Today in Judaism – Today is: Saturday(Shabbat,
27 Kislev 5774 · 30 November 2013 Chanukah Day 3
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Torah Reading:
Mikeitz (Genesis Joseph Interprets
Pharaoh’s Dream
41: After two whole years, Pharaoh
dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and there came up out of the Nile
seven sleek and fat cows, and they grazed in the reed grass. 3 Then seven other
cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other
cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 The ugly and thin cows ate up the seven sleek
and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second
time; seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 Then
seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. 7 The thin
ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a
dream. 8 In the morning his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all
the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but
there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to
Pharaoh, “I remember my faults today. 10 Once Pharaoh was angry with his
servants, and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain
of the guard. 11 We dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream
with its own meaning. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the
captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving
an interpretation to each according to his dream. 13 As he interpreted to us,
so it turned out; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he
was hurriedly brought out of the dungeon. When he had shaved himself and
changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it
said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph
answered Pharaoh, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the banks of the
Nile; 18 and seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the Nile and fed in the
reed grass. 19 Then seven other cows came up after them, poor, very ugly, and
thin. Never had I seen such ugly ones in all the land of Egypt. 20 The thin and
ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no
one would have known that they had done so, for they were still as ugly as
before. Then I awoke. 22 I fell asleep a second time[a] and I saw in my dream
seven ears of grain, full and good, growing on one stalk, 23 and seven ears,
withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouting after them; 24 and the
thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. But when I told it to the magicians,
there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh,
“Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is
about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears
are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came
up after them are seven years, as are the seven empty ears blighted by the east
wind. They are seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown
to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great
plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 After them there will arise seven
years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the
famine will consume the land. 31 The plenty will no longer be known in the land
because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very grievous. 32 And
the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God
will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man who is discerning
and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint
overseers over the land, and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt
during the seven plenteous years. 35 Let them gather all the food of these good
years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food
in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the
land against the seven years of famine that are to befall the land of Egypt, so
that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Joseph’s Rise to Power
37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all
his servants. 38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like
this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since
God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you
command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42
Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he
arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. 43
He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command; and they cried out in
front of him, “Bow the knee!”[b] Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44
Moreover Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one
shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the
name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of
On, as his wife. Thus Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he
entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the
presence of Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the
seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. 48 He gathered up all the
food of the seven years when there was plenty[c] in the land of Egypt, and
stored up food in the cities; he stored up in every city the food from the
fields around it. 49 So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand
of the sea—that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of famine came,
Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to
him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh,[d] “For,” he said, “God has made
me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 The second he named
Ephraim,[e] “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes.”
53 The seven years of plenty that
prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an end; 54 and the seven years of famine
began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but
throughout the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was
famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the
Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.” 56 And since the famine had
spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses,[f] and sold to the
Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the
world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine became severe
throughout the world.
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42: When Jacob learned that there was
grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another? 2
I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain
for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went
down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin
with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him. 5 Thus the sons
of Israel were among the other people who came to buy grain, for the famine had
reached the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor over the land;
it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came
and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph
saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and
spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the
land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 Although Joseph had recognized his brothers,
they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph also remembered the dreams that he had dreamed
about them. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness
of the land!” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy
food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants have
never been spies.” 12 But he said to them, “No, you have come to see the
nakedness of the land!” 13 They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers,
the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now
with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is just
as I have said to you; you are spies! 15 Here is how you shall be tested: as
Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother
comes here! 16 Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you
remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is
truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put
them all together in prison for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them,
“Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one
of your brothers stay here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go
and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest
brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And
they agreed to do so. 21 They said to one another, “Alas, we are paying the
penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with
us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us.” 22
Then Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you
would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did
not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
24 He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and spoke to them. And
he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave
orders to fill their bags with grain, to return every man’s money to his sack,
and to give them provisions for their journey. This was done for them.
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan
26 They loaded their donkeys with their
grain, and departed. 27 When one of them opened his sack to give his donkey
fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money at the top of the sack. 28 He
said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in my sack!” At
this they lost heart and turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this
that God has done to us?”
29 When they came to their father Jacob
in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and charged us with spying
on the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men, we are not spies. 32 We
are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is
now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the
land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of
your brothers with me, take grain for the famine of your households, and go
your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you are
not spies but honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you may
trade in the land.’”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there
in each one’s sack was his bag of money. When they and their father saw their
bundles of money, they were dismayed. 36 And their father Jacob said to them,
“I am the one you have bereaved of children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is
no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has happened to me!” 37 Then
Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back
to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 But he said,
“My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is
left. If harm should come to him on the journey that you are to make, you would
bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
The Brothers Come Again, Bringing
Benjamin
43: Now the famine was severe in the
land. 2 And when they had eaten up the grain that they had brought from Egypt,
their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.” 3 But Judah
said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face
unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we
will go down and buy you food; 5 but if you will not send him, we will not go
down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother
is with you.’” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man
that you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully
about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you
another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we
in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 Then Judah
said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and let us be on our way, so
that we may live and not die—you and we and also our little ones. 9 I myself
will be surety for him; you can hold me accountable for him. If I do not bring
him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10
If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them,
“If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in
your bags, and carry them down as a present to the man—a little balm and a
little honey, gum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money
with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the top of your
sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and be on your
way again to the man; 14 may God Almighty[g] grant you mercy before the man, so
that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am
bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” 15 So the men took the present, and
they took double the money with them, as well as Benjamin. Then they went on
their way down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he
said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter
an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man
did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were
afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is
because of the money, replaced in our sacks the first time, that we have been
brought in, so that he may have an opportunity to fall upon us, to make slaves
of us and take our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s
house and spoke with him at the entrance to the house. 20 They said, “Oh, my
lord, we came down the first time to buy food; 21 and when we came to the
lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each one’s money in the top of
his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it back with us. 22
Moreover we have brought down with us additional money to buy food. We do not
know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He replied, “Rest assured, do not be
afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your
sacks for you; I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24
When the steward[h] had brought the men into Joseph’s house, and given them
water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys
fodder, 25 they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they
had heard that they would dine there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought
him the present that they had carried into the house, and bowed to the ground
before him. 27 He inquired about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well,
the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant
our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and did
obeisance. 29 Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son,
and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be
gracious to you, my son!” 30 With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was
overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went
into a private room and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out;
and controlling himself he said, “Serve the meal.” 32 They served him by
himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by
themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is
an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 When they were seated before him, the
firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth,
the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from
Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs.
So they drank and were merry with him.
Joseph Detains Benjamin
44: Then he commanded the steward of his
house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each
man’s money in the top of his sack. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the top of
the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph
told him. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their
donkeys. 4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said
to his steward, “Go, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to
them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver
cup?[i] 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks? Does he not indeed use it
for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’”
6 When he overtook them, he repeated
these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as
these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Look,
the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from
the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s
house? 9 Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die;
moreover the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” 10 He said, “Even so; in
accordance with your words, let it be: he with whom it is found shall become my
slave, but the rest of you shall go free.” 11 Then each one quickly lowered his
sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with
the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s
sack. 13 At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and
they returned to the city.
14 Judah and his brothers came to
Joseph’s house while he was still there; and they fell to the ground before
him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not
know that one such as I can practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What can
we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has found
out the guilt of your servants; here we are then, my lord’s slaves, both we and
also the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far
be it from me that I should do so! Only the one in whose possession the cup was
found shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Footnotes:
Genesis 41:22 Gk Syr Vg: Heb lacks I fell
asleep a second time
Genesis 41:43 Abrek, apparently an
Egyptian word similar in sound to the Hebrew word meaning to kneel
Genesis 41:48 Sam Gk: MT the seven years
that were
Genesis 41:51 That is Making to forget
Genesis 41:52 From a Hebrew word meaning
to be fruitful
Genesis 41:56 Gk Vg Compare Syr: Heb
opened all that was in (or, among) them
Genesis 43:14 Traditional rendering of
Heb El Shaddai
Genesis 43:24 Heb the man
Genesis 44:4 Gk Compare Vg: Heb lacks Why
have you stolen my silver cup?(NRSV))
Today in Jewish History:
• Flood rains cease (2105 BCE)
The forty days and nights of rainfall
which covered the face of earth with water in Noah's time ended on Kislev 27 of
the year 1656 from creation (2105 BCE. The flood itself lasted a full year, as
related in Genesis 6-8).
Links: Chronology of the Flood; The
Torah's account (Parshat Noach); The 40-Day Mikvah
• 3rd Day of Chanukah Miracle (139 BCE)
On the 25th of Kislev in the year 3622
from creation, the Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, after
defeating the vastly more numerous and powerful armies of the Syrian-Greek king
Antiochus IV, who had tried to forcefully uproot the beliefs and practices of
Judaism from the people of Israel. The victorious Jews repaired, cleansed and
rededicated the Temple to the service of G-d. But all the Temple's oil had been
defiled by the pagan invaders; when the Jews sought to light the Temple's
menorah (candelabra), they found only one small cruse of ritually pure olive
oil. Miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new, pure
oil could be obtained. In commemoration, the Sages instituted the 8-day
festival of Chanukah, on which lights are kindled nightly to recall and
publicize the miracle.
Link: The Story of Chanukah
• Passing of R. Chaim of Tchernovitz
(1817)
Rabbi Chaim of Tchernovitz (1760-1817)
was a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch and of Rabbi Yechiel Michel of
Zlotchov. He authored Be'er Mayim Chayim ("Well of Living Waters"), a
commentary on Torah. Rabbi Chaim passed away on the 3rd day of Chanukah.
Link: More on Rabbi Chaim of Tchernovitz
• 2nd liberation of R. Schneur Zalman of
Liadi (1800)
Two years after his arrest and liberation
in 1798 (see entries for "Kislev 19" and here), Rabbi Schneur Zalman
of Liadi (founder of Chabad, 1745-1812) was arrested a second time; again, the
charges were that his teachings undermined the imperial authority of the Czar.
