Torah Reading
Devarim: Deuteronomy 1:1 These are the words Moshe spoke to all Isra’el on the far side of the Yarden River, in the desert, in the ‘Aravah, across from Suf, between Pa’ran and Tofel, Lavan, Hatzerot and Di-Zahav. 2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horev to Kadesh-Barnea by way of Mount Se‘ir.
3 On the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year, Moshe spoke to the people of Isra’el, reviewing everything Adonai had ordered him to tell them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sichon, king of the Emori, who lived in Heshbon, and ‘Og, king of Bashan, who lived in ‘Ashtarot, at Edre‘i. 5 There, beyond the Yarden, in the land of Mo’av, Moshe took it upon himself to expound this Torah and said:
6 “Adonai spoke to us in Horev. He said, ‘You have lived long enough by this mountain. 7 Turn, get moving and go to the hill-country of the Emori and all the places near there in the ‘Aravah, the hill-country, the Sh’felah, the Negev and by the seashore — the land of the Kena‘ani, and the L’vanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates River. 8 I have set the land before you! Go in, and take possession of the land Adonai swore to give to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, and their descendants after them.’
9 “At that time I told you, ‘You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. 10 Adonai your God has multiplied your numbers, so that there are as many of you today as there are stars in the sky. 11 May Adonai, the God of your ancestors, increase you yet a thousandfold and bless you, as he has promised you! (ii) 12 But you are burdensome, bothersome and quarrelsome! How can I bear it by myself alone? 13 Pick for yourselves from each of your tribes men who are wise, understanding and knowledgeable; and I will make them heads over you.’
14 “You answered me, ‘What you have said would be a good thing for us to do.’ 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, men wise and knowledgable, and made them heads over you — leaders in charge of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and officers, tribe by tribe. 16 At that time I commissioned your judges, ‘Hear the cases that arise between your brothers; and judge fairly between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is with him. 17 You are not to show favoritism when judging, but give equal attention to the small and to the great. No matter how a person presents himself, don’t be afraid of him; because the decision is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me and I will hear it.’ 18 I also gave you orders at that time concerning all the things you were to do.
19 “So we left Horev and went through all that vast and fearsome desert which you saw on the way to the hill-country of the Emori, as Adonai our God ordered us; and we arrived at Kadesh-Barnea. 20 There I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill-country of the Emori, which Adonai our God is giving to us. 21 Look! Adonai your God has placed the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Adonai, the God of your ancestors, has told you. Don’t be afraid, don’t be dismayed.’
(iii) 22 “You approached me, every one of you, and said, ‘Let’s send men ahead of us to explore the country for us and bring back word concerning what route we should use in going up and what the cities we will encounter are like.’ 23 The idea seemed good to me, so I took twelve of your men, one from each tribe; 24 and they set out, went up into the hills, came to the Eshkol Valley and reconnoitered it. 25 They took some of the produce of the land and brought it down to us; they also brought back word to us — ‘The land Adonai our God is giving to us is good.’
26 “But you would not go up. Instead you rebelled against the order of Adonai your God; 27 and in your tents you complained, ‘It’s because Adonai hated us that he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, only to hand us over to the Emori to destroy us. 28 What sort of place is it that we’re heading for? Our brothers made our courage fail when they said, “The people are bigger and taller than we are; the cities are great and fortified up to the sky; and finally, we have seen ‘Anakim there.”’
29 “I answered you, ‘Don’t be fearful, don’t be afraid of them. 30 Adonai your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight on your behalf, just as he accomplished all those things for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and likewise in the desert, where you saw how Adonai your God carried you, like a man carries his child, along the entire way you traveled until you arrived at this place. 32 Yet in this matter you don’t trust Adonai your God, 33 even though he went ahead of you, seeking out places for you to pitch your tents and showing you which way to go, by fire at night and by a cloud during the day.’
34 “Adonai heard what you were saying, became angry and swore, 35 ‘Not a single one of these people, this whole evil generation, will see the good land I swore to give to your ancestors, 36 except Kalev the son of Y’funeh — he will see it; I will give him and his descendants the land he walked on, because he has fully followed Adonai.’
37 “Also, because of you Adonai was angry with me and said, ‘You too will not go in there. 38 Y’hoshua the son of Nun, your assistant — he will go in there. So encourage him, because he will enable Isra’el to take possession of it. (iv) 39 Moreover, your little ones, who you said would be taken as booty, and your children who don’t yet know good from bad — they will go in there; I will give it to them, and they will have possession of it. 40 But as for yourselves, turn around and head into the desert by the road to the Sea of Suf.’
41 “Then you answered me, ‘We have sinned against Adonai. Now we will go up and fight, in accordance with everything Adonai our God ordered us.’ And every man among you put on his arms, considering it an easy matter to go up into the hill-country. 42 But Adonai said to me, ‘Tell them, “Don’t go up, and don’t fight, because I am not there with you; if you do, your enemies will defeat you.”’ 43 So I told you, but you wouldn’t listen. Instead, you rebelled against Adonai’s order, took matters into your own hands and went up into the hill-country; 44 where the Emori living in that hill-country came out against you like bees, defeated you in Se‘ir and chased you back all the way to Hormah. 45 You returned and cried before Adonai, but Adonai neither listened to what you said nor paid you any attention. 46 This is why you had to stay in Kadesh as long as you did.
2:1 “Then we turned and began traveling into the desert along the road to the Sea of Suf, as Adonai had said to me; and we skirted Mount Se‘ir for a long time. (v) 2 Finally Adonai said to me, 3 ‘You have been going around this mountain long enough! Head north, 4 and give this order to the people: “You are to pass through the territory of your kinsmen the descendants of ‘Esav who live in Se‘ir. They will be afraid of you, so be very cautious, 5 and don’t get into disputes with them; for I am not going to give you any of their land, no, not even enough for one foot to stand on; inasmuch as I have given Mount Se‘ir to ‘Esav as his possession. 6 Pay them money for the food you eat, and pay them money for the water you drink. 7 For Adonai your God has blessed you in everything your hands have produced. He knows that you have been traveling through this vast desert; these forty years Adonai your God has been with you; and you have lacked nothing.’
8 “So we went on past our kinsmen the descendants of ‘Esav living in Se‘ir, left the road through the ‘Aravah from Eilat and ‘Etzyon-Gever, and turned to pass along the road through the desert of Mo’av. 9 Adonai said to me, ‘Don’t be hostile toward Mo’av or fight with them, because I will not give you any of their land to possess, since I have already given ‘Ar to the descendants of Lot as their territory.’” 10 (The Emim used to live there, a great and numerous people as tall as the ‘Anakim. 11 They are also considered Refa’im, as are the ‘Anakim, but the Mo’avim call them Emim. 12 In Se‘ir the Horim used to live, but the descendants of ‘Esav dispossessed and destroyed them, settling in their place. Isra’el did similarly in the land it came to possess, which Adonai gave to them.) 13 “‘Now get going, and cross Vadi Zered!’
“So we crossed Vadi Zered. 14 The time between our leaving Kadesh-Barnea and our crossing Vadi Zered was thirty-eight years — until the whole generation of men capable of bearing arms had been eliminated from the camp, as Adonai had sworn they would be. 15 Moreover, Adonai’s hand was against them to root them out of the camp until the last of them was gone. 16 When all the men who were able to bear arms had died and were no longer part of the people, 17 Adonai said to me, 18 ‘Today you are to cross the border of Mo’av at ‘Ar. 19 When you approach the descendants of ‘Amon, don’t bother them or fight with them, for I will not give you any of the territory of the people of ‘Amon to possess, since I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their territory.’”
20 (This too is considered a land of the Refa’im: Refa’im, whom the Emori call Zamzumim, used to live there. 21 They were a large, numerous people, as tall as the ‘Anakim; but Adonai destroyed them as the people of ‘Amon advanced and settled in their place — 22 just as he destroyed the Horim as descendants of ‘Esav advanced into Se‘ir and settled in their place, where they live to this day. 23 It was the same with the ‘Avim, who lived in villages as far away as ‘Azah — the Kaftorim, coming from Kaftor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)
24 “‘Get up, get moving, and cross the Arnon Valley! Here, I have put in your hands Sichon the Emori, king of Heshbon, and his land; commence the conquest, begin the battle! 25 Today I will start putting the fear and dread of you into all the peoples under heaven, so that the mere mention of your name will make them quake and tremble before you.’
26 “I sent envoys from the K’demot Desert to Sichon king of Heshbon with a peaceable message, 27 ‘Let me pass through your land. I will keep to the road, turning neither right nor left. 28 You will sell me food to eat for money and give me water to drink for money. I only want to pass through. 29 Do as the people of ‘Esav living in Se‘ir and the Mo’avim living in ‘Ar did with me, until I cross the Yarden into the land Adonai our God is giving us.’
30 “But Sichon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through his territory, because Adonai your God had hardened his spirit and made him stubborn, so that he could hand him over to you, as is the case today. (vi) 31 Adonai said to me, ‘See, I have begun handing over Sichon and his territory before you; start taking possession of his land.’ 32 Then Sichon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Yahatz; 33 and Adonai our God handed him over to us, so that we defeated him, his sons and all his people. 34 At that time we captured all his cities and completely destroyed every city — men, women, little ones — we left none of them. 35 As booty for ourselves we took only the cattle, along with the spoil from the cities we had captured. 36 From ‘Aro‘er, on the edge of the Arnon Valley, and from the city in the valley, all the way to Gil‘ad, there was not one city too well fortified for us to capture — Adonai our God gave all of them to us. 37 The only land you didn’t approach was that of the descendants of ‘Amon — the region around the Yabok River, the cities in the hills and wherever else Adonai our God forbade us to go.
3:1 “Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and ‘Og the king of Bashan came out against us with all his people to fight at Edre‘i. 2 Adonai said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid of him; for I have handed him, all his people and his territory over to you; you will do to him as you did to Sichon king of the Emori, who lived at Heshbon.’ 3 So Adonai our God also handed over to us ‘Og the king of Bashan with all his people, and we defeated him until he had no one left. 4 At that time we captured all his cities; there was not one city of theirs that we didn’t capture. There were sixty cities, all the region of Argov, the kingdom of ‘Og in Bashan; 5 all of them fortified cities with high walls, gates and bars — in addition to a great number of unwalled towns. 6 We completely destroyed them, as we did with Sichon king of Heshbon, annihilating every city —men, women and little ones. 7 But we took all the livestock, along with the spoil from the cities, as booty for ourselves.
8 “At that time we captured the territory of the two kings of the Emori east of the Yarden between the Arnon Valley and Mount Hermon,” 9 the Hermon which the Tzidonim call Siryon and the Emori call S’nir, 10 “all the cities of the plain, all Gil‘ad and all Bashan, as far as Salkhah and Edre‘i, cities of the kingdom of ‘Og in Bashan.” 11 ‘Og king of Bashan was the last survivor of the Refa’im. His bed was made of iron; it is still in Rabbah with the people of ‘Amon. It was nine cubits long and four cubits wide, using the normal cubit [thirteen-and-a-half by six feet].
12 “Of this land that we took possession of then, I assigned to the Re’uveni and the Gadi the territory extending from ‘Aro‘er along the Arnon Valley together with half the hill-country of Gil‘ad, including its cities. 13 The rest of Gil‘ad and all Bashan, the kingdom of ‘Og, I gave to the half-tribe of M’nasheh.”
