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- ב"ה - Today in Judaism - Today is Shabbat, 14 Kislev, 5778 · December 2, 2017Torah Reading:
Vayishlach: Genesis 32:4 - 36:43
Obadiah 1:1-21
Vayishlach: Genesis 32:4 (3) Ya‘akov sent messengers ahead of him to ‘Esav his brother toward the land of Se‘ir, the country of Edom, 5 (4) with these instructions: “Here is what you are to say to my lord ‘Esav: ‘Your servant Ya‘akov says, “I have been living with Lavan and have stayed until now. 6 (5) I have cattle, donkeys and flocks, and male and female servants. I am sending to tell this news to my lord, in order to win your favor.” ’” 7 (6) The messengers returned to Ya‘akov saying, “We went to your brother ‘Esav, and he is coming to meet you; with him are four hundred men.”
8 (7) Ya‘akov became greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people, flocks, cattle and camels with him into two camps, 9 (8) saying, “If ‘Esav comes to the one camp and attacks it, at least the camp that is left will escape.” 10 (9) Then Ya‘akov said, “God of my father Avraham and God of my father Yitz’chak, Adonai, who told me, ‘Return to your country and your kinsmen, and I will do you good’: 11 (10) I’m not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant, since I crossed the Yarden with only my staff. But now I have become two camps. 12 (11) Please! Rescue me from my brother ‘Esav! I’m afraid of him, afraid he’ll come and attack me, without regard for mothers or children. 13 (12) You said, ‘I will certainly do you good and make your descendants as numerous as the grains of sand by the sea, which are so many they can’t be counted.’”
(ii) 14 (13) He stayed there that night; then he chose from among his possessions the following as a present for ‘Esav his brother: 15 (14) two hundred female goats and twenty males, two hundred female sheep and twenty males, 16 (15) thirty milk-camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten colts. 17 (16) He turned them over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Cross over in front of me, and keep a space between each drove and the next one.” 18 (17) He instructed the servant in front, “When ‘Esav my brother meets you and asks you, ‘Whose servant are you? Where are you going? And whose animals are these?’ 19 (18) then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Ya‘akov, and they are a present he has sent to my lord ‘Esav; and Ya‘akov himself is just behind us.’” 20 (19) He also instructed the second servant, and the third, and all that followed the droves, “When you encounter ‘Esav, you are to speak to him in the same way, 21 (20) and you are to add, ‘And there, just behind us, is your servant Ya‘akov.’” For he said, “I will appease him first with the present that goes ahead of me; then, after that, I will see him myself — and maybe he will be friendly toward me.” 22 (21) So the present crossed over ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
23 (22) He got up that night, took his two wives, his two slave-girls, and his eleven children, and forded the Yabok. 24 (23) He took them and sent them across the stream, then sent his possessions across; 25 (24) and Ya‘akov was left alone. Then some man wrestled with him until daybreak. 26 (25) When he saw that he did not defeat Ya‘akov, he struck Ya‘akov’s hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated while wrestling with him. 27 (26) The man said, “Let me go, because it’s daybreak.” But Ya‘akov replied, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” 28 (27) The man asked, “What is your name?” and he answered, “Ya‘akov.” 29 (28) Then the man said, “From now on, you will no longer be called Ya‘akov, but Isra’el; because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed.” 30 (29) Ya‘akov asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he answered, “Why are you asking about my name?” and blessed him there.
(iii) 31 (30) Ya‘akov called the place P’ni-El [face of God], “Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared.” 32 (31) As the sun rose upon him he went on past P’ni-El, limping at the hip. 33 (32) This is why, to this day, the people of Isra’el do not eat the thigh muscle that passes along the hip socket — because the man struck Ya‘akov’s hip at its socket.
33:1 Ya‘akov raised his eyes and looked out; and there was ‘Esav coming, and four hundred men with him. So Ya‘akov divided the children between Le’ah, Rachel and the two slave-girls, 2 putting the slave-girls and their children first, Le’ah and her children second, and Rachel and Yosef last. 3 Then he himself passed on ahead of them and prostrated himself on the ground seven times before approaching his brother. 4 ‘Esav ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him; and they wept. 5 Esav looked up; on seeing the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Ya‘akov answered, “The children God has graciously given to your servant.”
(iv) 6 Then the slave-girls approached with their children, and they prostrated themselves; 7 Le’ah too and her children approached and prostrated themselves; and last came Yosef and Rachel; and they prostrated themselves. 8 ‘Esav asked, “What was the meaning of this procession of droves I encountered?” and he answered, “It was to win my lord’s favor.” 9 ‘Esav replied, “I have plenty already; my brother, keep your possessions for yourself.” 10 Ya‘akov said, “No, please! If now I have won your favor, then accept my gift. Just seeing your face has been like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me. 11 So please accept the gift I have brought you, for God has dealt kindly with me and I have enough.” Thus he urged him, until he accepted it.
12 ‘Esav said, “Let’s break camp and get going. I’ll go first.” 13 Ya‘akov said to him, “My lord knows that the children are small, and the sheep and cattle suckling their young concern me, because if they overdrive them even one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Instead, please, let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the cattle ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Se‘ir.” 15 ‘Esav replied, “Then let me leave with you some of the people I have with me.” But Ya‘akov said, “There’s no need for my lord to be so kind to me.” 16 So ‘Esav left that day to return to Se‘ir. 17 Ya‘akov went on to Sukkot, where he built himself a house and put up shelters for his cattle. This is why the place is called Sukkot [shelters].
18 Having traveled from Paddan-Aram, Ya‘akov arrived safely at the city of Sh’khem, in Kena‘an, and set up camp near the city. 19 From the sons of Hamor Sh’khem’s father he bought for one hundred pieces of silver the parcel of land where he had pitched his tent. 20 There he put up an altar, which he called El-Elohei-Yisra’el [God, the God of Isra’el].
34:1 (v) One time Dinah the daughter of Le’ah, whom she had borne to Ya‘akov, went out to visit the local girls; 2 and Sh’khem the son of Hamor the Hivi, the local ruler, saw her, grabbed her, raped her and humiliated her. 3 But actually he was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Ya‘akov; he fell in love with the girl and tried to win her affection. 4 Sh’khem spoke with his father Hamor and said, “Get this girl for me; I want her to be my wife.”
5 When Ya‘akov heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Ya‘akov restrained himself until they came. 6 Hamor the father of Sh’khem went out to Ya‘akov to speak with him 7 just as Ya‘akov’s sons were coming in from the field. When they heard what had happened, the men were saddened and were very angry at the outrage this man had committed against Isra’el by raping Ya‘akov’s daughter, something that is simply not done. 8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Sh’khem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife; 9 and intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You will live with us, and the land will be available to you — you’ll live, do business and acquire possessions here.”
11 Then Sh’khem said to her father and brothers, “Only accept me, and I will give whatever you tell me. 12 Ask as large a bride-price as you like, I’ll pay whatever you tell me. Just let me marry the girl.” 13 The sons of Ya‘akov answered Sh’khem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do it, because it would be a disgrace to give our sister to someone who hasn’t been circumcised. 15 Only on this condition will we consent to what you are asking: that you become like us by having every male among you get circumcised. 16 Then we’ll give our daughters to you, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves, and we’ll live with you and become one people. 17 But if you won’t do as we say and get circumcised, then we’ll take our daughter and go away.” 18 What they said seemed fair to Hamor and Sh’khem the son of Hamor, 19 and the young man did not put off doing what was asked of him, even though he was the most respected member of his father’s family, because he so much wanted Ya‘akov’ s daughter.
20 Hamor and Sh’khem his son came to the entrance of their city and spoke with its leading men: 21 “These people are peaceful toward us; therefore let them live in the land and do business in it; for, as you can see, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives for ourselves, and we’ll give them our daughters. 22 But the people will consent to live with us and become one people only on this condition: that every male among us gets circumcised, as they themselves are circumcised. 23 Won’t their cattle, their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let’s consent to do what they ask, and then they will live with us.” 24 Everyone going out the city’s gate listened to Hamor and Sh’khem his son; so every male was circumcised, every one that went out the gate of the city.
25 On the third day after the circumcision, when they were in pain, two of Ya‘akov’s sons, Shim‘on and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, boldly descended on the city and slaughtered all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and Sh’khem his son with their swords, took Dinah out of Sh’khem’s house, and left. 27 Then the sons of Ya‘akov entered over the dead bodies of those who had been slaughtered and plundered the city in reprisal for defiling their sister. 28 They took their flocks, cattle and donkeys, and everything else, whether in the city or in the field, 29 everything they owned. Their children and wives they took captive, and they looted whatever was in the houses.
30 But Ya‘akov said to Shim‘on and Levi, “You have caused me trouble by making me stink in the opinion of the local inhabitants, the Kena‘ani and the P’rizi. Since I don’t have many people, they’ll align themselves together against me and attack me; and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” 31 They replied, “Should we let our sister be treated like a whore?”
35:1 God said to Ya‘akov, “Get up, go up to Beit-El and live there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled ‘Esav your brother.” 2 Then Ya‘akov said to his household and all the others with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that you have with you, purify yourselves, and put on fresh clothes. 3 We’re going to move on and go up to Beit-El. There I will build an altar to God, who answered me when I was in such distress and stayed with me wherever I went.” 4 They gave Ya‘akov all the foreign gods in their possession and the earrings they were wearing, and Ya‘akov buried them under the pistachio tree near Sh’khem. 5 While they were traveling, a terror from God fell upon the cities around them, so that none of them pursued the sons of Ya‘akov.
6 Ya‘akov and all the people with him arrived at Luz (that is, Beit-El) in the land of Kena‘an. 7 He built there an altar and called the place El-Beit-El [God of Beit-El], because it was there that God was revealed to him, at the time when he was fleeing from his brother.
8 Then D’vorah, Rivkah’s nurse, died. She was buried below Beit-El under the oak, which was given the name Alon-Bakhut [oak of weeping].
9 After Ya‘akov arrived from Paddan-Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Ya‘akov, but you will be called Ya‘akov no longer; your name will be Isra’el.” Thus he named him Isra’el. 11 God further said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed a group of nations, will come from you; kings will be descended from you. (A: vi) 12 Moreover, the land which I gave to Avraham and Yitz’chak I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him there where he had spoken with him. (S: vi) 14 Ya‘akov set up a standing-stone in the place where he had spoken with him, a stone pillar. Then he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 Ya‘akov called the place where God spoke with him Beit-El.
16 Then they traveled on from Beit-El, and while there was still some distance to go before arriving in Efrat, Rachel went into labor, and she had great difficulty with it. 17 While she was undergoing this hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t worry, this is also a son for you.” 18 But she died in childbirth. As she was dying she named her son Ben-Oni [son of my grief], but his father called him Binyamin [son of the right hand, son of the south]. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Efrat (that is, Beit-Lechem). 20 Ya‘akov set up a standing-stone on her grave; it is the standing-stone of Rachel’s grave to this day.
21 Isra’el continued his travels and pitched his tent on the other side of Migdal-‘Eder. 22 It was while Isra’el was living in that land that Re’uven went and slept with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Isra’el heard about it.
Ya‘akov had twelve sons. 23 The sons of Le’ah were Re’uven Ya‘akov’s firstborn, Shim‘on, Levi, Y’hudah, Yissakhar and Z’vulun. 24 The sons of Rachel were Yosef and Binyamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah Rachel’s slave-girl were Dan and Naftali. 26 And the sons of Zilpah Le’ah’s slave-girl were Gad and Asher. These were Ya‘akov’s sons, born to him in Paddan-Aram.
27 Ya‘akov came home to his father Yitz’chak at Mamre, near Kiryat-Arba (also known as Hevron), where Avraham and Yitz’chak had lived as foreigners. 28 Yitz’chak lived to be 180 years old. 29 Then he breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people, an old man full of years; and his sons ‘Esav and Ya‘akov buried him.
36:1 This is the genealogy of ‘Esav (that is, Edom). 2 ‘Esav chose Kena‘ani women as his wives: ‘Adah the daughter of Eilon the Hitti; Oholivamah the daughter of ‘Anah the daughter of Tziv‘on the Hivi; 3 and Basmat Yishma‘el’s daughter, sister of N’vayot. 4 ‘Adah bore to ‘Esav Elifaz, Basmat bore Re‘u’el, 5 and Oholivamah bore Ye‘ush, Ya‘lam and Korach. These were the sons of ‘Esav born to him in the land of Kena‘an.
6 ‘Esav took his wives, his sons and daughters, the others in his household, his cattle and other animals and everything else he owned, which he had acquired in the land of Kena‘an, and went off to a country distant from his brother Ya‘akov. 7 For their possessions had become too great for them to live together, and the countryside through which they were traveling couldn’t support so much livestock. 8 So ‘Esav lived in the hill-country of Se‘ir. (‘Esav is Edom.)
9 This is the genealogy of ‘Esav the father of Edom in the hill-country of Se‘ir. 10 The names of ‘Esav’s sons were Elifaz, son of ‘Adah the wife of ‘Esav, and Re‘u’el the son of Basmat the wife of ‘Esav.
11 The sons of Elifaz were Teman, Omar, Tzefo, Ga‘tam and K’naz. 12 Timnah was the concubine of Elifaz ‘Esav’s son, and she bore to Elifaz ‘Amalek. These were the descendants of ‘Adah ‘Esav’s wife.
13 The sons of Re‘u’el were Nachat, Zerach, Shammah and Mizah. These were the sons of Basmat ‘Esav’s wife.
14 These were the sons of Oholivamah, the daughter of ‘Anah the daughter of Tziv‘on, ‘Esav’s wife: she bore to ‘Esav Ye‘ush, Ya‘lam and Korach.
15 The chieftains of the sons of ‘Esav were the sons of Elifaz the firstborn of ‘Esav and the chieftains of Teman, Omar, Tzefo, K’naz, 16 Korach, Ga‘tam and ‘Amalek. These were the chieftains descended from Elifaz in Edom and from ‘Adah.
17 The sons of Re‘u’el ‘Esav’s son were the chieftains of Nachat, Zerach, Shammah and Mizah. These were the chieftains descended from Re‘u’el in the land of Edom and from Basmat ‘Esav’s wife.
18 The sons of Oholivamah ‘Esav’s wife were the chieftains of Ye‘ush, Ya‘lam and Korach. These were the chieftains descended from Oholivamah the daughter of ‘Anah, ‘Esav’s wife.
19 These were the descendants of ‘Esav (that is, Edom), and these were their chieftains.
(vii) 20 These were the descendants of Se‘ir the Hori, the local inhabitants: Lotan, Shoval, Tziv‘on, ‘Anah, 21 Dishon, Etzer and Dishan. They were the chieftains descended from the Hori, the people of Se‘ir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; Lotan’s sister was Timnah. 23 The sons of Shoval were ‘Alvan, Manachat, ‘Eival, Sh’fo and Onam. 24 The sons of Tziv‘on were Ayah and ‘Anah. This is the ‘Anah who found the hot springs in the desert while pasturing his father Tziv‘on’s donkeys. 25 The children of ‘Anah were Dishon and Oholivamah the daughter of ‘Anah. 26 The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Yitran and K’ran. 27 The sons of Etzer were Bilhan, Za‘avan and ‘Akan. 28 The sons of Dishan were ‘Utz and Aran. 29 These were the chieftains descended from the Hori: the chieftains of Lotan, Shoval, Tziv‘on, ‘Anah, 30 Dishon, Etzer and Dishan. They were the chieftains descended from the Hori by their clans in Se‘ir.
31 Following are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king had reigned over the people of Isra’el. 32 Bela the son of B‘or reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhavah. 33 When Bela died, Yovav the son of Zerach from Botzrah reigned in his place. 34 When Yovav died, Husham from the land of the Temani reigned in his place. 35 When Husham died, Hadad the son of B’dad, who killed Midyan in the field of Mo’av, reigned in his place; the name of his city was ‘Avit. 36 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 When Samlah died, Sha’ul of Rechovot-by-the-River reigned in his place. 38 When Sha’ul died, Ba‘al-Chanan the son of ‘Akhbor reigned in his place. 39 When Ba‘al-Chanan died, Hadar reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pa’u; and his wife’s name was M’heitav’el the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mei-Zahav.
