Today in Judaism: Today is: Shabbat, 10 Shevat 5774 • 11 January
2014
Yud Shevat
Torah Reading
Beshalach (Exodus (Shemot) 13: [BESHALLACH]
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that
Elohim led them not through the derech of the eretz of the Pelishtim
(Philistines), although that was near; for Elohim said, Lest perhaps the people
change their mind when they see milchamah, and they return to Mitzrayim;
18 So Elohim led HaAm about, through the derech of the midbar of
the Yam Suf; and the Bnei Yisroel went up out of Eretz Mitzrayim ready for
battle.
19 And Moshe took the atzmot Yosef with him; for Yosef had made
the Bnei Yisroel swear unconditionally, saying, Elohim will surely visit you;
and ye shall carry up my atzmot away from here with you.
20 And they took their journey from Sukkot, and encamped in
Etam, at the edge of the midbar.
21 And Hashem went before them by day in an ammud anan, to guide
them haderech; and by lailah in an ammud eish, to give them ohr; so they could
travel yomam valailah (day or night);
22 He took not away the amud heanan by day, nor the ammud haeish
by night, from before HaAm.
14: Then Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
2 Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, that they turn back and encamp
before Pi-Hachirot, between Migdol and the yam, in front of Baal Zephon;
opposite it shall ye encamp by the yam.
3 For Pharaoh will think of the Bnei Yisroel, They are entangled
in the land [wandering in confusion], the midbar hath shut them in [from making
their exodus].
4 And I will harden lev Pharaoh, that he shall pursue after
them; and I will be glorified over Pharaoh, and upon all his army; so that the
Egyptians may have da’as that I am Hashem. And they did accordingly.
5 And it was told the melech Mitzrayim that HaAm had fled; and
the lev Pharaoh and of his avadim was turned against HaAm, and they said, Why
have we done this, that we have let Yisroel go from slaving for us?
6 And he made ready his merkavah, and took his army with him;
7 And he took six hundred select chariots, and all the chariots
of Mitzrayim, and commanders over every one of them.
8 And Hashem hardened the lev Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, so that
he pursued after the Bnei Yisroel; and the Bnei Yisroel went out with a high
hand [deliberately with assurance].
9 But the Mitzrayim pursued after them, all the susim and
chariots of Pharaoh, and his parash, and his army, and overtook them encamping
by the yam, by Pi- Hachirot, in front of Baal Zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the Bnei Yisroel lifted up their
eyes, and, hinei, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were very
terrified; and the Bnei Yisroel cried out unto Hashem.
11 And they said unto Moshe, Because there were no kevarim in
Mitzrayim, hast thou taken us away to die in the midbar? What hast thou done to
us, in bringing us forth out of Mitzrayim?
12 Is not this the very thing that we did tell thee in
Mitzrayim, saying, Let us alone, that we may slave for the Egyptians? For it
had been better for us to slave for the Egyptians, than that we should die in
the midbar.
13 And Moshe said unto HaAm, Fear ye not, stand still, and see
the Yeshuat Hashem, which He will bring to you today; for the Egyptians whom ye
have seen today, ye shall see them again no more ad olam.
14 Hashem shall fight for you, and ye shall keep still.
15 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Why criest thou unto Me? Speak
unto the Bnei Yisroel, so that they move on;
16 But lift thou up thy staff, and stretch out thine yad over
the yam, and divide it; and the Bnei Yisroel shall go on yabashah (dry land [see
Genesis 1:9]) through the midst of the yam.
17 And I, hineni, I will harden the lev Mitzrayim, and they
shall go after them; and I will get Me glory over Pharaoh, and over all his
army, over his chariots, and upon his parash (horsemen).
18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am Hashem, when I have
gotten Me glory over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his parash.
19 And the Malach HaElohim, which goes in front of the Machaneh
Yisroel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before
their face, and stood behind them;
20 And it came between the machaneh Mitzrayim and the Machaneh
Yisroel; there was the anan bringing choshech to the Egyptians, but bringing
light by night to Yisroel; so that none came near the other, kol halailah.
21 Then Moshe stretched out his yad over the yam; and Hashem
caused the yam to go back by a strong east wind all that night, so that the yam
was made dry land, and the mayim were divided.
22 And the Bnei Yisroel then went into the middle of the yam
upon the yabashah (dry land); and the mayim were a chomah (wall) unto them on
their right, and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the
middle of the yam, even kol sus Pharaoh, his chariots, and his parash.
24 So it came to pass, that when came the watch of the boker,
Hashem looked down on the machaneh Mitzrayim through the ammud eish (pillar of
fire) and of the anan, and caused confusion over the machaneh Mitzrayim,
25 And turned awry their chariot wheels, that they drove them
with difficulty; so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the presence of
Yisroel; because Hashem fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
26 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch out thine yad over the
yam, that the mayim may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and
upon their parash.
27 And Moshe stretched forth his yad over the yam, and the yam
rushed back to its place as dawn of the boker appeared; and the Egyptians tried
to flee away from meeting it; but Hashem swept the Egyptians into the middle of
the yam.
28 And the mayim rushed back, and covered the chariots, and the
parashim, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the yam after them; there
remained as survivors not so much as one of them.
29 But the Bnei Yisroel walked upon yabashah through the yam;
and the mayim were a chomah unto them on their right, and on their left.
30 Thus Hashem saved Yisroel yom hahu out of the hand of
Mitzrayim; and Yisroel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.
31 And Yisroel saw the yad hagedolah which Hashem did upon the
Egyptians; and HaAm feared Hashem, and put their trust in Hashem, and in His
eved Moshe.
15: Then sang Moshe and the Bnei Yisroel this shirah (song) to
Hashem, and spoke, saying, I will sing unto Hashem, for He hath triumphed gloriously:
the sus and its rider hath He cast into the yam.
2 Hashem is my oz and zimrah (song of praise), and He is become
to me Yeshuah (salvation); He is Eli (my G-d), and I will praise Him; Elohei
Avi, and I will exalt Him.
3 Hashem is an Ish Milchamah; Hashem shmo.
4 Markevot Pharaoh and his army hath He cast into the yam; his
select commanders also are drowned in Yam Suf.
5 The tehomot (depths) have covered them; they sank into the
bottom like an even (stone).
6 Thy right hand, Hashem, is become glorious in ko’ach; Thy
right hand, Hashem, hath dashed into pieces the oyev.
7 And in the greatness of Thine majesty Thou hast overthrown
them that rose up against Thee; Thou sentest forth Thy charon (wrath), which
consumed them as stubble.
8 And with the blast of Thy nostrils the mayim were gathered
together, the floods stood upright like a stack, and the tehomot were congealed
in the lev yam (heart of the sea).
9 The oyev said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will share
the plunder; my battlelust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my cherev,
my yad shall take possession of them.
10 Thou didst blow with Thy ruach, the yam covered them; they
sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 Mi chamochah ba’elim, Adonoi (Who is like unto Thee, Hashem,
among the elim [g-ds])? Who is like Thee, glorious in kodesh (holiness),
awesome in praiseworthy acts, doing wonders?
12 Thou didst stretch out Thy right hand, eretz swallowed them.
13 Thou in Thy chesed hast led forth the people which Thou hast
redeemed (acquired back); Thou hast guided them in Thy oz unto Thy neveh kodesh
(holy habitation, i.e., a neveh is the abode of a shepherd).
14 The nations shall hear, and be afraid; anguish shall take
hold on the inhabitants of Peleshet (Philistia).
15 Then the chief men of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of
Moav, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Kena’an shall
melt away with weakness.
16 Terror and pachad shall fall upon them; by the greatness of
Thine zero’a they shall be struck dumb as an even (stone); till Thy people pass
by, Hashem, till the people pass by, which Thou hast purchased.
17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the har of Thine
nachalah, in the place, Hashem, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, in
the Mikdash, Adonoi, which Thy hands have established.
18 Hashem shall reign l’olam va’ed.
19 For the sus Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his
parash into the yam, and Hashem brought again the waters of the yam upon them;
but the Bnei Yisroel went on yabashah (dry land) in the middle of the yam.
20 And Miryam the neviah, the achot Aharon, took the tof (hand
drum) in her yad; and all the nashim went out after her with hand-drums and
with dancing.
21 And Miryam sang to them, Sing ye to Hashem, for He hath
triumphed gloriously; the sus and its rider hath He thrown into the yam.
22 So Moshe brought Yisroel from the Yam Suf, and they went out
into the midbar of Shur; and they went shloshet yamim in the midbar, and found
no mayim.
23 And when they came to Marah (Bitter Place), they could not
drink of the mayim from Marah, for they were marim; therefore the shem of it
was called Marah.
24 So the people murmured against Moshe, saying, Mah nishteh
(what shall we drink)?
25 And he cried unto Hashem; and Hashem showed him an etz (tree)
which when he had cast into the mayim, the waters were made sweet (i.e.,
potable, fit for drinking); at that place He made for them a chok (statute,
requirement, obligation) and a mishpat (divine judgment), and there He tested
them,
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently pay heed to the voice of
Hashem Eloheicha, and will do that which is yashar in His sight, and will give
ear to do His mitzvot, and be shomer over all His chok, I will put none of
these machalah (diseases) upon thee, which I put upon the Egyptians; for Ani
Adonoi rofecha (I am Hashem that healeth thee). [2Kgs15:5;Amos 4:10]
27 And they came to Elim (Great Trees). There were twelve
springs of mayim, and threescore and ten date-palm trees; and they encamped
there by the mayim.
16: And they took their journey from Elim, and kol Adat Bnei
Yisroel came unto the midbar of Siyn (pronounced "Seen"), which is
between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their
departing out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
2 And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel murmured against Moshe and Aharon in
the midbar;
3 And the Bnei Yisroel said unto them, If only G-d would have
made us die by the yad Hashem in Eretz Mitzrayim, when we sat by the sir
habasar (pot of meat), and when we did eat lechem to the full; for ye have
brought us forth into this midbar, to kill this kol hakahal with ra’av
(hunger).
4 Then said Hashem unto Moshe, Hineni, I will rain lechem from
Shomayim upon you; and HaAm shall go out and gather a certain daily provision,
that I may test them, whether they will walk in My torah, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the yom hashishi (sixth
day) they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much
as they gather daily.
6 And Moshe and Aharon said unto kol Bnei Yisroel, At erev, then
ye shall know that Hashem hath brought you out from Eretz Mitzrayim;
7 And in the boker, then ye shall see the kevod Hashem; because
He heareth your telunnot (murmurings, grumblings) against Hashem; and who are
we, that ye murmur against us?
8 And Moshe said, This shall be, when Hashem shall give you
basar in the erev to eat, and in the boker lechem to the full; because Hashem
heareth your telunnot which ye murmur against Him; and who are we? Your
telunnot are not against us, but against Hashem.
9 And Moshe spoke unto Aharon, Say unto kol Adat Bnei Yisroel,
Come near before Hashem; for He hath heard your telunnot.
10 And it came to pass, as Aharon spoke unto kol Adat Bnei
Yisroel, that they looked toward the midbar, and, hinei, the kevod Hashem
appeared in the anan.
11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
12 I have heard the telunnot Bnei Yisroel; speak unto them,
saying, At twilight ye shall eat basar, and in the boker ye shall be glutted
with lechem; and ye shall know [by experience] that I am Hashem Eloheichem.
13 And it came to pass, that at erev the quails came up, and
covered the machaneh; and in the boker there was a layer of tal (dew) about the
machaneh.
14 And when the layer of tal evaporated, hinei, upon the surface
of the midbar there lay thin flakes, as thin as a layer of kfor (frost) upon
ha’aretz.
15 And when the Bnei Yisroel saw it, they said one to another,
Mahn hu (What is it?) For they knew not mah hu (what [is] this). And Moshe said
unto them, This is the lechem which Hashem hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which Hashem hath commanded, Gather of it
every man according to his eating [need], an omer per person, according to the
number of your nefashot; take ye every man for them which are in his ohel.
17 And the Bnei Yisroel did so, and gathered, some more, some
less.
18 And when they did measure it by the omer, he that gathered
much had nothing extra, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered
every man according to his eating [need].
19 And Moshe said, Let no ish leave of it until boker.
20 Notwithstanding, they paid heed not unto Moshe; but some left
part of it until boker, and [the leftovers] bred tola’im (worms), and stank;
and Moshe was angry with them.
21 And they gathered it every boker, every man according to his
eating [need]; and when the shemesh grew hot, it melted.
22 And it came to pass, that on yom hashishi they gathered twice
as much lechem, two omers for one man; and all the nesi’im of the Edah came and
told Moshe.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which Hashem hath said,
Tomorrow is a Shabbaton (day of rest), Shabbos Kodesh unto Hashem; bake that
which ye will bake today, and boil that ye will boil; and that which remaineth
over lay up for you for mishmeret (for keeping) until boker.
24 And they laid it up, saving it until boker, as Moshe
commanded; and it did not stink, neither was there any infestation therein.
25 And Moshe said, Eat that today; for today is a Shabbos unto
Hashem; today ye shall not find it in the sadeh.
26 Sheshet yamim ye shall gather it; but on the yom hashevi’i,
which is Shabbos, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some from HaAm on
the yom hashevi’i to gather, and they found none.
28 And Hashem said unto Moshe, How long refuse ye to be shomer
over My mitzvot and My torot?
29 See, that Hashem hath given you the Shabbos, therefore He
giveth you on yom hashishi lechem for two days; abide ye every man in his
place, let no man go out from his place on yom hashevi’i.
30 So HaAm rested on yom hashevi’i.
31 And Bais Yisroel called the shem thereof Manna; and it was
like coriander seed, lavan (white); and the taste of it was like flat cakes
fried in devash.
32 And Moshe said, This is the thing which Hashem commandeth,
Fill an omer of it to be mishmeret (kept) for your dorot; that they may see the
lechem wherewith I have fed you in the midbar, when I brought you forth from
Eretz Mitzrayim.
33 And Moshe said unto Aharon, Take a jar, and put an omer full
of manna therein, and lay it up before Hashem, to be kept for your dorot.
34 As Hashem commanded Moshe, so Aharon laid it up before the
Edut (the [Ark] of the Testimony), for mishmeret (to be kept).
35 And the Bnei Yisroel did eat manna arba’im shanah, until they
came to an eretz noshavet (an inhabited land); they did eat manna, until they
came unto the borders of Eretz Kena’an.
36 Now an omer [i.e., two quarts dry measure] is the tenth part
of an ephah [T.N. an ephah is about one-half bushel].
17: And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel journeyed from the midbar of Siyn,
setting out, according to the commandment of Hashem, and encamped in Rephidim;
and there was no mayim for HaAm to drink.
