Torah Reading
Shlach: Numbers 13:1 Adonai said to Moshe, 2 “Send men on your behalf to reconnoiter the land of Kena‘an, which I am giving to the people of Isra’el. From each ancestral tribe send someone who is a leader in his tribe.” 3 Moshe dispatched them from the Pa’ran Desert as Adonai had ordered; all of them were leading men among the people of Isra’el. 4 Here are their names:
from the tribe of Re’uven, Shamua the son of Zakur;
5 from the tribe of Shim‘on, Shafat the son of Hori;
6 from the tribe of Y’hudah, Kalev the son of Y’funeh;
7 from the tribe of Yissakhar, Yig’al the son of Yosef;
8 from the tribe of Efrayim, Hoshea the son of Nun;
9 from the tribe of Binyamin, Palti the son of Rafu;
10 from the tribe of Z’vulun, Gadi’el the son of Sodi;
11 from the tribe of Yosef, that is, from the tribe of M’nasheh, Gadi the son of Susi;
12 from the tribe of Dan, ‘Ammi’el the son of G’malli;
13 from the tribe of Asher, S’tur the son of Mikha’el;
14 from the tribe of Naftali, Nachbi the son of Vofsi; and
15 from the tribe of Gad, Ge’u’el the son of Makhi.
16 These are the names of the men Moshe sent out to reconnoiter the land. Moshe gave to Hoshea the son of Nun the name Y’hoshua.
17 Moshe sent them to reconnoiter the land of Kena‘an, instructing them, “Go on up to the Negev and into the hills, 18 and see what the land is like. Notice the people living there, whether they are strong or weak, few or many; 19 and what kind of country they live in, whether it is good or bad; and what kind of cities they live in, open or fortified. 20 See whether the land is fertile or unproductive and whether there is wood in it or not. Finally, be bold enough to bring back some of the fruit of the land.”
When they left it was the season for the first grapes to ripen. (ii) 21 They went up and reconnoitered the land from the Tzin Desert to Rechov near the entrance to Hamat. 22 They went up into the Negev and arrived at Hevron; Achiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the ‘Anakim, lived there. (Hevron was built seven years before Tzo‘an in Egypt.) 23 They came to the Eshkol Valley; and there they cut off a branch bearing one cluster of grapes, which they carried on a pole between two of them; they also took pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshkol [cluster], because of the cluster which the people of Isra’el cut down there.
25 Forty days later, they returned from reconnoitering the land 26 and went to Moshe, Aharon and the entire community of the people of Isra’el at Kadesh in the Pa’ran Desert, where they brought back word to them and to the entire community and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 What they told him was this: “We entered the land where you sent us, and indeed it does flow with milk and honey — here is its fruit! 28 However the people living in the land are fierce, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the ‘Anakim there. 29 ‘Amalek lives in the area of the Negev; the Hitti, the Y’vusi and the Emori live in the hills; and the Kena‘ani live by the sea and alongside the Yarden.”
30 Kalev silenced the people around Moshe and said, “We ought to go up immediately and take possession of it; there is no question that we can conquer it.” 31 But the men who had gone with him said, “We can’t attack those people, because they are stronger than we are”; 32 and they spread a negative report about the land they had reconnoitered for the people of Isra’el by saying, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there were giant! 33 We saw the N’filim, the descendants of ‘Anak, who was from the N’filim; to ourselves we looked like grasshoppers by comparison, and we looked that way to them too!”
14:1 At this all the people of Isra’el cried out in dismay and wept all night long. 2 Moreover, all the people of Isra’el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert! 3 Why is Adonai bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”
5 Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire assembled community of the people of Isra’el. 6 Y’hoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Y’funeh, from the detachment that had reconnoitered the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the whole community of Isra’el, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is an outstandingly good land! (iii) 8 If Adonai is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us — a land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Just don’t rebel against Adonai. And don’t be afraid of the people living in the land — we’ll eat them up! Their defense has been taken away from them, and Adonai is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
10 But just as the whole community were saying they should be stoned to death, the glory of Adonai appeared in the tent of meeting to all the people of Isra’el. 11 Adonai said to Moshe, “How much longer is this people going to treat me with contempt? How much longer will they not trust me, especially considering all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I am going to strike them with sickness, destroy them and make from you a nation greater and stronger than they are!”
13 However, Moshe replied to Adonai, “When the Egyptians hear about this — [and they will,] because it was from among them that you, by your strength, brought this people up — 14 they will tell the people living in this land. They have heard that you, Adonai, are with this people; that you, Adonai, are seen face to face; that your cloud stands over them; that you go ahead of them in a column of cloud by day and a column of fire by night. 15 If you kill off this people at a single stroke, then the nations that have heard of your reputation will say 16 that the reason Adonai slaughtered this people in the desert is that he wasn’t able to bring them into the land which he swore to give them. 17 So now, please, let Adonai’s power be as great as when you said, 18 ‘Adonai is slow to anger, rich in grace, forgiving offenses and crimes; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and even by the third and fourth generations.’ 19 Please! Forgive the offense of this people according to the greatness of your grace, just as you have borne with this people from Egypt until now.”
20 Adonai answered, “I have forgiven, as you have asked. 21 But as sure as I live, and that the whole earth is filled with the glory of Adonai, 22 none of the people who saw my glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the desert, yet tested me these ten times and did not listen to my voice, 23 will see the land I swore to their ancestors! None of those who treated me with contempt will see it. 24 But my servant Kalev, because he had a different Spirit with him and has fully followed me — him I will bring into the land he entered, and it will belong to his descendants.
25 “Now, since the ‘Amaleki and the Kena‘ani are living in the valley, tomorrow turn around and get yourselves into the desert along the way to the Sea of Suf.”
(iv) 26 Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, 27 “How long am I to put up with this evil community who keep grumbling about me? I have heard the complaints of the people of Isra’el, which they continue to raise against me. 28 Tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, Adonai swears, as surely as you have spoken in my ears, I will do this to you: 29 your carcasses will fall in this desert! Every single one of you who were included in the census over the age of twenty, you who have complained against me, 30 will certainly not enter the land about which I raised my hand to swear that I would have you live in it — except for Kalev the son of Y’funeh and Y’hoshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, who you said would be taken as booty — them I will bring in. They will know the land you have rejected. 32 But you, your carcasses will fall in this desert; 33 and your children will wander about in the desert for forty years bearing the consequences of your prostitutions until the desert eats up your carcasses. 34 It will be a year for every day you spent reconnoitering the land that you will bear the consequences of your offenses — forty days, forty years. Then you will know what it means to oppose me! 35 I, Adonai, have spoken.’ I will certainly do this to this whole evil community who have assembled together against me — they will be destroyed in this desert and die there.”
36 The men whom Moshe had sent to reconnoiter the land and who, when they returned, made the entire community complain against him by giving an unfavorable report about the land — 37 those men who gave the unfavorable report about the land died by the plague in the presence of Adonai. 38 Of the men who went to reconnoiter the land, only Y’hoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Y’funeh remained alive.
39 When Moshe told these things to all the people of Isra’el, the people felt great remorse. 40 They arose early the next morning, came up to the top of the mountain and said, “Here we are, and we did sin, but now we’ll go up to the place Adonai promised.” 41 Moshe answered, “Why are you opposing what Adonai said? You won’t succeed! 42 Don’t go up there, because Adonai isn’t with you. If you do, your enemies will defeat you. 43 The ‘Amalekim and the Kena‘anim are there ahead of you, and you will be struck down by the sword. The reason will be that you have turned away from following Adonai, so that Adonai won’t be with you.”
44 But they were presumptuous and went on up toward the high parts of the hill-country, even though the ark for the covenant of Adonai — and Moshe — stayed in the camp. 45 So the ‘Amalekim and the Kena‘anim living in that hill-country descended, struck them down and beat them back all the way to Hormah.
15:1 Adonai said to Moshe, 2 “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When you have come into the land where you are going to live, which I am giving to you, 3 and want to make an offering by fire to Adonai — a burnt offering or sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or to be a voluntary offering, or at your designated times, to make a fragrant aroma for Adonai — then, whether it is comes from the herd or from the flock, 4 the person bringing the offering is to present Adonai with a grain offering consisting of two quarts of fine flour mixed with one quart of olive oil, 5 and one quart of wine for the drink offering. This is what you are to prepare with the burnt offering or for each lamb sacrificed.
6 “‘For a ram, prepare one gallon of fine flour mixed with one-and-one-third quarts of olive oil; 7 while for the drink offering, you are to present one-and-one-third quarts of wine as a fragrant aroma for Adonai.
(v) 8 “‘When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, as a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow or as peace offerings for Adonai, 9 there is to be presented with the bull a grain offering of one-and-a-half gallons of fine flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. 10 For the drink offering, present two quarts of wine for an offering made by fire, a fragant aroma for Adonai.
11 “‘Do it this way for each bull, ram, male lamb or kid. 12 For as many animals as you prepare, do this for each one, regardless of how many animals there are.
13 “‘Every citizen is to do these things in this way when presenting an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for Adonai. 14 If a foreigner stays with you — or whoever may be with you, through all your generations — and he wants to bring an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for Adonai, he is to do the same as you. 15 For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before Adonai as yourselves. 16 The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.’”
(vi) 17 Adonai said to Moshe, 18 “Speak to the people of Isra’el; tell them, ‘When you enter the land where I am bringing you 19 and eat bread produced in the land, you are to set aside a portion as a gift for Adonai. 20 Set aside from your first dough a cake as a gift; set it aside as you would set aside a portion of the grain from the threshing-floor. 21 From your first dough you will give Adonai a portion as a gift through all your generations.
22 “‘If by mistake you fail to observe all these mitzvot that Adonai has spoken to Moshe, 23 yes, everything that Adonai has ordered you to do through Moshe, from the day Adonai gave the order and onward through all your generations, 24 then, if it was done by mistake by the community and was not known to them, the whole community is to offer one young bull for a burnt offering as a fragrant aroma to Adonai, with its grain and drink offerings, in keeping with the rule, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The cohen is to make atonement for the whole community of the people of Isra’el; and they will be forgiven; because it was a mistake; and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire, to Adonai, and their sin offering before Adonai for their mistake. 26 The whole community of the people of Isra’el will be forgiven, likewise the foreigner staying with them; because for all the people it was a mistake.
(vii) 27 “‘If an individual sins by mistake, he is to offer a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. 28 The cohen will make atonement before Adonai for the person who makes a mistake by sinning inadvertently; he will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven — 29 no matter whether he is a citizen of Isra’el or a foreigner living with them. You are to have one law for whoever it is that does something wrong by mistake.
30 “‘But an individual who does something wrong intentionally, whether a citizen or a foreigner, is blaspheming Adonai. That person will be cut off from his people. 31 Because he has had contempt for the word of Adonai and has disobeyed his command, that person will be cut off completely; his offense will remain with him.’”
32 While the people of Isra’el were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on Shabbat. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moshe, Aharon and the whole congregation. 34 They kept him in custody, because it had not yet been decided what to do to him. 35 Then Adonai said to Moshe, “This man must be put to death; the entire community is to stone him to death outside the camp.” 36 So the whole community brought him outside the camp and threw stones at him until he died, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
(Maftir) 37 Adonai said to Moshe, 38 “Speak to the people of Isra’el, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. 39 It is to be a tzitzit for you to look at and thereby remember all of Adonai’s mitzvot and obey them, so that you won’t go around wherever your own heart and eyes lead you to prostitute yourselves; 40 but it will help you remember and obey all my mitzvot and be holy for your God. 41 I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to be your God. I am Adonai your God.”