His second incarceration was less severe than the first; yet Chassidim mark the
anniversary of his release on the third day of Chanukah with farbrengens
(Chassidic gatherings) and the study of his teachings.
According to other versions of the story,
the liberation occurred on the fifth day of Chanukah. Apparently the liberation
happened in two stages.
Today’s Laws and Customs:
• Blessing the New Month
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim
("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is
recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of upcoming
month of Tevet, which falls on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
Prior to the blessing, we announce the
precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon. Click here
for molad times.
It is a Chabad custom to recite the
entire book of Psalms before morning prayers, and to conduct farbrengens
(chassidic gatherings) in the course of the Shabbat.
Links: On the Significance of Shabbat
Mevarchim; Tehillim (the Book of Psalms); The Farbrengen
• Hallel & Al HaNissim
Special prayers of thanksgiving -- Hallel
(in its full version) and Al HaNissim -- are added to the daily prayers and
Grace After Meals on all eight days of Chanukah. Tachnun (confession of sins)
and similar prayers are omitted for the duration of trhe festival.
• Kindle Four Chanukah Lights after
nightfall
In commemorartion of the miracle of
Chanukah (see "Today in Jewish History" for Kislev 25) we kindle the
Chanukah lights -- oil lamps or candles -- each evening of the eight-day
festival, increasing the number of lights each evening. Tonight we kindle four
lights. (In the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall; this evening,
then, commences the 4th day of Chanukah).
IMPORTANT: Because of the prohibition to
kindle fire on Shabbat, the Chanukah lights must be lit after after the
Havdalah service marking the end of Shabbat at nightfall. The time for
Shabbat's end and Chanukah lighting is displayed below. (If no time is
displayed, click on icon to set your location.)
For a more detailed guide to Chanukah
lighting (and additional Chanukah observances and customs) click here. For text
and audio of the blessings recited before lighting, click here.
Daily Study - Chitas and Rambam for
today: Chumash: Mikeitz, 7th Portion Genesis 43:30-44:17 with Rashi
Chapter 43
30. And Joseph hastened, for his mercy
was stirred toward his brother, and he wanted to weep; so he went into the room
and wept there. ל. וַיְמַהֵר יוֹסֵף כִּי נִכְמְרוּ רַחֲמָיו אֶל אָחִיו וַיְבַקֵּשׁ
לִבְכּוֹת וַיָּבֹא הַחַדְרָה וַיֵּבְךְּ שָׁמָּה:
for his mercy was stirred: He (Joseph)
asked him (Benjamin), “Have you a brother from your mother?” He replied, “I had
a brother, but I do not know where he is.” “Have you any sons?” He replied, “I
have ten.” He asked, “And what are their names?” He replied, “Bela and Becher,
etc.” He asked, “What is the significance of these names?” He replied,“All of
them are connected to my brother and the troubles that befell him. [My first
son was named] Bela because he (my brother) was swallowed up (נִבְלַע) among
the nations. [My second son was named] Becher because he (my brother) was the
firstborn (בְּכוֹר) of my mother. [My third son was named] Ashbel because God
put him (my brother) into captivity (שְׁבָאו ֹאֵל). [My fourth son was named]
Gera because he (my brother) was a stranger (נִתְגַּיֵר) in a lodging place.
And [my fifth son was named] Na’aman because he (my brother) was very pleasant
[to look upon] (נָעִים). [My sixth and seventh sons were named] Ehi and Rosh
because he was my brother (אָחִי), and he was my superior (רֹאשִׁי). [My eighth
son was named] Muppim because he (my brother) learned from the mouth of (מִפִּי)
my father. [My ninth son was named] Huppim because he (my brother) did not see
my wedding (חוּפָּתִי), neither did I see his wedding (חוּפָּתוֹ). And [my
tenth son was named] Ard because he (my brother) descended (יָרַד) among the
nations.” This is as stated in Tractate Sotah (36b). Immediately, his
(Joseph’s) mercy was stirred.
כי נכמרו רחמיו: שאלו יש לך אח מאם, אמר לו
אח היה לי ואיני יודע היכן הוא. יש לך בנים, אמר לו יש לי עשרה, אמר לו ומה שמם, אמר
לו (להלן מו כא) בלע ובכר וגו', אמר לו מה טיבן של שמות הללו, אמר לו כולם על שם אחי
והצרות אשר מצאוהו, בלע שנבלע בין האומות. בכר שהיה בכור לאמי. אשבאל ששבאו אל. גרא
שנתגייר באכסניא. ונעמן, שהיה נעים ביותר. אחי וראש אחי היה וראשי היה. מופים מפי אביו
למד. וחופים שלא ראה חופתי ולא ראיתי אני חופתו. וארד שירד לבין האומות, כדאיתא במסכת
סוטה (לו ב) מיד נכמרו רחמיו:
was stirred: Heb. נִכְמְרוּ, was heated.
In the language of the Mishnah,“on a heating (כֹּמֶר) vessel of olives” (Sotah
74a), and in Aramaic,“because of the heating (מִכְמַר) of the meat” (Pes. 58a),
and in the Scriptures,“Our skin is parched (נִכְמָרוּ) because of the heat of
hunger” (Lam. 5:10). So is the way of all skin; when it is heated, it shrivels
and shrinks. — [from Lam. Rabbah 5:10].
נכמרו: נתחממו, ובלשון משנה (ב"מ עד א)
על הכומר של זיתים, ובלשון ארמי מכמר בשרא, ובמקרא (איכה ה י) עורנו כתנור נכמרו, נתחממו
ונקמטו קמטים קמטים מפני זלעפות רעב. כן דרך כל עור כשמחממין אותו נקמט וכווץ:
31. And he washed his face and came out,
and he restrained himself and said, "Serve the food." לא.
וַיִּרְחַץ פָּנָיו וַיֵּצֵא וַיִּתְאַפַּק וַיֹּאמֶר שִׂימוּ לָחֶם:
and he restrained himself: Heb. וַיִתְאַפַּק,
and he strengthened himself. וַיִתְאַפַּק is an expression of“the strong (אִפִיקֵי)
shields” (Job 41:7), [meaning] strength, and similarly,“and loosens the belt of
the strong (אִפִיקִים)” (ibid. 12:21).
ויתאפק: נתאמץ. והוא לשון (איוב יב כא) ומזיח
אפיקים רפה, וכן (איוב מא ז) אפיקי מגנים, חוזק:
32. And they set for him separately and
for them separately, and for the Egyptians who ate with him separately, because
the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, because it is an abomination
to the Egyptians. לב. וַיָּשִׂימוּ לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וְלָהֶם לְבַדָּם
וְלַמִּצְרִים הָאֹכְלִים אִתּוֹ לְבַדָּם כִּי לֹא יוּכְלוּן הַמִּצְרִים לֶאֱכֹל
אֶת הָעִבְרִים לֶחֶם כִּי תוֹעֵבָה הִוא לְמִצְרָיִם:
because it is an abomination to the
Egyptians: It is a hateful thing for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and
Onkelos gave the reason for the matter.
כי תועבה הוא: דבר שנאוי הוא למצרים לאכול את
העברים, ואונקלוס נתן טעם לדבר:
33. They sat before him, the firstborn
according to his age, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men
looked at each other in astonishment. לג. וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לְפָנָיו הַבְּכֹר כִּבְכֹרָתוֹ
וְהַצָּעִיר כִּצְעִרָתוֹ וַיִּתְמְהוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ:
the firstborn according to his age: He
knocked his goblet and announced, “Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and
Zebulun, sons of one mother, sit in this order, which is the order of your
births,” and so [did he order] all of them. When he reached Benjamin, he
said,“This one has no mother, and I have no mother. Let him sit beside me.” -
[from Gen. Rabbah 93:7]
הבכור כבכורתו: מכה בגביע וקורא ראובן שמעון
לוי ויהודה יששכר וזבולון, בני אם אחת, הסבו כסדר הזה שהיא סדר תולדותיכם וכן כולם,
כיון שהגיע לבנימין אמר זה אין לו אם ואני אין לי אם ישב אצלי:
34. And he had portions brought to them
from before him, and Benjamin's portion was five times as large as the portions
of any of them, and they drank and became intoxicated with him. לד.
וַיִּשָּׂא מַשְׂאֹת מֵאֵת פָּנָיו אֲלֵהֶם וַתֵּרֶב מַשְׂאַת בִּנְיָמִן מִמַּשְׂאֹת
כֻּלָּם חָמֵשׁ יָדוֹת וַיִּשְׁתּוּ וַיִּשְׁכְּרוּ עִמּוֹ:
portions: Heb. מַשְׂאֹת, meaning
portions. — [from Targum Onkelos]
משאת: מנות:
five times as large: His portion with his
brothers, Joseph’s portion, and those of Asenath, Manasseh, and Ephraim. —
[from Gen. Rabbah 92:5, Targum Jonathan]
חמש ידות: חלקו עם אחיו ומשאת יוסף ואסנת ומנשה
ואפרים:
and they drank and became intoxicated
with him: Since the day that they had sold him, neither they nor he had drunk
wine, but on that day they drank. — [from Gen. Rabbah 92:5]
וישכרו עמו: ומיום שמכרוהו לא שתו יין, ולא
הוא שתה יין, ואותו היום שתו:
Chapter 44
1. Then he commanded the overseer of his
house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry,
and put each man's money into the mouth of his sack. א. וַיְצַו אֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל בֵּיתוֹ
לֵאמֹר מַלֵּא אֶת אַמְתְּחֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֹכֶל כַּאֲשֶׁר יוּכְלוּן שְׂאֵת וְשִׂים
כֶּסֶף אִישׁ בְּפִי אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ:
2. And my goblet, the silver goblet, put
into the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his purchase money." And
he did according to Joseph's word, which he had spoken. ב. וְאֶת גְּבִיעִי גְּבִיעַ
הַכֶּסֶף תָּשִׂים בְּפִי אַמְתַּחַת הַקָּטֹן וְאֵת כֶּסֶף שִׁבְרוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ כִּדְבַר
יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר:
goblet: Heb. גְבִיעַ, a tall cup, called
maderine (a long, narrow goblet).
