Today's Laws & Customs:
• Count "Thirty-Nine Days to the Omer" Tonight
Tomorrow is the thirty-ninth day of the Omer Count. Since, on the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall of the previous evening, we count the omer for tomorrow's date tonight, after nightfall: "Today is thirty-nine days, which are five weeks and four days, to the Omer." (If you miss the count tonight, you can count the omer all day tomorrow, but without the preceding blessing).
The 49-day "Counting of the Omer" retraces our ancestors' seven-week spiritual journey from the Exodus to Sinai. Each evening we recite a special blessing and count the days and weeks that have passed since the Omer; the 50th day is Shavuot, the festival celebrating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Tonight's Sefirah: Netzah sheb'Yesod -- "Ambition in Connection"
The teachings of Kabbalah explain that there are seven "Divine Attributes" -- Sefirot -- that G-d assumes through which to relate to our existence: Chessed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod,Yesod and Malchut ("Love", "Strength", "Beauty", "Victory", "Splendor", "Foundation" and "Sovereignty"). In the human being, created in the "image of G-d," the seven sefirot are mirrored in the seven "emotional attributes" of the human soul: Kindness, Restraint, Harmony, Ambition, Humility, Connection and Receptiveness. Each of the seven attributes contain elements of all seven--i.e., "Kindness in Kindness", "Restraint in Kindness", "Harmony in Kindness", etc.--making for a total of forty-nine traits. The 49-day Omer Count is thus a 49-step process of self-refinement, with each day devoted to the "rectification" and perfection of one the forty-nine "sefirot."
Links:
How to count the Omer
The deeper significance of the Omer Count
Today in Jewish History:
• Water from a Rock at Rephidim (1313 BCE)
The Children of Israel arrived at Rephidim on the 23rd of Iyar, 1313 BCE -- 38 days after their exodus from Egypt.
Rephidim was desert land and waterless, the people grumbled that they and their flocks were in danger of dying of thirst. G-d commanded Moses to take the elders of the people to a rock which he was to hit with his staff. Moses hit the rock and from the dry stone, a well sprang forth.
Links: Food in the Desert
Daily Quote:
There are four things whose creation G-d regrets every day. The first is galut (exile)[Talmud, Sukkah 52b]
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Bechukotai, 3rd Portion Leviticus 26:10-26:46 with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation | Video Class• Leviticus Chapter 26
10You will eat very old [produce], and you will clear out the old from before the new. י וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם יָשָׁ֖ן נוֹשָׁ֑ן וְיָשָׁ֕ן מִפְּנֵ֥י חָדָ֖שׁ תּוֹצִֽיאוּ:
You will eat very old [produce]: [But what blessing is it to eat old food? The Torah, means, however, that] the produce will remain well preserved, growing mellow with age, so that very old produce from three years ago will be better to eat than that of last year. — [B.B. 91b]
ואכלתם ישן נושן: הפירות יהיו משתמרין וטובים להתיישן, שיהא ישן הנושן של שלש שנים יפה לאכול משל אשתקד:
and you will clear out the old from before the new: The threshing floors will be full of new [grain, which would decay if left there, and, therefore, must be stored]. The storehouses, however, will be filled with the [abundant] old produce. Therefore, you will have to remove what is in the storehouses and take it elsewhere [in your house], in order to put the new produce into them. - [Sifthei Chachamim and see preceding Rashi; B.B. 91b]
וישן מפני חדש תוציאו: שיהיו הגרנות מלאות חדש והאוצרות מלאות ישן, וצריכים אתם לפנות האוצרות למקום אחר לתת החדש לתוכן:
11And I will place My dwelling in your midst, and My Spirit will not reject you; יאוְנָֽתַתִּ֥י מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י בְּתֽוֹכְכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם:
And I will place My dwelling: This is the Holy Temple. — [see Er. 2a and Rashi there; Torath Kohanim 26:14]
ונתתי משכני: זה בית המקדש:
and My Spirit will not reject you: My Spirit will not be disgusted with you. Every [expression of] גְּעִילָה is an expression of the purging of something that had been absorbed by something else, as in the verse, “For there, the shield of the mighty was rejected (נִגְעֲל),” (II Sam. 1:21), it did not accept that anointment, that [warriors] used to anoint their leather shields with cooked fat, in order to have attacking arrows or spears glide off it, rather than pierce the leather.
ולא תגעל נפשי: אין רוחי קצה בכם. כל געילה לשון פליטת דבר הבלוע בדבר אחר, כמו (שמואל ב' א כא) כי שם נגעל מגן גבורים, לא קבל המשיחה שמושחין מגן של עור בחלב מבושל, כדי להחליק מעליו מכת חץ או חנית, שלא יקוב העור:
12I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people. יבוְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם:
I will walk among you: [God promises a blessing of special spiritual quality, involving intimate knowledge of Him (Zeidah Laderech):] “I will stroll with you in the Garden of Eden, as if I were one of you, and you will not be terrified of Me.” Now, one might think that you will not fear Me [under such “familiar” circumstances]. Scripture, therefore, says here, “and be your God.” - [Torath Kohanim 26: 15]
והתהלכתי בתוככם: אטייל עמכם בגן עדן כאחד מכם, ולא תהיו מזדעזעים ממני. יכול לא תיראו ממני, תלמוד לומר והייתי לכם לא-להים:
13I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt from being slaves to them; and I broke the pegs of your yoke and led you upright. יגאֲנִ֞י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִֽהְיֹ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם עֲבָדִ֑ים וָֽאֶשְׁבֹּר֙ מֹטֹ֣ת עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וָֽאוֹלֵ֥ךְ אֶתְכֶ֖ם קֽוֹמְמִיּֽוּת:
I am the Lord, your God, [Who took you out of the land of Egypt]: It is worthwhile for you to believe Me that I can do all these things, for indeed “I took you out of the land of Egypt” and performed great miracles for you. — [Torath Kohanim 26:16]
אני ה' אלהיכם: כדאי אני שתאמינו בי שאני יכול לעשות כל אלה, שהרי הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים ועשיתי לכם נסים גדולים:
the pegs: [A plowing yoke consists of a bar that is placed over the animal’s neck and reins that are placed under its neck and threaded through two holes at each end of the bar. This term מוֹט refers to] a type of peg, which is inserted into the two [holes at the] ends of the yoke. [These pegs therefore jam the reins tightly through the holes,] preventing the reins from coming off the ox’s head and [preventing the] undoing of the knot. [The term is] as [it appears] in the verse, “Make yourself reins and yoke-pegs (מֹטוֹת) ” (Jer. 27:2); cheville in French.
מטת: כמין יתד [התחובה] בשני ראשי העול המעכבים המוסרה שלא תצא מראש השור ויתיר הקשר, כמו (ירמיה כז ב) עשה לך מוסרות ומוטות קוניונגל"א בלע"ז [רצועת העול]:
upright: Erect in stature [due to relief from bondage]. — [Torath Kohanim 26:17]
קוממיות: בקומה זקופה:
14But if you do not listen to Me and do not perform all these commandments, ידוְאִם־לֹ֥א תִשְׁמְע֖וּ לִ֑י וְלֹ֣א תַֽעֲשׂ֔וּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַמִּצְוֹ֖ת הָאֵֽלֶּה:
But if you do not listen to Me: to toil in [the study of] Torah in order to know the exposition of the Sages [corresponding to verse 3]. I might think that this refers to fulfilling the commandments. When Scripture says, “and you do not perform all these commandments,” the fulfillment of commandments is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of “if you do not listen to Me”? To toil in [the study of] Torah. And what is the meaning of “to Me”? This is speaking only about someone who knows his Master, and yet willfully rebels against Him (Sanh. 109a). Likewise, regarding Nimrod [whom Scripture calls], “a powerful hunter before the Lord ” (Gen. 10:9), [it means that] he recognized God but intentionally rebelled against Him; likewise, regarding the people of Sodom, [referred to as], “very evil and sinful against the Lord ” (Gen. 13:13)- [it means that] they recognized their Master but intentionally rebelled against Him. — [Torath Kohanim 26:18]
ואם לא תשמעו לי: להיות עמלים בתורה, לדעת מדרש חכמים. יכול לקיום המצות, כשהוא אומר ולא תעשו וגו', הרי קיום מצות אמור, הא מה אני מקיים ואם לא תשמעו לי, להיות עמלים בתורה. ומה תלמוד לומר לי, אין לי אלא זה המכיר את רבונו ומתכוין למרוד בו, וכן בנמרוד (בראשית י ט) גבור ציד לפני ה', שמכירו ומתכוין למרוד בו, וכן באנשי סדום (שם יג יג) רעים וחטאים לה' מאד, מכירים את רבונם ומתכוונים למרוד בו:
and do not perform: If you do not learn [the Torah], you will not perform. Scripture hereby enumerates two transgressions [namely, (a) not learning the Torah and therefore (b) not fulfilling its commandments properly]. — [Torath Kohanim 26:18]
ולא תעשו: משלא תלמדו לא תעשו הרי שתי עבירות:
15and if you despise My statutes and reject My ordinances, not performing any of My commandments, thereby breaking My covenant טווְאִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י תִּמְאָ֔סוּ וְאִ֥ם אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֖י תִּגְעַ֣ל נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם לְבִלְתִּ֤י עֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתַ֔י לְהַפְרְכֶ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי:
and if you despise My statutes: [This refers to one who] despises others who perform [the commandments];- [Torath Kohanim 26:18]
ואם בחקתי תמאסו: מואס באחרים העושים:
and reject My ordinances: [refers to one who] hates the Sages - [Torath Kohanim 26:18]
משפטי תגעל נפשכם: שונא החכמים:
not performing: [refers to someone who] prevents others from fulfilling [the commandments];- [Torath Kohanim 26:18]
לבלתי עשות: מונע את אחרים מעשות:
any of my commandments: [refers to one who] denies that I [God,] commanded them. This is why the verse says “any of My commandments” and “not any of the commandments.” - [Torath Kohanim 26:18]
את כל מצותי: כופר המצוות שלא צויתים, לכך נאמר את כל מצותי, ולא נאמר את כל המצות:
thereby breaking My covenant: [This refers to one who] denies the main tenet [of Judaism, namely, that God is the Omnipotent Creator of all existence (Torath Kohanim 26:18).] Hence, [this verse has enumerated] seven sins, the first leading to the second, and so on, until the seventh, [and the process of degeneration is] as follows: [First, a person] does not learn [the Torah]; then, he [subsequently] does not fulfill [the commandments]; he then despises others who do [fulfill them]; then, he hates the Sages, prevents others from fulfilling [the commandments], denies the [authenticity of the] commandments and [finally] denies the very omnipotence of God.
להפרכם את בריתי: כופר בעיקר הרי שבע עבירות, הראשונה גוררת השניה, וכן עד השביעית ואלו הן לא למד, ולא עשה, מואס באחרים העושים, שונא את החכמים, מונע את האחרים, כופר במצות, כופר בעיקר:
16then I too, will do the same to you; I will order upon you shock, consumption, fever, and diseases that cause hopeless longing and depression. You will sow your seed in vain, and your enemies will eat it. טזאַף־אֲנִ֞י אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־זֹּ֣את לָכֶ֗ם וְהִפְקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם בֶּֽהָלָה֙ אֶת־הַשַּׁחֶ֣פֶת וְאֶת־הַקַּדַּ֔חַת מְכַלּ֥וֹת עֵינַ֖יִם וּמְדִיבֹ֣ת נָ֑פֶשׁ וּזְרַעְתֶּ֤ם לָרִיק֙ זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם וַֽאֲכָלֻ֖הוּ אֹֽיְבֵיכֶֽם:
I will order: I will order upon you.
והפקדתי עליכם: וצויתי עליכם:
consumption: This is a disease that consumes the flesh; anpoles in Old French, blisters. [The afflicted] appears like one who has had swellings and whose swellings have abated, thereby causing a sad appearance to his face [due to the stretched skin sagging after the swellings have abated].
שחפת: חולי שמשחף את הבשר, אנפולי"ש בלע"ז [בועות], דומה לנפוח שהוקלה נפיחתו ומראית פניו זעופה:
fever: Heb. קַדַּחַת, an illness that makes the body feverish, heating it up and making it burn, like, “For a fire blazed (קָדְחָה) in My wrath” (Deut. 32:22).
קדחת: חולי שמקדיח את הגוף ומחממו ומבעירו, כמו (דברים לב כב) כי אש קדחה באפי:
that cause hopeless longing and depression: Heb. מְכַלּות עֵינַיִם וּמְדִיבֹת נֶפֶשׁ. The eyes (עֵינַיִם) look with anticipation, longing (כָּלוֹת) to see that the illness will abate, and he will recover, but, he eventually does not recover, and depression (מְדִיבֹת נֶפֶשׁ) falls upon his family members when he dies. Any desire that is not realized or some prolonged yearning [for something], is termed כִּלְיוּן עֵינַיִם.
מכלות עינים ומדיבת נפש: העינים צופות וכלות לראות שיקל וירפא, וסוף שלא ירפא, וידאבו הנפשות של משפחתו במותו. כל תאוה שאינה באה ותוחלת ממושכה קרויה כליון עינים:
You will sow [your seed] in vain [and your enemies will eat it]: You will sow, but it will not grow, and if it does grow-“your enemies will eat it.”
וזרעתם לריק: תזרעו ולא תצמח, ואם תצמח ואכלוהו אויביכם:
17I will set My attention against you, and you will be smitten before your enemies. Your enemies will rule over you; you will flee, but no one will be pursuing you. יזוְנָֽתַתִּ֤י פָנַי֙ בָּכֶ֔ם וְנִגַּפְתֶּ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְרָד֤וּ בָכֶם֙ שֽׂנְאֵיכֶ֔ם וְנַסְתֶּ֖ם וְאֵֽין־רֹדֵ֥ף אֶתְכֶֽם:
I will set my attention: [The word here פָנַי, means] My leisure. [Thus, God is saying here:] “I will turn (פּוֹנֶה) away from all My affairs, to harm you.”