Joshua 2:1 Y’hoshua the son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Sheetim with these instructions: “Go, inspect the land and Yericho.” They left and came to the house of a prostitute named Rachav, where they spent the night. 2 The king of Yericho was told about it — “Tonight some men from Isra’el came here to reconnoiter the land.”
3 The king of Yericho sent a message to Rachav, “Bring out the men who came to you and are staying in your house, because they have come to reconnoiter all the land.” 4 However, the woman, after taking the two men and hiding them, replied, “Yes, the men did come to me; but I didn’t know where they had come from. 5 The men left around the time when they shut the gate, when it was dark. Where they went I don’t know; but if you chase after them quickly, you will overtake them.” 6 Actually she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them under some stalks of flax she had spread out there. 7 The men pursued them all the way to the fords at the Yarden; as soon as the pursuit party had left, the gate was shut.
8 The two men had not yet lain down when she returned to the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that Adonai has given you the land. Fear of you has fallen on us; everyone in the land is terrified at the thought of you. 10 We’ve heard how Adonai dried up the water in the Sea of Suf ahead of you, when you left Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Emori on the other side of the Yarden, Sichon and ‘Og, that you completely destroyed them. 11 As soon as we heard it, our hearts failed us. Because of you, everyone is in a state of depression. For Adonai your God — he is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 So, please, swear to me by Adonai that, since I have been kind to you, you will also be kind to my father’s family. Give me some evidence of your good faith, 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers and sisters and all who are theirs, so that we won’t be killed.” 14 The men replied to her, “Our lives are certainly worth yours, provided you don’t betray our mission. So when Adonai gives us the land, we will treat you kindly and in good faith.”
15 Then she lowered them by a rope through the window; since her house abutted the city wall, indeed was actually built into it. 16 She told them, “Head for the hills, so that the pursuit party won’t get their hands on you; and hide yourselves there for three days, until the pursuers have returned. After that, you can go on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will not be guilty of violating the oath you made us swear, provided that 18 when we enter the land, you tie this piece of scarlet cord in the window you let us down from; and you gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and your father’s entire household. 19 If anyone goes out the doors of your house into the street, he will be responsible for his own blood, and we will be guiltless. But everyone who stays with you in the house — we will be responsible for his blood if anyone lays a hand on him. 20 However, if you say a word about this business of ours, then we will be free of your oath that you made us swear.” 21 “According to your words, so be it,” she said, and sent them away. As they departed, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 They left, arrived in the hills, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had searched for them all the way but hadn’t found them. 23 Then the two men returned. Descending from the hills they crossed over and came to Y’hoshua the son of Nun, and reported everything that had happened to them. 24 “Truly Adonai has handed over all the land to us,” they told Y’hoshua. “Everyone in the land is terrified that we’re coming.”
Today's Laws & Customs:• Blessing the New Month
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim ("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of upcoming month of Tammuz, which falls on Wednesday and Thursday of next week.
Prior to the blessing, we announce the precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon.Click here for molad times.
It is a Chabad custom to recite the entire book of Psalms before morning prayers, and to conduct farbrengens (chassidic gatherings) in the course of the Shabbat.
Links:
- On the Significance of Shabbat Mevarchim
- Tehillim (the Book of Psalms)
- The Farbrengen
During the summer months, from the Shabbat after Passover until the Shabbat before Rosh Hashahah, we study a weekly chapter of the Talmud's Ethics of the Fathers ("Avot") each Shabbat afternoon; this week we study Chapter Three.
Link: Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 3
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Shlach, 7th Portion Numbers 15:27-15:41 with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation | Video Class• Numbers Chapter 15
27But if an individual sins inadvertently, he shall offer up a she goat in its first year as a sin offering. כזוְאִם־נֶ֥פֶשׁ אַחַ֖ת תֶּֽחֱטָ֣א בִשְׁגָגָ֑ה וְהִקְרִ֛יבָה עֵ֥ז בַּת־שְׁנָתָ֖הּ לְחַטָּֽאת:
sins inadvertently: By worshipping idols. - [Sifrei Shelach 41]
תחטא בשגגה: בעבודה זרה:
she-goat in its first year: For any other transgression an individual could bring [either] a ewe-lamb or a young she-goat, but in this case Scripture designates a she-goat for it. - [Sifrei Shelach 40]
עז בת שנתה: שאר עבירות יחיד מביא כשבה או שעירה ובזו קבע לה שעירה:
28And the kohen shall atone for the erring soul which sinned inadvertently before the Lord, so as to atone on his behalf, and it shall be forgiven him. כחוְכִפֶּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עַל־הַנֶּ֧פֶשׁ הַשֹּׁגֶ֛גֶת בְּחֶטְאָ֥ה בִשְׁגָגָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָ֖יו וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ:
29One law shall apply to anyone who sins inadvertently from the native born of the children of Israel and the proselyte who resides among them. כטהָֽאֶזְרָח֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֑ם תּוֹרָ֤ה אַחַת֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם לָֽעֹשֶׂ֖ה בִּשְׁגָגָֽה:
30But if a person should act highhandedly, whether he is a native born or a proselyte, he is blaspheming the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from among its people. לוְהַנֶּ֜פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה | בְּיָ֣ד רָמָ֗ה מִן־הָֽאֶזְרָח֙ וּמִן־הַגֵּ֔ר אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה ה֣וּא מְגַדֵּ֑ף וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ:
highhandedly: Intentionally. — [Jonathan ben Uzziel, Onkelos (See Mechokekei Yehudah)]
ביד רמה: במזיד:
is blaspheming: Heb. מְגַדֵּף, reviles (מְחָרֵף), as in“it shall be a reproach (חֶרְפָּה) and a taunt (וּגְדוּפָה) ” (Ezek. 5: 15);“which the servants of the King of Assyria have blasphemed (גִּדְפוּ)” (Is. 37:6). Furthermore, our Sages (Ker. 7b) derived from here that someone who blasphemes [lit., blesses] the Name [of God] is subject to spiritual excision.
מגדף: מחרף, כמו (יחזקאל ה, טו) והיתה חרפה וגדופה, (ישעיה לז, ו) אשר גדפו נערי מלך אשור. עוד דרשו רבותינו מכאן למברך את השם שהוא בכרת:
31For he has scorned the word of the Lord and violated His commandment; that soul shall be utterly cut off for its iniquity is upon it. לאכִּ֤י דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ בָּזָ֔ה וְאֶת־מִצְוָת֖וֹ הֵפַ֑ר הִכָּרֵ֧ת | תִּכָּרֵ֛ת הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא עֲוֹנָ֥ה בָֽהּ:
the word of the Lord: The warning against idolatry was [heard directly] by the word of the Divine; the rest was by the word of Moses. - [Hor. 8a]
דבר ה': אזהרת עבודה זרה מפי הגבורה, והשאר מפי משה:
its iniquity is upon it: During the time the iniquity is with him, namely, if he has not repented. — [Sanh. 90b, Sifrei Shelach 51]
עונה בה: בזמן שעונה בה שלא עשה תשובה:
32When the children of Israel were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. לבוַֽיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיִּמְצְא֗וּ אִ֛ישׁ מְקשֵׁ֥שׁ עֵצִ֖ים בְּי֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת:
[When the children of Israel] were in the desert, they found: Scripture speaks disparagingly of Israel, for they had kept only one Sabbath, yet on the second one, this man came and desecrated it. — [Sifrei Shelach 52]
ויהיו בני ישראל במדבר וימצאו: בגנותן של ישראל דבר הכתוב, שלא שמרו אלא שבת ראשונה, ובשניה בא זה וחללה:
33Those who found him gathering wood presented him before Moses and Aaron and before the entire congregation. לגוַיַּקְרִ֣יבוּ אֹת֔וֹ הַמֹּֽצְאִ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ מְקשֵׁ֣שׁ עֵצִ֑ים אֶל־משֶׁה֙ וְאֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֔ן וְאֶ֖ל כָּל־הָֽעֵדָֽה:
Those who found him gathering: [This redundant clause means to say that] they warned him, but he did not stop gathering even after they found him and warned him. — [Sanh. 90a, Sifrei Shelach 55]
המצאים אתו מקושש: שהתרו בו ולא הניח מלקושש אף משמצאוהו והתרו בו:
34They put him under guard, since it was not specified what was to be done to him. לדוַיַּנִּ֥יחוּ אֹת֖וֹ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר כִּ֚י לֹ֣א פֹרַ֔שׁ מַה־יֵּֽעָשֶׂ֖ה לֽוֹ:
since it was not specified what was to be done to him: With which method he should be executed. But they did know that one who desecrates the Sabbath is put to death. — [Sifrei Shelach 57]
כי לא פרש מה יעשה לו: לא היו יודעים באיזו מיתה ימות, אבל יודעים היו שהמחלל שבת במיתה:
35The Lord said to Moses, The man shall be put to death; the entire congregation shall pelt him with stones outside the camp. להוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה מ֥וֹת יוּמַ֖ת הָאִ֑ישׁ רָג֨וֹם אֹת֤וֹ בָֽאֲבָנִים֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה מִח֖וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶֽה:
pelt: Heb. רָגוֹם, ‘doing,’ [which] in French [is], faisant. Similarly, ‘going,’ in old French, allant. Likewise, זָכוֹר, remember, (Exod. 20:8), and שָׁמוֹר, keep (Deut. 5:12)
רגום: כמו עשה פיישנ"ט בלע"ז [בעשות] וכן הלוך אלנ"ט [בהלוך] וכן זכור ושמור:
36So the entire congregation took him outside the camp, and they pelted him to death with stones, as the Lord had commanded Moses. לווַיֹּצִ֨יאוּ אֹת֜וֹ כָּל־הָֽעֵדָ֗ה אֶל־מִחוּץ֙ לַמַּֽחֲנֶ֔ה וַיִּרְגְּמ֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ בָּֽאֲבָנִ֖ים וַיָּמֹ֑ת כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־משֶֽׁה:
took him outside: From here we derive that the place of stoning was outside, and distant from the courthouse. — [Sifrei Shelach 59]
ויציאו אותו: מכאן שבית הסקילה חוץ ורחוק מבית דין:
37The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: לזוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
38Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and they shall affix a thread of sky blue [wool] on the fringe of each corner. לחדַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וְעָשׂ֨וּ לָהֶ֥ם צִיצִ֛ת עַל־כַּנְפֵ֥י בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם לְדֹֽרֹתָ֑ם וְנָֽתְנ֛וּ עַל־צִיצִ֥ת הַכָּנָ֖ף פְּתִ֥יל תְּכֵֽלֶת:
that they shall make for themselves fringes: Heb. צִיצִת, [so named] because of the threads suspended from it, as in,“he took me by a lock of (בְּצִיצִת) my hair (lit., by the fringes of my head)” (Ezek. 8:3) (Men. 42a). Another interpretation: [It is called] צִיצִת because of the [command], “you shall see it” (verse 39), as in,“peering (מֵצִיץ) from the lattices” (Song 2:9).
ועשו להם ציצת: על שם הפתילים התלוים בה, כמו (יחזקאל ח, ג) ויקחני בציצית ראשי. דבר אחר ציצית על שם וראיתם אותו, כמו (שה"ש ב, ט) מציץ מן החרכים:
blue: The green-blue dye obtained from the chillazon [See Aruch Hashalem under חִלָּזוֹן, Yehudah Feliks, Nature & Man in the Bible (New York: Soncino Press, 1981, pp. 18-20].