(Maftir) 40 These are the names of the chieftains descended from ‘Esav, according to their clans, places and names: the chieftains of Timna, ‘Alvah, Y’tet, 41 Oholivamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mivtzar, 43 Magdi’el and ‘Iram. These were the chieftains of Edom according to their settlements in the land they owned. This is ‘Esav the father of Edom.
Obadiah 1:1 This is the vision of ‘Ovadyah. Here is what Adonai Elohim says about Edom. As a messenger was being sent among the nations saying, “Come on, let’s attack her,” we heard a message from Adonai:
2 “I am making you the least of all nations,
you will be beneath contempt.
3 Your proud heart has deceived you,
you whose homes are caves in the cliffs,
who live on the heights and say to yourselves,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
4 If you make your nest as high as an eagle’s,
even if you place it among the stars,
I will bring you down from there.” says Adonai.
5 If thieves were to come to you,
or if robbers by night
(Oh, how destroyed you are!),
wouldn’t they stop when they’d stolen enough?
If grape-pickers came to you,
Wouldn’t they leave some grapes for gleaning?
6 But see how ‘Esav has been looted,
their secret treasures searched out!
7 Your allies went with you only to the border,
those at peace with you deceived and defeated you,
those who ate your food set a trap for you,
and you couldn’t discern it.
8 “When that Day comes,” says Adonai,
“won’t I destroy all the wise men of Edom
and leave no discernment on Mount ‘Esav?
9 Your warriors, Teman, will be so distraught
that everyone on Mount ‘Esav will be slaughtered.
10 For the violence done to your kinsman Ya‘akov,
shame will cover you;
and you will be forever cut off.
11 On that day you stood aside,
while strangers carried off his treasure,
and foreigners entered his gates
to cast lots for Yerushalayim —
you were no different from them.
12 You shouldn’t have gloated over your kinsman
on their day of disaster
or rejoiced over the people of Y’hudah
on their day of destruction.
You shouldn’t have spoken arrogantly
on a day of trouble
13 or entered the gate of my people
on their day of calamity —
no, you shouldn’t have gloated over their suffering
on their day of calamity
or laid hands on their treasure
on their day of calamity.
14 You shouldn’t have stood at the crossroads
to cut down their fugitives
or handed over their survivors
on a day of trouble.”
15 For the Day of Adonai is near for all nations;
as you did, it will be done to you;
your dealings will come back on your own head.
16 For just as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
so will all the nations drink in turn;
yes, they will drink and gulp it down
and be as if they had never existed.
17 But on Mount Tziyon there will be
a holy remnant who will escape,
and the house of Ya‘akov will repossess
their rightful inheritance.
18 The house of Ya‘akov will be a fire
and the house of Yosef a flame,
setting aflame and consuming
the stubble which is the house of ‘Esav.
None of the house of ‘Esav will remain,
for Adonai has spoken.
19 Those in the Negev will repossess
the mountain of ‘Esav,
and those in the Sh’felah
the land of the P’lishtim;
they will repossess the field of Efrayim
and the field of Shomron,
and Binyamin will occupy Gil‘ad.
20 Those from this army of the people of Isra’el
exiled among the Kena‘anim as far away as Tzarfat,
and the exiles from Yerushalayim in S’farad,
will repossess the cities in the Negev.
21 Then the victorious will ascend Mount Tziyon
to rule over Mount ‘Esav,
but the kingship will belong to Adonai.
---
Today in Jewish History:
• Reuben Born (1568 BCE)
Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, was born in Charan (Mesopotamia) on the 14th of Kislev of the year 2193 from creation (1568 BCE). As Jacob's firstborn, he was initially entitled to the leadership of Israel and to a double portion in the Holy Land, but these privileges were taken from him (and given respectively to Judah and Joseph) because he sinned by "violating the bed of his father." Reuben unsuccessfully tried to prevent the persecution of Joseph by his brothers in 2216 (1545 BCE) and subsequently berated them for selling him into slavery (Genesis 37:21; 42:22). In 2238 he relocated to Egypt together with his father, brothers and their children, where he died on his 125th birthday in 2318 (1443 BCE).
Link: Reuben and Judah
Link: More on Reuben
• Rebbe's Marriage (1928)
On the 14th of Kislev, 1928, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, married Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneersohn (1901-1988), the middle daughter of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch. The wedding was held in Warsaw, Poland, at the Lubavitcher Yeshivah, Tomchei Temimim.
Upon Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak's passing in 1950, Rabbi Menachem Mendel succeeded his father-in-law as the Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch. On the 14th of Kislev of 1953, at a farbrengen (Chassidic gathering) marking his 25th wedding anniversary, the Rebbe said to his Chassidim: "This is the day that bound me to you, and you to me."
Links: Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneersohn; The Rebbe's Marriage; Marriage: an Anthology
Daily Torah Study:
Chumash: Vayishlach, 7th Portion Genesis 36:20-36:43 with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation
• Video Class
• Daily Wisdom (short insight)
Genesis Chapter 36
20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, and Anah; כאֵ֤לֶּה בְנֵֽי־שֵׂעִיר֙ הַֽחֹרִ֔י יֽשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ לוֹטָ֥ן וְשׁוֹבָ֖ל וְצִבְע֥וֹן וַֽעֲנָֽה:
the inhabitants of the land: They were its inhabitants before Esau came there. Our Rabbis explain [that they were called, “inhabitants of the land”] (Shab. 85a) because they were skilled in making the land habitable. [They would say,]“The length of this [measuring] stick is [good] for [planting] olives; the length of this [measuring] stick is [good] for [planting] grapevines,” for they would taste [the soil] and know what was suitable to plant in it.
יושבי הארץ: שהיו יושביה קודם שבא עשו לשם. ורבותינו דרשו שהיו בקיאין בישובה של ארץ, מלא קנה זה לזיתים, מלא קנה זה לגפנים, שהיו טועמין העפר ויודעין אי זו נטיעה ראויה לה:
21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chieftains of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. כאוְדִשׁ֥וֹן וְאֵ֖צֶר וְדִישָׁ֑ן אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֧י הַֽחֹרִ֛י בְּנֵ֥י שֵׂעִ֖יר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ אֱדֽוֹם:
22The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam, and the sister of Lotan was Timna. כבוַיִּֽהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־לוֹטָ֖ן חֹרִ֣י וְהֵימָ֑ם וַֽאֲח֥וֹת לוֹטָ֖ן תִּמְנָֽע:
23And these are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. כגוְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ בְּנֵ֣י שׁוֹבָ֔ל עַלְוָ֥ן וּמָנַ֖חַת וְעֵיבָ֑ל שְׁפ֖וֹ וְאוֹנָֽם:
24And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah he is Anah who found the mules in the wilderness when he pastured the donkeys for his father Zibeon. כדוְאֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־צִבְע֖וֹן וְאַיָּ֣ה וַֽעֲנָ֑ה ה֣וּא עֲנָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר מָצָ֤א אֶת־הַיֵּמִם֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בִּרְעֹת֥וֹ אֶת־הַֽחֲמֹרִ֖ים לְצִבְע֥וֹן אָבִֽיו:
Aiah and Anah: Heb. וִעִנָה וְאַיָה. The“vav” is superfluous. It is equivalent to וְאַיָה וִעִנָה. There are many [such instances] in the Scriptures, [e.g.]“permitting the Sanctuary (תֵּת וְקֹדֶשׁ) and the host to be trampled” (Dan. 8:13);“chariot and horse were stunned (נִרְדָּם וְרֶכֶב וָסוּס)” (Ps. 76:7).
ואיה וענה: וי"ו יתירה, והוא כמו איה וענה, והרבה יש במקרא (דניאל ח יג) תת וקדש וצבא מרמס, (תהלים עו ז) נרדם ורכב וסוס:
he is Anah: Who is mentioned above (verse 20) to be the brother of Zibeon, but here [Scripture] calls him his son. This teaches us that Zibeon was intimate with his mother, and fathered Anah. — [from Pes. 54a]
הוא ענה: האמור למעלה (פסוק כ) שהוא אחיו של צבעון וכאן הוא קורא אותו בנו, מלמד שבא צבעון על אמו והוליד את ענה:
who found the mules in the wilderness: Heb. הַיֵמִם, mules. He mated a donkey with a mare (female horse), and it gave birth to a mule. He (Anah) was illegitimate, and he brought illegitimate offspring into the world (Gen. Rabbah 82:15). Why were they called יֵמִם (signifying“dreaded beings”) ? Because their dread (אֵימָתָן) was cast upon people; Rabbi Hanina said, “In all my days no one has ever recovered from a wound from a white female mule.” (But we see that [those bitten by white female mules] do live. Do not read:“who has lived (וְהָיָה) ,” but“that was healed (וְחָיתָה) ,” because [such a] wound will never heal. — [from an old Rashi manuscript]) It was unnecessary to list the genealogy of the Horites except to mention Timna, and thereby inform us of the greatness of Abraham, as I explained above (verse 12). [from Chullin 7b]
את הימם: פרדים, הרביע חמור על סוס נקבה וילדה פרד, והוא היה ממזר והביא פסולין לעולם. ולמה נקרא שמם ימים, שאימתן מוטלת על הבריות, דאמר רבי חנינא מימי לא שאלני אדם על מכת פרדה לבנה וחיה (והלא קא חזינן דחיה, אל תקרי וחיה אלא וחיתה, כי המכה לא תרפא לעולם). ולא הוזקק לכתוב לנו משפחות החורי אלא מפני תמנע, ולהודיע גדולת זרע אברהם, כמו שפירשתי למעלה (פסוק יב):
25And these are the sons of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. כהוְאֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־עֲנָ֖ה דִּשֹׁ֑ן וְאָֽהֳלִֽיבָמָ֖ה בַּת־עֲנָֽה:
26And these are the sons of Dishan: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. כווְאֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י דִישָׁ֑ן חֶמְדָּ֥ן וְאֶשְׁבָּ֖ן וְיִתְרָ֥ן וּכְרָֽן:
27These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. כזאֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵי־אֵ֑צֶר בִּלְהָ֥ן וְזַעֲוָ֖ן וַֽעֲקָֽן:
28These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. כחאֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־דִישָׁ֖ן ע֥וּץ וַֽאֲרָֽן:
29These are the chieftains of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, כטאֵ֖לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֣י הַֽחֹרִ֑י אַלּ֤וּף לוֹטָן֙ אַלּ֣וּף שׁוֹבָ֔ל אַלּ֥וּף צִבְע֖וֹן אַלּ֥וּף עֲנָֽה:
30Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan; these are the chieftains of the Horites according to their chieftains in the land of Seir. לאַלּ֥וּף דִּשֹׁ֛ן אַלּ֥וּף אֵ֖צֶר אַלּ֣וּף דִּישָׁ֑ן אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֧י הַֽחֹרִ֛י לְאַלֻּֽפֵיהֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שֵׂעִֽיר:
31And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel: לאוְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַמְּלָכִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָלְכ֖וּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֱד֑וֹם לִפְנֵ֥י מְלָךְ־מֶ֖לֶךְ לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
And these are the kings, etc.: They were eight, and, corresponding to them, Jacob set up [eight kings] and nullified the kingdom of Esau during their time. They are the following (kings): Saul, Ish-bosheth, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat. During the days of his (Jehoshaphat’s) son Joram, however, it is written: “In his days, Edom revolted from under the power of Judah, and they appointed a king over themselves” (II Kings 8:20), [whereas] during Saul’s days it is written: “There was no king in Edom; a governor was king” (I Kings 22:48). [from Gen. Rabbah 83:2]
ואלה המלכים וגו': שמנה היו וכנגדן העמיד יעקב ובטל מלכות עשו בימיהם, ואלו הן שאול, ואיש בשת, דוד, ושלמה, רחבעם, אביה, אסא, יהושפט. ובימי יורם בנו כתיב (מ"ב ח כ) בימיו פשע אדום מתחת יד יהודה וימליכו עליהם מלך, ובימי שאול כתיב (מ"א כב מח) מלך אין באדום נצב מלך:
32Bela, son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. לבוַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ בֶּֽאֱד֔וֹם בֶּ֖לַע בֶּן־בְּע֑וֹר וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ דִּנְהָֽבָה:
33Bela died, and Jobab, son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his stead. לגוַיָּ֖מָת בָּ֑לַע וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו יוֹבָ֥ב בֶּן־זֶ֖רַח מִבָּצְרָֽה:
Jobab, son of Zerah of Bozrah: Bozrah was [one] of the Moabite cities, as it is said: “And to Kerioth and to Bozrah, etc.” (Jer. 48:24). Since it (Bozrah) appointed a king for Edom, it is destined to be punished with them (the Edomites), as it is said:“for the Lord has a slaughter in Bozrah” (Isa. 34:6). [from Gen. Rabbah 83:3]
יובב בן זרח מבצרה: בצרה מערי מואב היא, שנאמר (ירמיה מח כד) ועל קריות ועל בצרה וגו', ולפי שהעמידה מלך לאדום, עתידה ללקות עמהם, שנאמר (ישעיה לד ו) כי זבח לה' בבצרה:
34And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. לדוַיָּ֖מָת יוֹבָ֑ב וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו חֻשָׁ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ הַתֵּֽימָנִֽי:
35Husham died, and Hadad, son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead. The name of his city was Avith. להוַיָּ֖מָת חֻשָׁ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֨ךְ תַּחְתָּ֜יו הֲדַ֣ד בֶּן־בְּדַ֗ד הַמַּכֶּ֤ה אֶת־מִדְיָן֙ בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה מוֹאָ֔ב וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ עֲוִֽית:
who defeated Moab in the field of Midian: For Midian came against Moab to wage war, and the king of Edom went to aid Moab. From here we learn that Midian and Moab were quarreling with one another, and in the days of Balaam they made peace, [in order] to band together against Israel. — [from Tanchuma Balak 3]
המכה את מדין בשדה מואב: שבא מדין על מואב למלחמה, והלך מלך אדום לעזור את מואב. ומכאן אנו למדים שהיו מדין ומואב מריבים זה עם זה, ובימי בלעם עשו שלום להתקשר על ישראל:
36Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. לווַיָּ֖מָת הֲדָ֑ד וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שַׂמְלָ֖ה מִמַּשְׂרֵקָֽה:
37Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. לזוַיָּ֖מָת שַׂמְלָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שָׁא֖וּל מֵֽרְחֹב֥וֹת הַנָּהָֽר:
38Saul died, and Baal Hanan, son of Achbor, reigned in his stead. לחוַיָּ֖מָת שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו בַּ֥עַל חָנָ֖ן בֶּן־עַכְבּֽוֹר:
39Baal Hanan, son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead. The name of his city was Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me zahab. לטוַיָּ֘מָת֘ בַּ֣עַל חָנָ֣ן בֶּן־עַכְבּוֹר֒ וַיִּמְלֹ֤ךְ תַּחְתָּיו֙ הֲדַ֔ר וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ פָּ֑עוּ וְשֵׁ֨ם אִשְׁתּ֤וֹ מְהֵֽיטַבְאֵל֙ בַּת־מַטְרֵ֔ד בַּ֖ת מֵ֥י זָהָֽב:
the daughter of Me-zahab: [מִי זָהָב denotes:] What is gold? He was rich, and gold was of no importance to him. — [from Gen. Rabbah 83:4]
בת מי זהב: [שהיה אומר] מהו זהב, עשיר היה ואין זהב חשוב בעיניו לכלום:
40And these are the names of the chieftains of Esau, according to their clans, according to their places, by their names: Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth; מוְאֵ֠לֶּה שְׁמ֞וֹת אַלּוּפֵ֤י עֵשָׂו֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם לִמְקֹֽמֹתָ֖ם בִּשְׁמֹתָ֑ם אַלּ֥וּף תִּמְנָ֛ע אַלּ֥וּף עַלְוָ֖ה אַלּ֥וּף יְתֵֽת:
And these are the names of the chieftains of Esau: who were called by the names of their provinces after Hadar died and their kingdom had ceased. The first ones mentioned above (verses 15-19) are the names of their generations, and so it is delineated in (I Chronicles 1: 51): And Hadar [sic] died, and the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timna, etc."