2 Wherefore the people did chide (quarrel, become dissatisfied
with) Moshe, and said, Give us mayim that we may drink. And Moshe said unto
them, Why chide ye with me? Why do ye put Hashem to the test?
3 And HaAm thirsted there for mayim; and the people murmured
against Moshe, and said, Why is this that thou hast brought us up out of
Mitzrayim, to kill me and my banim and my livestock with tzama (thirst)?
4 And Moshe cried unto Hashem, saying, What shall I do with this
people? They are almost ready to stone me.
5 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Go on ahead of HaAm, and take with
thee Ziknei Yisroel; and thy matteh (staff) wherewith thou struck the Nile,
take in thine yad, and go.
6 Hineni, I will stand before thee there upon the tzur in
Chorev; thou shalt strike the tzur, and there shall come mayim out of it, that
HaAm may drink. Moshe did so in the sight of the Ziknei Yisroel.
7 And he called the shem of the place Massah (Testing), and
Merivah (Dissatisfaction), because of the riv (chiding, quarreling) of the Bnei
Yisroel, and because they put Hashem to the test, saying, Is Hashem among us,
or not?
8 Then came Amalek, and did battle against Yisroel in Rephidim.
9 And Moshe said unto Yehoshua, Choose for us anashim, and go
out, do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the
hill with the matteh HaElohim in mine yad.
10 So Yehoshua did as Moshe had said to him, and did battle with
Amalek; and Moshe, Aharon, and Chur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, as long as Moshe held up his yad, that
Yisroel prevailed; and when he let down his yad, Amalek prevailed.
12 When the hands of Moshe grew heavy, they took an even
(stone), and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aharon and Chur
supported his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side;
and his hands held emunah (steady) until bo hashemesh (sunset).
13 And Yehoshua disabled Amalek and his army with the edge of
the cherev.
14 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Write this for a zikaron
(memorial, remembering) in a sefer, and rehearse it in the ears of Yehoshua;
for I will utterly efface the memory of Amalek from under Shomayim.
15 And Moshe built a Mizbe’ach, and called the shem of it Hashem
Nissi (Hashem is my Standard [rallying point]);
16 For he said, Because a yad has been against the kes Hashem
(throne of Hashem), Hashem hath milchamah against Amalek from dor to dor.)
Today's Laws & Customs:
• Shabbat of Song
This week's Torah reading contains the "song at the
sea" sung by the Children of Israel upon their deliverance from the
Egyptians, when the Red Sea split to allow them to pass and then drowned their
pursuers. Hence this Shabbat is designated as Shabbat Shirah, "Shabbat of
song."
Our sages tell us that the birds in the sky joined our ancestors
in their singing; for this reason it is customary to put out food for the birds
for this Shabbat (to avoid the possibility of transgressing the laws of
Shabbat, the food should be put out before Shabbat).
Links: The Chassidic Masters on song; Miriam's song
• "Yud Shevat" Yahrtzeit observances
Chabad Chassidim observe the customs of the yahrtzeit
(anniversary of the passing) of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), as established by his son-in-law, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), who succeeded him as Rebbe following
his passing on the 10th of Shevat in 1950.
Link: A Letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe outlining his
suggested observances for Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak's first yahrtzeit.
Today in Jewish History:
• Passing of the Rashash (1777)
Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, known by his name's acronym, the RaShaSH,
was born in Yemen, and as a young man immigrated to Israel. He was quickly
recognized for his piety and scholarship, especially in the area of Jewish
mysticism, and was appointed to be dean of the famed Kabbalistic learning
center in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Yeshivat ha-Mekubbalim.
He authored many works, mostly based on the teachings of the
great kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the Ari. Rabbi Sharabi's most famous work
is a commentary on the prayerbook, replete with kabbalistic meditations.
His mystical works are studied by kabbalists to this very day.
He is also considered to be a foremost authority on Yemenite Jewish traditions
and customs.
Link: The Kabbalah
• Passing of Rebbetzin Rivkah (1914)
Rebbetzin Rivkah Schneerson was born in Lubavitch in 1833; her
maternal grandfather was Rabbi DovBer, the 2nd Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch. In
1849 she married her first cousin, Rabbi Shmuel, who later became the fourth
Lubavitcher Rebbe. For many years Rebbetzin Rivkah, who survived her husband by
33 years, was the esteemed matriarch of Lubavitch, and Chassidim frequented her
home to listen to her accounts of the early years of Lubavitch. She is the
source of many of the stories recorded in the talks, letters and memoirs of her
grandson, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe). The Beth Rivkah
network of girls' schools, founded by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak in the 1940's, are
named after her.
• Yahrtzeit of R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1950)
The sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn,
passed away on Shabbat morning, the 10th of Shevat, of the year 5710 from
creation (1950)
Links: A brief biography; more about Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak; works
authored by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak.
• Lubavitcher Rebbe formally assumes leadership (1951)
At a gathering of Chassidim marking the first anniversary of the
passing of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, the late Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson, delivered a Chassidic discourse (maamar) entitled
Basi L'Gani ("I Came into My Garden"), signifying his formal
acceptance of the leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
Links: A timeline biography of the Rebbe; Love According to the
Rebbe (includes a description of the historic "statement" given by
the Rebbe on Shevat 10, 1951); Leadership according to the Rebbe; 54 Years; 54
Ideas
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Parshat Beshalach, 7th Portion (Exodus 17:1-17:16) with
Rashi
• Chapter 17
1. The entire community of the children of Israel journeyed from
the desert of Sin to their travels by the mandate of the Lord. They encamped in
Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. א. וַיִּסְעוּ
כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּדְבַּר סִין לְמַסְעֵיהֶם עַל פִּי יְהֹוָה וַיַּחֲנוּ
בִּרְפִידִים וְאֵין מַיִם לִשְׁתֹּת הָעָם:
2. So the people quarreled with Moses, and they said, Give us
water that we may drink Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do
you test the Lord? ב. וַיָּרֶב הָעָם עִם משֶׁה וַיֹּאמְרוּ תְּנוּ
לָנוּ מַיִם וְנִשְׁתֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם משֶׁה מַה תְּרִיבוּן עִמָּדִי מַה תְּנַסּוּן
אֶת יְהֹוָה:
Why do you test the Lord: saying, “Can He give water in an arid
land?”
מה תנסון: לומר היוכל לתת מים בארץ ציה:
3. The people thirsted there for water, and the people
complained against Moses, and they said, Why have you brought us up from Egypt
to make me and my children and my livestock die of thirst? ג. וַיִּצְמָא
שָׁם הָעָם לַמַּיִם וַיָּלֶן הָעָם עַל משֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה זֶּה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ
מִמִּצְרַיִם לְהָמִית אֹתִי וְאֶת בָּנַי וְאֶת מִקְנַי בַּצָּמָא:
4. Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, What shall I do for this
people? Just a little longer and they will stone me! ד. וַיִּצְעַק משֶׁה אֶל
יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לָעָם הַזֶּה עוֹד מְעַט וּסְקָלֻנִי:
Just a little longer: If I wait just a little longer, they will
stone me.
עוד מעט: אם אמתין עוד מעט וסקלוני:
5. And the Lord said to Moses, Pass before the people and take
with you [some] of the elders of Israel, and take into your hand your staff,
with which you struck the Nile, and go.
ה. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה עֲבֹר לִפְנֵי
הָעָם וְקַח אִתְּךָ מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ בּוֹ אֶת הַיְאֹר
קַח בְּיָדְךָ וְהָלָכְתָּ:
Pass before the people: And see whether they stone you. Why have
you slandered My children?-[from Tanchuma Beshallach 22]
עבר לפני העם: וראה אם יסקלוך, למה הוצאת לעז על בני:
and take with you [some] of the elders of Israel: for testimony,
so that they shall witness that through you the water comes out of the rock,
and they [the Israelites] will not say that there were water fountains there
from days of yore. — [from Mechilta]
וקח אתך מזקני ישראל: לעדות שיראו שעל ידך המים יוצאים מן הצור, ולא
יאמרו מעיינות היו שם מימי קדם:
your staff, with which you struck the Nile: Why must Scripture
state "with which you struck the Nile"? [To point out what] the
Israelites were saying about the staff, [namely] that it was ready only for
retribution. With it, Pharaoh and the Egyptians were smitten with many plagues,
both in Egypt and by the sea. Therefore, it is stated: “with which you struck
the Nile.” Now they will see that it [the staff] is ready for good as well. —
[from Mechilta, Exod. Rabbah 26:2]
ומטך אשר הכית בו את היאר: מה תלמוד לומר אשר הכית בו את היאור, אלא
שהיו ישראל אומרים על המטה שאינו מוכן אלא לפורעניות, בו לקה פרעה ומצרים כמה מכות
במצרים ועל הים, לכן נאמר אשר הכית בו את היאר, יראו עתה שאף לטובה הוא מוכן:
6. Behold, I shall stand there before you on the rock in Horeb,
and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people
will drink Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel. ו. הִנְנִי
עֹמֵד לְפָנֶיךָ שָּׁם | עַל הַצּוּר בְּחֹרֵב וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ
מַיִם וְשָׁתָה הָעָם וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן משֶׁה לְעֵינֵי זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
and you shall strike the rock: Heb. וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר. It does
not say עַל-הַצּוּר, upon the rock, but בַצּוּר, [lit., into the rock]. From
here [we deduce] that the staff was of a hard substance called sapphire, and
the rock was split by it. — [from Mechilta]
והכית בצור: על הצור לא נאמר אלא בצור, מכאן שהמטה היה של מין דבר חזק
ושמו סנפרינון והצור נבקע מפניו:
7. He named the place Massah [testing] and Meribah [quarreling]
because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because of their testing
the Lord, saying, Is the Lord in our midst or not? ז. וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם
מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה עַל רִיב | בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל נַסֹּתָם אֶת יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר
הֲיֵשׁ יְהֹוָה בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם אָיִן:
8. Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ח. וַיָּבֹא
עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם:
Amalek came, etc.: He [God] juxtaposed this section to this
verse, ["Is the Lord in our midst or not? "] implying: “I am always
among you, and [I am] always prepared for all your necessities, but you say, Is
the Lord in our midst or not?’ By your life, the dog will come and bite you,
and you will cry out to Me, and [then] you will know where I am ” This can be
compared to a man who mounted his son on his shoulder and set out on the road.
Whenever his son saw something, he would say, “Father, take that thing and give
it to me,” and he [the father] would give it to him. They met a man, and the
son said to him, “Have you seen my father?” So his father said to him, “You
don’t know where I am?” He threw him [his son] down off him, and a dog came and
bit him [the son]. — [from Tanchuma, Yithro 3; Exod. Rabbah 26:2]
ויבא עמלק וגו': סמך פרשה זו למקרא זה, לומר תמיד אני ביניכם ומזומן
לכל צרכיכם, ואתם אומרים (פסוק ז) היש ה' בקרבנו אם אין, חייכם שהכלב בא ונושך אתכם
ואתם צועקים אלי ותדעון היכן אני. משל לאדם שהרכיב בנו על כתפו ויצא לדרך, היה אותו
הבן רואה חפץ ואומר, אבא טול חפץ זה ותן לי, והוא נותן לו, וכן שניה וכן שלישית, פגעו
באדם אחד, אמר לו אותו הבן ראית את אבא. אמר לו אביו אינך יודע היכן אני, השליכו מעליו
ובא הכלב ונשכו:
9. So Moses said to Joshua, Pick men for us, and go out and
fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff
of God in my hand ט. וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּחַר לָנוּ
אֲנָשִׁים וְצֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק מָחָר אָנֹכִי נִצָּב עַל רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה וּמַטֵּה
הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדִי:
Pick…for us: For me and for you. From here the Sages stated:
“Your disciple’s honor shall be as dear to you as your own honor” (Avoth 4:12).
How do we know that you should honor your peer as you revere your mentor? For
it is said: “Aaron said to Moses, I beseech you, my lord’ ” (Num. 12:11). Now was
Aaron not older than Moses? Yet he [Aaron] considers his peer as his mentor.
And how do we know that one must revere his mentor as he reveres Heaven? For it
is said: “My lord, Moses, destroy them” (Num. 11:28). Destroy them [Eldad and
Medad] from the world. They deserve to be annihilated because they are
rebelling against you, [which is] tantamount to having rebelled against the
Holy One, blessed be He. — [from Mechilta; Tanchuma, Beshallach 26]
בחר לנו: לי ולך, השוהו לו, מכאן אמרו יהי כבוד תלמידך חביב עליך כשלך
וכבוד חבירך כמורא רבך, מנין שנאמר (במדבר יב יא) ויאמר אהרן אל משה בי א-דני והלא
אהרן גדול מאחיו היה ועושה את חבירו כרבו. ומורא רבך כמורא שמים מנין, שנאמר (שם יא
כח) אדוני משה כלאם, כלם מן העולם, חייבין הם כלייה, המורדים בך, כאלו מרדו בהקב"ה:
and go out and fight: Go out of the cloud and fight with them. —
[from Mechilta and Exod. Rabbah, end of Beshallach]
וצא הלחם: צא מן הענן והלחם בו:
Pick men for us: Heb. אִנָשִׁים, mighty men, and God-fearing
[men] so that their merit will help us (Mechilta d’Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai,
Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 44, Yalkut Shimoni, Jonathan). Another explanation:
מחר: בעת המלחמה אנכי נצב:
Pick for us men: who know how to counteract witchcraft, because
the Amalekites were sorcerers.
בחר לנו אנשים: גבורים ויראי חטא שתהא זכותן מסייעתן. דבר אחר בחר לנו
אנשים שיודעין לבטל כשפים לפי שבני עמלק מכשפין היו:
Tomorrow: At the time of the battle, I will stand.
:
10. Joshua did as Moses had told him, to fight against Amalek;
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur ascended to the top of the hill. י. וַיַּעַשׂ
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ משֶׁה לְהִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק וּמשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וְחוּר
עָלוּ רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה:
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur: From here [we deduce] that on a fast
day, three people are required to go before the ark [to lead the prayers], for
they were fasting. — [from Mechilta]
ומשה אהרן וחור: מכאן לתענית שצריכים שלשה לעבור לפני התיבה, שבתענית
היו שרויים:
Hur: He was the son of Miriam, and Caleb, her husband. — [from
Sotah 11b]
חור: בנה של מרים היה וכלב בעלה:
11. It came to pass that when Moses would raise his hand, Israel
would prevail, and when he would lay down his hand, Amalek would prevail. יא. וְהָיָה
כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרִים משֶׁה יָדוֹ וְגָבַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָנִיחַ יָדוֹ וְגָבַר
עֲמָלֵק:
when Moses would raise his hand: Did Moses’ hands then make them
victorious in battle, etc.? [Rather this is to tell you that when the
Israelites looked up and subjugated their hearts to their Father in heaven,
they would prevail, and if not, they would fall,] as is found in Rosh Hashanah
(29a).