גביעי: כוס ארוך, וקורין לו מדירנ"א בלע"ז
[כוס הדורה מעץ]:
3. The morning became light, and the men
were sent [on their way] they and their donkeys. ג. הַבֹּקֶר אוֹר וְהָאֲנָשִׁים
שֻׁלְּחוּ הֵמָּה וַחֲמֹרֵיהֶם:
4. They had exited the city, but had not
gone far when Joseph said to the overseer of his house, "Get up, pursue
the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good
with evil? ד. הֵם יָצְאוּ אֶת הָעִיר לֹא הִרְחִיקוּ וְיוֹסֵף אָמַר לַאֲשֶׁר עַל
בֵּיתוֹ קוּם רְדֹף אַחֲרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לָמָּה
שִׁלַּמְתֶּם רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה:
5. Is not this the one my master drinks
from? Why, he even divines with it! You have done evil by the way you have
acted.' " ה. הֲלוֹא זֶה אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה אֲדֹנִי בּוֹ וְהוּא נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ
בּוֹ הֲרֵעֹתֶם אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם:
6. He overtook them, and he said these
words to them. ו. וַיַּשִּׂגֵם וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה:
7. And they said to him, "Why should
my master say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do a thing
like this! ז. וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו לָמָּה יְדַבֵּר אֲדֹנִי כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה
חָלִילָה לַעֲבָדֶיךָ מֵעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה:
Far be it from your servants: Heb. חָלִילָה,
it is profane for us (חוּלִין), an expression of disgrace. The Targum renders: חַס
לְעַבְדָ, may your servants be spared, [i.e.,] may the Holy One, blessed be
He, spare us from doing this. [May He never allow us to do such a thing!] There
are many such expressions in the Talmud: חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, God forbid.
חלילה לעבדיך: חולין הוא לנו, לשון גנאי. ותרגום
חס לעבדיך, חס מאת הקב"ה יהי עלינו מעשות זאת והרבה חס ושלום יש בתלמוד בלשון
הזה:
8. Behold, the money we found in the
mouth of our sacks we returned to you from the land of Canaan; so how could we
steal from your master's house silver or gold?
ח. הֵן כֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר מָצָאנוּ בְּפִי אַמְתְּחֹתֵינוּ
הֱשִׁיבֹנוּ אֵלֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְאֵיךְ נִגְנֹב מִבֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ כֶּסֶף אוֹ
זָהָב:
Behold, the money, etc.: This is one of
the ten a fortiori conclusions (deductions from minor to major) mentioned in
the Torah, and they are all enumerated in Gen. Rabbah (92:7). 10.
הן כסף אשר מצאנו: זה אחד מעשרה קל וחומר האמורים
בתורה. וכולן מנויין בבראשית רבה (צב ז):
9. Whichever one of your servants with
whom it is found shall die, and also we will be slaves to my master." ט. אֲשֶׁר
יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ מֵעֲבָדֶיךָ וָמֵת וְגַם אֲנַחְנוּ נִהְיֶה לַאדֹנִי לַעֲבָדִים:
10. And he said, "Now indeed, so it
is as you have spoken. [But] the one with whom it is found shall be my slave,
and you shall be cleared." י. וַיֹּאמֶר גַּם עַתָּה כְדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּן הוּא
אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ יִהְיֶה לִּי עָבֶד וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ נְקִיִּם:
And he said, “Now indeed…”: Indeed,
according to the law, it is as you have spoken, that you are all liable in this
matter. I.e., [if there are] ten people, [and] in the possession of one a
stolen article is found, they are all imprisoned. I will not treat you
according to the strict letter of the law, however. [Instead, only] “the one
with whom it (the goblet) is found shall be my slave.” - [from Gen. Rabbah
92:7]
גם עתה כדבריכם: אף זו מן הדין, אמת כדבריכם
כן הוא שכולכם חייבים בדבר, עשרה שנמצאת גניבה ביד אחד מהם כולם נתפשים, אבל אני אעשה
לכם לפנים משורת הדין, אשר ימצא אתו יהיה לי עבד:
11. So they hastened, and each one
lowered his sack to the ground, and each one opened his sack. יא. וַיְמַהֲרוּ
וַיּוֹרִדוּ אִישׁ אֶת אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ אָרְצָה וַיִּפְתְּחוּ אִישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ:
12. He searched; he started with the
eldest and finished with the youngest, and the goblet was found in Benjamin's
sack. יב.
וַיְחַפֵּשׂ בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה וַיִּמָּצֵא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּאַמְתַּחַת
בִּנְיָמִן:
he started with the eldest: so that they
would not detect that he knew where it was. — [from Gen. Rabbah 92:8]
בגדול החל: שלא ירגישו בו שהיה יודע היכן הוא:
13. So they rent their garments, and each
one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. יג. וַיִּקְרְעוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם
וַיַּעֲמֹס אִישׁ עַל חֲמֹרוֹ וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הָעִירָה:
and each one loaded his donkey: They were
very strong men, and they did not have to assist each other to load [the
donkeys]. — [from Midrash Tanchuma, Mikeitz 10]
ויעמס איש על חמורו: בעלי זרוע היו ולא הוצרכו
לסייע זה את זה לטעון:
and they returned to the city: It was [in
fact] a [major] metropolis. So why does the Torah say,“to the city,” meaning a
city of any size? Because it was of no more importance to them (the brothers)
than an average-sized city (village) of ten people as regards [to fighting a]
war. — [from Gen. Rabbah 92:8]
וישבו העירה: מטרפולין היתה והוא אומר העירה,
עיר כל שהיא, אלא שלא היתה חשובה בעיניהם אלא כעיר בינונית של עשרה בני אדם לענין המלחמה:
14. And Judah and his brothers came to
Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell before him upon the
ground. יד. וַיָּבֹא יְהוּדָה וְאֶחָיו בֵּיתָה יוֹסֵף וְהוּא עוֹדֶנּוּ שָׁם
וַיִּפְּלוּ לְפָנָיו אָרְצָה:
and he was still there: for he was
waiting for them. — [from Midrash Tanchuma, Mikeitz 10]
עודנו שם: שהיה ממתין להם:
15. And Joseph said to them, "What
is this deed that you have committed? Don't you know that a person like me
practices divination?" טו. וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יוֹסֵף מָה הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה
אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם הֲלוֹא יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹנִי:
Don’t you know that a person like me
practices divination?: Don’t you know that a person as esteemed as I knows how
to test and ascertain through knowledge, reason, and discernment that you stole
the goblet?- [from Targum Onkelos]
הלא ידעתם כי נחש ינחש וגו': הלא ידעתם כי איש
חשוב כמוני יודע לנחש ולדעת מדעת ומסברא ובינה כי אתם גנבתם הגביע:
16. And Judah said, "What shall we
say to my master? What shall we speak, and how shall we exonerate ourselves?
God has found your servants' iniquity both we and the one in whose possession
the goblet has been found." טז. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה מַה נֹּאמַר לַאדֹנִי מַה
נְּדַבֵּר וּמַה נִּצְטַדָּק הָאֱלֹהִים מָצָא אֶת עֲוֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ הִנֶּנּוּ עֲבָדִים
לַאדֹנִי גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ:
God has found: We know that we have not
sinned, but this has come from the Omnipresent to bring this upon us. The Creditor
has found a place to collect His debt. — [from Gen. Rabbah 92:9]
הא-להים מצא: יודעים אנו שלא סרחנו, אבל מאת
הקב"ה נהיתה להביא לנו זאת. מצא בעל חוב מקום לגבות שטר חובו:
and how shall we exonerate ourselves:
Heb. נִצְטַדָּק, an expression of justice (צֶדֶק) . Similarly, every word whose
radical begins with a “zaddi,” and is to be used in the form of “hithpa’el” or
“nithpa’el” (the reflexive voice), a “teth” is substituted for the “tav” [of
the “hithpa’el”] and it is not placed before the first letter of the radical
but in the middle of the radical letters. E.g.,“shall we exonerate ourselves (נִצְטַדָּק),”
from the root צדק, justice;“was drenched (יִצְטַבַּע)” (Dan. 4:30), from the
root צבע, to drench;“and disguised as ambassadors (וַיִצְטַיָרוּ)” (Josh. 9:4),
from the root of“a faithful emissary (צִיר)” (Prov. 13:17);“we took…for our
provision (הִצְטַיַדְנוּ)” (Josh. 9:12) from the root of“provisions (צֵידָה)
for the way” (Gen. 42:25). [In cont-rast, in the case of] a word whose radical
begins with a “sammech” or “sin,” when it is used in the “hith-pa’el,” [it is]
a “tav” [that] separates the letters of the radical, e.g.,“and the grasshopper
will drag itself along (וְיִסְתַּבֵּל)” (Eccl. 12:5), from the root kcx;“I
looked (מִסְתַּכֵּל) at these horns” (Dan. 7: 8), from the root סכל“And the statutes of Omri shall be
observed (וְיִשְׁתַּמֵר)” (Micah 6:16), from the root שׁמר“and he who turns away from evil is
considered mad (מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל)” (Isa. 59: 15), from the root of“He leads
counselors away with madness (שׁוֹלָל)” (Job 12:17);“tread (מִסְתּוֹלֵל) upon
My people” (Exod. 9:17), from the root of“a way that is not trodden (סְלוּלָה)”
(Jer. 18:15).