ואלה שמות אלופי עשו: שנקרא על שם מדינותיהם לאחר שמת הדד ופסקה מהם מלכות. והראשונים הנזכרים למעלה, הם שמות תולדותם, וכן מפורש בדברי הימים (דברי הימים א' א נא) וימת הדד ויהיו אלופי אדום אלוף תמנע וגו':
41Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, מאאַלּ֧וּף אָֽהֳלִֽיבָמָ֛ה אַלּ֥וּף אֵלָ֖ה אַלּ֥וּף פִּינֹֽן:
42Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, מבאַלּ֥וּף קְנַ֛ז אַלּ֥וּף תֵּימָ֖ן אַלּ֥וּף מִבְצָֽר:
43Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These are the chieftains of Edom according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. That is Esau, progenitor of the Edomites. מגאַלּ֥וּף מַגְדִּיאֵ֖ל אַלּ֣וּף עִירָ֑ם אֵ֣לֶּה | אַלּוּפֵ֣י אֱד֗וֹם לְמֽשְׁבֹתָם֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם ה֥וּא עֵשָׂ֖ו אֲבִ֥י אֱדֽוֹם:
Magdiel: This is Rome. — [From Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 38]
מגדיאל: היא רומי:
Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 72 - 76
• Hebrew text
• English text
Chapter 72
David composed this psalm for Solomon, praying that he be granted the wisdom to provide justice for the poor.
1. For Solomon. O God, impart Your justice to the king, and Your righteousness to the son of the king.
2. May he judge Your people with righteousness, Your poor with justice.
3. May the mountains bear peace to the nation, also the hills, in [reward for their] righteousness.
4. May he judge the nation's poor, save the children of the destitute, and crush the oppressor,
5. so that they will fear You as long as the sun [shines] and the moon endures, generation after generation.
6. May [his words] descend like rain upon cut grass, like raindrops that water the earth.
7. In his days may the righteous flourish, with much peace until the moon is no more.
8. And may he rule from sea to sea, and from the river until the ends of the earth.
9. May nobles kneel before him, and may his enemies lick the dust.
10. The kings of Tarshish and the islands will return tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.
11. All kings will bow to him, all nations will serve him;
12. for he rescues the needy one who cries out, the poor one who has no one to help him.
13. He pities the impoverished and needy, and saves the souls of the destitute.
14. He redeems their soul from deception and violence, and their blood is precious in his eyes.
15. He revives [the poor], and gives him of the gold of Sheba; and so [the poor] pray for him always, and bless him all day.
16. May there be abundant grain in the land, upon the mountaintops; may its fruit rustle like the [cedars of] Lebanon, and may [people] blossom from the city like the grass of the earth.
17. May his name endure forever; may his name be magnified as long as the sun [shines]. And all nations will bless themselves by him, they will praise him.
18. Blessed is the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone performs wonders.
19. Blessed is His glorious Name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with His glory, Amen and Amen.
20. The prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded1
FOOTNOTES
1.David composed this psalm at the end of his lifetime.
Chapter 73
This psalm addresses the question of why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper, and prays for an end to our long exile. Read, and you will find repose for your soul.
1. A psalm by Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart.
2. But as for me, my feet nearly strayed; in an instant my steps would have been swept aside.
3. For I envied the revelers when I saw the tranquility of the wicked.
4. For there are no bonds1 to their death, and their health is sound.
5. They have no part in the toil of men, nor are they afflicted like other mortals;
6. therefore they wear pride as a necklace; their bodies are enwrapped in violence.
7. Their eyes bulge from fat; they surpassed the fantasies of their heart.
8. They consume [others], and talk wickedly of oppression-from on high do they speak.
9. They set their mouths against Heaven, while their tongues walk upon the earth.
10. Therefore His people return here,2 and suck the full [cup of bitter] waters.
11. And they say, "How can it be that God knows? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12. Behold these are the wicked, and they are ever tranquil, they have gained much wealth.
13. Surely in vain have I purified my heart, and washed my hands in cleanliness;
14. for I was afflicted all day, and my rebuke came each morning.
15. Were I to say, "I shall tell it like it is," behold I would turn the generation of Your children to rebels.
16. And when I pondered to understand this, it was unjust in my eyes;
17. until I came to the sanctuaries of God, and perceived their end.
18. Only on slippery places do You set them, You cast them into darkness.
19. How they have become desolate in an instant! They came to an end, they were consumed by terrors,
20. like a dream upon awakening. O my Lord, disgrace their image in the city.
21. When my heart was in ferment, and my mind was sharpened,
22. I was a boor and did not understand, like an animal was I with You.
23. Yet I was always with You; You held my right hand.
24. Guide me with Your counsel, and afterward, receive me with honor.
25. Whom do I have in heaven [besides You]? And when I am with You I desire nothing on earth.
26. My flesh and my heart yearn; God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27. For behold, all those who are far from You perish, You cut down all who stray from You.
28. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have put my trust in my Lord, God, that I may recount all Your works.
FOOTNOTES
1.Their death is not protracted by illness and misery(Radak).
2.To the way of the wicked (Rashi).
Chapter 74
The psalmist mourns and weeps over all the synagogues and study halls that have been burned: the Philistines destroyed the Tabernacle of Shiloh; Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Temple. We have been in exile for so long, without seeing any signs of redemption! When will the redemption come? Read, and you will find lamentation and consolation.
1. A maskil1 by Asaph. Why, O God, have You abandoned us forever, does Your wrath fume against the sheep of Your pasture?
2. Remember Your congregation which You acquired long ago, the tribe of Your inheritance whom You redeemed [and brought to] Mount Zion, where You rested Your Presence.
3. Lift Your steps to inflict eternal ruin, because of all the evil done by the enemy in the Sanctuary.
4. Your foes roared in the midst of Your meeting place; they considered their omens to be [genuine] signs.
5. The axes in the thicket of trees2 were reckoned as bringing [an offering] to the Above.
6. And now, all her ornaments together are smashed by hammer and hatchet.
7. They set Your Sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the Abode of Your Name to the ground.
8. Their rulers thought together in their hearts; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9. We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.
10. How long, O God, will the adversary disgrace, will the enemy blaspheme Your Name forever!
11. Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Cast it out from within Your bosom!
12. For God is my King from long ago, working salvations in the midst of the earth.
13. In Your might, You divided the sea; You shattered the heads of the sea-monsters on the waters.
14. You crushed the heads of the Leviathan,3 leaving him as food for the nation [wandering in] the wilderness.
15. You split [the rock, bringing forth] fountain and brook; You dried up mighty streams.
16. Yours is the day, the night is also Yours; You established the moon and the sun.
17. You set all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter-You created them.
18. Remember this, how the enemy reviled the Lord, and the vile nation blasphemed Your Name.
19. Do not give the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20. Look to the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are filled with dens of violence.
21. Do not turn back the oppressed in disgrace; [then] the poor and needy will praise Your Name.
22. Arise, O God, champion Your cause; remember Your insults from the perverse all day long.
23. Forget not the voice of Your adversaries; the tumult of Your opponents ascends always.
FOOTNOTES
1.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
2.Chopping wood for the construction of the Temple (Metzudot).
3.Pharaoh and his chieftains
Chapter 75
How great is Israel! During their holidays they do not engage in frivolity, but in song and praise, and the study of the holiday's laws. Also, when they proclaimed (at the giving of the Torah), "We will do and we will hear!" they allowed the world to remain in existence. This psalm also admonishes those who indulge in worldly pleasures and attribute their prosperity to their own efforts.
1. For the Conductor, a plea not to be destroyed. A psalm by Asaph, a song.
2. We gave thanks to You, O God, we gave thanks; and Your Name was near [when] they1 told of Your wonders.
3. When I choose the appointed time, I will judge with fairness.
4. When the earth and all its inhabitants were melting, I established its pillars forever.
5. I said to the perverse, "Do not pervert [Israel]," and to the wicked, "Do not raise your pride.”
6. Do not raise your pride heavenward, nor speak with an arrogant neck
7. For not from the east or the west, nor from the desert does greatness come.
8. For God is Judge; He humbles one, and elevates the other.
9. For there is a cup [of punishment] in the hand of the Lord, with strong wine of full mixture; He pours from this, and all the wicked of the earth will drink, draining even its dregs.
10. But as for me, I will tell of it forever; I will sing to the God of Jacob.
11. I will cut off all glory of the wicked, but the glory of the righteous will be raised up.
FOOTNOTES
1.Our ancestors.
Chapter 76
This psalm contains the prophecy of when the vast army of Sennacherib was seized with a deep slumber that rendered the hands of the soldiers powerless to raise their weapons; thus did they all fall in battle.
1. For the Conductor, with instrumental music, a psalm by Asaph, a song.
2. God is known in Judah, His Name is great in Israel.
3. His Tabernacle was in Shalem,1 and His dwelling place in Zion.
4. There He broke the flying arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword and battle-forever.
5. You are illumination, mightier than the mountains of prey.
6. The stout-hearted were without sense, they slept their sleep, and all the warriors were unable to find their strength.
7. At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, chariot and horse were stunned.
8. You, awesome are You! Who can stand before You once You are enraged.
9. From heaven You let the verdict be heard; the earth feared and was still,
10. when God rose to pass judgement, to save all the humble of the earth forever.
11. The anger of man will cause us to thank You;2 You will restrain the residue of wrath.
12. Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; all who surround Him will bring tribute to the Awesome One.
13. He cuts down the spirit of nobles; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
FOOTNOTES
1.Jerusalem.
2.When the wicked are punished for being angry with Israel, Israel acknowledges God (Metzudot).
Tanya: Kuntres Acharon, beginning of Essay 6
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Today's Tanya Lesson
Kuntres Acharon, beginning of Essay 6
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The last two Essays explained how the observance of the commandments seeks out the exiled sparks hidden in this world and thereby suffuses it with G‑dliness. They also pointed out that the same is true of the study of their laws. The present Essay goes one step further, and explains that the laws of the Torah transcend the world beyond any possible comparison.
When David triumphantly brought back the Ark from its captivity in the hands of the Philistines,1 it was placed on a wagon. David had momentarily forgotten the stipulation of the Torah,2 “On the shoulder shall they carry it.” Commenting on this episode, our Sages3 teach that David’s forgetfulness came as a punishment for his having referred to the laws of the Torah as “songs”:4 “Your statutes were songs for me in my place of terror.”
Why should this expression be regarded as an offense? And in what way is it related to its punishment?
These are among the questions discussed in the Essay before us, and at greater length in Likkutei Torah and Or HaTorah, and in Derech Mitzvotecha, Mitzvat Masa HaAron BaKatef.
דוד, זמירות קרית להו כו׳
“David! You call them songs?!”5
Because he had referred to the laws of the Torah as “songs”, David was punished by being made to6 “stumble in a matter that even schoolchildren know” — that the Ark is to be carried on the shoulders.
הנה בזהר: שבחא דאורייתא ורננה כו׳
In the Zohar7 we find the expression, “the praise of Torah and its song” — the Torah is a hymn and a song to G‑d.
ולהבין מהו השבח להקב״ה, כשזה אסור או מותר
Let us understand, what is the praise of G‑d when a particular object is forbidden or permitted.8
הנה הוא על דרך: מה גדלו מעשיך ה׳, מאד עמקו מחשבותיך
A similar concept is implicit [in the verse],9 “How great are Your works, O G‑d, Your thoughts are very deep.”
Why does the verse make the deed precede the thought? The Alter Rebbe will soon explain that from an appreciation of G‑d’s great works one begins to understand the depth of His thoughts.
כי הנה נודע שכל העולמות, עליונים ותחתונים, תלוים בדקדוק מצוה אחת
As is known, all the worlds, the exalted and the lowly, are dependent on the meticulous performance of a single mitzvah.
דרך משל: אם הקרבן כשר, נעשה יחוד עליון, ועולים כל העולמות לקבל חיותם ושפעם
For example, if an altar offering is valid then a Supernal Union in the Sefirot is effected, and all the worlds are elevated to receive their life-force and spiritual sustenance.10
ואם שינה, שקיבל הדם בשמאלו, דרך משל, או שלא בכלי שרת כשר, או שהיתה חציצה
However, if [the celebrant] altered the precise requirements of the law — if, for example, he received the blood of the offering with his left hand, or in an invalid vessel, or11 if there was a separation12 —
אזי נתבטלה עליות העולמות, וחיותם ושפעם מחיי החיים, אין סוף ברוך הוא
then all the elevations of the worlds that would have been accomplished are nullified, as is the life-force and sustenance that they would have received from the Source of Life, the Ein Sof, blessed be He.
וכן בתפילין כשרות, מתגלים מוחין עליונים דזו״נ, שהם מקור החיים לכל העולמות
So, too, through the use of valid tefillin there is revealed the Supernal Intellect of Zu”n, Za andMalchut of Atzilut, the source of life for all the worlds.
ובדקדוק אחד נפסלין, ומסתלקין המוחין
Yet through [the omission of] one required detail they are invalidated, and the Intellect departs.
וכהאי גוונא בדקדוקי מצות לא תעשה
The same applies to the detailed requirements of the prohibitory commandments — a single detail affects all the worlds.
והלכך המתבונן מה גדלו מעשי ה׳ שבריבוי העולמות וכל צבאם
Let one therefore ponder how great are the works of G‑d in the multiplicity of worlds and all their hosts,
ואיך כולם בטלים במציאות, לגבי דקדוק אחד מדקדוקי התורה
and how all of these are literally null, relative to any one of the specific requirements of the Torah,
שהוא עומק מחשבה העליונה וחכמתו יתברך
for it is the profundity of the Supreme thought and the Divine wisdom.
אשר בדקדוק קל, עולים כל העולמות ומקבלים חיותם ושפעם, או להיפך, חס ושלום
For through [the observance of] one minor specification, all the worlds ascend and receive their life-force and spiritual sustenance — or the reverse, G‑d forbid.
In the case of a detailed requirement of a prohibitory commandment, transgression brings about (G‑d forbid) a descent in all the worlds.
ומזה נתבונן גדולת עומק מחשבתו יתברך, שהוא בבחינת בלי גבול ותכלית
From this we may ponder the prodigious profundity of G‑d’s thought, which is boundless and endless,
ומעלתה לאין קץ ותכלית על מעלות חיות כל העולמות
and which infinitely transcends the vitality of all the worlds.
שכל חיותם שופע מדקדוק אחד ממנה
For their entire vivifying power issues from a minor requirement of [G‑d’s thought],
שהוא נמשך ממקורו, הוא עומק מחשבתו יתברך
[this requirement being] drawn from its source, namely the depth of G‑d’s thought that specified it.
כמו שער האדם הנמשך ממוחו, על דרך משל
Analogously, man’s hair issues from his brain,
וכנודע מהתיקונים והאידרא רבה
as is known from Tikkunei Zohar and Idra Rabbah.
וזאת היתה שמחת דוד המלך, עליו השלום, שהיה מזמר ומרנן לשמח לבו בעסק התורה בעת צרתו
This was the delight of King David, may he rest in peace, as he sang to gladden his heart in his Torah study during his time of anguish.