The whole region of Argov together with all of Bashan form what is called the land of Refa’im. 14 Ya’ir the son of M’nasheh took all the region of Argov, as far as the border with the G’shuri and the Ma‘akhati; he named this whole area, including Bashan, after himself — it remains Havot-Ya’ir to this day.
(vii) 15 “I gave Gil‘ad to Machir; 16 and to the Re’uveni and the Gadi I gave the territory from Gil‘ad to the Arnon Valley, with the middle of the valley as the border, as far as the Yabok River, which is the border with the people of ‘Amon; 17 the ‘Aravah too, the Yarden being its border, from Kinneret to the Sea of the ‘Aravah, the Dead Sea, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah to the east.
18 “At that time I gave you this order: ‘Adonai your God has given you this land to possess. But all of you who are fit to fight must cross over, armed, ahead of your brothers the people of Isra’el. 19 Your wives, your little ones and your livestock — I know you have much livestock — will stay in your cities which I have given you, (Maftir) 20 until Adonai allows your brothers to rest, as he has allowed you; and they too take possession of the land Adonai your God is giving them on the west side of the Yarden. At that point you will return, each man to his own possession which I have given you.’
21 “Also at that time I gave this order to Y’hoshua: ‘Your eyes have seen everything that Adonai your God has done to these two kings. Adonai will do the same to all the kingdoms you encounter when you cross over. 22 Don’t be afraid of them, because Adonai your God will fight on your behalf.’
Isaiah 1:1 This is the vision of Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz, which he saw concerning Y’hudah and Yerushalayim during the days of ‘Uziyahu, Yotam, Achaz and Y’chizkiyahu, kings of Y’hudah:
2 “Hear, heaven! Listen, earth!
For Adonai is speaking.
“I raised and brought up children,
but they rebelled against me.
3 An ox knows its owner
and a donkey its master’s stall,
but Isra’el does not know,
my people do not reflect.
4 “Oh, sinful nation,
a people weighed down by iniquity,
descendants of evildoers,
immoral children!
They have abandoned Adonai,
spurned the Holy One of Isra’el,
turned their backs on him!
5 “Where should I strike you next,
as you persist in rebelling?
The whole head is sick,
the whole heart diseased.
6 From the sole of the foot to the head
there is nothing healthy,
only wounds, bruises and festering sores
that haven’t been dressed or bandaged
or softened up with oil.
7 “Your land is desolate,
your cities are burned to the ground;
foreigners devour your land in your presence;
it’s as desolate as if overwhelmed by floods.
8 The daughter of Tziyon is left
like a shack in a vineyard,
like a shed in a cucumber field,
like a city under siege.”
9 If Adonai-Tzva’ot had not left us
a tiny, tiny remnant,
we would have become like S’dom,
we would have resembled ‘Amora.
10 Hear what Adonai says,
you rulers of S’dom!
Listen to God’s Torah,
you people of ‘Amora!
11 “Why are all those sacrifices
offered to me?” asks Adonai.
“I’m fed up with burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened animals!
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls, lambs and goats!
12 Yes, you come to appear in my presence;
but who asked you to do this,
to trample through my courtyards?
13 Stop bringing worthless grain offerings!
They are like disgusting incense to me!
Rosh-Hodesh, Shabbat, calling convocations —
I can’t stand evil together with your assemblies!
14 Everything in me hates your Rosh-Hodesh
and your festivals;
they are a burden to me —
I’m tired of putting up with them!
15 “When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
no matter how much you pray,
I won’t be listening;
because your hands are covered with blood.
16 “Wash yourselves clean!
Get your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing evil, 17 learn to do good!
Seek justice, relieve the oppressed,
defend orphans, plead for the widow.
18 “Come now,” says Adonai,
“let’s talk this over together.
Even if your sins are like scarlet,
they will be white as snow;
even if they are red as crimson,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you will be eaten by the sword”;
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.
21 How the faithful city has become a whore!
Once she was filled with justice,
righteousness lodged in her;
but now murderers!
22 Your silver is no longer pure,
your wine is watered down.
23 Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves.
They all love bribes and run after gifts.
They give no justice to orphans,
the widow’s complaint doesn’t catch their attention.
24 “Therefore,” says the Lord, Adonai-Tzva’ot,
the Mighty One of Isra’el,
“I will free myself of my adversaries,
I will take vengeance on my enemies.
25 But I will also turn my hand against you!
I will cleanse your impurities as with lye
and remove all your alloyed base metal.
26 I will restore your judges as at first
and your advisers as at the beginning.
After that, you will be called
the City of Righteousness, Faithful City.
27 Tziyon will be redeemed by justice;
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
Today's Laws & Customs:
• Omit Tzidkatecha Tzedek in Afternoon Prayers The mournful paragraph of Tzidkatecha Tzedek is omitted from the afternoon prayers.
• Shabbat Chazon ("Shabbat of Vision")
The Shabbat before the Ninth of Av is called Shabbat Chazon ("Shabbat of Vision") after the opening words of the day's reading from the prophets ("haftara"), which is the third of the series of readings known as "The Three of Rebuke." On this Shabbat, say the Chassidic masters, we are granted a vision of the Third Temple; we may not see it with our physical eyes, but our souls see it, and are empowered to break free of our present state of galut (exile and spiritual displacement) and bring about the Redemption and the rebuilding of the Temple.
Links:
- The Holy Temple: an Anthology
- Shabbat of Vision
- About the "Three of Rebuke"
- http://www.thethreeweeks.com
Because of the holiness of Shabbat, the Fast of the Ninth of Av mourning destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel (see "Today in Jewish History") is postponed to after Shabbat. The fast begins this evening at sunset, and continues through tomorrow, Av 10, till nightfall.
Some of the fast's mourning practices--such as refraining from Torah study other than texts related to the events and nature of the fast day--are observed beginning from midday today.
Finish eating by sunset. After nightfall say, "Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the mundane." No Havdalah tonight, but light a candle and recite the fire blessing.Havdalah is recited after the fast (omitting the candle and incense blessings).
"Eichah"--the Book of Lamentations--is read tonight in the synagogue after evening prayers.
See "Laws and Customs" for tomorrow, Av 10, for the particular observances of the fast day.
Links:
Today in Jewish History:
• Exodus Generation Condemned to Die in Desert (1312 BCE)
On the Ninth of Av of the year 2449 from creation (1312 BCE), the generation of Jews who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership 16 months earlier were condemned to die in the desert and the entry into the Land of Israel was delayed for 40 years.
As related in Numbers 14, when the Spies that Moses sent to the Land of Canaan returned with their disheartening report (see "Today in Jewish History" for yesterday, Av 8), the people wept all night -- the night of Av 9th -- proclaiming that they'd rather return to Egypt than attempt to conquer and settle it; G-d decreed that the entire generation would wander in the desert for 40 years until the last of them died out, and that their children, under the leadership of Joshua, will enter the land He promised as Israel's heritage.
This is the first of five national tragedies that occurred on Av 9 listed by the Talmud (Taanit 4:6), due to which the day was designated as a fast day. The other four are: the destruction of the two Temples, the fall of Betar, and the plowing over of Jerusalem. (see below)
Links: The Spies
• Holy Temples Destroyed; Birth of Moshiach (423 BCE and 69 CE)
Both the first and second Holy Temples which stood in Jerusalem were destroyed on Av 9: the First Temple by the Babylonians in the year 3338 from creation (423 BCE), and the second by the Romans in 3829 (69 CE).
The Temples' destruction represents the greatest tragedy in Jewish history, for it marks our descent into Galut--the state of physical exile and spiritual displacement in which we still find ourselves today. Thus the Destruction is mourned as a tragedy that affects our lives today, 2,000 years later, no less than the very generation that experienced it first hand.
Yet the Ninth of Av is also a day of hope. The Talmud relates that Moshiach ("anointed one"--the Messiah), was born at the very moment that the Temple was set aflame and the Galutbegan. [This is in keeping with the teachings of our sages that, "In every generation is born a descendent of Judah who is worthy to become Israel's Moshiach" (Bartinoro on Ruth); "When the time will come, G-d will reveal Himself to him and send him, and then the spirit of Moshiach, which is hidden and secreted on high, will be manifested in him" (Chattam Sofer).]
Links:
- The Holy Temple: an Anthology
- Moshiach: an Anthology
- Moshiach and the Future Redemption
- See "Laws and Customs"
Betar, the last stronghold in the heroic Bar Kochba rebellion, fell to the Romans on the 9th of Av of the year 3893 (133 CE) after a three-year siege. 580,000 Jews died by starvation or the sword, including Bar Kochba, the leader of the rebellion.
Link: A Talmudic account of the fall of Betar
• Expulsion from England (1290)
The Jews of England were expelled by King Edward I on this date in 1290.