ונתתי פני: פנאי שלי, פונה אני מכל עסקי להרע לכם:
Your enemies will rule over you: Heb. וְרָדוּ. [This expression is to be understood] literally, namely, [that they] will rule over you. Now, the Aggadic explanation of this passage (beginning from verse 16), as taught in Torath Kohanim (26:19-24), is as follows: [16]
ורדו בכם שנאיכם: כמשמעו ישלטו בכם. אגדת תורת כהנים מפרשה זו:
Then I too, will do the same: Heb., אַף אֲנִי אֶעשֶׂה זֹּאת. I will speak only out of wrath (אַף). Likewise, וְהָלַכְתִּי אַף אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בְּקֶרִי (verse 24 below);
אף אני אעשה זאת: איני מדבר אלא באף, וכן והלכתי אף אני עמכם בקרי (פסוק כד):
I will order upon you: Heb., וְהִפְקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם. The plagues will address (פּוֹקְדוֹת) you one immediately after the other; i.e., the first plague will not have even finished, when I will bring the next one upon you, right next to it.
והפקדתי עליכם: שיהיו המכות פוקדות אתכם מזו לזו, עד שהראשונה פקודה אצלכם אביא אחרת ואסמכנה לה:
shock: Heb., בֶּהָלָה. This is a plague that shocks (מַבְהֶלֶת) people. And what is this? A plague [whose cure is anxiously] awaited, [and when the afflicted dies suddenly, people are (נִבְהָלִים) shocked];
בהלה: מכה המבהלת את הבריות, ואיזו, זו מכת מותן:
Consumption…: Heb. אֶת הַשַּׁחֶפֶת וְאֶת הַקַּדַּחַת מְכַלּוֹת עֵינַיִם וּמְדִיבֹת נָפֶשׁ . Sometimes, a person is sick and lies in bed, but his flesh is well preserved on him-therefore, Scripture states, שַׁחֶפֶת, [a disease that] consumes the flesh. Or occasionally, a person may be worn away [from disease], but is comfortable in that he has no burning fever. Therefore, Scripture states, וְאֶת הַקַדַּחַת, which teaches us that [the afflicted] will be burning with fever. Or sometimes, a person may be burning with fever, but he himself believes that he will survive. Therefore, Scripture states, “[and diseases] that cause hopeless longing” [explained above in Rashi to mean that he will not recover]. Or, although he himself does not believe that he will survive, nevertheless, others may believe that he will. Therefore, Scripture states, מְדִיבוֹת נֶפֶשׁ [explained above in Rashi to mean that the family members of the afflicted will be depressed due to his death];
את השחפת: יש לך אדם שהוא חולה ומוטל במטה אבל בשרו שמור עליו, תלמוד לומר שחפת, שהוא נשחף. או עתים שהוא נשחף אבל נוח ואינו מקדיח, תלמוד לומר ואת הקדחת, מלמד שהוא מקדיח. או עתים שהוא מקדיח אבל סבור הוא בעצמו שיחיה, תלמוד לומר מכלות עינים. או הוא אינו סבור בעצמו שיחיה אבל אחרים סבורים שיחיה, תלמוד לומר ומדיבות נפש:
You will sow your seed in vain: You will sow your seed, but it will not grow. If this is the case, though, what would your enemies come and eat, that the verse should then state, “and your enemies will eat it”? What circumstance are we speaking about here? You will sow your seed one particular year, and it will not grow [then]; in the following year, however, it will grow, but then, your enemies will come and find the produce for the time of the siege. Thus, those inside [the besieged cities] will be dying of starvation, because they had not gathered in produce from the previous year. Another explanation of “You will sow your seed in vain” is that Scripture here is alluding to sons and daughters, namely, that you will invest hard work in your children, rearing them, but [the punishment of your] sin will come and consume them, as the verse says, “Those whom I have reared and brought up-my enemy has consumed” (Lam. 2:22). [17]
וזרעתם לריק זרעכם: זורעה ואינה מצמחת, ומעתה מה אויביכם באים ואוכלים, ומה תלמוד לומר ואכלוהו אויביכם, הא כיצד, זורעה שנה ראשונה ואינה מצמחת, שנה שניה מצמחת ואויבים באים ומוצאים תבואה לימי המצור, ושבפנים מתים ברעב, שלא לקטו תבואה אשתקד. דבר אחר וזרעתם לריק זרעכם, כנגד הבנים והבנות הכתוב מדבר, שאתה עמל בהם ומגדלן, והחטא בא ומכלה אותם, שנאמר (איכה ב כב) אשר טפחתי ורביתי אויבי כלם:
I will set My attention against you: Just as it is said regarding the good, “I will turn towards you” (verse 9), so it is said regarding the bad, “I will set My attention [against you.” Our Sages] drew a parable to a king, who said to his servants [when they had not obeyed him]: “I am now turning my attention away from all my affairs, and I am occupying myself with you, to do [you] harm!”
ונתתי פני בכם: כמו שנאמר בטובה ופניתי אליכם, כך נאמר ברעה ונתתי פני. משלו משל, למלך שאמר לעבדיו פונה אני מכל עסקי ועוסק אני עמכם [לרעה]:
and you will be smitten before your enemies: Heb. וְנִגַּפְתֶּם, [lit., “and you will fall by the plague before your enemies,”] that the deathly plague will kill you inside [the besieged cities] while your enemies surround you from the outside [and rejoice that you are dying off within, from the plague];- [Sifthei Chachamim]
ונגפתם לפני איביכם: שיהא המות הורג אתכם מבפנים ובעלי דבביכון מקיפין אתכם מבחוץ:
Your enemies will rule over you: Heb. וְרָדוּ בָכֶם. I will make your enemies stem from within your very own people. For at the time that the nations stand up against Israel, they seek out only what is visible, as it is said, “And it happened, when Israel sowed, that Midian, Amalek, and the children of the East came up… and they camped against them and destroyed the Land’s produce” (Jud. 6:3-4). However, when I will set up [enemies] against you from within your very own camp, they will seek out your hidden treasures [within]. Thus, says the verse, “who ate the flesh of My people and flayed their skin from upon them [and opened their bones and broke them” (Micah 3:3)-the metaphor of breaking the bone to get to the marrow within, alluding to the enemy seeking out the hidden treasure within (Yosef Hallel)].
ורדו בכם שנאיכם: שאיני מעמיד שונאים אלא מכם ובכם, שבשעה שאומות העולם עומדים על ישראל אינם מבקשים אלא מה שבגלוי, שנאמר (שופטים ו ג - ד) והיה אם זרע ישראל ועלה מדין ועמלק ובני קדם וגו' ויחנו עליהם וישחיתו את יבול הארץ, אבל בשעה שאעמיד עליכם מכם ובכם, הם מחפשים אחר המטמוניות שלכם, וכן הוא אומר (מיכה ג ג) ואשר אכלו שאר עמי ועורם מעליהם הפשיטו וגו':
you will flee: out of fright,
ונסתם: מפני אימה:
but no one will be pursuing you: for lack of strength [left to pursue you.] - [Torath Kohanim 26:24] [This is the end of the Aggadic explanation given by Torath Kohanim. Now Rashi resumes his commentary, although sometimes quoting Torath Kohanim.]
ואין רדף אתכם: מבלי כח:
18And if, during these, you will not listen to Me, I will add another seven punishments for your sins: יחוְאִ֨ם־עַד־אֵ֔לֶּה לֹ֥א תִשְׁמְע֖וּ לִ֑י וְיָֽסַפְתִּי֙ לְיַסְּרָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם שֶׁ֖בַע עַל־חַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶֽם:
And if, during these: Heb. וְאִםעַדאֵלֶּה, [equivalent to:] וְאִםבְּעוֹדאֵלֶּה, lit., “and if, while (עוֹד) these [are transpiring], you [still] will not listen to Me.”
ואם עד אלה: ואם בעוד אלה המכות עמכם לא תשמעו:
I will add: more sufferings of a different [nature].
ויספתי: עוד יסורין אחרים:
another seven… for your sins: Seven retributions for your seven sins that have been enumerated earlier [not sevenfold for your sins]. — [see Rashi verse 15 above; Torath Kohanim 26:26]
שבע על חטאתיכם: שבע פורעניות על שבע העבירות האמורות למעלה:
19I will break the pride of your strength and make your skies like iron and your land like copper. יטוְשָֽׁבַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן עֻזְּכֶ֑ם וְנָֽתַתִּ֤י אֶת־שְׁמֵיכֶם֙ כַּבַּרְזֶ֔ל וְאֶת־אַרְצְכֶ֖ם כַּנְּחֻשָֽׁה:
I will break the pride of your strength: This is the Temple, and so Scripture says, “Behold I profaning My Sanctuary, the pride of your strength” (Ezek. 24:21). - [Torath Kohanim 26:27]
ושברתי את גאון עזכם: זה בית המקדש, וכן הוא אומר (יחזקאל כד כא) הנני מחלל את מקדשי גאון עוזכם:
and make your skies like iron and your land like copper: This is more severe than that of Moses, for there he says, “And your sky above you will be [like] copper and the earth beneath you (like) iron” (Deut. 28:23), that the sky will sweat as copper sweats, and the earth will not sweat, just as iron does not sweat, and therefore, [the earth] will preserve [any of] its [existing] fruit. Here, however, [in this harsher curse, pronounced by God Himself,] the sky will not sweat, just as iron does not sweat, and therefore, there will be drought in the world, while the earth will sweat, just as copper sweats, thus causing its fruits to rot [through its dampness]. — [Torath Kohanim 26:28]
ונתתי את שמיכם כברזל ואת ארצכם כנחשה: זו קשה משל משה, ששם הוא אומר (דברים כח כג) והיו שמיך אשר על ראשך נחשת וגו', שיהיו השמים מזיעין כדרך שהנחשת מזיעה והארץ אינה מזיעה כדרך שאין הברזל מזיע והיא משמרת פירותיה, אבל כאן השמים לא יהיו מזיעין כדרך שאין הברזל מזיע ויהא חורב בעולם והארץ תהא מזיעה כדרך שהנחשת מזיעה והיא מאבדת פירותיה:
20Your strength will be expended in vain; your land will not yield its produce, neither will the tree of the earth give forth its fruit. כוְתַ֥ם לָרִ֖יק כֹּֽחֲכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִתֵּ֤ן אַרְצְכֶם֙ אֶת־יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֣ץ הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יִתֵּ֖ן פִּרְיֽוֹ:
Your strength will be expended in vain: In the case of a man who did not toil, not having plowed, sown, weeded, cut off [the thorns], or hoed-at the time of harvest, if blight comes and ruins everything [that others worked on], it does not affect him at all. However, a man who did toil, who plowed, sowed, weeded, cut off [the thorns], and hoed-if blight comes and ruins everything, this man’s teeth become blunt [i.e., his spirit will surely be broken]! [Thus is the force of the retribution described here]. — [Torath Kohanim 26:28]
ותם לריק כחכם: הרי אדם שלא עמל שלא חרש שלא זרע שלא נכש שלא כסח שלא עדר ובשעת הקציר בא שדפון ומלקה אותו, אין בכך כלום, אבל אדם שעמל וחרש וזרע ונכש וכסח ועדר ובא שדפון ומלקה אותו, הרי שניו של זה קהות:
your land will not yield its produce: [Heb. יְבוּלָה. Even [that quantity of seed] that you “bring forth (מוֹבִיל) ” to [the field] at the time of sowing. — Torath Kohanim 26:29]
ולא תתן ארצכם את יבולה: אף מה שאתה מוביל לה בשעת הזרע:
and the tree of the earth [will not give forth its fruit]: [Why the expression “tree of the earth”? It means that] the trees will be smitten even from the earth, for they will not be able to put forth their fruits in the season when fruits sprout forth. [The production of fruit originates from the earth in which the tree is rooted. The tree will blossom, but the earth will have no power to bring forth fruit.] - [Sefer Hazikkaron; Torath Kohanim 26:29]
ועץ הארץ: אפילו מן הארץ יהא לקוי, שלא יחניט פירותיו בשעת החנטה:
will not give forth: [This phrase comes after “the tree of the land” and before “its fruit” and must be understood here to] refer to both that [phrase] which is before it and that which comes after it, the trees and the fruits [and therefore, there are two separate retributions specified here (see next Rashi)].
לא יתן: משמש למעלה ולמטה אעץ ואפרי:
will not give forth its fruit: i.e., if a tree will produce any fruit (Mizrachi), they will drop off (Torath Kohanim 26:29). Thus, this [clause, “the tree of the land will not give forth its fruit”] represents two separate curses and [by so identifying them as two separate curses here, Rashi has shown that verses 19-20 have] now enumerated seven retributions here (see Rashi on verse 18) [namely: (a) Breaking the pride of your strength, (b) making your skies like iron, and (c) your land like copper, (d) that your strength will be expended in vain, (e) your land will not yield its produce, (f) trees will not be able to give forth their fruits altogether (see preceding Rashi), and (g) any fruit produced will drop off the tree]. [Torath Kohanim]
לא יתן פריו: כשהוא מפרה משיר פירותיו, הרי שתי קללות, ויש כאן שבע פורעניות:
21And if you treat Me as happenstance, and you do not wish to listen to Me, I will add seven punishments corresponding to your sins: כאוְאִם־תֵּֽלְכ֤וּ עִמִּי֙ קֶ֔רִי וְלֹ֥א תֹאב֖וּ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ לִ֑י וְיָֽסַפְתִּ֤י עֲלֵיכֶם֙ מַכָּ֔ה שֶׁ֖בַע כְּחַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶֽם:
And if you treat me as happenstance: Heb. קֶרִי. Our Rabbis said that [this word means] temporary, by chance (מִקְרֶה), something that happens only sometimes. Thus, [our verse means:] “If you treat the commandments as happenstance, a temporary concern.” Menachem [Ben Saruk], (Machbereth, p. 1158) however, explains קֶרִי as refraining. Similar is, “hold back (הֹקֵר) your steps” (Prov. 25:17), and also, “he who keeps back (יְקַר) his breath” (Prov. 17:27). And this explanation [of לָלֶכֶת עִמִּי קֶרִי] resembles Onkelos’s translation, namely, denoting hardness (קשִׁי), i.e., [those who commit the sin of לָלֶכֶת עִמִּי קֶרִי] harden (מַקְשִׁין) their hearts to refrain from coming close to Me.
