him to send the healing from Heaven."
"He is the One," exclaimed the Rebbe. "That is the professor of Anipoli that I referred you to. Put your faith in HaShem and He who helps the people of Anipoli will surely help you too."
HaShem is saying, "Machatzti" — "I wounded" — "ve'ani erpeh" — "and I heal," [when the person realizes that] "ve'ein miyadi matzil" — "there is no rescuer from My hand" — i.e. he honestly believes that it is not the doctors who bring healing, but HaShem.
"Mochatzti vaani erpo"
In the Amidah prayer (Shmoneh-Esrei) we say "R'fo'einu HaShem v'neiro'fei ...... ki s'hiloseinu Atoh." The words "ki s'hiloseinu Atoh" are most puzzling. Why do we mention that because HaShem will heal us He is our praise? Why not say this by any of the other middle blessings, i.e. because You give us wisdom, forgive us, give us sustenance, etc.?
Rabbi Yechezkel Abramski answers that it specifically because HaShem allows us to avail ourselves of doctors in pursuit of healing (Shmos 21:19) that there is the fear of attributing our healing only to the doctor and ch"v forgetting that it is truly HaShem Who has sent us our refuah. We therefore beseech HaShem to send us healing because we will remember that "You are our praise" and we will attribute it to HaShem. In a similar vein Tehilim 107:18 describes those who are so sick that they have lost their appetite and are on the threshold of death. Verse 20 says "Yishlach dvaro v'yirpo'eim," - He will send His word and will heal them, "vima'leit mish'chisosom," and He will chase away those who destroy them. This is usually understood as the sicknesses being chased away. However, it is possible to say that it refers to incompetent doctors who destroy the person with their modalities. Verse 21 says "Yodu laShem chasdo," - Their praises should have been to HaShem, however, v'nif'l'osov livnei odom," - His wonders of healing have been attributed to humans (the doctors).
In this pasuk the word "Ani" is mentioned four times, which is an allusion to what the Gemara (Megillah 29a) says that HaShem is always with the Jewish people, and that even when they go into galut — exile — the Shechinah — Divine Presence — is there together with them. Since the exiles of the Jewish people are associated with four monarchies: Edom, i.e. Rome, Media/Persia, Babylon, and Greece, "Ani," which is a reference to the Shechinah, is written four times.