• The Spanish Expulsion (1492)
The Jews of Spain were expelled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella on the 9th of Av of 1492, terminating many centuries of flourishing Jewish life in that country.Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Parshat Devarim, 7th Portion Deuteronomy 3:15-3:22 with Rashi
• Deuteronomy Chapter 3
15And to Machir I gave Gilead. טווּלְמָכִ֖יר נָתַ֥תִּי אֶת־הַגִּלְעָֽד:
16And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead to the brook of Arnon, the midst of the brook and the border, until the brook of Jabbok, which is the boundary of the children of Ammon, טזוְלָרֽאוּבֵנִ֨י וְלַגָּדִ֜י נָתַ֤תִּי מִן־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְעַד־נַ֣חַל אַרְנֹ֔ן תּ֥וֹךְ הַנַּ֖חַל וּגְבֻ֑ל וְעַד֙ יַבֹּ֣ק הַנַּ֔חַל גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן:
The midst of the brook and the border: The entire brook and [the land] on its opposite bank. As if to say, עַד,“until” [the brook of Arnon,] including [the brook itself, i.e., the brook itself is included in the words תּוֹךְ הַנַּחַל] and then a bit more [namely, the opposite bank, referred to by the word וּגְבֻל]. תוך הנחל וגבול: כל הנחל ועוד מעבר לשפתו, כלומר עד ועד בכלל ויותר מכאן:
17the plain, the Jordan and the border thereof, from Kinnereth to the sea of the plain the Sea of Salt, under the waterfalls of Pisgah, eastward. יזוְהָֽעֲרָבָ֖ה וְהַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן וּגְבֻ֑ל מִכִּנֶּ֗רֶת וְעַ֨ד יָ֤ם הָֽעֲרָבָה֙ יָ֣ם הַמֶּ֔לַח תַּ֛חַת אַשְׁדֹּ֥ת הַפִּסְגָּ֖ה מִזְרָֽחָה:
From Kinnereth: This was on the western side of the Jordan, and the inheritance of the children of Gad was on the eastern side of the Jordan; so the width of the Jordan adjoining their territory fell within their lot, and in addition, the land on its opposite bank until the Kinnereth. This is what it says, “And the Jordan and the border” of the Jordan and beyond it. מכנרת: מעבר הירדן המערבי הוא ונחלת בני גד מעבר הירדן המזרחי, ונפל בגורלם רוחב הירדן כנגדם ועוד מעבר שפתו עד כנרת וזהו שנאמר והירדן וגבול, הירדן ומעבר לו:
18And I commanded you at that time saying, "The Lord, your God, has given you this land to possess it; pass over, armed, before your brothers, the children of Israel, all who are warriors. יחוָֽאֲצַ֣ו אֶתְכֶ֔ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹ֑ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם נָתַ֨ן לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־הָאָ֤רֶץ הַזֹּאת֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ חֲלוּצִ֣ים תַּֽעַבְר֗וּ לִפְנֵ֛י אֲחֵיכֶ֥ם בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּל־בְּנֵי־חָֽיִל:
And I commanded you: He was addressing the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad. ואצו אתכם: לבני ראובן ולבני וגד היה מדבר:
[pass over, armed] before your brothers: They would go in front of the [other] Israelites to battle, because they were mighty, and the enemies would fall before them, as it is said [of Gad],“He tears the arm together with the crown” (Deut. 33:20). לפני אחיכם: הם היו הולכים לפני ישראל למלחמה, לפי שהיו גבורים ואויבים נופלים לפניהם, שנאמר (דברים לג, כ) וטרף זרוע אף קדקד:
19But your wives, your young children, and your cattle for I know that you have much cattle shall dwell in your cities which I have given you, יטרַק נְשֵׁיכֶ֣ם וְטַפְּכֶם֘ וּמִקְנֵכֶם֒ יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּֽי־מִקְנֶ֥ה רַ֖ב לָכֶ֑ם יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ בְּעָ֣רֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לָכֶֽם:
20until the Lord has given rest to your brothers, just as [He did] for you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord, your God, is giving them on the other side of the Jordan, then every man shall return to his possession, which I have given to you." כעַד אֲשֶׁר־יָנִ֨יחַ יְהֹוָ֥ה | לַֽאֲחֵיכֶם֘ כָּכֶם֒ וְיָֽרְשׁ֣וּ גַם־הֵ֔ם אֶת־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֛ם נֹתֵ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ לִֽירֻשָּׁת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לָכֶֽם:
21And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord, your God, has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you will pass. כאוְאֶת־יְהוֹשׁ֣וּעַ צִוֵּ֔יתִי בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹ֑ר עֵינֶ֣יךָ הָֽרֹאֹ֗ת אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ לִשְׁנֵי֙ הַמְּלָכִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה כֵּֽן־יַֽעֲשֶׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לְכָל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ר שָֽׁמָּה:
22Do not fear them, for it is the Lord, your God, Who is fighting for you." כבלֹ֖א תִּֽירָא֑וּם כִּ֚י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם ה֖וּא הַנִּלְחָ֥ם לָכֶֽם:
Daily Tehillim: Chapters 49 - 54
• Chapter 49
This psalm is a strong message and inspiration for all, rich and poor alike, rebuking man for transgressions which, owing to habit, he no longer considers sinful; yet, these sins incriminate man on the Day of Judgement. The psalm speaks specifically to the wealthy, who rely not on God but on their wealth.
1. For the Conductor, by the sons of Korach, a psalm.
2. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all you inhabitants of the world;
3. sons of common folk and sons of nobility, rich and poor alike.
4. My mouth speaks wisdom, and the thoughts of my heart are understanding.
5. I incline my ear to the parable; I will unravel my riddle upon the harp.
6. Why am I afraid in times of trouble? [Because] the sins I trod upon surround me.
7. There are those who rely on their wealth, who boast of their great riches.
8. Yet a man cannot redeem his brother, nor pay his ransom to God.
9. The redemption of their soul is too costly, and forever unattainable.
10. Can one live forever, never to see the grave?
11. Though he sees that wise men die, that the fool and the senseless both perish, leaving their wealth to others-
12. [nevertheless,] in their inner thoughts their houses will last forever, their dwellings for generation after generation; they have proclaimed their names throughout the lands.
13. But man will not repose in glory; he is likened to the silenced animals.
14. This is their way-their folly remains with them, and their descendants approve of their talk, Selah.
15. Like sheep, they are destined for the grave; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright will dominate them at morning; their form will rot in the grave, away from its abode.
16. But God will redeem my soul from the hands of the grave, for He will take me, Selah.
17. Do not fear when a man grows rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
18. for when he dies he will take nothing, his glory will not descend after him.
19. For he [alone] praises himself in his lifetime; but [all] will praise you if you better yourself.
20. He will come to the generation of his forefathers; they shall not see light for all eternity.
21. Man [can live] in glory but does not understand; he is likened to the silenced animals.
Chapter 50
This psalm speaks of many ethics and morals. The psalmist rebukes those who fail to repent humbly and modestly. He also admonishes those who do not practice that which they study, and merely appear to be righteous; they sin and cause others to sin.
1. A psalm by Asaph. Almighty God, the Lord, spoke and called to the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2. Out of Zion, the place of perfect beauty, God appeared.
3. Our God will come and not be silent; a fire will consume before Him, His surroundings are furiously turbulent.
4. He will call to the heavens above, and to the earth, to avenge His people:
5. "Gather to Me My pious ones, those who made a covenant with me over a sacrifice.”
6. Then the heavens declared His righteousness, for God is Judge forever.
7. Listen, my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you-I am God your God.
8. Not for [the lack of] your sacrifices will I rebuke you, nor for [the lack of] your burnt offerings which ought to be continually before Me.
9. I do not take oxen from your house, nor goats from your pens;
10. for every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle of a thousand mountains.
11. I know every bird of the mountains, and the crawling creatures of the field are in My possession.
12. Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine.
13. Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14. Offer confession as a sacrifice to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15. and call to Me on the day of distress; I will free you, and you will honor Me.
16. But to the wicked, God said, "What does it help you to discuss My laws, and bear My covenant upon your lips?
17. For you hate discipline, and throw My words behind you.
18. When you see a thief you run with him, and your lot is with adulterers.
19. You sent forth your mouth for evil, and attach your tongue to deceit.
20. You sit down to talk against your brother; your mother's son you defame.
21. You have done these things and I kept silent, so you imagine that I am like you-[but] I will rebuke you and lay it clearly before your eyes.
22. Understand this now, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart and there be none to save you.
23. He who offers a sacrifice of confession honors Me; and to him who sets right his way, I will show the deliverance of God."
Chapter 51
This psalm speaks of when Nathan the prophet went to David's palace, and rebuked him for his sin with Bathsheba. David then secluded himself with God, offering awe-inspiring prayers and begging forgiveness. Every person should recite this psalm for his sins and transgressions.
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David,
2. when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.
3. Be gracious to me, O God, in keeping with Your kindness; in accordance with Your abounding compassion, erase my transgressions.
4. Cleanse me thoroughly of my wrongdoing, and purify me of my sin.
5. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
6. Against You alone have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Your eyes; [forgive me] so that You will be justified in Your verdict, vindicated in Your judgment.
7. Indeed, I was begotten in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
8. Indeed, You desire truth in the innermost parts; teach me the wisdom of concealed things.
9. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be pure; cleanse me and I shall be whiter than snow.
10. Let me hear [tidings of] joy and gladness; then the bones which You have shattered will rejoice.
11. Hide Your face from my sins, and erase all my trespasses.
12. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew within me an upright spirit.
13. Do not cast me out of Your presence, and do not take Your Spirit of Holiness away from me.
14. Restore to me the joy of Your deliverance, and uphold me with a spirit of magnanimity.
15. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.
16. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, God of my deliverance; my tongue will sing Your righteousness.
17. My Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.
18. For You do not desire that I bring sacrifices, nor do You wish burnt offerings.
19. The offering [desirable] to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and broken heart, God, You do not disdain.
20. In Your goodwill, bestow goodness upon Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
21. Then will You desire sacrifices [offered in] righteousness, olah and other burnt offerings; then they will offer bullocks upon Your altar.
Chapter 52
David laments his suffering at the hands of Doeg, and speaks of Doeg's boasts about the evil he committed. David asks, "What does he think? Does he consider the doing of evil a mark of strength?" David also curses Doeg and those like him.
1. For the Conductor, a maskil by David,
2. when Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul, saying to him, "David has come to the house of Achimelech.”
3. Why do you boast with evil, O mighty one? God's kindness is all day long.
4. Your tongue devises treachery; like a sharpened razor it works deceit.
5. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking righteousness, Selah.
6. You love all devouring words, a deceitful tongue.
7. God will likewise shatter you forever; He will excise and pluck you from the tent, and uproot you from the land of the living forever.
8. The righteous will see it and be awed, and they will laugh at him:
9. "Here is the man who did not make God his stronghold, but trusted in his great wealth, and drew strength from his treachery.”
10. But I am like a fresh olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God's kindness forever and ever.
11. I will thank you forever for what You have done; I will hope in Your Name, for You are good to Your pious ones.
Chapter 53
This psalm speaks of when Titus pierced the curtain of the Holy of Holies with his sword, and thought he had killed "himself" (a euphemism for God).
1. For the Conductor, on the machalat,1 a mas-kil2 by David.
2. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God!" They have acted corruptly and committed abominable deeds; not one does good.
3. God looked down from heaven upon mankind, to see if there was any man of intelligence who searches for God.
4. But they all regressed together; they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
5. Indeed, the evildoers who devour My people as they devour bread, who do not call upon God, will come to realize.
6. There they will be seized with fright, a fright such as never was; for God scatters the bones of those encamped against you. You shamed them, for God rejected them.
7. O that out of Zion would come Israel's deliverance! When God returns the captivity of His people, Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument (Rashi).
2.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Chapter 54
A prayer to God asking that in His might He save all who hope for His kindness. Read, and you will discover an awe-inspiring and wondrous prayer that should be said by all in the appropriate time.
1. For the Conductor, with instrumental music, a maskil by David,
2. when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Behold, David is hiding among us!”
3. O God, deliver me by Your Name, and vindicate me by Your might.
4. God, hear my prayer, listen to the words of my mouth.
5. For strangers have risen against me, and ruthless men have sought my soul; they are not mindful of God, Selah.
6. Behold, God is my helper; my Lord is with those who support my soul.
7. He will repay the evil of my watchful enemies; destroy them by Your truth.
8. With a free-will offering I will sacrifice to You; I will offer thanks to Your Name, O Lord, for it is good.
9. For He has saved me from every trouble, and my eye has seen [the downfall of] my enemy.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 1
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Shabbat, 9 AV , 5776 · 13 August 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 1
• ועתה הפעם הנני יוסיף שנית ידי בתוספת ביאור ובקשה כפולה, שטוחה ופרושה לפני כל אנשי שלומים הקרובים והרחוקים, לקיים עליהם
And now once more I put forth my hand a second time with an additional explanation and a twofold request, extended and proposed to all men of the chassidic brotherhood, those who are near and those who are far, to undertake the following:
שכל ימי החול לא ירדו לפני התיבה הבעלי עסקים, שאין להם פנאי כל כך
On all weekdays, businessmen — who do not have so much time — should not step down before the Ark [to lead the congregation in prayer].