ואם תלכו עמי קרי: רבותינו אמרו עראי, במקרה, שאינו אלא לפרקים, כן תלכו עראי במצות. ומנחם פירש לשון מניעה, וכן (משלי כה יז) הוקר רגלך, וכן יקר רוח (משלי יז כז), וקרוב לשון זה לתרגומו של אונקלוס לשון קושי, שמקשים לבם להמנע מהתקרב אלי:
I will add seven punishments corresponding to your sins: Seven other punishments, with the number seven, corresponding to your sins. - [Torath Kohanim 26:30]
שבע כחטאתיכם: שבע פורעניות אחרים במספר שבע כחטאתיכם:
22I will incite the wild beasts of the field against you, and they will bereave you, utterly destroy your livestock and diminish you, and your roads will become desolate. כבוְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֨י בָכֶ֜ם אֶת־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְשִׁכְּלָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהִכְרִ֨יתָה֙ אֶת־בְּהֶמְתְּכֶ֔ם וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְנָשַׁ֖מּוּ דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם:
I will incite: Heb. הִשְׁלַחְתּי, an expression of inciting.
והשלחתי: לשון גירוי:
and they will bereave you: [From this verse,] I know only that wild beasts will bereave you, for this is their nature. How do I know that domestic animals, which are not accustomed [to kill people, that they too, will kill]? Therefore, Scripture says, “I will incite the teeth of livestock upon them” (Deut. 32:24). Thus, there are two [punishments-both wild beasts and domestic animals attacking people]. How do I know that they will kill through their bite? Because that verse continues, “with the venom of the creatures that slither in the dust”-just as those [snakes] kill through their bite, these also will kill through their bite, and indeed, there were years in the Land of Israel, when [domestic] donkeys used to bite and kill, wild donkeys bit and killed. — [see Rashi Deut. 32:24; Torath Kohanim 26:31] [Be’er Mayim Chayim writes that the wild donkey is basically a domestic animal, but, as Leket Bahir comments, it lives in the wilderness and is therefore considered a wild animal. See also Sefer Hazikkaron. Extant editions of Torath Kohanim read: Donkeys would bite and kill; oxen would bite and kill.]
ושכלה אתכם: אין לי אלא חיה משכלת שדרכה בכך, בהמה שאין דרכה בכך מנין, תלמוד לומר (דברים לב כד) ושן בהמות אשלח בם, הרי שתים. ומנין שתהא ממיתה בנשיכתה, תלמוד לומר (שם) עם חמת זוחלי עפר. מה אלו נושכין וממיתין, אף אלו נושכין וממיתין. כבר היו שנים בארץ ישראל חמור נושך וממית, ערוד נושך וממית:
and they will bereave you: these are the young children.
ושכלה אתכם: אלו הקטנים:
utterly destroy your livestock: from outside [your city].
והכריתה את בהמתכם: מבחוץ:
and diminish you: from within [your city].
והמעיטה אתכם: מבפנים:
and your roads will become desolate: The major trails and the minor trails. Here you have seven punishments: 1) the teeth of domestic animals, 2) the teeth of wild animals, 3) the venom of the crawling things of the dust, 4) and they will bereave [you], 5) utterly destroy [you], 6) and diminish [you], 7) and [your roads] will become desolate.
ונשמו דרכיכם: שבילים גדולים ושבילים קטנים, הרי שבע פורעניות שן בהמה, ושן חיה, חמת זוחלי עפר, ושכלה, והכריתה, והמעיטה, ונשמו:
23And if, through these, you will still not be chastised [to return] to Me, and if you [continue to] treat Me happenstance, כגוְאִ֨ם־בְּאֵ֔לֶּה לֹ֥א תִוָּֽסְר֖וּ לִ֑י וַֽהֲלַכְתֶּ֥ם עִמִּ֖י קֶֽרִי:
you will not be chastised to Me: to return to Me.
לא תוסרו לי: לשוב אלי:
24Then I too, will treat you as happenstance. I will again add seven punishments for your sins: כדוְהָֽלַכְתִּ֧י אַף־אֲנִ֛י עִמָּכֶ֖ם בְּקֶ֑רִי וְהִכֵּיתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ גַּם־אָ֔נִי שֶׁ֖בַע עַל־חַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶֽם:
25I will bring upon you an army that avenges the avenging of a covenant, and you will gather into your cities. I will incite the plague in your midst, and you will be delivered into the enemy's hands, כהוְהֵֽבֵאתִ֨י עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם חֶ֗רֶב נֹקֶ֨מֶת֙ נְקַם־בְּרִ֔ית וְנֶֽאֱסַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶל־עָֽרֵיכֶ֑ם וְשִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי דֶ֨בֶר֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְנִתַּתֶּ֖ם בְּיַד־אוֹיֵֽב:
the avenging of a covenant: [Since] there is also an avenging which is not of the covenant [i.e., not stated here in the Torah, such as those] in the manner of other avengings and this is the blinding of the eyes of Zedekiah (see II Kings, 25:7) [i.e., blinding is not one of the punishments enumerated here]. Another explanation of “the avenging of a covenant” : The avenging [here] will be because you broke My covenant [namely, the Torah] (Sifthei Chachamim and Onkelos; Shab. 33a). Wherever the expression of “bringing חֶרֶב ” appears in Scripture, it refers to a war of enemy armies.
נקם ברית: ויש נקם שאינו בברית כדרך שאר נקמות, וזהו סמוי עיניו של צדקיהו. דבר אחר נקם ברית נקמת בריתי אשר עברתם. כל הבאת חרב שבמקרא היא מלחמת חיילות אויבים:
and you will gather [into your cities]: from the outside, to the inside of the cities, due to the siege. — [Torath Kohanim 26:33]
ונאספתם: מן החוץ אל תוך הערים מפני המצור:
I will then incite the plague in your midst [and you will be delivered into the enemy’s hands]: Through this plague, you will be delivered over to the hands of your enemies who are besieging you (see preceding Rashi); because since one may not allow a dead person to remain [unburied] overnight in Jerusalem (B.K. 82b), when they bring out their dead for burial, they will then be “delivered into the enemy’s hands.” - [Torath Kohanim 26:33]
ושלחתי דבר בתוככם: ועל ידי הדבר ונתתם ביד האויבים הצרים עליכם, לפי שאין מלינים את המת בירושלים, וכשהם מוציאים את המת לקברו, נתנים ביד אויב:
26when I break for you the staff of bread, and ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread by weight, and you will eat, yet not be satisfied. כובְּשִׁבְרִ֣י לָכֶם֘ מַטֵּה־לֶ֒חֶם֒ וְ֠אָפ֠וּ עֶ֣שֶׂר נָשִׁ֤ים לַחְמְכֶם֙ בְּתַנּ֣וּר אֶחָ֔ד וְהֵשִׁ֥יבוּ לַחְמְכֶ֖ם בַּמִּשְׁקָ֑ל וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם וְלֹ֥א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ:
the staff of bread: Heb. מַטֵּה. [This expression] denotes [a source of] “support” [namely, food or bread, just as a staff (מַטֵּה) supports a person (Mizrachi)], similar to “staff (מַטֵּה) of strength” (Jer. 48:17).
מטה לחם: לשון משען, כמו (ירמיה מח יז) מטה עז:
When I break for you the staff of bread: I will break every support of bread that you have. — [Torath Kohanim 26:34] This refers to “the arrows of hunger” (see Ezek. 5:16 where both of these expressions appear, and Redak identifies the “arrows of hunger” as blight, mildew, and locusts, which destroy some or most of the grain).
בשברי לכם מטה לחם: אשבור לכם כל מסעד אוכל, והם חצי רעב:
and ten women will bake your bread in one oven: because of lack of wood. — [Torath Kohanim 26:34]
ואפו עשר נשים לחמכם בתנור אחד: מחוסר עצים:
and they will bring back your bread by weight: The grain will rot, and the bread will become crumbly, breaking apart inside the oven. The women, therefore, will sit and weigh the broken pieces, to divide them among themselves. — [Torath Kohanim 26:34]
והשיבו לחמכם במשקל: שתהא התבואה נרקבת ונעשית פת נפולה ומשתברת בתנור, והן יושבות ושוקלות את השברים לחלקם ביניהם:
and you will eat, yet not be satisfied: This describes a curse within the intestines. [Once again,] seven retributions [are enumerated here (verses 25-26) corresponding to the seven sins (see Rashi on verses 15, 18, 20 and 22 above)], namely: (a) the attacking armies, (b) the siege, (c) the plague, (d) the destruction of food supply, (e) a lack of wood, (f) crumbly bread and (g) a curse in the intestines. The clause, “you will be delivered [into the enemy’s hand]” (in verse 25), does not count [as a separate retribution because it] is [part of] the attacking armies.
ואכלתם ולא תשבעו: זה מארה בתוך המעים, הרי שבע פורעניות חרב, מצור, דבר, שבר מטה לחם, חוסר עצים, פת נפולה, מארה במעים. ונתתם (פסוק כה) אינה מן המנין, שהיא החרב:
27And if, despite this, you still do not listen to Me, still treating Me as happenstance, כזוְאִ֨ם־בְּזֹ֔את לֹ֥א תִשְׁמְע֖וּ לִ֑י וַֽהֲלַכְתֶּ֥ם עִמִּ֖י בְּקֶֽרִי:
28I will treat you with a fury of happenstance, adding again seven [chastisements] for your sins: כחוְהָֽלַכְתִּ֥י עִמָּכֶ֖ם בַּֽחֲמַת־קֶ֑רִי וְיִסַּרְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ אַף־אָ֔נִי שֶׁ֖בַע עַל־חַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶֽם:
29You will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. כטוַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם וּבְשַׂ֥ר בְּנֹֽתֵיכֶ֖ם תֹּאכֵֽלוּ:
30I will demolish your edifices and cut down your sun idols; I will make your corpses [fall] upon the corpses of your idols, and My Spirit will reject you. לוְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֞י אֶת־בָּמֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם וְהִכְרַתִּי֙ אֶת־חַמָּ֣נֵיכֶ֔ם וְנָֽתַתִּי֙ אֶת־פִּגְרֵיכֶ֔ם עַל־פִּגְרֵ֖י גִּלּֽוּלֵיכֶ֑ם וְגָֽעֲלָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם:
your edifices: Towers and castles.
במתיכם: מגדלים ובירניות:
your sun-idols: A type of idol that they would place upon the rooftops, and since they would stand in the sun (חַמָּה), they are called “sun idols.” (חַמָּנִים) - [Torath Kohanim 19:7]
חמניכם: מין עבודה זרה שמעמידין על הגגות. ועל שם שמעמידין בחמה קרויין חמנים:
I will make your corpses [fall] upon [the corpses of your idols]: [How so?] The people would be swollen from starvation; [and in a futile gesture of homage,] they would take out their idol from their bosom and kiss it; their bellies would burst open, and they would fall down [dead] on top of it. — [Torath Kohanim 26:36]
ונתתי את פגריכם: תפוחי רעב היו, ומוציאים יראתם מחיקם ומנשקים אותם, וכרסו נבקעת ונופל עליה:
and My Spirit will reject you: This is the departure of the Divine Presence. — [Torath Kohanim 26:36]
וגעלה נפשי אתכם: זה סילוק שכינה:
31I will lay your cities waste and make your holy places desolate, and I will not partake of your pleasant fragrances. לאוְנָֽתַתִּ֤י אֶת־עָֽרֵיכֶם֙ חָרְבָּ֔ה וַֽהֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖י אֶת־מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֣א אָרִ֔יחַ בְּרֵ֖יחַ נִיחֹֽחֲכֶֽם:
I will lay your cities waste: I might think that this means [desolate] of people [who reside there (Mizrachi)]. When the [next verse] says, “I will make the Land desolate,” [desolation of] people [who reside there] is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of “waste”? [It means that the Land will be desolate] of any passerby. — [Torath Kohanim 26:2]
ונתתי את עריכם חרבה: יכול מאדם, כשהוא אומר והשימותי אני את הארץ (פסוק לב) הרי אדם אמור, הא מה אני מקיים חרבה מעובר ושב:
and make your holy places (מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶם) desolate: I might think that this means [desolate] of sacrifices. [However,] when [Scripture] states, “and I will not partake [of your pleasant fragrances],” [desolation of] sacrifices is stated. So what is the meaning of “and make your holy places desolate”? It means [desolate] of throngs (Torath Kohanim 26: 4) - these are the caravans of Israelites who prepare themselves (מִתְקַדְּשׁוֹת) and gather to go there [to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem]. [Here also,] seven retributions [are enumerated here (verses 29-31) corresponding to the seven sins (see Rashi on verses 15, 18, 20 and 22 above)], namely: eating the flesh of sons and daughters, edifices being demolished; thus we have two [retributions enumerated]. The cutting down of sun-idols is not [counted as a separate] retribution, but rather, [part of this second one, for] as a consequence of the edifices being demolished, the sun-idols that had been erected on the rooftops (see Rashi verse 30 above) will fall off [these tall buildings] and be destroyed; I will make your corpses [(fall) upon the corpses of your idols]-that makes three; the departure of the Divine Presence-four; the cities being laid waste, the desolation of the holy places from throngs, and I will not partake [of the pleasant fragrances of] your sacrifices-in total, seven [even though the ensuing verses go on to mention several other additional hardships that are not actually part of these seven, but that Israel will have to endure if they sin (Mizrachi)].
