Parasha: Vaetchanan · Aliyah: Seventh (Malchut)

כי אתם המעט, "for you are the fewest, etc." The Torah could not content itself with writing "not because you were numerous, etc.," as that might have implied that though the Jewish people were not more numerous than other nations they were nonetheless equal to them in number.

ולשומרי מצותיו לאלף דור, "and to those who observe His commandments for a thousand generations." Our sages in Sotah 31 say that those who perform the commandments out of fear will be favourably remembered for one thousand generations whereas those who perform the commandments out of love will be favourably remembered for two thousand generations. This is parallel to what is written in the second of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20,6). I do not believe that the word אלפים in Exodus 20,6 means merely twice one thousand; it may mean as many as 100,000. The reason that the Torah was not more specific is because love cannot be measured so precisely, some people love G'd more than others. As a result, G'd requites some people's love for longer periods than others. What the Torah did postulate was that he who serves G'd out of love, even if his love is minimal, deserves twice as much consideration as he who serves G'd out of fear though out of the most refined kind of reverence.

ומשלם לשונאיו, "and He repays them that hate Him." Why is the first half of this verse written in the plural, i.e "those who hate Him," whereas the individual who is the victim of this repayment is described in the singular? Perhaps the meaning is that unless G'd foresees that not only the individual who hates Him has sinned but also his children and children's children will continue to sin, He would forego repayment, (retribution), awaiting the penitence of the sinner's children. If, however, G'd foresees that the sinner begets only other sinners, He has no incentive to delay repaying such a sinner. This conforms to the principle ברא מזכה אבא, that "a son may confer a merit on his father."

The verse concludes with the singular, i.e. ישלם לו, "He will repay him," as the Torah speaks about individual sinners and the word לשונאיו was the exception. The Torah adds לא יאחר, "He will not delay." This means that if G'd deals with only a single שונא, person who hates Him, one whose children will not relate to G'd with hatred, then He will devise a means of punishing that person in this life immediately so as to prevent him from incriminating himself further if he were to commit still more sins while being allowed to live. By punishing such a person promptly either by death or afflictions, G'd demonstrates His love as He has hopes that the son of the sinner will confer merits on him through his exemplary conduct on earth.

The meaning of the words אל פניו, "to his face," is to be understood in connection with Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah chapter 3 that shortly before their deaths G'd lets the righteous experience a foretaste of what is in store for them after death in order that they should die happily. The reverse is true of the wicked. G'd shows them a foretaste of what is in store for them so as to make their deaths a painful experience for them (compare Esther Rabbah on Esther 1,12 that Queen Vashti refused the king's command). The Torah adds: "He will not delay repaying him who hates Him to his face." This refers to punishment in this life; before the face of the sinner is brought to burial G'd will show him what is in store for him. He will not wait until the sinner gets to Gehinom.