רק אותם שיש להם פנאי, או המלמדים או הסמוכים על שולחן אביהם
Only those who have the time [should lead the prayers], such as teachers or those who are supported by their parents,
שיכולים להאריך בתפלת השחר ערך שעה ומחצה לפחות, כל ימות החול
who at the morning service are able to pray at length for at least about an hour and a half1 on all weekdays.2
מהם יהיה היורד לפני התיבה, על פי הגורל או על פי ריצוי הרוב
One of them should step down before the Ark, chosen by lot or by consent of the majority [of the congregants].
והוא יאסוף אליו בסביב לו כל הסמוכים על שולחן אביהם או המלמדים, שיוכלו להאריך כמוהו
He should gather around him all those who are supported by their parents, or teachers, who are able to pray at length like himself, and will thus not be distracted by the haste of others.
בבל ישונה, נא ונא
[This arrangement is] not to be changed, I beg and beseech you!
* * *
אך בשבתות וימים טובים, שגם כל בעלי עסקים יש להם פנאי ושעת הכושר להאריך בתפלתם בכוונת לבם ונפשם לה׳
On the Sabbaths and festivals, however, when all the businessmen, too, have the time and opportunity to pray at length, devoutly concentrating their heart and soul to G‑d, —
ואדרבה, עליהם מוטל ביתר שאת ויתר עז, כמו שכתוב בשולחן ערוך, אורח חיים
moreover, their duty to do so is much greater, as is stated in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim,3
וכמו שכתוב בתורת משה: ששת ימים תעבוד גו׳, ויום השביעי שבת לה׳ אלקיך
and as is written in the Torah of Moses:4 “Six days shall you work and the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the L‑rd your G‑d,”
דייקא: כולו לה׳
stating clearly that the Sabbath is to be devoted wholly unto G‑d, —
Unlike the festivals which are “partially unto G‑d and partially unto you,” the Sabbath ought to be wholly dedicated to spiritual matters. Since the reason for this is that it was preceded by six mundane days of labor, it follows that those who were engaged in this labor during the weekdays — businessmen and the like — should surely utilize the Sabbath “wholly unto G‑d.”
ולזאת גם הם ירדו לפני התיבה בשבת ויום טוב
on Sabbaths and festivals, therefore, they too can step down before the Ark,
על פי הגורל או בריצוי הרוב, כמו שכתבתי אשתקד
according to lot or by assent of the majority, as I wrote last year.
* * *
וכגון דא צריך לאודועי שבדעתי, אם ירצה השם, לשלוח לכל המנינים מרגלים בסתר
Moreover, it should be made known that, G‑d willing, it is my intention to send spies secretly to all congregations,5
לידע ולהודיע כל מי שאפשר לו וכל מי שיש לו פנאי להאריך ולעיין בתפלה, ומתעצל
to find out and to notify about anyone who has the ability and the time to worship at length and to meditate while at prayer, but is slothful.
יהיה נידון בריחוק מקום, להיות נדחה בשתי ידים בבואו לפה לשמוע דברי אלקים חיים
He shall be punished by estrangement, being distanced by both hands when he comes here to hear chassidic teachings.6
ומכלל לאו אתה שומע הן
And from the negative you may infer the positive7 — that those who are more generous in the time they devote to their prayers will be assured of a warm welcome.
ולשומעים יונעם, ותבא עליהם ברכת טוב
Pleasant be the lot of those who hearken; may the blessing of goodness light upon them,
ואין טוב אלא תורה וכו׳
— and8 “there is no ‘good’ but Torah.”
——— ● ———
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | “Cf. Zohar I, 62b and its commentaries; the letter published in the anthology entitled Me’ah She’arim 2b, and the sources indicated in the footnote there. See also op. cit., 9b.” ( — Note of the Rebbe.) |
| 2. | “The statement (Berachot 32b) that even the early chassidim [of Talmudic times] would devote one hour to the prayer itself, refers to the Amidah [alone].” ( — Note of the Rebbe.) |
| 3. | Gloss to 290:2; see also Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chayim 290:5. Note of the Rebbe: “See also the maamar entitled Mi Yitencha, in Torah Or.” |
| 4. | Shmot 20:9. |
| 5. | In the original, minyanim; a minyan is a group of at least ten men constituting a congregation, and, by extension, signifies a place of communal prayer. |
| 6. | Lit., “the words of the living G‑d.” |
| 7. | A Talmudic term; cf. Nedarim 11a. |
| 8. | Avot 6:3. |
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
• Shabbat, 9 AV , 5776 · 13 August 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"Important Message Regarding
Negative Commandment 253
Cheating a Convert
"Do not distress him"—Exodus 22:20.
It is forbidden to cheat a convert in the course of commerce [by deceptively overcharging or underpaying for merchandise]. Though it is forbidden to cheat anyone, one who cheats a convert transgresses this additional prohibition, too.
Full text of this Mitzvah »• Cheating a Convert
Negative Commandment 253
Translated by Berel Bell
The 253rd prohibition is that we are forbidden from causing financial damage to a convert.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement,1 "Do not oppress him."
In the words of the Mechilta: "The verse 'Do not oppress him' means to do so financially."
It has already been explained in tractate Bava Metzia2 that one who [verbally] causes distress to a convert transgresses the prohibitions "V'lo sonu one another"3 and "Do not wrong a convert."4 One who oppresses him [financially] transgresses the prohibition, "Do not oppress him," in addition to the general prohibition that includes all Jews, ona'as mamon.5
FOOTNOTES
1.Ex. 22:20.
2.59b.
3.N251.
4.N252.
5.N250.
• Rambam - 1 Chapter: Parah Adummah Parah Adummah - Chapter 3
• Parah Adummah - Chapter 3
1
The red heifer should be burnt only outside the Temple Mount, as Numbers 19:3 states: "And you shall take it outside the camp." They would burn it on the Mount of Olives. A ramp was built from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives. Below it were arches upon arches, i.e., an arch on two arches, so that there would be empty space under it, lest there be a grave in the depths of the earth. Similarly, the place where the heifer was burnt and the place of immersion on the Mount of Olives had the space under them hollowed, lest there be a grave in the depths of the earth.
The red heifer, the one who would burn it, and all those who assist in its burning go from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives on this ramp.
א
אין שורפין את הפרה אלא חוץ להר הבית שנאמר והוציא אותה אל מחוץ למחנה ובהר המשחה היו שורפין אותה וכבש היו עושין מהר הבית להר המשחה ותחתיו בנוי כיפין כיפין וכיפה על כל ב' כיפין כדי שיהיו ב' רגלי הכיפה על גג ב' כיפין שתחתיה כדי שתהיה תחת הכל חלול מפני קבר התהום אף מקום שריפתה ומקום הטבילה שהיו בהר המשחה תחתיהן חלול מפני קבר התהום והפרה והשורף וכל המסעדין בשריפתה יוצאין מהר הבית להר המשחה ע"ג כבש זה:
2
How was the red heifer burnt? The elders of Israel would walk to the Mount of Olives first. There was a mikveh there. The priest, those assisting in burning it, and the heifer would go out on the ramp and come to the Mount of Olives.
There they would make the priest impure. The elders would rest their hands on the priest and tell him: "Immerse yourself." If he was a High Priest, they would tell him: "My sir, the High Priest, immerse yourself." He would descend, immerse himself, ascend, and dry himself.
There was wood arranged there: cedar wood, oak wood, pine wood, and smooth fig wood. An arrangement like a tower was made and windows were made in the midst of it, so that the fire would flame in them. The front of the arrangement was in the west.
The heifer would be tied with a rope of love grass and it would be brought onto the arrangement with its head to the south and its face to the west. The priest would stand to the east with his head facing west. He would slaughter the heifer with his right hand and receive its blood in his left hand. With his right finger, he would sprinkle from the blood in his left palm seven times toward the Holy of Holies. He would dip his finger in the blood for every sprinkling. The remainder of the blood on his finger was disqualified for sprinkling, Therefore, after every sprinkling, he would clean his finger on the body of the heifer.
When he completed sprinkling, he would clean his hands on the body of the heifer and descend from the arrangement. He would light the fire with small kindling twigs and place them below the wood of the arrangement. The fire would begin to catch in it. The priest would stand at a distance and watch it until the fire catches in its larger portion and its belly becomes ripped open.
Afterwards, he takes a branch of a cedar tree and hyssop that is at least a handbreadth long, and wool dyed crimson weighing fiveselaim. He asks the people standing there: "Is this a piece of cedar?" "Is this a piece of cedar?" "Is this a piece of cedar?" "Is this hyssop?" "Is this hyssop?" "Is this hyssop?" "Is this a crimson thread?" "Is this a crimson thread?" "Is this a crimson thread?", asking each question three times. They answer: "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!", three times for each set of questions.
Why is all this necessary? Because there are seven species of cedar, four species of hyssop, and several options to produce red dye. Some dye with madder and some dye with lacca sap, and some dye with tola'at? Tola'at refers to very red berries that resemble carob seeds. They are like sumach berries. There is a bug, like a gnat, in every berry. Since there are different types of species for each of the entities involved, the priest notifies everyone and informs them that these are the species mentioned in the Torah.
The hyssop mentioned in the Torah is the type of hyssop eaten by home-owners and used as a condiment in certain dishes. The hyssop, cedar, and wool dyed crimson are all absolute requirements, without one of which, the others are not acceptable. The priest should bind the hyssop together with the cedar branch with the crimson thread and then throw them into the belly of the heifer, as Numbers 19:6 states: "He shall cast them into the midst of the conflagration of the heifer."
He should not cast them into the heifer until the fire has caught hold of the larger portion of it and not after it has been reduced to ashes. If he casts them at those times, it is unacceptable, as indicated by the phrase: "into the midst of the conflagration," i.e., not before the fire has caught onto its larger portion and not after it was reduced to ashes. Whether one cast all three of them together or one after the other, whether one cast them into the heifer's body or into the fire, whether its belly burst open on its own accord or the priest ripped it open by hand or with a utensil, it is acceptable.