והשמותי את מקדשיכם: יכול מן הקרבנות, כשהוא אומר ולא אריח הרי קרבנות אמורים, הא מה אני מקיים והשימותי את מקדשיכם, מן הגדודיות, שיירות של ישראל שהיו מתקדשות ונועדות לבא שם. הרי שבע פורעניות אכילת בשר בנים ובנות, והשמדת במות, הרי שתים. כריתת חמנים אין כאן פורענות אלא על ידי השמדת הבירניות יפלו החמנים שבראשי הגגות ויכרתו. ונתתי את פגריכם וגו' הרי שלש. סלוק שכינה ארבע. חרבן ערים, שממון מקדש מן הגדודיות, ולא אריח קרבנות, הרי שבע:
32I will make the Land desolate, so that it will become desolate [also] of your enemies who live in it. לבוַֽהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥י אֲנִ֖י אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשָֽׁמְמ֤וּ עָלֶ֨יהָ֙ אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֔ם הַיּֽשְׁבִ֖ים בָּֽהּ:
I will make the Land desolate: This is actually a good thing for Israel, namely, that since the Land will be desolate of people living in it, the enemies will not find contentment in Israel’s Land [and will have to leave]. — [Sifthei Chachamim; Torath Kohanim 26:38]
והשמתי אני את הארץ: זו מדה טובה לישראל שלא ימצאו האויבים נחת רוח בארצם, שתהא שוממה מיושביה:
33And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you. Your land will be desolate, and your cities will be laid waste. לגוְאֶתְכֶם֙ אֱזָרֶ֣ה בַגּוֹיִ֔ם וַֽהֲרִֽיקֹתִ֥י אַֽחֲרֵיכֶ֖ם חָ֑רֶב וְהָֽיְתָ֤ה אַרְצְכֶם֙ שְׁמָמָ֔ה וְעָֽרֵיכֶ֖ם יִֽהְי֥וּ חָרְבָּֽה:
And you, I will scatter among the nations: This [though,] is a harsh thing [for Israel], for when the people of a country are exiled to the same place, they see each other and find solace. However, Israel was scattered as if through a winnowing basket, just as a person who scatters barley through a sieve [so that] not one of them is attached to another. — [Torath Kohanim 26: 39]
ואתכם אזרה בגוים: זו מדה קשה, שבשעה שבני מדינה גולים למקום אחד רואים זה את זה ומתנחמין, וישראל נזרו כבמזרה, כאדם הזורה שעורים בנפה ואין אחת מהן דבוקה בחברתה:
and I will unsheathe: Heb. וַהֲרִיקֹתִי, [lit., “I will empty out,” which means here to unsheathe, because] when one unsheathes a sword, the sheath is emptied out (מִתְרוֹקֵֵן). And the Midrashic explanation [based on the term לְהָרִיק, often used to mean “to empty out water,” is as follows]: The sword that will be taken out against you will not return quickly [to its sheath]. This is like a person who empties out (מֵרִיק) [a pitcher of] water, which does not return [to the pitcher]. — [Torath Kohanim 26:39]
והריקתי: כששולף החרב מתרוקן הנדן. ומדרשו חרב הנשמטת אחריכם אינה חוזרת מהר, כאדם שמריק את המים ואין סופן לחזור:
Your land will be desolate: For you will not hasten to return into it, and subsequently, “your cities will be laid waste,” i.e., they will appear to you as having been [permanently] laid waste. For when a person is exiled from his house, from his vineyard, and from his city, but he [knows that he] that he will ultimately return, [in his eyes,] it is as though his vineyard and house are not laid waste [whereas here, since Israel will give up hope of returning to their Land, it will appear to them as having been laid waste]; thus is it taught in Torath Kohanim (26:40).
והיתה ארצכם שממה: שלא תמהרו לשוב לתוכה ומתוך כך עריכם יהיו חרבה, נראות לכם חרבות שבשעה שאדם גולה מביתו ומכרמו ומעירו וסופו לחזור כאלו אין כרמו וביתו חרבים, כך שנויה בתורת כהנים:
34Then, the land will be appeased regarding its sabbaticals. During all the days that it remains desolate while you are in the land of your enemies, the Land will rest and thus appease its sabbaticals. לדאָז֩ תִּרְצֶ֨ה הָאָ֜רֶץ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתֶ֗יהָ כֹּ֚ל יְמֵ֣י הָשַּׁמָּ֔ה וְאַתֶּ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֑ם אָ֚ז תִּשְׁבַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִרְצָ֖ת אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתֶֽיהָ:
Then, the Land will be appeased: [This verb is in the reflexive form and the meaning is: Then, the Land will be appeased, and in turn,] appease the anger of the Omnip resent, Who had been angry regarding the Land’s Shemittah years (Mizrachi) [and thus appease [God regarding them].
אז תרצה: תפייס את כעס המקום שכעס על שמטותיה:
and thus appease: [This verb is in the causative form, meaning: The Land will appease] the King regarding its sabbaticals (Mizrachi).
והרצת: למלך את שבתותיה:
35It will rest during all the days that it remains desolate, whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals, when you lived upon it. להכָּל־יְמֵ֥י הָשַּׁמָּ֖ה תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־שָֽׁבְתָ֛ה בְּשַׁבְּתֹֽתֵיכֶ֖ם בְּשִׁבְתְּכֶ֥ם עָלֶֽיהָ:
all the days that it remains desolate: [This word הָשַּׁמָּה is in the passive form, just] like the word הֵעָשׂוֹת [and means “being desolate”]. The [root of the word, שׁמם, actually has two letters מ, and our word should therefore appear as הָשַּׁמָמָּה Since this is difficult to pronounce, however, the first] “mem” is vocalized with a dagesh, which replaces the [second, omitted “mem,” rather than having the full word with a] double [“mem” in it, as in the noun form,] שְׁמָמָה.
כל ימי השמה: לשון העשות ומ"ם דגש במקום כפל שממה:
whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals: The seventy years of the Babylonian exile [i.e., between the destruction of the first Temple and the building of the second,] corresponded to the seventy years of Shemittah and Jubilee years that took place during the years that Israel angered the Omnipresent while in their Land, [a total of] 430 years. Three hundred and ninety years were the years of their sinning from when they entered the land until the Ten Tribes were exiled, and the people of Judah angered Him for forty more years from the time the Ten Tribes were exiled until the destruction of Jerusalem. This is what is referred to in Ezek. (4:4-5) [when God makes Ezekiel figuratively suffer one day for each year Israel sinned, in order to atone for their sins], “And you shall lie on your left side (symbolizing the house of Israel, i.e., the ten tribes)… [Now I have made for you the years of their iniquity by the number of days, three hundred and ninety days, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel]. And when you complete these, you shall lie on your right side a second time, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days [a day for a year, a day for a year, I have given it to you].” Now, this prophecy was stated to Ezekiel in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. And [since the people of Judah] spent another six years [in the Land] until Zedekiah’s exile, totaling forty-six [sinful years of the house of Judah, and hence, of the 850 years the people of Israel spent from the time of their entry into the Land until their eventual exile from it after the destruction of the first Holy Temple, they sinned for a total of 436 years]. Now, you might object, saying that King Manasseh [who was born immediately after the ten tribes were exiled, and who] ruled for fifty-five years [and so, even without taking into account the sinful years during the reigns of all the other kings of Judah, fifty-five years alone is more than forty-six, so surely the calculation is incorrect]! [However,] Manasseh repented [his evil ways] for thirty-three [of the fifty-five] years [of his reign], and thus, his sinful years [amounted to] twenty-two years, as it is written, “and he made an asherah as Ahab, the king of Israel, had made” (II Kings 21:3), and Ahab ruled for twenty-two [sinful] years, [so did Manasseh sin for twenty-two of his fifty-five year reign,] as is taught in the Aggadah of [the eleventh chapter of Tractate Sanh. (103a), entitled] Cheilek. [Thus, the number of years that the house of Judah sinned was: 22 years during the reign of Manasseh,] two during [the reign of] Amon, eleven during [the reign of] Jehoiakim and the same [i.e., another eleven] during [the reign of] Zedekiah [making a total of 46 years. The other kings of Judah are not included in the calculation, because during the righteous Josiah’s reign, Israel did not sin, while Jehoachaz and Jehoiachin each ruled for only three months. Let us now] go and calculate, for the [period of] 436 years [of sin], how many Shemittah and Jubilee years transpired during the years, at a rate of sixteen in every hundred years: 14 Shemittah years and two Jubilee years [totaling 16 sabbatical years]. Therefore, for 400 years, we have 64, and for the remaining 36 years, there are five [cycles of seven years and thus five] Shemittah years, making a total of [64 and 5 =] seventy minus one [i.e., 69 unobserved sabbatical years in that total of 436 sinful years in that period]. And [we must add to this calculation] an extra year-this extra year was the [last sinful] year [of the 436,] which began another Shemittah cycle [and God exiled Israel then and did not wait for the completion of that cycle for them to desecrate the seventieth Shemittah year-out of mercy for them, so that they would not have to endure the punishment of utter destruction, God forbid.] - [see Deut. 4:25 and Rashi there; Sifthei Chachamim] [This extra year, nevertheless, is included in the calculation here, as though another sabbatical had gone by unobserved, thereby] completing the seventy [unobserved sabbatical years of that period]. And for these [unobserved sabbaticals], a full seventy years [of exile] were decreed. And thus is it stated in (II) Chron. (36: 21), “until the Land was appeased regarding its Sabbaths; [for all the days of its desolation it rested,] until the completion of seventy years.” - [See Sefer Hazikkaron for the explanation of this Rashi.]
את אשר לא שבתה: שבעים שנה של גלות בבל הן היו כנגד שבעים שנות השמטה ויובל שהיו בשנים שהכעיסו ישראל בארצם לפני המקום ארבע מאות ושלשים שנה. שלש מאות ותשעים היו שני עונם משנכנסו לארץ עד שגלו עשרת השבטים, ובני יהודה הכעיסו לפניו ארבעים שנה משגלו עשרת השבטים עד חרבות ירושלים, הוא שנאמר ביחזקאל (יחזקאל ד ד - ו) ואתה שכב על צדך השמאלי וגו' וכלית את אלה ושכבת על צדך הימני שנית ונשאת את עון בית יהודה ארבעים יום. ונבואה זו נאמרה ליחזקאל בשנה החמישית לגלות המלך יהויכין. ועוד עשו שש שנים עד גלות צדקיהו, הרי ארבעים ושש. ואם תאמר, שנות מנשה חמשים וחמש היו, מנשה עשה תשובה שלשים ושלש שנה וכל שנות רשעו עשרים ושתים שנה, דכתיב ויעש אשרה כאשר עשה אחאב (מלכים ב' כא ג) ואחאב מלך עשרים ושתים שנה, כמו שאמרו באגדת חלק (סנהדרין קג א) ושל אמון שתים, ואחת עשרה ליהויקים, וכנגדן לצדקיהו. צא וחשוב לארבע מאות ושלשים ושש שנה שמיטין ויובלות שבהם, והם שש עשרה למאה, י"ד שמיטין וב' יובלות, הרי לארבע מאות שנה ששים וארבע. לשלשים ושש שנה חמש שמיטות, הרי שבעים חסר אחת, ועוד שנה יתירה שנכנסה בשמטה המשלמת לשבעים. ועליהם נגזר שבעים שנה שלמים. וכן הוא אומר בדברי הימים (דה"ב לו כא) עד רצתה הארץ את שבתותיה למלאות שבעים שנה:
36And those of you who survive I will bring fear in their hearts in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them; they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall, but there will be no pursuer. לווְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּכֶ֗ם וְהֵבֵ֤אתִי מֹ֨רֶךְ֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔ם בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֑ם וְרָדַ֣ף אֹתָ֗ם ק֚וֹל עָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֔ף וְנָס֧וּ מְנֻֽסַת־חֶ֛רֶב וְנָֽפְל֖וּ וְאֵ֥ין רֹדֵֽף:
I will bring fear: Heb. מֹרֶךְ, fear and timidity (רֹךְ) of heart (see Torath Kohanim 26:43). The letter “mem” of מֹרֶךְ is [actually part of] the root [of the word, but occasionally] is omitted (see Rashi on Gen. 17:11 and 49:10) [and does not appear in other forms of the word, e.g., אַל יֵרַךְ לְבַבְכֶם (Deut. 20:3)], like the “mem” of מוֹעֵד and מוֹקֵשׁ [where the “mem” is also part of the root, but is omitted in different forms of these words, e.g., וְנוֹעַדְתּי שָׁמָה (Exod. 29:43) and, יָקוּשׁ (Hos. 9:8)]. — [Meira Dachya]
והבאתי מרך: פחד ורך לבב. מ"ם של מרך יסוד נופל הוא, כמו מ"ם של מועד ושל מוקש:
they will flee as one flees the sword: i. e., as if murderers are pursuing them [but only “as if,” because “there will be no pursuer.” - [Mizrachi]
ונסו מנסת חרב: כאילו רודפים הורגים אותם:
a rustling leaf: Heb., עָלֶה נִדָּף, lit., a “ pushed” leaf, that the wind “pushes,” striking it against another leaf, so that it knocks and makes a sound. And so does the Targum [Onkelos] render: קַל טַרְפָא דְשָׁקִיף, an expression of striking, like שְׁדוּפוֹת קָדִים, beaten by the east wind (Gen. 41:6), [which Onkelos renders:] שְׁקִיפָן קִדּוּם, [and it is like] the term מַשְׁקוֹף, lintel, the place where the door slams. Similar is [Onkelos’s] translation of חַבּוּרָה [“bruise” (Exod. 21:25), which he renders:], מַשְׁקוֹפֵי [which actually means “blow,” since the bruise is a result of a blow on the body (see Rashi there)]. [Although the word נִדָּף actually means “pushed,” Onkelos conveys the result of one leaf being pushed against another, namely, that it “strikes” its neighboring leaf. (Mizrachi).]