He was overjoyed when he contemplated how the entire world is of no account, relative to one minor specific detail of the Torah.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | II Shmuel 6; I Divrei HaYamim 13. |
| 2. | Bamidbar 7:9. |
| 3. | Sotah 35a. |
| 4. | Tehillim 119:54. |
| 5. | Sotah 35a. |
| 6. | Sotah 35a. |
| 7. | II, 8b. |
| 8. | Note of the Rebbe: “As is explicit in many sources, including Tanya, there are in fact six specific categories — mutar [‘permitted’], kasher [‘fit for use’], tahor [‘pure’], (and also, as in Tanya, end of ch. 52, patur [‘exempt’]?), and their respective opposites. It seems to me that the Alter Rebbe chose just these two categories [‘forbidden’ and ‘permitted’] because they embody a principle common to them all: assur [lit., ‘bound’] implies that something is held in the clutches of the sitra achra [and hence cannot be elevated to G‑d], while mutar [lit., ‘unbound’] is so called (as in Tanya [ch. 7; see also ch. 8]) because a permitted thing is free to be elevated.” |
| 9. | Tehillim 92:10. |
| 10. | Note of the Rebbe: “Cf. the end of Iggeret HaTeshuvah.” |
| 11. | The Rebbe notes that the first example is a change that relates to the person; the second is a change that relates to the vessel; while with regard to “there was a separation” the Rebbe notes that “both of the preceding stages were done without any change.” |
| 12. | “Separation” (chatzitzah) can denote (e.g.) the intervention of a foreign body between the Kohen and (i) the vessel (Zevachim 24a, in the mishnah) or (ii) the floor (the Gemara there, 15b) or (iii) his vestments (ibid., 19a). |
• Sefer Hamitzvot:
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Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
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The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 59
Blowing Trumpets
"On the day of your joy, on your holidays and on the heads of your months you shall blow with trumpets"—Numbers 10:10.
We are commanded to blow trumpets while the sacrifices offered on special dates were being offered in the Holy Temple.
We are also commanded to blow trumpets during times of distress, to accompany our prayer to G‑d.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Blowing Trumpets
Positive Commandment 59
Translated by Berel Bell
The 59th mitzvah is that we are commanded to sound the trumpets in the Holy Temple when offering any of the periodic1 sacrifices.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,2 "And on the day of your rejoicing, on your festivals and on your Rosh Chodesh days, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt-offerings."
Our Sages have explicitly stated3 that [on a fast day, the sounds of the trumpet last longer than the sounds of the shofar4 because] "the main mitzvah of this day is that of the trumpets."5
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the Sifri,6 in Rosh Hashanah,7 and in Taanis.8
Since we are [also] commanded to sound the trumpets when we cry out to G‑d (exalted be He) during a time of trouble and distress, the verse9 says, "When you go to war against an enemy who attacks you in your land, [you shall sound the trumpets]."
FOOTNOTES
1.I.e. those brought on holidays and Rosh Chodesh. See Hilchos Klei Hamikdosh 3:5.
2.Num. 10:10.
3.Rosh Hashanah, Ch.3, Mishneh 4 (26b).
4.Unlike Rosh Hashanah, when the shofar lasts longer.
5.Perhaps the Rambam's goal in quoting this passage is to point out the expression, "main mitzvah" (mitzvas hayom), which shows that blowing the trumpet counts as one of the 613 mitzvos.
Although this statement refers to blowing the trumpets on a fast day, nevertheless it can be applied here, since the Rambam counts them as one and the same mitzvah.
6.Parshas B'haaloscha.
7.See note above.
8.15a.
9.Num. 10:9.
• 1 Chapter A Day: Tefilah and Birkat Kohanim Tefilah and Birkat Kohanim - Chapter Five
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1
A person who prays must be careful to tend to [the following] eight matters. [However,] if he is pressured, confronted by circumstances beyond his control, or transgresses and does not attend to one them, they are not of absolute necessity. They are:
1) standing;
2) facing the Temple;
3) preparation of his body;
4) proper clothing;
5) proper place;
6) control of his voice;
7) bowing; and
8) prostration.
א
שמונה דברים צריך המתפלל להזהר בהן ולעשותן ואם היה דחוק או נאנס או שעבר ולא עשה אותן אין מעכבין ואלו הן:
עמידה ונוכח המקדש ותקון הגוף ותקון המלבושים ותקון המקום והשויית הקול והכריעה והשתחויה:
Commentary on Halachah 1
2
Standing: What is implied?
[Generally,] one should pray only while standing. [Thus,] a person sitting in a boat or in a carriage, if able to stand, should do so; if not, he may sit in his place and pray.
A person who is ill may pray even while lying on his side, provided he is able to have the proper intention. Similarly, one who is thirsty or hungry is considered as one who is ill. [Therefore,] if he is able to concentrate properly he should pray. If not, he should not pray until he has eaten or drunk.
One riding an animal should not descend [from the animal] - even if he has someone to hold his animal. Rather, he should sit in his place and pray so his mind will be settled.
ב
עמידה כיצד אין מתפלל אלא מעומד היה יושב בספינה או בעגלה אם יכול לעמוד יעמוד ואם לאו ישב במקומו ויתפלל חולה מתפלל אפילו שוכב על צדו והוא שיכול לכוין את דעתו וכן הצמא והרעב הרי הן בכלל חולים אם יש בו יכולת לכוין את דעתו יתפלל ואם לאו אל יתפלל עד שיאכל וישתה היה רוכב על הבהמה אע"פשיש לו מי שיאחז בהמתו לא ירד אלא ישב במקומו ויתפלל כדי שתהא דעתו מיושבת עליו:
Commentary on Halachah 2
3
Facing the Temple: What is implied?
A person standing in the Diaspora should face Eretz Yisrael and pray.
One standing in Eretz Yisrael should face Jerusalem.
One standing in Jerusalem should face the Temple.
One standing in the Temple should face the Holy of Holies.
A blind person, one who is unable to determine direction, or one travelling in a boat should direct his heart towards the Divine Presence and pray.
ג
נכח המקדש כיצד היה עומד בחוצה לארץ מחזיר פניו נכח ארץ ישראל ומתפלל היה עומד בארץ מכוין את פניו כנגד ירושלים היה עומד בירושלים מכוין פניו כנגד המקדש היה עומד במקדש מכוין פניו כנגד בית קדש הקדשים סומא ומי שלא יכול לכוין את הרוחות והמהלך בספינה יכוין את לבו כנגד השכינה ויתפלל:
Commentary on Halachah 3
4
The preparation of one's body: What is implied?
When one stands in prayer, he should place his feet together side by side. He should set his eyes downwards as if he is looking at the ground, and his heart upwards as if he is standing in Heaven.
His hands should be resting on his heart, with the right hand clasped over the left hand. He should stand like a servant before his master, in fear, awe, and dread. He should not rest his hand on his hips [during the Amidah].
ד
תקון הגוף כיצד כשהוא עומד בתפלה צריך לכוין את רגליו זו בצד זו ונותן עיניו למטה כאילו הוא מביט לארץ ויהיה לבו פנוי למעלה כאילו הוא עומד בשמים ומניח ידיו על לבו כפותין הימנית על השמאלית ועומד כעבד לפני רבו באימה ביראה ופחד ולא יניח ידיו על חלציו:
Commentary on Halachah 4
5
Proper clothing: What is implied?
One should adjust his clothing and make himself neat and presentable before [praying], as [implied by Psalms 29:2]: "They bow to God in resplendent holiness."
One should not pray wearing [only] his undershirt, bareheaded, or barefoot - if it is the custom of the people of that place to stand before their most respected people with shoes.
In all places, one should not hold tefillin in his hand or a Sefer Torah in his arms during the Amidah, since he will worry about them. [Similarly,] one should not hold utensils or money in his hand. However, he may pray while holding his lulav on Sukkot, since it is the commandment of the day.
If one is carrying a burden of less than four kabbim on his head when the time for the Amidah arrives, he should throw it over his shoulder and pray. If it is larger than four kabbim, he should place it on the ground and then pray.
It is customary for all Sages and their students to pray only when wrapped in a tallit.
ה
תקון המלבושים כיצד מתקן מלבושיו תחלה ומציין עצמו ומהדר שנאמר השתחוו לה' בהדרת קדש ולא יעמוד בתפלה באפונדתו ולא בראש מגולה ולא ברגלים מגולות אם דרך אנשי המקום שלא יעמדו בפני הגדולים אלא בבתי הרגלים ובכל מקום לא יאחוז תפילין בידו וספר תורה בזרועו ויתפלל מפני שלבו טרוד בהן ולא יאחוז כלים ומעות בידו אבל מתפלל הוא ולולב בידו בימות החג מפני שהוא מצות היום היה משוי על ראשו והגיע זמן תפלה אם היה פחות מארבעה קבין מפשילו לאחוריו ומתפלל בו היה ארבעה קבין מניחו על גבי קרקע ואחר כך יתפלל דרך כל החכמים ותלמידיהם שלא יתפללו אלא כשהן עטופים:
Commentary on Halachah 5
6
Proper place: What is implied?
One should stand in a low place and turn his face towards the wall. Also, one should open windows or doors that face Jerusalem and pray opposite them, as [Daniel 6:11] states: "...and he had windows open in his room facing Jerusalem."
A person should establish a fixed place where he always prays. One should not pray in a destroyed building, nor [should one pray] behind a synagogue, unless he turns his face towards the synagogue.
It is forbidden to sit down next to someone in the midst of the Amidah or to pass in front of him, except at a distance of four cubits.
ו
תקון המקום כיצד יעמוד במקום נמוך ויחזיר פניו לכותל וצריך לפתוח חלונות או פתחים כנגד ירושלים כדי להתפלל כנגדן שנאמר וכוין פתיחן ליה בעיליתיה וגו' וקובע מקום לתפלתו תמיד ואין מתפלל בחורבה ולא אחורי בית הכנסת אא"כ החזיר פניו לבית הכנסת ואסור לישב בצד העומד בתפלה או לעבור לפניו עד שירחיק ממנו ארבע אמות:
Commentary on Halachah 6
7
One should not stand in a place three or more handbreadths high and pray. [Similarly, he should not pray while standing] on a bed, bench, or chair.
A raised platform that has a surface area of four cubits by four cubits which is the [minimum] size of a house, is considered like an attic. Thus, one is permitted to pray there. Similarly, if it is surrounded by walls, even if it is not four cubits by four cubits, one may pray there, since its height is not noticeable, because it constitutes an area unto itself.
ז
לא יעמוד במקום גבוה שלשה טפחים או יותר ויתפלל ולא על גבי מטה ולא על גבי ספסל ולא על גבי כסא היה בנין גבוה אם יש בו ארבע אמות על ארבע אמות שהוא שיעור הבית הרי הוא כעליה ומותר להתפלל בו וכן אם היה מוקף מחיצות מכל רוחותיו אף על פי שאין בו ארבע אמות על ארבע אמות מותר להתפלל בו מפני שאין גבהו ניכר שהרי חלק רשות לעצמו:
Commentary on Halachah 7
8
Craftsmen working at the top of a tree, or on top of a board or wall when the time of the Amidah arrives must descend in order to pray, and then return to their work. If they were at the top of an olive or fig tree, they may pray where they are, because of the excessive effort [involved in descending].
What is it that they pray? If they are working for meals alone, they recite three prayers of 19 blessings. If they are working for wages, they recite "Give us understanding." In either case, they do not lead the congregation or lift up their hands [to bless the people].
ח
האומנין שהיו עושין מלאכה בראש האילן או בראש הנדבך או בראש הכותל והגיע זמן תפלה יורדין למטה ומתפללין וחוזרין למלאכתן ואם היו בראש הזית או בראש התאנה מתפללין במקומן מפני שטרחן מרובה ומה הן מתפללין אם היו עושין בסעודתן בלבד מתפללין שלש תפלות של תשעה עשר ברכות היו עושין בשכרן מתפללין הביננו ובין כך ובין כך אין יורדין לפני התיבה ואין נושאין את כפיהן:
Commentary on Halachah 8
9
Control of one's voice: What is implied?
A person should not raise his voice during his Amidah, nor should he pray silently. Rather, he should pronounce the words with his lips, whispering in a tone that he can hear.
He should not make his voice audible unless he is sick or cannot concentrate otherwise. In such a case, it is permitted except when in a congregation, lest the others be disturbed by his voice.
ט
השוויית הקול כיצד לא יגביה קולו בתפלתו ולא יתפלל בלבו אלא מחתך הדברים בשפתיו ומשמיע לאזניו בלחש ולא ישמיע קולו אלא אם כן היה חולה או שאינו יכול לכוין את לבו עד שישמיע קולו הרי זה מותר ובלבד שלא יהא בציבור כדי שלא תטרף דעתן מקולו:
Commentary on Halachah 9
10
Bowing: What is implied?
One praying bows five times in each and every Amidah:
In the first blessing, at the beginning and at the end;
in the blessing of thanks, at the beginning and at the end; and
upon completing the Amidah, one bows and takes three steps backwards while bowing. He takes leave from his left and afterwards, from his right. Then, he lifts his head up from the bowed position.
When he bows the [other] four times, he does so at [the utterance of the word] "Blessed" and straightens up when [reciting] G‑d's name.
To whom does the above apply? To an average person. However, the High Priest bows at the beginning and end of each and every blessing. A king bows at the beginning [of the Amidah] and does not lift his head until he completes his whole Amidah.
י
כריעה כיצד המתפלל כורע חמש כריעות בכל תפלה ותפלה בברכה ראשונה בתחלה ובסוף ובהודיה בתחלה ובסוף וכשגומר התפלה כורע ופוסע שלש פסיעות לאחוריו וכשהוא כורע נותן שלום משמאל עצמו ואח"כ מימין עצמו ואח"כ מגביה ראשו מן הכריעה וכשהוא כורע בארבע הכריעות כורע בברוך וכשהוא זוקף זוקף בשם במה דברים אמורים בהדיוט אבל כהן גדול כורע בתחילת כל ברכה ובסוף כל ברכה והמלך כיון ששחה בראשונה אינו מגביה ראשו עד שגומר כל תפלתו:
Commentary on Halachah 10
11
Why should one take leave from the left first? Because one's left is to the right [side] of His countenance; i.e., just like when one stands before a king, he takes leave from the right of the king, and then afterwards from the left of the king. Thus, they established that one should withdraw from the Amidah in the same manner as he withdraws from before a king.
יא
ולמה נותן שלום לשמאלו תחלה מפני ששמאלו הוא ימין שכנגד פניו כלומר כשהוא עומד לפני המלך נותן שלום לימין המלך ואחר כך לשמאל המלך וקבעו שיפטר מן התפלה כמו שנפטרין מלפני המלך:
Commentary on Halachah 11
12
All these bows require that one bow until the vertebrae in his spine protrude and he makes himself like a bow.
However, if one bows slightly [to the extent that] it causes him pain and he appears to have bowed with all of his power, he need not worry.
יב
כל הכריעות האלו צריך שיכרע בהן עד שיתפקקו כל חליות שבשדרה ויעשה עצמו כקשת ואם שחה מעט וציער עצמו ונראה ככורע בכל כחו אינו חושש:
Commentary on Halachah 12
13
Prostration, what is implied?
After one lifts his head from the fifth bow, he sits on the ground, falls with his face towards the earth, and utters all the supplications that he desires.
"Kneeling" always refers to [falling to] one's knees; "bowing," to bending over on one's face; and "prostration," to stretching out on one's hands and feet until he is flat with his face on the ground.
יג
השתחויה כיצד אחר שמגביה ראשו מכריעה חמישית ישב לארץ ונופל על פניו ארצה ומתחנן בכל התחנונים שירצה כריעה האמורה בכ"מ על ברכים קידה על אפים השתחויה זה פישוט ידים ורגלים עד שנמצא מוטל על פניו ארצה:
Commentary on Halachah 13
14
When uttering the supplication after the Amidah, there are those who bow and there are those who prostrate themselves.
It is forbidden to prostrate oneself on stones except in the Holy Temple, as we have explained in Hilchot Avodat Kochavim.
An important person is not permitted to fall on his face unless he is certain that he is as righteous as Yehoshua. Rather, he should tilt his face slightly, but not press it to the ground.
