Author Topic: G-d will reign forever and ever - Shmot/Exodus 15:18  (Read 1922 times)

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Offline edu

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G-d will reign forever and ever - Shmot/Exodus 15:18
« on: January 12, 2014, 02:19:50 AM »
G-d will reign forever and ever - Shmot/Exodus 15:18
Some of the commentaries are bothered why the verse seems to use the future tense - G-d will reign as opposed to the present tense G-d reigns.
Bli neder, at a later time I plan to bring various solutions that commentaries have brought to answer why the future tense is used.
Feel free to add your own thoughts.

Offline edu

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Re: G-d will reign forever and ever - Shmot/Exodus 15:18
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2014, 02:10:18 AM »
Rabbeinu Bachayei (explaining the pshat) and to some degree the Sforno hold that this is a prayer.
Just as G-d has shown his dominion by saving those that fear him and destroying those that rebel against him, let it be his will to do so in all the generations forever.
Rashbam says after they are settled in the land of Israel the kingdom of the Holy One Blessed Be He will be known among all the kingdoms.
Rashi to Gittin 8b defines Yishuv that is to say the settling of the land of Israel as consisting of 2 components.
To expel (evil) Gentiles (given the nickname star worshipers in later printed editions of Rashi to avoid destruction by the censors) and to settle Israel in it.
I believe Rashbam's words could be tied into a point I made in another discussion, namely, why Shimshon (Samson) according to the Midrash barely missed becoming Mashiach , see http://jtf.org/forum/index.php/topic,73570.0.html .
Quote
When one exerts himself to obliterate evil Gentiles from the land of Israel and is successful, one makes G-d, king forever and ever and thus measure for measure, "deserves" also to be an earthly king.
How do I know that obliterating the evil Gentiles from the land of Israel makes G-d, king forever and ever.
Because it says in Tehillim (Psalms) 10:16 and also repeated in our daily prayers, "Hashem is king forever and ever, Gentiles have perished from his land". And see Rashi's commentary there, that G-d becoming king is the result of Gentiles perishing from the land.

Offline edu

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Re: G-d will reign forever and ever - Shmot/Exodus 15:18
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2014, 05:19:42 AM »
Ibn Ezra believes the verse is stated in the future tense to tell us:
When the Mikdash (Temple) is built for his name, then his kingdom will be seen in the land.
My theory is that he says this, since in the previous Biblical verse, the verse talks about the building of the Beit HaMikdash and he feels that the 2 ideas were put next to each other, because one leads to the other.