עלה נדף: שהרוח דוחפו ומכהו על עלה אחר ומקשקש ומוציא קול, וכן תרגומו קל טרפא דשקיף, לשון חבטה, שדופות קדים (בראשית מא ו) שקיפן קידום, לשון משקוף, מקום חבטת הדלת, וכן תרגומו של חבורה (שמות כא כה) משקופי:
37Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies. לזוְכָֽשְׁל֧וּ אִֽישׁ־בְּאָחִ֛יו כְּמִפְּנֵי־חֶ֖רֶב וְרֹדֵ֣ף אָ֑יִן וְלֹא־תִֽהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ תְּקוּמָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י אֹֽיְבֵיכֶֽם:
Each man will stumble over his brother: When they run away to flee, they will stumble over each other, because they will flee in panic.
וכשלו איש באחיו: כשירוצו לנוס, יכשלו זה בזה, כי יבהלו לרוץ:
as if from the sword: i.e., as if fleeing from [people] who want to kill them, for they will have fear in their hearts, and every moment, they will think that someone is chasing them. And the Midrashic explanation of וְכָשְׁלוּ אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו is: “Each man will stumble because of his brother,” i.e., one person will stumble because of someone else’s sin, because all Jews are guarantors for one another. - [Torath Kohanim 26:45, Sanh. 27b]
כמפני חרב: כאילו בורחים מלפני הורגים, שיהא בלבבם פחד וכל שעה סבורים שאדם רודפם. ומדרשו וכשלו איש באחיו, זה נכשל בעונו של זה, שכל ישראל ערבין זה לזה:
38You will become lost among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you. לחוַֽאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם וְאָֽכְלָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶ֖רֶץ אֹֽיְבֵיכֶֽם:
You will become lost among the nations: When you will be scattered, you will become lost from one another.
ואבדתם בגוים: כשתהיו פזורים תהיו אבודים זה מזה:
and the land of your enemies will consume you: This refers to those [Jews] who will die in the Diaspora.
ואכלה אתכם: אלו המתים בגולה:
39And because of their iniquity, those of you who survive will rot away in the lands of your enemies; moreover, they will rot away because the iniquities of their fathers are still within them. לטוְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּכֶ֗ם יִמַּ֨קּוּ֙ בַּֽעֲוֹנָ֔ם בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְאַ֛ף בַּֽעֲוֹנֹ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖ם אִתָּ֥ם יִמָּֽקּוּ:
because the iniquities of their fathers are still with them: If they hold onto the [evil] practices of their forefathers in their hands. — [Sanh. 27b]
בעונת אבתם אתם: כשאוחזים מעשה אבותיהם בידיהם:
they will rot away: Heb. יִמָּקּוּ, an expression of melting, and has the same meaning as יִמַּסּוּ, “they will melt.” Similar is, “their eyes will melt (תִּמַּקְנָה) in their sockets” (Zech. 14:12), and, “my bruises are… decayed (נָמַקּוּ) ” (Ps. 38:6).
ימקו: לשון המסה, כמו ימסו, וכמו (זכריה יד יב) תמקנה בחוריהן, (תהלי' לח ו) נמקו חבורותי:
40They will then confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers their betrayal that they dealt Me, and that they also treated Me as happenstance. מוְהִתְוַדּ֤וּ אֶת־עֲוֹנָם֙ וְאֶת־עֲוֹ֣ן אֲבֹתָ֔ם בְּמַֽעֲלָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָֽעֲלוּ־בִ֑י וְאַ֕ף אֲשֶׁר־הָֽלְכ֥וּ עִמִּ֖י בְּקֶֽרִי:
41Then I too, will treat them as happenstance and bring them [back while] in the land of their enemies. If then, their clogged heart becomes humbled, then, [their sufferings] will gain appeasement for their iniquity, מאאַף־אֲנִ֞י אֵלֵ֤ךְ עִמָּם֙ בְּקֶ֔רִי וְהֵֽבֵאתִ֣י אֹתָ֔ם בְּאֶ֖רֶץ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֑ם אוֹ־אָ֣ז יִכָּנַ֗ע לְבָבָם֙ הֶֽעָרֵ֔ל וְאָ֖ז יִרְצ֥וּ אֶת־עֲוֹנָֽם:
Then I too, will… bring them [… (back while) in the land of their enemies]: “I Myself will bring them [back]!” This is a good thing for Israel, so that they should not say, “Since we have been exiled among the nations, we may as well behave like them!” [Says God in answer to this:] “I will not allow them [to do this]! Rather, I will set up My prophets, and bring them back [to Me] under My very wings!” as it is said, “But what enters your mind shall not come about, [what you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the families of the lands, serving wood and stone’]. As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with poured out fury, will I reign over you!” (Ezek. 20:32-33). - [Torath Kohanim 26:48]
והבאתי אתם: אני בעצמי אביאם, זו מדה טובה לישראל, שלא יהיו אומרים, הואיל וגלינו בין האומות נעשה כמעשיהם, אני איני מניחם, אלא מעמיד אני את נביאי ומחזירן לתחת כנפי, שנאמר (יחזקאל כ לב - לג) והעולה על רוחכם היו לא תהיה וגו' חי אני וגו' אם לא ביד חזקה וגו':
If then… becomes humbled: Heb. אוֹ אָז יִכָּנַע [This unusual expression, אוֹ אָז, is] similar to that in the verse, אוֹ נוֹדַע כִּי שׁוֹר נַגָּח הוּא, “If it was known that it was a [habitually] goring bull” (Exod. 21:36). [Thus, the meaning of this verse is: If they want to become like the nations, I will have to take them back to Me against their will] but, if (אוֹ) their clogged heart then (אָז) becomes humbled [without force, their sufferings will atone for them…] (Sifthei Chachamim). Another meaning [of אוֹ אָז is:] Perhaps. [Thus, the verse means:] “Perhaps then, their blocked heart will become humbled….”
או אז יכנע: כמו (שמות כא לו) או נודע כי שור נגח הוא, אם אז יכנע. לשון אחר אולי שמא אז יכנע לבבם וגו':
then, [their sufferings] will gain appeasement for their iniquity: [means that] they will gain atonement for their iniquity through their sufferings.
ואז ירצו את עונם: יכפרו על עונם ביסוריהם:
42and I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob, and also My covenant [with] Isaac, and also My covenant [with] Abraham I will remember. And I will remember the Land, מבוְזָֽכַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י יַֽעֲק֑וֹב וְאַף֩ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֨י יִצְחָ֜ק וְאַ֨ף אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶזְכֹּ֖ר וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֶזְכֹּֽר:
And I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob: Heb. יַעִקוֹב. [The name יַעִקוֹב is] written in full, [i.e., with a “vav,”] in five places [in Scripture], and [the name] אֵלִיָּהוּ is written defectively [without a “vav,” i.e., אֵלִיָּה also] in five places [in Scripture]. Jacob took a letter [“vav”] from the name of Elijah [the Prophet] as security-that he will come and herald the redemption of his [Jacob’s] children [and since this is Elijah’s mission in life, his name will remain “incomplete,” as it were, until he fulfills it, speedily, in our days. The five instances of the “vav” symbolize the five fingers of the hand; i.e., this security arrangement between Jacob and Elijah was sealed by a handshake (Gur Aryeh)].
וזכרתי את בריתי יעקוב: בחמשה מקומות נכתב מלא, ואליהו חסר בחמשה מקומות, יעקב נטל אות משמו של אליהו ערבון שיבוא ויבשר גאולת בניו:
I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob, and also… Isaac, and also… Abraham]: Why are the forefathers enumerated in reverse order? To inform [you that the youngest patriarch,] Jacob is [alone] worthy of this [i.e., that Israel be redeemed through his merit alone], but if this is not enough, then Isaac is together with him, and if this is not enough, then Abraham is with him, and [Abraham] is certainly worthy. And why is the expression “remembering” not used with Isaac? [Because] Isaac’s ashes (see Rashi on Gen. 22:13; Bereishith Rabbah 56:9; Tanchuma Shelach 14) [always] appear before Me, gathered up and placed upon the altar“ [and therefore, God does not have to ”remember" Isaac, for Isaac is never forgotten]. — [Hagahoth Ubiyurei Hagra on Torath Kohanim]
וזכרתי את בריתי יעקוב: למה נמנו אבות אחורנית, לומר כדאי הוא יעקב הקטן לכך, ואם אינו כדאי הרי יצחק עמו, ואם אינו כדאי, הרי אברהם עמו, שהוא כדאי. ולמה לא נאמרה זכירה ביצחק, אלא אפרו של יצחק נראה לפני צבור ומונח על המזבח:
43[For] the Land will be bereft of them, appeasing its sabbaticals when it had been desolate of them, and they will gain appeasement for their iniquity. This was all in retribution for their having despised My ordinances and in retribution for their having rejected My statutes. מגוְהָאָ֩רֶץ֩ תֵּֽעָזֵ֨ב מֵהֶ֜ם וְתִ֣רֶץ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתֶ֗יהָ בָּהְשַׁמָּה֙ מֵהֶ֔ם וְהֵ֖ם יִרְצ֣וּ אֶת־עֲוֹנָ֑ם יַ֣עַן וּבְיַ֔עַן בְּמִשְׁפָּטַ֣י מָאָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֖י גָּֽעֲלָ֥ה נַפְשָֽׁם:
This was all in retribution for: [means:] “In retribution (יַעַן) and in retribution (וּבְיַעַן) [i.e., in retribution] for their having despised My ordinances [and in retribution (וּבְיַעַן) for their having rejected My statutes].”- [Mizrachi]
יען וביען: גמול ובגמול אשר במשפטי מאסו:
44But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them, thereby breaking My covenant that is with them, for I am the Lord their God. מדוְאַף גַּם־זֹאת בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֞ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֗ם לֹֽא־מְאַסְתִּ֤ים וְלֹֽא־גְעַלְתִּים֙ לְכַלֹּתָ֔ם לְהָפֵ֥ר בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶֽם:
But despite all this: Moreover (אַף), even though (גַּם) I will mete out this (זֹאת) retribution upon them which I have described [for them] when they are in the land of their enemies-nevertheless, I will not despise them… to annihilate them, thereby breaking My covenant that is with them.
ואף גם זאת: ואף אפילו אני עושה עמהם זאת הפורענות אשר אמרתי בהיותם בארץ אויביהם, לא אמאסם לכלותם ולהפר בריתי אשר אתם:
45I will remember for them the covenant [made with] the ancestors, whom I took out from the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, to be a God to them. I am the Lord. מהוְזָֽכַרְתִּ֥י לָהֶ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית רִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוֹצֵֽאתִי־אֹתָם֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם לְעֵינֵ֣י הַגּוֹיִ֗ם לִֽהְי֥וֹת לָהֶ֛ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
The covenant [made with] the ancestors: i.e., with the Tribes. — [Torath Kohanim 26:53]
ברית ראשנים: של שבטים:
46These are the statutes, the ordinances, and the laws that the Lord gave between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses. מואֵ֠לֶּה הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֘ וְהַתּוֹרֹת֒ אֲשֶׁר֙ נָתַ֣ן יְהֹוָ֔ה בֵּינ֕וֹ וּבֵ֖ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּיַד־משֶֽׁה:
the laws: וְהַתּוֹרוֹת. [Why the plural form, וְהַתּוֹרוֹת ? This denotes two Torahs -] one Written Torah and one Oral Torah. It teaches us that all were given to Moses on [Mount] Sinai. — [Torath Kohanim 26:54]
והתורת: אחת בכתב ואחת בעל פה, מגיד שכולם נתנו למשה בסיני:
Daily Tehillim: Chapters 108 - 112• Hebrew text
• English text•
Chapter 108
1. A song, a psalm by David.
2. My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and chant praises even with my soul.
3. Awake, O lyre and harp; I shall awaken the dawn.
4. I will thank You among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises to You among the peoples.
5. Indeed, Your kindness reaches above the heavens; Your truth reaches to the skies.
6. Be exalted upon the heavens, O God, [show] Your glory upon all the earth.
7. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me.
8. God spoke in His holiness that I would exult, I would divide portions [of the enemies' land], I would measure the Valley of Succot.
9. Mine is Gilead, mine is Manasseh, and Ephraim is the stronghold of my head, Judah is my prince.
10. Moab is my washbasin, I will cast my shoe upon Edom, I will shout over Philistia.
11. Who brings me to the fortified city? Who led me unto Edom?
12. Is it not God, Who has [until now] forsaken us, and did not go forth, O God, with our armies?
13. Give us help against the adversary; futile is the help of man.
14. Through God we will do valiantly, and He will trample our oppressors.
Chapter 109
David composed this psalm while fleeing from Saul. At that time he faced many enemies who, despite acting friendly in his presence, spoke only evil of him; he therefore curses them bitterly.
1. For the Conductor, by David, a psalm. O God of my praise, be not silent.
2. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me; they spoke to me with a false tongue.