כאשר ירים משה ידו: וכי ידיו של משה נוצחות היו המלחמה וכו' כדאיתא
בראש השנה (כט א):
12. Now Moses hands were heavy; so they took a stone and placed
it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one from
this [side], and one from that [side]; so he was with his hands in faith until
sunset. יב. וִידֵי משֶׁה כְּבֵדִים וַיִּקְחוּ אֶבֶן וַיָּשִׂימוּ תַחְתָּיו
וַיֵּשֶׁב עָלֶיהָ וְאַהֲרֹן וְחוּר תָּמְכוּ בְיָדָיו מִזֶּה אֶחָד וּמִזֶּה אֶחָד
וַיְהִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה עַד בֹּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ:
Now Moses’ hands were heavy: Since he had been lax in [the
performance of] the commandment [of warring against Amalek] and had appointed
someone else in his stead, his hands became heavy. — [from Mechilta]
וידי משה כבדים: בשביל שנתעצל במצוה ומנה אחר תחתיו, נתייקרו ידיו:
so they took: [I.e.,] Aaron and Hur.
ויקחו: אהרן וחור:
a stone and placed it under him: But he [Moses] did not sit on a
mattress or on a pillow, [because] he said, "Israel is in a state of pain.
I too will be with them in pain."-[from Ta’anith 11a]
אבן וישימו תחתיו: ולא ישב לו על כר וכסת. אמר ישראל שרויין בצער, אף
אני אהיה עמהם בצער:
so he was with his hands in faith: And Moses was with his hands
in faith, spread out toward heaven in a faithful and proper prayer.
ויהי ידיו אמונה: ויהי משה ידיו באמונה פרושות השמים בתפלה נאמנה ונכונה:
until sunset: For the Amalekites calculated the hours [i.e., the
time] with their astrology [to determine] in what hour they would be
victorious, but Moses caused the sun to stand still and confused the hours. —
[from Tanchuma 28]
עד בא השמש: שהיו עמלקים מחשבין את השעות באצטרולוגיאה באיזו שעה הם
נוצחים, והעמיד להם משה חמה וערבב את השעות:
13. Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the
sword. יג.
וַיַּחֲלשׁ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת עַמּוֹ לְפִי חָרֶב:
Joshua weakened: He decapitated their [the Amalekites’]
strongest warriors, and he left over only the weak among them, but he did not
slay them all. From here we learn that he did this according to the mandate of
the Shechinah. — [from Mechilta]
ויחלש יהושע: חתך ראשי גבוריו ולא השאיר אלא חלשים שבהם ולא הרגם כולם,
מכאן אנו למדין שעשה על פי הדבור של שכינה:
14. The Lord said to Moses, Inscribe this [as] a memorial in the
book, and recite it into Joshua's ears, that I will surely obliterate the
remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens
יד. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה כְּתֹב
זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר
עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם:
Inscribe this [as] a memorial: namely that Amalek came to attack
the Israelites before all [other] nations [dared to do so].
כתב זאת זכרון: שבא עמלק להזדווג לישראל קודם לכל האומות:
and recite it into Joshua’s ears: [Joshua] was destined to bring
Israel into the land [of Israel and] to pay him [Amalek] his recompense. Here
it was hinted to Moses that Joshua would bring Israel into the land. — [from
Tanchuma 28, Mechilta]
ושים באזני יהושע: המכניס את ישראל לארץ, שיצוה את ישראל לשלם לו את
גמולו, כאן נרמז לו למשה שיהושע מכניס את ישראל לארץ:
I will surely obliterate the remembrance of Amalek: Therefore, I
admonish you in this manner, because I want to obliterate him.
כי מחה אמחה: לכך אני מזהירך כן, כי חפץ אני למחותו:
15. Then Moses built an altar, and he named it The Lord is my
miracle טו. וַיִּבֶן משֶׁה מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יְהֹוָה | נִסִּי:
and he named it: The altar. —
ויקרא שמו: של מזבח:
“The Lord is my miracle”: Heb. ה נִסִּי. The Holy One, blessed be
He, wrought a great miracle for us here. Not that the altar is called “The
Lord,” but whoever mentions the name of the altar remembers the miracle that
the Omnipresent performed: The Lord is our miracle. — [from Mechilta]
ה' נסי: הקב"ה עשה לנו כאן נס גדול, לא שהמזבח קרוי ה', אלא המזכיר
שמו של מזבח זוכר את הנס שעשה המקום, ה' הוא נס שלנו:
16. And he said, For there is a hand on the throne of the
Eternal, [that there shall be] a war for the Lord against Amalek from
generation to generation. טז. וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס יָהּ מִלְחָמָה
לַיהֹוָה בַּעֲמָלֵק מִדֹּר דֹּר:
And he said: [I.e.,] Moses [said].
ויאמר: משה:
For there is a hand on the throne of the Eternal: Heb. כִּי-יָד עַל
כֵּס יָ-הּ. The hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, was raised to swear by His
throne, to have a war and [bear] hatred against Amalek for eternity. Now what
is the meaning of כֵּס [as opposed to כִּסֵא and also [why is] the Divine Name
divided in half? [I.e., why is the Name יָ-הּ used instead of י-ה-ו-ה ?] [The
answer is that] the Holy One, blessed be He, swore that His Name will not be
complete and His throne will not be complete until the name of Amalek is
completely obliterated. And when his name is obliterated, the Divine Name will
be complete, and the throne will be complete, as it is said: “The enemy has
been destroyed; swords exist forever (לָנֶצַח)” (Ps. 9:7); this [who they are
referring to] is Amalek, about whom it is written: “and kept their fury forever
(נֶצַח)” (Amos 1:11). "And You have uprooted the cities-their remembrance
is lost" (Ps. 9:7) [i.e., Amalek’s obliteration]. What does it say
afterwards? “And the Lord (וַיהוה) shall sit forever” (Ps. 9:8); thus [after
Amalek is obliterated] the Name is complete. "He has established His
throne (כִּסְאוֹ) for judgment" (Ps. 9:8). Thus the throne is complete
[i.e., thus the throne, here spelled with an “aleph,” is now complete]. — [from
Midrash Tanchuma, end of Ki Theitzei]
כי יד על כס יה: ידו של הקב"ה הורמה לישבע בכסאו להיות לו מלחמה
ואיבה בעמלק עולמית, ומהו כס, ולא נאמר כסא, ואף השם נחלק לחציו, נשבע הקב"ה שאין
שמו שלם ואין כסאו שלם עד שימחה שמו של עמלק כולו, וכשימחה שמו יהיה השם שלם והכסא
שלם, שנאמר (תהלים ט ז) האויב תמו חרבות לנצח, זהו עמלק שכתוב בו (עמוס א יא) ועברתו
שמרה נצח, (תהלים שם) וערים נתשת אבד זכרם המה, מהו אומר אחריו (תהלים ט ח) וה' לעולם
ישב, הרי השם שלם, (תהלים שם) כונן למשפט כסאו, הרי כסאו שלם:
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Tehillim Psalm Chapters 55-59
• Chapter 55
David composed this psalm upon escaping from Jerusalem in the
face of the slanderers, Doeg and Achitofel, who had declared him deserving of
death. David had considered Achitofel a friend and accorded him the utmost
honor, but Achitofel betrayed him and breached their covenant. David curses all
his enemies, so that all generations should "know, and sin no more."
1. For the Conductor, with instrumental music, a maskil by
David.
2. Listen to my prayer, O God, do not hide from my pleas.
3. Pay heed to me and answer me, as I lament in my distress and
moan -
4. because of the shout of the enemy and the oppression of the
wicked; for they accuse me of evil and hate me passionately.
5. My heart shudders within me, and the terrors of death have
descended upon me.
6. Fear and trembling penetrate me, and I am enveloped with
horror.
7. And I said, "If only I had wings like the dove! I would
fly off and find rest.
8. Behold, I would wander afar, and lodge in the wilderness
forever.
9. I would hurry to find shelter for myself from the stormy
wind, from the tempest.”
10. Consume, O Lord, confuse their tongue; for I have seen
violence and strife in the city.1
11. Day and night they encircle her upon her walls, and iniquity
and vice are in her midst.
12. Treachery is within her; fraud and deceit never depart from
her square.
13. For it is not the enemy who taunts me-that I could bear; nor
my foe who raises himself against me, that I could hide from him.
14. But it is you, a man of my equal, my guide and my intimate.
15. Together we took sweet counsel; we walked with the throng to
the house of God.
16. May He incite death upon them, let them descend to the pit
alive; for there is evil in their dwelling, within them.
17. As for me, I call to God, and the Lord will save me.
18. Evening, morning and noon, I lament and moan-and He hears my
voice.
19. He redeemed my soul in peace from battles against me,
because of the many who were with me.
20. May God-He who is enthroned from the days of old, Selah-hear
and humble those in whom there is no change, and who do not fear God.
21. He extended his hands against his allies, he profaned his
covenant.
22. Smoother than butter are the words of his mouth, but war is
in his heart; his words are softer than oil, yet they are curses.
23. Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He
will never let the righteous man falter.
24. And You, O God, will bring them down to the nethermost pit;
bloodthirsty and treacherous men shall not live out half their days; but I will
trust in You.
Chapter 56
David composed this psalm while in mortal danger at the palace
of Achish, brother of Goliath. In his distress David accepts vows upon himself.
1. For the Conductor, of the mute dove1 far away. By David, a
michtam, 2 when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
2. Favor me, O God, for man longs to swallow me; the warrior
oppresses me every day.
3. My watchful enemies long to swallow me every day, for many
battle me, O Most High!
4. On the day I am afraid, I trust in You.
5. [I trust] in God and praise His word; in God I trust, I do
not fear-what can [man of] flesh do to me?
6. Every day they make my words sorrowful; all their thoughts
about me are for evil.
7. They gather and hide, they watch my steps, when they hope [to
capture] my soul.
8. Should escape be theirs in reward for their iniquity? Cast
down the nations in anger, O God!
9. You have counted my wanderings; place my tears in Your
flask-are they not in Your record?
10. When my enemies will retreat on the day I cry out, with this
I will know that God is with me.
11. When God deals strictly, I praise His word; when the Lord
deals mercifully, I praise His word.
12. In God I trust, I do not fear-what can man do to me?
13. My vows to You are upon me, O God; I will repay with thanksgiving
offerings to You.
14. For You saved my soul from death-even my feet from
stumbling-to walk before God in the light of life.
Chapter 57
David composed this psalm while hiding from Saul in a cave,
facing grave danger. Like Jacob did when confronted with Esau, David prayed
that he neither be killed nor be forced to kill. In the merit of his trust in
God, God wrought wonders to save him.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction. By David,
a michtam, when he fled from Saul in the cave.
2. Favor me, O God, favor me, for in You my soul took refuge,
and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until the disaster passes.
3. I will call to God the Most High; to the Almighty Who
fulfills [His promise] to me.
4. He will send from heaven, and save me from the humiliation of
those who long to swallow me, Selah; God will send forth His kindness and
truth.
5. My soul is in the midst of lions, I lie among fiery men;
their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongue a sharp sword.
6. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be upon
all the earth.
7. They laid a trap for my steps, they bent down my soul; they
dug a pit before me, [but] they themselves fell into it, Selah.
8. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will
sing and chant praise.
9. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I shall awaken the
dawn.
10. I will thank You among the nations, my Lord; I will praise
You among the peoples.
11. For Your kindness reaches till the heavens, Your truth till
the skies.
12. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over
all the earth.
Chapter 58
David expresses the anguish caused him by Avner and his other
enemies, who justified Saul's pursuit of him.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction; by David,
a michtam.
2. Is it true that you are mute [instead of] speaking justice?
[Instead of] judging men with fairness?
3. Even with your heart you wreak injustice upon the land; you
justify the violence of your hands.
4. The wicked are estranged from the womb; from birth do the
speakers of falsehood stray.
5. Their venom is like the venom of a snake; like the deaf viper
that closes its ear
6. so as not to hear the voice of charmers, [even] the most
skillful caster of spells.
7. O God, smash their teeth in their mouth; shatter the fangs of
the young lions, O Lord.
8. Let them melt like water and disappear; when He aims His
arrows, may they crumble.
9. Like the snail that melts as it goes along, like the
stillbirth of a woman-they never see the sun.
10. Before your tender shoots know [to become] hardened thorns,
He will blast them away, as one [uprooting] with vigor and wrath.
11. The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge; he will
bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
12. And man will say, "There is indeed reward for the
righteous; indeed there is a God Who judges in the land."
Chapter 59
This psalm speaks of the great miracle David experienced when he
eluded danger by escaping through a window, unnoticed by the guards at the
door. The prayers, supplications, and entreaties he offered then are recorded
here.
1. For the Conductor, a plea to be spared destruction, By David,
a michtam, when Saul dispatched [men], and they guarded the house in order to
kill him.
2. Rescue me from my enemies, my God; raise me above those who
rise against me.
3. Rescue me from evildoers, save me from men of bloodshed.
4. For behold they lie in ambush for my soul, mighty ones gather
against me-not because of my sin nor my transgression, O Lord.
5. Without iniquity [on my part,] they run and prepare-awaken
towards me and see!
6. And You, Lord, God of Hosts, God of Israel, wake up to
remember all the nations; do not grant favor to any of the iniquitous traitors,
Selah.
7. They return toward evening, they howl like the dog and circle
the city.
8. Behold, they spew with their mouths, swords are in their
lips, for [they say], "Who hears?”
9. But You, Lord, You laugh at them; You mock all nations.
10. [Because of] his might, I wait for You, for God is my
stronghold.
11. The God of my kindness will anticipate my [need]; God will
show me [the downfall] of my watchful foes.
12. Do not kill them, lest my nation forget; drive them about
with Your might and impoverish them, O our Shield, my Master,
13. [for] the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips; let
them be trapped by their arrogance. At the sight of their accursed state and
deterioration, [people] will recount.
14. Consume them in wrath, consume them and they will be no
more; and they will know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth,
Selah.
15. And they will return toward evening, they will howl like the
dog and circle the city.
16. They will wander about to eat; when they will not be sated
they will groan.
17. As for me, I shall sing of Your might, and sing joyously of
Your kindness toward morning, for You have been a stronghold to me, a refuge on
the day of my distress.