תכלת: צבע ירוק של חלזון:
39This shall be fringes for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord to perform them, and you shall not wander after your hearts and after your eyes after which you are going astray. לטוְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֘ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָת֜וּרוּ אַֽחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַֽחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַֽחֲרֵיהֶֽם:
you will remember all the commandments of the Lord: because the numerical value of the word צִיצִית is six hundred (צ = 90, י = 10, צ = 90, י = 10, ת = 400). [Add to this the] eight threads and five knots, and we have [a total of] six hundred and thirteen [the number of commandments in the Torah]. - [Num. Rabbah 18:21]
וזכרתם את כל מצות ה': שמנין גימטריא של ציצית שש מאות, ושמונה חוטים וחמשה קשרים הרי תרי"ג:
and you shall not wander after your hearts: Heb. וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ, like“from scouting (מִּתּוּר) the Land” (13:25). The heart and eyes are the spies for the body. They are its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the transgression. - [Mid. Tanchuma 15]
ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם: כמו (לעיל יג כה) מתור הארץ. הלב והעינים הם מרגלים לגוף ומסרסרים לו את העבירות, העין רואה והלב חומד והגוף עושה את העבירות:
40So that you shall remember and perform all My commandments and you shall be holy to your God. מלְמַ֣עַן תִּזְכְּר֔וּ וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָ֑י וִֽהְיִיתֶ֥ם קְדשִׁ֖ים לֵאלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם:
41I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord, your God. מאאֲנִ֞י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִֽהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם:
I am the Lord: Faithful to pay reward. — [Sifrei Shelach 75]
אני ה': נאמן לשלם שכר:
your God: Faithful to exact punishment. — [Sifrei Shelach 75]
אלהיכם: נאמן ליפרע:
Who took you out: I redeemed you on condition you accept My decrees upon yourselves. - [Sifrei Shelach 73]
אשר הוצאתי אתכם: על מנת כן פדיתי אתכם שתקבלו עליכם גזרותי:
I am the Lord, your God: Why is this repeated? So that the Israelites should not say, “Why did the Omnipresent say this? Was it not so that we should perform [the commandments] and receive reward? We will not perform [them] and not receive reward!” [Therefore, God says,] “I am your King, even against your will.” Similarly, it says, “[As I live, says the Lord God,] surely with a strong hand…will I reign over you” (Ezek. 20:33). Another interpretation: Why is the exodus from Egypt mentioned? It was I who distinguished between the drop [of sperm] of a firstborn and of that which was not of a firstborn. So in future will I distinguish and punish those who attach indigo-dyed [fringes, which is extracted from a vegetable] to their garments, claiming that it is sky-blue [dye extracted from the chillazon]. - [B.M. 61b] From the commentary of R. Moshe Hadarshan [the preacher] I transcribed [the following:] Why is the passage of the wood gatherer juxtaposed with the passage addressing idolatry? To inform [you] that one who desecrates the Sabbath is regarded as one who worships idols, for it [namely the Sabbath] too [just like the prohibition against idolatry] is as important as [the sum of] all the commandments. So Scripture says in Ezra (Neh. 9:13-14, which is strictly part of Ezra. See Rashi on Neh. 1:1), “You descended upon Mount Sinai… and you gave Your people the Law and the commandments (sic). And Your holy Sabbath You made known to them.” Likewise, the passage of fringes; why is it juxtaposed with these two [passages]? Since it too is equally important as [the sum of] all the commandments, as it states, “and perform all My commandments.”
אני ה' אלהיכם: עוד למה נאמר, כדי שלא יאמרו ישראל מפני מה אמר המקום, לא שנעשה ונטול שכר, אנו לא עושים ולא נוטלים שכר, על כרחכם אני מלככם. וכן הוא אומר (יחזקאל כ, לג) אם לא ביד חזקה וגו' אמלוך עליכם. דבר אחר למה נאמר יציאת מצרים, אני הוא שהבחנתי במצרים בין טפה של בכור לשאינה של בכור, אני הוא עתיד להבחין ולהפרע מן התולה קלא אילן בבגדו ואומר תכלת הוא. ומיסודו של רבי משה הדרשן העתקתי למה נסמכה פרשת מקושש לפרשת עבודה זרה, לומר שהמחלל את השבת כעובד עבודה זרה, שאף היא שקולה ככל המצות, וכן הוא אומר בעזרא (נחמי' ט, יג - טו) ועל הר סיני ירדת ותתן לעמך תורה ומצות ואת שבת קדשך הודעת להם, ואף פרשת ציצית לכך נסמכה לאלו לפי שאף היא שקולה כנגד כל המצות, שנאמר ועשיתם את כל מצותי:
on the corners of their garments: Corresponding to [the verse said in connection with the exodus from Egypt]“I carried you on the wings (כַּנְפֵי) of eagles” (Exod. 19:4). On the four corners, but not on a garment of three or five [corners]. [This] corresponds to the four expressions of redemption that were said in Egypt:“I will take you out…I will save you…I will redeem you…I will take you” (Exod. 6:6-7). - [Mid. Aggadah]
על כנפי בגדיהם: כנגד (שמות יט, ד) ואשא אתכם על כנפי נשרים. על ארבע כנפות ולא בעלת שלש ולא בעלת חמש, כנגד ארבע לשונות של גאולה שנאמר במצרים (שמות ו, ו - ז) והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי:
a thread of sky-blue [wool]: Heb. פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת, so called because of the bereavement [suffered by the Egyptians] over the loss of their firstborn. The Aramaic translation of שִׁכּוּל, bereavement, is תִּכְלָא [a word similar to תְּכֵלֶת]. Moreover, the plague struck them at night, and the color of תְּכֵלֶת is similar to the color of the sky, which blackens at dusk; its eight threads symbolize the eight days that Israel waited from when they left Egypt until they sang the song at the [Red] Sea. - [Mid. Aggadah]
פתיל תכלת: על שם שכול בכורות. תרגומו של שכול תכלא. ומכתם היתה בלילה וכן צבע התכלת דומה לצבע רקיע המשחיר לעת ערב. ושמונה חוטים שבה, כנגד שמונה ימים ששהו ישראל משיצאו ממצרים עד שאמרו שירה על הים:
Daily Tehillim: Chapter 119, Verses 97-176• Hebrew text
• English text• Verses 97-176
97. O how I love Your Torah! All day it is my discussion.
98. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
99. From all my teachers I have gained wisdom, for Your testimonies are my discussion.
100. I will be more perceptive than elders, because I have guarded Your precepts.
101. I have restrained my feet from every evil path, that I might keep Your word.
102. I have not turned away from Your judgments, for You have instructed me.
103. How sweet are Your words to my palate, [sweeter] than honey to my mouth!
104. From Your precepts I gain understanding, therefore I hate every path of falsehood.
105. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
106. I have sworn-and I will fulfill it-to keep Your righteous judgments.
107. I am afflicted to the extreme; grant me life, O Lord, according to Your promise.
108. Accept with favor, O Lord, the offerings of my lips, and teach me Your laws.
109. My soul is in danger always, yet I have not forgotten Your Torah.
110. The wicked laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111. I have taken Your testimonies as an eternal heritage, for they are the joy of my heart.
112. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes, forever, to the last.
113. I despise vain thoughts, but I love Your Torah.
114. You are my refuge and my shield; I place hope in Your promise.
115. Turn away from me, you evildoers, and I will keep the commandments of my God.
116. Support me according to Your promise, and I will live; let me not be shamed because of my hope.
117. Sustain me, and I will be saved, and I will be engrossed in Your statutes always.
118. You trample all who stray from Your statutes, for their ploy is a lie.
119. You have purged all the wicked of the earth like dross, therefore I love Your testimonies.
120. My flesh bristles from fear of You, and I am in awe of Your judgments.
121. I practiced justice and righteousness; leave me not to my oppressors.
122. Guarantee Your servant goodness; let not the wicked exploit me.
123. My eyes long for Your salvation, and for the word of Your righteousness.
124. Treat Your servant according to Your kindness, and teach me Your statutes.
125. I am Your servant; grant me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.
126. It is time to act for the Lord; they have abrogated Your Torah.
127. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, even fine gold.
128. Therefore I affirmed all Your precepts; I have hated every path of falsehood.
129. Your testimonies are wondrous, therefore does my soul guard them.
130. Your opening words illuminate, enlightening the simple.
131. I opened my mouth and swallowed, because I craved Your commandments.
132. Turn to me and favor me, as is [Your] law for those who love Your Name.
133. Set my steps in Your word, and let no iniquity rule over me.
134. Deliver me from the oppression of man, and I will keep Your precepts.
135. Let Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.
136. My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your Torah.
137. Righteous are you, O Lord, and Your judgments are upright.
138. You commanded Your testimonies in righteousness and great faithfulness.
139. My zeal consumes me, because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
140. Your word is very pure, and Your servant cherishes it.
141. I am young and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts.
142. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Torah is truth.
143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, yet Your commandments are my delight.
144. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding, that I may live.
145. I call out with all my heart; answer me, O Lord; I will keep Your statutes.
146. I call out to You; save me, and I will observe Your testimonies.
147. I rose before dawn and cried out; my hope is in Your word.
148. My eyes preceded the night watches, that I may discuss Your word.
149. Hear my voice in keeping with Your kindness; O Lord, grant me life as is Your practice.
150. Those who pursue mischief draw near; they are far from Your Torah.
151. You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth.
152. From the beginning I discerned from Your testimonies that You had established them forever.
153. Behold my affliction and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your Torah.
154. Wage my battle and redeem me; grant me life for the sake of Your word.
155. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not Your statutes.
156. Your mercies are great, O Lord; grant me life as is Your practice.
157. My pursuers and my enemies are many, yet I did not turn away from Your testimonies.
158. I saw traitors and I quarreled with them, because they do not keep Your words.
159. Behold how I love Your precepts; grant me life, O Lord, according to Your kindness.
160. The beginning of Your word is truth, and forever are all Your righteous judgements.
161. Princes have pursued me without cause, but it is Your word my heart fears.
162. I rejoice at Your word, like one who finds abundant spoil.
163. I hate falsehood and abhor it, but Your Torah I love.
164. Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.
165. There is abundant peace for those who love Your Torah, and there is no stumbling for them.
166. I hoped for Your salvation, O Lord, and I performed Your commandments.
167. My soul has kept Your testimonies, and I love them intensely.
168. I have kept Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You
169. Let my prayer approach Your presence, O Lord; grant me understanding according to Your word.
170. Let my supplication come before You; save me according to Your promise.
171. My lips will utter praise, for You have taught me Your statutes.
172. My tongue will echo Your word, for all Your commandments are just.
173. Let Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.
174. I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your Torah is my delight.
175. Let my soul live, and it will praise You, and let Your judgment help me.
176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.
Tanya: Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah, middle of Chapter 7• Lessons in Tanya• English Text
• Hebrew Text
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• Shabbat, Sivan 26, 5776 · July 2, 2016
• Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah, middle of Chapter 7
• וזהו גם כן ענין סובב כל עלמין
And this is also the meaning of “He encompassess all worlds.”
This does not mean to say (heaven forfend) that G‑d is not found within the worlds but merely encompasses them. Rather:
פירוש, דרך משל: כשאדם מתבונן באיזה דבר חכמה בשכלו, או דבר גשמי במחשבתו
This means, by way of analogy: When a person reflects upon an intellectual subject in his mind or upon a physical object in his thoughts,
אזי שכלו ומחשבתו מקיפים על הדבר ההוא המצויר במחשבתו או בשכלו
then his intellect and thought encompass that subject whose image is formed in his thought or in his mind,inasmuch as they are found within his thought and mind,
אך אין מקיפים על הדבר ההוא ממש בפועל ממש
but they — his intellect and thought — do not encompass that subject in actual fact.