3. They have surrounded me with words of hate, and attacked me without cause.
4. In return for my love they hate me; still, I am [a man of] prayer.
5. They placed harm upon me in return for my favor, and hatred in return for my love.
6. Appoint a wicked man over him; let an adversary stand at his right.
7. When he is judged may he go out condemned; may his prayer be considered a sin.
8. May his days be few; may another take his position.
9. May his children be orphans and his wife a widow.
10. May his children wander about and beg; may they seek charity from amid their ruins.
11. May the creditor seize all that he has, and may strangers plunder [the fruits of] his labor.
12. May he have none who extends him kindness, and may none be gracious to his orphans.
13. May his posterity be cut off; may their name be erased in a later generation.
14. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and the sin of his mother not be erased.
15. May they be before the Lord always, and may He cut off their memory from the earth.
16. Because he did not remember to do kindness, and he pursued the poor and destitute man and the broken-hearted, to kill [him].
17. He loved the curse and it has come upon him; he did not desire blessing, and it has remained far from him.
18. He donned the curse like his garment, and it came like water into his innards, like oil into his bones.
19. May it be to him like a cloak in which he wraps himself, as a belt with which he girds himself always.
20. This is from the Lord for the deeds of my enemies, and [for] those who speak evil against my soul.
21. And You, God, my Lord, do [kindness] with me for the sake of Your Name; for Your kindness is good, rescue me!
22. For I am poor and destitute, and my heart has died within me.
23. Like the fleeting shadow I am banished, I am tossed about like the locust.
24. My knees totter from fasting, and my flesh is lean without fat.
25. And I became a disgrace to them; they see me and shake their heads.
26. Help me, Lord, my God, deliver me according to Your kindness.
27. Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, Lord, have done it.
28. Let them curse, but You will bless; they arose, but they will be shamed, and Your servant will rejoice.
29. May my adversaries be clothed in humiliation; may they wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.
30. I will thank the Lord profusely with my mouth, and amid the multitude I will praise Him,
31. when He stands at the right of the destitute one to deliver him from the condemners of his soul.
Chapter 110
This psalm records the response of Eliezer, servant of Abraham (to those who asked how Abraham managed to defeat the four kings). He tells of Abraham killing the mighty kings and their armies. Read, and you will discover that the entire psalm refers to Abraham, who merited prominence for recognizing God in his youth.
1. By David, a psalm. The Lord said to my master, "Sit at My right, until I make your enemies a stool for your feet.”
2. The staff of your strength the Lord will send from Zion, to rule amid your enemies.
3. Your people [will come] willingly on the day of your campaign; because of your splendid sanctity from when you emerged from the womb, you still possess the dew of your youth.
4. The Lord has sworn and will not regret: "You shall be a priest forever, just as Melchizedek!”
5. My Lord is at your right; He has crushed kings on the day of His fury.
6. He will render judgement upon the nations, and they will be filled with corpses; He will crush heads over a vast land.
7. He will drink from the stream on the way, and so will hold his head high.
Chapter 111
This psalm is written in alphabetical sequence, each verse containing two letters, save the last two verses which contain three letters each. The psalm is short yet prominent, speaking of the works of God and their greatness.
1. Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the counsel of the upright and the congregation.
2. Great are the works of the Lord, [yet] available to all who desire them.
3. Majesty and splendor are His work, and His righteousness endures forever.
4. He established a memorial for His wonders, for the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5. He gave food to those who fear Him; He remembered His covenant always.
6. He has declared the power of His deeds to His people, to give them the inheritance of nations.
7. The works of His hands are true and just; all His mandates are faithful.
8. They are steadfast for ever and ever, for they are made with truth and uprightness.
9. He sent redemption to His people, [by] commanding His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His Name.
10. The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord; sound wisdom for all who practice it-His praise endures forever.
Chapter 112
This psalm, too, follows alphabetical sequence, each verse containing two letters, save the last two which contain three letters each. It speaks of the good traits man should choose, and of how to give charity-the reward for which is never having to rely on others.
1. Praise the Lord! Fortunate is the man who fears the Lord, and desires His commandments intensely.
2. His descendants will be mighty on the earth; he will be blessed with an upright generation.
3. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
4. Even in darkness light shines for the upright, for [He is] Compassionate, Merciful, and Just.
5. Good is the man who is compassionate and lends, [but] provides for his own needs with discretion.
6. For he will never falter; the righteous man will be an eternal remembrance.
7. He will not be afraid of a bad tiding; his heart is steadfast, secure in the Lord.
8. His heart is steadfast, he does not fear, until he sees his oppressors [destroyed].
9. He has distributed [his wealth], giving to the needy. His righteousness will endure forever; his might will be uplifted in honor.
10. The wicked man will see and be angry; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the wish of the wicked will be ruined.
Tanya: Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 50
• Lessons in Tanya• English Text
• Lessons in Tanya• English Text
• Hebrew Text
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• Tuesday, Iyar 23, 5776 · May 31, 2016
• Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 50
• The Alter Rebbe will now explain that since this love of G‑d is such that the soul is on the verge of expiring, it cannot inspire one directly to serve G‑d through Torah and mitzvot.
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:• English Text | Hebrew Text |
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• Tuesday, Iyar 23, 5776 · May 31, 2016
והנה סדר העבודה בעסק התורה והמצות, הנמשכת מבחינת אהבה עזה זו, היא בבחינת שוב לבד
The order of one’s divine service through occupation with Torah study and mitzvot, a service deriving from this intense love, is possible only in a manner of retreat, i.e., when the soul withholds itself from expiring in order to fulfill the Divine intent, which can only be realized when the soul remains within the body.
כמו שכתוב בספר יצירה: ואם רץ לבך, שוב לאחד. פירוש ואם רץ לבך, היא תשוקת הנפש שבלב בחלל הימני, כשמתגברת ומתלהבת ומתלהטת במאד מאד, עד כלות הנפש ממש, להשתפך אל חיק אביה, חיי החיים ברוך הוא
As it is written in Sefer Yetzirah: “If your heart hastens, return to One.” “If your heart hastens” refers to the craving of the soul that is in the right side of the heart (the abode of the Divine soul), when this cravingpredominates and bursts into flame, and glows in such rapture that the soul is consumed with a desire(klot hanefesh) to pour itself out into the embrace of its Father, its Source, Who gives one life,
ולצאת ממאסרה בגוף הגופני וגשמי, לדבקה בו יתברך
and to leave its confinement in the corporeal and physical body to attach itself to Him, blessed be He.
When one is consumed with such an incontainable, rapturous love, seeking even at the cost of self-extinction to become attached to G‑d, there must now be a deliberate “return to the One.”
אזי זאת ישיב אל לבו, מאמר רז״ל: כי על כרחך אתה חי
Then one must take to heart the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory:1 “Despite yourself you must live” — despite your craving for expiry in klot hanefesh, you must nevertheless remain alive,
בגוף הזה, להחיותו, כדי להמשיך חיים עליונים מחיי החיים ברוך הוא למטה, על ידי תורת חיים
in this body, to keep it alive, for the purpose of drawing down the higher life-force from the Life of life, blessed be He, through the life-giving Torah.
להיות דירה בתחתונים לאחדותו יתברך בבחינת גילוי
Through this, there will be a dwelling-place in the lower worlds and created beings for His blessed Oneness in a revealed state,
Just as in an ordinary dwelling, a person’s identity is totally revealed, so will the true essence of the Divine Oneness be then revealed among the beings of this lower world.
כמו שנתבאר לעיל
as explained above, that this is the ultimate Divine intent — that a human being’s service of G‑d should make of the world a dwelling-place for Him. And this is the meaning of “Return to the One”: retreat from your love of G‑d in a state of klot hanefesh, for the sake of the “One”, for the sake of revealing G‑d’s Oneness in the world.
וכמו שכתוב בזהר הקדוש: למהוי אחד באחד, פירוש: שהיחוד הנעלם יהיה בבחינת עלמא דאתגליא
And, as is explained in the holy Zohar: “That there be One in one,” meaning that the unity which is hidden — the “One” of a higher spiritual world or level — shall become an aspect of the “revealed world,”becoming manifest in the Oneness of a lower world or level.
וזה שכתוב: לכה דודי וכו׳
And this is the meaning of the text:2 “Come, my Beloved, to meet the bride (kallah)” — denoting klot hanefesh(kallah and klot being etymologically related). In this form of the love of G‑d, one’s klot hanefesh should be expressed through causing “my Beloved” to “come” — i.e., through drawing down the Beloved One, G‑d Himself, so that G‑dliness will be revealed in this nether world.
ובזה יובן מאמר רז״ל: על כרחך אתה חי ועל כרחך וכו׳
With this one will be able to understand the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory: “Despite yourself,even against your will, you must live, and despite yourself you must die.”
From this saying, “Despite yourself you must live,” we learn that, in our service of G‑d, we should in the first instance desire the opposite of staying alive (klot hanefesh), and that remaining alive within the body has to be perforce, against our will. On the other hand, from the second saying, “Despite yourself you must die,” we learn that we should desire to remain alive, and that the opposite of life, klot hanefesh, should be against our will. If so, the question arises:
ואלא איך יהיה רצונו
What then should one’s desire be?
We can understand this according to what has been explained above: First one must come to the point where one can arouse within oneself such an intense love of G‑d that one desires klot hanefesh, while remaining alive is “despite oneself” — only for the purpose of fulfilling G‑d’s Will that one reveal G‑dliness and His Oneness in the world. This is the meaning of “Despite yourself you must live.”
Afterwards, though, when one is already in a state of “retreat”, then one should once more arouse within oneself the love of G‑d that surges ever forward in klot hanefesh. In this way, one injects into this state of “retreat” into the world a higher spiritual quality. Furthermore, in this state of withdrawing back into the world, one can possibly become drawn down into lowly mundane affairs. To forestall this possibility, one should once more arouse within oneself the sensation of “running forward,” loving G‑d to the extent of klot hanefesh. This is the meaning of “Despite yourself you must die” — i.e., against your will which is now in a state of “retreat”, the very opposite of klot hanefesh, which denotes expiring and leaving the body.
וכמו שנתבאר במקום אחר באריכות על משנה זו: על כרחך אתה חי, בעזרת חיי החיים ברוך הוא
[This is] explained elsewhere at length with reference to this Mishnah: “Despite yourself you must live” — with the help of the “Life of life,” blessed be He, Who enables one to cope with this “compulsion” to live “despite yourself.”
This means that when one’s love of G‑d is surging forward in klot hanefesh, one forces oneself against one’s will to remain “alive” within the body, in order to reveal down here in this world the “Life of life,” that divine force which gives life to the world.3
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Avot 4:22. |
| 2. | Liturgy, Prayer for Welcoming the Sabbath. |
| 3. | "For a brief explanation and reason for all the above, see Torat Chayim, Vayishlach, discourse beginning Vayikach, ch. 4; based on Torah Or 25b. See also Achrei Mot 5649, p. 25ff." (- Note of the Rebbe.) |
• Sefer Hamitzvos:• English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class• Tuesday, Iyar 23, 5776 · May 31, 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 107
Ritual Impurity Contracted through Contact with a Corpse
We are commanded regarding the ritual impurity contracted through contact with a human corpse. [I.e., if contracted, one must follow all the laws associated with this impurity.]
Full text of this Mitzvah »
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 107
Ritual Impurity Contracted through Contact with a Corpse
We are commanded regarding the ritual impurity contracted through contact with a human corpse. [I.e., if contracted, one must follow all the laws associated with this impurity.]
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Ritual Impurity Contracted through Contact with a Corpse
Positive Commandment 107
Translated by Berel Bell
The 107th mitzvah1 is that we are commanded regarding the tumah conveyed by a dead body.2 This mitzvah includes all the laws relating to tumas meis.3
FOOTNOTES
1.In the order given here, following the order of Mishneh Torah, P107 is the first of the commandments dealing with tumah and taharah (ritual purity and impurity). In the order of Sefer HaMitzvos, however, P96 is the first of these mitzvos, and there the Rambam gives a general introduction to all these mitzvos.
2.Num. 19:11ff.
3.Such as which parts of the body convey tumah, how it is conveyed, etc. See Hilchos Tumas Meis.
Positive Commandment 107
Translated by Berel Bell
The 107th mitzvah1 is that we are commanded regarding the tumah conveyed by a dead body.2 This mitzvah includes all the laws relating to tumas meis.3
FOOTNOTES
1.In the order given here, following the order of Mishneh Torah, P107 is the first of the commandments dealing with tumah and taharah (ritual purity and impurity). In the order of Sefer HaMitzvos, however, P96 is the first of these mitzvos, and there the Rambam gives a general introduction to all these mitzvos.
2.Num. 19:11ff.
3.Such as which parts of the body convey tumah, how it is conveyed, etc. See Hilchos Tumas Meis.
• 1 Chapter: Me`ilah Me`ilah - Perek 7
• English Text | Hebrew Text | Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class
• Me`ilah - Perek 7
• 3 Chapters: Tum'at Met Tum'at Met - Chapter 3, Tum'at Met Tum'at Met - Chapter 4, Tum'at Met Tum'at Met - Chapter 5
• English Text | Hebrew Text | Audio: Listen | Download
• Tum'at Met - Chapter 3
• English Text | Video Class
• Tuesday, Iyar 23, 5776 · May 31, 2016
• Iyar 23, 38th day of the omer
Friday Iyar 23, 38th day of the omer 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: B'chukotai, Shishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 108-112.
Tanya: The order of (p. 263)...Life of life. (p. 265).
The beginning of one's decline, G-d save us, is the lack of avoda in davening. Everything becomes dry and cold. Even a mitzva performed by habit* becomes burdensome. Everything is rushed. One loses the sense of pleasure in Torah-study. The atmosphere itself become crass. Needless to say, one is totally incapable of influencing others.
FOOTNOTES
*.Compare Yeshayahu 29:13.
• Daily Thought:
The Field of Your Mind
A creative mind is a fertile field. But that may simply mean that the weeds are taller and grow faster.
First, soften your mind’s soil, plough its furrows. Open it to the wisdom that rains down from the heavens; let the dew of Torah sink into your soul, the seeds laid by tzaddikim enter your heart. Learn to lie still as they awaken and take root. Quietly await the spring.