One may pray in one place and offer this supplication in another
יד
כשהוא עושה נפילת פנים אחר תפלה יש מי שהוא עושה קידה ויש מי שהוא עושה השתחויה ואסור לעשות השתחויה על האבנים אלא במקדש כמו שבארנו בהל' עבודת כוכבים ואין אדם חשוב רשאי ליפול על פניו אא"כ הוא יודע בעצמו שהוא צדיק כיהושע אבל מטה פניו מעט ואינו כובש אותן בקרקע ומותר לאדם להתפלל במקום זה וליפול על פניו במקום אחר:
Commentary on Halachah 14
15
It is an accepted custom among the entire Jewish people not to utter the supplication on Sabbaths or festivals. Nor [does one utter it] on Rosh Hashanah, Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah or Purim or in Minchah on the eve of Sabbaths or holidays, nor in the Evening Prayer of any day. There are [however,] individuals who do utter the supplication in the Evening Prayer.
On Yom Kippur only, one utters the supplication prayer in every prayer, since it is a day of supplication, requests, and fasting.
טו
מנהג פשוט בכל ישראל שאין נפילת אפים בשבתות ובמועדים ולא בראש השנה ולא בראשי חדשים ובחנוכה ובפורים ולא במנחה של ערבי שבתות וימים טובים ולא בערבית שבכל יום ויש יחידים שנופלים על פניהם בערבית וביוה"כ בלבד נופלים על פניהם בכל תפלה ותפלה מפני שהוא יום תחנה ובקשה ותענית:
Commentary on Halachah 15
Rambam:
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1
We should fast and sound the trumpets in the [following] situations of communal distress:1 because of the distress that the enemies of the Jews cause the Jews, because of [the passage of] an armed [force], because of a plague, because of a wild animal [on a rampage], because of various species of locusts,2 because of the black blight and the yellow blight, because of falling buildings,3 because of an epidemic, because of [the loss of our source of] sustenance, and because of rain [or a lack of it].4
א
אלו הן הצרות של צבור שמתענין ומתריעין עליהם. על הצרת שונאי ישראל לישראל. ועל החרב. ועל הדבר. ועל חיה רעה. ועל הארבה. ועל החסיל. ועל השדפון. ועל הירקון. ועל המפולת. ועל החלאים. ועל המזונות. ועל המטר:
2
A city afflicted by any of these difficulties should fast and sound the trumpets until the difficulty passes.5 The inhabitants of the surrounding area should fast,6 but should not sound the trumpets. They should, however, ask for mercy on [their brethren's] behalf. We do not cry out [to God] or sound the trumpets on the Sabbath, as was explained,7 except in the case of distress over [the loss of our source of] sustenance. In this instance, we cry out [to God] even on the Sabbath,8 but we do not sound the trumpets for this reason on the Sabbath.
ב
כל עיר שיש בה צרה מכל אלו, אותה העיר מתענה ומתרעת עד שתעבור הצרה. וכל סביבותיה מתענות ולא מתריעות אבל מבקשים עליהם רחמים. ובכל מקום אין צועקין ולא מתריעין בשבת כמו שאמרנו. חוץ מצרת המזונות שצועקין עליה אפילו בשבת. אבל אין מתריעין עליה בחצוצרות בשבת:
3
What is meant by "the distress that the enemies of the Jews cause the Jews"? When gentiles come to wage war against the Jews, to impose a tax upon them,9 to take land away from them, or to pass a decree [restricting the observance of our faith,]10 even concerning merely a slight mitzvah, we should fast and sound the trumpets until [God shows] mercy.
All the surrounding cities should fast, but they should not sound the trumpets unless they are doing so to gather the people together to come to their aid.11
ג
על הצרת שונאי ישראל לישראל כיצד. עכו"ם שבאו לערוך מלחמה עם ישראל או ליטול מהם מס או ליקח מידם ארץ או לגזור עליהם גזרה אפילו במצוה קלה הרי אלו מתענין ומתריעין עד שירוחמו. וכל הערים שסביבותיהם מתענין אבל אין מתריעין אלא אם כן תקעו להתקבץ לעזרתן:
4
What is meant by "[the passage of] an armed [force]"? This applies even to an armed [force] that has peaceful intentions. For example, gentiles were waging war against other gentiles and they passed a Jewish settlement.12 Although they are not at war with the Jews, this is still considered a time of distress13 for which we should fast, as [implied by the blessing, Leviticus 26:6] "A sword will not pass through your land." From this, it can be understood14 that seeing war is itself a sign of distress.
ד
על החרב כיצד. אפילו חרב של שלום כגון שערכו מלחמה עכו"ם עם עכו"ם ועברו במקום ישראל אף על פי שאין ביניהם ובין ישראל מלחמה הרי זו צרה ומתענין עליה שנאמר וחרב לא תעבור בארצכם מכלל שראיית המלחמה צרה:
5
"Because of plague." What constitutes a plague? When three people die on three consecutive days15 in a city that has 500 male inhabitants,16 this is considered to be a plague. If [this many people] die on one day or on four days, it is not considered a plague.
If a city has 1000 male inhabitants and six people die on three consecutive days, it is considered to be a plague. If [this many people] die on one day or on four days, it is not considered a plague. Similarly, this ratio should be followed [with regard to all cities, regardless of their size].
Women, children, and older men who no longer work are not included in the census in this context.17
ה
ועל הדבר. אי זו היא דבר עיר שיש בה חמש מאות רגלי ויצאו ממנה שלשה מתים בשלשה ימים זה אחר זה הרי זה דבר. יצאו ביום אחד או בארבעה ימים אין זה דבר. היה בה אלף ויצאו ממנה ששה מתים בשלשה ימים זה אחר זה דבר. יצאו ביום אחד או בארבעה אין זה דבר. וכן לפי חשבון זה. ואין הנשים והקטנים והזקנים ששבתו ממלאכה בכלל מנין אנשי המדינה לענין זה:
6
If there is a plague in Eretz Yisrael, [the Jews in] the diaspora should fast on [its inhabitants'] behalf.18 If there was a plague in one country and caravans frequently travel from it to another country, they should both fast,19 even if they are distant from each other.20
ו
היה דבר בארץ ישראל מתענין שאר גליות ישראל עליהן. היה דבר במדינה ושיירות הולכות ובאות ממנה למדינה אחרת שתיהן מתענות אף על פי שהן רחוקות זו מזו:
7
We do not fast because of a wild animal unless it is on a rampage.21 What is implied? If it is seen in a city during the day, it is on a rampage.22 Should it be seen in a field during the day, encounter two men and not flee from them, it is on a rampage.23 If the field was close to a swamp, and it saw two men and pursued them, it is on a rampage; if it did not pursue them, it is not on a rampage.24
If it was in a swamp, even if it pursued them, it is not considered to be on a rampage25 unless it slew both of them and ate [only] one.26 If, however, it ate both of them in a swamp, it is not considered to be on a rampage, for this is its place, and it slew them because it was hungry, not because it was on a rampage.27
ז
אין מתענין על חיה רעה אלא בזמן שהיא משולחת. כיצד נראתה בעיר ביום הרי זו משולחת. נראתה בשדה ביום אם ראתה שני בני אדם ולא ברחה מפניהם הרי זו משולחת. ואם היה שדה הסמוכה לאגם וראתה שני בני אדם ורדפה אחריהם הרי זו משולחת לא רדפה אחריהם אינה משולחת. ואם היה באגם אפילו רדפה אחריהם אינה משולחת אלא אם כן טרפה שניהם ואכלה אחד מהן. אבל אם אכלה שניהם באגם אינה משולחת מפני שזה הוא מקומה ומפני הרעבון טרפה לא מפני שהיא משולחת:
8
When houses are constructed in deserts or in other abandoned areas,28 since this is a natural place for bands of wild animals, [it is only when] an animal climbs to the top of a roof and takes a baby from a cradle that it is considered to be "on a rampage." Otherwise, it is not considered to be "on a rampage." [The fault lies rather] with these people who endangered their lives and came to a place where wild animals live.
ח
בתים הבנויים במדברות ובארצות הנשמות הואיל והן מקום גדודי חיה. אם עלתה לגג ונטלה תינוק מעריסה הרי זו משולחת. ואם לא הגיעה למדה זו אינה משולחת. שאלו בני אדם הם שסכנו בעצמם ובאו למקום החיות:
9
When there is a rampage of swarming animals29 - e.g., snakes or scorpions - or swarming birds that cause injury,30 we do not fast or sound the trumpets because of them. We do, however, call out [to God] without trumpet blasts. Needless to say, [this applies to swarms of] hornets, mosquitoes, and the like.
ט
שאר מיני רמש הארץ ורמש העוף ששולחו והזיקו. כגון שילוח נחשים ועקרבים ואין צריך לומר צרעין ויתושין והדומה להן אין מתענין עליהם ולא מתריעין אבל זועקין בלא תרועה:
10
"Because of various species of locusts." Even if only one fleet31 is seen in all of Eretz Yisrael, [the entire country] should fast and sound the trumpets because of them.32 [The same applies if] even the slightest amount of govai appear.33 For chagav,34 however, we do not fast or sound the trumpets; nevertheless, we do call out [to God] without sounding the trumpets.
י
על הארבה ועל החסיל אפילו לא נראה מהן אלא כנף אחד בכל ארץ ישראל מתענין ומתריעין עליהן. ועל הגובאי בכל שהוא. אבל על החגב אין מתענין עליו ולא מתריעין אלא זועקין בלבד:
11
"Because of the black blight and the yellow blight."35 As soon as these affect the crops, even if they affect only a small amount of grain,36 [an area the size of] the opening of an oven,37 a fast is called and the trumpets are sounded.
יא
על השדפון ועל הירקון משיתחיל בתבואה. ואפילו לא התחיל אלא ממקום קטן כמלוא פי תנור גוזרין עליו תענית ומתריעין:
12
What is meant by "because of falling buildings"? When many38 strong walls that are not located on the banks of a river39 begin to fall in a city,40 this is a difficulty [that warrants] fasting and the sounding of the trumpets.
Similarly, we should fast and sound the trumpets because of earthquakes and strong winds that destroy buildings and kill people.
יב
על המפולת כיצד. הרי שרבתה בעיר מפולת כתלים בריאים שאינן עומדים בצד הנהר הרי זו צרה ומתענין ומתריעין עליה. וכן על הרעש ועל הרוחות שהן מפילין את הבנין והורגין מתענין ומתריעין עליהן:
13
What is meant by "because of an epidemic"? When one illness - e.g., a throat infection41 or polio42 - affects many people in a city and people die because of this illness,43 this is considered to be a matter of communal distress. A fast is called and the trumpets are sounded.
Similarly, if running sores44 affect the majority of the community, it is considered like boils, and they should fast and sound the trumpets. For a dry itch [which affects the entire community], we merely cry out [to God].
יג
על החליים כיצד. הרי שירד חולי אחד לאנשים הרבה באותה העיר. כגון אסכרה או חרחור וכיוצא בהן והיו מתים באותו החולי הרי זו צרת צבור וגוזרין לה תענית ומתריעין. וכן חיכוך לח הרי הוא כשחין פורח. ואם פשט ברוב הצבור מתענין ומתריעין עליו. אבל חכוך יבש צועקים עליו בלבד:
14
What is meant by "because of [the loss of our source of] sustenance"? That the price of the articles on which the livelihood of most of the inhabitants of a city depend - e.g., linen goods in Babylon and wine and oil in Eretz Yisrael - has fallen, and the trade in these articles has decreased to the extent that a merchant must offer them for sale at only 60% of their real value in order to be able to find a purchaser. This is considered a communal distress [that warrants] us to raise a clamor45 and cry out to God,46 even on the Sabbath.47
יד
על המזונות כיצד. הרי שהוזלו דברים של סחורה שרוב חיי אנשי אותה העיר מהן. כגון כלי פשתן בבבל ויין ושמן בארץ ישראל. ונתמעט המשא והמתן עד שיצטרך התגר למכור שוה עשרה בששה ואחר כך ימצא לוקח. הרי זו צרת צבור ומתריעין עליה וזועקין עליה בשבת:
15
What is meant by "because of rain"? When the rainfall is so abundant that it causes difficulty, prayers should be recited. There is no greater difficulty than this, that homes should fall and become the graves [of their inhabitants].48
In Eretz Yisrael, we do not pray [for the cessation of the rains] when there is an abundant rainfall. It is a mountainous land, and its houses are made of stone.49 An abundance of rain is of benefit,50 and we should not fast to cause a benefit to pass.
טו
על המטר כיצד. הרי שרבו עליהן גשמים עד שיצרו להן הרי אלו מתפללין עליהן. שאין לך צרה יתירה מזו שהבתים נופלין ונמצאו בתיהן קבריהן. ובארץ ישראל אין מתפללין על רוב הגשמים מפני שהיא ארץ הרים ובתיהם בנויים באבנים ורוב הגשמים טובה להן ואין מתענין להעביר הטובה:
16
If, after grain has already sprouted, the rains cease51 and the produce begins to dry, the people should fast and cry out [to God] until rain descends or the produce dries out entirely.52
Similarly, if the Pesach season, which is the time when the trees flower in Eretz Yisrael, arrives and there is no rainfall,53 the people should fast and cry out [to God] until rain that is fit for trees descends or until the season passes.
טז
תבואה שצמחה ונמנע המטר והתחילו צמחין לייבש הרי אלו מתענין וזועקין עד שירדו גשמים או עד שייבשו הצמחים. וכן אם הגיע זמן הפסח או קרוב לו בארץ ישראל שהוא זמן פריחת האילנות שם ולא ירדו גשמים הרי אלו מתענין וזועקין עד שירדו גשמים הראויין לאילנות או עד שיעבור זמנם:
17
Similarly, if the festival of Sukkot54 arrived and a sufficient amount of rain had not descended to fill the storage vats, the irrigation ditches, and the caverns, the people should fast until sufficient rain descends for the storage vats.
If the people have no water to drink, they should fast for rain at all times whenever there is no water to drink, even in the summer.55
יז
וכן אם הגיע זמן חג הסוכות ולא ירדו גשמים הרבה כדי למלאות מהם הבורות השיחין והמערות הרי אלו מתענין עד שירד גשם הראוי לבורות. ואם אין להם מים לשתות מתענים על הגשמים בכל עת שלא יהיה להם מים לשתות ואפילו בימות החמה:
18
When the rains ceased for more than forty days in the rainy season, it is a drought, and the people should fast and cry out [to God] until the rains descend or until the rainy season passes.
יח
פסקו הגשמים בין גשם לגשם ארבעים יום בימות הגשמים הרי זו מכת בצורת ומתענים וזועקים עד שירדו הגשמים או עד שיעבור זמנם
FOOTNOTES
1.Having explained the nature of the obligations to fast and sound the trumpets in the previous chapter, the Rambam devotes this chapter to explaining the various situations in which these obligations apply.
It must be noted that the advances of civilization have cushioned us against many of these natural disasters and it is not common for us to fast because of these situations. Nevertheless, the obligation for a community to fast in such times of distress applies even in the present age and in the diaspora. Thus, both the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch devote an entire chapter (576) to the discussion of fasts of this nature. Nevertheless, in the present era, even in times of genuine communal distress, it is infrequent for the Rabbis to declare a communal fast, because our physical stamina is not as great as that of the previous generations.
2.Both Hebrew terms arbeh and chasil refer to species of locusts. The exact names of the species intended is a source of debate.
3.And because of earthquakes or hurricanes strong enough to cause buildings to topple.
4.The lack of rain is the most common and the most widely discussed of all the phenomena mentioned. Nevertheless, it is precisely for that reason that it is discussed last. All the other phenomena are discussed briefly in this chapter, while the fasts concerning rain are discussed in several halachot in this chapter and in the following two chapters in their entirety.
5.From Chapter 1, Halachah 5, it appears that the the intent is not to fast on consecutive days until the difficulty passes, but rather to fast on the Mondays and Thursdays in this period. Nevertheless, in times of great distress, the Rabbis occasionally ordained consecutive fasts.