ב
כיצד שורפין אותה זקני ישראל היו מקדימין ברגליהן להר המשחה ובית טבילה היה שם וכהן והמסעדין בשריפתה והפרה יוצאין על הכבש ובאין להר המשחה ומטמאין את הכהן וסומכין הזקנים את ידיהם על הכהן ואומרים לו טבול אחת ואם היה כ"ג אומרים לו אישי כ"ג טבול אחת ירד וטבל ועלה ונסתפג ועצים מסודרים היו שם ארזים אלונים וברושים ועצי תאנה חלקה ועושין מערכה כמין מגדל ומפתחין בה חלונות כדי שתהיה האור מלבבת בהן ומראה המערכה במערב וכופתין את הפרה בחבל של מגג ונותנין אותה על גבי המערכה ראשה לדרום ופניה למערב הכהן עומד במזרח ופניו למערב שוחט בימינו ומקבל הדם בשמאלו ומזה באצבעו הימנית מן הדם שבכפו השמאלית שבע פעמים כנגד בית קדשי הקדשים על כל הזאה טבילת אצבע בדם ושירי הדם שבאצבע פסולים להזייה לפיכך על כל הזאה מקנח אצבעו בגופה של פרה גמר מלהזות מקנח את ידיו בגופה של פרה ויורד מן המערכה והצית את האש בעצים קטנים והכניסן תחת עצי המערכה והתחיל האש בה והכהן עומד ברחוק ומשמר לה עד שיצת את האור ברובה ותקרע בטנה ואחר כך נוטל עץ ארז ואזוב אין פחות מטפח וצמר צבוע בתולעת משקל חמשה סלעים ואומר לעומדים שם עץ ארז זה עץ ארז זה עץ ארז זה אזוב זה אזוב זה אזוב זה שני תולעת זה שני תולעת זה שני תולעת זה שלש פעמים על כל אחד ואחד והן אומרין לו הין הין הין שלש פעמים על כל אחד ואחד:
וכל כך למה לפי שמיני ארזים שבעה הן ומיני אזוב ארבעה והצבוע אדום יש שצובעין אותו בפואה ויש שצובעין אותו בלכא ויש שצובעין אותו בתולעת והתולעת היא הגרגרים האדומים ביותר הדומים לגרעיני החרובים והן כמו האוג ותולעת כמו יתוש יש בכל גרגיר מהן ולפיכך מודיע לכל ומגלה להן שאלו הן המינים האמורים בתורה והאזוב האמור בתורה הוא האזוב שאוכלין אותו בעלי בתים ומתבלין בו הקדירות האזוב והארז והתולעת שלשתן מעכבין זה את זה וכורך האזוב עם הארז בלשון של שני ומשליך אל תוך בטנה שנאמר והשליך אל תוך שריפת הפרה ואינו משליך קודם שיצית האור ברובה ולא אחר שתעשה אפר ואם השליך פסולה שנא' אל תוך שריפת לא קודם שיצת האור ברובה ולא אחר שתעשה אפר בין שהשליך שלשתן כאחת בין שהשליך זה אחר זה בין שהשליך לתוך גופה או לתוך שריפתה בין שנקרעה מאליה ואח"כ השליך בין שקרעה בידו או בכלי כשירה:
3
When the process of burning it has been completed, its remnants and all of the pieces of wood in its arrangement that were burnt with it are beaten with clubs and everything is raked out with rakes. Anything - whether from its flesh or from the wood - that has been blackened and is possible to be crushed and reduced to ashes, should be crushed and reduced to ashes. If something has no trace of ash on it, it is left. Any piece of bone that remains from the heifer's bones that was not burnt should be crushed regardless.
ג
נגמרה שריפתה חובטין אותה במקלות היא וכל עצי המערכה שנשרפה בהן וכוברין את הכל בכברות וכל שחור שאפשר שיכתש ויהיה אפר בין מבשרה בין מן העצים כותשין אותו עד שיעשה אפר ושאין בו אפר מניחין אותו וכל עצם שנשאר מעצמיה בלא שריפה בין כך ובין כך היה נכתש:
4
None of its ashes are brought into the Temple Courtyard for storage, as ibid.:9 states: "And he shall place it outside the camp." The ashes were divided into three portions: one was placed in the chayl one, on the Mount of Olives, and one, was divided among all the priestly guardposts.
The one that was divided among all the priestly watches was used by the priests to sanctify themselves. The one that was placed on the Mount of Olives was used by the entire Jewish people for sprinkling. And the one that was placed in the chayl was prepared and hidden away, as implied by ibid. which states: "It will be a security for the congregation of Israel." This teaches that it was put away for safekeeping.
Indeed, in the chayl, they would put away for safekeeping a portion of the ashes from every red heifer that was burnt. Nine red heifers were offered from the time that they were commanded to fulfill this mitzvah until the time when the Temple was destroyed a second time. The first was brought by Moses our teacher. The second was brought by Ezra. Seven others were offered until the destruction of the Second Temple. And the tenth will be brought by the kingMashiach; may he speedily be revealed. Amen, so may it be G‑d's will.
ד
אין מכניסין כלום מאפרה להניחו בעזרה שנאמר והניח מחוץ למחנה ושלשה חלקים היו חולקין את כל אפרה אחד ניתן בחיל ואחד בהר המשחה ואחד מתחלק לכל המשמרות זה שמתחלק לכל המשמרות היו הכהנים מקדשין ממנו וזה שניתן בהר המשחה היו ישראל מזין ממנו וזה שניתן בחיל היה מוכן ומוצנע שנאמר והיתה לעדת בני ישראל למשמרת מלמד שמצניעין ממנו וכן היו מצניעין מאפר כל פרה ופרה ששורפין בחיל ותשע פרות אדומות נעשו משנצטוו במצוה זו עד שחרב הבית בשנייה ראשונה עשה משה רבינו שנייה עשה עזרא ושבע מעזרא עד חורבן הבית והעשירית יעשה המלך המשיח מהרה יגלה אכי"ר:
• Mechirah - Chapter Nineteen
1
It is forbidden for a person to sell a colleague landed property or movable property concerning which there is a dispute or a judgment pending, until he notifies the purchaser. This law applies even if the seller is responsible for the property if it is expropriated from the purchaser. The rationale is that a person does not desire to pay money for an object and then be forced to enter into litigation concerning it, because he is being sued by others.
א
אסור למוכר למכור לחבירו קרקע או מטלטלין שיש בה עסיקין ויש בה דין עד שיודיעו שאע"פ שהאחריות עליו אין אדם רוצה שיתן מעותיו ויורד לדין ויהיה נתבע מאחרים:
2
When a person sells landed property to a colleague and claims of ownership are filed by others - after the purchaser acquires the property through one of the established modes of acquisition, but before he makes use of it - the purchaser may retract; there is no blemish greater than this. Before he has even made use of his purchase, claimants come and demand it.
Therefore, the transaction should be nullified and the seller should return the money and enter into litigation with the claimants. If the purchaser made any use of it whatsoever, even if he merely threw down its property marker and joined it to his own adjacent property, he may not retract. Instead, he must enter into litigation with the claimants. If they are successful in expropriating it from him in court, he may seek settlement from the seller, as is the law with regard to all from whom property is expropriated.
ב
המוכר קרקע לחבירו ואחר שקנה הלוקח באחד מן הדרכים שקונין בהן קודם שישתמש בה יצא עליו מערערין הרי זה יכול לחזור בו שאין לך מום גדול מזה שעדיין לא נהנה בו ובאו התובעין לפיכך יבטל המקח ויחזיר המוכר את הדמים ויעשה דין עם המערערין ואם נשתמש בה הלוקח כל שהוא ואפילו דש המצר שלה וערבו עם הארץ אינו יכול לחזור בו אלא עושה דין עם המערערין ואם הוציאו מידו בדין יחזור על המוכר כדין כל הנטרפין:
3
Whenever a person sells landed property, a servant or other movable property, he is responsible for them. What is implied? If a litigant expropriates the purchased article from the purchaser because of the seller,? the purchaser may collect all the money he paid from the seller, because the article was taken because of him.
This law applies with regard to all sales, even if the purchaser does not explicitly make this stipulation, but purchases the article without any qualification. Even if he purchases landed property by virtue of the transfer of a legal document, and the seller's responsibility is not mentioned in the document, the seller is responsible for the property. The fact that his responsibility is not mentioned is considered to be a scribal error.
ג
כל המוכר קרקע או עבד או שאר מטלטלין הרי זה חייב באחריותן כיצד אם הוציא המקח מיד הלוקח מחמת המוכר חוזר הלוקח ונוטל כל הדמים שנתן מן המוכר שהרי נלקח המקח מחמתו כך הדין בכל ממכר אע"פ שלא פירש הלוקח דבר זה אלא קנה סתם אפילו מכר הקרקע בשטר ולא הזכיר בו האחריות הרי זה חייב באחריותן שאחריות שלא נזכר טעות סופר הוא:
4
When does the above apply? When the purchased article was expropriated from the purchaser in a Jewish court. For example, the purchased article was movable property and it was proven that it was obtained by theft or robbery, or landed property was taken by robbery, or a creditor of the seller came and expropriated it from the purchaser.
All the above applies if the expropriation was dictated by a Jewish court. If, however, a gentile expropriates the purchased article from the purchaser, whether through an edict of the king or through a secular court, the seller is not responsible for the article. Although the gentile claims that the seller stole this article or robbed him of it and brought witnesses to that effect, the seller is not liable at all. For the expropriation of the article by gentiles is considered to be beyond the seller's control, and a seller is not liable for losses that are beyond his control.
ד
במה דברים אמורים בשהוציא המקח מיד הלוקח בבית דין של ישראל כגון שהיה המקח מטלטלין והיו גנובין או גזולין או שהיתה הקרקע גזולה או שבא בעל חוב של מוכר וטרפה מיד הלוקח והכל בבית דין של ישראל אבל אם העובד כוכבים הוא שהוציא המקח מן הלוקח בין בדין המלך בין בערכאות שלהן אין המוכר חייב באחריותו ואע"פ שהעובד כוכבים טוען שהמוכר גנב חפץ זה או גזלה ממנו והביא עדי עכו"ם על כך אין המוכר חייב כלום שזה אונס הוא ואין המוכר חייב באחריות אונס:
5
When a person sells landed property to a colleague and the seller makes a stipulation that he will reimburse the purchaser for any loss of this property due to factors beyond his control, he is liable to pay even if a gentile comes and seizes by force the property due to the seller.
If, however, a stream that was watering the field dries up, the flow of a stream deviates and makes a portion of land into a pool, or an earthquake comes and destroys it, the seller is not liable. For matters of this nature are both beyond one's control and infrequent. It would not have occurred to a seller to think about such an abnormal matter at the time he made this stipulation. Similarly, any other factor beyond one's control that is abnormal is not included in this stipulation.
ה
המוכר קרקע לחבירו והתנה עמו שכל אונס שיולד בקרקע זה יהיה חייב לשלם אפילו בא עכו"ם וגזלה מחמת המוכר חייב לשלם אבל אם נפסק הנהג שהיה משקה אותה או שחזר הנהר לעבור בתוכה ונעשית בריכה או שבאה זועה והשחיתה אותה הרי זה פטור שאלו וכיוצא בהן אונס שאינו מצוי הוא ולא עלה על לב המוכר דבר זה הפלא בעת שהתנה וכל אונס שאינו מצוי אינו בכלל התנאי הזה:
6
This same principle applies with regard to any condition that is made with regard to monetary matters. We analyze the intent of the person making the stipulation. We include within its scope only matters that are well-known that we would assume to have been taken in within the stipulation, because they would have been in the mind of the person making the stipulation at that time.
ו
והוא הדין לכל תנאי ממון שאומדין דעת המתנה ואין כוללין באותו התנאי אלא דברים הידועין שבכללן היה התנאי והם שהיו בדעת המתנה בשעת שהתנה:
7
An incident occurred concerning a person who hired sailors to transport sesame seeds to a certain place. He made a stipulation with them that they are responsible for any loss that occurs because of factors beyond their control until the sesame seeds reach their destination. And then, the river on which they expected to transport the cargo ceased flowing.
Our Sages said: This is an abnormal factor beyond their control. They are not likely to transport these sesame seeds on an animal to that place. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
ז
מעשה באחד ששכר מלחים להביא שומשמין למקום פלוני והתנה עמהם שהן חייבין בכל אונס שיארע להם עד שיגיעו השומשמין למקום פלוני ונפסק הנהר שהיו מוליכין בו ואמרו חכמים זה אונס שאינו מצוי ואין חייבין להוליך שומשומין אלו על גבי בהמה עד אותו מקום וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
8
When a person sells landed property to a colleague and the seller explicitly stipulates that he is not responsible, the seller is not held responsible. This applies even if it becomes known with certainty that the property was stolen, and it is expropriated from the purchaser.