In the place of thorns and a tangle of weeds will grow a bountiful garden. Where once wild and brazen delusions sprang forth, a clear stream will run.
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• English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class• Me`ilah - Perek 7
Halacha 1
The following rules apply when a person inadvertently took a consecrated article or consecrated money and gave it to an agent to use as ordinary property or money. If the agent carries out the mission with which he is charged, the principal is considered to have violated the prohibition againstme'ilah. If the agent did not execute the agency, but instead acted on his own initiative, the agent is the one who violates the prohibition against me'ilah. What is implied? A person told his agent: "Give that meat to the guests," and instead, the agents gave them bread, or he told him to give them bread and he gave them meat.
If one told his agent, "Bring me from the window," and he brought him from the closet or he told him to bring from the closet and he brought from the window, the agent violates the prohibition against me'ilah. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
If the agent went and brought from the window as instructed, even though the principal told him: "In my heart, I wanted you to bring from the closet," the principal violates the prohibition against me'ilah, for the agent carried out the mission as he charged him. We follow the principle: "Matters in one's heart are not of consequence."
Even if the agent was a deafmute, a mentally or emotionally incompetent person, or a minor to whom the laws of agency do not apply, if they carry out the principal's instructions, the principal violates the prohibition againstme'ilah. If they do not carry out his instructions, the principal is exempt.
If one tells his agent: "Give each one of the guests a piece of meat" and the agent told them: "Take two at a time," the principal violates the prohibition against me'ilah, because his instructions were carried out. The agent is exempt, because he is merely adding to the principal's agency. He is not eradicating it. If, however, the agent tells the guests: "Take two at a time on my responsibility," both he and the principal violate the prohibition againstme'ilah. If the guests take three at a time, they also violate the prohibition against me'ilah, because each one of the individuals involved had performed the agency with which they were charged and added a further matter on his own initiative. Thus the other is also liable, because his instructions were carried out and the agency was not eradicated. And he is liable because of what he added on his own initiative.
Halacha 2
When does the above apply? When the pieces of meat were consecrated for the improvement of the Temple. If they were meat from a burnt-offering or the like,only the person who partakes of them violates the prohibition againstme'ilah. For he is obligated in another prohibition aside from me'ilah and, with regard to the entire Torah, there is no concept of a prohibition violated through agency except in the case of me'ilah alone and there, provided there is no other prohibition involved with it.
Halacha 3
When a person gives a p'rutah of consecrated funds to an agent and tells him: "With half, purchase lamps for me and with half, wicks," and the agent used the entire amount for lamps or for wicks, they are both exempt. This law also applies when he told him to use the entire amount for lamps or for wicks and he used half to purchase lamps and half to purchase wicks.
The rationale is that the principal does not violate the prohibition againstme'ilah, because his agency was not completed with regard to a p'rutah'sworth of value. The agent does not violate that prohibition, because he did not eradicate his agency for a p'rutah's worth.
If, however, one told an agent: "For half a p'rutah, bring me lamps from this-and-this place and for the other half, bring me wicks from that-and-that place," and the agent brought the lamps from the place mentioned for the wicks and the wicks from the place mentioned for the lamps, the agent violates the prohibition against me'ilah.
Halacha 4
If a principal gave his agent two consecrated p'rutot and told him: "Bring me an esrog" and the agent went and brought him an esrog for a p'rutah and a pomegranate for a p'rutah, the agent violates the prohibition against me'ilah, but the principal is exempt. The rationale is that the principal sent the agent to purchase an esrog worth two p'rutot for him. Therefore if the esrog which the agent brought the principal that cost one p'rutah is worth two p'rutot, they both violate the prohibition against me'ilah.
Halacha 5
When a person sent a p'rutah via an agent to purchase a particular article and then, before it reached the domain of the storekeeper, the principal remembered that the p'rutah is consecrated, the agent violates the prohibition against me'ilah, because he is acting unknowingly, while the principal has already remembered. As we explained, a person who acts knowingly is not liable for a sacrifice to atone for me'ilah.
If the agent also remembered and was conscious that the money was consecrated before it reached the storekeeper, they are both exempt from a sacrifice to atone for me'ilah and the storekeeper is liable when he uses thatp'rutah which became mixed with his money, for he is acting unknowingly.
If the storekeeper was informed that the p'rutah he was given was consecrated, they are all exempt and the purchase is completed, with the article becoming consecrated.
Halacha 6
What should be done in order to preclude the storekeeper from sinning so he will be permitted to use all the money he received? One should take a non-consecrated p'rutah or any non-consecrated utensil and say: "Wherever the consecrated p'rutah is its holiness should be transferred to this." The p'rutahor the utensil become consecrated and the storekeeper is permitted to use all the money he received.
Similarly, if a consecrated p'rutah become intermingled with all the money in a purse or one said: "A p'rutah in this purse is consecrated," he should transfer its holiness and afterwards, he may use all the coins in the purse.If he used coins from the purse without transferring the holiness of the consecrated coin, he does not definitely violate the prohibition against me'ilah until he used all the coins in the purse.
Halacha 7
If a person said: "One of my purses is consecrated" or "One of my oxen is consecrated," the prohibition against me'ilah applies to all of them and to some of them. What should he do? He should bring the largest of the purses or the oxen and say: "If this is consecrated, it should remain consecrated. If not, wherever the consecrated one is, its holiness should be transferred to this one." He may then use the smaller ones.
Halacha 8
When a person misappropriates less than a p'rutah's worth of consecrated property, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he must make restitution for the principal, but he need not pay an additional fifth or bring a sacrifice. It appears to me that he is not liable for lashes for misappropriating less than ap'rutah's worth if he acted intentionally.
Halacha 9
When a person entrusts consecrated money to a homeowner and the homeowner uses them and spends them, he violates the prohibition againstme'ilah. The rationale is that he does not have permission to use these fundsand the owner did not grant him license to.
Halacha 10
Different rules apply if he entrusted them to a money-changer or a storekeeper and they were not sealed or tied close with an unusual knot.In these situations, since he is permitted to use them according to law, if he spent them, they are both exempt. The owner of the entrusted article is exempt because he did not tell the storekeeper or the money-changer to use them. And the store-keeper is exempt, because it is as if he used them with permission since they were not tied closed with an unusual knot or sealed.
Halacha 11
When a woman brought consecrated money to her husband's domainor her testator consecrated property and then died and the consecrated property fell to her as an inheritance, when her husband spends the money on his personal needs, he violates the prohibition against me'ilah.
• English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download• Tum'at Met - Chapter 3
Halacha 1
The following entities impart ritual impurity when they are touched, carried, or one is under the same structure: a) a corpse, even a stillborn fetus whose limbs have not become attached to its body with sinews, b) an olive-sized portion of flesh from a corpse, c) an olive-sized portion of netzal, d) a limb from a living person that has the required amount of flesh, e) a limb from a corpse that has the required amount of flesh, f) the backbone of a corpse, g) its skull, h) the majority of its structure, i) the majority of the number of its bones, j) a fourth of a kab of bones in any instance, even if they do not comprise the majority of the structure of the number of the bones of the corpse, k) a revi'it of blood, and l) a revi'it of blood of "weltering blood"; twelve entities in total.
Halacha 2
The following entities impart ritual impurity when they are touched or carried, but not when one is under the same structure: a) a limb from a living person that is lacking enough flesh to regenerate itself, b) a limb from a corpse that is lacking either flesh or bone and does not have enough flesh to regenerate itself or the bone is lacking, even if has enough flesh to regenerate itself, c) a backbone that is lacking and does not possess a fourth of a kab of bones, d) a skull that is lacking and does not possess a fourth of a kab of bones, e) a bone, even if it is the size of a barley corn, f) the earth of the nations, and g) abeit hapras; seven entities in total.
Halacha 3
A gollel and a dofek impart ritual impurity when they are touched or when one is under the same shelter, like a grave. They do not impart ritual impurity when carried. The decomposed mass of a corpse imparts ritual impurity when it is carried or when one is under the same shelter. It does not impart ritual impurity when touched.
It appears to me that the ritual impurity imparted by a fourth of a kab of bones when one is under the same structure, a revi'it of blood, a limb that does not have the sufficient amount of flesh, whether from a corpse or from a living person is not of Scriptural origin, as evidenced by the fact that a nazirite need not shave his hair because of them, as we explained in Hilchot Nizirut. Nor is one liable for entering the Temple after having contracted such impurity and when a person is impure due to an impurity of Scriptural origin, he is liable for entering the Temple. Therefore I maintain that all sources of impurity from a corpse that do not require a nazirite to shave are not of Scriptural origin.
Halacha 4
The decomposed mass of a corpse does not impart ritual impurity unless it is buried naked in a coffin of marble, glass, or the like, and it was totally intact at the time of burial. If it was lacking a limb, it was buried in its garments, or it was buried in a coffin of wood or metal, the decomposed mass does not impart ritual impurity. The rationale is that the rot of the garment or the wood and the rust of the metal will become mixed with the decomposed mass of the corpse.
When any amount of earth becomes mixed with the decomposed mass of a corpse, it remains impure. These laws of rekev applies only to the corpse of one who died naturally. They do not apply to one who was slain.
Halacha 5
When two corpses are buried together, a deceased's hair or nails were trimmed and then buried with him, or a pregnant woman was buried with the fetus she was carrying, the laws of rekev do not apply.
Halacha 6
If one ground a corpse until it became a decomposed mass, it does not convey the impurity of rekev. Those laws do not apply unless it decomposes as part of a natural process.
Halacha 7
If one ground a corpse and then left its remains until they decomposed naturally or a portion of the body decomposed while the person was alive, he died, and then the entire body decomposed, there is an unresolved doubt concerning the ruling. Hence, if a person becomes impure because of two handfuls of this rekev, he must consider himself impure, because of this unresolved doubt.
Halacha 8
The following laws applies when there are two handfuls and more of earth that was found under a corpse or in a grave and it is not known what it comprises: whether it is rekev that imparts impurity when under the same shelter or it is merely earth that has become soiled with the netzal and the blood of the corpse. It imparts impurity when carried and when one is under the same shelter, because this mass that is more than two handfuls contains two full handfuls of rekev. It appears to me that also this impurity is a Rabbinic decree.
Halacha 9
When a corpse was burned and its skeleton - i.e., the backbone and the ribs - is intact, it conveys impurity like an entire corpse. Needless to say, this applies if the flesh is merely charred. If, however, it is burnt to the extent that its form is destroyed, it is ritually pure.
Similarly, if a miscarried embryo which had already begun to have its limbs take form was mixed with water, it is pure, because its form was destroyed.
Halacha 10
When the flesh of a corpse has become powdery and flourlike, it is ritually pure. Similarly, the ashes of corpses that were burnt are ritually pure. Similarly, worms which come into existence from the flesh of a corpse, whether they are alive or dead, are ritually pure.
We have already explained that bone marrow is considered as flesh in all instances, whether with regard to a human corpse or with regard to the carcass of an animal or crawling animal.
Halacha 11
A person's skin is considered as his flesh. If it was processed entirely or trodden upon as is necessary for processing, it is considered as pure according to Scriptural Law. According to Rabbinic Law, however, an olive-sized portion imparts impurity like the flesh of a corpse. This is a decree, enacted so that people do not become accustomed to processing human skin and using it.
Halacha 12
The skin that appears opposite the face of a infant when he is born, whether both he and his mother survive the birth or he and his mother die in the process of the birth, is considered as ritually pure. The rationale is that it is like a waste produce, like filth, vomit, or the like.
Halacha 13
Every element of a corpse is impure with the exception of the teeth, the hair, and the nails, for they are replaced. While they are attached to the body, they are all impure.
What is implied? When a corpse is outside a house and his hair which is attached to his body is inside, everything in the house becomes impure. Similarly, one who touches hair, teeth, or nails while they are attached to a corpse becomes impure. When the hair of the deceased was ready to be cut or his nails were ready to be trimmed, their halachic status is in doubt because they are prepared to be cut off. Therefore, one who touches them is considered as ritually impure because of the doubt.
Any liquid that flows out from a corpse is pure except for its blood. Any liquid with the color of blood that flows from a corpse is impure, as we explained. Why wasn't a decree made with regard to liquids that flow from a corpse as was made with regard to liquids flowing from other impure individuals? Since everyone withdraws from a corpse, they did not feel the need to enact a decree regarding liquids that flow from it.
Halacha 14
When a liver has decomposed, a revi'it of it imparts impurity, because it is considered like blood that has coagulated.
If all the blood of an infant flows out, but it does not amount to a revi'it, it is pure even though it comprises all the blood in his body.
Halacha 15
If even the slightest amount of these measures are lacking, the substances are pure: a) a revi'it of blood, b) a piece of bone the size of a barley-corn, c) an olive-sized portion of flesh, d) an olive-sized portion of netzal, e) two handfuls of rekev, and f) a limb from a living person from which the slightest portion of the bone was lacking.
Tum'at Met - Chapter 4
Halacha 1
When a revi'it of blood comes from two corpses, it is pure. To impart impurity, the entire revi'it must come from one corpse. When a backbone was put together from two corpses, e.g., some of the vertebrae came from one corpse and others, from another, when a skull was put together from two corpses, or a fourth of a kab of bones came from two corpses or a limb came from two corpses: in all these instances, impurity is not imparted when one is under the same structure, only through touching and carrying, as is true with regard to other bones.
Halacha 2
When a limb from a living person comes from two people, it is pure. Even if it comes from one person, it is pure if it was cut into two.
Halacha 3
An olive-sized portion of flesh that comes from two corpses, an olive-sized portion of netzal that comes from two corpses, and two handfuls of rekev that come from two corpses when the laws of rekev apply to each one of them, can be combined. Similarly, a half of an olive-sized portion of flesh and a half an olive-sized portion of netzal can be combined with each other. All of the other sources of impurity stemming from a corpse are not combined with each other, because they are not of equal measures.