ומה נצטדק: לשון צדק, וכן כל תיבה שתחלת יסודה
צד"י והיא באה לדבר בלשון מתפעל או נתפעל נותן טי"ת במקום תי"ו, ואינה
נתנת לפני אות ראשונה של יסוד התיבה אלא באמצע אותיות העקר, כגון נצטדק מגזרת צדק,
(דניאל ד ל) ויצטבע מגזרת צבע, (יהושע ט ד) ויצטירו מגזרת (משלי יג יז) ציר אמונים,
(יהושע ט יב) הצטיידנו מגזרת (לעיל מב כה) צדה לדרך. ותיבה שתחלתה סמ"ך או שי"ן
כשהיא מתפעלת התי"ו מפרדת את אותיות העקר, כגון (קהלת יב ה) ויסתבל החגב, מגזרת
סבל, (דניאל ז ח) מסתכל הוית בקרניא, (מיכה ו טז) וישתמר חקות עמרי, מגזרת שמר, (ישעיה
נט טו) וסר מרע משתולל, מגזרת (איוב יב יז) מוליך יועצים שולל, (שמות ט יז) מסתולל
בעמי, מגזרת (ירמיה יח טו) דרך לא סלולה:
17. But he said, "Far be it from me
to do this! The man in whose possession the goblet was found he shall be my
slave, but as for you go up in peace to your father." יז.
וַיֹּאמֶר חָלִילָה לִּי מֵעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ
הוּא יִהְיֶה לִּי עָבֶד וְאַתֶּם עֲלוּ לְשָׁלוֹם אֶל אֲבִיכֶם:
---
Daily Tehillim – Psalms Chapters 120-134
Psalm 120
Prayer for Deliverance from Slanderers
A Song of Ascents.
1 In my distress I cry to the Lord,
that he may answer me:
2 “Deliver me, O Lord,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.”
3 What shall be given to you?
And what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe is me, that I am an alien in
Meshech,
that I must live among the tents of Kedar.
6 Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak,
they are for war.
Psalm 121
Assurance of God’s Protection
A Song of Ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
Psalm 122
Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were
set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.”
8 For the sake of my relatives and
friends
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord
our God,
I will seek your good.
Psalm 123
Supplication for Mercy
A Song of Ascents.
1 To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy
upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
Psalm 124
Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on
our side
—let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on
our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up
alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us
away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
The Security of God’s People
A Song of Ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like
Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time on and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not
rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch
out
their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 But those who turn aside to their own
crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!
Psalm 126
A Harvest of Joy
A Song of Ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of
Zion,[a]
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with
laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
Psalm 127
God’s Blessings in the Home
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.[b]
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the
Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Psalm 128
The Happy Home of the Faithful
A Song of Ascents.
1 Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of
your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
6 May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Psalm 129
Prayer for the Downfall of Israel’s
Enemies
A Song of Ascents.
1 “Often have they attacked me from my
youth”
—let Israel now say—
2 “often have they attacked me from my
youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed on my back;
they made their furrows long.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward.
6 Let them be like the grass on the
housetops
that withers before it grows up,
7 with which reapers do not fill their
hands
or binders of sheaves their arms,
8 while those who pass by do not say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 130
Waiting for Divine Redemption
A Song of Ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Psalm 131
Song of Quiet Trust
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.[c]
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
Psalm 132
The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
A Song of Ascents.
1 O Lord, remember in David’s favor
all the hardships he endured;
2 how he swore to the Lord
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
or get into my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 We heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool.”
8 Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting
place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with
righteousness,
and let your faithful shout for joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, forevermore,
shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his habitation:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will reside, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless its
provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
16 Its priests I will clothe with
salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up
for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
18 His enemies I will clothe with
disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam.”
Psalm 133
The Blessedness of Unity
A Song of Ascents.
1 How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the
head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.
Psalm 134
Praise in the Night
A Song of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants
of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord, maker of heaven and
earth,
bless you from Zion.
Footnotes:
Psalm 126:1 Or brought back those who
returned to Zion
Psalm 127:2 Or for he provides for his
beloved during sleep
Psalm 131:2 Or my soul within me is like
a weaned child(NRSV)
---
Tanya
Saturday(Shabbat, 27 Kislev 5774 / 30
November 2013
Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 3
והנה כל בחינה ומדריגה משלש אלו, נפש רוח ונשמה,
כלולה מעשר בחינות
Now, each of these three distinctions and
grades — Nefesh, Ruach and Neshamah — consists of ten faculties1
כנגד עשר ספירות עליונות שנשתלשלו מהן
corresponding to the Ten Supernal Sefirot
(divine manifestations,2 in which they originate and whence they descend.
הנחלקות לשתים
The Ten Sefirot are subdivided into two
general categories.
שהן שלש אמות ושבע כפולות
These two categories are: three
“mothers”, i.e., three of these Sefirot are termed “mothers” for they are the
source and root of the other seven Sefirot, as a mother is the source of her
offspring, and seven “doubles” — the seven divine attributes, called “doubles” inasmuch as each of the
emotional attributes manifests itself in a twofold manner, as shall presently
be explained.
פירוש: חכמה בינה ודעת, ושבעת ימי הבנין: חסד
גבורה תפארת כו׳
Namely: Chochmah (“wisdom”), Binah
(“understanding”) and Daat (“knowledge”) are called “mothers”; and the seven
“doubles” are [the emotional attributes known as] the “seven days of Creation”:
Chesed (“kindness”), Gevurah (“severity”), Tiferet (“beauty”), and so on, the
other four being: Netzach (“endurance”), Hod (“splendor”), Yesod
(“foundation”), and Malchut (“royalty”).
These seven attributes are known as the
“seven days of Creation,” for it was through these seven attributes that G-d
created the world. Each day’s creation came about through a particular
attribute: during the first day Chesed was dominant, the second day Gevurah,
and so on.
וכך בנפש האדם שנחלקת לשתים — שכל ומדות
Just as the Ten Supernal Sefirot are
divided into two general categories, so, too, with the human soul [and its ten
faculties]; they are divided into two general categories: seichel (“intellect”)
and middot (“emotional attributes”).
השכל כולל חכמה בינה ודעת, והמדות הן אהבת ה׳
ופחדו ויראתו ולפארו כו׳
The [category of] intellect includes the
three all-inclusive intellectual powers Chochmah, Binah and Daat (ChaBaD),
whilst the middot, which bear the same names as their corresponding seven
Sefirot: Chesed, Gevurah, etc., represent the following emotions: love of G-d,
dread and awe of Him, glorification of Him, and so forth.
Love corresponds to Chesed (“kindness”),
as they are, respectively, the internal (i.e., emotional) and external (i.e.,
practical) aspects of the same trait; the dread and awe of G-d correspond to
Gevurah, as they are its inner aspect; so too the glorification of Him
corresponds to Tiferet.
וחב״ד נקראו אמות ומקור למדות כי המדות הן תולדות
חב״ד
ChaBaD (the intellectual faculties) are
called the “mothers” and source of the middot, for the middot are “offspring”
of (i.e., derive from) ChaBaD.
At this point it would be worthwhile to
explain briefly the function of the faculties Chochmah, Binah and Daat
(abbreviated as ChaBaD), mentioned frequently in the coming chapters.
Chochmah is the first flash of intellect.
It is the seminal and inner point of an idea. This seminal point of intellect
already includes within it all the details and ramifications of the idea, but
as yet they are concentrated and obscured. (This is analogous to a dot, in
which the dimensions of length and breadth are not evident — all that is seen
is the dot — although for the dot to exist it must certainly contain length and
breadth.)
Chochmah is also called barak hamavrik —
the intuitive flash of illumination which is the beginning of intellectual
revelation. For instance, we may observe how a person striving to answer an
intellectual question suddenly realizes in a flash of intuition that the
question can be answered along a particular line of reasoning. At the moment of
illumination he is as yet unaware exactly how the particular question is
answered: he knows only that he has found an adequate solution to the problem.
Thereafter the faculty of Binah
(“understanding”) comes into play. Through cogitation, Binah apprehends,
crystallizes and clarifies the details of the idea which were obscured in
Chochmah, until the whole edifice of the idea, in all its length and breadth,
becomes manifest. For this reason the function of Binah is described as meivin
davar mitoch davar — “to understand (or deduce) one matter out of another” —
i.e., that which was previously concentrated in the obscure intuitive flash of
Chochmah is now revealed and understood.
After the person fully understands the
idea with all its details and ramifications, he must then immerse himself in
it, binding and unifying himself with it to the extent that he not only understands
it but also feels it. Only in this way can he be affected by the idea; if his
understanding points to the desirability of a particular thing, it will give
birth to a love for it; if his understanding indicates instead the harmfulness
of a particular thing, he will react with a feeling of fear and flee from it;
and similarly with other emotions. The faculty with which one thus immerses
himself in an idea is called Daat (“knowledge”), which is etymologically
related to the expression,3 “and Adam knew (ידע) Eve,” a verb which denotes
attachment and union. We now return to the text:
וביאור הענין: כי הנה השכל שבנפש המשכלת, שהוא
המשכיל כל דבר
The explanation of the matter (i.e., of
the three intellectual processes described above — inspiration, cogitation, and
contemplation) is as follows: that intellectual faculty of the rational soul
that first conceives any matter (i.e., the faculty which produces the seminal
point of an idea and the first flash of illumination, as explained above)
נקרא בשם חכמה — כ״ח מ״ה
is given the appellation of Chochmah
[which is composed of the two words] כח מה — the potential of “what is.”4
It is a faculty concerning which one can
only pose the question “Mah?” (“What is it?”) — for at this stage the idea in
question is not yet clear or comprehensible logically, since its details are
still in potentia, emerging only at a later stage.