Needless to say, should a creditor of the seller come and expropriate it from the purchaser, the seller is not liable to reimburse him. For any stipulation that is made with regard to financial matters is binding.
ח
המוכר קרקע לחבירו והתנה המוכר שלא יהיה עליו אחריות אפילו נודע בודאי שזו הארץ גזולה ויצאת מיד הלוקח אין המוכר חייב כלום ואין צריך לומר אם בא בעל חוב וטרפה שאינו מחזיר לו כלום שכל תנאי שבממון קיים:
9
The following rule applies when Reuven sold a field to Shimon without taking responsibility for it, and Levi comes and expropriates it from Shimon based on a claim against Reuven. If he desires, Reuven can enter into litigation with Levi. Levi cannot protest: "What business do you and I have together? You have no responsibility for the property." For Reuven will tell him: "I do not want Shimon to have any claims against me, for he has lost money on my account."
ט
ראובן שמכר שדה לשמעון שלא באחריות ובא לוי והוציאה מיד שמעון אם רצה ראובן לעשות דין עם לוי עושה ואין יכול לוי לומר לו מה לי ולך והרי אין עליך אחריות שהרי ראובן אומר לו אין רצוני שיהיה לשמעון תרעומת עלי שהרי הפסיד בגללי:
10
The following rule applies when Reuven sold a field to Shimon without taking responsibility and then repurchased it from him requiring Shimon to take responsibility. If a creditor of Reuven comes to expropriate the field from him, he may not require Shimon to pay for it. Although he did not accept responsibility when he sold it to Shimon, he took responsibility with regard to himself, that he should not be the seller and then expropriate the property himself.
If, however, a creditor of Jacob, their father, comes and expropriates the property from Reuven, Reuven may demand payment of the entire worth of the field from Shimon. For Shimon accepted responsibility for the field when he sold it back to Reuven, while Reuven did not accept any responsibility for others when he sold it to Shimon.
י
ראובן שמכר שדה לשמעון שלא באחריות וחזר ולקחה משמעון באחריות ובא בעל חוב של ראובן לטרוף אותה ממנו אינו יכול לחזור על שמעון שאף על פי שלא קבל עליו אחריות עצמו קבל שלא יהיה הוא המוכר והוא המוציא לעצמו אבל אם בא בעל חוב של יעקב אביהם וטרפה מיד ראובן חוזר בכל הדמים על שמעון מפני ששמעון קבל לו האחריות וראובן לא קבל לשמעון אחריות של אחרים כלל:
Mechirah - Chapter Twenty
1
The following rules apply in the situation to be described. A person wanted to purchase an article from a colleague. The seller said: "I will sell it to you for 200 zuz,"but the purchaser said: "I will not purchaseitfor more than amaneh." They each returned home. Afterwards, they came together again and the purchaser took possession of the article by meshichah without making any further statements. If it was the seller who made the proposition to the purchaser and gave him the article, he is required to give him only a maneh. If, however, it was the purchaser who performedmeshichah without making any further offers, he is required to pay 200 zuz.
א
המבקש לקנות מחבירו מקח מוכר אומר במאתים אני מוכר לך והלוקח אומר איני קונה אלא במנה והלך זה לביתו וזה לביתו ואח"כ נתקבצו ומשך זה החפץ סתם אם המוכר הוא שתבע הלוקח ונתן לו החפץ אינו נותן אלא מנה ואם הלוקח הוא שבא ומשך זה החפץ סתם חייב ליתן מאתים:
2
The following rule applies when a person purchases an article from one of five people, but is unsure of the identity of the seller, and each of the five claims that he was the seller. The purchaser should place the money for the item among them and depart. The money should remain in custody until the false claimants admit that it is not theirs or Elijah comes. If the purchaser is pious, he should pay each one of the claimants to fulfill a moral and spiritual obligation.
ב
הלוקח מאחד מחמשה בני אדם וכל אחד מהן תובע אותו ואומר אני הוא בעל המקח והוא אינו יודע ממי מהם לקח מניח דמי המקח ביניהם ומסתלק ויהיו הדמים מונחין עד שיודו או עד שיבא אליהו ואם הוא חסיד נותן דמים לכל אחד ואחד כדי לצאת ידי שמים:
3
Different rules apply when a person purchased an article from one of five people, did not pay at the time, denied taking the article by making a false oath and then repented and wanted to make restitution. If all five demanded payment from him, saying, "I am the one from whom you denied taking the article, and to whom you made a false oath," and he says, "I do not know," he is obligated to pay each of them, because he committed a transgression.
ג
לקח מקח מאחד מחמשה בני אדם וכפר בו ונשבע על שקר ועשה תשובה והרי הוא רוצה לשלם וכל אחד ואחד תובע אותו ואומר אני הוא שכפרת בי ונשבעת לי והוא אומר איני יודע חייב לשלם לכל אחד ואחד מפני שעבר עבירה:
4
The seller's word is accepted when he says: "I sold the article to this one, and I did not sell the article to this one."When does this apply? When the article that he is selling is in his possession. If, however, the article is no longer in his possession, his statements are given no more credence than those of one witness, and the laws applying to him with regard to this testimony are no different from those applying to other people, for he is no longer involved in the matter concerning which he testified.
Therefore, if a seller took money from two people, one intentionally and one gave him money against the seller's will, and the seller does not know the identity of the person from whom he took money intentionally and that of the person who gave him money against his will, there is no testimony at all. Each of the persons must take an oath holding a sacred article, as dictated by our Sages. Each then receives half of the purchased article and half the money.
This applies whether the article is in the hands of the seller or both of the claimants are holding it.
ד
נאמן בעל המקח לומר לזה מכרתי ולזה לא מכרתי אימתי בזמן שהמקח יוצא מתחת ידו אבל אם אין המקח יוצא מתחת ידו הרי הוא עד אחד בלבד ודינו בעדות זו כדין כל אדם שהרי אינו נוגע בעדותו לפיכך אם נטל הדמים משנים מאחד מדעתו ומאחד בעל כרחו ולא ידע ממי נטל מדעתו וממי נטל בעל כרחו שניהן תופסין בו אין כאן עדות כלל וכל אחד מהן נשבע בתקנת חכמים בנקיטת חפץ ונוטל חצי המקח וחצי הדמים:
5
The principle, "When a person desires to expropriate property from a colleague, the burden of proof is upon him," is applied in all the following situations and in other similar ones:
The purchaser claims: "You sold the article to me," and the seller claims
that he did not;
The seller claims that he sold the article to the purchaser, and the
purchaser did not pay for it;
The purchaser claims that he paid the money, but did not perform
meshichah;
The purchaser claims that he performed meshichah without seeing a
particular blemish, and the seller claimed to have appraised him of it
beforehand; or One of them claimed that the transaction had been made conditional on a stipulation, and the other denied that.
ה
הרי שטען על חבירו ואמר מכרת לי וזה אומר לא מכרתי או מכרתי ולא נתת לי דמים או שטען הלוקח ואמר שנתן הדמים ועדיין לא משך או משכתי ולא ראיתי מום זה והמוכר אומר לו הודעתיו לך או שאמר אחד מהם כך וכך תנאי היה בינינו והאחד אומר לא היה שם תנאי כלל בכל אלו הטענות וכיוצא בהן המוציא מחבירו עליו הראיה:
6
In the above instances, if the plaintiff does not prove his claim, the defendant who denies the claim must support his own claim with a sh'vuat hesset. If he admits a portion of the plaintiff's claim, or the plaintiffs claim is supported by one witness, the defendant must take an oath, as mandated by Scriptural Law, as applies with regard to all other claims.
ו
לא היתה שם ראיה נשבע הכופר שמבקשין להוציא מידו שבועת היסת ואם הודה במקצת הטענה או שיש עליו עד אחד נשבע שבועת התורה כשאר הטענות כולן:
7
The following rules apply when a person tells a storekeeper: "Give me a dinar's worth of produce," and the storekeeper gives it to him, and the produce is placed in the public domain. If the storekeeper demands payment of the dinar and the purchaser replies "I paid you the money, and you put it into your pocket," the purchaser is required to take an oath as ordained by our Sages, holding a sacred object. Afterwards, he may take the produce. The rationale is that the produce has already left the domain of the seller and was placed in the public domain.
If the produce was in the domain of the purchaser, he would be required to take only a sh'vuat hesset, and then he would be freed of responsibility. If the produce was in the domain of the storekeeper, the storekeeper would be required to take a sh'vuat hesset, and the produce would remain his.
ז
אמר לחנוני תן לי בדינר פירות ונתן לו והרי הפירות מונחין ברשות הרבים והחנוני תובע את הדינר ובעל הבית אומר לו נתתי לך הדמים והשלכת אותם לתוך כיסך הרי הלוקח נשבע כתקנת חכמים בנקיטת חפץ ונוטל הפירות הואיל וכבר יצאו מרשות המוכר והרי הן ברשות הרבים ואילו היו ברשות הלוקח היה נשבע שבועת היסת ונפטר ואילו היה עדיין ברשות החנוני היה נשבע היסת וישארו פירותיו אצלו:
8
Different rules apply if a purchaser gives a dinar to a storekeeper to take produce that has been placed down in the public domain. If the storekeeper says: "The dinar that you just gave me is payment for produce that I previously gave you and that you took to your home. I never sold you this produce that is now placed in the public domain," the storekeeper must take an oath to support his claim while holding a sacred object. The produce is then returned to the storekeeper, for he never admitted selling it to the purchaser. And if the produce was located in his store, all that would be required of him would be a sh'vuat hesset, as explained in the previous halachah.
ח
נתן הלוקח דינר לחנוני ובא ליטול פירות המונחין ברשות הרבים ואמר החנוני דינר זה שנתת לי עכשיו הוא דמי פירות שכבר נתתים לך והולכתם לתוך ביתך אבל פירות אלו המונחין ברשות הרבים לא מכרתים לך הרי החנוני נשבע בנקיטת חפץ שכך היה הדבר ומחזיר פירותיו לחנוני שהרי לא הודה לו שמכרן לו מעולם ואילו היו בחנותו היה נשבע שבועת היסת כמו שביארנו:
9
Similar rules apply when a person gives a dinar to a money-changer to take coins when the coins are piled in the public domain. If the money-changer admits to having sold the coins and he has not taken the dinar, the purchaser must support his claim by taking an oath while holding a sacred object and may then take the coins. If, however, the money-changer does not admit to having sold the coins to the purchaser, even though he admits taking adinar from the purchaser at this time, for he claims that the dinar is payment for coins that the purchaser already took home, the money-changer must support his claim by taking an oath while holding a sacred object. The coins are then returned to his store.
ט
וכן הדין בנותן דינר לשלחני ליטול מעות בזמן שהמעות צבורין ברשות הרבים אם השלחני הודה שמכרן ועדיין לא נטל הדינר נשבע הלוקח בנקיטת חפץ שנתן ונוטל המעות ואם לא הודה שמכרן לו אע"פ שמודה שלקח ממנו דינר עתה וטוען שדינר זה דמי המעות שכבר הוליכן הלוקח לתוך ביתו הרי השלחני נשבע בנקיטת חפץ ויחזיר מעותיו לחנותו:
10
The following laws apply when a person exchanges a cow and a donkey, and the cow bears a calf, or one sells a maidservant and she gives birth. The seller claims: "She gave birth before I sold her." The purchaser claims: "She gave birth after I purchased her." The purchaser must bring proof of his claim to be granted possession.