They merely encompass his image of the subject, not the actual subject. When one envisions a table, the actual physical table is of course not found within the brain; it is merely its image that is encompassed there.
אבל הקב״ה, דכתיב ביה: כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם וגו׳
The Holy One, blessed be He, however, of Whom it is written,1 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts...,”
מחשבתו וידיעתו, שיודע כל הנבראים, מקפת כל נברא ונברא בפועל ממש
His thought and knowledge of all created beings actually encompass each and every creature;
שהרי היא היא חיותו והתהוותו מאין ליש בפועל ממש
for [G‑d’s knowledge] is verily its life-force and that which brings it into existence out of nothingness, in actual reality.
G‑d’s thought, unlike man’s, thus encompasses the actual subject of His thought — in this case, all created beings. It brings about their creation and continued existence, even though it does not descend to their level and become internalized within them, but remains in an exalted state.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Yeshayahu 55:8. |
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:• English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class• Shabbat, Sivan 26, 5776 · July 2, 2016
• Sefer Hamitzvos:• English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class• Shabbat, Sivan 26, 5776 · July 2, 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 98
Ritual Impurity of Food and Drink
We are commanded regarding food and drink that have contracted ritual impurity. [I.e., 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 98
Ritual Impurity of Food and Drink
We are commanded regarding food and drink that have contracted ritual impurity. [I.e., one must follow all the laws associated with this impurity.]
Full text of this Mitzvah »
• Ritual Impurity of Food and Drink
Positive Commandment 98
Translated by Berel Bell
The 98th mitzvah is that we are commanded to rule according to the appropriate laws regarding the tumah of food and drink.1 This mitzvah includes all the laws of tumas ochlin u'mashkin.2
FOOTNOTES
1.Lev. 11:34.
2.See Hilchos Ochlin 1:1-4.
• 1 Chapter: Shegagot Shegagot - Perek 10 • English Text | Hebrew Text | Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class• Shegagot - Perek 10
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class• Shegagot - Perek 10
1
There are six individuals who are commanded to bring an adjustable guilt-offering. They are: one who becomes purified from tzara'at, a woman who gives birth, a person who takes an oath denying the knowledge of testimony whether intentionally or inadvertently, one who takes a false sh'vuat bitu'i inadvertently,an impure person who partook of consecrated food inadvertently and an impure person who entered the Temple inadvertently.
א
ששה מצותן שיקריבו קרבן עולה ויורד ואלו הן: המצורע והיולדת והנשבע שבועת העדות בין בזדון בין בשגגה והנשבע שבועת ביטוי לשקר בשגגה והטמא שאכל קודש בשגגה והטמא שנכנס למקדש בשגגה:
2
With regard to the sacrifice brought by a woman after childbirth: If she is wealthy, she brings a sheep in its first year of life as a burnt-offering and a young dove or a turtle dove for a sin-offering. If she does not have the means, her obligation for a sacrifice is reduced and she must bring merely two turtle doves or two young doves, one as a burnt-offering and one, as a sin-offering. Even if she has the means to bring a sheep, but does not have the means to bring its accompanying offerings, she should bring the offering of a poor woman.
ב
קרבן היולדת אם היתה עשירה מביאה כבש בן שנתו לעולה ובן יונה או תור לחטאת ואם אין ידה משגת הרי קרבנה יורד ומביאה שתי תורים או שני בני יונה אחד עולה ואחד חטאת אפילו היתה ידה משגת לשה ואינה משגת לנסכיו מביאה קרבן עני:
3
When a person afflicted by tazara'at becomes purified, he must bring three animals as sacrifices: two sheep, one, as a burnt-offering and one, as a guilt-offering, and a ewe, as a sin-offering. If he does not have the means, he must bring two turtle doves or two young doves, one, as a burnt-offering and one, as a sin-offering, and a sheep, as a guilt-offering.
ג
המצורע כשיטהר מביא שלש בהמות מהן שני כבשים אחד עולה ואחד אשם וכבשה לחטאת אם אין ידו משגת מביא שתי תורים או שני בני יונה אחד עולה ואחד חטאת וכבש לאשם:
4
One who takes a false sh'vuah concerning testimony, inadvertently takes a false sh'vuat habitu'i, or inadvertently enters the Temple or partakes of consecrated food while in a state of ritual impurity must bring a ewe or a she-goat, like other fixed sin-offerings. If he does not have the means, he must bring two turtle doves or two young doves, one, as a burnt-offering and one, as a sin-offering. If he does not have the means to purchase the fowl, he should bring a tenth of an ephah of flour. This is referred to as "the meal-offering of a sinner." The manner in which it is offered has been described in Hilchot Ma'aseh HaKorbanot.
ד
על שבועת העדות ועל שגגת שבועת ביטוי ועל שגגת טומאת מקדש וטומאת קדשיו מביא כשבה או שעירה כשאר החטאות הקבועות ואם אין ידו משגת מביא שתי תורים או שני בני יונה אחד עולה ואחד חטאת ואם אין ידו משגת לעוף מביא עשירית האיפה סלת והיא הקרויה מנחת חוטא שכבר נתפרשו מעשיה בהלכות מעשה הקרבנות:
5
All of these sacrifices are explicitly mentioned in the Torah and it is explicitly mentioned that these individuals are obligated to bring them with the exception of an impure person who inadvertently entered the Temple or partook of consecrated food. For it is written inLeviticus 5:1-5: "When a soul will sin and hear a voice of adjuration... or a soul that will touch any impure thing.... or a soul that will take an oath, explicitly stating it with his lips,... and one will be guilty with regard to one of these." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that the obligation for an impure person to bring a sacrifice refers to a person who became impure and then entered the Temple or partook of consecrated food without knowing of the prohibition. Although this interpretation was conveyed by the Oral tradition, it is as if it was stated explicitly, for the Torah explicitly obligated an impure person who partook of consecrated food or who entered the Temple forkaret. With regard to an impure person who partakes of consecrated food, Leviticus 7:20 states: "And a soul that will partake of meat from a peace-offering brought to God while he is impure will be cut off." And with regard to one who entered the Temple, Numbers 19:20states: "And the soul shall be cut off from the congregation, because he made the Sanctuary of God impure." Since the Torah obligated one who entered the Temple or partook of consecrated food while impure for karet, it is understood that here it stated the sacrifice that must be brought because of the inadvertent violation of these prohibitions.
ה
כל הקרבנות האלו מפורשין בתורה ומפורש זה שחייב להביאן חוץ מטמא שנכנס למקדש בשגגה או אכל קדש שכך כתוב שם ונפש כי תחטא ושמעה קול אלה וגו' או נפש אשר תגע בכל דבר טמא וגו' או נפש כי תשבע לבטא בשפתים וגו' והיה כי יאשם לאחת מאלה וגו' מפי השמועה למדו שזה שחייב כאן קרבן לטמא כשנטמא ונכנס למקדש או אכל קדש והוא לא ידע אף על פי שהדבר מפי הקבלה הרי הוא כמפורש שהרי בפירוש חייבה תורה כרת לטמא שאכל קודש ולטמא שנכנס למקדש באוכל נאמר והנפש אשר תאכל בשר מזבח השלמים אשר לה' וטומאתו עליו ונכרתה ובנכנס למקדש נאמר ונכרתה הנפש ההיא מתוך הקהל כי את מקדש ה' טמא וכיון שחייבה תורה כרת על טומאת מקדש וקדשיו פירש הקרבן שמביאין על שגגתן:
6
Whenever a woman is obligated to bring a sacrifice, her husband is obligated to bring it on her behalf. If he is poor, he brings the offering of a poor person. If he is wealthy, he has her bring the sacrifice of a wealthy person. A person may bring an offering of a poor person on behalf of his son, his daughter, his servant and his maid-servant and have them partake of the offerings.
ו
כל קרבנות שהאשה חייבת בעלה מביא על ידיה אם היה עני מביא קרבן עני ואם היה עשיר מביא על ידיה קרבן עשיר ומביא אדם על ידי בנו ועל ידי בתו ועל ידי עבדו ושפחתו קרבן עני ומאכילן בזבחים:
7
A king and an anointed priest must bring the same sacrifices for a false oath regarding testimony, a false sh'vuat bitu'i, and for entering the Temple or partaking of sacrificial food while ritually impure as others. For the Torah did not distinguish between the sacrifices brought by a king or an anointed priest and ordinary individuals except with regard to those commandments for which one is obligated to bring a fixed sin-offering for their inadvertent transgression, as we explained. With regard to an adjustable guilt-offering, by contrast, all are equal.
We already explained in Hilchot Sh'vuot, when one is liable for a sacrifice for a false oath concerning testimony and a false sh'vuat bitu'i and when one is exempt, in which instances he would be liable for many sacrifices according to the number of oaths he took and in which instances, he would be liable for only one sacrifice. In Hilchot Mechusrei Kaparah, I will explain in which instances a woman who gave birth and a person becoming purified from tzara'at will be liable for many sacrifices and in which instance, they will be liable for only one sacrifice.
ז
המלך וכהן משיח מביאין קרבנן על שבועת העדות או על שבועת ביטוי או על טומאת מקדש וקדשיו כשאר הדיוטות שלא חילק הכתוב קרבן מלך מקרבן הדיוט ומקרבן כהן משיח אלא במצוות שחייבים על שגגתן חטאת קבועה כמו שביארנו אבל בקרבן עולה ויורד כלן שוים כבר ביארנו בהלכות שבועות אימתי יהיה חייב על שבועת העדות ועל שבועת שגגת ביטוי ואימתי יהיה פטור עליהן ועל אי זו דרך יהיה חייב קרבנות הרבה כמנין השבועות ועל אי זה דרך לא יהיה חייב אלא קרבן אחד ובהלכות מחוסרי כפרה אבאר באיזה דרך תתחייב היולדת והמצורע קרבנות הרבה ובאי זה דרך יתחייב כל אחד מהן קרבן אחד:
8
With regard to all sins that one must bring a sacrifice whether he transgressed willfully or inadvertently, if a person violates them due to factors under duress, he is exempt from bringing a sacrifice. Needless to say, this applies with regard to other sins for which he is liable for a sin-offering only when he transgresses inadvertently. If he sins under duress, he is exempt.
ח
כל המביא קרבן על הזדון כשגגה אם היה אנוס פטור מן הקרבן ואין צריך לומר שאר עבירות שאינו חייב חטאת אלא על שגגתן שאם היה אנוס פטור:
9
When a person set aside money for a ewe for a sin-offering and then needed it for another purpose, he may bring a she-goat and transfer the holiness of the money to the she-goat and derive benefit from the money. Similarly, if he set aside money for a she-goat and purchased a ewe, he may derive benefit from the money.
ט
מי שהפריש מעות לכבשה של חטאתו וצריך להן הרי זה מביא שעירה ויחלל אותם המעות על השעירה ויהנה בהן וכן אם הפריש לשעירה ולקח כשבה יהנה בהן:
10
When a person set aside money for an animal and then became poor, he should take two turtledoves or two young doves and transfer the holiness of the money to them. Then he may benefit from the remainder.
If one set aside money for young doves or turtledoves and became poor, he should take an tenth of an ephah and transfer the holiness of the money to it. Then he may benefit from the money. Conversely, if he was poor and set aside money for a tenth of an ephah and became wealthier, he should add to that amount and bring a fowl. If he set aside money for a fowl and became wealthy, he should add to it and bring a ewe or a she-goat.
Even if a person was fit to inherit money and the testator was on his deathbed, he is still considered as poor until the testator dies and he inherits his estate.