18. [You are] my strength, to You I will sing, for God is my
stronghold, the God of my kindness.
-------
Today in Tanya: Likutei Amarim, Chapter 19
• Shabbat, 10 Shevat 5774 – 11 January 2014
• Lessons in Tanya
• Likutei Amarim, Chapter 19
In the previous chapter the Alter Rebbe began to discuss the
“hidden love of G‑d” inherent in
every Jew, by virtue of which it is indeed “very near” to us to fulfill all the
commandments out of a spirit of love and awe of G‑d. He stated
that this love originates in the divine soul’s faculty of Chochmah where the
light of Ein Sof is vested, and that it is this love which causes every Jew to
choose death rather than repudiate his faith in G‑d. It was
further explained that the divine soul, and thus also the love of G‑d intrinsic to it, is every Jew’s inheritance from the
Patriarchs, who merited to bequeath it to their descendants, eternally.
Thus, of the four questions raised in the previous chapter
concerning the “hidden love,” two have been answered: (1) What is the root of
this love? (2) How did we come to inherit it?
Two questions remain: (1) What is the nature of this love (i.e.,
what does it strive for)? (2) How is fear of G‑d incorporated
in it?
They will be dealt with in this chapter.
ולתוספת ביאור צריך לבאר היטב מה שכתוב: נר ה׳ נשמת אדם
To further elucidate [the nature of the “hidden love”], it is
necessary to clarify the meaning of the verse,1 “The soul (Neshamah) of man is
a candle of G‑d.”
פירוש: שישראל, הקרוים אדם, נשמתם היא למשל כאור הנר
This means that the souls of Jews, who are called “man”, (as our
Sages remark,2 “You — the Jewish people — are called ‘man’”) are, by way of
illustration, like the flame of a candle
שמתנענע תמיד למעלה בטבעו
whose nature it is always to flicker upwards;
מפני שאור האש חפץ בטבע ליפרד מהפתילה, ולידבק בשרשו למעלה ביסוד האש
הכללי שתחת גלגל הירח, כמו שכתוב בעץ חיים
for the flame of the fire intrinsically seeks to part from the
wick that holds it, and to unite with its source above — in the universal
element of Fire which is in the sublunar sphere, as is explained in Etz Chayim.
The four elements — Earth, Water, Air, and Fire — are so
positioned that the higher and more ethereal elements surround and encompass
the lower, coarser elements.
Earth is the coarsest of the elements; it is therefore
physically the lowest. Water, the next highest element, should, by right,
surround and be located above the earth: it is only because of G‑d’s kindness that the earth is above the waters, as it is
written:3 “He spreads the earth over the waters, for His kindness is
everlasting.” The element of Air is higher than Water and therefore surrounds
it. Fire, the highest element, surrounds the entire atmosphere and is found in
the sublunar sphere. The flame’s constant drawing upwards thus represents its
desire to unite with its source.
ואף שעל ידי זה יכבה ולא יאיר כלום למטה, וגם למעלה בשרשו יתבטל אורו
במציאות בשרשו
Although thereby — by parting from the wick and becoming part of
its source — it would be extinguished, and would emit no light at all here
below; also above, in its source, its identity would be lost within that of its
source.
I.e., it would cease to be a luminary — for since a candle is
ineffective in illuminating its environment when surrounded by the
overwhelmingly greater brilliance of daylight, surely within the element of
fire itself its identity is completely nullified. The flame’s striving to unite
with its source cannot, therefore, be construed as seeking a higher form of
existence. Furthermore, this desire for unification with its source which can
be achieved only through self-annihilation, defies the axiom that “Every
existing being desires its continued existence.” Logically, then, the flame
ought not to draw upwards, to its source.
אף על פי כן, בכך הוא חפץ בטבעו
Yet this is what it “desires” by nature, i.e., it constantly
strains upwards as though this were its conscious “desire”.
כך נשמת האדם, וכן בחינת רוח ונפש
Just as the candle constantly seeks to reunite with its source,
so also the Neshamah of a Jew, and also the levels of Ruach and Nefesh.
Although the verse states that the Neshamah of man is the candle
of G‑d, this comparison is not limited to one within whom the higher
soul-level of Neshamah is actively revealed. The word Neshamah is used here in
the broader sense of “soul”, which includes also the levels of Ruach and
Nefesh; thus the analogy of the candle extends also to those within whom only
the lower soul-level of Ruach or Nefesh is revealed.
חפצה וחשקה בטבעה ליפרד ולצאת מן הגוף, ולידבק בשרשה ומקורה בה׳ חיי
החיים ברוך הוא
[The soul] naturally desires and yearns to separate itself and
depart from the body, and to unite with its origin and source in G‑d, blessed be He, Who is the fountainhead of all life.
The soul whose very essence is life is thus especially drawn to
G‑d, the Source of all life, and desires to sever its connection
with the body which hinders its ability to become one with G‑d.
הגם שתהיה אין ואפס ותתבטל שם במציאות לגמרי, ולא ישאר ממנה מאומה ממהותה
ועצמותה הראשון
Though thereby it would become null and naught, and its identity
would there — in its source — be completely nullified, with nothing at all
remaining of its original essence and self,
אף על פי כן זה רצונה וחפצה בטבעה
yet this is its will and desire by its nature.
Note the expression, “with nothing at all remaining of its
original self.” Unity with its source would not cause the soul to cease to
exist. On the contrary, this is the soul’s true quintessence. However, in this
state the soul ceases to exist as it exists while clothed in the body — a
distinct entity, with its own intellectual and emotional powers, and so on.
Therefore it cannot be postulated that the soul’s yearning to unite with its
essence merely represents a desire for self-elevation, for self-elevation is
possible only where the original self remains. For example, a person may well
strive to better himself — to become wiser, stronger, etc. — but he cannot
strive to become something which is not himself (e.g., an angel). Why then
should the soul desire to leave the body and unite with its source, since this
union causes the cessation of its original self? Indeed, there is no rational
explanation for this desire. It comes only as a result of the soul’s intrinsic
nature.
The term “nature” is usually used derogatorily, in the sense
that it denotes irrationality (phenomena lacking any rational basis are usually
ascribed to “nature”). In our case, however, the term is used complimentarily,
as it describes the soul’s supra-rational desire. This the Alter Rebbe now goes
on to say:
וטבע זה הוא שם המושאל לכל דבר שאינו בבחינת טעם ודעת
“Nature” is an applied term for anything that is not in the realm
of reason and comprehension.
וגם כאן הכוונה שרצון וחפץ זה בנפש אינו בבחינת טעם ודעת ושכל מושג
ומובן, אלא למעלה מהדעת ושכל המושג והמובן
Here, too — with regard to the soul’s desire to unite with its
source — the inference of the word “nature” is that the soul’s will and desire
is not based on reason, knowledge and intelligence that can be understood, but
rather is beyond the grasp and comprehension of rational intelligence,
והיא בחינת חכמה שבנפש, שבה אור אין סוף ברוך הוא
for this (nature) is the soul’s faculty of Chochmah and, as
discussed in the previous chapter, Chochmah is a faculty that transcends
comprehension — a faculty wherein the light of the blessed Ein Sof abides; and
as a result, the soul is drawn to its Source, the Ein Sof, with a longing
beyond comprehension.
Thus we see that the “nature” of the “hidden love,” i.e., its
quest, is the longing of the soul to be united with its Source. The Alter Rebbe
now goes on to explain the designation “hidden love.”
וזהו כלל בכל סטרא דקדושה שאינו אלא מה שנמשך מחכמה, שנקראת קודש העליון
Now this is a general principle in the whole realm of holiness:
Holiness (קדושה) is only that which derives from Chochmah, called קודש העליון —
“supernal holiness.”
The word קודש refers to Chochmah, while קדושה refers to any
manifestation of holiness as derived from Chochmah. As Chochmah represents
nullification of self before G‑d, only those
matters that manifest this character of Chochmah may be said to possess holiness.
Those matters in which this characteristic is lacking, lack holiness as well.
The Alter Rebbe continues, speaking of Chochmah:
הבטל במציאות באור אין סוף ברוך הוא המלובש בו, ואינו דבר בפני עצמו
כנ״ל
Its very existence is nullified in the light of the blessed Ein
Sof which is clothed in it, and it is not a thing apart — as explained
earlier.4
ולכן נקרא כ״ח מ״ה
Therefore, this faculty is called Chochmah, which consists of
the two words כ׳׳ח מ׳׳ה (the power of humility and abnegation).
The word מה — literally meaning “What?” — denotes immateriality,
as one might say when belittling himself: “What am I?” Thus “holiness” refers
to anything which, like Chochmah, draws down from G‑d, and nullifies itself before Him.
והוא הפך ממש מבחינת הקליפה וסיטרא אחרא, שממנה נפשות אומות העולם
This stands in direct contrast to the kelipah and sitra achra,
from which are derived the souls of the gentiles5
דעבדין לגרמייהו ואמרין הב הב והלעיטני, להיות יש ודבר בפני עצמו כנ״ל,
הפך בחינת החכמה
who act only for themselves, saying,6 “Give, give!” and (as Esau
said:7) “Feed me!” — in order to be independent beings and entities (separated
from G‑d), as mentioned earlier, that kelipah is a separate and
distinct entity, far removed from G‑d, in direct
contrast to Chochmah (whose nature is humility and self-nullification).
ולכן נקראים מתים, כי החכמה תחיה, וכתיב: ימותו ולא בחכמה
Therefore they (those of the realm of kelipah) are described8 as
“dead,” for9 “Wisdom (Chochmah) gives life” (hence that which is the opposite
of Chochmah lacks life), and it is written:10 “They die, without wisdom”; i.e.,
“death” is a direct result of lack of wisdom — Chochmah — therefore the nations
that receive their life-force from kelipah are considered “dead.”
וכן הרשעים ופושעי ישראל קודם שבאו לידי נסיון לקדש השם
(Just as the heathen nations are called “dead”) so too are the
wicked and the sinners of Israel11 — (but only) before they are put to the test
of sanctifying G‑d’s Name.
For, facing such a test, the Chochmah within them is aroused
until it fills the entire soul with its spirit of self-nullification before G‑d. At this point, they are “alive” once again. However, as long
as they do not face this test, the level of Chochmah is dormant within them, as
the Alter Rebbe continues:
כי בחינת החכמה שבנפש האלקית, עם ניצוץ אלקות מאור אין סוף ברוך הוא
המלובש בה
For the faculty of Chochmah in the divine soul, with the spark
of G‑dliness from the light of the blessed Ein Sof that is clothed in
it,
הם בבחינת גלות בגופם, בנפש הבהמית מצד הקליפה שבחלל השמאלי שבלב, המולכת
ומושלת בגופם
are in a state of exile in their body, within the animal soul of
the realm of kelipah in the left part of the heart, which reigns over them and
dominates their body.
בסוד גלות השכינה כנ״ל
This “exile” of the faculty of Chochmah while the animal soul
dominates the body echoes the esoteric doctrine of the exile of the Shechinah
(since the Ein Sof abides in Chochmah), as mentioned earlier.12
ולכן נקראת אהבה זו בנפש האלקית, שרצונה וחפצה לדבק בה׳ חיי החיים ברוך
הוא, בשם אהבה מסותרת
For this reason, this love found in the divine soul, whose wish
and desire is to unite with G‑d, “the
fountainhead of all life,” is called “hidden love” — an apparent contradiction
in terms; love denotes a manifest emotion and is not at all hidden.
It is called “hidden” only when it is obstructed by an alien
entity, and not because of any inherent quality of concealment, as the Alter
Rebbe goes on to say:
כי היא מסותרת ומכוסה בלבוש שק דקליפה בפושעי ישראל
For it is hidden and veiled, in the case of the transgressors of
Israel, in the sackcloth of the kelipah.
וממנה נכנס בהם רוח שטות לחטוא, כמאמר רז״ל: אין אדם חוטא כו׳
From the kelipah, there enters into them a “spirit of folly”
which leads them to sin, as our Sages remark:13 “A person does not sin unless a
spirit of folly enters into him.”
As the Alter Rebbe explains further, the foolishness consists of
the self-delusion that one remains “a good Jew” in spite of his sins — an
insensitivity to the serious breach that his sins create between himself and G‑d. If a Jew felt how each sinful act tore him away from G‑d, he would never sin; for after all, every Jew’s love of G‑d is so strong that he is prepared to sacrifice his very life
for G‑d (as discussed in the previous chapter). It is only that the
“spirit of folly” dulls his senses so that he does not feel the wrench caused
by each sin.
However, if his senses are so dulled, why is it that even the
worst sinner will willingly sacrifice his life for G‑d, when his faith is put to the test? In answer, the Alter Rebbe
explains that the kelipah can obstruct only those matters that do not directly
affect the G‑dly soul’s
level of Chochmah. However, in such matters as faith — a derivative of Chochmah
— kelipah can neither penetrate nor obstruct. Consequently, in such matters the
Jew is aware that to succumb to sin would mean being torn away from G‑d, and therefore he will readily lay down his life rather than
sin. This the Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain:
אלא שגלות הזה לבחינת חכמה אינו אלא לבחינה המתפשטת ממנה בנפש כולה
להחיותה
But this exile of the faculty of Chochmah affects only that
aspect of it which is diffused throughout the Nefesh and animates it [with
Divine vitality].
Being in exile, it is unable to pervade the entire soul, and
through it the entire body, with the feeling of self-nullification before G‑d characteristic of Chochmah; thus, in this state of exile, it
is unable to prevent one from sinning.
אבל שרש ועיקר של בחינת חכמה שבנפש האלקית הוא במוחין, ואינה מתלבשת
בלבוש שק דקליפה שבלב בחלל השמאלי בבחינת גלות ממש
Yet, the root and core of the Chochmah in the divine soul is in
the brain, and does not clothe itself in the sackcloth of the kelipah in the
left part of the heart, in a true state of exile, i.e., so that it be powerless
to prevent one from sinning.
רק שהיא בבחינת שינה ברשעים ואינה פועלת פעולתה בהם, כל זמן שעסוקים
בדעתם ובינתם בתאות העולם
It is merely dormant in the case of the wicked, not exercising
its influence within them (i.e., not creating within the Jew the spirit of
self-nullification before G‑d that it
ought to create), as long as their knowledge and understanding are preoccupied
with mundane pleasures.
The soul-faculties of “knowledge” (Daat) and “understanding”
(Binah) are lower than Chochmah; yet the level of Chochmah is prevented from
acting upon them (and upon the other, still lower, faculties) as long as they
are immersed in mundane pleasures. Thus, the Chochmah of their divine soul is
dormant, not dead. It has lost none of its potency, only its ability to
exercise it; just as when one sleeps he retains full possession of his
faculties though he cannot use them.
