The Gem. in Pesachim said that Shimon Haamsuni used to darshen all the 'Es-in' in the Torah, till he came to the Posuk of 'Es Hash-m Elokecha Tireh'. He stopped and wanted to retract all his Droshos. Reb Akiva showed him that there is a way to darshen this; namely that 'Tireh' can apply to fearing Talmidei Chachamim. Apparently Shimon Haamsuni could now continue to darshen the rest of the 'Es-in' in the Torah.
But how would he darshen the words 'Es Hash-m Heemarta Hayom Lihyos Lecho Elokim'. How could one possibly be 'marbeh' anything else to be chosen to be your G-d'?! Obviously one can't! And this is exactly what the 7th son answered Ceaser!
Thank you for reading.
alex lebovits, toronto, canada
Alex - it's great to hear again from an old friend!
I think that R. Akiva could learn Es Hash-m He'emarta exactly how he learnt Es Hash-m Elokecha Tireh. It comes to include Talmidei Chachamim!
I will explain what I mean. Rashi Devarim 26:17 writes that the word He'emarta means that Klal Yisrael separated and set aside Hash-m. So R. Akiva will now learn from here that Klal Yisrael should also separate the Talmidei Chachamim and relate to them differently than towards other people.
The above Rashi also says a Pshat that He'emarta means Tiferes - that Klal Yisrael glorify Hash-m. In the same way we can now say that Klal Yisrael should glorify Talmidei Chachamim.
In the context of the Gemara in Gitin 57b one can also explain that in the same way that he said that we have sworn to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that we will not switch Him with anyone else, so we should also not switch Talmidei Chachamim with anyone else. This can be compared to what Sefer Chasidim #698 writes, that Rabbi Reuven Itzrobali gave up his life so that the Romans should kill him and spare Rebbi Akiva.
Kesivah v'Chasimah Tovah
Dovid Bloom
P.S. Alex - I get a double Mazel Tov because 2 of my sons have got engaged!!
Here is another way that R. Akiva could darshan the Es in the posuk "he-emarta".
It is telling us that one has to separate and divide (according to Rashi in Chumash) Hash-m and his Torah from everything else in the world. In other words, the Es comes to include the Torah. This is slightly different than the way R. Akiva explains the Es about fearing Hash-m in Devarim 10:20 because it is not so appropriate to say one fears the Torah, but rather one fears the Talmidei Chachamim who teach the Torah.
Or, according to the Seforno's explanation in Devarim 26:17, "he-emarta" means that one exalts Hash-m. We can now say similarly that the Es comes to include that one should exalt also the Torah itself, not just the Talmidei Chachamim.
A Gebentsher Yohr
Dovid Bloom