י
הפריש מעות לבהמה והעני יקח שתי תורים או שני בני יונה ויחלל עליהן אותם המעות ויהנה בהם הפריש מעות לבני יונה או לתורים והעני יביא עשירית האיפה ויחלל עליהן אותם המעות ויהנה בהן וכן אם היה עני והפריש מעות לעשירית האיפה והעשיר יוסיף עליהן ויביא עוף הפריש לעוף והעשיר יוסיף עליהן ויביא כשבה או שעירה אפילו היה מורישו גוסס הרי זה עני עד שימות מורישו ויירשנו:
11
When a wealthy person set aside a ewe or a she-goat and it contracted a blemish and then he became poor, if he desires, he may bring a fowl with the proceeds of its sale. If, however, he set aside a fowl and it was disqualified, he may not bring a tenth of anephah of meal with the proceeds of its sale. It may not be sold, since there is no concept of redeeming a fowl.
יא
עשיר שהפריש כשבה או שעירה ונפל בה מום [והעני] אם רצה יביא בדמיה עוף אבל אם הפריש עוף ונפסל לא יביא בדמיו עשירית האיפה שאין לעוף פדיון:
12
When a person set aside a tenth of an ephah and then became wealthy before the meal was consecrated by placing it in a sacred utensil, it is like all other meal offerings and may be redeemed and eaten. Once it has been consecrated in a sacred utensil, it cannot be redeemed. Instead, it should be left overnight and then taken to the place where sacrifices are burnt.
יב
הפריש עשירית האיפה והעשיר עד שלא קדשה בכלי הרי היא ככל המנחות ותפדה ותאכל ומשקדשה בכלי תעובר צורתה ותצא לבית השריפה:
13
When a wealthy person set aside a pair of doves to be sold with the intent of using the proceeds of the sale as part of the funds for a ewe or a she-goat and then became poor, he may bring this pair of doves even though they were consecrated only for their worth and thus originally disqualified as sacrifices.
Why are these doves not disqualified forever? Because when they were disqualified originally, they were not disqualified in an ultimate sense. For this pair of doves is now fit for sacrifice.
When a poor person brings the sacrifice of a rich person, he fulfills his obligation. Conversely, when a rich person brings the sacrifice of a poor person, he does not fulfill his obligation.
יג
עשיר שהפריש קן למכרה וליקח בדמיה כשבה או שעירה והעני יביא קן זו אע"פ שהיא קדושת דמים שהיא נדחית ולמה לא נדחית מפני שדיחוי מעיקרו אינו דיחוי והרי נראה קן זו לו עתה עני שהקריב קרבן עשיר יצא ועשיר שהקריב קרבן עני לא יצא:
• 3 Chapters: Tum'at Okhalin Tum'at Okhalin - Chapter 10, Tum'at Okhalin Tum'at Okhalin - Chapter 11, Tum'at Okhalin Tum'at Okhalin - Chapter 12 • English Text | Hebrew Text | Audio: Listen | Download• Tum'at Okhalin - Chapter 10
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• English Text | Video Class• Shabbat, Sivan 26, 5776 · July 2, 2016• "Today's Day"
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1
We already explained that there are only seven liquids that contract impurity and make foods susceptible to impurity. Other liquids are referred to as fruit juices and they neither contract impurity, nor make foods susceptible to impurity. The derivatives of the seven liquids that we mentioned are governed by the same laws as they are.
א
כבר ביארנו שהשבעה משקין בלבד הן שמתטמאין או מכשירין והשאר קרויין מי פירות ואינם מתטמאין ולא מכשירין ושבעה משקין שמנינו תולדותיהם כיוצא בהם:
2
The derivatives of water are: fluids secreted by the eye, the ear, the nose, and the mouth, and human urine whether from adults or minors. Anything excreted by man is considered as a liquid whether it was excreted consciously or unconsciously. The urine of animals and salt that was liquefied are considered as fruit juices. They neither contract impurity, nor make substances susceptible to impurity.
ב
תולדות המים הם היוצא מן העין ומן האוזן ומן החוטם ומן הפה ומי רגלי בני אדם בין גדולים בין קטנים כל אלו היוצאין מן האדם משקין הן בין שיצאו לדעתו של אדם בין שיצאו שלא לדעתו אבל מי רגלי בהמה והמלח שנמחת הרי הן כמי פירות לא מתטמאין ולא מכשירין:
3
The blood that is counted as a liquid is the blood that flows from a kosher domesticated or undomesticated animal or fowl at the end of its slaughter. Blood that flows at the beginning of the slaughter, by contrast, does not make food susceptible to ritual impurity, because the animal is still alive. It resembles the blood of a wound or blood that is let.
When a person slaughters an animal and its blood sputters on to food, but that blood is cleaned between the slitting of one of the signs and the other, there is a doubt concerning the matter. Therefore the ruling is held in abeyance. The food is neither eaten, nor is it burnt.
A derivative of blood is blood let by a human being that was released with the intent of it being drunk. If, however, it was released as a medical treatment, it is pure and it does not make foods susceptible to impurity. Similarly, the blood released during the slaughter of non-kosher domesticated or undomesticated animal or fowl, the blood that is released with mucous or with feces, or the blood of boils, blisters, and blood concentrated in flesh, all neither contract impurity, nor make substances susceptible to impurity. Instead, they are like other fruit juices.
The blood of a crawling animal is like its flesh, it imparts impurity, but does not make foods susceptible to impurity. There are no entities analogous to it.
ג
הדם המנוי מן המשקין הוא הדם השותת בשעת שחיטה מן הבהמה והחיה והעופות הטהורין אבל דם הקילוח אינו מכשיר שעדיין חיים הן והרי הוא דומה לדם מכה או לדם הקזה השוחט ונתז דם על האוכלין ונתקנח הדם בין סימן לסימן הרי זה ספק לפיכך תולין עליו לא אוכלין ולא שורפין תולדות הדם דם הקזה של אדם שהוציאו לשתייה אבל אם הוציאו לרפואה טהור ואינו מכשיר וכן דם שחיטה בבהמה ובחיה ובעופות הטמאין והדם היוצא עם הליחה ועם הרעי ודם השחין והאבעבועות ותמצית הבשר כל אלו אינן מתטמאין ולא מכשירין אלא הרי הן כשאר מי פירות ודם השרץ כבשרו מטמא ואינו מכשיר ואין לנו כיוצא בו:
4
Whey is considered like milk. Human milk that is not needed is not placed in the halachic category of a liquid. It does not make foods susceptible to impurity, nor does it contract impurity. Therefore, milk excreted by a male is not placed in the halachic category of a liquid. This also applies to the milk of a domesticated or undomesticated animal that was released without human intent, e.g., it flowed out from the animal's teats spontaneously or it was milked without intent. The milk of a woman, whether it was released intentionally or unintentionally, is generally placed in the halachic category of a liquid. It makes foods susceptible to impurity and it can contract impurity, because it is fit to be drunk by an infant.
ד
מי החלב הרי הן כחלב וחלב האדם שאינו צריך לו אינו משקה לא מכשיר ולא מתטמא לפיכך חלב הזכר אינו משקה וכן חלב בהמה וחיה שיצא שלא לרצון כגון שזב מהדד מאליו או שחלבו כמתעסק אבל חלב האשה בין שיצא לרצון בין שיצא שלא לרצון סתמו משקה ומתטמא או מכשיר מפני שהוא ראוי לתינוק:
5
Liquids released by those impure people whose impurity causes these liquids to be considered as a primary source of impurity, impart impurity even though the foods had not been made susceptible to ritual impurity beforehand. For the food's susceptibility to impurity and that impurity come simultaneously. They are: the secretion of a zav, his semen, and his urine, a revi'it of blood from a human corpse, and the blood of a nidah.
Similarly, the blood of the wound of a zav and others like him, the milk of such a woman, their tears and the other derivatives of water that they release impart impurity like impure liquids which impart impurity without any specific intent. For impure liquids impart impurity when they are brought into contact with food intentionally or when they come into contact unintentionally. Accordingly, if milk drips from the breast of a nidah or a zavah into the inner space of an oven, the oven and all its contents contract impurity.
ה
המשקין שיוצאין מאותן הטמאין שאותן המשקין אבות טומאה מטמאים בלא הכשר שהטומאה וההכשר באין כאחת ואלו הן: זוב הזב ושכבת זרעו ומימי רגליו ורביעית דם מן המת ודם הנדה וכן דם מגפתו של זב וחביריו וחלב של אשה ודמעת עינים עם שאר תולדות המים היוצאין מהן מטמאין כמשקין טמאין שמטמאין בלא כוונה שמשקין טמאין מטמאין לרצון ושלא לרצון לפיכך נדה או זבה שנטף חלב מדדיה לאויר התנור נטמא התנור וכל מה שבתוכו:
6
We have already explained that the liquids released by a person who immersed that day do not impart impurity. Therefore, even if they fall on a loaf of bread that is terumah, it does not become susceptible to impurity unless they fall on it intentionally, as is the law regarding other pure liquids which do not make food susceptible to impurity unless they fall on it intentionally.
ו
כבר ביארנו שהמשקין היוצאין מטבול יום אינם טמאים לפיכך אם נפלו אפילו על ככר של תרומה אינו מוכשר עד שיפלו לרצון כשאר המשקין הטהורין שאינן מכשירין אלא לרצון:
7
Sweat, pus or vomit, feces, the liquids released by a fetus born in the eighth month, the diarrhea of a person who drank the waters of the hot springs of Tiberias or the like, even if it is clear, are all not placed in the halachic category of liquids. They do not contract impurity, nor do they make foods susceptible to impurity.
ז
הזיעה והליחה הסרוחה והרעי והמשקין היוצאין מבן שמונה חדשים והשותה מי טבריה וכיוצא בהן אף על פי שיוצאין נקיים כל אלו אינן חשובין משקה ולא מתטמאין ולא מכשירין:
8
When a person drinks other liquids and releases them, they are considered liquids as they were previously, for other liquids do not regain purity in a person's body.
What is implied? If one drank impure water and then regurgitated it, it is still impure. It did not become purified when released. If one drank impure water, immersed in a mikveh and then regurgitated it, or it became loathsome and then he regurgitated it, or it was released as urine, even if he did not immerse himself, it is pure.
If one drank other impure liquids or ate other impure foods, even though he immersed and then regurgitated them, they are still impure. They do not become purified in a person's body. If they became loathsome or were released as urine or as feces, they are pure.
ח
השותה שאר משקין ויצאו הרי הן משקין כשהיו שאין שאר המשקין טהורין בגוף כיצד שתה מים טמאין והקיאן הרי אלו טמאין מפני שלא טהרו ביציאתן שתה מים טמאים וטבל ואחר כך הקיאן [או שנסרחו ואח"כ הקיאן] או שיצאו מלמטה אע"פ שלא טבל הרי הן טהורין שתה שאר משקין טמאין או שאר אוכלין טמאין אף על פי שטבל ואחר כך הקיאן טמאין לפי שאינן טהורין בגוף נסרחו או שיצאו מלמטה הרי הן טהורין:
9
We already explained that sweat is not placed in the halachic category of liquids. Even if a person drank impure liquids and excreted them by sweating, his sweat is pure. If, however, a person bathes in drawn water and then sweated, his sweat is impure. If he dried himself from the water and then sweated, his sweat is pure.
ט
כבר ביארנו שהזיעה אינה משקה אפילו שתה משקין טמאין והזיע זיעתו טהורה אבל הבא במים שאובין והזיע זיעתו טמאה ואם נסתפג מן המים השאובין ואחר כך הזיע זיעתו טהורה:
10
Moisture that collects on the walls of homes, trenches, caves, and cisterns is not placed in the halachic category of liquids. Even if the house is impure, the moisture that collects is pure. The moisture that collects in a bathhouse, by contrast, is considered as water. If water in the bathhouse was impure, the moisture that collects there is also impure. If one brought produce into such a house and moisture collects upon it, it becomes susceptible to impurity. If he brings containers there and moisture collects upon them, the moisture is considered as separated intentionally and it makes foods susceptible to impurity.