אך כשבאים לידי נסיון בדבר אמונה, שהיא למעלה מהדעת ונגעה עד הנפש לבחינת
חכמה שבה
However, when they (the wicked) are confronted with a test of
faith, which transcends knowledge, touching the very soul and the faculty of
Chochmah within it — the source of faith,
אזי היא ניעורה משנתה ופועלת פעולתה בכח ה׳ המלובש בה
then it “arises from its sleep” (i.e., Chochmah reveals itself)
and it exerts its influence with the Divine force that is clothed in it (its
influence being to create a spirit of self-sacrifice for G‑d, as the Alter Rebbe states further).
וכמו שכתוב: ויקץ כישן ה׳
As it is written:14 “Then the L‑rd awakened as
one out of sleep.”
This verse refers also to the level of Chochmah and the light of
the Ein Sof clothed therein, which was previously in a state of “sleep” —
inactive — but “arises” and exerts its influence when faced with a test of
faith.
לעמוד בנסיון באמונת ה׳ בלי שום טעם ודעת ושכל מושג לו
The revelation of Chochmah leads even the sinner to withstand
the test of faith in G‑d, without any
reasoning or knowledge that he can comprehend which would motivate him to
sacrifice his life,
להתגבר על הקליפות ותאוות עולם הזה בהיתר ובאיסור שהורגל בהם, ולמאוס
בהם
and to prevail over the kelipot and over his desires toward
worldly matters, both permitted and forbidden, which he was accustomed to
indulge, and even to despise them,
I.e., in this state of readiness for martyrdom, the sinner not
only overcomes his desires for worldly pleasures, but loses them entirely, and
the objects of his past desires are now detestable to him,
ולבחור לו ה׳ לחלקו ולגורלו
and to choose G‑d as his portion
and his lot,
I.e., he dedicates to G‑d both his
internal faculties of intellect and emotion, referred to as one’s “portion”,
and his higher transcendent faculties — his will and pleasure, which are called
one’s “lot”,
למסור לו נפשו על קדושת שמו
so that he is prepared to offer his soul to G‑d in martyrdom for the sanctification of His Name.
ואף כי הקליפות גברו עליו כל ימיו ולא יכול להם, כמאמר רז״ל: שהרשעים
הם ברשות לבם
Although the kelipot prevailed over him (over this sinner who is
now prepared to accept martyrdom) all his life, and he was impotent against
them, as the Rabbis have said that15 “The wicked are under the control of their
heart,” i.e., the animal soul of the kelipah, situated in the left part of the
heart,
מכל מקום כשבא לידי נסיון בדבר אמונה בה׳ אחד, שיסודתה בהררי קודש היא
בחינת חכמה שבנפש האלקית, שבה מלובש אור אין סוף ברוך הוא
nevertheless, when he faces a test challenging his faith in the
one G‑d, [a faith] whose foundation is in [that level of the divine
soul called] “the heights of holiness,” namely, the faculty of Chochmah which
is called קודש — the source of holiness — as previously explained, in which is
clothed the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He,
הרי כל הקליפות בטלים ומבוטלים, והיו כלא היו ממש לפני ה׳
then all the kelipot become nullified, and they vanish as though
they had never been, in the presence of the L‑rd.
כדכתיב: כל הגוים כאין נגדו וגו׳, וכתיב: כי הנה אויביך ה׳ כי הנה אויביך
יאבדו יתפרדו וגו׳, וכתיב: כהמס דונג מפני אש יאבדו וגו׳, וכתיב: הרים כדונג נמסו
So it is written:16 “All the nations including also the kelipot
are as nothing before Him”; and17 “For all Your enemies, O L‑rd, referring also to the kelipot, which are the ”enemies of G‑d,“ all Your enemies will perish, they will be scattered…”; and
again,18 “As wax melts before fire, so shall the wicked perish”; and19 “The
hills referring to the kelipot which are compared to hills by reason of their
hauteur melted like wax.”
All these verses illustrate how the kelipot vanish when the
light of G‑d found in the
Chochmah of the divine soul reveals itself. Therefore, despite the fact that
kelipot always had the upper hand over a sinner, he is able to overcome them
when his faith is challenged. We thus see that every Jew has an inherent
ability to overcome temptation by virtue of his soul’s “hidden love” of G‑d originating in its faculty of Chochmah. He need merely arouse
it.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain how this “hidden love”
also comprises the fear of G‑d necessary in
observing the prohibitive commandments.
והנה אור ה׳ אין סוף ברוך הוא המלובש בחכמה שבנפש, גדול ועצום כחו כל
כך
The force of the Divine light of the Ein Sof that is clothed in
the soul’s faculty of Chochmah is so intense
לגרש ולדחות הסטרא אחרא והקליפות שלא יוכלו יגעו אפילו בלבושיו, שהם
מחשבה דבור ומעשה של אמונת ה׳ אחד
as to banish and repel the sitra achra and the kelipot so that
they are unable to touch even its “garments”, namely the thought, speech, and
action that express one’s faith in the unity of G‑d.
That is, not only can the kelipot not weaken one’s faith, but
they cannot even prevent his faith from expressing itself in thought, speech
and action.
דהיינו לעמוד בנסיון למסור נפשו אפילו שלא לעשות רק איזה מעשה לבד נגד
אמונת ה׳ אחד, כגון להשתחוות לעבודה זרה אף שאינו מאמין בה כלל בלבו
This means that the Divine light vested in Chochmah enables him
to withstand a test of self-sacrifice, to the extent of even refusing to do a
mere (empty) act that is contrary to his belief in the one G‑d, e.g., to bow down before an idol, even without acknowledging
it in his heart at all, in which case it is not his faith that is being
challenged, but its expression in the act of prostrating oneself; and even for
his expression of faith a Jew will give his life.
וכן שלא לדבר תועה חס ושלום על אחדות ה׳ אף שאין פיו ולבו שוין, רק
לבו שלם באמונת ה׳
So too he will sacrifice his life so as not to speak falsely (G‑d forbid) concerning the unity of G‑d, even where his words do not reflect his true feelings, for
his heart is perfect in its belief in G‑d.
This readiness for self-sacrifice is not an expression of one’s
love of G‑d which
reveals itself when confronted with a test of faith, for his love is not
directly affected by such empty actions or words. Rather, it expresses the fear
contained in the “hidden love,” the fear of being torn away from G‑d.
וזה נקרא דחילו הנכלל ברחימו, שהיא אהבה הטבעית שבנפש האלקית שבכללות
ישראל, שחפצה ורצונה בטבעה לידבק בשרשה ומקורה אור אין סוף ברוך הוא
This is called “the fear contained in love,” meaning the natural
love found in the divine soul of all Jews, whose intrinsic desire and will is
to be attached to its origin and source — the light of the blessed Ein Sof.
שמפני אהבה זו ורצון זה היא יראה ומפחדת בטבעה מנגוע בקצה טומאת עבודה
זרה חס ושלום, שהיא נגד אמונת ה׳ אחד
For by virtue of this love and this desire it instinctively
recoils in fear and dread from touching (G‑d forbid) even
the fringe of the impurity of idolatry, which denies the faith in G‑d’s unity,
אפילו בלבושיה החיצונים שהם דבור או מעשה, בלי אמונה בלב כלל
even where such contact involves only its outer garments,
namely, (idolatrous) speech and action, without any faith whatever in the heart
in the validity of the idol worship.
Even this the soul dreads; and this dread represents the fear
contained in the “hidden love.”
When a Jew considers that he would willingly give up his life
rather than be parted from G‑d, he will
surely realize that: (a) he should certainly refrain from sin for the very same
reason, since every sin tears one away from G‑d; and (b) he
ought to fulfill all the commandments, for through them one achieves the
objective of his “hidden love” — unity with G‑d. In this way
one may utilize his “hidden love” and the fear of G‑d contained in it as a motivation for observing all the
commandments, as will be explained at length in the coming chapters.
——— ● ———
FOOTNOTES
1. Mishlei 20:27.
2. Yevamot 61a.
3. Tehillim 136:6.
4. In ch. 6.
5. Cf. ch. 1.
6. Mishlei 30:15.
7. Bereishit 25:30.
8. Berachot 18b.
9. Kohelet 7:12.
10. Iyov 4:21.
11. Berachot 18b.
12. In ch. 17.
13. Sotah 3a.
14. Tehillim 78:65.
15. Bereishit Rabbah 34:11.
16. Yeshayahu 40:17.
17. Tehillim 92:10.
18. Ibid. 68:3.
19. Ibid. 97:5.
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Rambam:
• Daily Mitzvah Sefer Hamitzvos:
The principles (1-3)
Principle 1
Do not count Rabbinic Commandments in this list. E.g. lighting
Chanukah candles or reciting the Hallel.
Indeed, this seems obvious, for the Talmud says that 613 mitzvot
"were given to Moses at Sinai," and rabbinic mitzvot were not
instituted until later dates. But in truth, we follow rabbinic rulings because
of a biblical mandate: "You shall not divert from the word they tell you,
either right or left" (Deuteronomy17:11); and as such, before performing a
rabbinic mitzvah, we say a blessing in which we thank G‑d for "sanctifying us with His commandments and commanding
us to..." Nevertheless, the individual rabbinic precepts are not counted
as part of the 613 (and, are considered "rabbinic," a classification
that has certain halachic implications).
Principle 2
Do not include laws which are derived from one of the Thirteen
Principles of Torah Exegesis.
Every word and letter in the Torah is exact, and the Sages
extrapolated many laws from an extra (or missing) word or letter, or a
particular sequence which the Torah chooses to use (click here for more on this
topic). Nevertheless, unless the Sages explicitly say that a particular law
that they derived is categorized as biblical, it is not counted as part of the
613.
An example of this is the obligation to accord honor to
parents-in-law, a precept derived from an extra word ("et") in a verse.
Though the Torah alludes to the concept, it is not considered a biblical
command.
Principle 3
Do not count mitzvot which are not binding on all generations.
E.g. the laws regarding the disassembly of the Tabernacle, or the prohibition
against waging war on Amon and Moab, which only applied to the Israelites in
the desert.
-------
Rambam:
• 1 Chapter: Tum'at Okhalin Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Halacha 1
When one harvests grapes to sell in the marketplace or dry, they
do not become susceptible to impurity unless they come into contact with
liquids when the owner desires that they do, as other foods.
If, by contrast, one harvests grapes to crush them and make
wine, they become susceptible to impurity even if they had no contact with
liquids at all. If they were touched by an impure object, they contract
impurity. This a decree of Rabbinic origin.
Why did the Sages decree that when one harvests grapes for the
wine press, they become susceptible to impurity? For there are times when a
person enters into his vineyard to see if the grapes are ready to harvest. He
will squeeze a cluster of grapes to check them and then cast it on the grapes
that have already been harvested, for all of the grapes are prepared to be
crushed for their juice. Moreover, he is not careful regarding the cluster and
will allow it to be pressed by the other grapes, causing its liquid to flow
out. He is careful concerning the liquid, desiring that it not flow out on the
ground. Thus all the grapes will become susceptible to impurity because of it.
Therefore our Sages decreed that when anyone harvests grapes for the wine
press, they become susceptible to ritual impurity.
Halacha 2
When a person harvests grapes with the intent that, if he will
not find purchasers for them, he will bring them back to the wine press, they
do not become susceptible to ritual impurity until they are brought into the
wine press. Similarly, olives that are brought into the olive press become
susceptible to impurity, as will be explained.
Halacha 3
When a person harvests grapes and places them in a storage pit
or spreads them out on leaves, they become susceptible to impurity because of
the liquids that are released by them, since he is concerned with the liquids.
That is the reason he placed them on leaves or in a storage pit that is like a
cistern. Therefore, if someone who was impure or merely whose hands were impure
takes some of them, he imparts impurity to them.
If, however, he harvested the grapes and placed them in baskets
or spread them out on the earth, they do not become susceptible to impurity,
because he is not concerned with the liquid they release. Therefore an impure
person may take them and partake of them. Even though they have split open and
juice is dripping from them into the wine press, the grapes in the wine press
are pure, because the grapes from which the liquid dripped were not made
susceptible to impurity and were harvested for the purpose of consumption.
A similar ruling applies in the following instance. A person
took the grapes from the baskets or from the earth where they were spread out
and partook of them, leaving over a se'ah or two which he cast into the
winepress. Even though the juice is sprinkled over the grapes in the wine
press, they are not made susceptible to ritual impurity.
Halacha 4
When one takes grapes that were in baskets or spread out on the
earth to crush for wine, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. Hence they
must be taken with pure hands, lest an impure person take from them and impart
impurity to them.
Halacha 5
When a vineyard grows in a beit hapras and one harvests the
grapes for the wine press, they are not considered as susceptible to impurity
as long as they are in the beit hapras. The rationale is that since the
impurity of a beit hapras is a Rabbinic decree and the concept that when a
person harvests grapes for the wine press they become susceptible to ritual
impurity is a Rabbinic decree, the Sages were lenient regarding this decree in
this instance and did not consider the grapes as susceptible to ritual impurity
until they were taken out of the beit hapras.
Accordingly, a person who desires to harvest grapes growing in a
beit hapras for the wine press in a state of ritual purity must do the
following. He must purify the harvesters and the utensils, having the ashes of
the red heifer sprinkled upon them on the third and seventh day. They must wait
until nightfall of the seventh day so that it is obvious that leniency is being
taken with the impurity of a beit hapras, only because it is a doubtful
situation. Afterwards, they enter, harvest the grapes, and take them outside
the beit hapras. Other pure porters receive the grapes from them and take them
to the wine press. If the harvesters touch the porters, the porters contract
ritual impurity and make the grapes impure. For the people in the beit hapras
are impure and they impart impurity to those outside, causing them to be
considered as primary derivatives of impurity. They then impart impurity to the
grapes, for they became susceptible to ritual impurity when they were taken out
of the beit hapras.
Halacha 6
When a person harvests olives with the intent of pickling them
or selling them on the market place, they do not become susceptible to ritual
impurity unless they come into contact with liquids as desired by their owner,
as is the law with regard to other foods. Similarly, when a person harvests
olives to crush in an olive press, they do not become susceptible to ritual
impurity until the work required to prepare them for pressing is complete.
Why are olives susceptible to ritual impurity when the work
required to prepare them for pressing is complete? Because it can be assumed
that they became susceptible to impurity because of contact with the fluid of
the olives, for the owner desires it so that the olives will soften and be
easier to crush. Before the work required to prepare them for pressing is
complete, the fluid released by the olives does not make them susceptible to
ritual impurity, because it is not desired.