וכשמוציא כחו אל הפועל, שמתבונן בשכלו להבין
דבר לאשורו
When one brings forth this concentrated
idea from the potential into the actual, that is, when one cogitates with his
intellect on the seminal point in order to understand a matter full well —
That is: when he ponders all the details
which make up the totality of the particular idea in its length and breadth.
“Length” involves the range of an idea; when one draws down a concept from a
lofty level to a lower one (by way of a parable, for example) in order to make
it more readily understood, he is “lengthening” it, giving it a greater range
of accessibility, so that it will be more readily intelligible to a student.
For a student whose capacity is more limited, one parable may not suffice; it
may be necessary to provide a second parable to explain the first, thereby
“lengthening” the concept still further downward. (As Scripture writes
concerning King Solomon:5 “He spoke three thousand parables.” So great was
Solomon’s wisdom that to explain one of his thoughts he had to give three
thousand parables; one parable to explain the basic concept, a second parable
to explain the first parable, and so forth, until ultimately giving three
thousand parables — an extreme example of the “length” of an idea.)
The “breadth” of an idea means the
multitude of details which the concept comprises, as well as all its
ramifications. For example, the logic behind a halachic ruling in the laws of
kashrut may also apply to laws governing financial disputes.
This is the meaning of the word לאשורו
(“full well”) — understanding the intellectual concept completely, in both its
length and breadth.
ולעמקו
[Thus, when one cogitates on a concept in
its length and breadth] and delves to its very depths
מתוך איזה דבר חכמה המושכל בשכלו
as it evolves from the concept which he
had conceived in his intellect (i.e., when he apprehends in a detailed manner
the seminal point of intellect, which prior to his cogitation was but a
nebulous point of Chochmah),
נקרא בינה
this is called Binah. (Binah is that
faculty which elucidates the details of any concept and apprehends it “full
well” and “in depth.”)
והן הם אב ואם המולידות אהבת ה׳ ויראתו ופחדו
They (Chochmah and Binah) are the very
“father” and “mother” which give birth to love of G-d, and awe (yirah) and dread
(pachad) of Him.6
FOOTNOTES
1. Elsewhere
(e.g., Likutei Torah, Bamidbar 1a, 51b; Shir HaShirim 16d) the Alter Rebbe
makes it clear that the soul does not “consist” of the ten faculties, but
rather manifests itself through them, since the soul itself is essentially
indefinable and indivisible.
2. The
Ten Sefirot are more fully discussed in Iggeret HaKodesh (Tanya, Part IV), ch.
15 and elsewhere.
3. Bereishit
4:1.
4. Zohar
III, 28a; 34a.
5. I
Melachim 5:12.
6. Yirah
means an awe which is felt for the most part intellectually. Pachad denotes a
dread which is felt emotionally, in one’s heart. This is why at the beginning
of the chapter, where the emotions are enumerated and explained in a general
way, pachad precedes yirah, for pachad — the feeling of dread in one’s heart —
is a truer emotion that the intellectual yirah. Here, however, when dealing
with the emotions as they are born from the intellect, yirah precedes pachad,
for only after the emotion is first formed in the mind, at which stage it is
yirah, does it then descend to the heart, as pachad.
---
Rambam - Daily Mitzvah
N241, N242
Negative Commandment 241
Taking Collateral from a Widow
"Nor shall you take a widow's
garment as security"—Deuteronomy 24:17.
It is forbidden for a creditor to take
collateral for a debt from a widow—whether she is wealthy or poor.
The 241st prohibition is that we are
forbidden from taking a security deposit from a widow, regardless of whether
she is rich or poor.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement,1
"Do not take a widow's garment as security for a loan."
In the words of the Mishneh:2 "One
may not take a security deposit from a widow, regardless of whether she is rich
or poor, as the verse says, 'Do not take a widow's garment as security for a
loan.' "
The details of this mitzvah are explained
in the 9th chapter of tractate Bava Metzia.
FOOTNOTES
1. Deut.
24:17.
2. Bava
Metzia 115a.
Negative Commandment 242
Taking Food Preparation Utensils as
Collateral
"One shall not take the upper or lower
millstone for a pledge, for he is taking a life as a pledge"—Deuteronomy
24:6.
It is forbidden for a creditor to take
food preparation utensils – e.g., grinders, kneading bowls, pots, and knives –
as collateral for a debt.
The 242nd prohibition is that we are
forbidden from taking as security any objects that are used in food
preparation, such as those used for grinding, kneading, cooking, slaughtering
animals, or any other type of food preparation.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement1
(exalted be He), "Do not take an upper or lower millstone as security for
a loan, since that is like taking a life as security."
In the words of the Mishneh,2 "The
verse does not refer only to millstones, but to anything used in food
preparation, as the verse says, 'since that is like taking a life as security.'
"3
We now need to explain the statement of
our Sages,4 "A person transgresses for both items, as the verse says, 'Do
not take an upper or lower millstone.' " From this, one could be mislead
into thinking that they count as two mitzvos. This is indicated even more
strongly in their statement,5 "One transgresses one prohibition for the
upper millstone and one for the lower millstone."
The explanation of these statements is as
follows: if a person takes an object used for food preparation as security, he
transgresses this prohibition, as we explained. If he took many articles, of
which all are used for preparing food — such as one article that is used for
grinding, another that is used for baking, and a third that is used for
kneading — he would be committing a separate transgression for each article.
This is [obvious and] unnecessary to explain. It is as if the person took one
garment as security from Reuven's widow, one from Shimon's widow, and one from Levi's
widow, in which case he would be guilty of 3 transgressions.
The explanation of the phrase "both
items," is that it refers to a case where both items are used in preparing
food, and one cannot be used without the other. In this case, since they are
only effective when used together, we would be uncertain whether to count them
as one case; or, since they are two articles, to count them as two
transgressions. Therefore, our Sages explained to us that the person is
punished for two transgressions, even though the act can only be done with the
two together — such as the upper and lower millstone, where one cannot be used
to grind without the other. If a person took these millstones as security, it
would be as if he took a kneading trough and a slaughtering knife, each of
which are used for different acts. This is the intention of the phrase, "A
person transgresses for both items" — not that they count as two separate
mitzvos.
The language of the Sifri regarding this
that I've just explained: "Just as the upper and lower millstones are two
articles that are used for a single act, and nevertheless each counts as a
separate prohibition; so too for any two articles that are used for a single
act, each counts as a separate prohibition." This means that although they
are used for a single act, each one nevertheless counts as a separate
prohibition.
If one transgresses this prohibition and
takes the object as security, we take it back from him and return it to the poor
person.6 If the object was lost or burned before he was able to return it, he
receives lashes. The same applies to taking a widow's garment as security.
The details of this mitzvah are explained
in the 9th chapter of tractate Bava Metzia.
FOOTNOTES
1. Deut.
24:6.
2. Bava
Metzia, ibid.
3. From
this phrase we see that the verse does not care only about millstones, but
about anything that involves sustaining life, i.e. food preparation.
4. Bava
Metzia 115a.
5. Ibid.,
116a.
6. See
Kapach, 5731, footnote 31. Following the Rav Kook version, Chavel translates,
"owners."
---
Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day Metamme'ey
Mishkav uMoshav Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Halacha 1
Uterine bleeding of a nidah, a zavah, or
a woman in childbirth, imparts impurity whether it is moist or dry.
Nevertheless, the discharge of a zav, his saliva, and his semen impart impurity
only when moist. If, however, they are overly dry, they do not impart impurity.
To what extent must these substances be
dry not to impart impurity? If they would return to their natural state after
being soaked in lukewarm water for 24 hours, they impart impurity as if they
were moist. If they would not return to their natural state after this, they
are considered as having been dried out, even if the water was lukewarm at the
outset even though it was not lukewarm at the end of the 24 hour period. All of
these matters are part of the received tradition.
Halacha 2
When flax was spun by a woman in the
nidah state, one who moves it is pure. If it was moist, it imparts impurity
because of the saliva from her mouth.
Halacha 3
When a zav places his mouth on a cup and
then changes his mind and decides not to drink from it, one who moves the cup
remains pure. If the zav drank even the slightest amount from it, a person who
moves it is impure because of the liquid from the mouth of the zav.
Halacha 4
When a zav bites into a piece of bread or
an onion, a person who moves them is considered pure. If he bites into a
zucchini or a cucumber, one who moves them is impure, because of the liquid
from the mouth of the zav which becomes mixed with them.
Halacha 5
When the shells of beans and vetch were
cut off by a gentile, one who moves them is impure, because gentiles are
considered like zavim in all contexts, as will be explained. The ruling
concerning shells in the marketplace depends on the majority.
Halacha 6
When impure blood becomes mixed with
water, the entire mixture is pure if there is no appearance of blood. If such
blood becomes mixed with pure blood and/or with wine, we consider the wine and
the blood as if they were water.
Similar laws apply if impure saliva
becomes mixed with water. If the saliva remains a viscous entity as is its
natural state, it is impure. If it is reduced to nothing in the water and it is
no longer visible as a distinct entity, everything is pure. If it becomes mixed
with other saliva, we consider the pure saliva as if it was water.
Similarly, when the urine of such an
impure person becomes mixed with water, if it is no longer visible as a
distinct entity, the entire mixture is pure. If not, it is impure. If it is
mixed with wine or pure urine, we consider the wine or the pure urine as if it
was water.
If the urine of a Jew becomes mixed with
the urine of a gentile, the ruling is determined by the majority. What is
implied? When there is a urinal into which both gentiles and Jews would
urinate, if the majority of those who use the urinal are gentiles, all its
contents are impure. If the majority are Jewish, all its contents are pure. If
equal numbers use it, all its contents are impure. Similarly, if the urine of
one gentile is mixed with the urine of one Jew, the ruling is determined by the
majority.