י
זיעת בתים שיחין ומערות ובורות אינן משקה ואפילו הן טמאין זיעתן טהורה אבל זיעת המרחץ במים אם היתה המרחץ טמאה זיעתה טמאה ואם היתה טהורה והכניס בה פירות הוכשרו הכניסו לה כלים הרי המים שעליהן כתלושין ברצון ומכשירין:
11
When there is a pool in a house and moisture collects on the walls of the house because of it, if the pool contains impure water, all the moisture that collects in the house because of it is impure.
יא
הבריכה שבבית והבית מזיע מחמתה אם היתה הבריכה טמאה זיעת כל הבית שמחמתה טמאה:
12
When there are two pools in a house, one containing impure water and one containing pure water, if moisture collects close to the impure pool, it is impure. If it collects close to the pure one, it is pure. If it is equidistant from the two of them, it is impure.
יב
שתי בריכות בבית אחת טמאה ואחת טהורה המזיע קרוב לטומאה טמא קרוב לטהורה טהור מחצה למחצה טמא:
13
The black liquid that flows from olives without their being pressed is considered like oil. The liquid that drips from the baskets of olives and grapes when they are harvested is not placed in the halachic category of liquids. It does not contract impurity, nor does it make foods susceptible to impurity unless it is collected in a container.
יג
המוהל כשמן משקין המנטפין מסלי זיתים וענבים אינו משקה ולא מתטמאין ולא מכשירין עד שיכניסם בכלי:
14
When a person weighs grapes in a weighing pan, the wine left in the weighing pan is not placed in the halachic category of liquids unless it is poured into a container. It resembles the liquid that drips from the baskets of olives and grapes mentioned in the previous halachah.
יד
השוקל ענבים בכף מאזנים היין שבכף אינו משקה עד שיערנו לתוך הכלי וה"ז דומה לסלי זיתים וענבים שמנטפין:
15
When a person pushes grapes that are terumah into a jug, even though the wine flows over his hands, everything is pure.
טו
הדורס ענבים של תרומה בחבית אף על פי שהיין צף על גבי ידיו הרי הכל טהור:
16
The liquids that flow in the butchering area in the Temple Courtyard, i.e., the blood of the sacrificial animals and the water used to clean them, are always considered as pure. They do not contract impurity, nor do they make foods susceptible to ritual impurity. This matter is a halachah conveyed by the Oral Tradition. Therefore all the blood of the sacrificial animals is not susceptible to ritual impurity, nor does it make foods susceptible to ritual impurity.
Since the blood of the sacrificial animals does not make food susceptible to ritual impurity, the sacrificial animals that were slaughtered in the Temple Courtyard were not made susceptible to ritual impurity through the blood of their slaughter. The meat of these sacrificial animals does not become susceptible to ritual impurity unless liquids other than those of the butchering area of the Temple come into contact with them.
טז
משקה בית מטבחיים שבעזרה והוא דם הקדשים והמים שמשתמשין בהן שם טהורין לעולם ואינן מתטמאין ולא מכשירין ודבר זה הלכה מפי הקבלה לפיכך כל דמי הזבחים אינו מקבל טומאה ואינו מכשיר והואיל ודם הקדשים אינו מכשיר קדשים שנשחטו בעזרה לא הוכשרו בדם שחיטה ואין לבשר הקדשים הכשר אלא במשקין שיפלו על הבשר חוץ במשקה בית המטבחיים:
17
When a cow that was consecrated as a sacrificial animal was made to cross a river and was then slaughtered while it still had tangible moisture on it, it has become susceptible to impurity. Therefore, if an impure pin was found in its flesh, the meat is impure.
Similarly, if the cow's mouth was sealed closed outside of Jerusalem, even though the status of the pin found in its meat is unknown, the meat is impure. The rationale is that it touched implements outside of Jerusalem. If the pin was found in its wastes, the meat is pure. In either instance, the hands of the people involved in cutting up the animal are pure, because the decree involving the impurity of hands does not apply in the Temple, as we explained. In which context does the above apply? For the meat to be considered impure according to Scriptural Law. To incur impurity of Rabbinic origin, by contrast, consecrated food does not require exposure to liquids to make it susceptible to ritual impurity. Instead, the cherished nature of consecrated foods itself makes the meat susceptible to impurity. If any impurity, whether minor or severe, touches it, it becomes disqualified, even though it was not exposed to liquids, as we explained.
יז
פרת קדשים שהעבירה בנהר ושחטה ועדיין משקה טופח עליה ה"ז מוכשרת לפיכך אם נמצאת מחט טמאה בבשרה הרי הבשר טמא וכן אם היתה הפרה חסומה מחוץ לירושלים אע"פ שאין המחט ידועה הרי הבשר טמא מפני שנגע בכלים הנמצאין מחוץ לירושלים נמצאת המחט בפרש הבשר טהור ובין כך ובין כך הידים טהורות שאין טומאת ידים במקדש כמו שביארנו במה דברים אמורים להיות הבשר טמא בדין תורה אבל להתטמא מדבריהן אין הקדש צריך הכשר אלא חיבת הקדש מכשרת הבשר ואם נגע בה טומאה בין קלה בין חמורה נפסלה אף על פי שלא הוכשר במשקה כמו שביארנו:
Tum'at Okhalin - Chapter 11
1
When one harvests grapes to sell in the marketplace or dry, they do not become susceptible to impurity unless they come into contact with liquids when the owner desires that they do, as other foods.
If, by contrast, one harvests grapes to crush them and make wine, they become susceptible to impurity even if they had no contact with liquids at all. If they were touched by an impure object, they contract impurity. This a decree of Rabbinic origin.
Why did the Sages decree that when one harvests grapes for the wine press, they become susceptible to impurity? For there are times when a person enters into his vineyard to see if the grapes are ready to harvest. He will squeeze a cluster of grapes to check them and then cast it on the grapes that have already been harvested, for all of the grapes are prepared to be crushed for their juice. Moreover, he is not careful regarding the cluster and will allow it to be pressed by the other grapes, causing its liquid to flow out. He is careful concerning the liquid, desiring that it not flow out on the ground. Thus all the grapes will become susceptible to impurity because of it. Therefore our Sages decreed that when anyone harvests grapes for the wine press, they become susceptible to ritual impurity.
א
הבוצר ענבים למכור בשוק או לייבשן לא הוכשרו לטומאה עד שיפלו עליהן משקין לרצונו כשאר האוכלין אבל הבוצר לדרוך הוכשר לטומאה ואע"פ שלא נפלו משקין על הבציר כלל ואם נגעה בו טומאה נטמא ודבר זה גזירה מדברי סופרים ומפני מה גזרו על הבוצר לגת שהוא מוכשר שפעמים שאדם נכנס לכרמו לידע אם הגיע להבצר וסוחט אשכול של ענבים לבדוק בו ומזלפו ע"ג הענבים הבצורות שהרי הכל לדריכה עומד ועוד מפני שאינו מקפיד עליו הרי הוא מתמעך ויצאו מימיו והרי הוא מקפיד עליהן שלא יזובו בקרקע ונמצא מוכשר בהן לפיכך גזרו שהבוצר לגת הוכשר:
2
When a person harvests grapes with the intent that, if he will not find purchasers for them, he will bring them back to the wine press, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity until they are brought into the wine press. Similarly, olives that are brought into the olive press become susceptible to impurity, as will be explained.
ב
הבוצר ענבים שאם לא מצא להם שוק מחזירן לגת לא הוכשרו עד שיבואו לרשות הגת וכן הזיתים שבאו לרשות הבד הוכשרו כמו שיתבאר:
3
When a person harvests grapes and places them in a storage pit or spreads them out on leaves, they become susceptible to impurity because of the liquids that are released by them, since he is concerned with the liquids. That is the reason he placed them on leaves or in a storage pit that is like a cistern. Therefore, if someone who was impure or merely whose hands were impure takes some of them, he imparts impurity to them.
If, however, he harvested the grapes and placed them in baskets or spread them out on the earth, they do not become susceptible to impurity, because he is not concerned with the liquid they release. Therefore an impure person may take them and partake of them. Even though they have split open and juice is dripping from them into the wine press, the grapes in the wine press are pure, because the grapes from which the liquid dripped were not made susceptible to impurity and were harvested for the purpose of consumption.
A similar ruling applies in the following instance. A person took the grapes from the baskets or from the earth where they were spread out and partook of them, leaving over a se'ah or two which he cast into the winepress. Even though the juice is sprinkled over the grapes in the wine press, they are not made susceptible to ritual impurity.
ג
הבוצר ענבים ונתנם בעביט או ששטחן על גבי העלין הוכשרו במשקין היוצאין מהן שהרי דעתו על המשקין ולפיכך שטח על העלין או נתן לתוך העביט שהוא כמו בור לפיכך אם נטל מהן טמא או מי שידיו טמאות טימאן בצר ונתן לסלים או במשטיח של אדמה לא הוכשרו שהרי אינו מקפיד על המשקה היוצא מהן לפיכך נוטל הטמא מהן ואוכל ואף ע"פ שהן מבוקעות ומנטפות לגת הרי הגת טהורה שהרי לא הוכשרו והרי נבצרו לאכילה וכן הנוטל מן הסלים ומן המשטיח של אדמה ואכל והותיר כסאה וכסאתים וזרקן לגת ואע"פ שהיין מנתז על הענבים לא הוכשרו:
4
When one takes grapes that were in baskets or spread out on the earth to crush for wine, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. Hence they must be taken with pure hands, lest an impure person take from them and impart impurity to them.
ד
ענבים שהיו בסלים או במשטיח של אדמה ולקח מהן לדורכן הוכשרו לפיכך צריך ליקח מהן בידים טהורות כדי שלא יקח מהן הטמא ויטמאן:
5
When a vineyard grows in a beit hapras and one harvests the grapes for the wine press, they are not considered as susceptible to impurity as long as they are in the beit hapras. The rationale is that since the impurity of a beit hapras is a Rabbinic decree and the concept that when a person harvests grapes for the wine press they become susceptible to ritual impurity is a Rabbinic decree, the Sages were lenient regarding this decree in this instance and did not consider the grapes as susceptible to ritual impurity until they were taken out of the beit hapras.
Accordingly, a person who desires to harvest grapes growing in abeit hapras for the wine press in a state of ritual purity must do the following. He must purify the harvesters and the utensils, having the ashes of the red heifer sprinkled upon them on the third and seventh day. They must wait until nightfall of the seventh day so that it is obvious that leniency is being taken with the impurity of a beit hapras, only because it is a doubtful situation. Afterwards, they enter, harvest the grapes, and take them outside the beit hapras. Other pure porters receive the grapes from them and take them to the wine press. If the harvesters touch the porters, the porters contract ritual impurity and make the grapes impure. For the people in the beit hapras are impure and they impart impurity to those outside, causing them to be considered as primary derivatives of impurity. They then impart impurity to the grapes, for they became susceptible to ritual impurity when they were taken out of the beit hapras.
