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9 โ[1] ** ืืคื ืืชื ืืืืื, "And I will turn to you, etc."** This word is to be understood as similar to what we learned in *Taanit* 2 that G'd holds three keys; one of them is the key to ืืืื, to birth, i.e. procreation. This is why G'd had to say: "I will turn to you" before mentioning that He would make the Jewish people fruitful. The word ืืคื ืืชื is indicative of G'd personally involving Himself in the fertility of the Jewish people instead of leaving the matter in the hands of the agent He has appointed as part of the laws of nature to deal with such tasks. It is also possible that when the verse continues with ืืืจืืืชื ืืชืื, "I will multiply you," that this refers to a second key G'd holds in His hands, i.e. the key to ืคืจื ืกื, livelihood. Adequate food assists physical growth. This may be why *Torat Kohanim* understand this blessing as contributing to the physical size of the Israelites. Moreover, we are taught in *Sanhedrin* 90 that the words ืืืงืืืืชื ืืช ืืจืืชื ืืชืื at the end of our verse refer to the covenant with the dead that when the time comes their bodies will be resurrected. The word ืืืงืืืืชื then refers to the third key G'd holds in His hands, the key to life and death. The word ืืคื ืืชื may thus be understood as G'd granting us access to all the three keys in His possession.
โ[2] Another aspect of this verse is related to the statement in *Shabbat* 156 that Israel is not subject to the restrictions inherent in the term *mazzal,* such as referred to by Isaiah 41,2 when he described Abraham as having thought his fate was determined by the constellation of Jupiter (compare page 1302). The word ืืคื ืืชื simply means that G'd will turn aside the horoscopic influences and apply a different set of rules to the dispensation of the blessings involving the three areas to which G'd personally holds the keys. Although, according to *Moed Katan* 28, the three domains over which G'd holds the key are not subject to man's merit but to his *mazzal,* G'd will make an exception to this rule by "moving the relevant constellation (ืืคื ื) "aside," to enable Israel to overcome negative influences. The expression ืืคืจืืช refers to the ability to have children, the expression ืืืจืืืชื ืืชืื refers to long life, similar to Deut. 11,21 ืืืขื **ืืจืื** ืืืืื; the words ืืืงืืืืชื ืืช ืืจืืชื refer to the supply of adequate sustenance. The reason that the Torah referred to the covenant here is because G'd had concluded such a covenant with Noach in Genesis 8,22 not to again destroy the seasons and the harvest they are to produce. *Shavuot* 36 comments on that verse in Genesis where G'd is reported as saying this "to His heart," that this is equivalent to an oath. In Genesis 9,12 G'd referred to the "sign of the covenant" i.e. the rainbow as a reminder of this covenant which included all the various promises made by G'd after Noach left the ark. The oath G'd swore at the time did not comprise the whole globe. After all, we all know that part of the surface of the globe does not produce crops in certain years due to some catastrophe or other, the years of famine both in Canaan and in Egypt being just a minor example. What G'd had sworn was that He would not deprive the entire earth of sustenance simultaneously such as happened during the deluge. Please refer to what I have written on the words "and you shall love the Lord your G'd" on Deut. 6,5.
โ[3] Another meaning of the words ืืคื ืืชื ืืืืื may be gleaned after we examine Samuel II 6,10. The prophet reports that David did not want to transfer the Holy Ark to him in Jerusalem and instead made it detour to the house of Oved Edom Hagitti. As a result of the latter's willingness to be host to the Holy Ark G'd blessed his entire family. Our sages in *Berachot* 63 describe the blessing as Oved Edom's wife and eight daughters-in-law being very prolific in bearing many children during the three months that the ark stayed in Oved Edom's home. According to Chronicles I 26, 6 children were born to that family during that time. This is the kind of blessing referred to by the wordsโฆ ืืคื ืืชื ืืืืื ืืืจืืืชื ืืชืื, "I will turn to youโฆ.and multiply you." Once G'd turns His face to you, the rest will follow automatically. The expression ืืืจืืืชื ืืชืื contains within it a special distinction. Normally, when we encounter a great number of something, the multiplicity of the numbers is at the expense of the worth of the individual. If someone owns 1.000 head of cattle for instance, he does not treasure each animal as a separate possession as much as he would if he only owned three cows. G'd blessed Oved Edom in that though his family became very numerous this did not detract from the individual worth of each family member (compare our comments on Exodus 1,9 and Numbers 13,18). The words ืืืงืืืืชื ืืช ืืจืืชื ืืชืื are a blessing similar to that in Isaiah 59,21: "and as for Me, this will be My covenant with them says the Lordโฆ.My words will not depart from your mouth or the mouth of your children." It is the promise that the Torah will not depart from their offspring. Another meaning of the words is that G'd renews the covenant which He had already entered into with the patriarchs.
Version: Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk
Source: http://www.urimpublications.com/or-hachayim-commentary-on-the-torah-5-vols.html
License: CC-BY