Halacha 7
Urine can be borrowed from Jews in all
situations. We do not suspect that it is from a nidah, for Jewish women were
not suspect to save their urine when in the nidah state.
Halacha 8
When a urinal into which a zav or a zavah
would urinate was washed once or twice, the fluid with which it was washed is
deemed impure. After the third washing, whether it was washed with water or
other urine, the fluid is pure, because it can be assumed that none of the
impure urine remained.
Halacha 9
When at the conclusion of the seven
spotless days she is required to count, a zavah felt that she had already begun
to urinate, but nevertheless contained herself, descended to a mikveh immersed
herself, and only urinated after the immersion, the status of the urine is in
doubt. It is unresolved whether we consider the urine as if it had emerged
originally while she was a zavah or after it actually emerged when she is pure.
Similarly, if a gentile woman who had already begun to urinate, but
nevertheless contained herself, converted, immersed herself, and only urinated
after the immersion, the status of the urine is in doubt. It is unresolved
whether we consider the urine as if it had emerged originally and it is
considered as the urine of a gentile woman or after it actually emerged, it is
considered as the urine of pure Jewish women.
Halacha 10
Canaanite maidservants and servants
contract impurity due to zivah, nidah, and childbirth, like Jews do. Gentiles,
by contrast, do not contract impurity not through zivah, nidah, or childbirth
according to Scriptural Law, as can be inferred from Leviticus 15:2 which
states: "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: 'A man should he
experience a discharge.'" Implied is that the children of Israel contract
impurity through zivah, but not the gentiles.
Our Sages, however, decreed that all
gentiles impart impurity like zavim in all contexts, both males and females,
provided the male is nine years old or more and the female is three years old
or more. They did not decree that children under these ages contract impurity,
for the primary reason for the decree is that a Jewish child will not be
involved in sodomy with gentiles and there is no concept of sexual intimacy for
children of younger ages.
When this decree was instituted, they did
not decree against the semen of a gentile. Instead, the semen of a gentile is
pure, as is its status according to Scriptural Law. Why was a decree not
instituted to render it impure? To make it known that the gentiles' impurity is
of Rabbinic origin. For everyone knows that if their status as zavim was
Scriptural in origin, their semen would be impure like the semen of a zav. And
since they know a gentile's impurity is of Rabbinic origin, they will not burn
terumah and sacrificial food to which they imparted impurity.
Thus we can infer that all of the
following: a gentile male's zav discharge, a gentile woman's nidah blood, her
zivah blood, and the blood that comes at childbirth, a gentile man and a
gentile woman, even though they are pure from any uterine bleeding and
discharges, the saliva of gentiles, their urine, the couches on which they lie,
the saddles on which they ride, and one who has relations with a gentile woman
are all primary sources of impurity according to Rabbinic Law.
Therefore, one is not liable for entering
the Temple or partaking of sacrificial food if one contracted impurity from one
of these sources, nor is terumah burnt if it contracted impurity from such a
source. All of them do, however, impart impurity to people and implements
through physical contact and impart impurity to a person when carried as a zav
does in all contexts. It is just that the impurity is of Rabbinic origin, as
stated above.
Blood from a gentile woman's uterine
bleeding is considered as her saliva and her urine and it imparts impurity when
moist, but not when dry.
---
Rambam - 3 Chapters a Day Malveh veLoveh
Chapter 13, Malveh veLoveh Chapter 14, Malveh veLoveh Chapter 15
Chapter 13
Halacha 1
The following laws apply when a lender
comes to expropriate property on the basis of a promissory note in his
possession and the borrower is not present: If it is possible to send a
messenger to the borrower and notify him so that he can confront the lender in
judgment, we send a messenger and notify him.
If it is impossible to notify the
borrower speedily, we instruct the lender to take an oath, and then to expropriate
property belonging to the borrower, either landed property or movable property.
We do not consider the possibility that the borrower repaid the debt and the
lender gave him a receipt.
This law is an ordinance of the Sages,
enacted so that people at large would not take money belonging to a colleague
and go to dwell in another city. For this would hinder the possibilities of loans
being granted in the future
Halacha 2
The lender must bring proof of three
matters to the court before he can expropriate property from the borrower
outside his presence:
a) he must verify the authenticity of the
promissory note in his possession; b) he must prove that the debtor is in
another city and is not present to defend himself in court;
c) he must prove that the property that
he wishes to expropriate belongs to so-and-so, the borrower.
Halacha 3
The following rules apply when a lender
comes to the court, bringing security that is in his possession" and says:
"This security belongs to so-and-so, and I desire to sell it to receive
payment of the debt he owes me." The court does not take action and does
not tell him: "Wait until the borrower comes and lodges his claim."
The rationale is that had the lender desired to say that the security had been
purchased his word would be accepted. The court advises him to sell the
security in the presence of witnesses, so that the borrower will know for how
much the security was sold.
Similarly, when a person gives a loan to
a colleague and receives security in return, and then both the borrower and the
lender die - regardless of whether the borrower or the lender dies first the
lender's heirs may take an oath and collect the debt.
The lender's heir must take an oath
holding a sacred object, before he takes payment from the security, as is done
by all those who take an oath and collect their due. His word is accepted,
because he is taking payment from property that is in his physical possession.
Had he desired, he could have said that he had purchased the property.
Why is the creditor not required only to
take a sh'vuat hesset? Because he is not taking an oath that the security is
his, but rather that the money is owed him. If he lodged a claim concerning the
article itself, saying "You sold it to us," or "You gave it to
us," he would be able to take a sh 'vuat hesset and be freed of
responsibility. If, by contrast, there were witnesses who would testify that
this article was given to the lender as security, but they did not know for
what amount, he would be able to collect the money only after taking an oath.
Since there are no witnesses, the lender would be able to claim: "It is
mine." Therefore, we accept his word when he says: "So-and-so much
money is owed to me and this is security for that debt," provided that he
takes the same oath he would take if there were witnesses who would testify
that the article was given as security.
We do not free him of the responsibility
of the oath, because we do not employ the principle of miggo to free a person
of the responsibility to take an oath, but only to free him of financial
responsibility - i.e., he is not required to return the security before he
takes what he claim.
Halacha 4
The following rules apply when a person
lends money to a colleague and receives security for the loan. Should the
security be lost or stolen in a manner that is not beyond the lender's control,
the lender is liable for the value of the security, as explained. If the lender
says: "I lent you a sela for that security, but it was worth only two
dinarim" and the borrower says: "You lent me a sela for that
security, and it was worth a sela" the lender must first take the oath
taken by watchmen that the article is not in his possession. The borrower then
must take a sh'vuat hesset that the security was worth the amount of the debt,
and he is freed of responsibility.
If the lender says: "I lent you a
sela for that security, but it was worth only two dinarim" and the
borrower says: "You lent me a sela for that security, and it was worth
three dinarim" the lender must first take an oath that the article is not
in his possession. Afterwards, the borrower must take a Scriptural oath how
much the article was worth; this is required because he acknowledged a portion
of the plaintiff's claim.33 He then pays the dinar that he admits to owing.
If the borrower says: "You lent me a
sela for that security, and it was worth two sela'im" and the lender says:
"I lent you a sela for that security, and it was worth a sela" the
lender must take an oath that the article is not in his possessions and include
in that oath that the security was worth only the amount of the debt.
If the borrower says: "You lent me a
sela for that security, and it was worth two sela'im," and lender says:
"I lent you a sela for that security, and it was worth only five dinarim,
the lender must take an oath that the article is not in his possession and
include in that oath that the security was not worth more than five dinarim. He
must then pay the dinar.
If the lender says: "I lent you a
sela for that security, but it was worth only two dinarim" and the
borrower says: "I do not know how much it was worth," the lender must
take an oath that the article is not in his possession and include in that oath
that the security was worth only two dinarim. The borrower must then pay the
remainder of the debt. The rationale is that he definitely knows that he is
liable for the two dinarim and does not know whether or not he repaid the debt.
If the borrower says: "You lent me a
sela for that security, and it was worth two sela'im" and lender says:
"I lent you a sela for that security, and I do not know how much it was
worth," the lender must take an oath that the article is not in his
possession and include in that oath that he does not know that the security was
worth even a p'rutah more than the debt. He is then freed of responsibility,
because he did not obligate himself at all. If, however, the lender said;
"I know that the security was worth more than the loan, but I do not know
how much more," he must pay everything that the borrower demands; the
borrower is not even required to take an oath. This resembles an instance when
a plaintiff lodges a claim for a 100 zuz, and the defendant responds: "I
owe you 50, but I do not know whether or not I owe you the other 50." Such
a person is obligated to take an oath, but cannot take the oath. Therefore, he
must pay, as will be explained. He may, however, have a ban of ostracism issued
against anyone who makes a false claim.
Halacha 5
When a person lends money to a colleague
and establishes a date when the loan must be repaid, even though he does not
affirm the matter with a kinyan, he may not demand payment until the conclusion
of that period of time. This applies regardless of whether the loan is
supported merely by an oral commitment, by a promissory note, or by security,
or whether the borrower or the lender dies.
When no other term is mentioned, the term
of a loan is 30 days. This applies regardless of whether the loan is supported
merely by an oral commitment, by a promissory note or by security. If the
lender stipulated that he could demand payment whenever he desires, he has the
right to demand payment even on the day the loan was given. The rationale is
that this is a stipulation involving monetary issues.
Halacha 6
If the lender claims: "Today is the
conclusion of the term I established for the loan," and the borrower
responds: "You granted me another ten days," the borrower must take a
sh'vuat hesset to support his claim. If there is one witness who testifies that
the loan was due that day, the borrower must take a Scriptural oath, as is the
law with regard to other claims.
If the lender claims: "There are
only five days left before the loan is due," and the borrower responds:
"There are ten days left," we tell the lender: "Wait until the
end of the five days and then have the borrower take an oath that five days
remain."