ה
כרם שהוא עומד בבית הפרס הבוצר אותו לגת אינו מוכשר כל זמן שהוא בבית הפרס הואיל וטומאת בית הפרס מדבריהם והבוצר לגת הוכשר מדבריהם הקלו בגזירה זו ולא גזרו עליו שיהיה מוכשר עד שיצא מבית הפרס לפיכך הרוצה לבצור בבית הפרס לגת בטהרה מטהר את הבוצרים ואת הכלים ומזה עליהם שלישי ושביעי ומעריב שמשן כדי להכיר שאין מקילין בטומאת בית הפרס אלא מפני שהוא ספק ואח"כ נכנסין ובוצרין ומוציאין חוץ לבית הפרס ואחרים טהורים מקבלין מהן ומוליכין לגת ואם נגעו אלו באלו טמאין מטמאין את הענבים שהאנשים שבבית הפרס טמאין ומטמאין לאותן שבחוץ ועושין אותו ראשון והן מטמאין את הענבים שהרי הוכשרו משיצאו חוץ לבית הפרס:
6
When a person harvests olives with the intent of pickling them or selling them on the market place, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity unless they come into contact with liquids as desired by their owner, as is the law with regard to other foods. Similarly, when a person harvests olives to crush in an olive press, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity until the work required to prepare them for pressing is complete.
Why are olives susceptible to ritual impurity when the work required to prepare them for pressing is complete? Because it can be assumed that they became susceptible to impurity because of contact with the fluid of the olives, for the owner desires it so that the olives will soften and be easier to crush. Before the work required to prepare them for pressing is complete, the fluid released by the olives does not make them susceptible to ritual impurity, because it is not desired.
Accordingly, when the work required to prepare olives for pressing has not been completed and impure liquids fall upon them, only the places touched by the liquids contract impurity, as is the law regarding all foods that have not become susceptible to impurity. When impure liquids fall upon them after the work required to prepare them for pressing has been completed, all the olives contract impurity. The rationale is that the impure liquids impart impurity to the fluid that flows from them and that fluid imparts impurity to all of them, for the fluid that is released by them after the work required to prepare them for pressing has been completed is considered as a liquid in the context of the laws of impurity and makes foods susceptible to impurity and imparts impurity to them.
ו
המוסק את זיתיו לכבשן או למוכרן בשוק לא הוכשרו עד שיפלו עליהן משקין ברצון כשאר האוכלין וכן המוסק זיתיו לדרוך בבית הבד לא הוכשרו עד שתגמר מלאכתן ומפני מה יוכשרו הזיתים שנגמרה מלאכתן שחזקתן שהוכשרו במוהל שלהן שהרי רוצה בקיומו כדי שיהיו נוחין לדרוך אבל קודם שתגמר מלאכתן אין המוהל היוצא מהן מכשיר מפני שאינו רוצה בקיומו לפיכך זיתים שלא נגמרה מלאכתן שנפלו עליהן משקין טמאין אין טמא אלא מקום מגעם ככל האוכלים שלא הוכשרו נפלו עליהן משקין טמאין אחר שנגמרה מלאכתן נטמאו כולן שהמשקין הטמאין מטמאים את המוהל שבהן והמוהל מטמא את כולן שהמוהל שיצא מהן אחר גמר מלאכתן חשוב משקה ומתטמא ומכשיר:
7
When there is a jug of olives that are salted and pressed together, it is necessary to make a hole in the jug so that that fluid will drain off. If he does not make such a hole, the olives become susceptible to ritual impurity. If he made a hole for the liquid to drain off, but it became plugged by olive dregs and thus the olives became saturated with this fluid, they are not susceptible to impurity for their exposure to liquids was not desired by the owner, as indicated by his making the hole.
ז
חבית של זיתים מגולגלים צריך לנקוב החבית כדי שיצא המוהל ואם לא ניקב הרי אלו מוכשרין נקבה וסתמוה שמרים והנם בלולים במוהל אינם מכשירין מפני שאינן ברצונו שהרי נקבה:
8
When is the work to prepare olives for pressing considered to be completed? When the entire harvest has been completed and they are deposited in one place, prepared to be pressed. Even though liquids did not fall upon them and liquids did not emerge from them, since the work necessary to prepare them was completed, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. Before the work necessary to prepare them was completed, by contrast, even though they were crushed, secreted liquids, and became stuck together because of the liquids, they do not become susceptible to impurity.
If one completed harvesting his olives, but intended to purchase other olives in the future and add them to them, even if only a kab or two kabbim, they are not susceptible to ritual impurity. If, however, he acts with guile, they become susceptible to ritual impurity.
If he completed his purchase of olives, but intended to borrow money and purchase more, but he was prevented by forces beyond his control or he became involved in a celebration and therefore did not add more, it is still considered as if the work necessary to prepare the olives for pressing was not completed and the olives are not susceptible to ritual impurity. Even though zavim and zavot tread upon them, they remain pure.
ח
זיתים שמסקן לדריכה מאימתי גמר מלאכתן משתגמר מסיקתן ויהיו מונחים ומוכנים לדריכה אף על פי שלא נפלו עליהן משקין ולא יצאו מהן משקין הואיל ונגמרה מלאכתן הוכשרו אבל קודם שנגמרה מלאכתן אע"פ שנתמעכו והזיעו ונתחברו במשקיהן אינן מוכשרין גמר מלמסוק זיתיו אבל עתיד ליקח זיתים אחרים להוסיף עליהם אפילו אינו עתיד להוסיף אלא או קב או קביים לא הוכשרו ואם הערים הרי אלו מוכשרין גמר מליקח אבל עתיד ללוות ולהוסיף ואירעו אונס או נתעסק במשתה ולא הוסיף עדיין לא נגמרה מלאכתן ואינן מקבלין טומאה ואפילו זבים וזבות מהלכין עליהם טהורים:
9
When a person stores his olives in two olive presses, when he completes loading one of them, the olives in that press become susceptible to ritual impurity.
ט
העוטן זיתיו בשני בדים כיון שגמר אחת מהן הוכשרו לקבל טומאה:
10
When a person harvests his olives in the Upper Galilee and he has the intent to bring them to the Lower Galilee in the future, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity until he brings them there. This applies provided he had this intent before he harvested them. If he does not have this intent until after he harvests them, his intent is of no consequence and they become susceptible to impurity. If he completed storing his olives, but had the intent of selling them in the future, they do not become susceptible to impurity. If he had the intent of covering them with leaves, they become susceptible to impurity.
י
המסיק זיתיו בגליל העליון ועתיד להורידם לגליל התחתון אין מקבלין טומאה עד שיורידם לשם והוא שחישב עליהן קודם שימסוק אבל אחר שימסוק אין המחשבה מועלת אלא הוכשרו גמר את זיתיו ועתיד למוכרן לא הוכשרו עתיד לחפותן בעלין הוכשרו ומקבלין טומאה:
11
The following law applies when a person purchases a storage vat of olives from a gentile. Even if there are olives to harvest on the earth, he should process the olives in a state of impurity, for it can be assumed that the gentile completed the harvest of that vat.
The word of an unlearned person is accepted when he says: "I did not complete storing olives in this vat."
יא
הלוקח מעטן זיתים מן העכו"ם אם יש מוסק על פני האדמה יעשו בטומאה שזה בחזקת שגמר ונאמן עם הארץ לומר מעטן זה לא גמרתיו:
12
When a person wishes to take and crush for oil some olives from a storage vat that has not been completely filled, he may take them while ritually impure, bring them to the olive press in a state of ritual impurity, and cover the olives remaining in the storage vat in a state of ritual impurity, because the olives in the storage vat had not become susceptible to impurity.
יב
הרוצה ליטול מזיתים שלא נגמר מלאכתן ולדרוך ה"ז נוטל מהן בטומאה ומוליך לבית הבד בטומאה ומכסה השאר בטומאה ואינו חושש שהרי לא הוכשרו כדי שיקבלו טומאה:
13
When a person places his olives in an olive press, so that they will soften and be easy to crush, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. If he left them to soften, so that he will salt them after they soften, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity, for his intent is to pickle them.
יג
המניח את זיתיו בכותש כדי שימתינו ויהיו נוחים להכתש הרי אלו מוכשרין הניחן שימתינו ושימלחם אחר שימתינו אינן מוכשרין שהרי דעתו עליהן לכבשן:
14
When a person rubs or breaks apart olives that are terumahwith impure hands, he disqualifies them, because breaking them open completes the work associated with them. If, however, he broke open the olives with the intent of salting them, they do not become susceptible to impurity. Similarly, if he broke them open in order to check them to see whether they have oil and are ready to be harvested, they do not become susceptible to impurity.
יד
הפוצע זיתים של תרומה בידים טמאות פסלן שפציעתן היא גמר מלאכתן פצען לסופגן במלח לא הוכשרו וכן אם פצען לידע אם יש בהן שמן והגיעו להמסק לא הוכשרו:
15
When a person leaves olives on a roof for them to desiccate and dry out, they do not become susceptible to impurity even if they are cubit high. If he brought them into the house to spoil some even though he will take them to the roof in the future or he brought them to the roof in a mound to spoil, even though he will break it open and spread them out to dry in the future, they become susceptible to ritual impurity. If he brought them into his house until he will make his roof fit for them or until he takes them to another place, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity, because the work involved in their preparation has not been completed.
טו
המניח זיתים בגת לגרגרן ולייבשן אפילו הם רום אמה אינן מוכשרין נתנן בבית שילקו אף על פי שעתיד להעלותן לגג או שנתנן בגג שילקו אף ע"פ שעתיד לפתחם ויפריס אותן הרי אלו מוכשרים נתנן בבית עד שישמור את גגו או עד שיוליכם למקום אחר אינן מוכשרים שעדיין לא נגמרה מלאכתן:
16
When a person stores his olives in a domain belonging to an unlearned person, and locks and seals the door, he need not suspect that the unlearned person has another key and seal. Even if he discovers the seal broken and the lock open, the olives are pure. The seal mentioned could be even a stone or a sliver of wood.
If there were holes and cracks in the storeroom, he need not suspect that the unlearned person inserted a rod and moved the olives. If there are windows four handbreadths by four handbreadths, they are considered as an entrance.
טז
העוטן זיתיו ברשות ע"ה ונעל וחתם אינו חושש שמא יש לו מפתח אחר וחותם אחר אע"פ שמצא חותם מקולקל ומפתח פתוח הרי אלו טהורין וחותם שאמרו אפילו צרור או קיסם היו שם חורין וסדקין אינו חושש שמא מכניס קנה ומסיטן היו שם חלונות של ארבעה טפחים נידונות כפתחין:
17
How should a person who crushed his olives in a state of impurity and, afterwards, sought to purify the utensils in the olive-press and the borders from the impure liquids that were absorbed in them act?
Keilim made of wood or stone should be washed thoroughly. If they are from reeds or the like, they should be dried. If they are from resinous cane, they should be left for twelve months, exposed to hot water or water in which olives were cooked, or placed under a drainpipe of running water or into a stream of flowing water for 12 hours.
Afterwards, he should immerse in a mikveh those keilim that require immersion and use them in a state of purity.
יז
הדורך בטומאה ורצה לטהר כלי בית הבד והעקל מן המשקין הטמאין שנבלעו בהן כיצד יעשה כלי של עץ ושל אבנים מדיח ושל נסרים וכיוצא בהן מנגבן ושל גמי מיישנן כל י"ב חדש או חולטן בחמין או במי זיתים או מניחן תחת צינור שמימיו מקלחין או לתוך מעיין שמימיו רודפין שתים עשרה שעות ואחר כך מטביל את הכלים שצריכין טבילה ומשתמש בהן בטהרה:
Tum'at Okhalin - Chapter 12
1
All the laws involving making foods susceptible to ritual impurity originate in the Oral Tradition. According to that tradition, it was taught that the verse Leviticus 11:38: "When water will be placed on seeds," refers not only to water, but to all the other seven liquids as well. And it applies only when the crops were exposed to the liquids willfully by the owner after the crops were uprooted from the earth. This is logical, for it is well known that there are no crops that were not exposed to water while they were connected to the ground. "When water will be placed..." applies only after the crops were uprooted and the liquids also were displaced.
