Baal HaTurim - Selections
The Special Name
דברים לב, א: הַאֲזִּינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ אִמְרֵי-פִי:
Baal HaTurim remarks that this Pasuk begins with the letter ה and ends with the letter י, for Moshe included the name of HaShem at the beginning of the song.
This particular phenomenon occurs 12 times in the Torah.
Further, since the song is arranged “brick by brick and half-brick by half-brick” each line of the song is arranged into three sections, the verse into two parts on the right and the left and the middle section left blank. Thus, this Pasuk is divided into two sections with the first section הַאֲזִּינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה beginning and ending with the letter ה, and the second section וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ אִמְרֵי-פִי beginning with the letter ו and ending with the letter י and thus having all four letters of the Divine name.
Torah Will Come Down
דברים לב, ב: יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי תִּזַּל כַּטַּל
Baal HaTurim explains that the word the Torah uses for 'will fall' is יערף has two connotations. It can mean either 'pleasant' (see Onkelos) or 'break' (like we find by the Eglah Arufah). This seems to conform with the Gemara in Ta'anis (7a) 'If one merits it, then the Torah is a balm of life; if he does not, then it turns into poison.'
A Non-People and a Vile Nation
דברים לב, כא: הֵם קִנְאוּנִי בְלֹא-אֵל כִּעֲסוּנִי בְּהַבְלֵיהֶם וַאֲנִי אַקְנִיאֵם בְּלֹא-עָם בְּגוֹי נָבָל אַכְעִיסֵם:
Based on a Pasuk in Yeshayahu, Chaza”l depict the non-nation as the Babylonians; and based on a Pasuk in Ovadyah, the base nation as Edom (the Romans), the two nations that destroyed the two Batei-Mikdash.
Baal HaTurim therefore points out that the numerical value of "lo am" (a non-nation) is 'eilu Bavliyim' (these are the Babylonians); whereas the first letters of 'be'Goy novol ach'isem" (with a base nation I will evoke their anger) add up to 'be'Edom' (with Edom).
Interestingly this Baal haTurim was removed from various printings by the censors.
It is Not an Empty Thing
דברים לב, מז: כִּי לֹא-דָבָר רֵק הוּא מִכֶּם
Baal HaTurim states that according to the mesorah, the letter ק in the word רק has three tagin (crowns) on the letter. This unusual format indicates that even from the crowns of the letters in the Torah one can derive mounds upon mounds of laws.
Usually the letter ק has only one crown. This letter ק has three crowns which occurs only 185 times in the Torah.
The Chazon Ish notes that the Gematria of the entire Pasuk equals the value of the phrase הוא גמטריאות של הגמטריא to teach that everything in Torah has an importance.
The Six Nations
דברים לב, יג: יַרְכִּבֵהוּ עַל-במותי (בָּמֳתֵי) אָרֶץ
Baal HaTurim remarks that the word "bomosei", is written with an extra 'Vav', hinting at the six nations whose lands they captured in battle. The seventh nation, the Girgashi, turned and fled.
The Five Evils
דברים לב, כד: מְזֵי רָעָב וּלְחֻמֵי רֶשֶׁף וְקֶטֶב מְרִירִי וְשֶׁן-בְּהֵמֹת אֲשַׁלַּח-בָּם עִם-חֲמַת זֹחֲלֵי עָפָר:
Baal HaTurim states that the five forms of retribution mentioned in this Pasuk (bloating of hunger, burning heat, suffocation by acrid air, teeth of beasts, and venom of ground creepers) corresponds to the five Books of the Torah that they contravened: the five immoral acts listed by Hoshea, the five abominations that Yechezkel saw, and corresponding to five false deities they constantly worshipped (Ba'al, the sun, the moon, the Mazalos and all the hosts of the heavens).
Perhaps this also explains the need for the five Tefilos on Yom Kippur.
Saved by Moshe
דברים לב, כו: אָמַרְתִּי אַפְאֵיהֶם אַשְׁבִּיתָה מֵאֱנוֹשׁ זִכְרָם:
Baal HaTurim states that the last letters of "Ashbisah me'enosh zichrom" spell Moshe, and the next word is "lulei" (were it not). This hints at the Pasuk in Tehilim (106,23) "And He said that He would destroy them, had Moshe His chosen one not (lulei) stood in the breach." (in reference to the Golden Calf).
If not for Moshe Rabeinu, who Davened for us on a number of occasions and was moser nefesh for us, we would not be here today.
The Ball Is In Our Court
דברים לב, לט: וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל
Baal HaTurim states that the word מידי has the same numerical value as דין. This should serve as a warning, he says, not to rely on anybody else to save us from Divine judgment.
Chazal have taught us though, that 'Teshuvah, Tefilah and Tzedakah' remove the evil decree. So the ball, it seems, is in our court.
G-d's Sixteen-bladed Sword
דברים לב, מב: אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר מִדַּם חָלָל וְשִׁבְיָה מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב:
Baal HaTurim states that the word וחרבי (My sword) can be rewritten as 'cherev Yud-Vav', referring to G-d's sixteen-bladed sword, as described by the Medrash.
This explains why the Pasuk in Bechukosai (26,25) refers to "cherev nokemes n'kam b'ris (the sword avenging the vengeance of the covenant)", referring to the sixteen covenants that G-d made on each Mitzvah that each face of the sword avenges. And that is why the word "Cherev" occurs sixteen times in the Parshah of 'yordei bor' (those that descend into the Pit in Yechezkel).