Accordingly, when the work required to prepare olives for
pressing has not been completed and impure liquids fall upon them, only the
places touched by the liquids contract impurity, as is the law regarding all
foods that have not become susceptible to impurity. When impure liquids fall
upon them after the work required to prepare them for pressing has been
completed, all the olives contract impurity. The rationale is that the impure
liquids impart impurity to the fluid that flows from them and that fluid
imparts impurity to all of them, for the fluid that is released by them after
the work required to prepare them for pressing has been completed is considered
as a liquid in the context of the laws of impurity and makes foods susceptible
to impurity and imparts impurity to them.
Halacha 7
When there is a jug of olives that are salted and pressed
together, it is necessary to make a hole in the jug so that that fluid will
drain off. If he does not make such a hole, the olives become susceptible to
ritual impurity. If he made a hole for the liquid to drain off, but it became
plugged by olive dregs and thus the olives became saturated with this fluid,
they are not susceptible to impurity for their exposure to liquids was not
desired by the owner, as indicated by his making the hole.
Halacha 8
When is the work to prepare olives for pressing considered to be
completed? When the entire harvest has been completed and they are deposited in
one place, prepared to be pressed. Even though liquids did not fall upon them
and liquids did not emerge from them, since the work necessary to prepare them
was completed, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. Before the work
necessary to prepare them was completed, by contrast, even though they were
crushed, secreted liquids, and became stuck together because of the liquids,
they do not become susceptible to impurity.
If one completed harvesting his olives, but intended to purchase
other olives in the future and add them to them, even if only a kab or two
kabbim, they are not susceptible to ritual impurity. If, however, he acts with
guile, they become susceptible to ritual impurity.
If he completed his purchase of olives, but intended to borrow
money and purchase more, but he was prevented by forces beyond his control or
he became involved in a celebration and therefore did not add more, it is still
considered as if the work necessary to prepare the olives for pressing was not
completed and the olives are not susceptible to ritual impurity. Even though
zavim and zavot tread upon them, they remain pure.
Halacha 9
When a person stores his olives in two olive presses, when he
completes loading one of them, the olives in that press become susceptible to
ritual impurity.
Halacha 10
When a person harvests his olives in the Upper Galilee and he
has the intent to bring them to the Lower Galilee in the future, they do not
become susceptible to ritual impurity until he brings them there. This applies
provided he had this intent before he harvested them. If he does not have this
intent until after he harvests them, his intent is of no consequence and they
become susceptible to impurity. If he completed storing his olives, but had the
intent of selling them in the future, they do not become susceptible to
impurity. If he had the intent of covering them with leaves, they become
susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 11
The following law applies when a person purchases a storage vat
of olives from a gentile. Even if there are olives to harvest on the earth, he
should process the olives in a state of impurity, for it can be assumed that
the gentile completed the harvest of that vat.
The word of an unlearned person is accepted when he says:
"I did not complete storing olives in this vat."
Halacha 12
When a person wishes to take and crush for oil some olives from
a storage vat that has not been completely filled, he may take them while
ritually impure, bring them to the olive press in a state of ritual impurity,
and cover the olives remaining in the storage vat in a state of ritual
impurity, because the olives in the storage vat had not become susceptible to
impurity.
Halacha 13
When a person places his olives in an olive press, so that they
will soften and be easy to crush, they become susceptible to ritual impurity.
If he left them to soften, so that he will salt them after they soften, they do
not become susceptible to ritual impurity, for his intent is to pickle them.
Halacha 14
When a person rubs or breaks apart olives that are terumah with
impure hands, he disqualifies them, because breaking them open completes the
work associated with them. If, however, he broke open the olives with the
intent of salting them, they do not become susceptible to impurity. Similarly,
if he broke them open in order to check them to see whether they have oil and
are ready to be harvested, they do not become susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 15
When a person leaves olives on a roof for them to desiccate and
dry out, they do not become susceptible to impurity even if they are cubit
high. If he brought them into the house to spoil some even though he will take
them to the roof in the future or he brought them to the roof in a mound to
spoil, even though he will break it open and spread them out to dry in the
future, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. If he brought them into his
house until he will make his roof fit for them or until he takes them to
another place, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity, because the
work involved in their preparation has not been completed.
Halacha 16
When a person stores his olives in a domain belonging to an
unlearned person, and locks and seals the door, he need not suspect that the
unlearned person has another key and seal. Even if he discovers the seal broken
and the lock open, the olives are pure. The seal mentioned could be even a
stone or a sliver of wood.
If there were holes and cracks in the storeroom, he need not
suspect that the unlearned person inserted a rod and moved the olives. If there
are windowsfour handbreadths by four handbreadths, they are considered as an
entrance.
Halacha 17
How should a person who crushed his olives in a state of
impurity and, afterwards, sought to purify the utensils in the olive-press and
the borders from the impure liquids that were absorbed in them act?
Keilim made of wood or stone should be washed thoroughly. If
they are from reeds or the like, they should be dried. If they are from
resinous cane, they should be left for twelve months, exposed to hot water or
water in which olives were cooked, or placed under a drainpipe of running water
or into a stream of flowing water for 12 hours.
Afterwards, he should immerse in a mikveh those keilim that
require immersion and use them in a state of purity.
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Rambam:
• 3 Chapters: Positive Commandments Part 1, Positive
Commandments Part 2, Positive Commandments Part 3
Part 1
The Positive Commandments
1. The first of the positive commandments is the mitzvah to know
that there is a God, as [Exodus 20:2] states: "I am God, your Lord."a
2. To unify Him, as [Deuteronomy 6:4] states: "God is our
Lord, God is one."
3. To love Him, as [Deuteronomy 6:5] states: "And you shall
love God, your Lord."
4. To fear Him, as [Deuteronomy 6:13] states: "Fear God,
your Lord."
5. To pray, as [Exodus 23:25] states: "And you shall serve
God, your Lord." This service is prayer.a
6. To cling to Him, as [Deuteronomy 10:2] states: "And you
shall cling to Him."
7. To swear in His name, as [Deuteronomy 10:20] states:
"And you shall swear in His name."a,b
8. To emulate His good and just ways, as [Deuteronomy 28:19]
states: "And you shall walk in His ways."
9. To sanctify His name, as [Leviticus 22:32] states: "And
I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel."
10. To recite the Shema twice daily, as [Deuteronomy 6:2]
states: "And you shall speak of them when you lie down and when you
arise."
11. To study Torah and to teach it [to others], as [Deuteronomy
6:2] states: "And you shall teach them to your children."
12. To tie tefillin upon our heads, as [Deuteronomy 6:8] states:
"And they shall be an emblem between your eyes."
13. To tie tefillin upon our arms, as [Deuteronomy 6:8] states:
"And you shall tie them for a sign upon your arms."
14. To make tzitzit, as [Numbers 15:38] states: "And you
shall make tzitzit for them."
15. To affix a mezuzah, as [Deuteronomy 6:9] states: "And
you shall write them on the doorposts of your home."
16. To collect the people to hear the Torah [being read] in the
year following the shemitah year, as [Deuteronomy 31:12] states: "Gather
together the people."
17. For each man to write a Torah scroll for himself, as
[Deuteronomy 31:19] states: "Write down this song."
18. For the king to write a second Torah scroll for himself in
addition to the one which [he is required to write to fulfill the mitzvah
incumbent upon] every man. Thus, he will have two Torah scrolls, as
[Deuteronomy 17:19] states: "And he shall write for himself a copy of this
Torah."
19. To bless [God] after eating, as [Deuteronomy 8:10] states:
"[After] you eat and are satisfied, you shall bless God, your Lord."
20. To build [God's] chosen house, [the Temple,] as [Exodus 25:8]
states: "And you shall make a sanctuary for Me."b
21. To revere this house, as [Leviticus 19:30] states: "And
revere My sanctuary."
22. To keep watch over this house continuously, as [Numbers
18:2,4] states: "And you and- your descendants before the Tent of
Testimony.... [And they shall keep the watch....]"
23. For the Levites to serve in the sanctuary, as [Numbers
18:23] states: "And the Levite shall serve...."
24. For a priest to sanctify his hands and feet at the time of
service [in the Temple], as [Exodus 30:19] states: "And Aaron and his sons
will wash...."
25. To prepare the candles of the Sanctuary, as [Exodus 27:21]
states: "Aaron and his sons shall prepare it."
26. For the priests to bless the Jews, as [Numbers 6:23] states:
"In this manner, you shall bless the children of Israel."
27. To arrange bread and frankincense before God [in the Temple]
on every Sabbath, as [Exodus 25:30] states: "And you shall place the
showbread on the table."b
28. To burn a spice offering twice [each] day, as [Exodus 30:7]
states: "And Aaron shall burn incense upon it...."
29. To keep a fire burning on the altar for burnt offerings
continually, as [Leviticus 6:6] states: "And you shall keep a fire burning
continuously on the altar."
30. To remove the ashes from the altar, as [Leviticus 6:3]
states: "And he shall remove the ashes...."
31. To send impure people out from the camp of the Divine
Presence - i.e., the sanctuary - as [Numbers 5:2] states: "And you shall
send from the camp all the leprous, any zav, and anyone who has contracted
impurity because of a corpse."
32. To show honor to Aaron's descendants and to give them
priority regarding all holy matters, as [Leviticus 21:8] states: "And you
shall sanctify him."
33. To clothe the priests with the priestly garments for service
[in the Temple], as [Exodus 28:2] states: "And you shall make holy
garments...."a
34. To carry the ark upon our shoulders when it is to be
carried, as [Numbers 7:9] states: "And they shall carry it on their
shoulders."
35. To anoint the High Priests and kings with the anointing oil,
as [Exodus 30:30-31] states: "[Anoint Aaron....] This shall be sacred
anointing oil."
36. For the priests to serve in the sanctuary in individual
watches; and for them to all serve as one on the festivals, as [Deuteronomy
18:6-8] states: "When the Levite shall come... [he can serve]...with the
exception of that which is theirs by ancestral right."a
37. For the priests to become ritually impure and mourn for
their relatives in the same manner as other Jews who are commanded to mourn, as
[Leviticus 21:3] states: "He shall become impure for her."
38. For a High Priest to marry a virgin, as [Leviti‑cus 21:13] states: "And he shall marry a woman who is a
virgin."
39. To offer the tamid offerings each day, as [Numbers 28:3] states:
"[This is the fire offering...] two each day continuously."
40. For the High Priest to offer a meal offering each day, as
[Leviticus 6:13] states: "This is the sacrifice of Aaron and his
descendants."
41. To offer an additional sacrifice every Sabbath, as [Numbers
28:9] states: "On the Sabbath day, two lambs...."
42. To offer an additional sacrifice every Rosh Chodesh, as
[Numbers 28:11] states: "On your Rashei Chodashim...."
43. To offer an additional sacrifice on Pesach, as [Leviticus
23:36] states: "For seven days, you will bring a fire offering unto
God...."1
44. To bring the meal offering of the omer on the day after the
first day of Pesach together with a single lamb, as [Leviticus 23:10] states:
"And you shall bring the omer...."
45. To offer an additional sacrifice on Shavuot, as [Numbers
28:26] states: "On the day of the first fruits [Bikkurim]...."
46. To bring two loaves and the sacrifices which accompany the
loaves on Shavuot, as [Leviticus 23:17] states: "From your dwellings,
bring bread as a wave offering. And you shall offer upon the bread...."
47. To offer an additional sacrifice on Rosh HaShanah, as
[Numbers 29:1] states: "And in the seventh month, on the first of the
month...."
48. To offer an additional sacrifice on the fast [of Yom Kippur],
as [Numbers 29:7] states: "On the tenth of the seventh month...."
49. To carry out the service of the fast [of Yom Kippur], as
[Leviticus 16:3] states: "In this manner, Aaron will enter the [inner]
sanctuary, with a young bull...." All the [particulars of] this service
are stated in the parashah of Acharei Mot.
50. To offer an additional sacrifice on the holiday of Sukkot,
as [Numbers 29:13] states: "And you shall present a burnt offering as a
pleasing fragrance...."
51. To offer an additional sacrifice on Shemini Atzeret, for it
is a festival in its own right, as [Numbers 29:35] states: "And on the
eighth day....
52. To celebrate on the festivals, as [Exodus 23:14] states:
"And you shall celebrate three festivals for Me."
53. To appear [before God in the Temple] on the festivals, as
[Deuteronomy 16:16] states: "On three occasions during the year, all your
males shall appear...."
54. To rejoice on the festivals, as [Deuteronomy 16:14] states:
"And you shall rejoice on your festivals."
55. To slaughter the Paschal lamb, as [Exodus 12:6] states:
"And the entire congregation shall slaughter it...."
56. To eat the meat of the Paschal sacrifice roasted on the
night of the fifteenth of Nisan, as [Exodus 12:8] states: "And they shall
eat the meat...."
57. To offer the second Paschal sacrifice, as [Numbers 9:11]
states: "In the second month, on the fourteenth of the month...."
58. To eat the meat of the second Paschal offering together with
matzot and bitter herbs, as [Numbers 9:11] states: "And you shall eat it
with matzot and bitter herbs."
59. To sound the trumpets when the sacrifices [are offered] and
in times of difficulty, as [Numbers 10:10] states: "And you shall sound
the trumpets...."
60. For all animals to be sacrificed after their eighth day [of life],
as [Leviticus 22:27] states: "And on the eighth day and
afterwards...."b
61. For all animal offerings to be unblemished, as [Leviticus
22:21] states: "[When it is] unblemished, it will be desirable...."
62. To salt all the sacrifices, as [Leviticus 2:13] states:
"Offer salt on all your sacrifices."
63. The burnt offering, as [Leviticus 1:3] states:"If his
is a burnt offering...."
64. The sin offering, as [Leviticus 6:18] states: "These
are the laws of the sin offering...."
65. The guilt offering, as [Leviticus 7:1] states: "These
are the laws of the guilt offering...."
66. The peace offering, as [Leviticus 7:11] states: "These
are the laws of the peace offering...."
67. The meal offering, as [Leviticus 2:1] states: "When a
person presents a meal offering...."
68. For the [High] Court to offer a sacrifice if it renders an
erroneous decision, as [Leviticus 4:13] states: "If the entire
congregation of Israel shall err...."
69. For each individual to offer a sin offering if he
unintentionally violates a negative commandment punishable by karet2, as
[Leviticus 5:1] states: "When a person sins...."3
70. For an individual to offer a sacrifice if he is in doubt
whether or not he transgressed a prohibition for which he would be liable for a
sin offering, as [Leviticus 5:17-18] states: "If he does not know, he
still bears responsibility...and he shall bring his guilt offering." This
is referred to as "the conditional guilt offering."