This ruling applies even if the seller says: "I do not know when she gave birth." Indeed, even if the cow is located in a swamp or the maidservant in a corner of the public domain, they are considered to be in the possession of the seller until the purchaser brings proof of his claim.If the purchaser does not bring proof of his claim, the seller must take an oath while holding a sacred object to support his claim. This applies with regard to the offspring of a cow. With regard to the offspring of a maidservant, by contrast, he is required only to take a sh'vuat hesset. For an oath associated with a sacred object is never taken with regard to servants or landed property, as explained in Hilchot To'en V'Nit'an.
י
המחליף פרה בחמור וילדה וכן המוכר שפחתו וילדה זה אומר עד שלא מכרתי ילדה וזה אומר משלקחתי ילדה אפילו אמר המוכר איני יודע על הלוקח להביא ראיה אע"פ שהפרה עומדת באגם והשפחה עומדת בסימטא הרי הן בחזקת המוכר עד שיביא הלוקח ראיה לא הביא ראיה ישבע המוכר בנקיטת חפץ על ולד הפרה אבל על ולד השפחה אינו נשבע אלא היסת שאין נשבעין בנקיטת חפץ על העבדים ולא על הקרקעות כמו שיתבאר בהלכות טוען ונטען:
11
If one says: "I do not know when the offspring was born," and the other also does not know, and the offspring is located in a domain that does not belong to either of them, it should be divided.
If one says: "The offspring was born in my domain," and the other remains silent, the one who makes the claim is awarded the offspring.
יא
זה אומר איני יודע וזה אומר איני יודע ואינם ברשות אחד מהן יחלוקו זה אומר ברשותי ילדה והאחר שותק זכה הטוען בולד:
12
The following rules apply when a dispute arises concerning a seller who owns two servants, one an adult and one a minor, or two fields, one large and one small. The purchaser claims: "I purchased the greater one," while the seller claims: "You purchased the smaller one." The burden of proof lies with the purchaser. If he does not substantiate his claim, the seller should take a sh'vuat hesset that it was the smaller one that he sold and he is allowed to keep the larger one.
יב
מי שהיו לו שני עבדים קטן וגדול או שתי שדות אחת גדולה ואחת קטנה הלוקח אומר גדולה לקחתי והמוכר אומר קטנה היא שלקחת על הלוקח להביא ראיה או ישבע המוכר היסת שלא מכר אלא קטן:
13
If the purchaser says: "I purchased the greater one," and the seller remains silent, the purchaser is awarded the greater one.
If the seller says: "I do not know," the burden of proof lies on the purchaser. If he does not substantiate his claim, the seller should take a sh'vuat hesset that he does not know which article was purchased,and the purchaser is awarded only the smaller one.
יג
אמר הלוקח גדול לקחתי והמוכר שותק זכה הלוקח בגדול ואם אמר המוכר איני יודע על הלוקח להביא ראיה או יישבע המוכר היסת שאינו יודע, ואין לזה אלא הקטן:
14
Whenever a doubt over responsibility for an article arises the burden of proof lies on the person in whose domain the doubt arises.
What is implied? A person exchanges a cow for a donkey, and the owner of the donkey performs meshichah on the cow, but before the owner of the cow can perform meshichah on the donkey, the donkey dies. The burden of proof is on the owner of the donkey to verify that the donkey was alive at the time meshichah was performed on the cow. The same principle applies in all analogous situations.
יד
כל מי שנולד הספק ברשותו, עליו להביא ראיה. כיצד המחליף פרה בחמור ומשך בעל החמור את הפרה ולא הספיק בעל הפרה למשוך זה החמור עד שמת החמור על בעל החמור להביא ראיה שהיה חמורו קיים בשעת משיכת הפרה וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
15
The following laws apply when a butcher sold an animal to a purchaser before its slaughter, it was slaughtered, and afterwards, a needle was discovered in the animal's second stomach that had pierced it from side to side.'
If a drop of blood is found upon it, it is clear that it became trefahbefore its slaughter. If a scab had formed over the wound, it is clear that it became trefah three days before its slaughter. If a scab had not formed over the wound, there is a lack of clarity concerning the matter, and the butcher must bring proof that the disqualifying factor arose before the purchase. This decision is rendered because the cow was in his possession when the doubt arose. If he cannot bring proof to this effect, he must pay the money due to the seller, as explained above.
טו
מחט הנמצא בעובי בית הכוסות ונקבה אותו נקב מפולש אם נמצא עליה קורט דם בידוע שזו נטרפה קודם שחיטה לפיכך אם הגליד פי המכה בידוע שדזו נטרפה שלשה ימים קודם שחיטה לא הגליד פי המכה הרי הדבר ספק ועל הטבח להביא ראיה שקודם לקיחתו נטרפה שהרי ברשותו נולד הספק ואם לא הביא ראיה ישלם הדמים למוכר כמו שביארנו:
Mechirah - Chapter Twenty One
1
The following rules apply when a person transfers a non-specific entity to a colleague. If the species being sold is known, even though its measure, its weight and its number are not known, the transaction is binding. If the species is not known, the transaction is not binding.
א
המקנה לחבירו דבר שאינו מסויים אם היה מינו ידוע אע"פ שאין מדתו ומשקלו ומניינו ידוע הרי זה קנה ואם אין מינו ידוע לא קנה:
2
What is implied? If a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you this heap of wheat for this and this amount," "I am selling you this cellar of wine for this and this amount," or "I am selling you this bag of figs for this and this amount," the sale is binding, even though the measure of the grain heap, the weight of the figs and the number of containers of wine is unknown.
These principles apply even if the quantity is greater or less than the estimation of the seller or the purchaser. The laws of ona'ahapply, and the purchase price is compared to the market price, as explained.
ב
כיצד ערימה זו של חטים אני מוכר לך בכך וכך מרתף זה של יין אני מוכר לך בכך וכך שק של תאנים אני מוכר לך בכך וכך אע"פ שאין מדת הערימה ידועה ולא משקל התאנים ולא מניין הקנקנים ידוע הרי זה ממכרו קיים אע"פ שנמצא חסר או יתר על האומד שהיה בדעתם ויש להם הונייה לפי השער שבשוק כמו שביארנו:
3
If, however, a person tells a colleague: "I will sell you whatever this house contains for this and this amount," "...whatever this chest contains,..." or "whatever this sack contains for this and this amount," the purchaser agrees and performs meshichah, the transaction is not binding. For the purchaser did not make a binding commitment, since he does not know what the receptacle contains, whether straw or gold. This is no more than gambling. The same applies in all analogous situations.
ג
אבל האומר לחבירו כל מה שיש בבית זה אני מוכר לך בכך וכך וכל מה שיש בתיבה זו אני מוכר לך בכך וכך או בשק הזה אני מוכר לך בכך וכך ורצה הלוקח ומשך אין כאן קניין שלא סמכה דעתו של לוקח שהרי אינו יודע מה שיש בו אם תבן או זהב ואין זה אלא כמשחק בקוביא וכן כל היוצא בזה:
4
Similarly, if a person tells a colleague that he is selling him wheat for ten dinarim, but does not stipulate how many se'ahhe is selling him, he must give him an amount of wheat equivalent to the market price at the time of the sale. Should either of the parties retract after the money has been paid, because they do not agree to the market price at the time of the sale, that party must receive the adjuration mi shepara, as explained.
ד
וכן המוכר לחבירו בעשרה דינרין חטים ולא פסק כמה סאה מכר לו נותן לו כשער שבשוק בשעת המכירה וכל החוזר בו מאחר נתינת הדמים ולא רצה כשער שהיה בשוק בשעת נתינת המעות מקבל מי שפרע כמו שביארנו:
5
When a person sells property to a colleague to build a house or a barn for cattle, he should give him a place four cubits by six cubits. Similarly, when a person agrees to build a wedding home for a colleague's son or a home for a widowed daughter he should build a home of this size.
If he sells him property to build a large house, he should give him a space eight cubits by ten cubits. If he sells him a place for a reception hall, he should give him a space ten cubits by ten cubits. A place for a garden of a courtyard is twelve cubits by twelve cubits.
The height of a structure is half of its combined length and width.
ה
המוכר מקום לחבירו לעשות בית או רפת בקר וכן המקבל מחבירו לעשות לו בית חתנות לבנו או בית אלמנות לבתו עושה לו ארבע אמות על שש מכר לו מקום בית גדול עושה שמנה על עשר מכר לו מקום טרקלין עושה עשר על עשר תרבץ של חצר שתים עשרה על שתים עשרה ורום כל בית ובית כחצי ארכו וחצי רחבו:
6
Similarly, when a person sells a property to a colleague for a family burial plot or if a person agrees to prepare a burial plot for a person, he should build a crypt beneath the earth and prepare for eight graves, three on one side, three on the other side and two opposite the entrance to the crypt.
The measure of the crypt should be four cubits by six cubits, and each grave should be four cubits long, six handbreadths wide and seven handbreadths deep. Thus, there should be a cubit and a half between each of the graves on the sides and two cubits between the graves opposite the entrance.
ו
המוכר מקום לחבירו לעשות לןו קבורה או המקבל מחבירו לעשות לו קבורה עושה מערה ופותח לתוכה שמונה קברים שלשה מכאן ושלשה מכאן ושנים מכנגד הנכנס למערה מדת המערה ארבע אמות על שש וכל קבר וקבר ארבע אמות אורך ורחב ששה טפחים ורום שבעה נמצא בין כל קבר וקבר שמן הצדדין אמה ומחצה ובין השנים האמצעיים שתי אמות:
7
When a person sells a colleague a place in his own field to make an irrigation ditch to water a parched field, he must give him a ditch two cubits wide, with a cubit on each side for its banks.
If he sells him a place for an irrigation ditch that uses a pipe, he must give him a ditch that is a cubit wide, with half a cubit on each side for its banks.
ז
המוכר לחבירו בתוך שדהו מקום אמת מים להשקות בה בית השלחין נותן לו בתוך שדהו אמה שרחבה שתי אמות ואמה מכאן ואמה מכאן לאגפיה ואם מכר לו אמת המים להשקות בה בסילון נותן לו אמה שרחבה אמה וחצי אמה מכאן וחצי אמה מכאן לאגפיה:
8
The seller may plant trees on this land at the banks of the ditch, but he may not sow grain there, for grain weakens the land and damages the irrigation ditch. Should this land at the banks of the ditch become washed away, the purchaser may replace it by taking from the earth in that field. For the seller's acceptance of the fact that an irrigation ditch will pass through his field is conditional to this stipulation.
ח
אלו האגפין בעל השדה נוטען אבל אינו זורען שהזרעים מחלחלין את הקרקע ומקלקלין את אמת המים ואמת המים זאת שכלו אגפיה בעל האמה מתקנן בעפר אותה שדה שעל מנת כן קבל עליו המוכר להיות אמת המים בתוך שדהו:
9
The following rules apply when a person sells a colleague a path in his field. If he sells him a path for one person, is he must give him a path two and a half cubits wide, so that a donkey and its burden can pass on the path.'