6.Only the people in the immediate vicinity of the distressed area are obligated to fast. Were we to be obligated to fast for difficulties in distant places, we would be constantly fasting, for there are, ל"ע, a multitude of difficulties throughout the world (Kessef Mishneh). Although this ruling is generally followed, there are times when public fasts are called when Jews in distant lands are in profound distress. In particular, this applies with regard to the Jews in Eretz Yisrael. (See Halachah 6.)
7.Chapter 1, Halachah 6. See also Hilchot Shabbat 2:24.
8.In that halachah, it is mentioned that we also cry out to God in prayer on the Sabbath on behalf of people whose lives are in immediate danger - e.g., a besieged city or a ship in danger of sinking.
9.This refers to an unfair tax imposed on the Jews alone, and not a tax on all the inhabitants of the country.
10.Here too, mortal danger is involved. As the Rambam writes in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 5:3, we are obligated to sacrifice our lives if gentiles pass a decree forbidding the observance of even a seemingly slight mitzvah (Kinat Eliyahu).
11.For the latter purpose, this is permitted even on the Sabbath, as stated in Chapter 1, Halachah 6.
12.This also refers to Jewish settlements in the diaspora.
13.Although the Rambam proves his point through Biblical exegesis, anyone who reads the chronicles of the rampages of "friendly" armies through the various periods of Jewish history will realize how the passage of any armed forces can constitute communal distress for our people.
14.I.e., since the lack of passage of an armed force is considered a blessing, it can be assumed that the passage of an armed force is the opposite.
15.The Lechem Mishneh associates this ruling with the concept of chazakah, i.e., once a phenomenon is repeated three times, it can be presumed to recur.
16.In one of his responsa, the Rambam writes that the numbers mentioned in this halachah also include gentiles. If a city is smitten by a plague, it will spread among all its inhabitants, whether Jew or gentile. This concept is quoted as halachah by the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 576:3).
17.The Maggid Mishneh notes that the Mishnah (Ta'anit 3:1) uses the expression רגלי for inhabitants. From Exodus 12:37, "600,000 men on foot (רגלי) aside from children," we know that the term refers to adult males able to perform military service (i.e., below the age of sixty). The commentaries explain that elderly men, children, and women are considered to have a weaker constitution than adult males. Hence, it is only when a significant number of adult males die that one may be sure that the deaths can be attributed to a plague. (See also the Jerusalem Talmud, Ta'anit 3:5.)
18.Ta'anit 21b explains the rationale for this halachah: "If a Matron (Eretz Yisrael) is stricken, is it not likely that the maid-servant (the diaspora) will be stricken." The welfare of the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael is a matter of concern for all Jews.
The Ramah (Orach Chayim 576:2) states that this applies only when the plague has affected Eretz Yisrael in its entirety.
19.The Magen Avraham 576:2 states that it is not customary at present to fast because of a plague. The nature of our physical constitutions has changed, and, were the inhabitants of a city afflicted by a plague to fast, it is more likely that they would succumb to it. Similarly, if caravans frequently travel from one city to another, there is the danger of infection. Therefore, even people in the distant city should not fast (Mishnah Berurah 576:10).
20.As mentioned in Halachah 2, in such an instance the surrounding cities should fast as long as there is no danger of infection (ibid.).
21.We have translate the word משלחת in this manner so that its intent will be easily understood. It is, however, worthy to mention the interpretation of Rashi, Ta'anit 22a, who interprets the word as "sent from Heaven," i.e., a minister of Divine retribution. (See also the gloss of the Ra'avad to Halachah 9.) This implies that the animal is not acting according to its natural pattern and is therefore more dangerous than normal.
22.A wild animal would not ordinarily enter a populated area during the daytime.
23.Although wild animals occasionally wander through fields, their tendency is to flee when they encounter humans.
24.As the Rambam mentions, it is common to find wild animals in a swamp. Therefore, the fact that they do not flee when discovered close to a swamp is not considered extraordinary. If, however, the animal pursues them, this is considered a departure from the norm and a sign that it was "sent from Heaven."
25.It is not out of the ordinary for a wild animal to pursue intruders to its natural home.
26.The fact that the animal ate only one of the men is a clear indication that it was motivated by reasons other than natural hunger when it slew the men.
27.The Mishnah Berurah 576:23 states that a deep forest is governed by the same laws as a swamp.
28.Ta'anit 22a mentions this teaching in connection with hunters' huts.
29.Reptiles as opposed to mammals.
30.The Ra'avad protests, stating that if these animals kill humans, that is a sign that they were chosen as "messengers of God," and fasting should be instituted because of them. Although the Maggid Mishneh does not accept this ruling, the Kessef Mishneh takes note of the term "that cause injury," and explains that the Rambam himself would accept the Ra'avad's view when it has been demonstrated that these animals have deadly intentions. In his Beit Yosef and Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 576:7), Rav Yosef Karo quotes and even extends this interpretation.
31.Our translation of kanaf is taken from Rav Kapach, whose interpretation is based on the Arabic term used by the Rambam for that word in the Guide to the Perplexed, Vol. 1, Chapter 43. In his commentary, he also sheds light on the tendencies of the various insects mentioned by the Rambam. Others interpret kanaf as referring to a single locust.
32.Locusts multiply speedily. If one fleet is seen, we can assume that soon there will be swarms of them that will cover the entire countryside.
33.Govai is also a species of locusts. They are more dangerous than the others
34.Chagav is also a species of locusts; they are smaller than the others and do not pose a serious danger to the crops. At present, we are unfamiliar with the exact names of all the various species of locusts. Therefore, it is customary to fast and sound the trumpets whenever any locusts are sighted (Ra'avad, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 576:9).
35.We have followed the translation of "The Living Torah" (Deuteronomy 28:22), for it appears appropriate in the immediate context. Both these terms appear to refer to agricultural afflictions that affect crops and spread from field to field. Others, however, render either or both of these terms as damage to crops from a searing hot wind or burning sun.
36.As mentioned, the fear is that the contagion will spread from field to field. For this reason, the entire region in which the blight is found is required to fast (Ramah, Orach Chayim 576:8).
37.I.e., a portion of the field the size of the opening of an oven. Our translation is based on the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Ta'anit 3:5). The Maggid Mishneh and others offer a different explanation, "the amount of grain necessary to bake enough bread to fill the mouth of an oven."
38.The Mishnah Berurah 576:11 quotes the Ritba as explaining that this refers to the walls of three homes.
39.If, however, the houses are located on a river bank, the fact that the walls fall can be attributed to the erosion of their foundations by the water.
40.In his Commentary on the Mishnah (Ta'anit 3:4), the Rambam writes that this refers to walls that fall without any apparent reason.
41.The Hebrew אסכרה is related to the root סוכר, which means "close." It refers to a throat infection which forces a person to keep his mouth closed (Ramah, Orach Chayim 576:5).
42.Our translation, admittedly somewhat of an extension, is based on the commentary of Rav Sa'adiah Gaon on Deuteronomy 28:22. Rashi describes it as a disease that causes a person to run a very high fever and to constantly thirst for water; perhaps typhoid.
43.The Beit Yosef (Orach Chayim 576) questions why the Rambam does not mention that the situation warrants a fast only when three people die in three days, as he did with regard to plague (Halachah 5). He concludes that there is a more severe element to these epidemics than plague, and even if fewer than three people die each day, a communal fast should be held. The Ramah (Orach Chayim 576:5) quotes this as halachah.
The Lechem Mishneh explains the difference between the two as follows: Plague refers to an instance when death hits the city before there is an outbreak of illness. In contrast, the epidemic mentioned in this halachah refers to an instance where both illness and death are manifest in the city.
44.Literally, "a moist itch" - i.e., a skin inflammation that is aggravating and produces lymph secretions. Bava Kama 80b states that we cry out to God for relief from this ailment, even on the Sabbath. The Lechem Mishneh questions why the Rambam does not quote this concept.
45.Although we have translated מתריעים as "sound the trumpets" throughout the text, we have altered our translation in this halachah, because in Halachah 2, the Rambam explicitly states that we call out to God on the Sabbath because of the loss of our source of sustenance, but we may not sound the trumpets. The word מתריעים is used as a quote from Bava Batra 91a.
46.Significantly, Bava Batra (ibid.) does not mention fasting for this reason. Accordingly, the Ritba (Ta'anit 19b) states that this is not cause for a public fast. The ruling of most authorities (see Mishnah Berurah 576:29) is that a communal fast should be called.
47.As mentioned in Halachah 2, this and the instances when people's lives are in immediate danger are the only times when such prayers are offered on the Sabbath.
48.Ta'anit 22b mentions this with regard to Babylon, which is a valley and whose homes are not built with sturdy foundations.
Note the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch, who quote the Rambam's statements (Orach Chayim 576:11), but also mention (577:1) a less extreme instance of abundant rainfall, in which the rains prevent the land from being tilled properly.
49.Hence, abundant rainfall does not pose a danger.
50.For there are few rivers, and the winter rains are the primary source of water throughout the entire year.
51.This and the following two halachot, in contrast to the fasts for lack of rain mentioned in Chapter 3, describe a situation in which rain has already begun to descend and then ceases. To a certain degree, since crops have already sprouted, this situation is more distressing than if the rains had never descended at all. These three halachot are quoted without emendation in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 575:8).
52.At which point, there would be no purpose in continuing the fast.
53.At this time, more water is necessary to allow the trees to produce fruit.
54.This and the previous halachah apply only in Eretz Yisrael where the rains are seasonal in this manner. In other countries, different principles apply.
Most texts of the Jerusalem Talmud (Ta'anit 3:2) which is the direct source for this halachah, state Atzeret (Shavuot), rather than Sukkot. The Rambam's choice of this version of the text can be explained in that it is very unlikely for rain to descend in the summer (the season of Shavuot) in Eretz Yisrael. In contrast, it is possible for rain to descend on Sukkot, although this is slightly earlier than usual. Thus the Rambam chose the version that is closer to the prevailing circumstances.
55.The Ritba states that, in such circumstances, one should call out for Divine mercy, even on the Sabbath.
Ta'aniyot - Chapter Three
1
[We should adhere to the following procedure when] no rain at all has descended from the beginning of the rainy season onward: If the seventeenth of Marcheshvan arrives and no rains have descended, the Torah scholars should begin to fast, [starting on] a Monday [and continuing on] the [following] Thursday, and the [following] Monday. All students [of the Torah] are fit to accept these [fasts] upon themselves.
א
הרי שלא ירדו להם גשמים כל עיקר מתחלת ימות הגשמים. אם הגיע י"ז במרחשון ולא ירדו גשמים מתחילין תלמידי חכמים בלבד להתענות שני וחמישי ושני. וכל התלמידים ראויין לכך:
Commentary on Halachah 1
2
If Rosh Chodesh Kislev arrives without the rains having descended, the court should decree three communal fasts, [starting on] a Monday, [and continuing on] the [following] Thursday, and the [following] Monday. It is permitted to eat and drink at night. The men serving in the [weekly] priestly watch should not fast with them because they are involved in the Temple service.
On these days, the entire people should enter the synagogue, pray, cry out [to God], and make supplications as is customary on all fasts.
ב
הגיע ראש חודש כסליו ולא ירדו גשמים בית דין גוזרין שלש תעניות על הצבור שני חמישי ושני. ומותרין בהן לאכול ולשתות בלילה. ואנשי משמר אין מתענין עמהן מפני שהן עסוקין בעבודה. וכל העם נכנסים לבתי כנסיות ומתפללין וזועקין ומתחננין כדרך שעושין בכל התעניות:
Commentary on Halachah 2
3
If these [fasts] pass without [their prayers] being answered, the court should decree an additional three communal fasts. On these fasts, we eat and drink while it is still day [on the day before the fast], as on the fast of Yom Kippur.
The men serving in the [weekly] priestly watch should fast for part of the day, but should not complete the fast. The men of the beit av - those individuals who are involved in the Temple service that day - should not fast at all.
On a fast for which we are required to cease eating while it is still day, once a person has ceased eating and decided not to eat any more, he may not change his mind and eat, even though there is still time during the day.
ג
עברו אלו ולא נענו בית דין גוזרין שלש תעניות אחרות על הצבור שני וחמישי ושני. ובשלש אלו אוכלין ושותין מבעוד יום כמו שעושין בצום כפור. ואנשי משמר מתענין מקצת היום ולא משלימין. ואנשי בית אב והם העוסקין בעבודה באותו היום לא יהיו מתענים כל עיקר. וכל תענית שאוכלין בה מבעוד יום אם אכל ופסק וגמר שלא לאכול אינו חוזר ואוכל אף על פי שיש שהות ביום:
Commentary on Halachah 3
4
On these three fasts, all people are forbidden to perform work during the day, but they are permitted during the [previous] night. It is forbidden for a person to wash his entire body in hot water, but one may wash one's face, hands, and feet. For this reason, the bathhouses are closed.
It is forbidden to anoint oneself. One may, however, do so to remove filth. Sexual relations are forbidden, as is wearing shoes in a city. One may, however, wear shoes on a journey. We pray in the synagogues, cry out [to God], and make supplications as is customary on all fasts.
ד
בשלש תעניות אלו כל העם אסורין בעשיית מלאכה ביום ומותרין בלילה. ואסורין ברחיצת כל הגוף בחמין אבל פניו ידיו ורגליו מותר לפיכך נועלין את המרחצאות. ואסורין בסיכה. ואם להעביר את הזוהמא מותר. ואסורין בתשמיש המטה. ובנעילת הסנדל בעיר אבל בדרך מותר לנעול. ומתפללין בבתי כנסיות וזועקין ומתחננין כשאר תעניות:
Commentary on Halachah 4
5
If these [fasts] pass without [their prayers] being answered, the court decrees another seven communal fasts, [beginning on the next] Monday, [and continuing as follows]: Thursday, Monday, Thursday, Monday, Thursday, and Monday.
It is only on these seven fasts1 that pregnant and nursing women2 are required to fast. [On the other fast days,] although they are not obligated to fast,3 they should not indulge in delicacies. Instead, they should eat only what is necessary to maintain their babies.
ה
עברו אלו ולא נענו בית דין גוזרין שבע תעניות אחרות על הצבור שני וחמישי ושני וחמישי ושני וחמישי ושני. ובאלו השבע בלבד עוברות ומניקות מתענות אבל בשאר התעניות אין עוברות ומניקות מתענות. ואף על פי שאינן מתענות אין מענגות עצמן בתפנוקים אלא אוכלות ושותות כדי קיום הולד:
6
On these seven fasts the men serving in the [weekly] priestly watch should fast for the entire day. The men of the beit av should fast for a portion of the day, but should not complete their fast.4 All the prohibitions in force during the second set of fasts are also in force during these last seven fasts.5
ו
ובשבע תעניות אלו אנשי משמר מתענין ומשלימין. ואנשי בית אב מתענין מקצת היום ולא משלימין. וכל דבר שהוא אסור בשלש אמצעיות אסור באלו השבע האחרונות:
7
There are additional dimensions [of severity] to these [fasts]: it is on these alone that we sound the trumpets, pray in the street of the city, call on an elder to admonish the people [and motivate] them to repent from their [evil] ways, add six blessings in the morning and afternoon prayers - thus, we recite twenty-four blessings, and close the stores.
On Mondays, the doors of the stores are left slightly ajar towards evening and they may be opened [for business]. On Thursdays, [the stores] may be opened the entire day [to allow people to purchase food] in honor of the Sabbath. If a store has two entrances, one entrance should be opened and the other closed. If the store has a display area in front of it, it may be opened in the normal manner on a Thursday without concern [for the above restriction].
ז
ויתרות אלו. שבהן בלבד מתריעין ומתפללין ברחוב העיר. ומורידין זקן להוכיח לעם כדי שישובו מדרכם. ומוסיפין שש ברכות בתפלת שחרית ובתפלת מנחה ונמצאו מתפללין כ"ד ברכות. ונועלין את החנויות. ובשני מטין לעת ערב ופותחין את החנויות. אבל בחמישי פותחין כל היום מפני כבוד השבת. ואם יש לחנות שני פתחים פותח אחד ונועל אחד. ואם יש לחנות אצטבה פותח כדרכו בחמישי ואינו חושש:
Commentary on Halachah 7
8
If these [fasts] pass without [their prayers] being answered, we should minimize our commercial activity, construction projects associated with joy - e.g., those involving decorative patterns on the ceilings and walls, plantings associated with joy - e.g., that of myrtle trees, and the erection of tents.