Halacha 7
If the loan was supported by a promissory
note and the borrower claims: "You established a time for me to pay the
debt," it appears to me that the creditor should take a sh'vuat hesset
that he did not place any time limit on the loan. He may then collect the loan
immediately.
Halacha 8
Payment for a loan may be demanded in any
place.
What is implied? When a person lends
money to a colleague in a settled place and demands payment from him in a
desert, the borrower may not postpone payment. Instead, he is obligated to pay
him wherever he demands payment.
If the borrower seeks to repay the loan
in the desert, the lender is given the option. If he desires, he may accept
payment. If he desires, he may tell him: "Pay me back only in a settled
area, just as I gave you the money in a settled area." The money then
remains the borrower's responsibility until he pays the lender in a settled
area.
Chapter 14
Halacha 1
In the following situations, despite the
fact that he possesses a promissory note, a lender may collect payment only
after taking an oath that resembles one required by Scriptural Law:
a) a person who impairs the legal power
of a promissory note;
b) a person who produces a promissory
note that one witness testifies has been paid.
c) a person who seeks to collect payment
outside the borrower's presence;
d) a person who expropriates property
from purchasers;
e) a person who seeks to collect a debt
from heirs, whether below majority or above majority.
When such a person comes to take the
oath, we tell him: "Take the oath and collect your due." If the loan
was not due until a specific time, and he demands payment on the day the loan
was due, he may collect payment without taking an oath. Once the day the loan
is due has passed, he may collect payment only after taking an oath.
Halacha 2
The following rules apply when a person
demands payment from a colleague for a debt recorded in a promissory note, the
borrower claims that he paid this promissory note, and the possessor of the
note claims that he did not pay anything. The court tells the borrower:
"Pay him."
If the borrower demands: "Have him
take an oath for me that I did not pay him and then collect the debt," the
court requires the lender to take an oath while holding a sacred object, that
he did not pay him at all or that he paid him only such-and-such. Afterwards, he
may collect his claim. If the lender is a Torah scholar, the court does not
require him to take an oath.
Halacha 3
There is a difference of opinion among
the Geonim in the following situation. The lender produces a promissory note
whose authenticity has been verified. The borrower claims: "This
promissory note is false, I never wrote it," "This promissory note
involves interest," "... or a shade of interest," "It was
given on faith," "I wrote it with the intention of borrowing, but I
never took the loan" - i.e., he issues a claim that if acknowledged by the
lender would nullify the promissory note. The lender maintains that the
promissory note is genuine and that the borrower is issuing a false claim. The
borrower demands that the lender take an oath before collecting.
There is one opinion that rules that the
holder of the promissory note is obligated to take an oath that resembles a
Scriptural oath, just as when the borrower claimed that he paid the debt. My
teachers by contrast ruled that the lender should not be compelled to take an
oath unless the borrower claims that he paid him. The rationale is that he
acknowledged the validity of the promissory note, and that debt is fit to be
repaid. We do not, by contrast, accept the borrower's word with regard to all
these other claims to nullify the legal power of a promissory note whose
authenticity has been verified. Instead, the borrower should pay, and
afterwards lodge any claim against the lender that he desires. If the lender
acknowledges the claim, he will return the money to him. If he denies it, he
will take a sh'vuat hesset. My opinion also leans towards this view.
Halacha 4
Our Sages issued these rulings in the
following situation: A lender produced a promissory note, demanding payment
from a colleague. He claims that he was not paid at all. The borrower claims
that he repaid half the debt, and witnesses testify that the entire debt was
repaid. The borrower must take an oath and then pay the other half. The
rationale is that he admits to owing a portion of the debt. He is not
considered to be comparable to a person who returns a lost object, because the
promissory note causes him to be afraid. The lender may expropriate this half
of the debt only from landed property that is within the borrower's possession.
He may not attach property that has been sold. The rationale is that the
purchasers will say: "We rely on the testimony of the witnesses and they
have nullified the legal power of this promissory note."
Halacha 5
The following rules apply when a lender
produces a promissory note whose authenticity he is not able to verify, and the
borrower says: "It is true that I wrote this promissory note, but I repaid
it," "It was given on faith," "I wrote it with the
intention of borrowing, but I never took the loan," or another claim of
this nature. Since the borrower could have claimed, "This never
happened," and our acceptance of the promissory note is dependent on his
statements, his word is accepted. He may take a sh'vuat hesset and be freed of
responsibility.
If the lender is able to verify the
authenticity of the promissory note afterwards in court, it is considered as
any other promissory note.
Halacha 6
The lender's claim is not accepted in the
following situation. The lender produces a promissory note whose authenticity
has been verified, and the borrower claims: "It is a forgery, and I never
wrote it," or "It was given on faith." The lender states:
"That is true, but I had an acceptable promissory note and it was
lost." Although it was the lender who invalidated his promissory note, and
had he desired, he could have said: "It is not a forgery," for its
authenticity was verified by the court, he cannot use it to expropriate
property at all. Instead, the borrower may take a sh'vuat hesset and be freed
of responsibility, for the promissory note is likened to a shard.
Halacha 7
When a promissory note was used for a
loan and then repaid, it may not be used again. For the lien it created was
already waived, and it is likened to a shard.
Halacha 8
The following laws apply when the lender
produces a promissory note whose authenticity has been verified demanding
payment from a colleague, the borrower replies: "Did I not pay you,"
and the lender answers: "You did, but I returned the money to you and then
lent it to you a second time." The promissory note that he repaid is
nullified, and it is likened to a shard.
If, however, the lender says: "I
returned the money to you, because the coins were not good so that you could
exchange them," he did not nullify the promissory note, and the lien it
created still exists.
Halacha 9
A promissory note is disqualified in the
following situation. A lender produces a promissory note whose authenticity has
been verified that indicates that the borrower owes him a maneh. The borrower
states: "Did I not pay in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so."
Those witnesses come and testify that the borrower indeed repaid the lender,
but did not mention the promissory note. The lender replies: "It is true
that you paid me, but you repaid me for another debt that you owed me."
The lender's word is not accepted, and the promissory note is nullified.
When does the above apply? When the
witnesses testify that the borrower gave the lender the money as repayment of a
debt. If, however, they saw him give him money, but did not know whether it was
given as repayment of a debt, for safekeeping or as a present different rules
apply.
If the possessor of the promissory note
says: "He never repaid me," he is established as a liar, and the
promissory note is nullified. If he says: "It was payment for another
debt," his word is accepted. He must take an oath and then he may collect
the money mentioned in the promissory note. The rationale is that the borrower
did not repay him in the presence of witnesses. Hence, since the borrower can
claim: "You gave them to me as a present," his word is accepted if he
says that the money was given him as repayment for another debt.
A promissory note is, by contrast,
nullified in the following situation. The borrower told the lender: "This
promissory note was composed for the price of a steer that I purchased from
you, and you collected the money for its meat already." The lender
replied: "Yes. The promissory note was composed for that purpose, but I
collected the money for that debt with the understanding that the promissory
note would apply to another debt that you owe me." The rationale is that
the lender himself admitted that the debt mentioned in the promissory note was
for the meat of the steer, and that he received payment for that debt. This
applies even if there are no witnesses that the money was given for the payment
of that debt. Hence, all that is necessary is that the borrower take a sh'vuat
hesset that he paid the debt. Similar principles apply in all analogous
situations.
Halacha 10
When a lender produces a promissory note
that is signed by one witness and the borrower claims that he paid the debt,
the borrower is obligated to take an oath. And since he cannot take that oath,
he must make financial restitution.
If the borrower demands of the lender:
"Take an oath that I did not pay the debt," he must take the oath.
The rationale is that even if two witnesses were signed on the promissory note
and the borrower demanded: "Take an oath that I did not pay the debt,"
the lender would be obligated to take that oath, as we have explained.
Halacha 11
Similarly, my teachers ruled that when a
person denies a loan supported by an oral commitment in a court, and one
witness testifies that he borrowed the money, the defendant is required to take
a Scriptural oath. If the defendant reversed his position and said: "Yes,
I took the loan, but I repaid it," "... the lender waived payment in
my favor," or "... owes me money because of another matter," we
consider him to be a person who is required to take an oath, but who cannot
take the oath, and must therefore make financial restitution.
Halacha 12
The following rules apply when a
defendant claims that he paid a promissory note, but says: "Let the lender
take an oath. If he does, he can collect the debt." We tell the defendant:
"Bring your money to the court. Then he will take the oath and collect the
debt." If the defendant does not have the funds to pay, we require him to
take an oath, as ordained by the Geonim, that he has no financial resources.
When he acquires resources, he must pay the creditor, but first he may require
him to take an oath that the debtor did not repay him previously. Afterwards,
the debtor must pay him.
Halacha 13
The following laws apply when a person is
owed a debt by a colleague that is supported by a promissory note, the
promissory note becomes lost, but the witnesses are still present. Even though
the debt was affirmed in the presence of the witnesses by a kinyan, if the
borrower claims that he paid the debt, he is required only to take a sh'vuat
hesset.
My teachers ruled that even if the debt
was given for a specific time, and the due date had not yet arrived, when a
promissory note was written, it is no longer in his possession and the borrower
claims that he repaid the debt, the borrower's word is accepted provided that
he takes an oath that he paid the lender. The rationale is that we suspect that
he paid him and for that reason he tore the promissory note or destroyed it by
fire.
Similarly, my teachers ruled that even if
the promissory note is in the possession of another person and the borrower
claims: "It fell from my possession after I paid it," he must take a
sh'vuat hesset, and then he is released from all obligations. This applies even
if the due date of the promissory note has not arrived. Since the promissory
note is not in the possession of the lender, we do not operate under the
presumption that the debt is outstanding.