א
כל דברי הכשר אוכלין דברי קבלה הן מפי השמועה למדו שזה שנאמר וכי יותן מים על זרע אחד המים ואחד שאר שבעה משקין והוא שינתן עליהם ברצון בעלים ואחר שנעקרו מן הקרקע שדבר ידוע הוא שאין לך זרע שלא בא עליו מים כשהוא מחובר לא נאמר וכי יותן מים אלא לאחר שנעקרו האוכלין ונתלשו המשקין:
2
When a liquid fell on food and originally, it was desired by the owner, but ultimately, he was not pleased, or ultimately, he would be satisfied, even though initially, he was not, it becomes susceptible to impurity. If the food was exposed to liquids against his will, it does not make them susceptible to impurity. Even if the owner exposed his foods to liquids because of danger or out of necessity, but he does not desire that they become wet, they do not become susceptible to impurity.
What is implied? When a person hides his crops in water because of thieves or places them in a flowing river to transport them with him, they do not become susceptible to impurity.
ב
כל משקה שנפל על האוכל בתחילה ברצון בעלים אף על פי שאין סופו ברצון או שהיה סופו ברצון ואין תחלתו ברצון הכשיר נפל שלא ברצונו אינו מכשיר אפילו בלל הוא פירותיו מפני הסכנה או מפני הצורך והוא אין רצונו שיהיו בלולין הרי אלו לא הוכשרו כיצד הטומן פירותיו במים מפני הגנבים או הנותן פירותיו לשבולת הנהר להביאן עמו אינן מוכשרים:
3
When liquids were uprooted from the ground against a person's will, they do not impart impurity to foods. Therefore if a person, ak'li, or produce became wet with moisture and then was picked up from the ground against the person's will, even though foods came in contact with those liquids willfully, they do not become susceptible to ritual impurity. The rationale is that the water was uprooted from the ground against the person's will. Thus it is as if it is still on the ground and it does not make foods susceptible to impurity.
If there was water on a person, on a k'li, or foods that were uprooted willfully and foods touched them willfully, the foods become susceptible to impurity.
What is implied? If a person turns a bowl upside down on a wall so that it would be washed, the water it collects can make foods susceptible to impurity. If produce was placed in the water intentionally, it becomes susceptible to impurity, because the water was intentionally caused to enter the bowl. If he placed the bowl there so that the water would not damage the wall, the water the bowl contains is not considered to have been uprooted from the ground. Therefore if he placed foods in it, they do not become susceptible to impurity.
Different laws apply if he turned the bowl over with the intent that the wall be washed. If the wall was the wall of a house, the water makes foods susceptible to impurity. The rationale is that the walls of the house are considered as an independent entity, even though they are connected to the ground, because an entity that was separate and then connected to the ground, is considered as separate from the ground with regard to making foods susceptible to impurity. Thus the water on this wall is like water in containers. If it is the wall of a cave which was not built, but instead, it is part of the ground itself, the water on it is not considered as uprooted from the ground.
ג
משקין שנתלשו מן הקרקע שלא ברצון אינן מכשירין לפיכך אדם או כלים או פירות שנבללו במשקין ונתלשו שלא ברצון אף על פי שנגעו אוכלין באותן משקין ברצון לא הוכשרו שהרי אותן המים שלא לרצון נתלשו וכאילו הן עדיין בקרקע שאינן מכשירין היו המים שעל האדם ועל הכלים ועל הפירות תלושין ברצון ונגעו בהן אוכלין ברצון הוכשרו כיצד הכופה קערה על הכותל בשביל שתודח המים שבה מכשירין ואם הניח בהן פירות הוכשרו מפני שהן תלושין בכלי לדעת כפאה בשביל שלא ילקה הכותל המים שבה אינן כתלושין ולפיכך אם נתן בה אוכלין לא הוכשרו נתכוון שיודח הכותל אם היה כותל בית הרי אלו מכשירין שהתלוש שחיברו לעניין הכשר הרי הוא כתלוש ונמצאו מים שעל כותל בית זה כמים שבכלים ואם היה כותל מערה שאינו בנין אלא עצמה של קרקע המים שעליה אינן כתלושין מן הקרקע:
4
When a person bends down to drink, the water that ascends on his mustache and mouth is considered to have been uprooted willfully, for it is well known that one who drinks will raise up water on his mouth and mustache. Water that ascends on his nose, his beard, and his head, is not considered as having been uprooted willfully.
ד
השוחה לשתות הרי המים העולים בשפמו ובפיו תלושין ברצונו שדבר ידוע הוא שהשותה יעלה המים בפיו ובשפתיו והואיל ושתה ברצונו הרי אלו נתלשו ברצון אבל המים העולים בחוטמו ובזקנו ובראשו אינן תלושין ברצון:
5
When a person fills a jug from a well, the water that ascends after it, on the rope that is wrapped around its opening, and on the portion of the rope that is required to lift it up is considered as having been uprooted willfully. The water on the portion of the rope that is not required to lift it up are not considered as having been uprooted willfully.
If a person placed a jug beneath a drainpipe, all of the water on its outside and on the rope are not considered as having been uprooted willfully. Therefore water found there does not make foods susceptible to impurity.
ה
הממלא את החבית המים העולים אחריה ובחבל שהוא מכונן על צוארה ובחבל שהוא לצורכה הרי הן תלושין ברצון והמים שבחבל היתר על צורכה אינן תלושין ברצון נתנה תחת הצינור כל המים שעל גבה ובחבל אינן תלושין ברצון לפיכך אין מכשירין:
6
When rain falls upon a person, even if he is a primary source of impurity, the water on his body is pure, even though it runs down from the upper portion to the lower portion, provided he shakes it off immediately with all of his power. If, however, the water flows and runs down slowly, it does contract impurity at the time it is separated from him. If the water is pure, while it is on his body or clothes, it does not make foods susceptible to ritual impurity, for it did not flow on to him willfully. If he shakes the water off his clothes, it is considered as willful.
If he stood under a drainpipe to cool off or to wash himself, he is considered to have come into contact with water willfully. If he was impure, the water that is on his body is impure.
ו
מי שירדו עליו גשמים אפילו היה אב הטומאה המים שעליו אף ע"פ שירדו מצד העליון לתחתון טהורין והוא שינתקם מעליו בכל כחו אבל אם היו שותתין ויורדים בשעת פרישתם מתטמאין ובזמן שהן טהורין אינן מכשירין שהרי אינן תלושין עליו לרצונו ואם ניער הרי אלו לרצון עמד תחת הצינור להקר או לידוח הרי זה לרצון ואם היה טמא המים שעליו טמאין:
7
When a barrel was filled with produce and water from a drainpipe from a roof spilled into it, the owner should pour the water off the produce. It is not considered as susceptible to impurity even though he desired that the water be in the barrel until he pours it off.
ז
חבית שהיתה מליאה פירות וירד הדלף לתוכה הרי זה יערה המים מעליהן ואינן מכשירין ואף ע"פ שרצונו שיהיו בתוכה עד שיערה המים מעליהן:
8
When water from a drainpipe flows into a kneading trough, the drops that sputter off and the water that flows over the edge are not considered as having been uprooted willfully. Even if the owner picks up the kneading trough to pour out the water, the water it contains is not considered as having been uprooted willfully. If he left the trough for the water to drain into it, the drops that sputter off and the water that flows over the edge are not considered as having been uprooted willfully. If he picks up the kneading trough to pour out the water, it makes foods susceptible to impurity. The rationale is that since he did not overturn it and pour the water out in its place, it is considered as having been uprooted willfully.
ח
עריבה שירד הדלף לתוכה המים הניתזין והצפין מעליה אינן תלושין ברצון נטלה לשפכה המים שבתוכה אינן ברצון הניחה שירד הדלף לתוכה הניתזין והצפין שבתוכה אינן תלושין ברצון ואם נטלה לשפכה הרי אלו מכשירין שכיון שלא שפכה במקומה הרי תלשן ברצונו:
9
When a person immerses his keilim in a mikveh or washes his clothes in a cave, the water that ascends on his hands is considered as drawn willfully. The water on his feet is not considered as having been uprooted willfully.
ט
המטביל את כליו והמכבס את כסותו במערה המים העולין בידיו ברצון וברגליו אינן כתלושין ברצון:
10
When fruits fell into water and one extended his hand and took them, they do not become susceptible to impurity. If he intended that his hand would be rinsed while picking them up, they become susceptible to impurity because of the water on his hand. For the water on his hand and on the produce are considered as having been uprooted willfully.
י
פירות שנפלו לתוך המים ופשט ידיו ונטלן לא הוכשרו ואם חישב שיודחו ידיו הוכשרו במים שבידיו שהמים שבידיו ושעל הפירות הרי הן כתלושין ברצון:
11
When a person willfully placed his produce in water, if the water is on the ground, the produce does not become susceptible to impurity as long as it is in the water. If he removed the produce, it becomes susceptible to impurity because of the water on it or on his hands, because it was uprooted willfully.
What is implied? If there were radishes or turnips in water in a cave, a woman who is a nidah, may wash it there and it is still pure. If she raised it out of the water at all, it became impure because of her touch.
יא
הנותן פירותיו לתוך המים ברצונו אם היו מים שבקרקעות אינן מוכשרין כל זמן שהן במים הוציאן הוכשרו במים שעליהן או שעל ידיו שהרי נתלשו ברצון כיצד צנון או לפת שהוא בתוך המערה נדה מדיחתו שם והוא טהור העלתהו כל שהוא מן המים נטמא במגעה:
12
When a container was filled with turmos beans and placed in a mikveh, a person who is impure may extend his hand and take beans from it and they are pure. The rationale is that they were not made susceptible to impurity inside of it and he does not desire the water that is upon them.
If he lifted the entire container from the water, the beans that are touching the container are impure, because they became susceptible to impurity due to the water in the container that was willfully raised from the mikveh. The remainder of the beans in the container are pure.
יב
קופה שהיא מליאה תורמוסין ונתונה לתוך המקוה מושיט ידו הטמא ונוטל תורמוסין מתוכה והן טהורין מפני שלא הוכשרו שהרי מתוכה נטל ואין רצונו במים שעליהן העלם מן המים הנוגעין בקופה טמאין שהרי הוכשרו במים שבקופה שנתלשו ברצונו ושאר כל התורמוסין שבתוך הקופה טהורין:
• English Text | Video Class• Shabbat, Sivan 26, 5776 · July 2, 2016• "Today's Day"
Tuesday Sivan 26 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Korach, Shlishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 119, 97 to end.
Tanya: And this is also (p. 315)...in actual reality. (p. 317).
"They went down to the pit alive"1 - even in the grave they think they are alive.
There is a blessing contained in "They went down to the pit alive," as with "the sons of Korach did not die,"2 - "a place was established for them3 and they repented." For teshuva, repentance, is effective only while one is still alive. This, then, is the blessing - that even in the pit they will live, and they will be able to effect teshuva.
FOOTNOTES
1.Bamidbar 16:30.
2.Ibid. 26:11.
3.In Gehinom ("the pit," Purgatory for the soul); Megilla 14a. See Supplementary Footnotes.
• Daily Thought:
Lasting Peace
Lasting peace is not created by intellectuals. Even the most powerful intellect can be bribed from within and from without.
Nor is it made by those who follow their faith blindly. Blindness wreaks havoc; a viable peace requires vision.
Lasting peace is the achievement of those who have made peace between the rigor of their mind and the simplicity of their vision. Their vision is secured far beyond the whims of this world, yet their minds see clearly what is happening down here on earth.
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