71. For [the following individuals:] a person who unknowingly
used sacred property, a person who sinned by stealing, one [who had relations
with] a maidservant designated for another person, or one who denied possession
of an entrusted object and took a [false] oath, to bring a guilt offering. This
is referred to as "the unconditional guilt offering."4
72. To offer "the adjustable guilt offering" [as
atonement for the violation of certain transgressions], as [Leviticus 5:1,11]
states: "If his means are not sufficient.... If his means do not
suffice...."
73. For a person to confess before God for any sin which he has
committed. [This applies] when he brings a sacrifice [for atonement] and when
he does not bring a sacrifice, as [Numbers 5:6] states: "And they shall
confess the sins that they committed."5
74. For a zav to offer a sacrifice when he becomes purified
[after his affliction], as [Leviticus 15:13] states: "When a zav will
become pure...."
75. For a zavah to offer a sacrifice when she be-comes purified
[after her affliction], as [Leviticus 15:28] states: "When she becomes
pure from [the condition] of zavah...."
76. For a person afflicted with tzara’at to offer a sacrifice
after he becomes purified, as [Leviticus 14:1] states: "On the eighth day,
he shall take...."
77. For a woman who gave birth to offer a sacrifice after she
becomes purified, as [Leviticus 12:6] states: "And after the conclusion of
her pure days...."
78. To tithe one's herds, as [Leviticus 27:32] states: "And
all the tithes of your cattle and sheep...."
79. To sanctify the firstborn of a kosher animal and offer it as
a sacrifice, as [Deuteronomy 15:19] states: "Every firstling which shall
be born...."
80. To redeem firstborn sons, as [Numbers 18:15] states:
"However, you must surely redeem first-born humans."
81. To redeem a firstling donkey, as [Exodus 34:20] states:
"Redeem a firstling donkey with a sheep."
82. To decapitate a firstling donkey [which is not redeemed], as
[Exodus 34:20] states: "If you do not redeem it, you must decapitate
it."
83. For a person to bring all the sacrifices for which he is
liable, be they obligatory or voluntary offerings, on the first pilgrimage
festival that occurs, as [Deuteronomy 12:5-6] states: "And you shall come
there... and you shall bring there...."
Note: We have marked with the letter “a” those mitzvot
concerning which the Ramban (Nachmanides) differs with the Rambam in his
Hasagot to Sefer HaMitzvot, and with the letter “b,” those mitzvot concerning
which the Ra'avad, in his gloss to the Mishneh Torah, differs with the Rambam.
FOOTNOTES
1..There is a slight difficulty with the Rambam's statements:
The verse cited refers to the sacrifices offered on Sukkot, and not those
offered on Pesach. Perhaps the intended prooftext is Leviticus 23:8: "And
you shall offer a burnt offering for God for seven days."
2.Karet refers to premature death at the hand of God, the death
of one's children, and a severe spiritual punishment for the soul. (See Hilchot
Teshuvah 8:1.)
3.. Though this prooftext is quoted in the printed editions of the
Mishneh Torah, it appears to be an error, for the passage it introduces deals
with the adjustable guilt offering (Positive Mitzvah 72). The verse which
introduces the laws of the sin offerings is Leviticus 4:27: "If one person
sins...."
4.. Perhaps the Rambam does not cite a specific prooftext for
this mitzvah because there is a different passage in the Torah which deals with
each of the guilt offerings which he mentions.
5.. Note that in Hilchot Teshuvah, the Rambam defines this
mitzvah as return to God and repentance, a more encompassing service, of which
confession is only one facet.(See Hilchot Teshuvah 2:2.)
Part 2
84. To sacrifice all the offerings in [God's] chosen house,
[i.e., the Temple,], as [Deuteronomy 12:14] states: "There, you will
perform all that I command you."
85. To tend to all the offerings from the Diaspora and bring
them to Eretz [Yisrael], to [God's] chosen house, [i.e., the Temple,] as
[Deuteronomy 12:26] states: "Take the sacred offerings which you possess,
and your pledges, and come [to the place that God will choose]." Based on
the oral tradition, we have learned that this applies to sacred offerings from
the Diaspora.
86. To redeem sacred offerings that have becoming blemished, and
thus have them to be permitted [for mundane use], as [Deuteronomy 12:15]
states: "But whenever you desire, you may slaughter...." Based on the
oral tradition, we have learned that this refers only to sacred offerings which
have become disqualified and have been redeemed.
87. That an animal substituted for a sacred offering be regarded
as sacred, as [Leviticus 27:33] states: "Both [the original animal] and
the one substituted for it shall be consecrated."
88. To eat the remains of the meal offerings, as [Leviticus 6:9]
states: "Aaron and his sons will eat the remainder of it."
89. To eat the flesh of the sin and guilt offerings,1 as [Exodus
29:33] states: "And they shall eat [the sacrifices] with which atonement
was made for them."
90. To burn sacred meat which became impure, as [Leviticus 7:19]
states: "And the flesh which touches anything impure... [shall be
burnt]."
91. To burn the leftovers [from the sacrifices], as [Leviticus
7:17] states: "The leftovers from the flesh of the sacrifice shall be
burnt with fire on the third day."
92. For a Nazirite to grow his hair long, as [Numbers 6:5]
states: "He shall let the hair of his head grow without cutting it."
93. For a Nazarite to shave his hair when bringing his
sacrifices at the conclusion of his term as a Nazirite, or during his Nazirite
term if he becomes impure, as [Numbers 6:9] states: "Should a person die
in his presence,... [he must shave....]"
94. For a person to fulfill any [promise] which he utters, be it
a sacrifice, [a gift to] charity, or the like, as [Deuteronomy 23:24] states:
"What you have spoken, take heed to fulfill...."a
95. To carry out the laws regarding the nullification of vows,
as mentioned in the Torah.
96. For everyone who comes in contact with the corpse of an
animal to become impure, as [Leviticus 11:39] states: "Should an animal
die...."
97. For the [dead bodies of] the eight species of crawling
animals [mentioned in the Torah] to impart ritual impurity, as [Leviticus
11:19] states: "These shall be impure for you...."
98. For [certain] foods to impart impurity, as [Leviticus 11:34]
states: "From all the food which you will eat...."
99. For [a woman in the] niddah state to be impure and to impart
impurity to others.
100. For [a woman] who gives birth to be impure [like a woman]
in the niddah state.
101. For a person afflicted with tzara’at to be impure and to
impart impurity.
102. For a garment afflicted with tzara’at to be impure and to
impart impurity.
103. For a house afflicted with tzara’at to impart impurity.
104. For a zav to impart impurity.
105. For semen to impart impurity.
106. For a zavah to impart impurity.
107. For a corpse to impart impurity.
108. For the sprinkling water [used for the purification
process involving the red heifer] to impart impurity to a person who is
ritually pure, and to impart ritual purity to a person who is ritually impure
solely because of contact with a human corpse.b All the laws dealing with these
different types of impurity and the majority of the judgments regarding all
types of ritual purity and impurity are explained explicitly in the Written
Law.2
109. For the process of purification from all types of ritual
impurity to involve immersion in the waters of a mikveh, as [Leviticus 15:16]
states: "And he shall wash all his flesh in water." Based on the oral
tradition, we have learned that this washing [involves immersion in a body of]
water in which one's entire body can immerse at one time.
110. For the process of purification from tzara’at, be it a
person afflicted with tzara’at or a house afflicted with tzara’at, [to involve]
a staff of cedar, a hyssop, the crimson wool, two birds, and spring water, as
[Leviticus 14:2] states: "This shall be the purification process for the
person afflicted with tzara’at...."
111. For a person afflicted with tzara’at to shave all of his
hair, as [Leviticus 14:9] states: "And it shall be on the seventh day, he
shall shave all his hair."
112. For a person afflicted with tzara’at to make known his
condition to all others, according to the instructions mentioned in [Leviticus
13:45]: "His garments shall be torn, his hair shall grow uncut, he shall
cover his face to the lip, and he shall cry out: `Impure! Impure!"'
Similarly, all others who are ritually impure must make known their condition.
113. To prepare the red heifer so that its ashes will be ready,
as [Numbers 19:9] states: "And it will be a keepsake for the congregation
of Israel."
114. For a person who makes an endowment valuation to give the
specific amount of money stated in the [Torah] portion, as [Leviticus 27:2]
states: "When a person expresses a vow...."
115. For a person who makes an endowment valuation concerning a
non-kosher animal to give [the required amount of] money, as [Leviticus 27:11]
states: "And he shall cause the animal to stand...."
116. For a person who makes an endowment valuation concerning
his home to give the value determined by the priest, as [Leviticus 27:14]
states: "And the priest shall determine its value."
117. For a person who consecrates his field to give the fixed
amount determined by the [Torah], as [Leviticus 27:16] states: "And the
value you attach to it shall be according to the amount of seed."
118. For a person who unintentionally makes use of a sacred
object to make restitution for what he misused [when] sinning against God, and
for him to add one fifth of its value, as [Leviticus 5:17] states: "For
that which he sinned, [using something] sacred, he shall pay...."
119. For the produce of the fourth year to be sacred, as
[Leviticus 19:24] states: "Its produce shall be sacred, [an object of]
praise to God...."
120. To leave pe'ah.
121. To leave leket.
122. To leave a forgotten sheaf.
123. To leave the incompletely formed grape clusters.
124. To leave the individual fallen grapes. With regard to all
these [five mitzvot], [Leviticus 19:10] states: "Leave them for the poor
and the stranger." This [verse states] the positive commandment for all
these.3
125. To bring the first fruits to God's chosen house, [the
Temple,], as [Exodus 23:19] states: "The first fruits of your
land...."
126. To separate the greater terumah [and give it] to the
priest, as [Deuteronomy 18:4] states: "Give him the first of your
grain."
127. To separate a tithe of grain [and give it] to the Levites,
as [Leviticus 27:30] states: "All the land's tithes...."
128. To separate the second tithe so that it can be eaten by its
owners in Jerusalem, as [Deuteronomy 14:22] states: "You shall surely
tithe...." According to the oral tradition, we learn that this refers to
the second tithe.
129. For the Levites to separate a tenth from the tenth which
they took from the Israelites and give it to the priests, as [Numbers 18:27]
states: "Speak to the Levites:...."
130. To separate the tithe for the poor instead of the second
tithe in the third and sixth years of the seven-year [agricultural cycle], as
[Deuteronomy 14:28] states: "At the end of three years, remove a tithe of
all your crops...."
131. To give thanks, [reciting] the declaration concerning the
tithes, as [Deuteronomy 26:13] states: "And you shall declare before God,
your Lord, `I have removed the sacred [foods]...."'
132. To read the statement [acknowledging thanks] for the first
fruits, as [Deuteronomy 26:5] states: "And you shall respond and say
before God, your Lord:...."
133. To separate challah [and give it] to the priest, as
[Numbers 15:20] states: "The first of your dough, the challah, you shall
separate as an offering...."
134. To let the land lie fallow [in the seventh year], as
[Exodus 23:11] states: "In the seventh year, you shall let it lie fallow
and withdraw from it."
135. To refrain from agricultural work [in the seventh year], as
[Exodus 34:21] states: "From plowing and harvesting, you shall rest."
136. To sanctify the Jubilee year by refraining [from
agricultural work], as is done in the shemitah, as [Leviticus 25:10] states:
"And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year...."
137. To sound the shofar in the Jubilee year, as [Leviticus
25:9] states: "And you shall sound the shofar blasts."
138. To free all land in the Jubilee year, as [Leviticus 25:24]
states: "For all your ancestral lands, there will be redemption for the
land."
139. To allow houses in a walled city to be redeemed within a
year, as [Leviticus 25:29] states: "If a person shall sell a residential
house in a walled city...."
140. To count the years of the Jubilee year and the shemitah years
within it, as [Leviticus 25:8] states: "And you shall count seven shemitah
years."
141. To remit all financial [obligations] in the seventh year,
as [Deuteronomy 15:2] states: "Every creditor must remit...."
142. To seek to collect [a debt] from a gentile [in the seventh
year], as [Deuteronomy 15:3] states: "Seek to collect [a debt] from a
gentile. However, what your brother owes you must remit...."
143. To give a priest the shankbone, the jaw, and the maw from
an animal [which is slaughtered], as [Deuteronomy 18:3] states: "And you
shall give the priest the shankbone...."
144. To give the first portion of the fleece to a priest, as
[Deuteronomy 18:4] states: "Give him the first portion of the shearing of
your sheep."
145. To render judgment with regard to property which is
dedicated, whether dedicated to God or dedicated to the priests, as [Leviticus
27:28] states: "However, any dedication that will be made...."
146. To slaughter an animal, beast, or fowl and afterwards to
eat their meat, as [Deuteronomy 12:21] states: "And you shall slaughter
your cattle and your sheep."b
147. To cover the blood of beasts and fowl [which are
slaughtered], as [Leviticus 17:13] states: "And you shall pour out its
blood and cover it with dust."
148. To send away the mother bird from the nest [when taking the
young], as [Deuteronomy 22:7] states: "You shall surely send away the
mother."
149. To check the signs [with which] animals [are identified],
as kosher, as [Leviticus 11:2] states: "These are the animals which you
may eat...."
150. To check the signs of fowl in order to differentiate
between one which is kosher and one which is not kosher, as [Deuteronomy 14:11]
states: "All birds which...."
151. To check the signs of grasshoppers in order to know which
is kosher and which is not kosher, as [Leviticus 11:21] states: "Those
which possess walking legs...."
152. To check the signs [with which] fish [are identified as
kosher], as [Leviticus 11:9] states: "These are the animals which you may
eat from all that is found in water...."
153. To sanctify the months and to calculate the years and
months. [This mitzvah is incumbent on] the court alone, as [Exodus 12:2]
states: "This month will be for you the first of the months."
154. To rest on the Sabbath, as [Exodus 23:12] states:
"Rest on the seventh day...."
155. To sanctify the Sabbath, as [Exodus 20:8] states:
"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
156. To destroy chametz [before Pesach], as [Exodus 12:15]
states: "On the day before [the holiday], obliterate chametz from your
homes."
157. To relate the narrative of the exodus of Egypt on the first
night of the Feast of Matzot, as [Exodus 13:8] states: "And you shall tell
your son on that day,...."
158. To eat matzah on this night, as [Exodus 12:18] states:
"In the evening, you shall eat matzot."
159. To rest on the first day of Pesach, as [Exodus 12:16]
states: "And on the first day, it shall be a sacred holiday."
160. To rest on the seventh day [of the festival], as [Exodus
12:16] states: "On the seventh day, there will be a sacred holiday."