Halacha 14
The following laws apply when both the
borrower and the lender are holding on to the promissory note, and the lender
says: "It is mine and I took it out to demand payment from you," and
the borrower says: "I repaid you and it fell from my possession." If
the authenticity of the promissory note can be verified, both claimants are
each required to take an oath that no less than half the value of the
promissory note belongs to them. The borrower then pays half. If the
authenticity of the promissory note cannot be verified, the borrower must take
a sh'vuat hesset, and then he is released from all obligations.
Halacha 15
Our Sages ordained that precautions be
adopted to protect the borrower's interest in the following situation. A person
claims of his colleague: "You owe me a maneh." The colleague
responds: "I do not owe you anything" or "I paid you." The
plaintiff demands: "Take a sh'vuat hesset for me," and the borrower
responds: "You have a promissory note concerning this debt. You want to
compel me to take an oath first and then produce the promissory note and use it
to collect payment."
We tell the lender: "Produce the
promissory note." If the lender says: "I never had a promissory note
against this person," or "I had a promissory note and I lost
it," my teachers ruled that we tell the lender: "Nullify the legal
power of any promissory note you possess until the present time. Afterwards,
you can require him to take a sh'vuat hesset. Alternatively, have a conditional
ban of ostracism issued and go and seek until you find the promissory note.
Chapter 15
Halacha 1
When a person lends money to a colleague
in the presence of witnesses and tells the borrower: "Do not repay me
outside the presence of witnesses," the borrower must repay him in the
presence of witnesses because of this stipulation. This applies whether he made
this stipulation at the time the loan was given or after the loan was given.
If the borrower claims: "I fulfilled
the stipulation and repaid you in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so, and
they journeyed overseas or died," his word is accepted. He may take a
sh'vuat hesset, and then he is freed of responsibility.
Similarly, if the lender states:
"Repay me only in the presence of Torah scholars," or "... in
the presence of doctors," and the borrower claims: "I repaid you in
their presence, but those witnesses in whose presence I repaid you died or
journeyed overseas," his word is accepted. He may take a sh'vuat hesset,
and then he is freed of responsibility.
If, however, the lender stipulates:
"Do not repay me except in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so and
so," and the borrower claims: "I repaid you in the presence of other
witnesses, and they died or journeyed overseas," his word is not accepted.
Indeed, the lender stipulated: "Do not pay me except in the presence of Reuven
and Shimon," who are standing with him, so that the borrower will not
rebuff him, saying: "I repaid you in the presence of other people, and
they journeyed away."
Halacha 2
There are versions of the Talmud that
state that when a person tells a colleague: "Do not repay outside the
presence of witnesses," and the borrower claims: "I fulfilled the
stipulation and repaid you in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so, and they
journeyed overseas or died," his word is not accepted. This is a scribal
error. For this reason, the halachic authorities erred because of those texts.
I have researched ancient versions of the text and I found that they state that
the borrower's word is accepted. In Egypt, a portion of an ancient text of the
Talmud written on parchment, as was the custom in the era approximately 500
years before the present era, came to my possession. I found two versions of
this law among those parchments. Both state: "If he claims: 'I fulfilled
the stipulation and repaid you in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so, and
they journeyed overseas or died,' his word is accepted."
Because of the error that occurred with
regard to some texts, there are several Geonim who ruled that if the lender
stipulates: "Do not repay me except in the presence of so-and-so and
so-and-so," and the borrower repaid him in the presence of others, the
borrower's word is not accepted even if he brought witnesses, and they testify
that he paid him in their presence. This is also a great mistake. The true law
is that if witnesses come and testify that he paid the lender in their
presence, the borrower is freed from responsibility; there is no place for
suspicion.
This ruling also stems from those texts
that state with regard to a lender who tells his colleague: " 'Repay me in
the presence of witnesses who study Torah law,' and the borrower repaid him in
the presence of ordinary witnesses...." This is also a scribal error. In
the above-mentioned parchments, I found it written: "And he went and paid
him in private."
Although these texts have been carefully
edited, this appears to be the ruling based on the judgment of the Talmud.
Moreover, these concepts make sense: "What should the borrower do? The
lender told him: "Do not repay me except in the presence of
witnesses," and he repaid him in the presence of witnesses. Should he have
locked the witnesses in prison for their entire lives so that they do not
depart? Besides, what could he do if they died? Thus, the borrower will be
forced to pay the lender time after time until he brings witnesses to court.
This makes this testimony equivalent to testimony recorded in a legal document.
Thus, by saying: "Do not repay except in the presence of witnesses,"
the lender endows the loan with the strength of a loan recorded in a promissory
note. There is no one who would think that this is correct.
Instead, certainly, if the lender
stipulated: "Do not repay me except in the presence of so-and-so and
so-and-so," the borrower caused himself a loss if he repaid the loan in
the presence of other witnesses who departed. If, however, these witnesses come
and testify that he repaid the debt, there is no question that the borrower
should not be held responsible. This is the manner in which judgment should be
rendered and instruction should be given.
Halacha 3
If the lender had the borrower agree to
the stipulation that the lender's word would be accepted whenever he claimed
that the borrower did not pay him, he may collect the debt without taking an
oath. This applies even though the borrower claims that he paid him. If,
however, the borrower brings witnesses who testify that he paid him, the lender
is not entitled to expropriate any funds.
Halacha 4
If the lender had the borrower agree to
the stipulation that the lender's word would be accepted as the testimony of
two witnesses, even if the borrower brings witnesses who testify that he paid
him, he may collect the debt without taking an oath. For he accepted his word
as that of two witnesses. ) This law applies even if the borrower brought 100
witnesses that he paid the lender, for the legal power of two witnesses is the
same as that of 100 witnesses.
If, however, the borrower told the
lender: "I accept your word as that of three witnesses," since he
mentioned a number, if the borrower pays the lender in the presence of four
witnesses, we consider the debt to be paid. When a person accepted the lender's
word as equivalent to that of two witnesses, how can he correct the matter?
When he pays, he should have the promissory note ripped up, the lender testify
that he nullifies every promissory note he has against so-and-so, the borrower,
or the lender give testimony against himself outside the presence of the
borrower that he received payment for all debts owed to him by so-and-so the
borrower.
Halacha 5
If the borrower pays the lender, the
lender claims that he was not paid, and the borrower paid him a second time
because of the stipulation, the borrower can lodge a suit against the lender
claiming: "You owe me such and such, because I paid you twice." If
the lender acknowledges the borrower's claim, he must repay him. If he denies
the claim, he is required to take a sh'vuat hesset, stating that the borrower
paid him only once. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
Halacha 6
When the borrower had the lender agree to
the stipulation that the borrower's word would be accepted whenever he claimed
that he paid the debt, the lender may not collect this debt on the basis of
this promissory note - neither from the borrower's heir, nor from a person who
purchased property from him. Moreover, even if the borrower said: "I did
not pay this debt," the lender may not use this promissory note to
expropriate property from a person who purchased property from the borrower.
The rationale is that we suspect that the lender and the borrower perpetrated
an act of deception to take the purchaser's property.
If the borrower claims to have paid a
portion of the debt recorded in this promissory note, and the lender claims
that he did not pay anything, the borrower is required to pay the portion that
he admitted to owing. With regard to the remainder, he is required to take a sh
'vuat hesset. The rationale is that the lender accepted his word. If he
originally stipulates that his word would be accepted without having to take a
sh'vuat hesset, he is not required to take that oath.
Halacha 7
If the lender stipulates that his word
will be accepted without his having to take an oath, he may collect the debt
without taking an oath. If, however, he must collect the debt from the
borrower's heirs, he must take an oath; only afterwards may he collect the
debt. If, however, he stipulated that he would also be able to collect from the
heirs without taking an oath, he may collect the debt from them without an
oath.
Similarly, if the lender stipulates that
he will be able to expropriate the most valuable property owned by the
borrower, he may expropriate that property, even from the heirs. The rationale
is that any stipulation made with regard to financial matters is binding.
If the lender comes to collect from a
person who purchased property from the borrower, he may expropriate the
property only after taking an oath. The rationale is that the borrower may not
accept a stipulation that will cause a colleague a loss.
---
Hayom Yom
Saturday(Shabat, 27 Kislev 5774 / 30 November 2013
Sunday Kislev
27, Third Day of Chanuka 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Mikeitz, first parsha, with Rashi.
Tehillim: 120-134.
Tanya: Ch. 3. Now, each (p. 9)...and
dread of Him (p. 11).
During the Alter Rebbe's second arrest1
in 5561 (1800) he was not incarcerated as harshly as the first time. However
the charges were more ominous for they were aimed at the doctrines of Chassidus
and the opposition was intense. He was held in "Taini Soviet" prison
and released on the Third Light of Chanuka.
FOOTNOTES
1. See
"On Learning Chassidus" Kehot, p. 24.
---
Daily Thought:
The Mind and Beyond
Today’s Western society is built on the
foundations of two cultures: the Jewish and the Greek. Both treasured the human
mind. The Greeks reached the pinnacle of intellect at their time. But the
experience of Mount Sinai had taught the Jew that there is something greater
than the human mind. There is a G‑d, indescribable and inexplicable. And
therefore, a world could not be built on human reason alone.
The idea annoyed the Greeks to no end.
While they appreciated the wisdom of the Torah, they demanded that the Jews
abandon the notion that it was something divine.
Ethics, to an ancient Greek, meant that
which is right in the eyes of society. To a Jew, it means that which is right
in the eyes of G‑d. The difference is crucial: Ethics built solely on the convenience
of the time can produce a society where human beings are treated as numbers in
a computer, or where the central value is the accumulation of wealth. At its
extreme, it can produce a Stalinist Russia or a Nazi Germany.
A healthy society is one that recognizes
that which is beyond the human mind. And a healthy society is a balanced one,
whose soil nurtures human accomplishment but whose bedrock is the ethical
standard of an Eternal Being.
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