Halacha 4
When a bone the size of a barley-corn is divided into two, it imparts impurity when carried. Similarly, when a quarter of a kab of bones were crushed, although none of them are the size of a barley-corn, they impart impurity when one is under the same shelter as if they were not crushed.
Halacha 5
When an olive-sized portion from a corpse was cut into small pieces, flattened, and pressed together, it imparts impurity when under the same shelter and when carried, but it does not impart impurity when one touches a portion of it, even when the pieces are joined together, because anything joined together by man is not considered as joined.
Halacha 6
When an olive-sized portion of fat that was intact was liquefied, it is impure. If it was separated and it was liquefied, it is pure.
Halacha 7
When the majority of the vertebrae were taken from a backbone, it does not impart impurity when under the same shelter, even through its form remains. If it is in the grave, even if it is broken and even if it is crushed, it imparts impurity when under the same shelter. The rationale is that the grave joins it together.
Halacha 8
Whenever a substance that imparts impurity when under the same shelter was divided and then both portions are brought into a house, it is considered as joined together by the shelter and impurity is imparted by them because of it.
Halacha 9
When there is an olive-sized portion of flesh that grew on a bone through the influence of heaven, and a portion of that bone was brought inside a house, the house contracts ritual impurity. If the flesh had been pushed into the bones by humans, the house is pure. The rationale is that anything joined by man is not considered as joined.
Halacha 10
When two handfuls of rekev are spread out throughout a house, the house is impure.
Halacha 11
When a revi'it Anything that was in the house at the time the blood was absorbed in the earth, is impure.
Halacha 12
When an olive-sized portion of a corpse was lost inside a house and it was searched for and not found, the house is assumed to be pure. If it is discovered afterwards, the house is deemed impure retroactively from the time it was lost until the time it was discovered.
Halacha 13
The following laws apply when a revi'it of blood was poured in an open space. If it coagulated or it was in a place where it could collect, i.e., a low place like a pit and an entity projects over even a portion of it, that entity is impure. If it was spilled on the doorstep which was on an incline, whether to the inside or outside, the house is pure. The rationale is that the blood did not come to rest on the doorstep. If the doorstep was a place where the blood could collect or it coagulated there, the house is impure.
The following laws apply when a revi'it of blood is absorbed in a garment. If it could be washed and a revi'it of blood would be discharged from it, the garment imparts impurity when touched, carried, or when one is under the same shelter. If not, it does not impart impurity when one is under the same shelter and it is considered as a garment that came into contact with a corpse. The rationale is that whenever something absorbed cannot be discharged, it is considered as pure.
How is the quantity of blood measured? The garment should be washed in water. Then an equal quantity of water should be brought and a revi'it of blood placed in it. If their appearance was the same or the water in which the garment was washed was of a redder hue than the mixture, it is apparent that a revi'it was discharged.
Halacha 14
Carrying, touching, and being under the same structure are three different categories. Whenever activities come from one category, they can be combined and impart impurity. If they are from two categories, they are not combined and are pure.
What is implied? A person becomes impure in all of the following situations, for the activities that are combined are from the same category:
a) He touches two portions of a corpse that are half the size of an olive at the same time or carries two portions of a corpse that are half the size of an olive at the same time.
b) He stands over two portions of a corpse that are half the size of an olive.
c) He stands over a portion of a corpse that is half the size of an olive and has a similar portion hang over his body.
d) He and a portion of a corpse half the size of an olive were under one shelter and a portion of his body stood over another similar portion, or a similar portion was suspended over his body.
One is, by contrast, pure in all of the following situations. He touches a portion of a corpse half the size of an olive or carries such a portion and:
a) another entity covers both him and another such portion from a corpse;
b) another such portion was suspended over a portion of his body; c) he stood over such a portion, or
d) he touched such a portion and carried such a portion. The rationale is that a quantity that is touched is not combined with one that is carried, neither with regard to a corpse, nor with regard to other forms of impurity. Similarly, a quantity that is touched is not combined with one that is governed by the laws of ohel, nor is one governed by the laws of ohel combined with one that is carried, because they are not from the same category.
Tum'at Met - Chapter 5
Halacha 1
All entities - whether humans or keilim - that become impure because of contact with a human corpse contract impurity that lasts seven days.
What is implied? When a person or a k'li touch an entity that imparts the impurity associated with a corpse when touched or contract impurity throughohel from one of the entities that impart impurity through ohel, or carry an entity that imparts the impurity associated with a corpse when carried, he or it contract impurity that lasts seven days, as Numbers 19:14 states: "Anyone who enters the tent and anything that is inside the tent will be impure for seven days."
Halacha 2
A person who becomes impure because of a corpse and keilim which such a person touches contract impurity that lasts seven days, as Numbers 31:24states: "And you shall wash your garments on the seventh day and become pure."
If, by contrast, a person touches a person who contracted impurity because of a corpse - whether he touched him after he disengaged himself from the corpse that imparted impurity to him or whether he is still touching the corpse - the second person is impure only until the evening, as ibid. 19:22 states: "And the soul that touches it will be impure until the evening."
This is the Scriptural Law. According to Rabbinic Law, if one touches a corpse and touches another person while he is still touching the corpse, they both contract impurity that lasts seven days, as if the second person touched the corpse itself.
In what context does this apply? With regard to partaking of terumah and sacrificial food. By contrast, a nazirite or one who brings a Paschal sacrifice who are touched by a person who touched a corpse only becomes impure until the evening as is Scriptural Law, whether the first person is still touching the corpse or whether he is not.
Halacha 3
When keilim become impure due to contact with a corpse, whether because they were touched or because they were under the same shelter, one who touches them is considered like one who touches a corpse itself. Just as a corpse imparts impurity that lasts seven days to whatever touches it, whether a person or a k'li, so too, when a k'li became impure due to contact with a corpse, it and other keilim, or a person who touches it contract impurity that lasts seven days, as implied by Numbers 19:16: "one slain by the sword or a corpse." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that a sword is like a corpse. This also applies to other keilim, whether they are metal utensils,keilim that can be purified by immersion, or garments.
These concepts can also be inferred from ibid. 31:19 which states: "Everyone who killed a person and everyone who touched a corpse must purify himself." Would one think that a person who shot an arrow or threw a stone and killed another person would become impure for seven days? Instead, this is speaking about a person who kills with a sword or the like who becomes impure because he touched the k'li with which he killed, for that k'li touched a corpse.
What is the source from which we learn that keilim that touch a person who touched keilim that became impure because of contact with a corpse become impure? It is written: "And you shall wash your garments on the seventh day and become pure." This teaches that any person who contracts impurity that lasts seven days imparts impurity that lasts seven days to his garments.
Halacha 4
Thus in summary: When a person touches a corpse and then touches another person, the first contracts impurity that lasts seven days and the second, impurity that lasts until the evening. When keilim touch a corpse and then other keilim touch them, they both contract impurity that lasts seven days. An entity whose connection is of the third degree, whether a person or ak'li, contracts only the impurity that lasts until the evening.
When keilim are touching a corpse and a person touches those keilim and other keilim, all three contract the impurity that lasts seven days. An entity whose connection is of the fourth degree contracts only the impurity that lasts until the evening.
Halacha 5
When does the above apply? With regard to terumah and sacrificial food. With regard to liability for karet for entering the Temple or partaking of sacrificial foods, by contrast, only the first two are liable - the first person who touched the corpse and the second person who touched him - as mandated by Scriptural Law, as Numbers 19:22 states: "Everything which is touched by the impure person becomes impure."
When, by contrast, one touches keilim that were touched by an impure person or one touches a person who touches keilim that touched a corpse, he is exempt, as we explained in Hilchot Bi'at HaMikdash. For these matters, although part of the Oral Tradition, are not considered as Scriptural Law. The rationale is that it was only explicitly stated in the Torah that one who became impure because of contact with a corpse becomes a primary source of impurity and secondly, that an entity, whether a person or a k'li,that touches him becomes impure, becoming a first degree derivative of impurity.
Halacha 6
When an earthenware container touched a corpse or was in the same structure as it, it contracts ritual impurity. It does not impart ritual impurity, neither to a person, nor to another earthenware container, nor to any other k'li. For an earthenware container never becomes a primary source of ritual impurity, neither with regard to impurity stemming from a corpse or other sources of impurity. This is Scriptural Law, even though it is part of Oral Tradition.
Halacha 7
This is a great general principle with regard to ritual impurity. Any primary source of ritual impurity imparts ritual impurity to humans, garments, and utensils, whether metal implements, utensils that can be purified by immersion, or earthenware containers. Any entity that imparts impurity to a person or keilim when touched is called a primary source of ritual impurity. Any derivative of ritual impurity imparts ritual impurity to food and drink, but it does not impart impurity to a person or keilim, neither to earthenware containers, nor to other keilim and garments.
Halacha 8
Any entity that touches a primary source of impurity is referred to as a derivative of the first degree. Anything that touches a derivative of the first degree is referred to as a derivative of the second degree. Anything that touches a derivative of the second degree is referred to as a derivative of the third degree. And anything that touches a derivative of the third degree is referred to as a derivative of the fourth degree. A derivative of the first degree and those on a lesser level are called "the offspring of impurity."
Halacha 9
Any entity, whether a person or a k'li, which contracts impurity that lasts seven days as a result of contact with a corpse is referred to as tamei meit. The person or the k'li is a primary source of impurity with regard to imparting impurity to terumah and sacrificial food, as we explained. From it, are counted a first degree derivative and a second degree derivative to impart impurity to people and keilim when it is touched, like other primary sources of impurity. It does not impart impurity when carried.
Halacha 10
Any entity that contracts impurity that lasts until the evening as a result of contact with an entity that contracted impurity from a corpse is considered as the offspring of impurity. It is a derivative of impurity of the first degree. It is possible that a fourth degree contact with a corpse can be a first derivative of impurity, as we explained with regard to terumah and sacrificial foods.
Halacha 11
When a person or keilim contract impurity because of contact with the lands of the nations or a beit hapras or because he carried such earth or he touched weltering blood, a gollel or a dofek, or entered a shelter where they were located or carried weltering blood, in all instances, these individuals or keilimand the like are all primary sources of impurity by Rabbinic decree. Similarly, garments that contract impurity that lasts seven days because of these entities are all primary sources of impurity by Rabbinic decree.
Halacha 12
A tent itself which encompasses a source of impurity contracts impurity that lasts seven days according to Scriptural Law even though the impurity did not touch it. It is like garments that were touched by a corpse, as implied byNumbers 19:18: "And he shall sprinkle on the tent."
When does the above apply? When the tent was made from cloth, sackcloth, or a wooden k'li, or a hide, either a hide from an animal or beast that is permitted to be eaten or one which is forbidden to be eaten. These concepts are derived from Exodus 40:19: "And he spread the tent over the Sanctuary." The term "tent" applies only to an entity that is woven or made from hides, as in the Sanctuary. If, by contrast, the structure was made from slats of wood, like a roof, a mat, or the like, or it was bone, or made of metal, it is pure. Needless to say, if it was made from building materials, it is pure.
Whenever the Torah uses the expression, "the house is impure," the intent is the person and the keilim in the house. There is no product of wood that becomes impure as a tent except flax.
Halacha 13
When garments touch a corpse, even though they are considered as a corpse with regard to imparting impurity that lasts seven days to other entities that touch them, they are not considered as a corpse with regard to imparting impurity when one is under their shelter or when one carries them. The rationale is that the impurity stemming from carrying a corpse itself is not explicitly stated in the Torah, as we explained. And with regard to the impurity imparted by a tent, Numbers 19:14 states: "A man when he will die in a tent." Therefore if one carried garments that touched a corpse without touching the garments, or if one stands over them, they are held over him, or they were in a structure with him, he is pure.
Similarly, when a person contracted impurity from a corpse and stood overkeilim, they are pure. For one who contracts impurity from a corpse imparts impurity through touch alone.
Halacha 14
A corpse does not impart impurity to a seat or a couch that is below him, nor to articles that are placed upon him, only to a k'li that touches a corpse whether it was at its side or it was below the corpse or on top of it.
What is implied? There were ten garments one on top of the other and the corpse was on top of them and then there were ten garments on top of him. The garment that is touching him and the second garment which is touching the garment touching him both contract the impurity that lasts seven days. The third garment, whether on top or below, contracts the impurity which lasts until the evening.
When does the above - that all the garments or keilim above him and below him are pure - apply? When the impurity was not retzutzah, the laws of oheldo not apply, or there was a stone intervening between them, as will be explained in the appropriate place.
• English Text | Video Class
• Tuesday, Iyar 23, 5776 · May 31, 2016
• Iyar 23, 38th day of the omer
Friday Iyar 23, 38th day of the omer 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: B'chukotai, Shishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 108-112.
Tanya: The order of (p. 263)...Life of life. (p. 265).
The beginning of one's decline, G-d save us, is the lack of avoda in davening. Everything becomes dry and cold. Even a mitzva performed by habit* becomes burdensome. Everything is rushed. One loses the sense of pleasure in Torah-study. The atmosphere itself become crass. Needless to say, one is totally incapable of influencing others.
FOOTNOTES
*.Compare Yeshayahu 29:13.
• Daily Thought:
The Field of Your Mind
A creative mind is a fertile field. But that may simply mean that the weeds are taller and grow faster.
First, soften your mind’s soil, plough its furrows. Open it to the wisdom that rains down from the heavens; let the dew of Torah sink into your soul, the seeds laid by tzaddikim enter your heart. Learn to lie still as they awaken and take root. Quietly await the spring.
In the place of thorns and a tangle of weeds will grow a bountiful garden. Where once wild and brazen delusions sprang forth, a clear stream will run.
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