We also minimize betrothals and marriages, unless one has not fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying. Whoever has fulfilled this mitzvah is forbidden to engage in sexual relations in a year of famine.
We also reduce the exchange of greetings, and the Torah sages should not exchange greetings at all. Rather, [they should conduct themselves as people] who have been rebuffed and ostracized by God. When a common person greets them, they may return the greeting in a weak and concerned tone.
ח
עברו אלו ולא נענו. ממעטין במשא ומתן ובבנין של שמחה כגון ציור וכיור. ובנטיעה של שמחה כגון מיני הדס ומיני אהלים. וממעטין באירוסין ונישואין אלא אם כן לא קיים מצות פריה ורביה. וכל מי שקיים מצות פריה ורביה אסור לו לשמש מטתו בשני רעבון. וממעטין בשאלת שלום בין אדם לחבירו. ותלמידי חכמים לא ישאלו שלום אלא כנזופין וכמנודין למקום. ועם הארץ שנתן להם שלום מחזירין לו בשפה רפה וכובד ראש:
Commentary on Halachah 8
9
The Torah scholars alone continue to fast, [beginning on the next] Monday, [and continuing on the following] Thursday and Monday [in this manner] until the month of Nisan - as determined in relation to the spring season - passes. This is not, however, required of the community. No more than these thirteen communal fasts are decreed because of a lack of rainfall.
When these individuals fast until Nisan passes, they are allowed to eat at night and are allowed to perform work, to wash, to anoint themselves, to engage in sexual relations, and to wear shoes as on other fast days. They do not fast on Rashei Chodashim, nor on Purim.
After the month of Nisan, as determined in relation to the spring season, passes - i.e., when the sun enters the sign of the bull - they should cease fasting. Since no rain has descended from the beginning of the year, rain in this season would be a sign of a curse.
ט
תלמידי חכמים חוזרין לבדם ומתענים שני וחמישי ושני עד שיצא ניסן של תקופה אבל לא הצבור. שאין גוזרין על הצבור בשביל גשמים שלא ירדו יתר משלש עשרה תעניות אלו. וכשמתענין היחידים עד שיצא ניסן מותרין לאכול בלילה ומותרין בעשיית מלאכה וברחיצה ובסיכה ותשמיש המטה ונעילת הסנדל כשאר כל התעניות. ומפסיקין לראשי חדשים ופורים. יצא ניסן של תקופה והוא כשהגיע השמש לתחלת מזל שור אין מתענים. שאין הגשמים בזמן הזה אלא סימן קללה הואיל ולא ירדו כל עיקר מתחלת השנה:
Commentary on Halachah 9
10
Where does the above apply? In Eretz Yisrael and in similar lands.6 In contrast, in places where the rainy season begins before or after the seventeenth of Marcheshvan,7 when the time [for the rains] arrives and no rain descends, individuals should [begin a series of three] fasts, [starting on] Monday [and continuing on the following] Thursday and Monday. They should not fast on Rashei Chodashim, Chanukah, or Purim.8
Afterwards, they should wait approximately seven days.9 If rain does not descend, the court should decree thirteen communal fasts, according to the order described above.10
י
במה דברים אמורים בארץ ישראל וכל הדומה לה. אבל מקומות שעונת הגשמים שלהן קודם י"ז במרחשון או אחר זמן זה כשיגיע זמנם ולא ירדו גשמים יחידים מתענים שני וחמישי ושני. ומפסיקין בראשי חדשים ובחנוכה ובפורים. ושוהין אחרי כן כמו שבעה ימים. אם לא ירדו גשמים בית דין גוזרין על הצבור שלש עשרה תעניות על הסדר שאמרנו:
11
[The following laws apply to] all the communal fasts decreed in the diaspora: It is permitted to eat during the night,11 and they are governed by the same laws as other fasts.12 A communal fast resembling Yom Kippur is decreed only in Eretz Yisrael,13 and only because of [a lack of] rain.14 This refers to the latter ten fasts - i.e., the middle series of three fasts and the final series of seven fasts.
יא
כל תעניות שגוזרין הצבור בחוצה לארץ אוכלים בהם בלילה ודיניהם כדין שאר התעניות. שאין גוזרין על הצבור תענית כגון צום כפור אלא בא"י בלבד ובגלל המטר. ובאותן עשר תעניות שהן שלש אמצעיות ושבע אחרונות
FOOTNOTES
1.The Rambam, based on his interpretation of Ta'anit 14a, does not consider the nature of the situation during the first two sets of fasts serious enough to warrant that these women fast. During these seven fasts, in contrast, the drought has become a real danger. Hence, they are also required to fast.
This ruling is not accepted by many other authorities. Most follow Rashi's interpretation of the passage, which requires these women to fast during the second set of three fasts only. The rationale for that ruling is that he feels that the drought has already become serious enough to warrant their fasting during the second set of three fasts. In principle, these women should also fast during the final seven fasts, but the Rabbis felt that such a long period of fasting would be too taxing for them. Hence, they restricted their fasts to the second set alone. This is the ruling quoted by the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 575:5).
2.The same applies to other individuals who are ill and would suffer from the fast.
3.It is significant to mention the statement of the Ramah (Orach Chayim, ibid.), "It is forbidden for them to be stringent with themselves and fast."
4.Because of the severity of the situation, the leniencies that applied in the previous sets of fasts were withdrawn, and the men of the priestly watch who were not required to serve in the Temple that day were required to complete the fast. Even those who were required to serve in the Temple on that day (the men of the beit av) were obligated to fast for a portion of the day.
5.Nevertheless, with the exception of the factors mentioned in the following halachah, these fasts are also not more severe. Hence, the leniencies with regard to work, washing, anointing oneself, and wearing shoes mentioned in the previous halachah also apply.
6.As mentioned, in Eretz Yisrael, the rainy season should begin at the start of Marcheshvan.
7.The Mishnah Berurah 575:24 states that this applies even if a country's rainy season begins after Shavuot. Note also Hilchot Tefillah 2:16-17, in which the Rambam discusses the question of requesting rain in lands other than Eretz Yisrael. This question is particularly relevant in regard to countries in the southern hemisphere.
8.For individual fasts should not be held on these days.
9.This is approximately the time between the conclusion of the three fasts begun on the seventeenth of Cheshvan, and the beginning of the second series of fasts after Rosh Chodesh Kislev. (See Kessef Mishneh.)
10.As explained in the following halachah, there are, however, certain differences in the severity of the fasts.
11.Until dawn. See Chapter 1, Halachah 8.
12.See Halachah 9. Thus, there are no prohibitions against work, washing, anointing oneself, sexual relations, and wearing shoes on these fasts.
13.Ta'anit 11b states, "There is no communal fast in Babylon other than Tish'ah B'Av" - i.e., in Babylon, there is no fast as severe as Yom Kippur, with the exception of Tish'ah B'Av. Significantly, Tosafot (loc. cit.) and Rashi (Pesachim 54b) explain that this refers to the land of Babylon, where rains were always plentiful and there was never a need for fasts.
The Rambam - and other commentaries and authorities, including the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 575:10) - explain that the law which applies to Babylon, applies to the entire diaspora. It is not that there can be no need for a communal fast of this nature, but rather that, outside of Eretz Yisrael, the Jewish court lacks the authority to declare such a fast. (See the Jerusalem Talmud, Ta'anit 2:1.)
The Ramban explains that the reason for the lack of authority is that there is no Nasi in the diaspora, and the declaration of a communal fast would require his approval. The Rashba states that the lack of authority stems from the lack of judges who have received the semichah (ordination) extending back in a chain to Moses. (See Hilchot Sanhedrin, Chapter 4.) According to these opinions, even in Eretz Yisrael today it is impossible to ordain communal fasts of this nature. Note the gloss of the Birkei Yosef on the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 575), where this concept is discussed and a rationale is given for fasting in Eretz Yisrael today.
(Homiletically, it can be explained that the unity necessary to establish a community is possible only in Eretz Yisrael. In contrast, in the diaspora our greater involvement with material affairs prevents the establishment of true oneness among our people.)
14.Thus, such severe fasts are not ordained for any of the other difficulties mentioned in the second chapter. Although the Ramban differs with the Rambam on this point, the Rambam's view is accepted as halachah.
Ta'aniyot - Chapter Four
1
On each and every day of the final seven fasts for lack of rain, we pray in the [following] manner. The ark is taken out to the street of the city, and all the people gather together, while dressed in sackcloth.
Ashes are placed on the ark and on the Torah scroll to heighten the grief and humble [the people's] hearts. One of the people should take some ashes and place them on the head of the Nasi and on the head of the chief justice, so that they will be ashamed and repent. [The ashes] are placed on the place where one puts on tefillin. Everyone else should take ashes and place them on his [own] head.
א
בכל יום ויום משבע תעניות האחרונות של מטר מתפללין על סדר זה. מוציאין את התיבה לרחובה של עיר וכל העם מתקבצים ומתכסים בשקים. ונותנין אפר מקלה על גבי התיבה ועל גבי ספר תורה כדי להגדיל את הבכיה ולהכניע לבם. ואחד מן העם נוטל מן האפר ונותן בראש הנשיא ובראש אב בית דין במקום הנחת תפילין כדי שיכלמו וישובו. וכל אחד ואחד נוטל ונותן בראשו:
2
Afterwards, one of the wise elders [of the community] stands before them while they are sitting. If there is no wise elder, a man of wisdom should be chosen. If there is no man of wisdom, a man of stature should be chosen.
He should speak words of rebuke to them, telling them: "Brethren, it is not sackcloth and fasting that will have an effect, but rather repentance and good deeds. This is evident from [the story of] Nineveh. It is not stated with regard to the people of Nineveh, 'And God saw their sackcloth and their fasting,' but rather, 'And God saw their deeds' [Jonah 3:10]. Similarly, in the words of the prophetic tradition, it is written, 'Rend your hearts and not your garments' [Joel 2:13]." He should continue in this vein according to his ability until they are humbled and turn [to God] in complete repentance.
ב
ואחר כך מעמידין ביניהן זקן חכם והן יושבין. לא היה שם זקן חכם מעמידין חכם. לא היה שם לא זקן ולא חכם מעמידין אדם של צורה. ואומר לפניהם דברי כיבושין. אחינו לא שק ולא תענית גורמין אלא תשובה ומעשים טובים. שכן מצינו בנינוה שלא נאמר באנשי נינוה וירא האלהים את שקם ואת תעניתם אלא וירא האלהים את מעשיהם. ובקבלה הוא אומר קרעו לבבכם ואל בגדיכם. ומוסיף בעניינות אלו כפי כחו עד שיכניע לבם וישובו תשובה גמורה:
3
After this person has completed his words of rebuke, the community stands up to pray. They should choose a person suitable to serve as a leader of prayer on such fast days.1 If the person who spoke the words of rebuke is suitable to [lead the congregation in] prayer, he should.2 If not, another person should be chosen.
ג
ואחר שגומר זה דברי כיבושין עומדין בתפלה ומעמידין שליח צבור הראוי להתפלל בתעניות אלו. ואם היה אותו שאומר דברי הכיבושין ראוי להתפלל מתפלל ואם לאו מורידין אחר:
4
Who is fit to [lead the congregation in] prayer on these fasts? A person who leads the prayers frequently and who frequently reads the Torah, the Prophets, and the Sacred Writings. He should have children, but lack means and have work in the field.
None of his children, nor any member of his household, nor any of his relatives who are dependent upon him, should be transgressors; rather, his house should be empty of sin; nor should any unfavorable report have been made concerning him during his childhood.
He should be humble, appreciated by the community, and have a voice that is appealing and sweet. If he possesses all these virtues and is also an elder, this is most desirable. [Nevertheless, even when he] is not an elder, since he does possess these virtues, he is fit to [lead the congregation in] prayer.
ד
ואי זה הוא הראוי להתפלל בתעניות אלו. איש שהוא רגיל בתפלה. ורגיל לקרות בתורה נביאים וכתובים. ומטופל ואין לו. ויש לו יגיעה בשדה. ולא יהיה בבניו ובבני ביתו וכל קרוביו הנלוים עליו בעל עבירה. אלא יהיה ביתו ריקן מן העבירות. ולא יצא עליו שם רע בילדותו. שפל ברך. ומרוצה לעם. ויש לו נעימה וקולו ערב. ואם היה זקן עם כל המדות האלו הרי זה מפואר. ואם אינו זקן הואיל ויש בו כל המדות האלו יתפלל:
5
The chazan should begin and recite the Shemoneh Esreh [in the usual fashion]3 until the blessing Go'el Yisrael.4 He then recites Zichronot5 and Shofarot6 that relate to the difficulty [facing the people].7 He should also recite the psalms, "I called to God in my distress and He answered me" (Psalm 120), "I lift up my eyes to the mountains" (Psalm 121), "Out of the depths, I called to You, O God" (Psalm 130), "A prayer of the afflicted, when he becomes faint" (Psalm 102).
ה
ושליח צבור מתחיל ומתפלל עד ברכת גואל ישראל. ואומר זכרונות ושופרות מעין הצרה. ואומר אל ה' בצרתה לי קראתי ויענני. אשא עיני אל ההרים וגו'. ממעמקים קראתיך ה'. תפלה לעני כי יעטוף וגו':
6
[In this blessing,] he recites supplicatory prayers according to his ability.8 He says, "Please, behold our affliction and wage our battle; speed our redemption."9 He then recites supplications and states at the conclusion of these supplications, "He who answered Abraham our patriarch at Mount Moriah,10 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You, God, Redeemer of Israel."
ו
ואומר דברי תחנונים כפי כחו. ואומר ראה נא בעניינו וריבה ריבנו ומהר לגאלנו. ומתחנן ואומר בסוף תחנוניו מי שענה את אברהם אבינו בהר המוריה הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' גואל ישראל:
7
He then begins to add six blessings; these are added one after the other. In each of them, he recites supplicatory prayers which include pleas [for mercy] and verses11 from the Prophets and the Holy Writings with which he is familiar.12 He concludes each of these blessings with the concluding phrases mentioned below.
ז
ומתחיל להוסיף שש ברכות שהוא מוסיף זו אחר זו. ומתחנן בכל אחת מהן בדברי תחנונים ופסוקים מדברי קבלה ומכתבי הקדש כפי שהוא רגיל וחותם בכל אחת מהן בחתימות אלו:
8
For the first of these blessings, he concludes: "He who answered Moses and our ancestors at the Red Sea13 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You God, who remembers the forgotten."14
ח
בראשונה הוא חותם מי שענה את משה ואבותינו על ים סוף הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' זוכר הנשכחות:
9
For the second of these blessings, he concludes: "He who answered Joshua at Gilgal15 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You, God, who hears the sounding [of the trumpets]."16
ט
בשנייה הוא חותם מי שענה את יהושע בגלגל הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' שומע תרועה:
10
For the third of these blessings, he concludes: "He who answered Samuel at Mitzpeh17 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You, God, who hears an outcry."18
י
בשלישית הוא חותם מי שענה את שמואל במצפה הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' שומע צעקה:
11
For the fourth of these blessings, he concludes: "He who answered Elijah at Mount Carmel19 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You, God, who hears prayer."20
יא
ברביעית הוא חותם מי שענה את אליהו בהר הכרמל הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' שומע תפלה:
12
For the fifth of these blessings, he concludes: "He who answered Jonah in the belly of the fish21 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You, God, who answers in a time of distress."22
יב
בחמישית הוא חותם מי שענה את יונה במעי הדגה הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' העונה בעת צרה:
13
For the sixth of these blessings, he concludes: "He who answered David and Solomon, his son, in Jerusalem23 will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day. Blessed are You God, who has mercy on the land."24
The people all answer Amen after each of these blessings25 in the same manner as Amen is recited after all blessings.26
יג
בששית הוא חותם מי שענה את דוד ושלמה בנו בירושלים הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה. ברוך אתה ה' המרחם על הארץ. וכל העם עונין אמן אחר כל ברכה וברכה כדרך שעונין אחר כל ברכות:
14
For the seventh of these blessings, he begins, "Heal us, O God, and we will be healed," and concludes the Shemoneh Esreh in its usual order. The trumpets are sounded. This is the order of prayer [on these fasts] in all places.