If he sells him a path that leads from one city to another, he must give him a path that is eight cubits wide. If he sells him a path for use as a public thoroughfare, he should give him a path that is sixteen cubits wide.
ט
המוכר לחבירו דרך בתוך שדהו אם דרך יחיד מכר לו נותן לו שתי אמות ומחצה רחב כדי שיעמוד חמור במשאו על אורך הדרך מכר לו דרך בין עיר לעיר נותן לו רחב שמונה אמות באורך הדרך מכר לו דרך הרבים נותן לו רחב שש עשרה אמה:
10
A path for a king and a path to a grave have no limits. It appears to me that this is considered as if one sells an object whose species is not identified, in which instance the transaction is not binding.
י
דרך המלך ודרך הקבר אין לה שיעור ונראה לי שזה כמוכר דבר שאין מינו ידוע:
11
If a person sells a colleague a place for relatives to stand and eulogize a person who has passed away,he must give him a place large enough to sow four kabbim of grain.
יא
מכר לו מקום למעמד נותן לו בית ארבעה קבים:
12
When a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you a cistern and its walls," he must give him a wall three handbreadths wide.
יב
האומר לחבירו בור וכתליה אני מוכר לך נותן לו רחב הכותל שלשה טפחים:
13
The following rules apply when a person sells a field to a colleague and while defining the boundaries of the field draws one boundary line long and another short. If the field on the boundary line that he drew longer belongs to only one person, the purchaser does not acquire any more land on that side of the field than on the side that he drew short. If the fields on that side belong to two individuals, the purchaser acquires the land as separated by a diagonal.
יג
המוכר שדה לחבירו ומצר לו מצר אחד ארוך ומצר אחד קצר אם היה הארוך של איש אחד לא קנה מן הארוך אלא כנגד קצר ואם היה של שנים יקנה כנגד ראש תור:
14
If the fields on the east and the west belong to Reuven, and those on the north and the south belong to Shimon, when drawing the map, the seller must write "the boundary of Reuven" on two sides and "the boundary of Shimon" on two sides.
יד
היה מצר ראובן מזרח ומערב ומצר שמעון צפון ודרום צריך שיכתוב לו מצר ראובן משתי רוחות ומצר שמעון משתי רוחות:
15
If the seller drew three boundary lines, but did not draw the fourth, the purchaser acquires the entire field. With regard to the fourth boundary, however, he does not acquire it.
If the fourth boundary is included within the other boundaries, and it is not designated by a row of palm trees, and it is not large enough for nine kabbim of grain to be sown within, the purchaser also acquires the fourth boundary.
If it is not included within the other boundaries, and it is designated by a row of palm trees, or it is large enough for nine kabbim of grain to be sown within, the purchaser does not acquire the fourth boundary.If it is included within the other boundaries, but it is designated by a row of palm trees, or it is large enough for ninekabbim of grain to be sown within, or it is not included within the other boundaries, but it is not designated by a row of palm trees, nor is it large enough for nine kabbim of grain to be sown within, the matter is entrusted to the court, and they divide it in the manner in which they see fit.
טו
מצר לו מצר ראשון ומצר שני ומצר שלישי ולא מצר מצר רביעי קנה השדה כולה אבל מצר הרביעי לא קנה ואם היה מובלע בין המצרים ואין עליו רכב של דקלים ואין בו תשעה קבין קנה אף המצר הרביעי ואם לא היה מובלע ויש עליו רכב של דקלים או שיש בו תשעה קבין לא קנהו היה מובלע ויש עליו רכב דקלים או שיש בו תשעה קבין או שלא היה מובלע ואין עליו רכב דקלים ואין בו תשעה קבין הרי הדבר מסור לבית דין כפי מה שיראו לאיזו דרך שדעתן נוטה יעשו:
16
If the seller designates only the corners of the property, without designating the entire boundary line in each direction, or he designates two corners in an L-shape, or he designates certain portions in each direction,the purchaser does not acquire the entire property. Instead, he acquires only the portion the seller transfers to him and the portion granted to him by the judges.
טז
סיים לו את הזויות בלבד ולא סיים לו את המצר שלכל רוח או שסיים לו שני מצרים כמין גא"ם או שסיים לו חלק מכל רוח ורוח הרי זה לא קנה את כולם אלא יקנה ממנה כפי מה שמסר לו וכמה שיראו הדיינין:
17
If a person sells a colleague a bayit in a larger building, although he drew for the purchaser the external boundaries of the entire building, and there are some who would call the entire building a bayit, the purchaser acquires only the apartment; he merely made the boundaries appear larger.
Had he sold him the entire building, he would have written in the deed of sale: "I did not retain ownership of anything in this sale."
Similarly, when a person sells a field in a large valley, although he drew him the boundaries of the entire valley, he merely made the boundaries appear larger.
יז
המוכר בית לחבירו בבירה גדולה אף על פי שמצר לו מצרים החיצונים ואע"פ שיש שם מעט שקוראין לבירה בית לא קנה אלא הבית בלבד שהמצרים הוא שהרחיב לו ואילו מכר לו כל הבירה היה כותב לו ולא הנחתי לפני במכר זה כלום וכן המוכר שדה בבקעה גדולה ומצר לו מצרי הבקעה מצרים הם שהרחיב לו:
18
When a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you fields," we interpret his intent to be the very minimum that would justify the use of the plural term: two.
If he tells him: "...all my fields...," then all his fields, even three or four are acquired by the purchaser, with the exception of gardens and orchards. If he tells him: "...my property...," even his gardens and orchards are sold. If he tells him: "...all my property...," everything he owns, even his servants, his buildings, all the movable property that he is known to own, including even thetefillin he wears on his head, are encompassed in the sale.
יח
האומר לחבירו שדות אני מוכר לך מעוט שדות שתים אמר לו כל שדות אפילו שלש וארבע חוץ מגנות ופרדסים אמר לו נכסים אפילו גנות ופרדסים חוץ מבתים ועבדים ואם אמר לו כל נכסי אפילו עבדים ובתים וכל המטלטלין הידועים לו ואפילו עבדים ובתים וכל המטלטלין הידועים לו ואפילו תפילין שבראשו בכלל המכר:
19
When a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you one of my homes," or "...one of my oxen," he is required only to give him the smallest one. If one of the oxen dies or one of the homes collapses, the seller may show the purchaser the one that died or collapsed and tell him that it is his, for the claim of the person possessing the deed of sale is considered at a disadvantage.
יט
האומר לחבירו בית מבתי ושור משורי אני מוכר לך נותן לו הקטן שבהן מת אחד מן השורים או שנפל אחד מן הבתים מראה לו זה שמת או שנפל שיד בעל השטר על התחתונה:
20
When a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you a field from the house of Chiyya," and he possesses two fields that are described in this manner, the purchaser acquires only the lesser one. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
כ
האומר לחבירו שדה דבי חייא אני מוכר לך והיו שתי שדות הנקראים בשם זה אינו קונה אלא הפחות שבהן וכן כל כיוצא בהן:
21
The purchaser's claim is favored in the following situation: A person tells a colleague: "I am selling you Reuven's field." When the purchaser comes to make use of the field that is popularly known by that name, the seller tells him: "This is not the field that was owned by Reuven. It is only called that by people, but it never belonged to him. This is the field that belonged to Reuven" he says, pointing to another field. "I purchased it from him, and this is the field that I sold to you."
The seller must prove his claim. If he does not prove it, the purchaser acquires the field that is popularly known as belonging to Reuven. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations. We follow the name that is accepted universally.
כא
האומר לחבירו שדה ראובן אני מוכר לך וכיון שבא הלוקח להשתמש בה אמר לו המוכר אינה זו השדה שהיתה של ראובן אלא כך היא קרויה ולעולם לא היתה לו אלא זו היא שהיתה של ראובן ולקחתיה ממנו והיא שמכרתיה לך על המוכר להביא ראיה ואם לא הביא זוכה הלוקח בזו שכל העם קוראים של ראובן וכן כל כיוצא בזה הלך אחר השם שהוא פשוט בפי הכל:
22
When a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you half a field," we should evaluate the worth of the entire field, and the seller should give the purchaser a portion worth half the value of the entire field, from its lesser portion.
Similarly, when a person tells a colleague: "I am selling you the southern half of a field," we should evaluate the worth of the entire field, and the seller should give the purchaser a portion worth half the value of the entire field from its southern half.
Implicit in such an agreement is a commitment by the purchaser to make a place for a fence in his portion, including a small trench three handbreadths wide behind the fence, but close to it - and a larger trench, six handbreadths wide, outside the fence - and to leave the width of a handbreadth between the two trenches. All this is necessary to prevent a marten or the like from jumping from one field to the other.
כב
האומר לחבירו חצי שדה אני מוכר לך שמין כמה שוה כל השדה ונותן לו מן הכחוש שבה מה ששוה חצי הדמים של כל השדה וכן אם אמר לו חציה בדרום אני מוכר לך שמין דמי כולה ונותן לו בדרומה כחצי כל הדמים ומקבל עליו הלוקח לעשות בחלקו מקום הגדר ומאחורי הגדר סמוך לגדר חריץ קטן רחב שלשה טפחים וחוצה לו חריץ אחד גדול רחב ששה טפחים ובין שני החריצין רחב טפח כל זה כדי שלא תקפוץ הנמייה בה וכיוצא בה:
23
The following rules apply when a person owns half of a field: If he tells a colleague: "I am selling you the half of the field that I own," the purchaser acquires the entire half. If he tells him: "I am selling you half the field that I own," the purchaser acquires only one fourth.
The following rules apply when a seller tells a purchaser: "These are the boundaries of the field from which a portion is divided...," "...is separated...," or"...is apportioned for you."If he tells him: "And these are its boundaries,"the purchaser acquires half. If he does not specify its boundaries, the purchaser acquires merely a portion on which he could sow nine kabbim.
• Shabbat, 9 AV , 5776 · 13 August 2016
• "Today's Day"
• Tuesday, Menachem Av 9, 5703
At Mincha: Sh'ma, Song of the Day (p. 76), Ein k'Elokeinu (p. 81), all the studies relevant to Shacharit, then the Order of Mincha (p. 96). The b'racha, she'assa li kol tzorki ("Who has provided me with every need," p. 8) is not said until tomorrow.
Torah lessons: Chumash: Va'etchanan, Shlishi with Rashi.
Tehillim: 49-54.
Tanya: And now once more (p. 393) ...but Torah..." (p. 393).
Every year on Tisha B'Av my father studied Eicha Raba and the section of R. Yochanan in chapter Hanizakin.1
In the morning, after kinot - and he would say them all - he said Eicha. He was called to the Torah for maftir, sometimes both at Shacharit and Mincha.
FOOTNOTES
1.Of Tractate Gittin, page 55b. The section deals with the destruction of the Jerusalem sanctuary.
• Daily Thought:
Revolution
If you were there
and the forces of destruction
were about to destroy Jerusalem
and you had the power to do something about it,
would you sit and mourn and cry?
Or would you turn the world
on its head
to change history?
So what is stopping you?
Turn over the whole world now!
-------
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