161. To count 49 days from the harvesting of the omer, as
[Leviticus 23:15] states: "And you shall count from the day following the
day of rest...."
162. To rest on the fiftieth day [after Pesach], as [Leviticus
23:21] states: "And you shall proclaim a sacred holiday on that selfsame
day."
163. To rest on the first day of the seventh month, as
[Leviticus 23:24] states: "On the first day of [this] month, you shall
have a day of rest."
164. To fast on the tenth [of this month, Yom Kippur,] as
[Leviticus 15:29] states: "On the tenth of the month, you shall afflict
your souls."
165. To rest on [this] fast day, as [Leviticus 16:31] states:
"It shall be a Sabbath of Sabbaths...."
166. To rest on the first day of the festival of Sukkot, as
[Leviticus 23:35] states: "On the first day, there shall be a sacred
holiday."
FOOTNOTES
1.. In Sefer HaMitzvot, the Rambam includes eating other
sacrifices and sacred foods in the scope of this mitzvah.
2.. It is somewhat curious that although the Rambam makes this
statement, he does not cite prooftexts for these mitzvot.
3.. In Sefer HaMitzvot, the Rambam notes that the command to
leave a forgotten sheaf in the field is derived, not from this verse, but from
Deuteronomy 24:19, which states: "When you reap your harvest... and forget
a sheaf in the field..., it shall be for the stranger..."
Part 3
167. To rest on the eighth day of the festival of Sukkot, as
[Leviticus 23:36] states: "On the eighth day, there shall be a sacred
holiday."
168. To dwell in a sukkah for seven days, as [Leviticus 23:42]
states: "And you shall dwell in sukkot for seven days."
169. To take the lulav [and the other three species on Sukkot],
as [Leviticus 23:40] states: "And you shall take for yourselves on the
first day, the fruit of a beautiful tree, a palm branch,...."
170. To hear the sound of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah, as
[Numbers 29:1] states: "It will be a day of [shofar] blasts for you."
171. To give a half-shekel each year, as [Exodus 30:13] states:
"This shall be given by all those included in the census...."
172. To listen to any prophet who will arise in any era,
provided he does not add or detract [from the Torah's commandments], as
[Deuteronomy 18:15] states: "You shall listen to him."
173. To appoint a king, as [Deuteronomy 17:15] states: "You
shall surely set a king upon yourselves."
174. To obey the High Court regarding all [the ordinances] they
establish for Israel, as [Deuteronomy 17:11] states: "Carry out the
judgment which they render for you."
175. To follow the majority if there is a difference of opinion
in the Sanhedrin concerning a law, as [Exodus 23:2] states: "Follow after
the majority."
176. To appoint judges and court officers in each and every
Jewish community, as [Deuteronomy 16:18] states: "Appoint judges and
court officers...."
177. To treat litigants equally when they appear [in court] to
be judged, as [Leviticus 19:15] states: "Judge your fellow man with
righteousness."
178. For anyone who has evidence to testify in court, as
[Leviticus 5:1] states: "If he was a witness, saw, or knew...."
179. To cross-examine the witnesses thoroughly, as [Deuteronomy
13:15] states: "You must investigate and probe, making careful
enquiry."
180. To [punish] false witnesses [by] giving them the same
penalty that they wish to have imposed [on the defendant], as [Deuteronomy
19:19] states: "And you shall do to him what he plotted to do to his
brother."
181. To decapitate the calf [brought as atonement for an
unsolved murder] as required, as [Deuteronomy 21:4] states: "You shall
decapitate the calf there in the river."
182. To prepare six refuge cities, as [Deuteronomy 19:3] states:
"Prepare the way and divide into three [the boundary]...."
183. To give the Levites cities in which to dwell - they also
serve as refuge centers - as [Numbers 35:2] states: "And you shall give
cities to the Levites...."
184. To construct a guard rail, as [Deuteronomy 22:8] states:
"And you shall construct a guard rail for your roof."
185. To destroy false gods and all their objects of worship, as
[Deuteronomy 12:2] states: "You shall surely destroy...."
186. To slay the inhabitants of an apostate city and burn the
city, as [Deuteronomy 13:17] states: "And you shall burn the city and all
its spoil with fire."
187. To destroy the seven nations [that dwelled in] Eretz
Yisrael, as [Deuteronomy 20:17] states: "You shall utterly destroy
them."
188. To exterminate the seed of Amalek, as [Deuteronomy 25:19]
states: "Blot out the memory of Amalek."
189. To constantly remember what Amalek did to us, as [Deuteronomy
25:17] states: "Remember what Amalek did to you."
190. To wage a voluntary war according to the laws prescribed by
the Torah, as [Deuteronomy 20:10] states: "When you approach the
city...."
191. To anoint a priest [who will address the people before] battle,
as [Deuteronomy 20:2] states: "And it shall come to pass, when you
approach the battle, the priest will come forward and speak to the
people...."
192. To prepare a place [outside] the [army] camp [for use as a
latrine], as [Deuteronomy 23:13] states: "Prepare a place for yourselves
outside the camp."
193. To prepare a shovel [to cover one's excrement], as
[Deuteronomy 23:14] states: "You shall have a shovel in addition to your
weapons."
194. To return a stolen object, as [Leviticus 5:23] states:
"And he shall return the object which he stole."
195. To give charity, as [Deuteronomy 15:8] states: "You
shall surely open your hand [to your poor brother]."
196. To give a severance gift to a Hebrew servant, as
[Deuteronomy 15:14] states: "You shall surely give him gifts...."
Similarly, [this gift is given] to a Hebrew maidservant.
197. To lend to the poor, as [Exodus 22:24] states: "If you
will lend money to my people...." In this instance, the word
"if" does not refer to a matter left to one's volition, but to a
commandment, as [Deuteronomy 15:8] states: "You shall surely lend
him."
198. To lend to a gentile at interest, as [Deuteronomy 23:21]
states: "Take interest from a gentile." Based on the oral tradition,
we have learned that this is a positive commandment.b
199. To return security to its owner, as [Deuteronomy 24:13]
states: "You shall surely return the security to him."
200. To pay a worker his wage on time, as [Deuteronomy 24:15]
states: "Pay him his wage on the day it is due."
201. For a hired worker to be allowed to eat [from produce]
while he is working with it, as [Deuteronomy 23:25-26] states: "When you
enter your neighbor's vineyard... When you enter your neighbor's standing
grain...."
202. To assist a colleague in unloading a burden which he or his
beast [is carrying], as [Exodus 23:5] states: "You shall surely help
him."b
203. To [help a colleague] load a burden unto a beast, as
[Deuteronomy 22:4] states: " You shall lift it up with him."
204. To return a lost object, as [Deuteronomy 22:1] states:
"You shall surely return them to your brother."
205. To rebuke a person who sins, as [Leviticus 19:17] states:
"You shall surely rebuke your fellow men."
206. To love every member of our people, as [Leviticus 19:18]
states: "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
207. To love a convert, as [Deuteronomy 10:19] states: "And
you shall love a convert."
208. To balance scales with correct weights, as [Leviticus
19:36] states: "You shall have correct scales, with correct weights."
209. To honor the Sages, as [Leviticus 19:32] states: "Rise
before an elder."
210. To honor one's father and mother, as [Exodus 20:12] states:
"Honor your father and mother."
211. To fear one's father and mother, as [Leviticus 19:3]
states: "A person must fear his mother and his father."
212. To be fruitful and multiply, as [Genesis 9:7] states:
"Be fruitful and multiply."
213. To have sexual relations [only within] marriage, as
[Deuteronomy 24:1] states: "If a man takes a woman [as a wife]...."
214. For a groom to rejoice together with his wife for a year,
as [Deuteronomy 24:5] states: "He shall be free for his home for one
year."
215. To circumcise a son, as [Leviticus 12:3] states: "On
the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised."1
216. To marry the widow of one's brother who died childless, as
[Deuteronomy 25:5] states: "Her yavam shall come unto her."
217. To remove the yavam's shoe [if he does not marry his
brother's widow], as [Deuteronomy 25:9] states: "And she shall remove his
shoe from his foot."
218. For a rapist to marry the woman he raped, as [Deuteronomy
22:29] states: "She shall become his wife."
219. For a person who made defamatory remarks about his wife to
remain married to her for his entire life, as [Deuteronomy 22:19] states:
"She shall become his wife. He may not send her away for his entire
life."
220. To carry out the judgment concerning a seducer, fining him
fifty shekels and carrying out the other laws regarding this matter, as [Exodus
22:15] states: "If a person will seduce...."
221. To carry out the procedure [the Torah] prescribes for a
yefat to'ar, as [Deuteronomy 21:11] states: "And if you see a beautiful
woman among the captives...."
222. To divorce with a get, as [Deuteronomy 24:1] states:
"And he shall write a bill of divorce for her and place it in her
hand."
223. To carry out the [procedure] prescribed for a sotah, as
[Numbers 8:30] states: "And the priests will carry out all these laws for
her."
224. To whip the wicked, as [Deuteronomy 25:2] states: "The
judge will cast him down and beat him."
225. To exile a person who accidentally kills a person, as
[Numbers 35:25] states: "And he shall dwell there until the High Priest
dies...."
226. For a court to execute by decapitation, as [Exodus 21:20]
states: "Revenge shall surely be taken."
227. For a court to execute by strangulation, as [Leviticus
20:10] states: "The adulterer and the adulteress shall die."
228. For a court to execute by burning [the condemned] with
fire, as [Leviticus 20:14] states: "They shall burn him and them with
fire."
229. For a court to execute by stoning [the condemned] with
stones, as [Deuteronomy 22:24] states: "And you shall stone them."
230. To hang [the corpses] of those liable for hanging, as
[Deuteronomy 21:22] states: "And you shall hang them on a gallows."
231. To bury [the body of] an executed person on the day of his
execution, as [Deuteronomy 21:22] states: "For you shall surely bury him
on that day."
232. To carry out the laws concerning a Hebrew servant, as
[Exodus 21:2] states: "When you purchase a Hebrew servant...."
233. To marry a Hebrew maidservant, as [Exodus 21:8] states:
"Who has designated her for himself... and she will be redeemed."
234. To redeem a Hebrew maidservant, as [Exodus, ibid.] states:
"And she will be redeemed."
235. To have a Canaanite servant serve forever, as [Leviticus
25:46] states: "You shall have them serve you forever."a
236. For a person who injures [a colleague] to pay him damages,
as [Exodus 21:18] states: "If men will quarrel and one man will strike
[his colleague]...."
237. To judge regarding the damages caused by an ox, as [Exodus
21:33] states: "If an ox belonging to one person gores an ox belonging to
a colleague...."
238. To judge regarding the damages caused by a pit, as [Exodus
21:33] states: If a person will open a pit...."
239. To judge a thief, obligating him for payment or execution,
as [Exodus 21:37] states: "Should a theft be perpetrated," as [Exodus
22:1] states: "If when breaking in," and, as [Exodus 21:16] states:
"If one kidnaps a person and sells him,…. "2
240. To judge regarding the damages caused by grazing, as
[Exodus 22:4] states: "If a person will graze [his animals] in a field or
vineyard...."
241. To judge regarding the damages caused by fire, as [Exodus
22:5] states: "If fire will break out and catch in thorns...."
242. To render judgment [in questions] regarding an unpaid
watchman, as [Exodus 22:6] states: "If a person will give a colleague
money or utensils [to watch]...."
243. To render judgment [in questions] regarding a paid watchman,
as [Exodus 22:9] states: "Should a person give a donkey or an ox...."
244. To render judgment [in questions] regarding a borrower, as
[Exodus 22:13] states: "If a person will borrow from a colleague...."
245. To render judgment [in questions] regarding business
transactions, as [Leviticus 22:14] states: "If you sell merchandise to
your colleague...."
246. To render judgment [in questions] regarding claims made by
one person against another, as [Exodus 22:8] states: "For every matter of
trespass, concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, or concerning a
sheep...."
247. To save a person who is being pursued even if it is
necessary to kill the pursuer, as [Deuteronomy 25:12] states: "And you
shall cut off her hand...."
248. To render judgment [in questions] regarding inheritances as
[Numbers 27:8] states: "If a person dies without having a son...."
FOOTNOTES
1.The Rambam cites this verse, rather than a verse from Genesis,
Chapter 17, which describes the circumcision of Abraham, because he prefers to
cite a prooftext that was given after the giving of the Torah. Nevertheless, we
also learn some particulars regarding this mitzvah from the passage from
Genesis. (See also the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Chulin 7:6.)
2.. The Rambam cites these different verses because each
involves a different punishment. (See also Negative Mitzvot 243 and 244.)
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Hayom Yom:
• Shabbat, 10 Shevat 5774 – 11 January 2014
"Today's Day"
Shabbat, 10* Sh'vat 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Bo,
Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 55-59.
Tanya: Ch. 19. To elucidate (p. 77)...in the heart. (p. 83).
(At this point in the Hebrew text appears an emendation of a
passage in Torah Or, relevant only in Hebrew. Translator).
When my grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivka, was eighteen (in 5611,
1851) she fell ill and the physician ordered her to eat immediately upon
awakening. She, however, did not wish to eat before davening; so she davened
very early, then ate breakfast. When her father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek,
learned of this he said to her: "A Jew must be healthy and strong. The
Torah says about mitzvot, 'Live in them,' meaning bring vitality into the
mitzvot. To be able to infuse mitzvot with vitality, one must be strong and
joyful." Then he concluded: "You should not be without food. Better
to eat for the sake of davening rather than to daven for the sake of
eating;" he then blessed her with long life. [She was born in 5593 (1833)
and passed away on Sh'vat 10, 5674 (1914)].
My father told this teaching of the Tzemach Tzedek to someone at
yechidus, adding: "And this must be done with joy."
FOOTNOTES
*. This day marks the
yahrzeit of the late Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak, who passed away on Shabbat
morning, 7:45 a.m., parshat Bo, 10 Sh'vat 5710 (1950), in New York, and is
interred there. On that day, the Late Rebbe's son-in-law - the Rebbe of
righteous memory - became the nassi and leader of our generation.
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Daily Thought:
Many people, without realizing, end up with two gods:
One god is an impersonal one, an all-encompassing, transcendent
force.
But then, at times of trouble, they cry out to another, personal
god, with whom they have an intimate relationship.
Our faith is all about knowing that these two are one. The same
G‑d who is beyond all things, He is the same one who hears your cries and
counts your tears. The same G‑d who is the force behind all existence and
transcends even that, He is the same G‑d who cares about what is cooking in
your kitchen and how you treat your fellow human being.
G‑d cannot be defined, even as transcendent. He is beyond all
things and within them at once.
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