יד
בשביעית אומר רפאנו ה' ונרפא וכו'. וגומר התפלה על הסדר ותוקעין בחצוצרות. וכסדר הזה עושין בכל מקום:
15
When [the people] would pray according to this order in Jerusalem, they would gather on the Temple Mount, before the eastern gate, and pray in this manner. When the chazan reached the passage, "He who answered Abraham,..." he would say, "Blessed are You God, our Lord, the Lord of Israel, for all eternity. Blessed are You God, Redeemer of Israel." They would respond to him, "Blessed be His name and the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever."
The attendant to the synagogue would tell those who blow [the trumpets]: "Sound a teki'ah, priests. Sound a teki'ah." The person reciting the prayers then repeats, "He who answered Abraham our patriarch at Mount Moriah, will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day." Afterwards, the priests [blow the trumpets,] sounding a teki'ah, a series of teru'ot, and a teki'ah.
טו
כשהיו מתפללין על הסדר הזה בירושלים היו מתכנסין להר הבית כנגד שער המזרח ומתפללין כסדר הזה. וכשמגיע שליח צבור לומר מי שענה את אברהם אומר ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו אלהי ישראל מן העולם ועד העולם ברוך אתה ה' גואל ישראל. והן עונין אחריו ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. וחזן הכנסת אומר לתוקעים תקעו בני אהרן תקעו. וחוזר המתפלל ואומר מי שענה את אברהם בהר המוריה הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה ואחר כך תוקעין הכהנים ומריעין ותוקעין:
16
Similarly, in the second of these blessings, which is the first of the six [blessings] that are added, the chazan concludes the blessing, "Blessed are You, God, our Lord, the Lord of Israel, for all eternity. Blessed are You, God, who remembers the forgotten." [The people] would respond to him, "Blessed be His name and the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever."
The attendant to the synagogue would tell those who blow [the trumpets]: "Sound a teru'ah, sons of Aaron.27 Sound a teru'ah."28 The person reciting the prayers then repeats, "He who answered Moses and our ancestors at the Red Sea, will answer you and will hear the sound of your outcry on this day." Afterwards, the priests [blow the trumpets,] sounding a series of teru'ot, a teki'ah, and a series of teru'ot.
טז
וכן בברכה השנייה לזו שהיא ראשונה מן השש שמוסיף חותם בה ברוך ה' אלהים אלהי ישראל מן העולם ועד העולם ברוך אתה ה' זוכר הנשכחות. והן עונין ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. וחזן הכנסת אומר להן הריעו בני אהרן הריעו. וחוזר שליח צבור ואומר מי שענה את משה ואבותינו על ים סוף הוא יענה אתכם וישמע קול צעקתכם ביום הזה ואחר כך מריעין ותוקעין ומריעין.
17
Similarly for each [of these] blessings: for one, he announces "Sound a teki'ah," and for the other, he announces "Sound a teru'ah," until all seven blessings are concluded. Thus, at times, the priests blow a series, teki'ah, teru'ah, teki'ah, and at times, they blow a series, teru'ah, teki'ah, teru'ah.29 Seven series are blown.
This order is followed only on the Temple Mount. When they blow teki'ot and teru'ot there, they sound the trumpets and the shofar together, as explained.30
יז
וכן על כל ברכה וברכה באחת אומר תקעו ובאחת אומר הריעו עד שיגמור כל שבע הברכות. ונמצאו הכהנים פעם תוקעין ומריעין ותוקעין. ופעם מריעין ותוקעין ומריעין שבע פעמים. ואין עושים הסדר זה אלא בהר הבית בלבד. וכשהן תוקעין ומריעין שם תוקעין בחצוצרות ובשופר כאחת כמו שאמרנו:
18
In all places31 where these seven fasts are decreed, all the people go out to the cemetery after praying and weep and offer supplications, as if to say, "Unless you return from your [sinful] ways, you are like these deceased people."32
In each of the communal fast days that are decreed because of distressing circumstances,33 the Ne'ilah service34 is recited in all places.
יח
שבע תעניות האלו כל מקום שגוזרין אותם שם. אחר שמתפללין יוצאין כל העם לבית הקברות ובוכין ומתחננים שם. כלומר הרי אתם מתים כאלו אם לא תשובו מדרכיכם. ובכל תענית מתעניות הצרות שגוזרין על הצבור מתפללין תפלת נעילה בכל מקום:
19
When the rains descend [in response to] their [prayers] - to what extent is it necessary for them to descend in order for the community to cease fasting?35 When they descend a handbreadth into parched earth, two handbreadths into ordinary earth, and three handbreadths into cultivated earth.36
יט
ירדו להם גשמים עד מתי יהיו יורדין ויפסקו הצבור מן התענית. משירדו בעומק הארץ החריבה טפח. ובבינונית טפחים. ובעבודה עד שירדו בעומק שלשה טפחים
FOOTNOTES
1.A chazan is not considered a mere functionary. Rather, since he is the leader of prayer, it is hoped that he will motivate all the members of the community to sincere prayer. Moreover, his personal merits can influence the standing of the community as a whole and cause their prayers to be acceptable more readily.
2.Since he is the wisest and most distinguished member of the community, it would be appropriate for him to lead the prayers.
3.The Tur (Orach Chayim 579) maintains that changes are made in the previous blessing, S'lach lanu, as well. To the usual text of that blessing, we add the confessional prayers recited on Yom Kippur.
4.Go'el Yisrael, "the Redeemer of Israel," is the seventh blessing of the Shemoneh Esreh. Instead of reciting that blessing in its usual manner, the following additions should be made.
The Maggid Mishneh notes that the Rambam apparently had a different version of the Mishnah, Ta'anit 2:3. According to the version of the Mishnah in common use at present, the six passages mentioned above form the body of the six blessings added on these fasts. In contrast, according to the simple interpretation of the Rambam's text, all these passages should be added in the blessing Go'el Yisrael. Significantly, almost all other authorities follow the former view.
5.Verses recalling God's remembrance of the Jewish people. (See Hilchot Shofar 3:8-9.)
6.Verses recalling the unique influence of the shofar. (See Hilchot Shofar, ibid.)
7.I.e., the chazan does not recite the same verses that are recited in the Rosh HaShanah prayers, but different verses, more appropriate to the present circumstances.
8.I.e., according to the Rambam, there is no set text for these prayers, and their text is chosen by the chazan.
9.This is the text of the blessing Go'el Yisrael that is recited every day.
10.I.e., at the binding of Isaac. The Jerusalem Talmud (Ta'anit 2:4) questions the nature of this reference. The intention surely is not that Abraham prayed to God to spare Isaac, for he was totally willing to sacrifice him to fulfill God's will. Instead, this refers to a short prayer that Abraham recited after God told him not to sacrifice his son. In this prayer, he implored God to remember the merit of his act and come to the assistance of his descendants whenever they would be in distress. God "answered Abraham" and acquiesced.
11.I.e., according to the Rambam, there is no set text for the main body of these six blessings. Instead, it must be chosen by the chazan. The conclusions for each of these blessings are listed in the halachot that follow.
12.As mentioned above, for this reason it is necessary that the chazan be familiar with the entire Bible.
13.There they prayed to be saved from their Egyptian pursuers. (See Exodus 14:15 and Rashi's commentary.)
14.Rashi, Ta'anit 15a, explains that this conclusion is appropriate because after the many years of exile in Egypt, the Jews despaired of being redeemed and considered themselves to have been forgotten by God.
This differs from the conclusion of the Zichronot blessing on Rosh HaShanah, which is "...who remembers the covenant." Significantly, even the Tur (Orach Chayim 579) and the authorities who differ with the Rambam and maintain that the six passages mentioned in Halachah 5 form the body of these six blessings agree with the Rambam concerning the conclusion of this blessing.
See also Rashi (Ta'anit 15a), who explains the connection between each of the blessings and the correspondent passage of these six.
15.This refers to Joshua's prayers that he be able to conquer Jericho. That city fell after the people encircled it blowing the shofar. Joshua's prayer is mentioned as Gilgal because that was the site of the encampment of the Jewish people at that time. (See Joshua, Chapter 5.)
16.This is the conclusion of the Shofarot blessing on Rosh HaShanah, according to the Rambam. The Tur has a different text in both places. See note 14.
17.This refers to Samuel's prayer that the Jews be rescued from the Philistines. (See I Samuel 7:8-10.)
18.The verses cited in the previous note speak of Samuel "crying out to God."
19.This refers to Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Elijah prayed to God to accept his offering. Afterwards, he also prayed on Mount Carmel for rain. (See I Kings, Chapter 18.)
20.Despite the use of this conclusion for one of the blessings of the daily Shemoneh Esreh, it is also employed here.
21.After fleeing from the fulfillment of the mission which God had assigned him, Jonah was thrown to the sea and swallowed by a large fish. Out of the fish's belly, he called out in prayer to God. (See Jonah, Chapter 2.)
22.Jonah began his prayer, "I cried out to God in my distress and He heard me."
23.Rashi, Ta'anit 15a, explains that this refers to David's prayer, II Samuel 21:1, after the land suffered a famine for three successive years. Solomon's prayer refers to the prayer he uttered at the dedication of the Temple, I Kings 8:22-53, in which he beseeched God to hear the prayers of the Jews in their time of need.
24.Although King David and King Solomon preceded Elijah and Jonah chronologically, the prayers of the former are chosen as the subject for this concluding blessing, because the intent of their prayers resembles that of the people praying in these communal fasts, that God have mercy on His people and on His holy land in a time of distress (Tosafot, Ta'anit 16b).
25.The Rambam emphasizes this point, because when these blessings are recited in the Temple, the people respond in a different manner, as explained in Halachah 15.
26.See Hilchot Berachot 1:13-14.
27."Sons of Aaron" is analogous to "priests."
28.The repetition of the phrase "Sound a teru'ah," implies that a series teru'ah, teki'ah, teru'ah is sounded.
29.The Ra'avad differs with the Rambam on this point, explaining that when the announcement "Sound a teki'ah" was made, only a teki'ah was sounded. Conversely, when the announcement "Sound a teru'ah" was made, only a teru'ah was sounded. The B'nei Binyamin (based on his text of the Tosefta, Ta'anit 1:10) mentions a third opinion, that for all seven times, they blew a series teki'ah, teru'ah, teki'ah.
30.See Chapter 1, Halachah 4. Only in the Temple is the shofar sounded together with the trumpets. Outside the Temple, only the trumpets - or according to the Maggid Mishneh, either the trumpets or the shofar - is sounded.
31.I.e., throughout Eretz Yisrael and also in the diaspora, not only on the Temple Mount as in the previous halachot.
32.This emphasizes the theme expressed several times in this text, that distress and relief from it are dependent on our virtuous conduct or lack thereof.
Significantly, Ta'anit 16a gives two rationales for this custom: the one quoted by the Rambam, and a second one, "so that the dead will intercede on our behalf." That passage continues, "What is the difference between these two opinions? A non-Jewish cemetery."
Rashi explains that in a non-Jewish cemetery, there is no concept of the dead interceding on our behalf. Nevertheless, even such a place is sufficient to communicate the message "Unless you return...." In light of this, the Lechem Mishneh mentions that if there is no Jewish cemetery available, the community may go to a non-Jewish cemetery. Significantly, the Ramah (Orach Chayim 579:3) quotes this as halachah. (Note, however, the Mishnah Berurah 579:4.)
33.This includes all the thirteen fasts declared because of rain and all communal fasts decreed because of the distressing circumstances mentioned in Chapter 2. As the Rambam explicitly states (Hilchot Nesiat Kapayim 14:2), Ne'ilah is not recited on commemorative fasts such as Tish'ah B'Av or the Seventeenth of Tammuz. It is, however, recited on Yom Kippur.
34.The word Ne'ilah means "closing." It refers to "the closing of the gates of heaven for the setting sun" (Hilchot Tefillah 1:7). This service is added just before sunset. Thus, on communal fasts, four services are recited.
The Jerusalem Talmud (Berachot 4:1) states that this extra prayer service was added because "All those who increase their prayers are answered."
35.See Chapter 1, Halachah 16.
36.In all three instances, a similar amount of rain is required. Parched earth does not allow the water to penetrate easily. Conversely, cultivated earth is broken up and thus allows for greater penetration.
Hayom Yom:
• English Text | Video Class
Shabbt, Kislev 14, 5778 · 02 December 2017
"Today's Day"
Shabbat, Kislev 14*, 704
Torah lessons: Chumash: Vayishlach, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 72-76.
Tanya: "David! Do you call (p. 621)...his time of trouble. (p. 623).
Birkat hamazon (pp. 88-94) is said over a cup of wine even without ten (people having dined together). The cup is held in the palm of the hand, the fingers extending upward. Hold the cup from Rabossai mir velen benchen1 until after the third b'racha,2 when it is placed on the table.
In one of my father's sichot, he explained a subject, of which this is the core:
There are tzadik, yashar, tamim and chassid. Tzadik3 is so called regarding his fulfillment of the positive mitzvot, thereby eliciting revelations inherent in the creative order.4
Yashar5 is so called regarding his fulfillment of the negative mitzvot - which draws forth revelations beyond the creative order. Tamim, (man of) earnestness6 elicits revelations (from a level of G-dliness at which) "the taste of the tree and its fruit is the same" - the co-joining of the Encompassing (soveiv)7 and Permeating (memalei)8 modes of Divine influence.
Highest of all is Chassid, and here there are three levels: (a) Worldly affairs do not disturb or distract him. Every individual can, and every individual must, attain this level. (b) All his affairs "are G-dliness."9 Though this level "is not distant from you etc.,"10 it is still not within everyone's reach. (c) The level described in Tikunei Zohar, "Who is a chassid? He who conducts himself with benevolence towards his Creator - towards His nest"11 - which means that he seeks to unite the Holy One blessed be He, and His Shechina12 within those who dwell in the lower worlds - not merely to quench the thirst of his own soul; as explained in Tanya.13
FOOTNOTES
*.This day marks the marriage, in 5689 (1928) of the Rebbe of righteous memory with the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka of blessed memory, daughter of the Previous Rebbe of blessed memory.
1."Gentlemen, let us say the Blessings."
2.I.e. after the words "...who in His mercy rebuilds Jerusalem. Amen." (p. 91).
3.Lit. "saintly person."
4.Seder hishtalsh'lut, "The Order of Downward Progression."
5.Lit. "upright person."
6.Cf. Tishrei 4, p. 93.
7.A mode of G-d's creative force transcending the creative order.
8.Divine Immanence, enclothing itself within the creative order. See Translator's Notes (p. 120 in the printed version).
9.See Supplementary Footnotes, (p. 130 in the printed version).
10.Devarim 30:11.
11.Introduction to Tikunei Zohar 1b.
12.See Supplementary Footnotes, p. 130.
13.See Supplementary Footnotes, p. 130.
Daily Thought:
Head and Feet
With toil and persistence, asceticism and great sacrifice, a human being can enlighten his mind. He can reach so high as to perceive the world of the angels—or even to be granted the gift of prophecy.
But, as hard as any of us may try, as long as our brains are made of gray matter, we can never attain the enlightenment of the least of those fiery beings.
What amazes the angels, however, is this uncanny ability of a human being: To stick his head in the clouds and yet keep both feet on the ground. To traverse worlds. (Likutei Sichot vol. 15, pg. 15.)
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